The Big Picture

• The Hound's astonishing transformation from killer to protector is an unexpected, compelling story arc.
• The Hound displays deep-rooted self-loathing but shows compassion by protecting Sansa and Arya.
• The Hound's acts of kindness and protection towards Stark girls reveal his hidden honorable nature.

Because of Rory McCann’s incredible performance as Sandor Clegane, The Hound, in Game of Thrones, he left the audience heartbroken and stunned after his character’s unforgettable death in the final season. Introduced as a killer, a villain, and the King’s right-hand man, The Hound's astonishing transformation into a compassionate man makes him one of the most compelling characters with one of the best redemption arcs in the show that none of us expected. Throughout the series, the Hound is set on seeking revenge on his brother, the Mountain (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson), for disfiguring him as a child, but in the end, his arc becomes more about protecting the weak than getting even. By continuously protecting the Stark girls, abandoning the corrupt crown, and saving an innocent man from his brother's wrath, the Hound proves time and time again that he has a huge heart and is one of the most honorable men in the Seven Kingdoms.

Game Of Thrones

TV-MAAdventureDramaFantasyAction

Nine noble families fight for control over the lands of Westeros while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for millennia.

Release Date April 17, 2011 Creator David Benioff, D.B. Weiss Cast Peter Dinklage , Lena Headey , Nikolaj Coster-Waldau , Emilia Clarke , Kit Harington , Sophie Turner , Maisie Williams Main Genre Drama Seasons 8 Website http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/ Studio HBO Expand

Even Before a Full Redemption, The Hound Was Far From a Villain

The Hound saves Loras Tyrell’s (Finn Jones) life during the King’s Tournament when Loras faces the Mountain during a jousting competition. Loras beats the Mountain, angering him, and he bounds towards him, intending to kill him. Sandor springs to action and stops his brother, briefly fighting him in front of the entire crowd until King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) stops it. Sandor immediately obeys his King and kneels while his brother furiously stalks off instead. Ser Loras grabs the Hound's hand and raises it as if he were the victor, and the crowd cheers for him, making him terribly uncomfortable.

The Hound doesn’t refer to himself as a knight despite being a member of the kingsguard. He refuses to take his vows, be knighted, and reap all the rewards and praise that come with knighthood because he saw Rhaegar Targaryen (Wilf Scolding) knight his brother despite being clearly a dishonorable and cruel man. To Sandor, knights kill and terrorize innocent people just as often as criminals, and morally, they're just as bad. ​​​​​​The Hound did enjoy killing, just as his brother did, but he didn't kill innocents for fun. He killed only out of necessity or duty. The Hound never thought of himself as a good person. He didn’t believe he deserved to be treated well or with respect. He considered himself a dog, the monster everyone else made him out to be. He had deep-seated self-loathing and hid his kind heart under royal armor and years of killing on someone else's orders.

The Hound's Empathy Grows After He Meets Sansa

The Hound’s evolution begins after witnessing Sansa Stark’s (Sophie Turner) abuse by King Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson) and the kingsguard. He watched on in discomfort as Ser Meryn Trant (Ian Beattie) beat and stripped Sansa in front of Joffrey and he offered her his white cloak to cover her when Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) ordered Trant to stop. Afterward, the Hound stood guard as Joffrey took Sansa to the battlements to look at her father's severed head impaled on a spike. The Hound narrowly saves Joffrey's life by stopping Sansa from pushing him off the battlements by offering her a handkerchief to wipe the blood off her face from her previous abuse.

Throughout the first two seasons, it’s evident that his patience is growing thin with the young king, and his sense of compassion and empathy is slowly increasing. The Hound has no loyalties to Sansa or the Starks. His loyalties should be with King Joffrey and the Lannisters he serves. But Sandor sees an inherent innocence in Sansa, a helpless victim he refers to as a ‘little bird.’ The Hound was abused and horribly disfigured at the hands of his older brother after Gregor, The Mountain, caught him playing with one of his toys and pressed his face into the fire as a punishment, making him a victim as well.

The Hound goes on to save Sansa from being raped when the people of King’s Landing attack King Joffrey and his followers. And while Sandor becomes compelled to protect Sansa, he realizes that defending the King and representing the crown as a member of the King’s guard is the last thing he wants to do. The Lannisters and the crown bitterly remind him of his own family dynamic. They do horrible things and cover it up, just like his father covered up what his brother did to him by lying and telling people his bedding caught on fire when they asked about his burns. His father and the crown protect monsters, and he refuses to follow in their footsteps. He offers to take Sansa North with him during the Battle of Blackwater, an act of treason that would surely put a target on his back. But he selflessly tries to save her anyway, because it’s the right thing to do. The Hound gains a sense of morality and humanity that he didn’t believe he could ever possess.

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The Hound Became a Mentor to Arya

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The Hound was Arya Stark’s (Maisie Williams) traveling companion for nearly two seasons. Though originally kidnapping her to sell her to her mother and brother for ransom, during their journey, the Hound grows fond of Arya. He guides her through Westeros, killing anyone who would even consider harming her, and teaches her how to defend herself. He is with her when she kills her first man. He teaches her where the heart is to ensure a swift, killing blow. He doesn't baby her. He treats her as an equal and genuinely cares for her. He did everything he could to reunite her with her family. He did everything he could to protect her, even saving her life by yelling at her to flee when the Red Keep crumbled around them in the final season during the highly anticipated Clegane Bowl. Despite his nasty attitude and terrifying appearance, the Hound was one of the most honorable knights in Game of Thrones and protected the Stark girls until his dying breath.

The Hound had no reason to become as noble and chivalrous as he did. He was mean and unpleasant to everyone around him, keeping everyone at a distance. He lived cynically, with a chip on his shoulder, and truly believed he was a monster. But compassion stirred inside him when faced with injustice and the abuse of innocents. Empathy propelled him to leave the kingsguard and abandon his post, leading him protect both Arya and Sansa Stark, enemies of the crown. Kindness shaped all of his major life-altering decisions. Honor made him into the knight he believed didn't exist; a truly good man who fought evil and protected the innocent at all costs.

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