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Villain Overview

Stark, Tully, Lannister, Baratheon... Give me one good reason why I should waste a single thought on any of you.
~ Lord Frey expressing his disinterest and neutrality in the War of the Five Kings.
If I wanted excuses, I'd put her in charge! They're laughing at us! All across the riverlands right down to King's Landing, they're laughing at us! I HEAR IT IN MY SLEEP! I'm not dead yet - unfortunately for you - and I'll not leave this world until they all choke on that laughter!
~ Frey spitefully rants about the contempt all houses show the Freys.
'The Late Walder Frey,' Old Tully called me because I didn't get my men to the Trident in time for battle. He thought he was witty. Look at us now, Tully! You're dead, your daughter's dead, your grandson's dead, your son spent his wedding night in a dungeon and I'm Lord of Riverrun.
~ Walder Frey mocking the late Hoster Tully after the Red Wedding.

Lord Walder Frey is a major antagonist in the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series and its television adaptation Game of Thrones.

He is the Lord of the Crossing and head of House Frey who lives in the Twins, two castles in a strategic position. A cowardly and opportunistic lord with little to no regard for anyone but himself, Walder is mainly known for conspiring with Roose Bolton to help Tywin Lannister orchestrate an infamous event known as "The Red Wedding" in a successful bid to take revenge on Robb Stark's slight and overthrow House Tully's status as Lords of the Trident.

He was portrayed by David Bradley, who also notably portrayed Solomon in the Doctor Who episode "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship", Argus Filch in the Harry Potter films, and Brother Joseph in World Without End.

Personality[]

Walder Frey can be seen as a pervert. He gropes his teenage wife in front of others without a second thought, and even tells Catelyn Stark that his wife's "honey is all mine". He outwardly possesses no shame for his actions, such as making several suggestive and derogatory comments towards Robb Stark's wife, Talisa in front of Robb and his entire house.

He seems to possess a strict code of honor and loyalty or at least an extremely interchangeable one. He made a pact with the Lannisters to murder Robb Stark just for breaking a promise of marriage. This aspect of him is also seen where his sons and daughters constantly try to win his favor. Lord Walder was only conditionally loyal to anyone who could give him and his house a great benefit. Without a second hesitation his allegiances changed instantly from House Stark and House Tully to House Lannister when he discovered that Robb had no intention of fulfilling the promise he made to the Freys. During the War of the Five Kings he first betrayed the Iron Throne and declared for King Robb, then he betrayed him along with his own overlord house, the Tullys.

However, Lord Walder Frey is also a hypocrite. Despite the Freys claiming they were justified in the Red Wedding as Robb dishonored them, their reaction is seen as even more dishonorable, including that the end result was a massacre of defenseless soldiers and the fact that he broke the sacred vow of guest right. Walder Frey claims his loyalties are divided as he has sworn oaths to the crown, which is dubious, as when the Tullys called their banners to defend against the Lannister attacks Robert wasn't dead so the Freys wouldn't be breaking their oaths. Lord Walder's hypocrisy is reinforced by the way he chastises the Stark's for betraying the oath he made to him whereas he had outwardly stated to having no respect for the oath he makes to other houses, as the Frey's strategic position at the Twins is far too valuable for their loyalties to be limited by one house alone.

It is said by others that he is a coward. He would not have done something as massive as The Red Wedding on his own accord; it is implied that he only took part in it because Tywin Lannister offered him vast protection.

Lord Walder Frey does have traits of sadism which proves to be even deeper while observing the Red Wedding and is quite irredeemable. This is further reinforced when Catelyn demands Walder to let Robb walk free or she would cut his wife's throat. In response to this Walder replies "I'll find another wife" while nonchalantly sipping his wine. He even shows no remorse over the Red Wedding, displayed when discussing with Roose Bolton he sarcastically toasted him and even did a mocking wolf's howl. This is a scene which had not appeared in the book, where Catelyn kills Walder's grandson, "Jinglebell" Aegon, instead of his wife, and Walder has a bit more reasonable reason to stand by that Jinglebell does not have anything to offer the family and that Catelyn has no leverage in the situation.

Lord Walder is also vengeful and close-minded. Despite his advanced age he has little long-term planning and doesn't seem all that concerned with what will happen to his House when he's dead. He is incapable of allowing himself or House Frey to be dishonored or disrespected in any way such and is embittered over being mocked all of his life over not being able to rally his troops in time. This led to a vengeful deposition for House Tully who mockingly called him "The Late Lord Frey" because of this.

Quotes[]

Now my bastards presume to teach me courtesy. I'll speak any way I like, damn you. I've had three kings to guest in my life, and queens as well, do you think I require lessons from the likes of you, Ryger? Your mother was milking goats the first time I gave her my seed.
~ Walder to Ryger Rivers.
Walder: Heh, I called my swords, yes I did, here they are, you saw them on the walls. It was my intent to march as soon as all my strength was assembled. Well, to send my sons. I am well past marching myself, Lady Catelyn. Tell her, Jared. Tell her that was my intent.
Jared: It was, my lady, on my honor.
Walder: Is it my fault that your fool brother lost his battle before we could march? I am told the Kingslayer went through him like an axe through ripe cheese. Why should my boys hurry south to die? All those who did go south are running north again.
~ Walder justifying why he did not join the battles of the riverlords against the invasion of the westermen.
Catelyn: If you were strong enough to climb your own battlements, Lord Frey, you would see that my son has twenty thousand men outside your walls.
Walder: They'll be twenty thousand fresh corpses when Lord Tywin gets here, don't you try and frighten me, my lady. Your husband's in some traitor's cell under the Red Keep, your father's sick, might be dying, and Jaime Lannister's got your brother in chains. What do you have that I should fear? That son of yours? I'll match you son for son, and I'll still have eighteen when yours are all dead.
~ Walder arguing with Catelyn Stark
Catelyn: You swore an oath to my father.
Walder: Oh, yes, I said some words, but I swore oaths to the crown too, it seems to me. Joffrey's the king now, and that makes you and your boy and all those fools out there no better than rebels. If I had the sense the gods gave a fish, I'd help the Lannisters boil you all.
Catelyn: Why don’t you?
Walder: Lord Tywin the proud and splendid, Warden of the West, Hand of the King, oh, what a great man that one is, him and his gold this and gold that and lions here and lions there. I'll wager you, he cats too many beans, he breaks wind just like me, but you'll never hear him admit it, oh, no. What's he got to be so puffed up about anyway? Only two sons, and one of them's a twisted little monster. I'll match him son for son, and I'll still have nineteen and a half left when all of his are dead! If Lord Tywin wants my help, he can bloody well ask for it.
~ Walder refusing to keep faith to any oath, unless any of his lieges or their vassals come to grovel to him for help.
I was speaking of your sister. I proposed that Lord and Lady Arryn foster two of my grandsons at court, and offered to take their own son to ward here at the Twins. Are my grandsons unworthy to be seen at the king's court? They are sweet boys, quiet and mannerly. Walder is Merrett's son, named after me, and the other one... heh, I don't recall... he might have been another Walder, they’re always naming them Walder so I’ll favor them, but his father... which one was his father now? Well, whoever he was, Lord Arryn wouldn't have him, or the other one, and I blame your lady sister for that. She frosted up as if I'd suggested selling her boy to a mummer's show or making a eunuch out of him, and when Lord Arryn said the child was going to Dragonstone to foster with Stannis Baratheon, she stormed off without a word of regrets and all the Hand could give me was apologies. What good are apologies? I ask you.
~ Walder acting slighted over arrangements that Jon Arryn had already made before his offer, and misunderstanding the overprotective and unstable Lysa Arryn's reaction as personal contempt against his family.
Do you think I can't tell Lord Stannis from Lord Tywin? They're both bungholes who think they're too noble to shit, but never mind about that, I know the difference.
~ Walder Frey
He picked her because she's fat. You think Bolton gave a mummer's fart that she was your whelp? Think he sat about thinking, ‘Heh, Merrett Muttonhead, that's the very man I need for a goodfather?' Your Walda's a sow in silk, that's why he picked her, and I'm not like to thank you for it. We'd have had the same alliance at half the price if your little porkling put down her spoon from time to time.
~ Walder humiliates and berates his son Merrett, as he explains how Roose Bolton picked the overweight Walda over other slimmer and comelier Frey girls because the bride's weight was paid in silver for her dowry.
Catelyn: My lord! Some food would be most welcome. We have ridden many leagues in the rain.
Walder: Food, heh. A loaf of bread, a bite of cheese, mayhaps a sausage.
Robb: Some wine to wash it down. And salt.
Walder: [understands] Bread and salt. Heh. Of course, of course. [calls servants with refreshments and raises a cup of wine] My guests. My honored guests. Be welcome beneath my roof, and at my table.
~ Walder sees through his guests' request for refreshments and agrees to let them secure guest right, knowing they think it will be their shield against possible betrayals.
Heh, the King in the North arises. Seems we killed some of your men, Your Grace. Oh, but I'll make you an apology, that will mend them all again, heh.
~ Walder's revenge during the Red Wedding.
Catelyn: [shaking] On my honor as a Tully, on my honor as a Stark, I will trade your boy's life for Robb's. A son for a son.
Walder: [...] A son for a son, heh. But that's a grandson... and he never was much use.
~ Walder refuses Catelyn's plea of ransom.

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • Walder Frey is one of the most hated characters in Game of Thrones for his orchestration of the Red Wedding and killing Robb Stark, one of the most loved characters in Game of Thrones. Even David Bradley called Frey irredeemable despite enjoying the role.
  • Walder Frey is notable for appearing - as a toddler - in The Mystery Knight, the third of George R.R. Martin's Tales of Dunk and Egg short stories set almost 90 years before the events of the main series, making him and Brynden Rivers (Bloodraven) the only two characters to appear in both the prequels and the main saga, though Aemon is also mentioned and alive during the prequel saga.
  • It is theorized that Robb breaking the marriage pact was more the pretext then the reason for the Freys' betrayal. The last Arya chapter in A Clash of Kings, set after the Battle of the Blackwater, have the Freys at Harrenhal meeting Roose Bolton and claiming Robb will lose the war, meaning they are trying to find a way out of their allegiance to him. This happens before word reaches Harrenhal of Robb's wedding, showing the Freys and Boltons were already plotting against Robb.
  • In the books three different Freys were put in pies by the Northern Lord Wyman Manderly in vengeance for his sons' murder and served to two of Walder's sons Aenys Frey and Hosteen Frey, and the Boltons.
  • The TV series had Lame Lothar and Black Walder Rivers put in pies and served to Walder Frey himself by Arya, seconds before she kills him.
  • In the TV series, Walder is irredeemably evil, but his novel counterpart cares about his family and is hence Protective.

See Also[]

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