Victarion Greyjoy

**Victarion Greyjoy** is the younger brother of Balon and Euron and the older brother of Aeron. He is the uncle of Theon and Asha. He is the commander of the Iron Fleet and the master of the war-galley *Iron Victory*.

Victarion is a minor POV character in *A Feast for Crows*, where he has two chapters called "The Iron Captain" and "The Reaver". He is also a minor POV character in *A Dance with Dragons*, where he has two chapters called "The Iron Suitor" and "Victarion".

## Appearance and Personality

Victarion Greyjoy is a large, muscular and ferocious-looking man with long dark hair that has started to turn grey. He infamously wears plate armour with a kraken helm and wields a battle axe in combat. Victarion is a proud, combative, dangerous and brutal man, who usually behaves rather casually when he is outside of a battle. Victarion is an extremely proud ironborn warrior, fierce and implacable in battle and utterly fearless to his enemies. At one point, he actually caught an incoming sword with one hand in order to defend himself. However, in spite of his great prowess and respect as a warrior, Victarion is easily recognised as not particularly smart, nor possessing of great wisdom or common sense. He believes that he is improving people's lives simply by making them ironborn thralls, and is rather gullible. He also struggles to blame himself for something, as he beat his wife to death for being raped by Euron, but believes that the Crow's Eye is the man who killed her when he raped her.

## History

Recognizing the greatness of his older brother Balon, Victarion chose to follow him faithfully. Commanding the Iron Fleet during the Greyjoy Rebellion, and using a battle plan his brother Euron conceived, he maneuvered his fleet into enemy territory and destroyed the Lannister fleet by burning their ships down at anchor. Fate later turned on him however, when his own fleet fell victim to a trap laid by Stannis Baratheon at Fair Isle. During this misfortune, his brother Aeron's ship was torn in two by the warship Fury. Upon learning that his brother Euron had seduced and impregnated his third wife, Victarion murdered her in the name of his own honor, sparing his brother only to avoid the distasteful moniker of "kinslayer." He remains unmarried, as Euron remains unforgiven.

## A Clash of Kings

Victarion leads the Iron Fleet on an assault on Moat Cailin. In a surprise attack, the Ironborn seize Moat Cailin.

## A Storm of Swords

After Balon's death, and Euron's return to claim the Seastone Chair, Victarion returns to the isles with most of the Iron Fleet, leaving a token force to defend Moat Cailin in order to decide the question of succession to the Iron Isles.

## A Feast for Crows

Since the question of Balon's succession is unclear, a Kingsmoot is held to decide who the next Iron King will be. Victarion is a strong candidate, and makes a good case at the Kingsmoot, but his brother Euron sways the crowds, promising to conquer the entirety of Westeros with dragons, and is chosen as the new king. Despite his vast hatred for Euron, Victarion's obedience and dutifulness runs deep, and he continues to serve Euron faithfully. He leads an assault on the Shield Islands, killing all foes but taking a wound to his hand in the process. After the battle is over, Euron steals away many of Victarion's and his other rivals' most trusted confidants and supporters by giving them titles on the Shield Islands.

Euron tasks Victarion with taking the Iron Fleet to Slaver's Bay in order to retrieve Daenerys Targaryen, whom Euron means to wed, and her dragons. Victarion agrees, but secretly plans to take Daenerys for himself, in revenge for Euron taking his wife.

## A Dance with Dragons

The Iron Fleet, composed of over ninety ships, splits into three, each taking a different route, and set sail for Meereen, the stronghold of Daenerys Targaryen. On his flagship, the Iron Victory, Victarion is accompanied by "the dusky woman", a comely mute formerly in service to Euron whom Victarion takes as his bedwarmer, and Kerwin, a Maester formerly in service to the Shield Islands, whom Euron sends with Victarion in order to maintain correspondence. Victarion thinks to himself that Euron's gifts are poisoned, and suspects Kerwin of poisoning him, as his wounded hand has become infected.

On the journey, nearly half of the Iron Fleet is lost during storms, leaving Victarion to capture passing trading vessels to increase his numbers. During the voyage, they discover Moqorro, a Red Priest of R'hllor clinging to wreckage at sea. While the crew initially call for his death, believing him to be a demonic wizard, Moqorro convinces Victairon to allow him to heal his hand, in exchange for safety. Victarion agrees, and Moqorro uses his magic to not only heal Victarion's hand, but make it stronger than ever, leaving it charred and blackened.

Moqorro uses his visions of the future and his magic to aid Victarion in his journey, telling Victarion to sacrifice Kerwin in order to provide good winds for the journey. Victarion begins making offerings to both his own Drowned God and the Red God R'hllor, in the belief that "no foe can stand against two gods."

## The Winds of Winter

Just as Meereen comes under siege from Daenerys' enemies, Victarion and the Iron Fleet arrive in Meereen's bay, to rescue her and slay her foes.