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“ | If one Hand can die, why not a second? You have danced the dance before, my friend. | „ |
~ Illyrio to Varys. |
Magister Illyrio Mopatis is one of the overarching antagonists of the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series and a minor character in its television adaptation Game of Thrones. He is a wealthy and powerful Magister of the Free City of Pentos. He's a trader who deals in spices, gemstones, dragonbone, cheese, slaves, and more. Although slavery is outlawed in Pentos, Illyrio—and all the rest of the Pentoshi upper class—owns "free bond" servants in his mansion, who are slaves in all but name. His favorite servant is a fair-haired sixteen-year-old girl. He has influence and many friends throughout the known world, including the Free Cities, Vaes Dothrak, and the Jade Sea in the Further East Essos, where Yi Ti, Leng, Asshai, and other eastern nations are located.
Due to his aiding his lifelong friend Varys in his plans and helping raise Aegon Targaryen in secret, he can be considered one of the overarching antagonists of the series.
He was portrayed by Roger Allam, who also played Lewis Prothero in V for Vendetta and Arnold Royalton in Speed Racer.
Biography[]
During his youth, Illyrio used to be slim and handsome and was a poor bravo, a type of young fighter found in all the Nine Free Cities. In Pentos, he met the eunuch and freedman Varys, and the two would develop a lifelong and unlikely friendship, working together to enrich themselves. They were a business where Varys would steal objects from lesser thieves and Illyrio would get the objects back for their original owners for a small fee. Soon, every man and woman in Pentos who ever had valuables stolen from them knew who to ask to get their valuables back.
In addition, the thieves in Pentos soon began to seek Illyrio and Varys out, half to try (and fail) to kill them and the other half to sell them the objects they stole in order to prevent Varys from stealing them back. Varys and Illyrio grew very rich, allowing Illyrio to marry the daughter of a cousin of the Prince of Pentos. After her death, Illyrio married again to a Lyseni pillow-house worker, Serra. She died when a plague swept through Pentos. Illyrio keeps her portrait and hands.
Viserys Targaryen and Daenerys Targaryen are kept in Illyrio's Manse, Illyrio apparently intends to restore them to power. At first, he thought of killing Viserys and claiming Daenerys as a wife, but he soon dismissed the idea as he believed she was too timid and frightened and that having sex with her would have been boring. He claims his motives are financial, intending to be made Master of Coin under Viserys. Illyrio arranges Daenerys marriage to Khal Drogo, leader of the largest Khalasar, which will be used to help restore the Targaryens to power. Illyrio gifts Daenerys with three dragon eggs.
Illyrio secretly meets Varys in King's Landing, in the Red Keep's black cells. Varys tells Illyrio he needs more "little birds" (trained children with their tongues cut out) because the situation in the Seven Kingdoms is soon to explode in war. Illyrio urges Varys to prevent the situation from getting out of control, as he needs more time because Drogo is not planning to invade Westeros anytime soon. But Varys explains he has no longer control: King Robert I grows bolder every day, the Starks and the Lannisters are going into an incoming war that will bring in the Tullys as well, and the Queen's secret is soon to be exposed.
Illyrio advises Varys to assassinate the current Hand of the King, Lord Eddard Stark, before he finds out the truth, but Varys explains that Eddard is not like his predecessor, Lord Jon Arryn, and that the game of thrones is no longer going to be played subtly. Varys warns Illyrio that he has lost control of two major players, Lord Stannis Baratheon and Lady Lysa Arryn, who have both left King's Landing to muster their forces at Dragonstone and the Eyrie, and Varys is afraid Stannis might do something hostile soon. Then, there is Lord Renly Baratheon plotting with the Tyrells and Lord Petyr Baelish playing his own games as well. Varys points out the gravity of the situation and tells Illyrio that their plan will surely change from its original idea, especially after Stannis and Baelish's previous interferences. The two are overheard by Arya Stark, who doesn't understand what they are saying.
Viserys is later killed by Drogo, who later dies himself. On his funeral pyre, the dragon eggs hatch, restoring dragons to the world. Sometime later, Illyrio receives the news, and he is shocked by this new change of events and realizes he had underestimated Daenerys. With her three dragons, Daenerys travels to Qarth. When she tries to leave the city, she is met by men sent by Illyrio: the eunuch Strong Belwas and Arstan Whitebeard (really the Kingsguard Ser Barristan Selmy, who was dismissed on the accession of Joffrey Baratheon). Illyrio intends for Daenerys to come to him, having sent her three ships, but she instead decides to go to Slaver's Bay, where she fights the Masters of all three cities, eventually taking control of Meereen.
When Tyrion Lannister is convicted of poisoning Joffrey, he is broken out by Varys and smuggled to Illyrio's Manse at Pentos. Illyrio tells Tyrion he is working for a Targaryen restoration and will help Tyrion become Lord of Casterly Rock, which Tyrion regards as his birthright. Tyrion suspects Illyrio has ulterior motives for helping the Targaryens, other than just becoming Master of Coin. Tyrion is told he will meet the Golden Company, the best sellsword company. Tyrion is suspicious of this, as the Golden Company was founded to fight the Targaryens in favor of House Blackfyre, a legitimized bastard cadet branch of the Targaryens. Illyrio brushes this away and states that the Blackfyres are extinct in the male line. As Illyrio brings Tyrion to meet "Griff"'s group, he uses the name Yollo for Tyrion, who immediately changes it to Hugor Hill because he didn't like the other fake name. Illyrio returns to Pentos, while the others travel to the Rhoyne.
On the pole boat traveling to Volantis, Tyrion finds out the boy traveling with them, "Young Griff," is apparently Aegon Targaryen, son of Rhaegar Targaryen, and their supposed father, "Old Griff," is really Jon Conninton, the exiled Lord of Griffin's Roost and a friend of Rhaegar. Illyrio intended for Aegon to marry Daenerys, and they would rule the Seven Kingdoms together.
In Volantis, Aegon and Jon meet the Golden Company. Its commanders are annoyed at Illyrio's continually changing plans and Daenerys not complying, meaning they have had to break a contract and march on Volantis and are delaying on a highly profitable contract with Volantis. Inspired by a conversation Tyrion had with him during a cyvasse game, saying the Seven Kingdoms would never be more ripe for conquest, Aegon tells the Golden Company that instead of going east to Slaver's Bay, they should go west to Westeros, and Daenerys can come to them. The Golden Company agrees and travels to Westeros.
As winter finally arrived, Illyrio and Varys' plan changed to have Cersei keep power in the realm, so Varys murdered the Lord Regent, Ser Kevan Lannister, because he was fixing the political damage caused by Cersei and because he hoped this would make Cersei blame the Tyrells and do something drastic against them and the High Septon. Meanwhile, the Golden Company invaded the stormlands and conquered various castles and towns. King Aegon himself is leading his group to storm the Baratheon seat, Storm's End, from Stannis's garrison, and the Iron Throne host is besieging it. Aegon suggested joining forces with Stannis and Daenerys, but Connington dismissed the idea of convincing Stannis to join the Targayen side.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Illyrio is responsible for Daenerys Targaryen's possession of three dragons. It was Illyrio himself who personally gifted three dragon eggs to Daenerys on her wedding day as a gift. Illyrio never imagined the eggs could hatch, which is why he did not give them to Daenerys's supposed older brother, Aegon.
- In the unscreened pilot episode for Game of Thrones, Illyrio was played by Ian McNeice, who also played Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in the 2000 Dune miniseries but couldn’t reprise his role in the show due to scheduling conflicts.
- He is the man who provides his friend and partner-in-crime Varys with the spies known as "little birds." Illyrio has them trained, and it is heavily implied he also has their tongues cut, just as Varys wants.
- His character has been almost entirely omitted from the television series Game of Thrones after the first season. He is not even mentioned as being the one who sent Barristan Selmy to Daenerys, like in the books, leaving it unknown how Barristan timely found her in Astapor in the TV version.
- Illyrio's mansion is featured again in the fifth season of the show, where Varys and Tyrion Lannister take residence for a while after leaving Westeros. Illyrio himself does not appear, however, and any direct involvement of his is no longer mentioned for the rest of the show, leaving his character as a vague and enigmatic associate of Varys. If Tyrion ever met Illyrio during his stay in the manse, it happened offscreen.
- In the novels, Varys never leaves Westeros with Tyrion, and it is also implied that he remained in hiding in King's Landing with his little birds. It is Illyrio himself who speaks with his guest Tyrion and convinces him to join the cause of Aegon "Young Griff" Targaryen.
- Illyrio's mansion is featured again in the fifth season of the show, where Varys and Tyrion Lannister take residence for a while after leaving Westeros. Illyrio himself does not appear, however, and any direct involvement of his is no longer mentioned for the rest of the show, leaving his character as a vague and enigmatic associate of Varys. If Tyrion ever met Illyrio during his stay in the manse, it happened offscreen.
- It is theorized that Illyrio may be the real father of the supposed Aegon Targaryen, via his second wife, Serra. The statue of a younger Illyrio in his courtyard has similar features to Aegon's appearance. Tyrion thinks that Illyrio has some ulterior motive for aiding the Targaryen restoration.
- In line with the theory that Aegon is a female-line Blackfyre, Illyrio says the Blackfyres have ended in the male line, implying there are female-line descendants. It is not impossible that Serra may have been a Blackfyre descendant and that Illyrio, who was really in love with her, might want to put their son on the Iron Throne, also for the sake of Serra's family.
- Furthermore, Illyrio admitted he had no initial interest in supporting House Targaryen, as he originally wanted to kill Viserys Targaryen and just take his sister Daenerys as his wife before changing his mind and having initially conspired to add Khal Drogo's khalasar to Aegon's allies. After accidentally becoming the very person to have provided Daenerys with dragons, Illyrio became very keen on bringing her back to Pentos (which failed when she went to Slaver's Bay) and still wants Aegon to marry her. If Aegon is a Blackfyre through his theorized real mother, then marrying Daenerys would unite the dragonseed Houses Targaryen and Blackfyre, with Aegon still keeping the Targaryen name.
- Varys also never showed any preference toward Viserys and Daenerys, supporting only Aegon and having even hired an assassin to kill Daenerys for King Robert, although it is speculated by some readers that he had expected his spy Jorah to protect Daenerys.
External Links[]
- Illyrio Mopatis on the A Wiki of Ice and Fire.
- Illyrio Mopatis on the Wiki of Westeros.