Renly Baratheon

Renly Baratheon, the youngest of the three Baratheon brothers, cuts a figure of easy charm, impeccable dress, and political ambition that belies his youth. As master of laws on King Robert's small council and Lord of Storm's End, he navigates the court with a smile and a quip, yet beneath the surface he is a shrewd player in the game of thrones, quick to act when opportunity arises.

Appearance and Character

Renly is described as looking so like his elder brother Robert that Eddard Stark finds it disconcerting, as if the years had slipped away and the young victor of the Trident stood before him. He is handsome, clean-shaven, with jet-black hair and laughing green eyes, and he dresses with a flair that draws comment. Petyr Baelish quips that Lord Renly spends more on clothing than half the ladies of the court, and Renly himself acknowledges that there are worse crimes than his sartorial extravagance. At the Hand's tourney, he wears dark green velvet with a dozen golden stags embroidered on his doublet and a cloth-of-gold half cape fastened with an emerald brooch. His armor is steel plate of a deep forest-green, and his helm bears golden antlers, the stag sigil of his House. This attention to appearance is part of a calculated persona: Renly uses charm and wit as weapons, defusing tension with laughter and presenting himself as the most accessible and appealing of the Baratheon brothers.

Role at Court and Relationship with the King

Renly sits on Robert's small council as master of laws, though he treats the office with a lightness that borders on mockery. He openly admits that the business of coin and crops and justice bores his royal brother to tears, so it falls to the council to govern the realm. When Robert sends a command from the kingswood to stage a great tournament in honor of Eddard Stark's appointment as Hand, Renly delivers the news with a shrug, making clear that the king's whims are to be indulged regardless of cost. He is present at the tense council meeting where Robert demands the murder of Daenerys Targaryen, and when Ned Stark protests, Renly declares flatly, "She must be killed." He later laughs at the idea of honor in tricks during the joust, showing a pragmatic, even cynical, view of power. Despite his closeness to Robert in appearance, Renly is not the king's confidant; when Robert lies dying, Renly urges Ned Stark to strike preemptively against Cersei Lannister, proposing to seize Joffrey and the other royal children. Ned refuses, and Renly, seeing that his counsel is rejected, takes his leave through a postern gate before dawn, accompanied by Ser Loras Tyrell and some fifty retainers, riding south for Storm's End or Highgarden.

Ambition and the Claim to the Throne

Renly's ambition becomes unmistakable after Robert's death. While Stannis Baratheon, the elder brother, has the stronger legal claim, Renly acts decisively. He marries Margaery Tyrell at Highgarden and claims the crown, securing the support of Highgarden and Storm's End. When word reaches the Lannister camp, Lord Tywin Lannister notes that Renly has wed Margaery Tyrell and that her father and brothers have bent the knee and sworn him their swords. Renly's claim is based not on law but on the raw power he can assemble: the Reach and the Stormlands together make him a formidable rival. He is crowned king and begins to gather a host, positioning himself as a viable alternative to both Joffrey and Stannis. His death—though not depicted in the evidence—is a direct consequence of this ambition, as he is slain by a shadow sent by his brother Stannis, a moment that reshapes the war for the throne.

Narrative Significance

Renly Baratheon embodies the theme of legitimacy versus power in the struggle for the Iron Throne. He is the candidate who relies on charm, alliances, and the sheer weight of swords rather than on birthright or duty. His brief kingship and sudden fall illustrate the brutal logic of the game of thrones, where even the most popular and well-dressed player can be undone by forces he cannot see. His relationship with his brothers—the drunken Robert and the grim Stannis—highlights the fractured nature of House Baratheon, and his death clears the path for the conflict between Stannis and the Lannisters, deepening the chaos of the War of the Five Kings.