content: '''Sandor Clegane''', nicknamed '''the Hound''', is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. 
  Introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', Sandor is the estranged younger brother of Ser Gregor Clegane, from the fictional Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Sandor serves as King Joffrey Baratheon's personal bodyguard. He subsequently appeared in Martin's ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998), ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), and ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005). Like his brother, Sandor is regarded as one of the fiercest and strongest fighters in the Seven Kingdoms. His face is marked by gruesome facial burns he received when his brother shoved his face into a brazier as children; ever since he has retained a crippling fear of fire. While initially appearing brutal and fatalistic, he later proves to be more sympathetic and compassionate, particularly through his relationships with Sansa and Arya Stark.
  Sandor is portrayed by Scottish actor Rory McCann in the HBO television adaptation.