Sandor Clegane
Origin: Song of Ice and Fire
Hair: Black
Eyes: Grey
Occupation: Hose and Dog Breeder.
Residence: O-22-6
Birthday:
Import Date: Year 1.
Sandor had the damage done by his brother removed upon arrival.
He prefers to live on his own away from the village, though his property is filled with staff working for him during the day, and visitors are far from uncommon. He joins hunting parties and he is known to come to the training grounds to train.
He breeds dog/direwolf hybrids and powerful riding horses.
History pre-import
Sandor is a huge and heavily-muscled man. He has grey eyes, his nose is large and hooked, and his long hair is dark and thin. One side of Sandor's face is gaunt, with sharp cheekbones and a heavy brow, while the other side is a burned ruin of scars. Slick black flesh is pocked with craters and deep cracks that ooze red and wet, his ear is only a hole[5] with a stump,[9] and a hint of bone shows on his jaw.[5] The scars extend down to his throat.[10] There is a twisted mass of scars around his eye, which is still good, not harmed by the fire,[5] but he has no lips on that side.[9] Sandor brushes his hair so that it covers his burned side, since no hair grows there.[5] Sandor speaks in a rough, rasping voice,[1][11][12] and has a laugh "like the snarling of dogs in a pit."[5] The burnt corner of his mouth twitches when he speaks.[11][N 1]
According to George R. R. Martin, Sandor is taller than King Robert I Baratheon, Brienne of Tarth, Lord Renly Baratheon, and Ser Jaime Lannister, but shorter than Hodor and Lord Jon Umber. Jaime regards Sandor as one of the strongest living men in Westeros, but the Kingslayer thinks he could defeat the Hound's strength with his own speed and skill.[14]
The cynical Sandor dislikes knighthood and has a temper, but he is dutiful and likes dogs. He often makes fun of Tyrion Lannister because of the dwarf's height, which amuses Prince Joffrey Baratheon. According to Lord Varys, Sandor gambles and patronizes whores and winesinks.[17] Sandor hates and fears fire,[18][15][19][20][21][9] but will carry a torch[5] or light a campfire when needed.[9]
The Hound regularly wears an olive-green cloak over plain, soot-dark armor, and a distinctive helm sculpted into the shape of a snarling dog's head. He also sometimes wears a brown roughspun tunic and studded leather jerkin. He also has worn a red woolen tunic with a leather dog's head sewn on the front.[5] When wearing the white woolen cloak of the Kingsguard, he fastens it with a jeweled brooch.[11] Sandor wields a longsword,[15] a warhammer,[23] and a dagger,[20] and can wield an axe.[24] His stallion is a heavy courser named Stranger.[25] He has had at least one unnamed squire.[1]
When Sandor was seven years old, a woodcarver in the village by the family keep gifted toys to the Cleganes to buy favor. Sandor desired his brother Gregor's gift, a jointed wooden knight, and took it to play with, though he was afraid of what the brutal Gregor might do. When Gregor found him, he shoved the side of Sandor's face into the burning coals of a brazier and held him there while he screamed, until three grown men were able to drag him off. The Cleganes' maester attempted to heal the burns with ointments.[5]
Sandor's father explained the burns by claiming that his bedding caught fire, though there are still rumors that Gregor was involved. There are also rumors of a sister who died young in mysterious circumstances, and their father was killed in a hunting accident, which is also implied to have been suspicious, leaving the family estates to Gregor.[22]
Sandor left to join the Lannister household as a sworn sword on the day Gregor came into his inheritance, and he has never returned to his family home. He claims to have killed a man when he was twelve years old, possibly during Robert's Rebellion, as he was part of Lord Tywin Lannister's host during the Sack of King's Landing.[26] Sandor has never taken a knight's vows.[11]
Queen Cersei Lannister assigned Sandor to protect her eldest son, Prince Joffrey Baratheon, and the sworn shield has protected the boy for many years. Joffrey is very fond of Sandor and often calls him "dog", but his younger brother, Prince Tommen Baratheon, is frightened of Sandor's face and voice.[30]
Ser Barristan Selmy unhorsed Sandor during a tourney in 297 AC.