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Simple question: where was the mercenary Bronn born and raised?

In the TV series Game of Thrones, he speaks with a northern English accent, suggesting he comes from the North. But is there any more solid evidence for his origins, either in the books or the TV series?

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    How is the northern English accent suggesting he comes from the North? He might come from the Northern England in Real Life, but I don't see how that affects his character
    – Shevliaskovic
    Commented Oct 3, 2015 at 11:51
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    @Shevliaskovic Haven't you seen Game of Thrones? All characters from the North are played with northern English accents. In fact, this actor doesn't have such an accent IRL.
    – Rand al'Thor ♦
    Commented Oct 3, 2015 at 11:56
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    @randal'thor one confirmed exception: Davos has a Geordie-like northern accent, but comes from King's Landing. Another interpretation is, honest characters in GoT have northern accents...
    – user56reinstatemonica8
    Commented Oct 4, 2015 at 0:02
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    I seem to recall there being some hints to Bronn having spent time in the North.
    – TLP
    Commented Oct 5, 2015 at 21:41
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    He comes from the left, now the right, oooh, he's behind you... aaaaand you're dead!
    – Möoz
    Commented Oct 5, 2015 at 21:59

3 Answers 3

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For what it's worth (not saying it's worth much) on the show, when Jaime and Bronn were on the beach on the Dornish coast and are interrogated by the mounted Dornish warriors, one of the Dornishmen says:

'You are from King's Landing.'

To which Bronn replies:

'Accent gave me away? Fleabottom, whelped and whipped.'

Bronn says this in his normal voice - without trying to disguise his accent - and if the Dornish warrior who spoke can be trusted to know a King's Landing accent, then at least in the universe of the show there's a bit of evidence that he's from KL. Which wouldn't surprise me at all.

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    In the context of that scene, we might reasonably expect a coast guard to have extensive experience with a variety of accents, especially considering the large population and economic power of King's Landing which means we can further be reasonably sure that many people know the KL dialect. Since Bronn's voice doesn't change register while he's parlaying with the Dornish horsemen, it's further reasonable to conclude Bronn is a Kingslander. Since so many poor children from KL grow up to be excellent fighters (cf. Dirk in the NW), it's not a ludicrous assumption.
    – Travis Smith of Bexar
    Commented Oct 17, 2015 at 21:44
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    @randal'thor this should probably be the accepted answer (unless of course you agree with my theory that the whole Season 5 Dorne storyline was written by a HBO intern, while drunk, based on some old rejected Xena scripts they found in a drawer, and therefore isn't part of the real GoT story at all). To be fair it makes a lot of sense that he'd have come from KL - he clearly knew KL and its underbelly extremely well, for example, he found and rounded up almost all the city's thieves within days of becoming captain of the guard.
    – user56reinstatemonica8
    Commented Nov 18, 2015 at 9:35
  • @user568458 My only qualm about accepting this is that it's based on the TV show and not the novels. (Also, since when did a northern English accent signify King's Landing and not the North??) That said, I may accept it anyway :-)
    – Rand al'Thor ♦
    Commented Nov 18, 2015 at 9:57
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    @randal'thor True, but it wouldn't be the first incongruous Northern accent - e.g. Davos is the world's only Southern Geordie :-). I've seen a few arguments to the affect that Northern English accents in GoT don't actually mean geographically "Northern"; rather, American viewer associate them with down-to-earth honesty (and Southern English accents with privilege and/or trickery)
    – user56reinstatemonica8
    Commented Nov 18, 2015 at 10:33
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    Good answer. Looks like the show writers may have picked up on this lack of information from the books and provided their own explicit answer. I had a nagging feeling that I knew Bronn was from KL, but just couldn't place it; turns out, I've selectively forgotten the whole Dorne storyline (till the final scene that is)!
    – Möoz
    Commented Nov 18, 2015 at 12:37
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It is not clear exactly where Bronn is from. What we do know for a fact is:

  • He's very skilled
    • Catelyn says that he

    moved like a panther, and that ugly sword of his seemed a part of his arm.[1]

    • Cersei thinks of him that he

    was a battle-hardened killer.[2]

  • He has survived a ton of calamities and battles, including:
    • The Battle on The Highroad,
    • The Trial by Battle VS Ser Vardis Egen,
    • The Battle of The Green Fork,
    • The Battle of The Blackwater
  • He's in his early to mid thirties[3], born approximately between 264-268AC
  • This is the only piece of extra information we have about him from author, George R. R. Martin; everything else is from the books/show
  • He is a Sellsword
  • He

    supposedly had a rough childhood and killed for the first time before the age of twelve.[4]

The rest is pretty vague beyond that. The most likely consensus is that it doesn't matter; he is simply of low-born stock and has risen to the top - that's it. Just another example that

Power resides where men believe it resides.
- Varys

Speculations that cannot be true

  • He is a Faceless Man

    • I believe this can't be true, as Faceless Men are "in and out". They are acquire a target, plan their kill, and perform it.
    • There are just too many coincidences leading up to Bronn meeting Tyrion

  • He is Benjen

    • Lol.
    • Even glamoured, the timing just doesn't line up. Benjen would have to have gone from The Wall, to several weeks' ride beyond, then back down, and past Winterfell, and to The Crossroads before Tyrion (who left The Wall at around the same time that Benjen left).

  • He is Rhaegar

    • Nope.

  • He is Daario

    • Come on!
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    My theory is that he's Daario, who was secretly Benjen, who was truly Rhaegar, who was a Faceless Man all along. Brought to you by Brawndo.
    – Liesmith
    Commented Oct 6, 2015 at 10:07
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    @Liesmith THE THIRST MUTILATOR!! Also, username checks out.
    – Telestia
    Commented Oct 6, 2015 at 13:08
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    Mooz it is always a pleasure reading your answers. Thumbs up mate!
    – yondaime008
    Commented Oct 6, 2015 at 14:03
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    @yondaime008 Thank you.
    – Möoz
    Commented Oct 6, 2015 at 21:31
  • Mooz, did you see the answer from @TravisSmithofBexar which says he's from King's Landing? I'm considering changing my acceptance ... thoughts?
    – Rand al'Thor ♦
    Commented Nov 18, 2015 at 10:01
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We just don't know. All we know is that he's been around, even beyond the Wall, but where was he born? No ideas and no information. Neither in books not the TV show. All we know is that he wasn't a lord or a noble - he was of a low birth. A commoner.

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  • So he says he's been beyond The Wall...
    – Möoz
    Commented Oct 5, 2015 at 22:00
  • Faceless Man confirmed. It is known.
    – Möoz
    Commented Oct 5, 2015 at 22:00
  • Where does it say he's been beyond the wall? I don't remember that
    – user56reinstatemonica8
    Commented Oct 6, 2015 at 6:30
  • @user568458 I think he said that in one of his conversations with Tyrion
    – Petersaber
    Commented Oct 6, 2015 at 9:42

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