The War of the Five Kings
Robert dies and five kings claim crowns: Joffrey, Stannis, Renly, Robb Stark and Balon Greyjoy. Follow the young wolf's campaign from Winterfell to the Twins – and everyone who marched against him.
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The armies
- Robb Stark · the North House Stark
- Roose Bolton · northern foot House Bolton
- Tywin Lannister House Lannister
- Jaime Lannister House Lannister
- Renly Baratheon House Baratheon
- Stannis Baratheon House Baratheon
- Tyrell host House Tyrell
- Theon Greyjoy · ironborn House Greyjoy
- Ramsay Snow · Dreadfort men House Bolton
- Mance Rayder · the free folk the free folk
The campaign step by step
298 AC – The Lannisters burn the Riverlands
After Catelyn seizes Tyrion, Tywin sends the Mountain raiding into the Riverlands, then crosses the Golden Tooth himself. Jaime shatters the river lords beneath Riverrun and puts the castle under siege; Edmure Tully is taken.
Marches: Tywin Lannister → Riverrun (near); Jaime Lannister → Riverrun
⚔ Riverrun besieged near Riverrun – victory for Jaime Lannister · siege
298 AC – Robb calls the banners
When Ned is arrested, Robb Stark – fifteen years old – calls the banners of the North and marches eighteen thousand men south down the kingsroad to Moat Cailin.
Marches: Robb Stark → Moat Cailin; Roose Bolton → Moat Cailin
298 AC – The Twins
The Freys hold the only crossing of the Green Fork. Catelyn bargains with Walder Frey: the bridge for a marriage. Robb crosses west with his horse while Roose Bolton leads the foot south against Tywin.
298 AC – The Battle of the Green Fork
Roose Bolton's foot marches on Tywin by night and meets him on the Green Fork. The Northmen are beaten and withdraw in good order – but they have done their work: Tywin believes he has faced Robb.
Marches: Roose Bolton → The Twins (near); Tywin Lannister → The Twins (near)
⚔ The Green Fork near The Twins – victory for Tywin Lannister
298 AC – The Whispering Wood
The same night Robb's horse falls on Jaime Lannister's camp in the Whispering Wood. The Kingslayer cuts down three men trying to reach Robb before Grey Wind and the Northmen drag him down. Jaime is a prisoner.
Marches: Robb Stark → Riverrun (near); Jaime Lannister → Riverrun (near)
⚔ The Whispering Wood near Riverrun – victory for Robb Stark · the North
298 AC – The Battle of the Camps · the King in the North
Robb breaks the siege of Riverrun, scattering the three Lannister camps. Ned Stark is beheaded in King's Landing; in the hall of Riverrun the Greatjon draws his sword and the lords of North and Trident proclaim Robb King in the North.
Marches: Robb Stark → Riverrun; Tywin Lannister → Harrenhal
⚔ The Camps – siege broken near Riverrun – victory for Robb Stark · the North
299 AC – Two Baratheon kings
Renly crowns himself at Highgarden with the might of the Reach and Stormlands behind him; Stannis, with Melisandre's red god, lays siege to his brother at Storm's End. They parley – and a shadow kills Renly in his tent. His stormlords go to Stannis.
Marches: Renly Baratheon → Storm's End; Stannis Baratheon → Storm's End
⚔ Renly murdered by the shadow near Storm's End – victory for Stannis Baratheon · fallen: Renly Baratheon
299 AC – Oxcross
Robb leads his horse through the hills into the Westerlands – Grey Wind finds a goat track – and destroys Stafford Lannister's new host as it sleeps at Oxcross. The West burns; Tywin must march home.
Marches: Robb Stark → Casterly Rock (near)
⚔ Oxcross near Casterly Rock – victory for Robb Stark · the North
299 AC – Theon takes Winterfell
Sent to treat with his father, Theon joins the ironborn attack on the North instead: Moat Cailin falls, Deepwood Motte falls, and Theon takes Winterfell itself with twenty men. Bran and Rickon vanish.
Marches: Theon Greyjoy → Winterfell
⚔ Winterfell seized near Winterfell – victory for Theon Greyjoy · ironborn
299 AC – The Blackwater
Stannis sails up the Blackwater with the greatest fleet in Westeros. Tyrion's chain and wildfire turn the river to green flame; then Tywin and the Tyrells, who had ridden hard from Bitterbridge, take Stannis in the flank. He flees with a tenth of his men.
Marches: Stannis Baratheon → King's Landing; Tywin Lannister → King's Landing; Tyrell host → King's Landing
⚔ The Blackwater near King's Landing – victory for Tywin Lannister
299 AC – The Sack of Winterfell
Ramsay Snow comes to Winterfell under the Bolton banner to relieve it – and once inside, burns the castle, puts the household to the sword and carries Theon off to the Dreadfort.
Marches: Ramsay Snow → Winterfell
⚔ Winterfell burned near Winterfell – victory for Ramsay Snow · Dreadfort men
299 AC – Robb's road home
Robb, wounded at the Crag, marries Jeyne Westerling – breaking his oath to the Freys. He returns to Riverrun, and with the North lost behind him turns to win back the Freys the only way left: Edmure will marry a Frey at the Twins.
Marches: Robb Stark → Riverrun; Stannis Baratheon → Dragonstone; Tywin Lannister → King's Landing
299 AC – The Red Wedding
At the Twins the Freys and Roose Bolton, in Tywin's pay, break guest right: the Rains of Castamere plays, the crossbows loose, and Robb Stark, Catelyn and the northern host die under the roof of Walder Frey. The King in the North is no more.
Marches: Robb Stark → The Twins; Roose Bolton → The Twins
⚔ The Red Wedding near The Twins – victory for House Frey · fallen: Robb Stark
300 AC – Stannis at the Wall
With the war in the south lost, Stannis heeds the Night's Watch's plea and sails north. His knights fall on Mance Rayder's hundred thousand from the flank beneath the Wall and scatter the free folk in an hour.
Marches: Stannis Baratheon → Castle Black; Mance Rayder → Castle Black
⚔ Battle beneath the Wall near Castle Black – victory for Stannis Baratheon
300 AC – Winter comes
Roose Bolton is Warden of the North; Ramsay marries a false Arya at Winterfell. Stannis marches on Winterfell through the snows, the Lannisters hold King's Landing, and in the North the wolves are waiting.
Marches: Roose Bolton → Winterfell; Ramsay Snow → Winterfell; Stannis Baratheon → Winterfell (near)
Places of The War of the Five Kings
Questions about The War of the Five Kings
When was The War of the Five Kings?
The War of the Five Kings took place in 298–300 AC, during the era "War of the Five Kings".
Who fought in The War of the Five Kings?
Robb Stark · the North; Roose Bolton · northern foot; Tywin Lannister; Jaime Lannister; Renly Baratheon; Stannis Baratheon; Tyrell host; Theon Greyjoy · ironborn; Ramsay Snow · Dreadfort men; Mance Rayder · the free folk.
What were the major battles of The War of the Five Kings?
Riverrun besieged (298 AC, won by Jaime Lannister); The Green Fork (298 AC, won by Tywin Lannister); The Whispering Wood (298 AC, won by Robb Stark · the North); The Camps – siege broken (298 AC, won by Robb Stark · the North); Renly murdered by the shadow (299 AC, won by Stannis Baratheon); Oxcross (299 AC, won by Robb Stark · the North); Winterfell seized (299 AC, won by Theon Greyjoy · ironborn); The Blackwater (299 AC, won by Tywin Lannister); Winterfell burned (299 AC, won by Ramsay Snow · Dreadfort men); The Red Wedding (299 AC, won by House Frey); Battle beneath the Wall (300 AC, won by Stannis Baratheon).
Were dragons used in The War of the Five Kings?
No dragons fought in The War of the Five Kings.