--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Innocent or guilty, a Lannister pays his…" description: "\"“Innocent or guilty, a Lannister pays his debts.”\" — George R.R. Martin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/557/george-r-r-martin-48_debts_innocent-or-guilty-a-lannister-pays-his_60731.png" --- # Innocent or guilty, a Lannister pays his debts. ![“Innocent or guilty, a Lannister pays his debts.” quote by George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/557/george-r-r-martin-48_debts_innocent-or-guilty-a-lannister-pays-his_60731.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/557/george-r-r-martin-48_debts_innocent-or-guilty-a-lannister-pays-his_60731.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/557/george-r-r-martin-48_debts_innocent-or-guilty-a-lannister-pays-his_60731.png) > ““Innocent or guilty, a Lannister pays his debts.”” [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A warning that power enforces repayment, regardless of moral innocence or guilt. **In simple terms:** Power demands repayment. Key Takeaway Debt is inevitable. Themes authority justice retribution power dynamics loyalty Mood foreboding determined Type proverb dialogue When to use this quote - court negotiations - family feuds - political settlements - legal disputes Key Concepts social contract moral ambiguity political leverage Practical Applications - strategic bargaining - conflict resolution Questions to Reflect On - How does power shape notions of fairness? - When might debt be forgiven? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Debts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debts/) [Guilty Lannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilty-lannister-827979/) [Innocent Guilty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innocent-guilty-827982/) [Lannister Pays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lannister-pays-827980/) [Pays Debts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pays-debts-827981/) ## Related quotes > [I heard a Lannister always pays his debts." "Oh, every penny…but never a groat more. 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Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“It is my look they will flinch from now, my frown that they must fear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/it-is-my-look-they-will-flinch-from-now-my-frown-that-they-must-fear/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“A good threat is often more telling than a blow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/a-good-threat-is-often-more-telling-than-a-blow/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“This wine is very choice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/this-wine-is-very-choice/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“Everything Syrio Forel had ever taught her vanished in a heartbeat. 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Some are thin and weak, others long and dark.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/every-man-who-walks-the-earth-casts-a-shadow-on-the-world-some-are/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“The shy girl she had known at Riverrun had grown into a woman who was by turns proud, fearful, cruel, dreamy, reckless, timid, stubborn,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/the-shy-girl-she-had-known-at-riverrun-had-grown-into-a-woman-who-was/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“He won the war on the battlefield and lost it in a bedchamber, poor fool.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/he-won-the-war-on-the-battlefield-and-lost-it-in-a-bedchamber-poor/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“On the morning after battle the crows had feasted on victors and vanquished alike. 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That, or a cock six feet long.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/my-mother-said-my-father-had-a-drop-of-dragon-blood-two-drops-that-or/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) [Explore all 1,761 George R.R. Martin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) ## More Debts quotes > [One of the traditional rites of passage for political candidates is the revelation of financial status - a catechism-like recital of money mistakes made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-abrams/one-of-the-traditional-rites-of-passage-for-political-candidates-is/) [Stacey Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-abrams/) > [I formed, in early life, two purposes to which I have inflexibly adhered, under some very strong pressure from warm personal friends. They were,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-quintus-cincinnatus-lamar-ii/i-formed-in-early-life-two-purposes-to-which-i-have-inflexibly/) [Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-quintus-cincinnatus-lamar-ii/) > [“A life for a life. All debts have to be repaid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-london/a-life-for-a-life-all-debts-have-to-be-repaid/) [Alex London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-london/) > [Everyone in our society has had to make a contribution towards dealing with the debts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-osborne/everyone-in-our-society-has-had-to-make-a-contribution-towards/) [George Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-osborne/) > [And here a most heinous charge is made, that the nation has been burdened with unnecessary expenses for the sole purpose of preventing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-walpole/and-here-a-most-heinous-charge-is-made-that-the-nation-has-been/) [Robert Walpole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-walpole/) > [Students who acquire large debts putting themselves through school are unlikely to think about changing society. When you trap people in a system of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/students-who-acquire-large-debts-putting-themselves-through-school/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [No generation has a right to contract debts greater than can be paid off during the course of its own existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/no-generation-has-a-right-to-contract-debts-greater-than-can-be-paid/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [It is very iniquitous to make me pay my debts - you have no idea of the pain it gives one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/it-is-very-iniquitous-to-make-me-pay-my-debts-you-have-no-idea-of-the/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [Debts and lies are generally mixed together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/debts-and-lies-are-generally-mixed-together/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [The Congo is very wealthy from oil money but is not paying its debts and at the same time is applying for special status…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/the-congo-is-very-wealthy-from-oil-money-but-is-not-paying-its-debts/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) > [ Debts and lies are generally mixed together. \[Fr., Debtes et mensonges sont ordinairement ensemble rallies.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/debts-and-lies-are-generally-mixed-together-fr-debtes-et-mensonges/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [Should we really let our people starve so we can pay our debts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-nyerere/should-we-really-let-our-people-starve-so-we-can-pay-our-debts/) [Julius Nyerere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-nyerere/) > [I generally encourage people to make good on debts when they have enough money to repay them. 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