Sandor Clegane, also known as The Hound, is a sworn sword of House Lannister and the protector of the young Prince Joffrey Baratheon. He is the younger brother of Ser Gregor Clegane. He dies along the banks of the Trident from a wound sustained in a small skirmish.
Appearances and Character
Sandor is easily recognized because half of his face was severly burned by Gregor when they were children; this event spurred a fear of fire in Sandor. Many times Sandor Clegane has been offered knighthood, but he has always refused. Gregor Clegane, the monster became a knight and Sandor lost all respect for the institution.
Sandor is known as a cruel and ruthless man, but he may choose to hide his more pleasant emotions. He wants to kill his brother and despises knighthood and seems to be the antithesis of the stereotypical white knight.
History
Aged six, maybe seven, Sandor received a gift from a woodcarver, only Sandor played with his brother's toy; a knight, all painted up, and its joints fixed with strings. Gregor was five years older than Sandor and the toy was nothing to him, however when he found his younger brother playing with the knight, he never said a word, just picked Sandor up and shoved the side of his face down in the burning coal of the brazier. It took three grown men to drag Gregor off him, and his father told everyone that his bed caught fire. Four years later, Gregor was knighted by Rhaegar Targaryen.
Sandor Clegane left the lands of House Clegane when Gregor inherited it. Their father died under suspicious circumstances. Sandor left and took service with the Lannisters. When the series begins, he works as a protector for Joffrey Baratheon.
Books
A Game of Thrones
Sandor rides to Winterfell when King Robert Baratheon decides to replace the recently deceased Jon Arryn with Lord Eddard Stark as Hand of the King.
Sandor attends a training session in the Winterfell courtyard with Prince Joffrey. He stands up to Ser Rodrik Cassel when the knight refuses to let the prince use sharpened steel swords.
Sandor offers to kill Summer when Joffrey complains about the direwolf's howling keeping him awake. He pretends to ignore Tyrion Lannister when he makes an approach to the duo.