‘Game of Thrones’s Most Mysterious Character is Still Varys

In less than two weeks Game of Thrones will end its epic run on HBO, tying up mysteries and breaking all of our hearts along the way. One of the biggest enigmas still left on Game of Thrones? Lord Varys (Conleth Hill). The Spymaster of Westeros, often called “The Spider,” or worse yet, “The Eunuch,” has been a major power player since Season 1. Still his past is shrouded in mystery and it’s not entirely clear what role he’ll have to play in the endgame.

Is Lord Varys a good guy? Is Lord Varys a bad guy? Is Varys secretly a merman or a Blackfyre? Will he betray Daenerys? And what’s the deal with that guy in his box? Basically: Who is Lord Varys? Here’s everything we know about the most well-connected man in Westeros.

Who is Lord Varys on Game of Thrones?

Lord Varys was born a slave in Lys, an island kingdom southeast of Westeros. He grew up with a group of traveling players until his master sold him to a sorcerer in Lys. In Game of Thrones Season 3, Episode 4, “And Now His Watch Is Ended,” Varys tells Tyrion that this sorcerer didn’t purchase him as a sex slave — as Varys feared — but to castrate him for a magical ceremony. The sorcerer forced young Varys to take a potion that rendered him physically incapacitated and then cut off his genitals (penis and testes) to throw them into a fire. During this ritual, a voice in the flame spoke to the sorcerer and Varys, haunting the latter forever.

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After being thrown out in the street to die, Varys swore to survive out of spite by any means necessary. After prostituting himself and becoming a thief, he discovered that information was the most valuable asset. Soon he developed a spy network and a reputation as the best intel merchant in the world.

The incredibly paranoid Mad King Aerys brought Varys to Westeros to become his Master of Whispers, aka Spymaster. After Aerys was killed, Varys reluctantly became the Master of Whispers for a run of Baratheon kings, including Robert, Joffrey, and Tommen. Early in Tommen’s reign, Varys defected and traveled with Tyrion Lannister to Essos to meet and serve Daenerys Targaryen.

What Does Lord Varys Want?

While other characters on Game of Thrones long for power, wealth, or vengeance, Varys is remarkably aloof when it comes to personal desires. He uses information and the power it gives him to help support the leaders he believes best serve “the realm.”

For Varys, nothing is more important than “the realm,” which is a concept of Westeros that encapsulates the nation state’s overall health by seeing how well the needs and wants of its people are sated. Ergo, like Dr. Suess’s Lorax speaks for the trees, Varys sticks up for the commonfolk and overall culture of Westeros.

How Many Kings and Queens Has Lord Varys Served? Is It Really 5 or 6?

In Game of Thrones, Season 8, Episode 4, “The Last of the Starks,” Tyrion makes a joke about how it’s hard to keep track of how many kings and queens Varys has served. Varys has technically served King Aerys, King Robert, King Joffrey, King Tommen, and now Queen Daenerys. That’s 5.

If Varys pivots to Jon’s side, King Aegon VI would be the sixth ruler he’s served.

Will Varys Betray Daenerys?

Survey says yes! Besides the fact that the idea that he might flip on Daenerys was brought up by Daenerys herself in Season 7, Varys seemed relieved, if not enthusiastic, to learn that Jon Snow had a stronger claim to the Iron Throne. In two separate conversations last week, he tried to push Tyrion to his side. Not to mention the fact that Varys was already souring on Daenerys after she burned Randall and Dickon Tarly after the Loot Train Battle last season.

What Happened to the Guy in the Box? The Sorcerer?

Oh, yeah, remember that casual moment in Season 3, Episode 4, “And Now His Watch Is Ended,” where Varys casually revealed he was keeping a man in a box? And Tyrion was like, “Oh snap! That’s the sorcerer!” What ever happened to him?
WE DON’T KNOW.

We can surmise that Varys left him to die, but it would be funny if Varys had been dragging him around Planetos this whole time. You know, feeding his box man on the road to Volantis, in Meereen, and on Dragonstone.

Is Varys a Merman?

No. I’m not even going to…no.

Is Varys a Secret Blackfyre?

I wish!

The Blackfyre Rebellions were a series of civil wars within the Targaryen dynasty that took place between Daemon Blackfyre, a popular bastard son of King Aegon IV, and his descendants/supporters and the “legitimate” Targaryens. Long story short, Aegon IV was a Henry VIII-like figure who died without a legitimate heir, but a number of noble-born bastards. When he died, he said the crown should go “to the strongest,” which obviously was a recipe for bloodshed. Team Blackfyre lost and had to go into exile (and coincidentally Cersei’s Golden Company was founded by some of this number).

So there’s a theory that Varys is so obsessed with helping Westeros because he is a secret Blackfyre. The idea that the sorcerer specifically wanted Varys for his spell kind of supports this because it would mean he would have king’s blood. (You know, that thing Melisandre was horny for?)

However, the show has NEVER brought up the Blackfyres, so I doubt they will do so in their penultimate episode. So nope on Blackfyre Varys.

Will Lord Varys Die in Game of Thrones Season 8?

All evidence points to yes. Not only did Melisandre predict his death (as well as her own) in Season 7, but Daenerys has already told Varys that if he ever works against her, she’ll burn him alive. After last week’s episode, it’s looking more and more like Varys will be spearheading the campaign to recognize Jon Snow’s claim to the Iron Throne, meaning Drogon’s about to get a Varys-flavored snack.

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