Early years and formation of power Tywin grew up in the shadow of the weakness of his father, Lord Titos Lannister, whom his vassals almost openly despised and called the "toothless lion." Already in his youth, Tywin was acutely aware of how ridicule of the house hurt his pride. The turning point was the suppression of the rebellion of the Tarbeck and Rhine houses: young Tywin harshly and mercilessly defeated the rebels, completely destroying these clans. It was this massacre that gave rise to the famous song "Rains in Castamere" — it became an ominous reminder of what happens to those who defy the Lannisters. After these events, Tywin firmly took power in the Western Lands into his own hands and turned the House of Lannister into the richest and most powerful family in Westeros. He married his cousin Joanna Lannister, whom he sincerely loved. Her death while giving birth to Tyrion was a heavy blow to him: since then, Tywin, according to the general impression, has almost lost the ability to warmth and empathy. Serving as the hand of Aerys II and breaking with the King Under King Aerys II Targaryen, Tywin was the hand and actually ruled the kingdom, demonstrating his talent as a strategist and administrator. However, Aerys' paranoia grew, and the king, fearing the excessive strengthening of the Lannisters, made a move that Tywin took as a personal insult: he appointed Jaime Lannister to the Royal Guard, thereby depriving Tywin of the main heir. In response, Tywin resigned and returned to Casterly Rock. During Robert Baratheon's rebellion, Tywin remained neutral for a long time, and when it became clear that Robert was winning, he moved troops to King's Landing and captured the city. On his orders, members of the Targaryen royal family were killed. In the eyes of many, it looked like a betrayal, but for Tywin it was a cold calculation: he was strengthening the position of his house. The era of Robert Baratheon and the strengthening of the House Under King Robert Baratheon, Tywin did not formally hold the post of hand, but remained one of the key forces of the kingdom. He secured political influence at home through the marriage of his daughter Cersei.