The Untold Story of Grand Maester Pycelle

The Untold Story of Grand Maester Pycelle | ASOIAF Theory

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Күн бұрын

Ser Kevan Lannister was not the only one to die at Lord Varys' hands. The aged Grand Maester Pycelle was also murdered on that cold winter night. Pycelle has a long history as a member of the small council, serving multiple kings throughout his life time. Yet we are never told the basics of his life. What House does Pycelle belong to? Was he baseborn or trueborn? What even was his name? We may never know the answers to these questions but there is one question about Pycelle I think we can solve: just why was Pycelle so loyal to Tywin Lannister? Let's delve deep into the theories
The Untold Story of Grand Maester Pycelle | ASOIAF Theory & Game of Thrones
🎥 Chapters
Intro - 0:00
The Extremely Brief History of Grand Maester Pycelle - 1:05
Pycelle Confesses to Tyrion - 4:11
Queen of the Ashes (Trailer #1) - 6:25
Pycelle's Letters to the Citadel About Tywin - 7:39
Did Pycelle Have Romantic Feelings for Twin? - 9:24
Pycelle's Drip - 12:59
King Tywin Lannister, 1st of His Name - 15:05
Sam and the Citadel - 17:07
Outro / the Business - 18:03
🔥 Socials
► Patreon: / kevinpendragon
► TikTok: / kevinpendragon
► Threads: www.threads.net/@kevinpendragon
🎨 Artwork
Grand Maester Pycelle - Thaldir (DeviantArt)
Eddard Ned Stark - Duh22 (DeviantArt)
Tyrion holding a golden dragon - Sebastian Giacobino for Fantasy Flight Games
Jon Connington - Morzeczka
Pycelle and Varys Council Mad King Aerys - Unknown
Brienne the Blue, of the Rainbow Guard - quickreaver
Jaime Lannister - Unknown
📕 Chapters Referenced
The World of Ice and Fire - The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II
A Game of Thrones - Eddard VIII
A Game of Thrones - Eddard IV
A Clash of Kings - Tyrion VI
A Game of Thrones - Eddard VII
A Feast for Crows - Jaime I
A Game of Thrones - Eddard V
Music
🔈 Gravity Sound - "Portal" Mysterious Space Background Music No Copyright
Audiobook Narrator: Roy Dotrice 🙏🏾
#asoiaftheories #gameofthrones #asoiaf #asongoficeandfire #georgerrmartin

Пікірлер: 119

@zacmccollum7144 6 ай бұрын

Fun fact: The Narrator from the audiobook excerpts is in fact the actor who portrays our beloved Grand Maester in the show. I listened to the audiobooks like 4 times before I looked up the narrator lol boy was I surprised

@aquilajedi 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing!

@KevinPendragon 6 ай бұрын

I completely forgot that when I recorded this. Thanks for mentioning it and RIP Roy Dotrice

@olofacosta3192 6 ай бұрын

He was meant to play pycelle but was too old by the time pf the show. He instead plays the pyromancer

@danielallen4450 6 ай бұрын

@@olofacosta3192that's what I thought too. I was sure he was the pyromancer, but I didn't know he'd been supposed to play Pycelle

@zacmccollum7144 6 ай бұрын

@@olofacosta3192 dude, that's some Mandela Effect shit right there lmao. I swear to the gods I looked up Roy Dotrice, and it only pulled up the guy who played Pycell. However, I just searched it again, and it pulled up a different man entirely lol. Wtf?? Wow... Julian Glover is our beloved Grand Maester... Sorry guys!

@ahmedshaharyarejaz9886 6 ай бұрын

Pycelle deeply admired Tywin like young soldiers admire their victorious Generals. It is a professional infatuation.

@Vmac1394 6 ай бұрын

I really like this explanation. It's tiring seeing over and over how the fandom thinks that people can only be motivated by sex or money.

@swayback7375 6 ай бұрын

Power too, which I think is true to reality. Which is one of the morals of the story… people are people regardless of their position, status and stature. It’s a common thread thru all the GOT books, as well as power corrupting, that power lies where the people think it lies, and you can take as much of it as the people allow… excepting things like magic/blood magic/ dragons, which ARE power that overrules everything by force, and that power of this sort is “the wrong way” to gain and hold power, it’s not free, in fact it’s cost is always very high, too high and it can’t be held indefinitely by anyone, nor is anyone “special” enough to be the exception. Oh yea, and that’s gods aren’t real, that religion is wholly a human construct used to manipulate people into giving their power up to “the gods” which are infact just people who already have the money and the power.

@kirkcavanaugh1493 6 ай бұрын

I like that it talks so much about the chains around Pycelle's neck. It makes him seem far more like a key player in the whole thing than it seems like in the show.

@pyramidion5911 2 ай бұрын

Yeah the show just wanted him to be an old perv for HBO reasons.

@l.mcmanus3983 6 ай бұрын

What if Pycelle is actually a sort of foil to Varys, both claiming to act for the good of the realm, but Pycelle genuinely wants to make decisions that lead to peace and prosperity. The reasons could be entirely selfish in the sense that peace everywhere means a life of ease and comfort for Pycelle, His adoration of Tywin could even come down to Tywin simply being the most competent person at running the kingdom that he knew. His grief at Tywin’s death could be simply for the loss of that person. And of course, if Pycelle aimed for peace, he would certainly have foiled some of Varys’ attempts to sow unrest over the years. Varys killed him to remove a competent decision maker, but also for revenge.

@ousseynougueye5949 6 ай бұрын

Jon Arryn also helped running the realm pretty well as a Hand despite the catastrophe Bobby B was as a king, but he killed Jon Arryn for what ? Just to please Cersei. Surely not for the good of the realm.

@jaafarchaoui185 5 ай бұрын

@@ousseynougueye5949well if the lie of cersei's kids is known a war will break out so one could argue that killing jon arryn prevented a war

@vxskud 3 ай бұрын

They could both have different ideas of what is best for the realm and its possible they are both acting out of good intentions

@icesedai 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for this breakdown and analysis. Pycelle is very under discussed in this fandom, great video.

@KevinPendragon 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching. Pycelle dying with no first name and no deeper motive given is something I've always wanted to discuss. I hope to also one day discuss those Sedai on this channel some day...

@mysteryjunkie9808 6 ай бұрын

Pycell murder seems so personal

@KevinPendragon 6 ай бұрын

Varys must have lowkey hated him

@AlanOLeary209 6 ай бұрын

@@KevinPendragonhe probably hated himself for allowing pycelle to convince the mad king to open the gates and let the lannisters in.

@michaeltalksaboutstuff 6 ай бұрын

If we get to call the Pycelle is bisexual theory "The Grand Maester Bi-celle theory" I am in

@thomasllewelynjones5546 6 ай бұрын

I also think he could be a Westerlander, and owes loyalty to the Lannisters as that is the great house that he always owed loyalty to

@Yoheiyohey 4 ай бұрын

I always thought Pycelle was tytos Lannister’s youngest brother, so really he was tywins uncle. He’s loyal to house lannister because he is one, and looks after his nephews. I always assumed this was Tywin’s inside man, even when he was younger in the service of the mad king, it was pycelle who fed him information and plotted with him. Who told Tywin about the king schtooping his wife? Who paved the way for success? Who taught Tywin all the little things about power and family?

@jessjess23brooks89 2 ай бұрын

I like this theory. Especially since Tywin certainly did not learn any of his nature from his own father. I find it hard that any person would be so absolutely loyal to the Lannisters while being treated so poorly, only because they where a lickspittle. Especially for someone who is talented enough to gain his position. It does make me wonder why Cersei and Tyrion didn't bitch about his being a relation. Maybe he is a secret bastard? Granpapy was a bit of a slute.

@Yoheiyohey 2 ай бұрын

@@jessjess23brooks89 forgot to add, pycelle gets snuffed when Varys takes out Kevin. I always thought that held some connection, Varys who knows everything strikes at these two to destabilize Lannister power? If grand papi was rather sleuth, pycelle wouldn’t even have the family name. He’d be Typell Hill or something, making it a super secret

@movieloverfan18 6 күн бұрын

He always supports the Lannisters. I think I remember that Pycelle used to belong to a House in the Westerlands, before he became a Maester and gave up his last name. There was another that was supposed to be Grand Maester, but he died suddenly and then Pycelle got it. He also gave Jon Arryn high amounts of Milk of the Poppy so that he would pass easily instead of trying to save him with purging. Maybe he knew that Arryn knew about Cersei and Jaime and didn’t try too hard to save him.

@markanthony1004 4 ай бұрын

Ok this is now my new favorite channel for A Song of Ice and Fire

@mistermaestersirthomas9164 6 ай бұрын

“Murder most foul” is Hamlet. Makes me think I’m mostly wrong about Oleanna being the murderer, maybe it was the brother, Kevan… 🤔 ??Varys(Rhaella) talked him into it, then killed him to cover his(actually her) tracks and revenge for Targaryens?

@Snarflelocker 6 ай бұрын

this is great, and omg you stuck the landing haha. It's not easy to get lol's from me, but your last line of another fine video had me howling haha Thank you so much

@nateterpening35 6 ай бұрын

I love your style! That intro was so well-written!

@KevinPendragon 6 ай бұрын

Thank you so much

@joshuavincent3515 6 ай бұрын

Love this video man. And it taught me that I need to reread this series.

@vxskud 3 ай бұрын

I've always assumed Pycelle was a Lannister bastard desperately trying to to Gan a measure of acceptance from his family

@ashleyofnaath 5 ай бұрын

I think Pycelle's efforts to play kingmaker went beyond counseling Aerys to open the gates...I suspect the name Elia called before her death was Pycelle's, because he falsely agreed to help she and the children escape should the city fall. And unfortunately for Elia, due to her frailty from ill health and having just given birth, she was probably reliant on him as opposed to being able to plot for herself. Could you imagine her desperation as she screamed for him, realizing the help wasn't coming? And how cruel Pycelle is to put her in that position? But as he said, all he did he did for House Lannister so he won't lose a wink of sleep I guess. I think Varys tried to get Tyrion to see this, but Tyrion was already convinced the name was Gregor's because he knew Gregor killed her- so he could't see what Varys was trying to tell him. Great video!

@soulbrother1143 6 ай бұрын

If i had to guess i would guess hes a hightower. He seems kinda hightowerish

@fadillangston9797 20 күн бұрын

How?

@greyscale1764 6 ай бұрын

What if pycelle was a raigne, and he worshipped the ground tywin walked on as a way to prove his loyalty so as not to befall the same fate

@shara1979 10 күн бұрын

The jewels on his chain also show that he is bought

@LongLivePutin4ever 6 ай бұрын

Biggest question is when is pycelle ?

@mistermaestersirthomas9164 6 ай бұрын

Mostly before Thanksgiving, most bakers will tell you.

@LongLivePutin4ever 6 ай бұрын

@@mistermaestersirthomas9164 ahhh yes weasel stew my favorite

@williamhermann6635 Ай бұрын

The show actually did something really interesting with Pycelle. Theres a deleted scene between he and Tywin where Tywin scolds him and he pretends to be extremely anxious and fumbles his words. Tywin calls him out for it and tells him to stop pretending as he knows Pycelle is only pretending to be this anxious but loyal fool. Pycelle then quickly straightens up and begins talking with a crispness and confidence not shown in any other Pycelle scene. Almost like he went from a lowly servant to a Highborn lord in a snap. I think this scene points to the maester/hightower conspiracy. Wouldnt be surprised if Pycelle is a Hightower.

@akechijubeimitsuhide 6 ай бұрын

Pycelle always came off as a Polonius type to me :D

@annamadarova625 6 ай бұрын

amazing video❤

@feral7523 6 ай бұрын

Why would pycelle think that Tywin might become King? I mean he done nothing in the war, he helped no-one and then he sacked kingslanding real bad for nothing except plunder! He's lucky not to have been killed by Ned when he's army turned up! which now that I think of it how could Ned have gotten to the Red keep just after Jamie had killed the pyromancers and aerys as that would mean he's army was outside Kingslanding with the Lannister army unless they used different gates but then who let them in? either way Tywin should have been stripped of title for sacking the city and not joining the rebellion and sent to the Wall.

@alexmoes3225 6 ай бұрын

The war ruined the realm, Robert relied initially on the Lannisters to fund his regime, hence marriage to Cersei. Good point about how Ned showed up straight after the sack, but my impression is that he was travelling with small contingent by this stage, not the whole Northern army

@feral7523 6 ай бұрын

@@alexmoes3225 Maybe, although surely King Rob demanded and received severe reparations from the Reach being on the losing side and all, also from Dorne, Crownlands etc..! seems tenuis reason at best imo..

@jaredbrady5566 5 ай бұрын

King Tywin would have been pretty dope. Let's be real.

@robbgamble4149 6 ай бұрын

Pretty sure House Frey is "Stand Together".

@kenhowl8358 5 ай бұрын

The drip 😂 But good video, does spark the brain 🙇🏾

@TinfoilMaester Ай бұрын

So the scene where Pycelle's mlm feelings are most on display happens to have a mention of him being without his "beard" you say?

@WaywardWhiteWalker 6 ай бұрын

I thought is was Mountain Clans from outside the Vale that Tyrion employed from his adventures from the East and not wildlings.

@KevinPendragon 6 ай бұрын

You're not wrong. They are also called wildlings. A Game of Thrones - Tyrion IX When they were alone, Lord Tywin glanced at Tyrion. "Your savages might relish a bit of rapine. Tell them they may ride with Vargo Hoat and plunder as they like-goods, stock, women, they may take what they want and burn the rest." "Telling Shagga and Timett how to pillage is like telling a rooster how to crow," Tyrion commented, "but I should prefer to keep them with me." Uncouth and unruly they might be, yet the *wildlings* were his, and he trusted them more than any of his father's men. He was not about to hand them over. "Then you had best learn to control them. I will not have the city plundered."

@magicalnoname 6 ай бұрын

😊 Martin used wildlings to refer to them l, I just heard in one of the chapters after Tyrion gets his rhinoplasty

@sankarkrishnan407 6 ай бұрын

Maester Aemon's decision of going to wall made Pycelle as Grand Maester. Any way he was not clever as Varys, Littlefinger. As a Grand Maester he was a failure. He did good things to Lannisters. If Jon Arryn tells the truth about Cersei to Robert, he can save him but he didn't. he betrayed many. He got the death he deserved. Sorry to Kevan Lannister.

@The7ggg 4 ай бұрын

Bruh it literally said that tywins body's stink was making his eyes water. That's where the tears came from

@Casperski1312 4 ай бұрын

I did NOT see that "simp for billionaires" line coming 😂

@jamesbuckle5319 4 ай бұрын

Maybe he’s the bastard brother of Tywins father

@Loreweavver 6 ай бұрын

There's all this speculation that cerci or Jamie or Tyrion are Targaryen but they could be anyone's bastard and so could anyone else. That's kinda the point of the whole first book. In the words of Rick and Morty, people be fuckin other people's wives

@robbgamble4149 6 ай бұрын

Love the videos but minor inaccuracies. Like the mountain clans are not wildlings.

@KevinPendragon 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching and for the compliment However, the mountain clans are also called wildlings. I believe it is catchall term used for any uncivilized group of people in Westeros that refuse to bend to any laws. A Game of Thrones - Tyrion IX *"Telling Shagga and Timett how to pillage is like telling a rooster how to crow," Tyrion commented, "but I should prefer to keep them with me." Uncouth and unruly they might be, yet the **_wildlings_** were his, and he trusted them more than any of his father's men. He was not about to hand them over.* I do all the research, scripting, recording, editing, etc. myself so there will be inaccuracies. I do my best to keep them at a minimum. As long as I don't do anything embarrassing like say the Starks live in Casterly Rock and their words are Fire and Cold I can sleep OK 😂

@KrimeDog 5 ай бұрын

Aren’t the words for house Frey “We stand together”?

@queenxx1690 6 ай бұрын

maybe Pycelle was to Tywin what Larys was to Alicent

@vitorfreitas1682 6 ай бұрын

So… pycelle is just a romanboo for house Lannister

@paulscushschofield1288 5 ай бұрын

Theres a scene that wasnt aired where pycell is goveling to tywin,cant recall the reason why,if i can find it i will share

@KevinPendragon 4 ай бұрын

I know what you're talking about. Just search "Tywin Pycelle deleted scene" on KZfaq and it should come up. I don't think Pycelle was faking in the books. We know he was very old and he never recovered from Tyrion imprisoning him

@whitewitch32 6 ай бұрын

If Pycelle try to make Tiwyn a king, he forgot couple of thinking, North will bowout of seven kingdoms, so Vaile of Arryn, Dorn will live without a question, Stormlands will drop the seven kingdoms as fast as you can spell this, and Reach will drop them to. You will be left with Riverlands, Lanisters own domain and Crownlands. And thay will be alwas bothered by Greyjoys and they raids, becose they will be again one more kingdom.

@mistermaestersirthomas9164 6 ай бұрын

My guess for Pycelle is either: Tywin’s dad or a very, very broken man from Castamere, probably the lord of.

@bradwolf07 6 ай бұрын

My guess was that he came from a loyal Lannister Bannermen family. Maybe even an uncle of Joanna Lannister on her none-Lannister side. If my guess is right, that would mean he cared for Tywin because Tywin made his beloved niece happy. Well, that's my guess anyway

@mistermaestersirthomas9164 6 ай бұрын

@@bradwolf07 all good guesses but I would rule out Joanna’s father or royal born uncle, Tyrion would get that from a book and would have a different interactions with him, most likely anyway. I kinda assume it’s a metaphorically similar situation to Reek, so someone who “should” be against Tywin but is insanely loyal either because he’s broken or a traitor to his own family.

@bradwolf07 6 ай бұрын

@@mistermaestersirthomas9164 That's entirely possible as well. That's the problem with Pycelle, we don't have enough information to rule a lot of these possibilities out. Still, it's fun to speculate

@mistermaestersirthomas9164 6 ай бұрын

@@bradwolf07 ASOIAF is a story puzzle it follows story puzzle rules. If we’re told a baby is smuggled then the truth of that relies on whether or not the “smugglers” in the story could do it or not, (Davos did). We only have one “clue” book left before the “answer “ book, so we likely have most of the clues to figure out most things. In this case, it will be hinted at by either story beats of “history repeating “ or one or more allusions used as cyphers.

@bradwolf07 6 ай бұрын

@@mistermaestersirthomas9164 maybe, maybe not. True that according to his announced list of books, we have two left (another clue and the answer as you eloquently put it). But that doesn't necessarily mean we have enough of the clues for every or most questions. Pycelle might just get more clues in the next book, just through others since he's dead. George has had a lot of story ideas to garden, so it's not inconceivable on that. He does have quite the garden of ideas.

@donalny 6 ай бұрын

People like being close to power and a cult of personality.

@TheStranger-27 6 ай бұрын

Do Euron Grey Joy or REEK

@fuckoffgoogle1657 6 ай бұрын

Dude. Pycell didn’t cry because he was sad at the funeral. Tywins body stank to high hell because he was poisoned and was already having stomach problems and was suffering the effects when he died. The odds aren’t that high that he would be awake so late at night to use the bathroom. It’s not a normal experience or something people do when they are healthy. It’s something people do when they’re ill.

@donaldhanning1359 4 ай бұрын

"Blood & Fyre" are the words of House Blackfyre

@KevinPendragon 4 ай бұрын

says whomst?

@shara1979 2 ай бұрын

Whomst, lol. I'm gonna use that

@jessjess23brooks89 2 ай бұрын

"We bear the sword" since the first Blackfyre lordling was gifted Blackfyre by Aegon the Unworthy after being legitimized... I just realized the Blackfyres are not much of a creative bunch. It's a blessing Varys probably sprung from that branch. Must have some very clever whores in that family tree.

@babyyoda0U812 6 ай бұрын

Don't ask me to like a video before I watch

@KevinPendragon 6 ай бұрын

I'm not taking advice from a baby

@nateterpening35 6 ай бұрын

That conclusion!!! Simp for billionaires!!

@Gray_ninja 6 ай бұрын

House Blackfyre is a cadet branch of Targs, they dont have words

@KevinPendragon 6 ай бұрын

Cadet branches can't have their own words?

@Gray_ninja 6 ай бұрын

@@KevinPendragon they can, but for house blackfyre it just wont work. Like what would it be? Blood and Fire? The only precedent for cadet branch words we have is "better green than rotten" in house Fossoway and idk if anything similar can occur in house Targaryen and their little brother house Blackfyre

@mashar854 6 ай бұрын

u were wrong in just one aspect... Pycelle wasnt fan of him for his wealth but his personality and seriously who wouldn't

@KevinPendragon 6 ай бұрын

I thought I said that in the video

@felixhayu7691 5 ай бұрын

Short story:pycelle was a fangirl…lol

@TheCmascagni 5 ай бұрын

Treason is treason.

@robthomas3968 5 ай бұрын

The Lannisters would never be kings of the seven kingdoms. The Starks wouldn’t follow them

@Jadlotian 5 ай бұрын

He was a favorite of mine because he stayed with a woman in the cut

@linzianna 6 ай бұрын

I heard a theory he liked children. And thats why the little birds stabbed him to death in the show at Qyburns beheast

@dontnerfmebro8052 6 ай бұрын

....yeah imma not spend time breaking down all the ways that theory doesnt hold up, but it has enough holes in it to drive a truck through. The least of which is trying to divine a semblence of sense from the show.