Lyonel Baratheon guide

TL;DR:

Lyonel Baratheon was the Laughing Storm, Lord of Storm’s End.
He fought for Dunk at Ashford’s Trial of Seven in 209 AC.
He later rebelled in 239 AC after a broken betrothal.
Dunk beat him in single combat, ending the revolt.
The peace deal tied Baratheons to Targaryens, leading to Robert.

Lyonel Baratheon, called the Laughing Storm, led House Baratheon in the early reign of King Aegon V. Sources describe a huge, confident fighter who laughed in the lists and won crowds with showy strikes. He held Storm’s End and, for a short time, even styled himself Storm King. Most core details come from The Hedge Knight and The World of Ice and Fire, as summarized by A Wiki of Ice and Fire.

Why he is called the Laughing Storm

Accounts say he boomed with laughter while jousting. He would knock the crests from helms and fling them into the stands. Smallfolk loved the spectacle. Knights he bested loved it less. A Wiki of Ice and Fire records his size, black hair, blue eyes, and his habit of laughing off blows.

Quick timeline at a glance

Year (AC)	What happened
209	Lyonel rides at the Ashford tourney and joins Dunk’s Trial of Seven.
237	Aegon V betroths Prince Duncan to Lyonel’s daughter.
239	Duncan weds Jenny of Oldstones. Lyonel rebels and crowns himself Storm King.
239	Dunk defeats Lyonel in single combat. Peace follows with a Baratheon-Targaryen betrothal.
245	Ormund Baratheon weds Princess Rhaelle Targaryen. Their son Steffon is born the next year.

Dates and events above match A Wiki of Ice and Fire’s pages on Lyonel, the Ashford tourney, and the rebellion.

Ashford Meadow, 209 AC

The Ashford tourney is readers’ first clear look at Lyonel in action. During the lists, he breaks lances with Robert Ashford, then wins after both men go afoot. When Prince Aerion forces a rare Trial of Seven against Ser Duncan the Tall, Dunk is short of champions. Egg, Dunk’s squire, runs to Lyonel. Lyonel agrees at once. He even knights Raymun Fossoway so the youth can fight on Dunk’s side. These points are set out in A Wiki of Ice and Fire’s coverage of Lyonel and of the Ashford tourney.

The fight is brutal. Dunk’s side wins, but Baelor Breakspear dies of a wound taken in the melee. That death shapes Targaryen politics for years. Ashford also cements Lyonel as a friend to Dunk and a name the smallfolk cheer.

Lord of Storm’s End

By the 230s AC, Lyonel is Lord of Storm’s End and a loyal ally of King Aegon V. In 237 AC, the king betroths his heir, Prince Duncan Targaryen, to a daughter of Lyonel. The match would have bound Storm’s End to the throne even tighter. This setup is recorded on A Wiki of Ice and Fire.

The Laughing Storm’s Rebellion, 239 AC

Prince Duncan breaks the betrothal in 239 AC when he weds Jenny of Oldstones for love. Lyonel takes the insult hard. He swears vengeance, renounces fealty, and crowns himself Storm King. The fighting is short but bloody in the Stormlands. The crown cannot buy peace with words.

The war ends when Ser Duncan the Tall faces Lyonel in single combat. Dunk wins. To end the breach, Aegon V vows to betroth his youngest daughter, Princess Rhaelle, to Lyonel’s heir, Ormund Baratheon. A Wiki of Ice and Fire notes some timeline ambiguity around when Duncan gave up his place as Prince of Dragonstone, but the outcome is clear. The duel ends the revolt, and the royal betrothal seals the peace.

Marriage that changed a dynasty

The peace pact has long reach. Rhaelle Targaryen weds Ormund Baratheon in 245 AC. Their son, Steffon, is born a year later. Steffon fathers Robert, Stannis, and Renly. Lyonel’s revolt, and the deal that ended it, tie Baratheon blood to the Targaryens and set the stage for Robert’s later claim. A Wiki of Ice and Fire’s rebellion page makes that link explicit.

On page and on screen

Readers meet Lyonel in The Hedge Knight. He appears at Ashford and at the Trial of Seven. He is bold, loud, and keen to “tweak Prince Maekar’s nose.” The same source lists Daniel Ings as the actor who portrays Lyonel in HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. If you watch the show, expect Lyonel to bring noise, laughter, and heavy hits.

How to read Lyonel’s story in one weekend

Day 1. Read The Hedge Knight. Track the tourney brackets and the Trial of Seven lineup. Jot a quick list of who fights for whom.

Day 2. Skim A Wiki of Ice and Fire entries for Lyonel, the Ashford tourney, and the rebellion. Note the dates 209 AC, 237 AC, and 239 AC. Then reread the trial chapter to see how the foreshadowing lands.

Optional. Read the short section on Aegon V in The World of Ice and Fire for wider context.

Common mix-ups to avoid

Lyonel vs. Borros. Borros Baratheon is the lord in the Dance era. Lyonel lives a century later.
Is Ormund Lyonel’s son. Ormund is Lyonel’s heir and successor. Some texts leave the exact relationship open.
Trial type. Ashford features a Trial of Seven with 14 champions. Lyonel’s revolt ends with single combat.

Quick reference checklist

Laughing Storm, Lord of Storm’s End.
Champion for Dunk at Ashford, 209 AC.
Loyal to Aegon V until 239 AC.
Rebels after his daughter’s betrothal is broken.
Yields after Dunk defeats him.
Peace sealed by betrothal of Rhaelle to Ormund.
Ancestor of Robert through Ormund and Steffon.

Why it matters

Lyonel’s pride drives a short war, then a lasting peace. That peace binds Baratheon and Targaryen lines and echoes into Robert’s rise. His part at Ashford also shows how pageantry, luck, and one bold squire’s plea can bend the course of history. For new fans, he is the bridge between Dunk’s small tourney drama and the kings who close the Targaryen age. For old fans, he is proof that personality, not only prophecy, pushes events.