For Millennials. By Millennials.
Who needs some scoop on Game of Thrones‘s famous character Oberyn Martell? Well, the show aired its finale in 2019, yet it is still fiercely discussed on all social media platforms. It defined an era of television, unlike any show in history. However, there is a lot of depth in the characters that appear in the show. The showrunners simply couldn’t dive into their character histories.
The politics of the Iron Throne and time restrictions just did not allow it. We, however, do not have those restrictions here. That is why we will now explore the history of an iconic Game of Thrones character that we all wished we saw more of – Oberyn Martell played by Pedro Pascal.
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Related: 10 Steamy Game Of Thrones Scenes
Let’s Dive Into Oberyn Martell’s Personality
Oberyn was born in the 257th year after Aegon’s conquest (AC – The year Aegon began his conquest for Westeros). For perspective, the show begins at 298 AC. Doran Martell described him as “dangerous and unpredictable”, but still harsh. He has quite a sharp personality but has been bloodthirsty for years to avenge the brutal death of his sister Elia Martell.
As we all know, Elia was raped and killed by the Mountain in the sacking of King’s landing by Tywin Lannister. Her death made Oberyn much more bloodthirsty than ever before, as the two of them were very close to each other. He even secretly planned the downfall of Tywin Lannister with his brother Doran for many years.
Red Viper Of Dorne In Exile
Oberyn Martell‘s reputation began after his duel with Lord Edgar Yronwood at the age of 16. He was found sleeping with the Lord‘s paramour (lover) and thus, the Lord challenged him to a first-blood duel. Both the men bled, but Lord Edgar died a few days later due to his wounds. It was rumored that Oberyn had used a poisoned blade. Consequently, he was forever named the Red Viper of Dorne.
As a result, he was exiled to Essos where he spent a lucrative life. He traveled to many of the free cities and learned several arts. Some of them included poison as well as some mystic arts that enhanced his warrior skills. He also joined a sellsword company in Essos where he perfected his fighting skills.
After returning to Westeros, Oberyn Martell also went to the Citadel to learn the trades of Maesters. He even managed to forge six links of their chains, with each chain representing a skill. However, he never finished the chain and left shortly after because it was too boring for him.
Some Insight Into Oberyn’s Personal Life
Oberyn was openly famous for having intimate relations with both men and women. George RR Martin made sure that he included many characters that represented the LG*TQ community well in the series. Moreover, Oberyn had 8 bastard daughters of his own, 4 of whom were born to his current paramour Elaria Sand. However, he was unlike traditional lords of Westeros concerning his illegitimate children.
He owned and took good care of his bastard daughters while training them for their self-defense. He did not restrict their lives at all and gave them the freedom to live their lives the way they wanted to. Due to their fierce nature, his bastard daughters were nicknamed Sand Snakes.
Pedro Pascal’s Portrayal In Game Of Thrones
Pedo Pascal was praised widely for his representation of Oberyn Martell. Although he was a part of the show for barely half the season, the audience loved him. His witty remarks and rash behavior were hailed, and even book readers agreed that his portrayal was immense.
So much so that many book readers agree that whenever they read about Oberyn in the books, only Pedro Pascal comes into their mind. Sean Keane describes the impact of the character well in this article.
Although Oberyn Martell graced the screen for 7 episodes in Game of Thrones, his impact was immense. He is constantly missed by many fans, who wish they had seen more of him in the show. ‘A Song of Ice and Fire‘ fans wished the same too, but when has George RR Martin ever spared a fan-favorite character? This was a character history of Oberyn Martell for all those fans who wished to see more.