Oberyn Martell

Oberyn Nymeros Martell, nicknamed the Red Viper, is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin and its television adaptation, Game of Thrones, where he is portrayed by Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal. Introduced in 2000's A Storm of Swords, Oberyn is the younger brother of Doran Martell, from the desert kingdom of Dorne. Unlike his sickly and pensive brother, Oberyn is notorious for both his dangerous and unpredictable nature and his affinity for poisons, for which he earned his nickname. He is subsequently sporadically mentioned in A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons. Since his brother is sickly, he travels to King's Landing in order to claim the Dornish seat on the small council, as well as to seek vengeance for his sister Elia Martell's death at the hands of Ser Gregor Clegane, whom he suspects acted directly on orders from Tywin Lannister. Character description Oberyn Martell is the younger brother of Prince Doran Martell, the ruler of the southern principality of Dorne. He is a hotheaded, forceful, and lustful man with a quick wit and a barbed tongue. He is a formidable fighter whose "legend was fearsome" and is nicknamed the "Red Viper" due to his preference for red clothing, as well as the rumor of his use of poisoned weapons in duels. Tywin Lannister described Oberyn as "always been half-mad"; Oberyn's brother Doran has described him as "ever the viper", "deadly, dangerous, unpredictable", and "no man dared tread on him", and Oberyn himself admitted being a "bloodthirsty man". Oberyn was also responsible for the crippling of Willas Tyrell, the heir of House Tyrell of Highgarden, during a joust, though Willas never blamed Oberyn for the accident and the two remained friends. When Oberyn was no more than sixteen years old, he was found in bed with the paramour of old Lord Edgar Yronwood, who challenged Oberyn in a duel. The fight was only limited to drawing first blood and finished after both men took cuts, but Oberyn soon recovered while Lord Yronwood died of a festered wound, and it was rumored that Oberyn used a poisoned blade. In order to make peace with House Yronwood, Doran sent his own son Quentyn Martell to Yronwood as a ward and had Oberyn sent away to Oldtown and then overseas to Lys in temporary exile.