Tywin Lannister is a fictional character in the epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire by American novelist George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation Game of Thrones. He is introduced in A Game of Thrones (1996) and subsequently appears in A Clash of Kings (1998) and A Storm of Swords (2000). Tywin was portrayed by British actor Charles Dance in the HBO series, to critical acclaim.