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- "I may be old, Lord Tyrion, that much is true, yet I am neither a craven nor a fool. Your sister butchered half my family in her inferno, not the Targaryen's. You had no right to bestow my childhood home to some common sellsword you met at a pub. I am not like those Northern upstarts, for I am too old to play these games of thrones, yet the Reach is back where it belongs and it is not your friend."
- ―Martyn to Tyrion upon retaking Highgarden.
Lord Martyn Tyrell is an elder member of House Tyrell, hailing from a minor branch of the family. Following the deaths of much of his house however, he reclaimed his family seat and was recognized by the whole region as the new Lord of Highgarden and the Reach.
Born the son of Gormond Tyrell, a third son of another Lord of Higharden, his mother happened to be Viola Redwyne, younger sister of Olenna Tyrell, the famous matriarch of the house and de facto ruler of the Reach. Gormond was a knight, who had earned himself a keep south of Highgarden and, while wealthy, had little prospects of advancements in the noble hierarchy.
Martyn himself rose to prominence by fighting during the War of the Ninepenny Kings, where he was knighted with distinction for slaying several famed warriors of the Band of Nine, including the infamous Bad Apple - Ser Derrick Fossoway. Martyn became an important and trusted member of House Tyrell, often commanding the Highgarden armies on their behalf, being hailed as one of the best military commanders in Westeros.
At some point, he married a member of House Hightower, Dione and had five children (three sons and two daughters).
During the Rebellion, he was a key figure in the Battle of Ashford, Robert's only defeat. He also fought in the War of the Five Kings, first in Renly's army and then in Joffrey's and Tommen's. He was still besieging Brightwater Keep, to take it from the Florents, when the destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor occurred, after which Olenna Tyrell, his aunt, swore for Daenerys Targaryen. Before she died, she wrote up a will, declaring Martyn as her heir.
During the Taking of Highgarden, he was putting down other rebellious vassals, who were stirring trouble for the Tyrells on behalf of House Tarly and was thus not present at the death of his aunt and son Garland, who was also stationed there.
After the wars were over, he was shocked and enraged that the Reach and Highgarden were to go to Ser Bronn of the Blackwater, a sellsword with neither honor nor connection to the Reach, and began plotting to take it all back. After several secret meetings between him and the rest of the Reachmen nobility (as well as a scheming Illyrio Mopatis), he gathered an army and retook Highgarden from him, beheading Bronn and sending his head to King's Landing.
Unwilling to play any messy games with the rest of Westeros, he did not declare himself King of the Reach, as some had suggested, but promised that the Reach's welfare would be his one and only concern, thus deciding to ignore the authority of King Bran the Broken.