'The Winds Of Winter' Theories: What's Next For Tyrion? Murder Of Tywin Lannister Analyzed

When fans of "Game of Thrones" last saw Tyrion Lannister he was single handedly dismantling the grand Lannister legacy. After being released from the Black Cells by his elder brother Jamie, Tyrion paid one last visit to his father although what he discovered was certainly more than he bargained for. The disgraced Lannister son had unknowingly discovered his former lover Shea and self proclaimed "whore" in his fathers bed, he strangled her to death before killing his father with a cross bow. Although this vital scene unfolded a bit differently in George R.R. Martin's "A Storm of Swords." Many viewers of “Game of Thrones” were confused about Tyrion’s decision to possibly forgo his only chance at freedom to re-enter the Tower of the Hand of the King in order to confront his father. So why did he do it?

Warning! There are multiple "Game of Thrones" spoilers within this piece. Please do not proceed if you have not yet finished "A Dance with Dragons" in George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. Despite the show spoilers, most of these thoughts are just theories from readers and viewers of "Game of Thrones." If you don't care about spoiling the HBO series, then read on.

Jamie granted him his freedom and Varys had arranged him safe passage; despite his father seemingly condemning him to death, in terms of the Lannisters this is nothing new. The reason Tyrion confronted his father was not necessarily explained in the HBO series, however, the confrontation and subsequent resolution attained in the pair’s on screen conversation, aides to a growing “Winds of Winters” theory. So to explain Tyrion’s decision and thus his projection not only in Season 5 of “Game of Thrones” but also for his future destiny in GRRM’s forthcoming installment, “The Winds of Winter” we are going to have to start at the beginning.

Tyrion’s reason for confronting his father was a complicated one, though luckily it can be explained by a story. Long before Shea, Tyrion was in another relationship, her name was Tysha and she was his first true love. Tyrion met Tysha on “a lonely road,” she was being accosted by a group of men, Jamie drove off the men and Tyrion comforted her. He fell deeply in love with Tysha and decided to marry her. In typical fashion, Tywin Lannister did not approve of his son’s marriage, and insisted that Jamie lie to his younger brother and “expose” Tysha as a whore.

George R.R. Martin’s “A Game of Thrones” reveals that to ensure that Tyrion learned a lesson, Tywin passed the young girl among his guards to have sex with her, for each guard, he gave her silver. Tywin then forced his son to be the last man, for whom Tysha was paid a gold coin, because Lannisters were worth more. Before giving his younger brother his freedom, Jamie also finally admits the sad truth about Tysha. Tysha was not a whore; Jamie admits that Tywin instructed him to lie to his younger brother and insist that her love for him was not true, but in truth, Jamie says that Tysha “was what she seemed to be.”

Despite Jamie’s best attempts to calm Tyrion’s distress, the imp has no use for him any longer and dismisses his affection, he promises retribution against his brother for his betrayal. In an attempt to wound Jamie, as his lies hurt him, Tyrion reveals Cersei’s infidelities, and then falsely takes claim for the death of their son, Joffrey. He then leaves the black cells alone, with one thing on his mind—Tywin.

However this scene never occurred in the TV series, but one important message was continually exchanged between Tyrion and Tywin Lannister before his death. Tywin’s last words to his son are simple but the meaning complex, he says, “You...you are no...No son of mine." When immediately heard, many fans believed that this was Tywin’s form of retribution with his dying breathe, dismissing the son, who constantly and continually yearned for his affection and approval, but what if Tywin was finally confessing the truth? This is not the first time in the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series or on the HBO “Game of Thrones” TV series that Tywin has made reference to Tyrion not being his son, when Tyrion demanded Castelry Rock, his birthright, Tywin dismissed him, claiming that he would never name him as his heir. But could it be possible? Could Tyrion not be the son of the late, great Tywin Lannister?

Well, GRRM certainly provides enough evidence for some amazingly twist “The Winds of Winter” theories, so here it is. Several fans believe that Tyrion Lannister is actually a Targaryen. Fans claim that the Mad King Aerys is Tyrion's real father, having forced himself on Tywin's wife Joanna. George R.R. Martin has made multiple references to the Mad King’s growing jealous of his Hand, Tywin. Ser Barristan Selmy confirmed these rumors when recounting the history of the Targaryens to Dany. In chapter 43 of “A Dance With Dragons” Barristan reveals the Mad King lusted for Joanna, which only caused further friction between the King and his Hand. At the wedding of Tywin to Joanna, Aerys drunkenly joked about how the first night tradition should be reinstated, and Barristan revealed that he wasn’t the most appropriate King during the bedding ritual when the men at the feast had to disrobe the bride.

In addition to the likelihood of the Mad King getting what he wanted, ie. Joanna Lannister, Tyrion’s physical traits could be viewed as Targaryen features as opposed to Lannister ones. When in Winterfell, Jon Snow describes Tyrion’s hair to be so blonde it looks white, very different from Cersei and Jamie’s Lannister golden locks. Plus Tyrion has one green Lannister eye, and one black one. But while it’s not Targaryen purple, the people of Westeros may not be looking at Tyrion’s eye well enough; Dany’s eyes are such a deep purple they appear black.

Let’s not forget about the most important clue regarding physical traits. In “A Storm of Swords” Prince Oberyn Martell recounts seeing Tyrion for the first time, he says, “And well you might, since you were said to have one, a stiff curly tail like a swine’s. Your head was monstrous huge, we heard, half again the size of your body, and you had been born with thick black hair and a beard besides, an evil eye, and lion’s claws. Your teeth were so long you could not close your mouth, and between your legs were a girl’s privates as well as a boy’s." On the surface this most certainly sounds like a baby dragon, the symbolism only grows, dragons, as we learned from Maester Aemon at Castle Black, do not have a sex, they have no fixed gender differentiation.

Most readers believe that another Targaryen dragon was born in Oldtown, however Tywin only saw a disfigured dwarf. Tywin has essentially hated his son from the moment he entered the world, tragically killing his mother during delivery. Many readers believed he could never forgive his son for taking his one true love from the world, but maybe it more than that, perhaps Tywin realized that Tyrion was a Targaryen and not his true kin. This would also explain why he refuses to indulge Tyrion with his birthright, Casterly Rock.