Ellaria Sand

Ellaria Sand
A Song of Ice and Firecharacter Game of Thronescharacter
Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand
First appearance	Novel: A Storm of Swords(2000) Television: "Two Swords"(2014)
Last appearance	Television: "The Queen's Justice"(2017)
Created by	George R. R. Martin
Portrayed by	Indira Varma
In-universe information
Alias	The Serpent's Whore
Gender	Female
Family	House Uller
Significantother	Oberyn Martell
Children	Elia Sand Obella Sand Dorea Sand Loreza Sand Television: Tyene Sand
Relatives	Harmen Uller (father)

Ellaria Sandis a fictional character in theA Song of Ice and Fireseries ofhigh fantasynovels by American authorGeorge R. R. Martinand its television adaptation,Game of Thrones.

Ellaria first appears inA Storm of Swords(2000), and while she is only mentioned inA Feast for Crows(2005), she returns inA Dance with Dragons(2011). She is the paramour toOberyn Martelland mother to several of his bastard daughters, theSand Snakes.After the death of her lover in a duel at the hands of SerGregor Clegane,she is sent into deep mourning, although her subsequent characterization differs between the novels and the television adaptation. In the novels, she sues for peace, seeking an end to the cycle of revenge. In the television adaptation, however, she is portrayed as ruthless and vengeful, willing to do anything to destroyHouse Lannister,even if it means killing Oberyn's own family in the process.

The character is portrayed byIndira Varmain theHBOtelevision adaptation.

Character description

Ellaria Sand is a bastard of Harmen Uller, head of House Uller and Lord of Hellholt inDorne.Dorne's views and customs towards children born out of wedlock differ from those of the rest of Westeros, where bastards are often discriminated against.She is the paramour ofOberyn Martell,as even in Dorne a Prince cannot marry a bastard. She is the mother of the youngest fourSand Snakes(Oberyn's bastard daughters). Like Oberyn, she isbisexual.

In the novels, Ellaria Sand is mostly a background character. She is not a point-of-view character; rather, her actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other people, such asTyrion Lannister,Arianne Martell,andAreo Hotah.

Storylines

Coat of arms of House Martell

A Storm of Swords

Ellaria comes with Oberyn to King's Landing, as part ofTyrion Lannister's efforts to win them to the Iron Throne. Oberyn, however, clearly wants revenge for his sister's death, apparently committed on the orders ofTywin Lannister,during King Robert's rebellion.Oberyn wants Ellaria to sit with him atJoffrey Baratheon's wedding, causing trouble when Olenna Tyrell calls her "the serpent's whore". Later, when Tyrion is condemned for poisoning Joffrey Baratheon, Oberyn acts as his champion in a trial by combat against SerGregor Clegane,who had raped and murdered Oberyn's sister, Elia Martell, during the Sack of King's Landing. Oberyn wounds Gregor with a poisoned spear but is killed by Gregor. Afterwards, Ellaria returns to Dorne.

A Dance with Dragons

Gregor Clegane apparently dies of the poison after spending days in agony (Oberyn having treated the poison to work slowly). His skull is sent to Dorne, where Oberyn's brother, Doran Martell, the ruling Prince of Dorne, sees it. Despite Gregor and Tywin's deaths, Oberyn's bastard daughters want revenge. Ellaria argues against revenge, saying all those they want revenge against are dead and the Lannisters they are now targeting took no part in their kin's deaths. She reminds them Oberyn died trying to avenge his sister's death and worries they too will die, if they seek vengeance. Doran sends her back to her father, Lord Harmen Uller of Hellholt with her youngest daughter Loreza Sand.

TV adaptation

English actress Indira Varma portrays Ellaria Sand.

Ellaria Sand is played by the British actressIndira Varmain the television adaption of the series of books.She won theEmpire Hero Awardalong with the rest of the cast in 2015.She was also nominated, along with the rest of the cast forScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Seriesin 2016.

Season 4

Ellaria Sand's storyline in this season is very similar to her storyline inA Storm of Swords.

Season 5

Ellaria tries to persuadeDoran Martell,Prince of Dorne, to avenge his brother's death. However, Doran refuses, as Oberyn's death was viatrial by combat,and therefore by Westerosi law,Gregor Cleganedid not murder Oberyn.Ellaria soon learns thatJaime Lannisteris sailing for Dorne, planning to rescue his daughter Myrcella, betrothed to Doran's son,Trystane.When Jaime arrives at the Water Gardens, the Sand Snakes attack him and Bronn, but the skirmish ends with all arrested by Martell guards. Doran and Jaime reach a deal, Trystane will marry Myrcella, but the two will live in King's Landing and Trystane will be granted a seat on the Small Council. Ellaria is threatened with death by Doran if she ever defies him and she feigns allegiance to him. She kisses Myrcella goodbye at the docks, secretly wearing lipstick coated with a slow-acting poison, which kills Myrcella on the ship headed for King's Landing.

Season 6

After Doran Martell realises that Myrcella has been murdered, Ellaria stabs Doran, while in King's Landing, Obara and Nymeria, who had snuck onto the ship headed to King's Landing, kill Trystane. This makes Ellaria the de facto ruler of Dorne.A while later, Ellaria meetsOlenna Tyrell,whose son and grandchildren have been killed by Cersei, the present Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Ellaria then reveals that she has allied herself withDaenerys Targaryenafter hearing that Yara andTheon Greyjoyhave done the same. Later, Martell and Tyrell ships can be seen in Daenerys' fleet heading for Westeros.

Season 7

Ellaria and the Sand Snakes arrive in Dragonstone to discuss the conquest of Westeros with Daenerys. Yara and Theon Greyjoy return Ellaria and the Sand Snakes to Dorne so they can gather their army. En route, Euron Greyjoy attacks them and burns Yara's fleet. He kills Obara and Nymeria and captures Yara, and takes Ellaria and Tyene to Cersei, as a gift.

In the dungeons Ellaria and Tyene are chained to the walls and gagged. Cersei recalls the death of Oberyn Martell and explains how much she loved Myrcella. Then she kisses Tyene using the same poison that Ellaria used to murder Myrcella. She tells Ellaria that she will be watching Tyene die and after Tyene's death, she will be kept alive to watch as her daughter's body rots away.

Family tree

Family tree of House Martell
Princess of Dorne Lewyn Doran Mellario of Norvos Mors Olyvar Elia Rhaegar Targaryen Ellaria Sand Oberyn "The Red Viper" Arianne Quentyn Trystane Rhaenys Targaryen Aegon Targaryen Obara Sand Nymeria Sand Tyene Sand Elia Sand Obella Sand Dorea Sand Loreza Sand Sarella Sand
Notes: