Everything we know about Dalton Greyjoy, the Red Kraken

House of the Dragon introduced us to various new characters who are both fascinating and intriguing in their own right. Based on the book Fire and Blood by George R. R. Martin, the series is set in Westeros. This means we get to see many past members of the famous Houses from Game of Thrones.

We have already seen the various members of House Targaryen, along with some members of House Lannister, and a hint towards the members of House Stark. But one House that we have seen no mention of so far is House Greyjoy, the pirate lords or Ironborn from the Iron Islands.

Yet, one very important member of House Greyjoy will feature prominently in later seasons of House of the Dragon. This character is known as Dalton Greyjoy, The Red Kraken. This article will tell us everything we need to know about Dalton Greyjoy.

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Who is Dalton Greyjoy?

Credits: HBO

Dalton Greyjoy was the Lord of the Iron Islands, Lord Reaper of Pyke, and the head of House Greyjoy during the Dance of the Dragons. He was a daring, bloodthirsty man who was much loved by those who followed him.

He had a distaste towards women, as he tired of them easily, and for this reason, women did not enjoy his company. Dalton Greyjoy is one of the great heroes of the Iron Islands, being a wild and shrewd warrior despite his youth.

Dalton Greyjoy grew to be a seasoned warrior at a young age. He participated in his first plundering of a town at the age of ten, along with his uncle. Sailing far and wide, he participated in more than twelve battles by the age of fourteen.

In one of these battles, he obtained a Valyrian steel sword from a dead pirate’s corpse and bestowed upon it the name Nightfall. At the age of fifteen, Dalton fought in a battle in the Stepstones as a mercenary with his uncle.

In this battle, he saw his uncle cut down before his very eyes. Enraged, Dalton flew into a frenzy and assassinated his uncle’s killers then and there. Emerging from this act of revenge drenched in blood from a dozen wounds, Dalton earned the name The Red Kraken.

The same year, Dalton’s father also passed away, causing him to return to the Iron Islands to sit upon the Seastone Chair as the Lord of Pyke. His first act as Lord was to begin the construction of longships, train fighters, and forge swords. When asked about the reason for these actions, Dalton stated, “The storm is coming.”

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Dalton Greyjoy During the Dance of the Dragons

Credits: Kieran Belshaw

When Lord Dalton Greyjoy was sixteen years of age, he received news of the Targaryen Civil War having broken out. It is said that he laughed after hearing the news.

King Aegon II was the first to attempt to recruit Lord Dalton and his fleet. Since the Blacks were allied with Corlys Velaryon, The Sea Snake, the entire Velaryon fleet accorded them a large amount of naval prowess. To counter this, King Aegon offered Lord Dalton the position of master of ships on the small council.

Lord Dalton did not immediately agree. Rather, he waited to hear what the Blacks would offer. Prince Daemon spoke up about the matter in the Black Council. He suggested appealing to Lord Dalton’s bloodlust to bring him on board.

Therefore, Queen Rhaenyra did not ask Lord Dalton to sail to Blackwater Bay but only to attack her enemies. Due to this, Lord Dalton allied with the Blacks. His first attack targeted the westerlands and the areas close to Casterly Rock.

Lord Jason Lannister was away fighting battles in the Riverlands, making the region vulnerable to attacks. When she heard the news of the Ironborns’ attack, Lord Jason’s wife, Lady Johanna Lannister, sealed the gates of Casterly Rock.

However, she could not protect the rest of her lands when the Red Kraken’s fleet attacked. Lord Dalton and his army burned down the entire Lannister fleet and sacked the port town of Lannisport.

He also abducted hundreds of women to take as salt wives. He also conquered two other castles in the Westerlands: Kayce and Faircastle.

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Dalton Greyjoy at Fair Isle

Credits: Leonardo AI

After capturing Faircastle, the castle on Fair Isle, Lord Dalton decided to reside there and rule over the Sunset Sea. King Aegon and Tyland Lannister demanded that Lord Dalton stop raiding the Westerlands, but their commands fell on deaf ears.

By this time, Lord Jason Lannister had perished in the Battle at the Red Fork. His heir, Loreon Lannister, was only four years old at the time. Left to defend the westerlands by herself, his wife, Lady Johanna Lannister, retaliated.

She began constructing a new fleet of ships to take back Fair Isle. When Lord Dalton noticed this, he sent his Ironborns to attack. The Ironmen not only burned down the entire shipyard but abducted another hundred women from the region.

Lord Dalton survived the Dance of the Dragons and ruled Fair Isle even after King Aegon II’s death. Rhaenyra’s son then ascended the throne as King Aegon III.

When King Aegon III’s wife, Queen Jahaera, passed away, Lord Dalton considered sending his sister as a candidate to be his new queen.

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Dalton Greyjoy after the Dance of the Dragons

Credits: Hylora

Meanwhile, Johanna Lannister made another attempt to take back Fair Isle, sending a ragtag fleet to invade the castle. However, the Ironborn ambushed and defeated them. Lord Dalton sent the heads of their commanders to Lady Johanna at Casterly Rock.

Lord Dalton, a.k.a. The Red Kraken, never married and had a true spouse, or rock wife, as the Ironborn named them. However, he had twenty-two salt wives, though he boasted of having a hundred.

One night, one of his salt wives, a girl named Tess, cut his throat with his own dagger before throwing herself into the sea.

As he had never taken a rock wife, the only heirs he left were two young ‘salt sons’ at Pyke. The Red Kraken’s death led to a bloody struggle for power between the Ironborn.

Amid this, Lady Johanna Lannister sent a fleet to the Iron Islands with the help of Ser Leo Costayne, lord admiral of the Reach.

Her men-at-arms killed many Ironborn, including Lord Dalton’s family members. Lord Dalton’s son was captured and made into the court fool at Casterly Rock.

His Valyrian steel sword, Nightfall, passed into the possession of House Harlaw, one of the most powerful Houses in the Iron Islands.

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