Born in 237 AC as eldest son to Ser Lyonel of House Selmy, Barristan was raised heir
to Harvest Hall, a castle in the dornish marches of the stormlands.
Growing tall and gallant even as a boy, Barristan served as squire for Lord Manfred Swann, all
the while dreaming of becoming a knight.
By the age of 10, he was so confident in his skills he entered the Tourney of Blackhaven
as a mystery knight.
And while most laughed or dismissed him, prince Duncan Targaryen was impressed by his courage,
accepting the challenge and defeating the boy before granting the nickname Barristan
the Bold.
At last achieving his dream by the age of 16 in 253 AC, he entered a winter tourney
in King’s Landing where after unhorsing Prince Duncan the small and Lord Commander
of the Kingsguard Ser Duncan the Tall, Barristan the Bold was knighted by the King himself,
Aegon V. In 260 AC, during the War of the Ninepenny
Kings, when the armies of Westeros fell upon a foreign invasion force gathering in the
Stepstones.
Barristan made a name for himself by cutting a bloody path through the famous Golden Company
to slay their leader Maelys Blackfyre in single combat.
This then ended the male line of House Blackfyre, a branch of House Targaryen which launched
5 failed attempts to take the iron throne from 196 to 260 AC.
Earning a fearsome reputation, Barristan was offered a place in the Kingsguard of Jaehaerys
II at the age of 23, swearing his oath before the respected Lord Commander Ser Gerold Hightower.
As a result, Barristan surrendered his right to inherit Harvest Hall, and the woman he
was set to wed instead married his cousin.
Though Jaehaerys II died of illness after only 3 years on the throne, Barristan continued
to serve with distinction under his successor Aerys II.
Unfortunately, the new Targaryen King had no talent for governing and got himself taken
hostage by House Darklyn in 277 AC, during what came to be known as the Defiance of Duskendale.
While the hand of the king Tywin Lannister was ready to storm the castle and slaughter
their enemies, regardless of what happened to the king, Barristan volunteered to launch
a rescue mission entirely on his own.
Given one day to make the attempt.
In the guise of a hooded beggar he climbed both the walls of Duskendale and the enemy
keep in the middle of the night, before slaying a sentry, two guards and Ser Symon Hollard
to successfully escape on horseback with the king.
House Darklyn’s leverage gone, royal forces immediately attacked and slaughtered the traitors,
sparring no one.
Grateful to Ser Barristan, Aerys offered a reward, but noble knight wanted nothing for
himself, instead asking that the young, innocent boy Dontos Hollard be sparred execution, despite
his family’s support for House Darklyn.
In later life Barristan wondered whether it would have been better for the realm to let
the Mad King Aerys II, die in the Defiance.
A few years later in 281 AC, when the Kingswood Brotherhood wrought havoc upon lands near
the capital, the Kingsguard were sent to hunt them down.
With Ser Barristan rescuing Lady Jeyne Swann and her Septa before he slayed the enemy leader
Ser Simon Toyne in single combat.
Recognized as one of the greatest Knight in Westeros, Ser Barristan won many more competitions,
and planned the same for the Tourney of Harrenhal in 281 AC.
Hoping to crown the woman he loved, Ashara Dayne, as Queen of Love and Beauty.
Yet he lost in the final round to Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, who went on to name Lyanna Stark
as Queen of Love and Beauty, setting off a chain of events that led to Robert’s Rebellion
and fall of House Targaryen.
This was tet another memory Barristan remembered in later life, regretting both that his loss
led to war and that he never expressed his feelings to Ashara.
Though the Mad King Aerys II was a cruel, violent, unstable ruler by the end of his
reign, Barristan remained loyal to his vows, and fought for House Targaryen during the
civil war of 282 AC.
Taking several grievous wounds while losing the Battle of the Trident, Roose Bolton recommended
the execution of Ser Barristan, but Robert Baratheon instead sent for his personal Maester
to help the enemy knight recover.
Harboring great respect and admiration for the famous Kingsguard, the new king Robert
Baratheon not only pardoned Ser Barristan and allowed him to keep his position, but
also promoted him to Lord Commander.
Understanding that the surviving Targayen children in exile were to young to rule, and
respecting Robert’s merciful treatment of prisoners and enemy supporters, Barristan
pledged his loyalty to the new king.
Continuing his life of service and heroism, the Lord Commander won a great victory in
the Greyjoy rebellion of 289 AC, leading royal forces in their attack on Old Wyk.
Nearly a decade later in 298 AC, the King died in a hunting accident to be succeeded
by his supposed son and heir Joffrey Baratheon, who was actually born from an incestuous affair
between the queen Cersei Lannister and her brother Jaime.
Seeking to impose her will on the court, Cersei had her son dismiss the aging Knight Ser Barristan
from the kingsguard, despite it being a position appointed for life.
This was done so Joffrey’s bodyguard Sandor Clegane could join the white cloaks, while
the Queen’s brother Jaime was promoted to Lord Commander.
Outraged by the dismissal, Barristan threw down his sword, before dutifully writing his
final entry in the White Book of the Kingsguard.
When soldiers then arrived to arrest him for a perceived threat against the king, he killed
two and escaped on horseback.
Growing out a beard and posing as an old man, Barristan witnessed the execution of Lord
Eddard Stark before sailing across the narrow sea to contact Ilyrio Mopatis of Pentos.
An ally and supporter of the Targaryen children in exile.
Unwilling to return home to Harvest Hall where he might put his family in danger, and with
civil war erupting across Westeros leaving 5 potential kings to claim a throne of their
own.
Barristan was determined to follow his heart and live out his days in service to who he
felt was the rightful monarch.
And that meant finding Viserys Targaryen, the eldest living son of the mad king Aerys
II.
However when he learned Viserys was dead, his allegiance transferred to the younger
sister Daenerys, last surviving child of the former king.
Paired with the pit fighter Strong Belwas they were sent east and entered in to the
service of this young girl.
Posing as Arstan Whitebeard, Barristan helped Daenerys, now known as the Mother of Dragons,
defeat the Slavers Bay cities of Astapor and Yunkai, before revealing the truth of his
identity.
Making matters worse for Daenerys, Barristan’s confession also meant she learned her other
Westerosi advisor, Jorah Mormont, was a former spy for the iron throne.
Though Jorah was ultimately dismissed from her service, Barristan was forgiven after
helping conquer the city of Meereen, where Daenerys established her seat of power.
Though her enemies soon rallied and retook Astapor and Yunkai, the Queen forged a fragile
peace for a time, which then broke when her dragon Drogon, without instruction, flew her
far away to the dothraki sea, causing her to unintentionally abandoning the city.
With the Queen gone, Ser Barristan Selmy suspected her husband Hizdar Zo loraq of betrayal, and
so gathered his allies, staged a coup, and named himself Hand of the Queen.
Preparing to defend Meereen from invasion, Ser Barristan the Bold gave a final, inspirational
speech before leading the queen’s army into battle against their enemies.