Now that House of the Dragon is nearing the end of its first season, it’s fitting to look back at some of the most iconic characters of its predecessor, Game of Thrones. Though he wasn’t quite as outlandish as his Targaryen predecessors, Robert Baratheon had his own foibles as a monarch.
Throughout the series, King Robert displayed a profound cynicism. While he was as layered and complicated as many of the other characters to appear in the series, there are still a number of quotes that do a strong job of summing up his personality.
“Seven Kingdoms Couldn't Fill The Hole She Left Behind."
Season 1, Episode 5: “The Wolf And The Lion”
There are many important relationships in Game of Thrones, but arguably one of the most vital occurs before the series even begins. This is the love that Robert had for Lyanna Stark, Ned’s sister.
It is the one driving passion that motivated so much of Robert’s life, and it set in motion the events of his rebellion against the Mad King. This quote shows just how much that love was a part of Robert’s identity, and even now, he still can’t bring himself to get over this love, no matter how much power he might possess.
"They Never Tell You How They All Shit Themselves."
Season 1, Episode 3: “Lord Snow”
When all is said and done, Robert is a warrior, and he was one of the most formidable fighting figures when he was young. However, this doesn’t mean that he has any romanticized images of what the battlefield is actually like.
In fact, as this quote makes clear, he is one of those people who knows just how brutal and ugly it is. What’s more, it also shows just how much he makes a point of puncturing the myths that other knights and nobles like to surround themselves with.
"I'm Not Trying To Honor You. I'm Trying To Get You To Run My Kingdom."
Season 1, Episode 1: “Winter Is Coming”
The friendship between Ned and Robert is one of the most important in Game of Thrones. In Ned, Robert finds a very capable Hand, someone who can take up the burdens of ruling so that he doesn’t have to. This quote shows just how much Robert has grown disenchanted with basically every element of his elevated position.
At this point, he does truly seem to want to do nothing more than indulge himself into the grave, simply so that he doesn’t have to contend with his despair over Lyanna’s death and the burdens of being a ruler of a fractious kingdom.
"I Want Everyone To Taste The Boar That Got Me."
Season 1, Episode 7: “You Win Or You Die”
Few deaths on Game of Thrones were quite as shocking as King Robert’s, at least until that point in the series. His death due to injuries sustained while boar hunting was a stunning political development, and it set in motion so much of the chaos and bloodshed to follow. Even as he was dying, however, he never lost his bitter and cynical sense of humor.
In this quote, he reveals that, staring death in the face, he wanted to make sure that he left his mark on the kingdom he was soon about to leave. Given the larger than life persona he adopted in life, it’s easy to see why he would want to continue it in death.
“Backstabbing Doesn't Prepare You For A Fight.”
Season 1, Episode 5: “The Wolf And The Lion”
Say what one will about Robert, he was the type of person who knew how to see clearly in any given political situation. As he makes clear in this quote, he knew that Westeros was on the brink of falling apart even as he was the one sitting on the Iron Throne.
At the same time, he also reveals just how little patience he has for the sorts of politicking that are so often a part of the world in which he lives. His indifference to politics would end up being one of his greatest liabilities.
“I Never Loved My Brothers. ... You Were The Brother I Chose.”
Season 1, Episode 6: “A Golden Crown”
House Baratheon is obviously one of the most notable housres in Westeros. However, there is no love lost between the three brothers, and this is particularly true of Robert, as he makes clear in this quote.
For Robert, the friendship and bond he shares with Ned is far more vital and important to his own sense of himself. It is, in its own way, one of the healthiest relationships that he possesses. It is also an indication that, even in a traditional realm like Westeros, the concept of a chosen family still has some power.
“You Think You're Too Good For This, Too Proud And Honorable?”
Season 1, Episode 5: “The Wolf And The Lion”
Ned Stark is arguably one of the better Hands to have served the rulers of the Seven Kingdoms. And, unlike Robert, he has a profound sense of honor that he refuses to betray. This is most notable when he reprimands Robert for being willing to take the word of a slaver.
As this quote shows, however, Robert doesn’t care about honor. He bears an unbreakable grudge against the Targaryens, and he sees what his Hand cannot, that Daenerys might be young, but she is still a very potent threat to his throne.
"How Long Can Hate Hold A Thing Together?
Season 1, Episode 5: “The Wolf And The Lion”
Of all of the dysfunctional relationships in Game of Thrones, that between Cersei and Robert is one of the most tragic and heartbreaking Game of Thrones duos. It’s clear that Robert loathes Cersei as much as she loathes him, but there are times, as with this quote, when he shows just how dissatisfied and sad he is with their arrangement.
Robert might be cruel to Cersei, and even violent toward her, but it’s also true that he knows on some level how broken they both are. As a quote, it shows just how wise he truly is (in his own way).
"I'm Glad I Could Do Something To Make You Happy."
Season 1, Episode 5: “The Wolf And The Lion”
Throughout the first season, Cersei and Robert trade a number of barbs and insults with one another. In this particular quote, Robert is responding to Cersei’s snide remark about his “marriage” to Ned not working out. It perfectly distills Robert’s attitude toward his wife which, whatever its shortcomings, also happens to be one of the most important in the realm.
He loathes Cersei, and the simple level of venom contained in these words is a perfect distillation of why these two people are so bad for one another. Neither, it turns out, truly cares about the happiness of the other.
"The King's Too Fat For His Armor. Go Find The Breastplate Stretcher."
Season 1, Episode 5: “The Wolf And The Lion”
Unlike many other kings of Westeros, Robert isn’t someone who has a very high opinion of himself. In fact, he seems very comfortable poking fun at his own body, as when he announces that he is too fat to fit into his breastplate.
Had he been one of the Targaryens, he no doubt would have done anything to hide this truth. However, Robert is at his core an honest man, and this holds true toward his attitude toward himself. He deserves at least some credit for being one of the characters in the series with a genuine sense of humor.