  |
This article's content is marked as Mature Casey Becker saw it 20 goddamn times! The page Robb Rivers contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, and/or graphic violent images which may be disturbing to some. Mature pages are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page. |
Robb Rivers, also known as Red Robb Rivers and the Bowman of Raventree, is a supporting character in the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series. He is a bastard of House Blackwood of Raventree and a relative of Lord Samwell Blackwood and his son Benjicot. He is said to be the finest archer in all of Westeros and is well-known for his role in the Dance of the Dragons, most notably his killing of Kingsguard Ser Criston Cole during the Butcher's Ball.
Why isn't he villainous?[]
- He pledged his support to Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen and the Blacks mainly out of loyalty to their cause and not for other reasons.
- He is morally ambiguous, as his personality is not fully described in detail.
Biography[]
Nothing is known regarding Robb River's backstory and of how he became a professional bowman, but may have been either trained or had been self-taught. At the start of the Dance of the Dragons, a civil war between Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen and King Aegon II Targaryen for control of the Iron Throne, House Blackwood, one of the many old houses of the Riverlands, pledged their support to Rhaenyra and her political faction, the Blacks.
Dance of the Dragons[]
At the Battle by the Lakeshore, which is the bloodiest land battle in the entirety of the civil war, when the forces of House Lannister (who support the Greens), under the command of Lord Humfrey Lefford, arrived at the God's Eye, they were met with opposition at the western side of the lake from Lord Roderick Dustin and his army of Winter Wolves, Lord Forrest Frey and his forces, and Robb Rivers and his bowmen. The Greens forces were also met by more Black forces from the south, including Ser Pate of Longleaf (who had earlier wounded Lord Jason Lannister), several other Riverlords and survivors who had fought in the previous battles. The cautious Lord Humfrey hesitated to rush at either of the enemy forces and instead dispatched ravens to Harrenhal nearby to seek aid from King Aegon's brother, Prince Aemond Targaryen, but Robb Rivers used his remarkable archery skills to shoot down all of the ravens, thus preventing them from reaching Aemond.
Criston Cole was slain by Robb Rivers at the Butcher's Ball.
Later, following Rhaenyra's taking of King's Landing, Robb and his men, alongside Ser Garibald Grey, Ser Pate, and Lord Dustin, encountered Ser Criston Cole, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard to King Aegon, and his army of dispirited Green forces, which had diminished after being continuously harassed and ambushed by Black forces during their march south to join forces with House Hightower. After Criston made a failed parley with the Black commanders and challenged them to single-combat, Pate of Longleaf refused this and has Robb Rivers kill Criston instead. Robb and two of his archers fired three arrows at the Lord Commander, who was struck in the belly, neck, and breast, which instantly killed him. Following Criston Cole's inglorious death, his forces were savagely massacred as they tried to flee.
During the First Battle of Tumbleton, when Garibald Grey and his army were overwhelmed by the Hightower forces, Robb and his bowmen shielded them as they were forced to retreat. Following the battle, which was a major victory for the Greens, due to the treachery of Dragonseeds Hugh Hammer and Ulf White, who had betrayed Queen Rhaenyra and had sacked Tumbleton, Robb Rivers' fate is unknown but was likely killed.