Robert Baratheon was the oldest son and heir of Lord Steffon Baratheon and Lady Cassana Estermont. In his youth, he was the
ward of
Jon Arryn and was raised at
the Eyrie alongside
Eddard Stark, with whom he was closer than his brothers. When he was 16, his parents drowned during a storm, and he became the Lord of Storm's End. He was
betrothed to Ned's younger sister
Lyanna, with whom he was madly in love (and unrequitedly). After Lyanna disappeared with
Rhaegar Targaryen and the execution of Eddard's father, Rickard, and brother, Brandon Stark, King Aerys II called for Robert and Ned's heads. Jon Arryn refused and began what is now called Robert's Rebellion. Robert played a key role in the downfall of the Targaryen dynasty and killed Rhaegar in
single combat. He married
Cersei Lannister to ensure
House Lannister's support for his rule.
Personality and description Robert is in his mid-thirties when the events of the books begin. Although being a quarter Targaryen (through his
paternal grandmother Rhaelle), Robert has the classical Baratheon look: black hair and bright blue eyes, with dense black
body hair on his chest and around his
sex. He is a very tall man, with Eddard estimating his height to be . As a young adult, Robert was handsome, clean-shaven, strong and powerful, and muscled "like a maiden's fantasy". However, after winning the Iron Throne, Robert becomes very
obese due to excessive feasting and drinking, gaining at least of weight, and turns into an often red-faced man with dark circles underneath his eyes and appears half-drunk and sweating when walking, with a wild, thick, fierce beard that hides his
double chin. In his youth, Robert is fearless in battle with a powerful voice, wielding a large spiked iron
war hammer too heavy for Eddard Stark to lift, and was a formidable warrior well-loved by soldiers. Though headstrong, rash, and impatient, Robert can be merciful towards his enemies as long as they are honest and brave, and can inspire loyalty and friendship in even enemies via charisma alone. Although deconditioned after becoming king due to weight gain and frequent drinking,
Jaime Lannister still believes that Robert is stronger than him. Robert is a jovial man of huge appetites and knows to indulge in pleasures. He is quite promiscuous, having fathered multiple
bastard children (16 according to the prophecy by Lannisport fortuneteller Maggy the Frog) with
whores or any women he encounters, and his lusts are the subject of ribald drinking songs throughout the realms. As king, Robert is known to impose upon the hospitality (voluntarily or not) of his subjects, but at the same time also possesses a rather careless generosity. A proud man, Robert rarely backs down on words spoken in a drunken rant. As king, Robert is no longer used to someone disagreeing with him, which makes him vulnerable to manipulation by others. Robert loathes his responsibilities as king and frequently expresses his preference to winning the throne in battle rather than sitting on it. He has never truly loved his wife and is unaware that none of his three children with her are his, but instead Jaime Lannister's. Under his reign, the realm has been bankrupted, and Robert is deeply in debt to
his wife's family.
Tyrion Lannister considers Robert to be "a great blustering oaf", while
Varys describes him as a fool. His queen wife,
Cersei Lannister, considers him to be an ignorant, dumb, slow-witted, drunken brute who does not have the ruthless streak she believes a king requires. According to
Petyr Baelish, Robert is practised at closing his eyes to things he would rather not see. == Storylines ==