House Clegane

The house traces back to a Casterly Rock houndsman who risked his life to save Lord Tytos Lannister from a lioness, losing a leg in the act. In payment, Lord Tytos granted him lands southeast of Casterly Rock and Lannisport and took his son as a squire; the three dogs on the sigil recall the hounds that died that day. The founder is the grandfather of Ser Gregor Clegane, the house's current head, whose lands are ruled from little more than a tower.

Gregor and Sandor's father died shortly after Robert Baratheon's coronation, and a sister of theirs died young under circumstances no one quite explains. Over the years Gregor's cruelty spreads to his own men, while Sandor takes service with the Lannisters but never accepts a knight's vows, so as to share nothing with his brother.

When King Robert offers Lord Eddard Stark the Handship, Sandor — already known as the Hound — travels with the royal party to Winterfell and, on the way back, kills a butcher's boy accused of attacking Prince Joffrey. In King's Landing, during the Tourney of the Hand, he stops Gregor from finishing off a defeated Ser Loras Tyrell, and Loras yields him the match in thanks.

Meanwhile Gregor sacks villages in the Riverlands and beats back the men Lord Beric Dondarrion sends to bring him to justice, then commands troops at the Battle of the Green Fork. When Ser Barristan Selmy is stripped of his Kingsguard cloak, King Joffrey offers the post to Sandor, who accepts the service but refuses to swear a knight's vows.

Gregor keeps sowing terror across the Riverlands: he burns Darry, unknowingly captures Arya Stark's group, and clashes again and again with the Brotherhood without Banners. He advances at the Battle of the Fords but pulls back before Edmure Tully's men at Stone Mill.

Later he cuts off Lord Randyll Tarly's retreat at Duskendale, retakes Harrenhal once Roose Bolton marches for the Twins, and strikes his rearguard at Ruby Ford.

At Tyrion Lannister's trial by combat for the killing of King Joffrey, Ser Gregor is named the queen's champion. He faces Prince Oberyn Martell, who means to avenge his sister Elia, killed by Gregor's hand during Robert's Rebellion.

Gregor wins the fight, but the Dornishman's poisoned spear leaves him with a wound that only worsens.

During the Battle of the Blackwater, Sandor flees the fighting in terror of the wildfire, and offers to get Sansa out of the Red Keep; she refuses, and he settles for having her sing him a song. Soon after he falls into the hands of the Brotherhood without Banners and wins a trial by combat against Lord Beric Dondarrion.

Sandor then captures Arya Stark meaning to bring her to her family, but the Red Wedding undoes the plan. He tries to cross the Mountains of the Moon to hand her over to her aunt, Lady Lysa Tully, at the Eyrie, without success, and the wounds he takes fighting Polliver and the Tickler at the Crossroads Inn fester. Near Saltpans, Arya refuses him mercy and leaves him to die.

Ser Gregor dies in agony from the poison on Oberyn's spear.

The Elder Brother of the Quiet Isle tells Brienne of Tarth that the Hound is dead and that he buried his helm, while a heavyset gravedigger works nearby without a word. Soon after, Sandor is blamed for killing a septon and attacking a girl during the sack of Saltpans, though it was actually Rorge wearing his helm; once Rorge and Biter are dead, Lim ends up keeping it.

In Dorne, Ser Gregor's skull is displayed before Prince Doran Martell as proof that the Mountain is truly dead.

With Gregor dead and Sandor's fate unconfirmed, House Clegane is considered extinguished.