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The eighth and final season of the fantasy drama television series ''Game of Thrones'', produced by HBO, premiered on April 14, 2019, and concluded on May 19, 2019. Unlike the first six seasons, which consisted of ten episodes each, and the seventh season, which consisted of seven episodes, the eighth season consists of only six episodes. The final season depicts the culmination of the series' two primary conflicts: the Great War against the Army of the Dead, and the Last War for control of the Iron Throne. The first half of the season involves many of the main characters converging at Winterfell with their armies in an effort to repel the Night King and his army of White Walkers and wights. The second half of the season resumes the war for the throne as Daenerys Targaryen assaults King's Landing in an attempt to unseat Cersei Lannister as the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. The season was filmed from October 2017 to July 2018 and largely consists of original content not found in George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, while also incorporating material that Martin has revealed to showrunners about the upcoming novels in the series, ''The Winds of Winter'' and ''A Dream of Spring''. The season was adapted for television by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The season received mixed reviews from critics, in contrast to critical acclaim of previous seasons, and is the lowest-rated of the series on the website Rotten Tomatoes. Criticism was mainly directed at the condensed story and shorter runtime of the season, as well as numerous creative decisions made by the showrunners, though the acting, directing, production, and musical score were highly praised. The season received 32 nominations at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, the most for a single season of television in history. It won for Outstanding Drama Series and Peter Dinklage won for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. ==Episodes== ==Cast== ===Main cast=== * Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister * Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister * Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister * Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen * Kit Harington as Jon Snow * Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark * Maisie Williams as Arya Stark * Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth * Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei * Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy * John Bradley as Samwell Tarly * Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark * Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth * Conleth Hill as Varys * Rory McCann as Sandor "The Hound" Clegane * Jerome Flynn as Bronn * Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane * Joe Dempsie as Gendry * Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm * Iain Glen as Jorah Mormont * Hannah Murray as Gilly * Carice van Houten as Melisandre ===Recurring cast=== The recurring actors listed here are those who appeared in season 8. They are listed by the region in which they first appear. ====In the North==== * Richard Dormer as Beric Dondarrion * Ben Crompton as Eddison Tollett * Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne * Rupert Vansittart as Yohn Royce * Bella Ramsey as Lyanna Mormont * Megan Parkinson as Alys Karstark * Richard Rycroft as Maester Wolkan * Harry Grasby as Ned Umber * Staz Nair as Qhono * Vladimir Furdik as the Night King ====In King's Landing==== * Pilou Asbæk as Euron Greyjoy * Anton Lesser as Qyburn * Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane * Gemma Whelan as Yara Greyjoy * Marc Rissmann as Harry Strickland * Tobias Menzies as Edmure Tully * Lino Facioli as Robin Arryn ==Production== ===Development=== HBO announced the eighth and final season of the fantasy drama television series ''Game of Thrones'' in July 2016. Like the previous season, it largely consists of original content not found in George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series. As Benioff had verified in March 2015, the creators have talked with Martin about the end of the series, and they "know where things are heading." He explained that the ends of both the television and the book series would unavoidably be thematically similar, although Martin could still make some changes to surprise the readers. When asked about why the television series is coming to an end, he said, "this is where the story ends." ===Crew=== Series creators and executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss serve as showrunners for the eighth season. The directors for the eighth season were announced in September 2017. Miguel Sapochnik, who previously directed "The Gift" and "Hardhome" in the fifth season, as well as "Battle of the Bastards" and "The Winds of Winter" in the sixth season, returned to direct two episodes. David Nutter, who had directed two episodes each in the second, third, and fifth seasons, including "The Rains of Castamere" and "Mother's Mercy", directed three episodes for the eighth season. The final episode of the series was directed by Benioff and Weiss, who have previously co-directed two episodes, taking credit for one episode each. At the series' South by Southwest panel on March 12, 2017, Benioff and Weiss announced the writers for the series to be Dave Hill (episode 1) and Bryan Cogman (episode 2). The showrunners divided up the screenplay for the remaining four episodes amongst themselves. ===Writing=== Writing for the eighth season started with a 140-page outline. Benioff said that the divvying up process and who should write what section became more difficult because "this would be the last time that they would be doing this." ===Filming=== In an interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'', HBO programming president Casey Bloys said that instead of the series finale's being a feature film, the final season would be "six one-hour movies" on television. He continued, "The show has proven that TV is every bit as impressive and in many cases more so, than film. What they're doing is monumental." Filming officially began on October 23, 2017 and concluded in July 2018. Many exterior scenes were filmed in Northern Ireland and a few in Dubrovnik, Croatia; Paint Hall Studios in Belfast were used for interior filming. The direwolf scenes were filmed in Alberta, Canada. ===Casting=== The eighth season saw the return of Tobias Menzies as Edmure Tully and Lino Facioli as Robin Arryn in the final episode, neither of whom appeared in the seventh season. Marc Rissmann was cast as Harry Strickland, the commander of the Golden Company. ===Content=== Co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss have said that the seventh and eighth seasons would likely comprise fewer episodes, saying that after the sixth season, they were "down to our final 13 episodes after this season. We're heading into the final lap". Benioff and Weiss said that they were unable to produce 10 episodes in the series' usual 12 to 14-month timeframe, as Weiss explained, "It's crossing out of a television schedule into more of a mid-range movie schedule." HBO confirmed in July 2016 that the seventh season would consist of seven episodes and would premiere later than usual in mid-2017 because of the later filming schedule. Benioff and Weiss later confirmed that the eighth season would consist of six episodes and would premiere later than usual for the same reason. Benioff and Weiss said about the end of the series: "From the beginning, we've wanted to tell a 70-hour movie. It will turn out to be a 73-hour movie, but it's stayed relatively the same of having the beginning, middle, and now we're coming to the end. It would have been really tough if we lost any core cast members along the way; I'm very happy we've kept everyone and we get to finish it the way we want to." The first two episodes are, respectively, 54 and 58 minutes long, while the final four episodes of the series are all more than an hour in length—episode three is 82 minutes (making it the longest episode of the series), episodes four and five are each 78 minutes, and the final episode is 80 minutes. A two-hour documentary, ''Game of Thrones: The Last Watch'', which documents the making of the eighth season, aired on May 26, the week after the series finale. ===Music=== Ramin Djawadi returned as the series' composer for the eighth season. The soundtrack album for the season was released digitally on May 19, 2019 and was released on CD on July 19, 2019. ==Release== ===Broadcast=== The season premiered on April 14, 2019 in the United States on HBO. ===Marketing=== On December 6, 2018, HBO released the first official teaser trailer for the eighth season. A second teaser trailer was released on January 13, 2019, which announced the premiere date as April 14, 2019. The trailer was directed by David Nutter. HBO released a promotional advertisement with Bud Light on February 3, 2019 during Super Bowl LIII. Later, first-look photos of several main characters were released on February 6, 2019. On February 28, posters of many of the main characters sitting upon the Iron Throne were released. The official full trailer was released on March 5, 2019. ===Illegal distribution=== The season premiere was reportedly pirated by nearly 55 million people within the first 24 hours of release. Of these numbers, 9.5 million downloads came from India, 5.2 million came from China, and 4 million came from the U.S. On April 21, 2019, it was reported that the second episode of the season was illegally leaked online hours before it aired due to being streamed early on Amazon Prime Germany. On May 5, 2019, it was reported that the fourth episode of the season was leaked online, with footage from the episode circulating on social media. ===Home media=== The season will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on December 3, 2019. ==Reception== ===Critical response=== The season received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 56% based on 13 reviews with an average rating of 6.32/10. It is the lowest-rated season of the series on the website. The website's critical consensus reads: "''Game of Thrones'' final season shortchanges the women of Westeros, sacrificing satisfying character arcs for spectacular set-pieces in its mad dash to the finish line". On Metacritic, the eighth-season premiere garnered a score of 74 out of 100 based on 12 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews." The first two episodes were met with mostly positive feedback. "The Long Night" was praised for the cinematography and grand scale of the battle between the living and the dead, but was criticized for its lack of catharsis, logic, disorienting lighting, and the anticlimactic ending of the White Walker storyline that had been built up for seven seasons. "The Last of the Starks" and "The Bells" were criticized for their rushed pacing, writing, logic, and deviation from character development, with "The Last of the Starks" being labeled as "anticlimactic" and "a huge letdown." "The Iron Throne" was described as "divisive," and according to Rotten Tomatoes, the series finale represents "a modest rebound" but it "went out with a whimper." "The Bells" and "The Iron Throne" are the worst-reviewed episodes of the entire series on the website, with an approval of 49% and 48% respectively, while the last four episodes of the season "plunged to record low scores." David Sims of ''The Atlantic'' wrote that the final season "has been the same story over and over again: a lot of tin-eared writing trying to justify some of the most drastic story developments imaginable, as quickly as possible. As usual, the actors did their best with what was on the page." Lucy Mangan of ''The Guardian'' wrote that the final season "has been a rushed business. It has wasted opportunities, squandered goodwill, and failed to do justice to its characters or its actors." Zack Beauchamp of ''Vox'' wrote that the final season "dispensed almost entirely with trying to make sense of its characters' internal motivations — let alone the complex political reality that its psychological realism initially helped create." Kelly Lawler of ''USA Today'' wrote that the series ultimately betrayed its "identity" of "tragedy and injustice" with a "pandering" ending. Judy Berman of ''Time'' wrote that the series failed to complete the answer to "conflicting ideas about freedom, justice and leadership"; these were themes that previously brought depth to the series. Ellen Gray of the ''Philadelphia Inquirer'' and Darren Franich of ''Entertainment Weekly'' agreed that the final season was not as complex as previous seasons. Franich gave the final season, featuring "big-huge set pieces," a 'C' rating. The final season's "broseph mentality shined through," shunting the interaction between female characters. Additionally, Franich criticized Cersei doing nothing this season, as well as the ultimate focus "on Jon Snow, the least complicated main character." Huw Fullerton of ''Radio Times'' wrote that the eighth season was not "Thrones at its best" but still had "some sort of ending for the characters." For Fullerton, the season was "like the finale — some bits I liked, one or two I loved, an awful lot that leaves me scratching my head." ===Ratings=== ===Audience response=== A petition to HBO for "competent writers" to remake the eighth season of ''Game of Thrones'' in a manner "that makes sense" was started on Change.org after "The Last of the Starks" aired, but went viral after "The Bells" aired. The petition described showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss as "woefully incompetent writers". As of September 6, 2019, it has amassed over 1.73 million signatures. ''Digital Spy'' reported that fans of the series criticized the season for the way it handled several character arcs and the "rushed" pacing. The petition's creator stated that he never expected HBO to remake the season, but saw the petition as a message "of frustration and disappointment at its core". The petition was labelled as "disrespectful to the crew and the filmmakers" by actress Sophie Turner (who plays Sansa Stark), "ridiculous", "weird, juvenile" by actor Isaac Hempstead Wright (who plays Bran Stark), and "rude" by actor Jacob Anderson (who plays Grey Worm). Emilia Clarke (who plays Daenerys Targaryen) indicated she was previously unaware of the petition, but gave a warmer response when she was asked what she would want to see happen if the eighth season were redone: "I can only speak to my own character, and the people that I interact with on the show. But I would've loved some more scenes with me and Missandei. I would've loved some more scenes with me and Cersei". Richard Roeper, writing for the ''Chicago Sun Times'', wrote: "Over the last 25+ years, I've reviewed thousands of movies and dozens of TV shows, and I don't think I've ever seen the level of fan (and to a lesser degree, critical) vitriol leveled at this show in recent weeks". However, Roeper noted that social media was not yet widely used during much of this time period. Lenika Cruz, writing for ''The Atlantic'', wrote that with the end of the series, "there are folks who don't feel as though the hours and hours they've devoted to this show have been wasted", but "there are many others" who felt the opposite. Kelly Lawler of ''USA Today'' wrote that the ultimate ending of the series was not what fans "signed up for". CBS News has described several plot points that fans are dissatisfied with: the character arcs of Daenerys and Jaime; the manner of death for Jaime, Missandei, Rhaegal, and the Night King; the Battle of Winterfell being visually too dark; the "basic existence of Euron Greyjoy"; and "Jon's treatment of Ghost". ===Cast response=== In an interview published just as the final season premiered, Kit Harington said, "whatever critic spends half an hour writing about this season and makes their negative judgement on it, in my head they can go fuck themselves. ... I know how much work was put into this ... Now if people feel let down by this final season, I don't give a fuck—because everyone working on the series tried their hardest. That's how I feel. In the end, no one's bigger fans of the show than we are, and we're kind of doing it for ourselves." In an interview with ''The New Yorker'', Emilia Clarke said she had to hold back her innermost anxiety from Beyoncé: "I was just, like, Oh, my God, my absolute idol in life is saying that she likes me, and I know for a fact that by the end of this season she's going to hate me. ... All I wanted to scream was 'Please, please still like me even though my character turns into a mass-killing dictator! Please still think that I'm representing women in a really fabulous way.'" Nathalie Emmanuel, who played Missandei, was heartbroken when she read her character's sudden demise: "...I think the fact that she died in chains when she was a slave her whole life, that for me was a pungent cut for that character, that felt so painful". Emmanuel, who was the only woman of color who was a regular on the series for the last several seasons, said, "It's safe to say that ''Game of Thrones'' has been under criticism for their lack of representation, and the truth of it is that Missandei and Grey Worm have represented so many people because there's only two of them." Conleth Hill, who played Varys, told ''Entertainment Weekly'' that the seventh and eighth seasons were "kind of frustrating" and not his "favorite", noting that Varys "kind of dropped off the edge". Hill reacted with "dismay" to Varys apparently "losing his knowledge": "If he was such an intelligent man and he had such resources, how come he didn't know about things?" After being "very bummed to not have a final scene with Littlefinger", Hill was "bummed not to have any reaction to Littlefinger dying, if he was Varys' nemesis". Also, once the series ran out of book material as a source, Hill noted that "special niche interest in weirdos wasn't as effective as it had been". However, Hill was "not dissatisfied on the whole" regarding the series. Lena Headey had a "mixed" initial reaction to the manner of death of Cersei Lannister, the character she played. Headey would rather have Cersei die by "some big piece or fight with somebody". Eventually, fellow actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau persuaded Headey on how to appreciate the scene, and she said her eventual belief that "it seemed like the perfect end for" Cersei because Cersei and Jaime "came into the world together and now they leave together". ===Accolades=== With 32 nominations, ''Game of Thrones'' broke the record of the most nominations received by a regular TV show in a single year. Award Category Nominee(s) Result 71st Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Drama Series David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, David Nutter, Miguel Sapochnik, Vince Gerardis, Guymon Casady, George R. R. Martin, Bryan Cogman, Chris Newman,Greg Spence, Lisa McAtackney, and Duncan Muggoch Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Kit Harington (for "The Iron Throne") Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Emilia Clarke (for "The Last of the Starks") Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Alfie Allen (for "The Long Night") Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (for "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms") Peter Dinklage (for "The Iron Throne") Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Gwendoline Christie (for "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms") Lena Headey (for "The Bells") Sophie Turner (for "Winterfell") Maisie Williams (for "The Long Night") Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (for "The Iron Throne") David Nutter (for "The Last of the Starks") Miguel Sapochnik (for "The Long Night") Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (for "The Iron Throne") 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Nina Gold, Robert Sterne, and Carla Stronge Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series Jonathan Freeman (for "The Iron Throne") Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media within a Scripted Program "Fight for the Living: Beyond the Wall Virtual Reality Experience" Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes Michele Clapton, Emma O'Loughlin, and Kate O'Farrell (for "The Bells") Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Carice van Houten (for "The Long Night") Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks, Nicola Mount, and Rosalia Culora (for "The Long Night") Outstanding Main Title Design Angus Wall, Kirk Shintani, Shahana Khan, Ian Ruhfass, and Rustam Hasanov Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Jane Walker, Kay Bilk, Marianna Kyriacou, Nicola Mathews, and Pamela Smyth (for "The Long Night") Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) Ramin Djawadi (for "The Long Night") Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More) Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, and Rob Cameron (for "The Bells") Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie or Special Emma Faulkes, Paul Spateri, Chloe Muton-Phillips, Duncan Jarman, Patt Foad, John Eldred-Tooby, Barrie Gower, and Sarah Gower (for "The Long Night") Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series Katie Weiland (for "The Iron Throne") Tim Porter (for "The Long Night") Crispin Green (for "Winterfell") Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) Tim Kimmel, Tim Hands, Paula Fairfield, Bradley C. Katona, Paul Bercovitch, John Matter, David Klotz, Brett Voss, Jeffrey Wilhoit, and Dylan T. Wilhoit (for "The Long Night") Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Simon Kerr, Danny Crowley, and Ronan Hill (for "The Long Night") Outstanding Special Visual Effects Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Adam Chazen, Sam Conway, Mohsen Mousavi, Martin Hill, Ted Rae, Patrick Tiberius Gehlen, and Thomas Schelesny (for "The Bells") Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Limited Series or Movie Rowley Irlam 17th Gold Derby Awards Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Drama Episode "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" "The Long Night" Best Drama Actor Kit Harington Best Drama Actress Emilia Clarke Best Drama Supporting Actor Alfie Allen Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Peter Dinklage Best Drama Supporting Actress Gwendoline Christie Lena Headey Maisie Williams Best Drama Guest Actress Carice van Houten Best Ensemble The cast of ''Game of Thrones'' 45th Saturn Awards Best Fantasy Television Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Actor on a Television Series Kit Harington Best Actress on a Television Series Emilia Clarke Best Supporting Actor on a Television Series Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Peter Dinklage Best Supporting Actress on a Television Series Gwendoline Christie Lena Headey Sophie Turner Best Performance by a Younger Actor on a Television Series Maisie Williams 35th TCA Awards Program of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' 2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Show ''Game of Thrones'' Best Performance in a Show Emilia Clarke Best Hero Maisie Williams Best Fight Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) vs. White Walkers ==Notes== ==References== ==External links== *  – official US site *  – official UK site * ''Game of Thrones'' – The Viewers Guide onHBO * * * Making ''Game of Thrones'' on HBO

'''"Titties and Dragons"''' is the ninth episode in the seventeenth season of the American animated television series ''South Park''. The 246th episode of the series overall, it premiered on Comedy Central in the United States on December 4, 2013. It is the conclusion of a three-episode story arc that began with "Black Friday", and continued with "A Song of Ass and Fire". The story centers upon the children of South Park, role-playing as characters from ''Game of Thrones'', split into two factions over whether to collectively purchase bargain-priced Xbox One or PlayStation 4 video game consoles at an upcoming Black Friday sale at the local mall, where Randy Marsh has been made the Captain of mall security. The episode received critical acclaim. ==Plot== In the conclusion of a three-part storyline, the children of South Park are split into two factions over whether to purchase bargain-priced Microsoft Xbox Ones or Sony PlayStation 4s at an upcoming Black Friday sale at the South Park Mall, a schism that sees best friends Stan Marsh (PS4) and Kyle Broflovski (Xbox) on opposite sides. As the PS4 faction turn their attention to the Red Robin restaurant, which serves as a side entrance into the mall, the Xbox One faction arrives to announce they wish to join the PS4 ranks. Though Stan does not trust them, Cartman and Kyle say they have a way to monopolize the Red Robin: by renting it out for a wedding party. Cartman and Stan, who are having a private talk in the "Garden of Andros", are interrupted by the elderly owner, who informs Stan of the true intentions of the Xbox faction: they have merely feigned surrender in order to lock the PS4 faction in the Red Robin while they retrieve their consoles. Stan is further angered to be told that this was Kyle's idea. To prevent Stan from informing his allies of this, Cartman defecates in the old man's yard and frames Stan for it, resulting in Stan being grounded. When Kyle learns of this, he tries to explain his actions to Stan but he is promptly sent away. As Randy Marsh's mall security guards deal with the increasing shopper violence, George R. R. Martin arrives at the mall to cut the ribbon that will open the mall for the Black Friday sale. However, he stalls by regaling the agitated crowd with musings on his penis. An impatient shopper charges forward, slices off Martin's penis, and cuts the ribbon, allowing the crowd into the mall, leading to mass deaths. In the Red Robin, Kyle, Kenny and their allies turn on Cartman and his faction, revealing that they are no longer Xbox supporters. The standoff is then interrupted by Bill Gates and the head of Sony. The Sony executive is brutally killed by Gates, who announces that Xbox is victorious. The children journey through the blood-and-corpse-covered mall to purchase their Xbox Ones. While playing with his new console, Cartman realizes that he wishes to play outside, saying that their improvised ''Game of Thrones'' role-playing over the past few weeks has been filled with so much the drama, action and romance that they do not need Microsoft or Sony to have fun. ==Production== As with the previous episode, the show's opening title sequence is modified to depict the characters in their role-playing garb, while the soundtrack has been altered to include the penis-themed chorus singing to the ''Game of Thrones'' opening theme introduced in the previous episode. Series co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone said that they experimented with different styles of opening sequences before settling on the penis-themed chorus version; a Japanese Princess Kenny opening sequence was one of the original ideas. ==Reception== "Titties and Dragons" received widespread critical acclaim. Max Nicholson of IGN gave the episode a score of 9.0 out of 10, writing, "The final chapter of ''South Park''s Black Friday trilogy finished strong, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, subtle commentary and genius satire. There were a few nitpicks—most of which were negligible—but overall, this week's episode proved that Matt and Trey can still dish out a satisfying multipart arc, with style." Marcus Gilmer of ''The A.V. Club'' gave the episode an A− rating, praising the "Red Robin Wedding", and said, "The show’s ability to inject a bit of soul is one of the best tricks the writers have pulled off regularly throughout the show's run. Beneath all the crude jokes and the potty humor, there's legitimate heart that manages to be genuine and self-aware without ever straying into the maudlin." ==References== ==External links== * "Titties and Dragons". South Park Studios. * * *

'''''The Princess and the Queen, or, the Blacks and the Greens''''' is a novella by George R. R. Martin, published in the 2013 Tor Books anthology ''Dangerous Women''. Set in the Westeros of Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, 200 years before the events of ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996), it chronicles the "continent-burning warfare" (called the "Dance of Dragons") that explodes between Targaryen Princess Rhaenyra and her stepmother, Queen Alicent. The work is presented as the writing of the fictional Archmaester Gyldayn, also the "author" of Martin's 2014 novella ''The Rogue Prince'', a direct prequel to ''The Princess and the Queen''. ==Plot== When King Viserys I Targaryen dies, his widow Queen Alicent has their eldest son Prince Aegon crowned King Aegon II before Viserys' daughter Rhaenyra, the only surviving child of his first marriage, can claim the Iron Throne herself. Though Rhaenyra is the king's oldest child and had been named his successor years before, Alicent and her supporters declare Rhaenyra unfit to rule and argue that, as a woman, Rhaenyra should be placed after Alicent's own male children in the line of succession. After Rhaenyra declares herself Queen at the Targaryen ancestral seat of Dragonstone, her middle son Lucerys Velaryon and King Aegon's younger brother Aemond take their dragons to seek the support of Lord Borros Baratheon of Storm's End. However, Lucerys and his dragon are killed there. Rhaenyra's husband Prince Daemon has Aegon II's son and heir Jaehaerys murdered in revenge. Soon both branches of the Targaryen royal line are at war, with dragons on both sides. The people of King's Landing, tired of the constant conflict and fear of dragon's destroying their city, storm the Dragonkeep, destroying it and a large portion of the dragon population in Westeros. Eventually all of Rhaenyra's children except for Aegon and Viserys are killed and she herself is captured by Aegon II and fed to his dragon, Sunfyre, though the war continues. ==Development== The story was to be included in the companion book ''The World of Ice & Fire'' but was removed because the book was becoming too long for the original concept of a fully illustrated book. It and several other stories appeared in abridged versions in other anthologies. ==Reception== ''Entertainment Weekly'' called the 35,000-word novella "a great demonstration of Martin's ability to dramatize the slippery complexities of power: how evil begets heroism, how heroes become villains". ''The Princess and the Queen'' was nominated for a 2014 Locus Award. ==References==

"'''Beyond the Wall'''" is the sixth and penultimate episode of the seventh season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 66th overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Alan Taylor. At 70 minutes, it was the series' longest episode until the airing of the season's finale. The episode's main plot focuses on Jon Snow's raiding party as they journey north of the Wall; they successfully capture a wight to prove the threat, though Thoros is killed. Daenerys rescues the group from the Army of the Dead, and the Night King kills and reanimates Viserion. Jon is separately rescued by Benjen, who sacrifices himself, and Jon acknowledges Daenerys as Queen. Meanwhile, at Winterfell, tension builds between Sansa and Arya. The title of the episode is taken from the namesake lands where most of the episode takes place. "Beyond the Wall" received mostly positive praise from critics, who listed the epic scale and special effects of the battle between the White Walkers and the dragons, the interactions between the northern raiding party, and Jon swearing fealty to Daenerys as highlights of the episode, though some reviewers criticized the episode for "defying logic" and its rushed storytelling. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 10.24 million in its initial broadcast. This episode marks the final appearances of Joseph Mawle (Benjen Stark) and Paul Kaye (Thoros of Myr). ==Plot== ===At Winterfell=== Arya confronts Sansa about the letter Sansa wrote to persuade Robb to bend the knee to Joffrey. Arya accuses Sansa of mainly being concerned that she will lose face with the Northern lords if the letter is made public. Sansa confides in Littlefinger, who suggests that Brienne, sworn to serve both sisters, would intervene if Arya acted against Sansa. However, when Cersei invites Sansa to King's Landing to parley, Sansa sends Brienne as her representative. Sansa searches Arya's room and finds Arya's faces. Arya discovers Sansa and explains her training with the Faceless Men. Arya says she could take Sansa's face, seemingly threatening her with the Valyrian steel dagger before instead leaving her with it. ===At Dragonstone=== Tyrion suspects Cersei will lay a trap when they meet, but counsels Daenerys to not stoop to her level. Daenerys grows frustrated with Tyrion's pragmatism, but he reassures her of his loyalty to her cause. Tyrion further questions how Daenerys, who believes herself infertile, can establish a legacy that will outlive her. She refuses to discuss the succession before ascending to the Iron Throne. ===Beyond the Wall=== Jon, the Hound, Jorah, Beric, Thoros, and Gendry journey beyond the wall with Tormund and several other Wildlings. Jon offers Longclaw, the ancestral Mormont sword, to Jorah, but Jorah insists Jon keep it. An undead polar bear attacks the party, and Thoros is savaged saving the Hound. The party continues onwards. Jon and the others ambush and destroy a White Walker accompanied by wights, and all but one of the wights instantly collapse, inanimate. They capture the last wight. A horde of wights approaches, and Gendry is sent alone to Eastwatch to send a raven to Daenerys while the others take refuge on a small island in the middle of a partially frozen lake. The Night King and other White Walkers watch from high ground. Beric suggests that destroying the Night King will in turn destroy the other White Walkers and the wights. Thoros succumbs to his wounds and the others cremate him. Gendry arrives at Eastwatch, and Davos has the raven sent to Daenerys. Daenerys flies her dragons north, having received the raven and having rejected Tyrion's advice to "do nothing." The wights attack Jon's group when the water refreezes. Daenerys arrives and the dragons burn many wights. The men try to evacuate on Drogon but the wights continue their attack; using an ice javelin, the Night King kills Viserion. Jon stays on the ground to cover the others' departure, but is pulled into the water. Jon is saved by Benjen Stark, who gives Jon his horse to ride to Eastwatch while sacrificing himself to hold off the wights. Jon recovers aboard a ship. He apologizes to Daenerys for Viserion's death; she tearfully accepts the loss as the cost of her learning the truth, and she vows to fight the Night King with Jon. He calls her "my Queen" and believes the Northern lords will come to accept her leadership. Beyond the wall, the Night King reanimates Viserion. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. "Beyond the Wall" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. In the "Inside the Episode" featurette published by HBO following the airing of the episode, David Benioff indicated that the death of the dragon Viserion was something that he and the writers had been working towards for a long time, and added "The whole path of the show in some way has been trying to map out all of the episode end points, and with this one, it was the dragon opening its blue eye, and realizing that the Night King has finally gotten his own weapon of mass destruction." Weiss also stated that the most enjoyable part in writing the sequence was to make it seem as though all of the "good guys" were going to "get out the other side more or less scot-free," and knew that subsequently killing the dragon would have "a tremendous emotional impact," due to its importance to Daenerys. He continued by saying that they knew it would be important for the Night King to seize on the opportunity to kill a dragon, and that they intended for the scene to be a "one-two punch" by having the viewer witness "the horror" involved with seeing "one of these three amazing beings like this in the world going under the water and not coming up again, and processing that," but also "processing something that's even worse," by having the dragon pulled out of the water and becoming a part of the Night King's army. Regarding the inclusion of the wight polar bear attack, Benioff and Weiss stated that they had wanted to have a wight polar bear for "about four seasons," but never made it onto the screen due to opposition from the special effects team. Weiss recalled being told that they were not able to afford the special effect, but felt that it made "perfect sense that you could have one of these things out there, and we really put our four feet down and said goddamnit, we want a zombie polar bear," and thus wrote it into the episode. Weiss also spoke about the concluding Winterfell sequence, saying that once Sansa finds Arya's collection of faces and is confronted, Sansa was intended to start to see Arya as "a real, physical danger to her," and that they wanted to translate that fear to the subsequent episode, in "The Dragon and the Wolf". ===Filming=== "Beyond the Wall" was directed by Alan Taylor. This was Taylor's seventh episode as a director for the series, but it was his first episode since the second season, where he directed that season's finale episode, "Valar Morghulis". He was also a director for two episodes in the first season, "Baelor" and "Fire and Blood", as well as four other episodes in the second season. Since his hiatus from the series, Taylor was a director for several big budget Hollywood films, including ''Thor: The Dark World'' and ''Terminator Genisys''. In an interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'', Taylor spoke about the differences between his earlier stint with the series, and his return for the show's seventh season, saying he was previously told to avoid using green screen, and thus special effects, due to the budgetary constraints that the series had in its earlier seasons. However, with "Beyond the Wall", he was able to fully utilize visual effects to create the large environment, dragons and armies due to the increased budget. He also described the experience as "going full circle," having witnessed the evolution of characters such as Sophie Turner as Sansa and Maisie Williams as Arya Stark, who he directed when they were children, and that they have since grown up. Alan Taylor returned to the series after a hiatus, last directing "Valar Morghulis" in the series' second season. Many of the scenes leading up to the battle with the White Walker army were filmed in Iceland, but the majority of the episode's battle sequence was filmed in a quarry in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Taylor had expected to film the sequence entirely in Iceland, but quickly realized that it was not feasible due to the amount of production that was required. In filming the wight polar bear attack, Taylor noted that the bear was designed by the New Zealand-based Weta Digital, which previously worked on ''The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy. Richard Dormer, who portrays Beric Dondarrion, described filming the scene in a separate interview, saying "It was very cold, wet and physical. Hot as well, running around imagining a 12-foot flaming polar bear. It’s pretty weird, but it was fun." Dormer also noted the difficulty of filming a flaming sword, revealing that the sword could only burn for two minutes at a time, and could not be swung too quickly, requiring Dormer to slow down his movement. He also said that the sword he was using weighed approximately three times more than a normal sword. Though the actors were dressed warmly for the scenes beyond the Wall, their suits contained a "tube system through which cold water can be circulated between shots using a portable pump to keep them from getting overheated," due to the actual warmth of filming on a fake set in Northern Ireland. This was also essential due to the possibility of Rory McCann's, who portrays Sandor "The Hound" Clegane, prosthetic makeup melting off his face. In another interview with ''The Hollywood Reporter'', Taylor also spoke about the process of interacting with the lake and water, saying "every moment of interaction with water had to be a multiple stage process where we filmed the action on our 360 degree set and landscape, and then restage it against green screen with elements we shot in a dunk tank rig, and all of those elements get married together to form something as simple as a guy falling into the ice and plopping into the water." Four to five different shots were needed in order to accomplish this portion of the battle. Taylor described working with Vladimir Furdik, who portrays the Night King, noting that Furdik is completely covered in prosthetics, and saying "He's just delightful. There's nothing he can't do. He's a full-on actor in that role, aside from being able to do all of the action and all of the horse work. He has a beautiful face — although you lose some of that behind the Night King prosthetics." Taylor revealed that he had worked with Furdik previously, as Furdik was also a stunt performer on ''Thor: The Dark World''. To film the death of the dragon, Viserion, Taylor said that he "provided the shots where we knew the dragon was going to be impaled and crash," for special effects supervisor Joe Bauer to use later. But Taylor also filmed reaction shots "all along the way" while the dragon fell to its death, utilizing a tennis ball on a stick in order for the actors to understand where the dragon was in the scene, as well as a "pre-viz" and storyboards for them to understand what the final product would look like. Taylor praised Emilia Clarke's performance as Daenerys Targaryen in the scene, and he was also grateful that he was chosen to direct the dragon's death, due to his self-proclaimed past with directing pivotal death scenes in several series, including the death of Ned Stark in season one, as well as major deaths in ''Rome'', ''Deadwood'' and ''The Sopranos''. Taylor also spoke about the amount of time that was intended to pass between the approach of the White Walker army, and Daenerys's arrival, saying that they were being intentionally vague, "We did a few things, like getting deliberately hazy about how much time is passing, because it's so dark in the frozen lake and you don't know how many days or nights you may have witnessed. We tried to make it a little ambiguous and give it some wiggle room on that end. We were aware that we were asking for people's suspended disbelief — plausible impossibilities is what you're aiming for." ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "Beyond the Wall" was viewed by 10.24 million viewers on its initial viewing on HBO, which was less than the previous week's rating of 10.72 million viewers for the episode "Eastwatch". The episode also acquired a 4.7 rating in the 18–49 demographic, making it the highest rated show on cable television of the night. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 3.18 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week on its channel. It also received 0.98 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reception=== "Beyond the Wall" received mostly positive reviews from critics who listed the epic scale and special effects of the battle between the White Walkers and the dragons, the interactions between the northern raiding party and Jon swearing fealty to Daenerys as highlights of the episode, although some reviewers criticized the episode for " logic." It has received an 84% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes from 43 reviews, with an average score of 8.3 out of 10. The site's consensus reads ""Beyond The Wall" delivered the epic battles and plot twists that are expected from the penultimate episode of a ''Game of Thrones'' season – although sometimes in ways that defied logic." Some reviews were more negative. Terri Schwartz of IGN wrote in her review of the episode, "''Game of Thrones'' has long set the precedent that its penultimate episodes of its seasons would be the biggest in terms of scale and, oftentimes, loss, in everything from "Baelor" to "The Rains of Castamere". In that way, "Beyond the Wall" was no different, as it arguably featured the greatest loss the series has faced to date: a dragon killed by the Night King, and even worse, resurrected by him." However, Schwartz also criticized the episode saying that it suffered "more than any other episode to date from the rushed, truncated storytelling in Season 7." Schwartz went on to also praise the interactions between the northern raiding party on their journey to find the White Walkers, and ultimately gave the episode a 6.9 out of 10. Daniel D'Addario of ''Time Magazine'' wrote in his review of the episode "This episode, occupying the penultimate-in-the-season slot that has historically been the spot where the biggest moments occur, was ever-so-slightly less a barnburner than last year's "Battle of the Bastards," for instance. But that's in part due to the increasing obviousness of the stakes." Myles McNutt of ''The A.V. Club'' spoke similarly in his comparison of the episode to the previous season's penultimate episode, questioning some of the reasoning behind the battle, writing "we have a situation here where a series of events engineered for action and suspense effectively sells out the characters involved." He also praised the episode, however, by saying "On the level of spectacle, "Beyond The Wall" is another series high point, with stellar work from returning director Alan Taylor, capturing the visceral battles that the seven men and several Red Shirts encounter on their journey. And I was charmed by the series of "walk and talks" that punctuate their travels, brief vignettes of characters like Sandor and Tormund interacting for the first time while marching toward their potential dooms." He gave the episode a B. Steve Greene of IndieWire wrote in his review, ""Beyond the Wall" might not be the best episode of the season, but it's more assuredly the most important. By bringing the season-long promise of terror and triumph in rapid succession, the series turned this vital episode into a horror story to remember." ===Accolades=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2018 American Cinema Editors Awards Best Edited One-Hour Series For Non-Commercial Television Tim Porter Annie Awards Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Live Action Production Paul Story, Todd Labonte, Matthew Muntean, Cajun Hylton, Georgy Arevshatov Cinema Audio Society Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Television Series – One Hour Ronan Hill, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Brett Voss (for "Beyond the Wall") Directors Guild of America Awards Dramatic Series Alan Taylor Visual Effects Society Awards Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Chris Baird, David Ramos, Sam Conway Outstanding Animated Character in an Episode or Real-Time Project Paul Story, Todd Labonte, Matthew Muntean, Nicholas Wilson – "Zombie Polar Bear" Outstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project Daniel Villalba, Antonio Lado, José Luis Barreiro, Isaac de la Pompa – "Frozen Lake" Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project Manuel Ramírez, Óscar Márquez, Pablo Hernández, David Gacituaga – "Frozen Lake" Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Episode Óscar Perea, Santiago Martos, David Esteve, Michael Crane  – "Frozen Lake" Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Music David Klotz British Academy Television Awards Must-See Moment "Viserion is Killed by the Night King" 2018 Gold Derby Awards Best Drama Episode Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Alan Taylor Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes Michele Clapton, Alexander Fordham, Emma O'Loughlin, Kate O'Farrell Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series Tim Porter Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Series Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Richard Dyer, Ronan Hill Outstanding Special Visual Effects Steve Kullback, Joe Bauer, Adam Chazen, Michelle Blok, Sam Conway, Ted Rae, David Ramos, Wayne Stables, Derek Spears ==Leak== Similar to the fourth episode of the season, "The Spoils of War", the episode was leaked before it was set to air, on August 20, 2017. Four days before its official broadcast, HBO Spain and HBO Nordic accidentally allowed "Beyond the Wall" to be available for on-demand viewing for one hour before being removed. ==References== ==External links== * "Beyond the Wall" at HBO.com * *

"'''Dark Wings, Dark Words'''" is the second episode of the third season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 22nd episode of the series. Written by Vanessa Taylor, and directed by Daniel Minahan, it aired on April 7, 2013. The title is an in-universe old saying about messenger ravens, referring to the fact that such urgently delivered messages are often bad news. In the episode, Robb Stark receives news of the death of Hoster Tully as well as the sack of Winterfell and the disappearances of Bran and Rickon. ==Plot== ===In King's Landing=== Margaery and her grandmother Lady Olenna persuade Sansa to tell them the truth of King Joffrey's cruelty. After discussing his bride-to-be with Cersei, Joffrey invites Margaery to his chamber and questions her about her last husband, Renly Baratheon, and shows off his new crossbow. Shae warns Tyrion that Lord Baelish has taken an interest in Sansa. ===Beyond the Wall=== Mance Rayder continues to be distrustful of Jon, and speaks with Orell, a 'warg' capable of seeing through the eyes of animals, who tells him that he has seen the aftermath of the battle at the Fist of the First Men. Marching to the Wall, Sam falls from exhaustion, and Jeor Mormont orders Rast, who had been taunting Sam, to ensure he reaches the Wall alive. ===In the North=== Heading north with Hodor, Osha, and Rickon, Bran has another strange dream. While Hodor and Rickon are away, Osha suspects someone is following them and leaves to investigate. Bran is confronted by Jojen Reed, the boy from his dream and a seer like Bran. Accompanied by his sister, Meera, Jojen says they have been searching for Bran. ===In an unknown location=== Theon Greyjoy has been taken captive, and despite answering all questions truthfully, is continued to be tortured. A boy who claims to be sent by Yara promises to aid Theon. ===In the Riverlands=== Robb receives news of the death of his grandfather, Lord Hoster Tully, and that Winterfell has been razed by the Iron Islanders but Bran and Rickon have not been found. He and Catelyn depart for Riverrun for her father's funeral; Lord Karstark voices his displeasure with the funeral distraction. Catelyn discusses her children with Talisa, and admits that she feels responsible for what is happening to them all. Traveling north, Arya, Gendry, and Hot Pie are brought to an inn by a group led by Thoros of Myr, fighting for the Brotherhood without Banners. Another Brotherhood party arrive with a captive Sandor "The Hound" Clegane, who recognizes Arya and announces her true identity. A farmer warns Brienne and Jaime of the danger in traveling the Kingsroad. Jaime warns Brienne that the farmer must be killed, but she refuses. While crossing a bridge, Jaime seizes one of Brienne's swords, but she gains the upper hand. They are taken captive by Locke, a bannerman of Lord Roose Bolton, aided by the farmer who had recognized Jaime. ==Production== ===Writing=== "Dark Wings, Dark Words" was written by co-writer Vanessa Taylor, who had previously written the episodes "Garden of Bones" and "The Old Gods and the New" for Season Two. This episode adapts the following chapters from George R. R. Martin's ''A Storm of Swords'': Bran I, Sansa I, Jon II, Arya I,II and V and Jaime II and III. ===Casting=== With this episode, Joe Dempsie (Gendry) is promoted to series regular, after guest starring in the first and second season. This episode also marks the first appearances of Diana Rigg (as Lady Olenna Tyrell), Mackenzie Crook (as Orell), Paul Kaye (as Thoros of Myr), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (as Jojen Reed), Ellie Kendrick (as Meera Reed), Philip McGinley (as Anguy), Noah Taylor (as Locke), and Iwan Rheon (as the cleaning boy attending Theon). ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "Dark Wings, Dark Words"'s first airing was seen by 4.27 million viewers. Taking into account the viewers of the later repeat, the figures rose to 5.54 million. In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 0.988 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, being the channel's second highest-rated broadcast that week. ===Critical reception=== "Dark Wings, Dark Words" received very positive reviews from television critics, with review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveying 21 reviews of the episode and judging 90% of them to be positive with an average score of 7.7 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Burdened with character and plot reintroductions, 'Dark Wings, Dark Words' starts slow before revving up and delving into the real intrigues of the season." IGN's Matt Fowler gave the episode an 8.5/10, writing "Not many big moments in this week's Game of Thrones, but a lot of new characters came into play." David Sims, reviewing for The A.V. Club, rated the episode with a B+ for newbies. Emily VanDerWerff, rating for experts, also gave the episode a B+. == References == == External links == * "Dark Wings, Dark Words" at HBO.com * *

"'''Walk of Punishment'''" is the third episode of the third season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 23rd episode of the series. Written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Benioff, it aired on April 14, 2013. The title of the episode alludes to a place called "The Walk of Punishment" in the series, a road where slaves are crucified and displayed as examples to the slaves who thought of disobeying their masters. The episode received a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Costumes for a Series at the 65th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards. ==Plot== ===In King's Landing=== Tywin plans to have Baelish wed Lysa Arryn to deprive Robb of allies, and names Tyrion the new Master of Coin. Tyrion rewards Podrick with prostitutes, later learning they refused payment. Discovering that as treasurer Baelish borrowed millions in gold from Tywin and tens of millions from the Iron Bank of Braavos, Tyrion fears Tywin will not forgive the debt and the Iron Bank may fund the Crown's enemies. ===In the North=== Freed by the cleaning boy, Theon rides east to Yara at Deepwood Motte, but is caught by his captors. Their leader prepares to rape him, but the boy arrives, slaying the soldiers and accompanying Theon onward. ===At Dragonstone=== As Melisandre prepares to sail for an unknown destination, Stannis begs her to give him another son, but she says he does not have the strength and her magic requires king's blood, which must be acquired from others who share Stannis' blood. ===In Astapor=== Daenerys negotiates with slaver Kraznys mo Nakloz, offering her largest dragon in exchange for all 8,000 Unsullied and boys in training, and Kraznys's slave translator Missandei. ===Beyond the Wall=== The wildling army finds decapitated horses arranged in a spiral by the White Walkers, and Rayder tells Jon the dead Night's Watch have become wights. Ordering Tormund to take a party, including Jon, to climb the Wall, Rayder says he will signal them with a fire to attack the Night's Watch. The remaining Night's Watch take refuge at Craster's Keep, where Sam witnesses Gilly give birth to a boy. ===At Riverrun=== At the ship burial of Lord Hoster Tully, his son Edmure is shamed by his uncle, Brynden "the Blackfish”. In conference with Robb, Edmure is chastised for engaging Ser Gregor Clegane. Catelyn discusses her pain with Brynden, and Talisa tends to Tywin's captured nephews, Martyn and Willem Lannister. ===In the Riverlands=== Props from the episode: Jaime Lannister's severed hand, his shackles and Locke's cleaver. Arya confronts the Hound for killing her friend Mycah, but he is taken away. Arya and Gendry bid farewell to Hot Pie, who has been left to the inn as payment by the Brotherhood after proving his skill as a cook. En route to Harrenhal, Jaime convinces Locke that Brienne's father is rich, and Locke stops his men from raping her. Jaime promises that Tywin will reward Locke if Jaime is returned; Locke feigns acceptance but is actually offended, and severs Jaime's sword hand. ==Production== "Walk of Punishment" was written and directed by producers D.B. Weiss and David Benioff. ===Writing=== "Walk of Punishment" was written by the show creators and executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based on material from George R. R. Martin's novel ''A Storm of Swords''. The episode adapts parts of chapters 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 28, 32, 34 and 36 of the book (Catelyn II, Jon II, Arya III, Tyrion III, Jaime III, Daenerys II, Daenerys III, Jaime IV, Samwell II and Catelyn IV). The writers also included original storylines including Theon's flight, Tyrion bringing Podrick to a brothel, and Melisandre departing Dragonstone. In the scene at the brothel, Tyrion claims that the last prostitute he introduces is one of the few women in the world able to perform "the Meereenese Knot". This is an inside joke referring to the name that Martin gave (after the legendary Gordian Knot) to a complicated structural problem that he had to face while writing the fifth book of the series, ''A Dance with Dragons''. This book had to synchronize the arrival of several characters in the city of Meereen while keeping the chronology and causations in line and informing the reader of events happening in places where no point-of-view character was present. Martin worked on solving "the Meereenese Knot" from 2005 to 2011, and it was one of the main causes behind the late delivery of the book. ===Directing=== The episode was directed by the writing team itself, although to comply with the rules of the Directors Guild of America only Benioff is credited for directing. For both Benioff and Weiss, it was their first direction experience though the former had previously directed an experimental short film "When the Nines Roll Over". ===Casting=== "Walk of Punishment" introduces the Tully family at Riverrun, marking the first appearances of Lady Catelyn's uncle Brynden Tully, played by Clive Russell, and her brother Edmure, played by Tobias Menzies. Edmure Tully is depicted in the show more harshly than in the books. Talking about his character, Menzies described him as "as comic as ''Game of Thrones'' gets ... He's a little flawed, really." Dean-Charles Chapman first appears in the role of Martyn Lannister in this episode. In Season 4, however, Chapman returns portraying a different character: Tommen Baratheon, who was played by Callum Wharry in previous seasons. ===Filming locations=== The river Quoile was used to depict the surroundings of the Riverrun castle The interiors of the episode were filmed at the Paint Hall Studios in Belfast, the show's base of operations. For the exterior shots the production used many other locations across Northern Ireland: the Redhall State (County Antrim) for the Inn at the Crossroads, the Clandeboye Estate (County Down) for Craster's Keep, Downhill Strand (County Londonderry) as the coast of Dragonstone, and the River Quoile (County Down) as the setting of Lord Hoster Tully's funeral. The storylines led by Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen continued to be filmed in Iceland and in the Moroccan city of Essaouira respectively. ===Music=== The band of Locke's men sing "The Bear and the Maiden Fair", heard for the first time in the series with music composed by Ramin Djawadi. The song, a very popular song in Westeros both among the commoners and the nobility, appears often in the original novels. Singing at the head of the group is Snow Patrol's frontman Gary Lightbody, in a cameo appearance. The closing credits reprise the song in a new version recorded specifically for the series by the indie band The Hold Steady. The group, one of Benioff and Weiss's favourite bands, was chosen because they wanted the rendition "to be bawdy and a little sloppy – drunken musicians getting up on the table and jamming while the rowdy party continues around them". The decision to place the song at the end of the episode, right after the amputation of Jaime's hand, was made to reinforce the surprise of the viewers: “It’s such a shocking ending and when we read the scene in the books it was so shocking to us. To really hammer home the shock of that moment you need something unexpected. There’s no version of a traditional score that would keep you as off balance as we wanted that scene to leaving you feeling.” ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "Walk of Punishment"'s first airing was seen by 4.7 million viewers, setting a new viewership record for the show. Taking into account the viewers of the later repeat the figures rose to 5.8 million. In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 1.173 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, being the channel's highest-rated broadcast that week. ===Critical reception=== The episode was praised by critics; review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 21 reviews of the episode and judged 95% of them to be positive with an average score of 8.3 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "A bit of well-placed levity perfectly compliments the shocking final scenes of 'Walk of Punishment', adding up to hands down the most thrilling episode of the season so far—minus one hand." Matt Fowler, writing for IGN, rated the episode 8.8/10, writing "A shocking chop and a rollicking rock song led us out of a strong Thrones episode." Writing for the A.V. Club, David Sims rated the episode an A-. Also at The A.V. Club Emily VanDerWerff gave the episode another A-, praising its quickening of narrative pace. Time magazine reviewer James Poniewozik praised the episode, writing "...one thing I love about it – as a fan of fantasy fiction since I was a kid – is that it has a level of ugly realism missing from much of the genre." == References == == External links == * "Walk of Punishment" at HBO.com * *

"'''The Dragon and the Wolf'''" is the seventh and final episode of the seventh season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 67th episode overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Jeremy Podeswa. The episode's plot includes a negotiation between Cersei and Daenerys, and a rift between Cersei and Jaime; Theon rededicates himself to Yara; Sansa and Arya unite against Littlefinger; Jon Snow is revealed to be the child of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen; Jon and Daenerys's romantic relationship comes to fruition; and the Army of the Dead penetrates the Wall. "The Dragon and the Wolf" received a positive reception from critics, who listed the meeting at the Dragonpit, the full revelation of Jon Snow's lineage, Cersei's lack of cooperation to defeat the White Walkers, Aidan Gillen's final performance as Littlefinger, and the demolition of the Wall as highlights of the episode. The pacing, however, was met with mixed reviews, and criticism was also leveled at the resemblance of Rhaegar Targaryen to his brother Viserys Targaryen. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 12.07 million in its initial broadcast, making it the highest rated episode of the series. Furthermore, it received eight nominations at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards – making it the most Emmy Award-nominated episode of the series to date –, including for its writing, Podeswa's direction, Djawadi's music and was submitted by Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey to support their nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor and Outstanding Supporting Actress respectively, with Djawadi and Dinklage winning in their categories. The title of the episode refers to the sigils of House Targaryen (the Dragon) and House Stark (the Wolf) and their newfound alliance. This episode marks the final appearance of Aidan Gillen (Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish). ==Plot== ===In King's Landing=== Cersei, Daenerys, and their entourages meet. The Hound and Jon successfully use the captured wight to prove the existence of the threat posed by the White Walkers. Cersei agrees to help against the dead on the condition that Jon remains neutral between the queens, but retracts her support when Jon affirms he has already sworn himself to Daenerys. Tyrion goes alone to confront Cersei. He explains to Cersei that Daenerys wanted to destroy King's Landing until Tyrion persuaded her not to. During their conversation, he realizes Cersei is pregnant. Cersei returns to the parley and agrees to send her entire army north to fight the White Walkers. Jaime prepares to mobilize the army, but Cersei reveals she lied and will not join Daenerys and Jon's cause. Euron leaves for Essos to transport the Golden Company, with which she will fight the presumably weakened faction that wins the Great War. Jaime is disgusted and refuses to break his word. Cersei contemplates assassinating Jamie but refuses out of love. He abandons her and rides north alone as snow begins to fall on King's Landing. ===On Dragonstone=== Daenerys's party returns and plans to travel to Winterfell. Jorah advises Daenerys to fly a dragon there to avoid any potential assassination attempts, but she decides to travel by sea and land with Jon, in hopes of garnering popular support. Theon seeks guidance from Jon, who declares they both preserve Ned's legacy. Theon decides to save Yara. He defeats the leader of the remaining Ironborn in a brutal fight and the others join Theon. ===At Winterfell=== Sansa and Littlefinger discuss Arya's actions. Littlefinger advises Sansa to always assume others have the worst possible motive. Sansa summons Arya before the lords of the North and Vale, then stuns Littlefinger by accusing him of murder and treason, which Bran corroborates. Finding no allies in the crowd, Littlefinger begs for mercy, but Arya executes him. Sam arrives at Winterfell with his family. Bran tells him that Jon's real parents were Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Sam reveals information from the High Septon's journal: in secret, Rhaegar's marriage to Elia Martell was annulled and he married Lyanna. Bran determines that, as Rhaegar's legitimate son, Jon is the heir to the Iron Throne. ===In the Narrow Sea=== Tyrion witnesses Jon Snow entering Daenerys's cabin. Jon and Daenerys give in to their feelings for each other and have sex. ===At Eastwatch-by-the-sea=== The undead army arrives at Eastwatch. When the Night King appears, riding Viserion, Tormund orders the defenders to evacuate. Breathing blue fire, Viserion destroys Eastwatch and a section of the Wall, allowing the White Walkers to finally invade the Seven Kingdoms to put an end to mankind. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. "The Dragon and the Wolf" was written by the series' co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. In the "Inside the Episode" featurette published by HBO following the airing of the episode, they described the meeting at the dragon pit as one of the most challenging scenes in the episode to write, as they felt it was important to give each character their due. Weiss described the many different interactions between various characters as "deceptively difficult", and the necessity for the actors to be "playing off the person they're supposed to be playing off of" for the scene to be properly translated during the filming process. For the culmination of the Winterfell storyline, and the death of Littlefinger, Benioff and Weiss stressed the importance of the scenes leading up to the finale, which they described as a realistic threat of harm between Arya and Sansa, with Benioff saying "It's one of the benefits of working on a show like this, where over the years so many beloved characters have been killed, and so many characters make decisions you wish they hadn't that you can believe Sansa might conspire against Arya, or that Arya might decide that Sansa has betrayed the family and deserves to die." Benioff continued by revealing his excitement in seeing Aiden Gillan's performance as Littlefinger, as it was the first time that they had written a scene in which the character was caught unaware, saying "He's imagined every conceivable eventuality except this one." Isaac Hemsptead Wright, who portrays Bran, described a scene that was originally written between his character and Sansa, but it was later removed from the episode. Another challenge involved with writing the episode involved the presentation of the information regarding Jon Snow's lineage, as it mostly consisted of details that had already been revealed in prior scenes. As such, the inclusion of a montage, of Rhaegar and Lyanna, and Jon and Daenerys, was one of the ways that Benioff and Weiss stated they were able to go about this problem. Weiss noted that it was important to make it clear "that this was almost like an information bomb that Jon was heading towards." Benioff continued by describing Jon and Daenery's intimacy as a complication "on a political level," and "on a personal level," due to the two being related, with Weiss adding "Just as we're seeing these two people come together we’re hearing the information that will inevitably, if not tear them apart at least cause real problems in their relationship." In writing the final interaction between Jaime and Cersei, Benioff felt it was important to convey Cersei's refusal to confide her plan to abandon the agreement to fight the White Walkers and subsequent alignment with Euron and the Iron Bank, and its effect on Jaime, saying "He's realizing that his loyalty to her is not reflected in her loyalty to him. I think that's absolutely what informs his decision to leave King's Landing." Leading up to the seventh-season finale, Benioff and Weiss revealed that it was always planned for the penultimate season to end with the destruction of the Wall, and the White Walker army crossing into the Seven Kingdoms. Weiss noted, "The wall's kept these things out for eight thousand years and there's no real reason it can't keep doing that unless something puts a hole in the Wall. There's one thing on the board from the beginning that is now big enough to do that and that's a dragon." They also felt it was essential for the seventh-season finale to contrast well with previous season finale episodes, particularly the sixth-season finale, "The Winds of Winter", which Benioff stated had a more "triumphant ending" as opposed to something "much more horrific" with the conclusion of "The Dragon and the Wolf". ===Filming=== "The Dragon and the Wolf" was directed by Jeremy Podeswa. He joined the series as a director in the fifth season, his first episode being "Kill the Boy", which was followed by "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken", for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. He further directed two more episodes in the series' sixth season, and also directed the seventh season's premiere episode, "Dragonstone". This would be Podeswa's final episode as a director for the series, as he would later reveal that he would not be returning for the series' final season. The Roman amphitheatre at Italica stood in as the dragon pit in King's Landing. In an interview with ''Variety'', Podeswa described the tone in filming the scene at the dragon pit as "laden with tension," and that he was very excited to film the sequence due to several characters meeting for the first time and others reuniting after a long absence from each other. According to a separate interview with ''USA Today'', shooting of the dragon pit scene took place over the course of six days, and was first rehearsed in Belfast, and later on set in Spain. The Italica ruins near Seville, Spain stood in for the dragon pit. Podeswa revealed that the sequence was "40 to 50 pages" in the script, which he felt was a lot of material to work with, saying he had to "make sure everything landed," and that "every look in that script and every moment that needed to be there was actually going to end up on screen." "The Dragon and the Wolf" marks Aidan Gillen's final appearance as Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish. In an interview with ''The Hollywood Reporter'', Podeswa described filming the death of Littlefinger and Aidan Gillen's performance, saying "It was moving and difficult to see somebody get to the end of their role on the show, but it was an amazing scene to go out on. The mood when we were shooting it was incredible, actually. Aidan's performance was so, so passionate, and so surprising in a way." The filming of the scene took place over the course of an entire day, with the conclusion being filmed later, with Podeswa noting, "We didn't really shoot the end until a certain point, and was very ready at that point." Podeswa also described the process behind filming the sexual intimacy between Jon and Daenerys, saying, "In the script, it described the fact that they were love-making, but it didn't go into great detail in terms of what was going on between them as characters in that moment." He went on to state that he "built in a moment between" Kit Harington and Emilia Clarke, who portray Jon and Daenerys respectively, where they "stop for a moment and look into each other's eyes." He continued, "The intention from my point of view, and their point of view too, is that they're driven by passion into this. They don't even fully understand what it's all about and what the consequences of it are. They really can't stop themselves. It's almost destiny that's bringing them together." In regards to the similarity between the appearance of Rhaegar and Viserys Targaryen, Podeswa stated that the brothers were meant to look similar. Podeswa's first reaction to the final scene of the episode, with the destruction of a portion of the Wall, was "This is an enormous, spectacular sequence. How are we actually going to pull it off?" In order to piece together the sequence, Podeswa was required to work with several different departments, including Benioff and Weiss, the visual effects department, storyboard artist, the set designers, stuntmen, the cinematographer, and the actors themselves. All of the scenes that were filmed on top of the Wall, with Kristofer Hivju and Richard Dormer as Tormund and Beric respectively, were on an actual set in Belfast, along with filming of the stuntmen falling, which would be later transposed by visual effects. He continued by describing the process of creating the non-practical shots by saying, "All of the more panoramic spectacular shots are visual effects, but they're designed by me working with the visual effects department from storyboards that I created with storyboard artists." There were also several interactive elements involved, which Podeswa noted by saying, "When we were shooting the Wall set, we had the lighting effect on the Wall that was caused by the flame, but we hadn't created the flame yet." He continued by revealing the process that went into Viserion's appearance, saying "Everything comes from a sense of logic, so I guess in this particular instance with Viserion, what were the wounds that he suffered before he died? What happened to him underwater and when he was dragged up? All of those kinds of things folded into the discussion of what he should appear to look like when he's resurrected." ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "The Dragon and the Wolf" was viewed by 12.07 million viewers on its initial live broadcast on HBO, and an additional 4.4 million viewers on streaming platforms, for a total 16.5 million viewers. This set a ratings record for ''Game of Thrones'' as the highest rated episode of the series to date, surpassing "Eastwatch", which previously held the record. The episode also acquired a 5.7 rating in the 18–49 demographic, making it the highest rated show on cable television of the night. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 3.54 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week on its channel. It also received 1.02 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reception=== "The Dragon and the Wolf" was praised by critics, who listed the meeting at the Dragonpit, Cersei's lack of cooperation to defeat the White Walkers, Aidan Gillen's performance as Littlefinger, and the demolition of the Wall as highlights of the episode. The episode has received an 87% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes from 47 reviews, with an average score of 8.7 out of 10. The site's consensus reads "While much slower in pace than the season that preceded it, 'The Dragon and the Wolf' delivered satisfying conclusions to several story arcs, and masterfully set up the series' final season." The pacing of the episode received mixed reviews, with Matt Fowler of IGN praising its ability at, "Delivering lengthy meaningful scenes filled with dialogue, deception, revelations, twists," and assembly the dragon pit. He gave the episode a 9.3 out of 10. On the other hand, Erik Kain of ''Forbes'' believed the episode to be too rushed, but praised it nonetheless for being one of the most "ultimately satisfying episodes HBO has given us to date." He listed the reveal of Jon Snow's lineage as one of the most important moments of the episode, and praised it for paralleling Jon and Daenerys's intimate sexual encounter. Myles McNutt of ''The A.V Club'' wrote that the episode returned to the slow pace of the premiere and criticized its pacing and some of the characters motivations, but gave it a B+ overall. Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' also gave praise to the episode, albeit with some criticism towards the episode's predictability, stating that while there were "Plenty of enjoyable moments and blue fire-fueled spectacle, and effectively set up next season’s culminating clashes, it didn't offer much in the way of surprise." Kain and McNutt were also critical that Rhaegar Targaryen bore too great a resemblance to his brother Viserys Targaryen. ===Accolades=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2017 Humanitas Prize 60 Minute Network or Syndicated Television David Benioff, D. B. Weiss 2018 Directors Guild of America Awards Dramatic Series Jeremy Podeswa Visual Effects Society Awards Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project Thomas Hullin, Dominik Kirouac, Sylvain Nouveau, Nathan Arbuckle – "Wall Destruction" Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Jeremy Podeswa Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks, Nicola Mount, Rosalia Culora Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Jane Walker, Kay Bilk, Marianna Kyriacou, Pamela Smyth, Kate Thompson, Nicola Mathews Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) Ramin Djawadi Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series Katie Weiland ==References== ==External links== * "The Dragon and the Wolf" at HBO.com * *

"'''And Now His Watch Is Ended'''" is the fourth episode of the third season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 24th episode of the series. It was written by showrunners and executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss and directed by Alex Graves, his directorial debut for the series. The episode's title comes from a chant made by the Night's Watch at the funeral of a fallen brother while at Craster's Keep. ==Plot== ===In King's Landing=== Varys tells Tyrion of being made a eunuch by a sorcerer in Myr, before revealing that he has captured the sorcerer and plans to take revenge on him. Ros informs Varys that Baelish may take Sansa when he leaves to wed Lysa Arryn, and Varys warns Olenna that Baelish may seek to control Sansa. Discussing the missing Jaime and the Tyrells' presence with Tywin, Cersei distrusts Margaery for her ability to manipulate Joffrey. Sansa tells Margaery that Cersei will not allow her to leave King's Landing, and Margaery says she would see Sansa wed to Ser Loras. ===In the North=== Bran dreams of chasing the three-eyed raven through the woods with Jojen, and climbs a tree in pursuit of the raven, but falls when Catelyn appears. Arriving at what he believes is Deepwood Motte, Theon explains to his rescuer that he never killed the Stark boys, having Dagmer Cleftjaw burn two orphans instead, and reveals his remorse, declaring Eddard Stark was his true father. Theon then realises he has been taken back to the dungeon from which he escaped and is subdued by the guards, to the boy's amusement. ===In the Riverlands=== Locke and his men taunt Jaime for the loss of his sword hand, and quickly beat him when he tries to attack. Brienne chastises Jaime for wanting to die, telling him to live and take revenge. Arya, Gendry, and the Hound are taken to the Brotherhood's leader, Lord Beric Dondarrion. He calls the Hound a murderer, and Arya and the Hound argue over his execution of Mycah. Dondarrion sentences the Hound to face him in trial by combat. ===Beyond the Wall=== Rast declares the Night's Watch cannot trust Craster, and Sam and Gilly discuss her newborn son. After a funeral for a fallen brother, Karl Tanner challenges Craster over their poor food, and Rast enrages Craster by mentioning his bastard parentage. Craster orders the Night's Watch out, but is goaded by Karl, who stabs Craster when he attacks. When Jeor intervenes, Rast kills him. As a fight erupts, Sam flees with Gilly and her son. ===In Astapor=== Exchanging the Unsullied army for Daenerys' dragon, Kraznys continues to insult her in Valyrian. Daenerys, in fluent Valyrian, orders her new army to sack Astapor, killing all slavers and freeing every slave, and reclaims her dragon, ordering it to kill Kraznys. After the battle, she offers the Unsullied the choice to remain with her as free men or leave; none choose to leave, and Daenerys and her army depart. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. "And Now His Watch Is Ended" was written by showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. It was based on George Martin's novels, chapters Tyrion X from ''A Clash of Kings'' and Jaime IV, Tyrion II, Samwell II, the first part of Arya VI, and the second half of Daenerys III from ''A Storm of Swords''. Benioff and Weiss considered this episode one of the "big ones" and a turning point of the series. Weiss said that when he was reading the books he was swept away by Daenerys' final scene, and remembered thinking how he'd be able to put it on screen if he could ever get to film it. This final scene includes the first instance of the High Valyrian language in the series, apart from short stock phrases, spoken by Daenerys. Up to this point only the Astapori dialect of Low Valyrian, a creolized form of the ancient language of the old Valyrian Empire, had been heard, spoken by the slaver Kraznys. David J. Peterson, the language creator hired by the series, designed both versions of the tongue. ===Casting=== The episode reintroduces Lord Beric Dondarrion, now played by Richard Dormer. Dondarrion had previously been portrayed by David Michael Scott in his brief appearance in the first season episode "A Golden Crown", where he was entrusted by Lord Eddard Stark with the task of capturing Ser Gregor Clegane. This episode also marks James Cosmo's last appearance in the series, as his character Jeor Mormont is killed by his own men. ===Directing=== The episode was helmed by director Alex Graves, a newcomer to the production. The producers praised his work, in particular in the handling of the final scene at Astapor: "He took a scene that had us quite nervous – the number of people on set, the size of the action, the amount of the effects work – and had it all done in a few days. A scene that might take a feature eight days; for us it was two or three." ===Filming=== The interiors of the episode were shot at Belfast's The Paint Hall, including a new set representing the colossal Great Sept of Baelor at King's Landing. For the exteriors, the episode filmed extensively at the forests of Clandeboye Estate, where the sets of Craster's Keep and the encampment of Locke's band were built. The gardens where Olenna and Varys plot are parts of the Trsteno Arboretum, in Croatia. The scenes with Daenerys were filmed in Morocco. While during the first three episodes the city of Astapor had been represented by the coastal ramparts of Essaouira, the plaza and the walls seen in the episode were sets from Atlas Studios, located five kilometres west of the city of Ouarzazate. The walls had been built to stand in for the city of Jerusalem in the 2005 film ''Kingdom of Heaven''. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== The ratings of the episode raised to a new record for the series, with a viewership of 4.87 million viewers and a 2.6 share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. The encore was watched by another 1.03 million, totaling 5.90 million viewers for the night. In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 0.992 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, being the channel's second highest-rated broadcast that week. ===Critical reception=== The episode received critical acclaim, being consistently rated as the best of the season at the time of its airing. Review aggregator surveyed 21 reviews of the episode and judged 100% of them to be positive with an average score of 9.2 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "'And Now His Watch is Ended' is an enthralling meditation on betrayal and revenge, bolstered by a mind-blowing surprise for those who would underestimate Daenerys Targarean ." IGN's Matt Fowler rated it with a 9.3/10, highlighting "shocking deaths, brutal double-crosses and a Kingslayer undone made for some mighty fine Thrones". David Simms, writing for The A.V. Club, considered it "an insanely satisfying, shocking episode" and gave it an "A" grade. His colleague Emily VanDerWerff agreed on the score. The final scene with Daenerys was unanimously praised. At Cultural Learnings, Myles McNutt found that the scene was one of the series' best sequences and considered it an impressive feat to have achieved a climax so satisfying for the viewer with only a relatively small number of scenes building up to it in the first three episodes. VanDerWerff felt that Emilia Clarke's performance Emmy worthy. HitFix's Alan Sepinwall also praised her performance, remarking that "her big moment comes in a (fictional) foreign language, and the subtitles are barely necessary. That's how good she is." ====Awards and nominations==== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2013 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna Tyrell Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series Peter Brown, Kira Roessler, Tim Hands, Paul Aulicino, Stephen P. Robinson, Vanessa Lapato, Brett Voss, James Moriana, Jeffrey Wilhoit, and David Klotz Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) Matthew Waters, Onnalee Blank, Ronan Hill, and Mervyn Moore == References == == External links == * "And Now His Watch Is Ended" at HBO.com * *

"'''The Bear and the Maiden Fair'''" is the seventh episode of the third season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 27th episode of the series overall. The episode was written by George R. R. Martin, the author of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels on which the series is based, and was directed by Michelle MacLaren, her directorial debut for the series. The plot of the episode advances the storylines of Daenerys's arrival to the city of Yunkai, the repercussions of the upcoming marriage of Tyrion Lannister and Sansa Stark, and Brienne's fate at the ruined castle of Harrenhal. The title of the episode refers to "The Bear and the Maiden Fair", a popular song among commoners and noblemen within the series' universe, which had been introduced four episodes earlier. In this episode, it refers to Brienne of Tarth (the maiden fair) facing a real bear. ==Plot== ===In King's Landing=== Sansa is comforted by Margaery, who has heard of Sansa's betrothal to Tyrion. Elsewhere, Tyrion and Bronn discuss the match and how it will affect Shae. Tywin meets with Joffrey. Joffrey asks what they should do about the rumors of Daenerys and her dragons, but Tywin claims there is no threat. On Blackwater Bay, Melisandre reveals to Gendry that his father was King Robert Baratheon. ===In the North=== Jon and the wildling party continue their journey south. Soon after, Orell speaks to Ygritte, confessing his love for her and trying to convince her that Jon is still loyal to the Night's Watch. Later, Jon tells Ygritte that the wildling cause is hopeless, but she remains undaunted. Theon is freed from his constraints by two young women. They begin pleasuring him. The three are soon interrupted by his tormenter, who had ordered the women to seduce Theon in order to torment him further. The boy mocks Theon's sexual prowess, before ordering his men to restrain Theon as he removes Theon's genitals. Heading for the Wall, Osha continues to grow suspicious of the Reeds, calling Jojen's visions "black magic". When she says they have to continue to the Wall, Jojen reveals that the three-eyed raven is north of the Wall. Osha refuses to allow them to go north of the Wall, relating to them the story of her husband's death and resurrection as a wight. ===In the Riverlands=== Robb, his advisors, and his army are delayed by rain in their march toward the Twins for Edmure's wedding to Roslin Frey. Catelyn and the Blackfish discuss their distaste for Walder Frey, who will see their delay and Robb's oath-breaking as slights against his family. Talisa reveals to Robb that she is pregnant. At the Brotherhood's hideout, Arya berates Beric and Thoros for selling Gendry to Melisandre. When Anguy tells Beric of a Lannister raiding party near them, Beric orders the men to move out in pursuit. Arya calls Beric a liar, as he promised to take her to Riverrun. She runs away and is taken captive by the Hound. ===Outside Yunkai=== Daenerys, Jorah, Barristan, and the Unsullied reach Yunkai. Daenerys tells Jorah she will take the city to free its 200,000 slaves. An envoy, Razdal mo Eraz, is sent by Yunkai to offer terms of peace, which include chests filled with gold bars and as many ships as Daenerys wants. Daenerys refuses his offer, demanding the slaves of the city be freed and paid for their service. ===At Harrenhal=== Jaime visits Brienne in her cell. He tells her that he will be leaving for King's Landing the next day. Before Jaime leaves, Brienne makes him swear to uphold his oath to Catelyn and return the Stark girls to their mother. As he leaves, Jaime dryly tells Roose to tell Robb that "the Lannisters send their regards". When Qyburn informs Jaime that Brienne will not be ransomed by Locke, Jaime manipulates the party leader, Steelshanks, to order their return to Harrenhal. Upon their arrival, Jaime finds that Brienne has been thrown into a pit by Locke and his men, and has been forced to fight a grizzly bear while armed only with a wooden sword. Jaime leaps into the pit to protect her. Jaime boosts Brienne out of the pit, and is then lifted to safety. ==Production== ===Writing=== George R. R. Martin, author of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels, scripts one episode per season. The episode was written by George R. R. Martin, author of the novels of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' saga that the show adapts. "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" is based on material from the third book of his series, ''A Storm of Swords'', adapting chapters 42 to 46 (Jon V, Daenerys IV, Arya VIII, Jaime VI and Catelyn V). In some of the scenes, Martin had to take into account the changes done by the production to some of his original plots or characters, writing scenes that could never happen in the novels: the books have Talisa's counterpart stay in Riverrun instead of following Robb, Melisandre never interacts with Gendry, and Sansa does not get to confide with Margaery. Martin initially titled the episode "Autumn Storms", because it was supposed to be raining in many of the scenes. When he was forced to change it because most of the rains had been cut from his script in pre-production, he came up with the title "Chains", that worked both in a literal and metaphorical level. However, later on, the final scene including the bear that had been originally written by showrunners Benioff and Weiss for the next episode was incorporated, and the episode was given its final title. ===Casting=== To play the part of the bear at Harrenhal, the producers chose the nearly nine-foot-tall Alaskan brown bear Bart the Bear 2 (a.k.a. "Little Bart"), who was born in 2000 and trained by Doug and Lynne Seus (the same trainers of his well-known predecessor, the original Bart the Bear). ===Filming locations=== The episode introduces Yunkai, based on the Moroccan city of Aït Benhaddou. The production continued to use Morocco to depict the Slaver's Bay. While the coastal city of Essaouira had doubled as Astapor, this episode used the city of Aït Benhaddou (near Ouarzazate) to depict Yunkai. Daenerys's camp was built in the nearby location of Little Barrage. The scenes with Jon Snow and the wildlings were filmed in the forests around Toome, in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The scenes in Northern Ireland were filmed six weeks before the production moved to Iceland to film several scenes for the previous episodes. Due to the legal restrictions and the difficulties involved in the transport of large animals, the scenes with the bear Little Bart had to be filmed in the USA. Although it was only used for a single scene, this was the fifth country where the production filmed during the season (after Northern Ireland, Morocco, Croatia, and Iceland). The actual bear-pit set was built in Northern Ireland: the bear was filmed where it was living in Los Angeles, interacting with its trainer, and was later digitally added into the footage from the bear pit set in Northern Ireland. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== 4.84 million viewers watched the premiere airing of "The Bear and the Maiden Fair", a decrease of 0.67 million compared to the previous week. This ended the streak set during the four previous episodes, each of which established a new series high in ratings. 1.12 million people watched the second airing, bringing the total viewership of the night to 5.96 million. In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 1.023 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, being the channel's highest-rated broadcast that week. ===Critical reception=== The critical reception to the episode was generally favorable, although most commentators agreed that it was not among the best episodes of the third season, or the ones written by Martin. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 21 reviews of the episode and judged 81% of them to be positive with an average score of 8.05 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "'The Bear and the Maiden Fair" feels like a bit of a holding pattern as Game of Thrones moves its pieces into place for the final three episodes." The quality of the dialogue and characterization was widely praised. ''The A.V. Club''s David Sims found that the interactions felt more natural, and Elio Garcia from Westeros.org suggested that the characters "oozed a richer version of themselves". Another aspect that was mentioned as an improvement was the treatment of the romantic relationships. Many reviews signaled the lack of focus as the main flaw of the episode, although they agreed that the story required preparing the stage for the final part of the season: Emily VanDerWerff wrote at ''The A.V. Club'' that it was a "somewhat disjointed hour, full of characters moving into place for what’s next (...) it nonetheless accomplishes what it sets out to do". According to Myles McNutt from Cultural Learnings, the episode "never evolves into a particularly exciting hour of television, content mostly to sketch out the boundaries of the season’s storylines in preparation for the oncoming climax." The final scene, where Brienne is forced to fight a bear, was very well received: IGN's Matt Fowler called it "a spectacular moment", HitFix's Alan Sepinwall deemed it "gorgeously staged and executed", and David Sims found it "tense, thrilling television". Other scenes that were highlighted were the parley between Daenerys and the slaver, and the confrontation between Tywin and Joffrey. In the latter, the camera work used by director Michelle MacLaren was lauded. In contrast, the scene featuring Theon's torture was criticized for what was seen as its gratuitous violence and nudity, and for the repetitiveness of the storyline over the season. Sepinwall declared that he had no need "to witness more of The Passion of the Greyjoy", and Sims considered it "boring and confusing to watch". VanDerWerff concluded: "Endless torture sequences don’t make for terribly exciting fiction, and that’s more or less bearing out here." On the other end of the spectrum, the reviewer for ''Time'', James Poniewozik, considered it "chilling". == References == == External links == * "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" at HBO.com * *

"'''Kissed by Fire'''" is the fifth episode of the third season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 25th episode of the series. Directed by Alex Graves and written by Bryan Cogman, it aired on April 28, 2013. The title of the episode refers to the red-haired Wildlings, like Ygritte, who are said to be "kissed by fire". Fire is also a key element in other storylines, with Sandor Clegane's fear of fire being shown, as well as the Mad King's obsession with Wildfire, as told by Jaime Lannister. The episode won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Make-up for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) at the 65th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards. ==Plot== ===At Dragonstone=== Stannis is surprised when his wife, Queen Selyse, encourages his infidelity as service to the Lord of Light. His daughter, Princess Shireen, visits Davos in the dungeons with a book; he admits he is illiterate, and she begins teaching him to read. ===In the Riverlands=== In trial by combat, the Hound is frightened by Beric's flaming sword, but overcomes his pyrophobia and kills Beric. Gendry stops Arya from killing the Hound, and the three are astounded to find Beric resurrected by Thoros, who frees the Hound. Gendry tells Arya he intends to stay with the Brotherhood as a smith. Arya talks with Thoros about taking her to Riverrun. ===At Riverrun=== Captives Martyn and Willem Lannister are slain by Lord Karstark and his men. Despite Talisa, Catelyn, and Edmure entreating Robb to hold Karstark prisoner, he personally executes Karstark. The Karstark forces abandon the Northern army, and Robb tells Talisa his new plan to attack Casterly Rock, the Lannister ancestral home, and forge an alliance with Lord Frey, whose daughter he was to marry. ===At Harrenhal=== Locke delivers Jaime and Brienne to Lord Roose Bolton, who frees Brienne and sends Jaime to Qyburn, a former maester who treats Jaime's amputation. At the baths, Jaime tells Brienne of Robert's Rebellion, and the "Mad King" Aerys Targaryen's plot to burn King's Landing with caches of wildfire. Jaime reveals that he slew the Mad King to save the city, its people, and his own father. ===Beyond the Wall=== Jon lies to Orell and Tormund that a thousand men are guarding the Wall. Ygritte steals Jon's sword and he chases her into a cave, where she convinces him to break his Night's Watch vows and make love with her. ===In Slaver's Bay=== On the march, Jorah probes Barristan's motives for joining Daenerys, but he appears unaware Jorah was originally a spy for Varys under King Robert. Daenerys’ Unsullied officers select Grey Worm as their leader. ===In King's Landing=== Cersei asks for Baelish's assistance in ridding King's Landing of the Tyrells. Loras’ squire and lover Olyvar reports to Baelish the Tyrells' plan to marry off Sansa. Baelish meets with Sansa to discuss their journey to the Vale, but she decides to stay in King's Landing. Tywin tells Tyrion and Cersei his plan to ruin the Tyrell's plot by wedding Tyrion to Sansa and Cersei to Loras, refusing their objections. ==Production== ===Writing=== Series veteran Bryan Cogman wrote the episode, his third episode of the series. "Kissed by Fire" is the third episode in the series written by the co-producer and executive story editor Bryan Cogman, after the first season's "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things" and the second's "What Is Dead May Never Die". Cogman is the member of the writing team entrusted with keeping the show's bible and mapping the story arcs with those of the original books for each season. The sections of George R. R. Martin's novel ''A Storm of Swords'' adapted in the episode include parts from chapters 20, 21, 27, 32, 35, 38 and 40 (Tyrion III, Catelyn III, Jon III, Jaime IV, Arya VI, Jaime V, and Arya VII). The scenes with Stannis' wife and daughter were written to present the characters, whose introduction had been delayed in the show since the beginning of season 2. The idea of Queen Selyse conserving the fetuses of her stillborn sons in glass, absent in the original novels, was a notion that Cogman came up with while writing the episode. Cogman enjoyed that the episode he was assigned to write included several fan-favorite scenes, and involved a lot of material with the child actors: "The kids are always my favorite characters to write... Maybe it’s because I’m so fond of the actors who play them, and I’ve watched them grow up for the past four years." He wrote all the Arya scenes before starting with the other storylines. Initially the episode did not include any scene with Daenerys, but early in pre-production some scenes originally written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for the next episode were moved into the script. The confrontation between Jon Snow and Orell was written and included by Benioff and Weiss later during production. ===Casting=== The episode introduces Stannis's family with actresses Tara Fitzgerald and Kerry Ingram as queen Selyse Baratheon and princess Shireen Baratheon, respectively. Selyse had briefly appeared in the first season 2 episode during the burning of the gods at the Dragonstone beach, played by an uncredited extra. Jacob Anderson also debuts playing Grey Worm, the commander of the Unsullied. ===Filming locations=== Most of the episode was shot in the sets built in The Paint Hall studios in Belfast. Also in Northern Ireland, the Pollnagollum cave in Belmore Forest was used to film parts of the hideout of the Brotherhood, and the gardens of Gosford Castle served as the Riverrun exteriors where Lord Karstark was beheaded. The scenes with Daenerys were filmed in Morocco, and the ones with Jon in Iceland. The Wildlings camp was built by the shores of lake Mývatn, with its distinctive vertical lava formations clearly seen. The nearby grotto where Jon and Ygritte have sex is cave Grjótagjá; however, the cave was used mainly for establishing shot of Jon Snow and Ygritte in the cave, and most of this scene was filmed in the studio. The thermal water pool of the cave is actually used for bathing and is a popular tourist attraction. Finally, two Croatian exteriors appear in the episode: the conversation between Cersei and Littlefinger takes place at the inner terrace of Fort Lovrijenac, and Littlefinger's later visit to Sansa was filmed at the Trsteno Arboretum. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "Kissed by Fire" set a new ratings record for the series, with 5.35 million viewers for its first airing and a 2.8 share of adults aged 18 to 49. In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 0.959 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, being the channel's second highest-rated broadcast that week. ===Critical reception=== "Kissed by Fire" received positive critical reviews after airing, with particular praise going to Nikolaj Coster-Waldau for his performance. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 21 reviews of the episode and judged 100% of them to be positive with an average score of 8.8 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Despite lacking the big action reveals of the previous episode, 'Kissed by Fire' is anchored by a devastatingly intimate scene between Brienne and Jaime, and plenty of Lannister intrigue." IGN's Matt Fowler gave "Kissed by Fire" a 9.5/10, his highest rating of the season, writing "No dragons this week, but Game of Thrones still gave us some of its best material ever." Reviewing for ''The A.V. Club'', David Sims gave the episode an "A-", commenting on how despite the lack of shocking moments like those of the last episode, the show delivers quality in its slower, dialogue-driven scenes. Emily VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B+". Sean T. Collins of the ''Rolling Stone'' magazine also gave an overwhelmingly positive review, calling it a "nearly flawless" episode, praising especially Maisie Williams' acting in the scenes with Arya and the Brotherhood. ===Accolades=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2013 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Paul Engelen and Melissa Lackersteen 2014 Hollywood Post Alliance Awards Outstanding Color Grading – Television Joe Finley American Society of Cinematographers One-Hour Episodic Television Series Anette Haellmigk == References == == External links == * "Kissed by Fire" at HBO.com * *

"'''The Climb'''" is the sixth episode of the third season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 26th episode of the series. Directed by Alik Sakharov and written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, it aired on May 5, 2013. The episode's title comes from climbing of the wall by Jon Snow and Ygritte, and also the references from dialogue between Lord Petyr Baelish and Lord Varys. The episode marks the final appearance of Esmé Bianco. ==Plot== ===In King's Landing=== Meeting with Olenna, Tywin threatens to appoint Loras to the Kingsguard, thereby renouncing his right to inheritance and marriage and leaving House Tyrell without a male heir, and Olenna consents to Loras and Cersei's marriage. Tyrion accuses Cersei of trying to have him killed during the Battle of the Blackwater, but deduces it was Joffrey who ordered his death and Cersei tells him he is not in danger now that Tywin is the Hand. Tyrion informs Sansa that she will not wed Loras, but himself. Baelish tells Varys he has given Ros to Joffrey to kill for his pleasure. Sansa watches tearfully as Baelish departs by ship, losing her chance at leaving the capital. ===In the Riverlands=== Arriving at the Brotherhood's hideout, Melisandre is shocked to learn of Beric's six resurrections, and takes Gendry into her custody. Arya unnerves Melisandre, who declares Arya will "shut many eyes forever" and they will meet again. At Riverrun, Robb and his advisors discuss an alliance with Lame Lothar Frey and Black Walder Rivers. Lord Walder Frey's demands include a formal apology from Robb, the castle Harrenhal, and for Edmure to marry one of his daughters. ===At Harrenhal=== Roose Bolton agrees to send Jaime to King's Landing if Jaime assures Tywin that Bolton had nothing to do with his maiming, but keeps Brienne under arrest for abetting treason. ===In the North=== Bran defuses tensions between Osha and Meera, and Jojen tells Bran his vision of Jon surrounded by enemies. Torturing Theon, the boy threatens to sever his finger if he cannot guess the boy's identity and their location. After his finger is flayed for several wrong guesses, Theon guesses the boy is a Karstark and he is being tortured at the Karhold for betraying Robb. The boy pretends Theon was correct before continuing to flay his finger, admitting his torture is solely for his amusement. Theon finally begs his torturer to remove his finger. ===Beyond the Wall=== En route to the Wall, Sam shows Gilly the dragonglass dagger he found and tells her about Castle Black. Ygritte reveals she is aware Jon remains loyal to the Night's Watch, but tells him their loyalty to each other is greater. As Tormund's party climbs the wall, Ygritte inadvertently causes an avalanche that kills some wildlings and leaves her and Jon hanging by their rope. Before Orell cuts the rope, Jon secures himself to the Wall and reaches the top with Ygritte, where they embrace. ==Production== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. "The Climb" is the sixth episode of the season written by showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and 18th overall. It is based upon George R. R. Martin's novel ''A Storm of Swords'', namely, chapters 30, 35, 37, and 48 (Jon IV, Catelyn IV, Jaime V, and Samwell III). Gilly's baby, appearing in the fourth episode and in "The Climb"'s first scene, was played by ten months-old Arya Hasson – named after Arya Stark – from the Waterside in Derry. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "The Climb" set a new record for ''Game of Thrones'' in ratings, the fourth consecutive episode to establish a new series high. 5.5 million viewers watched the premiere airing, with 1.27 million additional viewers watching the second airing. The episode also set a new series high in viewers aged 18–49, with a rating of 2.9. In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 0.926 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, being the channel's highest-rated broadcast that week. ===Critical reception=== "The Climb" was met with positive reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 21 reviews of the episode and judged 90% of them to be positive with an average score of 7.9 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads "Tywin Lannister and Olenna Tyrell steal the show with their exquisite negotiation as 'The Climb' builds towards the Wildlings' death-defying scaling of The Wall." Writing for IGN, Matt Fowler gave the episode an 8.8/10, writing "This week's Game of Thrones started off slow, but then built to a roaring crescendo." Two reviews were published by The A.V. Club. David Sims gave the episode a "B" rating for people new to the series, while Emily VanDerWerff rated the episode a "B+" for people who have read the novels. ===Awards and nominations=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2013 Hollywood Post Alliance Awards Outstanding Sound – Television Paula Fairfield, Brad Katona, Jed Dodge, Onnalee Blank and Mathew Waters 2014 Visual Effects Society Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program Kirk Brillon, Steve Gordon, Geoff Sayer, Winston Lee Outstanding Created Environment in a Broadcast Program Patrick Zentis, Mayur Patel, Nitin Singh, Tim Alexander == References == == External links == * "The Climb" at HBO.com * *

"'''Second Sons'''" is the eighth episode of the third season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 28th episode of the series. The episode was written by executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Michelle MacLaren. It aired on . The episode is centered on the wedding of Tyrion Lannister and Sansa Stark in King's Landing, Gendry's arrival at Dragonstone and Daenerys's meeting with the mercenary company of the Second Sons before the walls of Yunkai. ==Plot== ===In King's Landing=== Tyrion visits Sansa to ease her apprehension at the prospect of being his wife. In the Sept of Baelor, Cersei threatens Margaery with the story of House Reyne, former Lannister vassals whom Tywin exterminated when they rebelled against him. After arriving at the Sept, Sansa is walked down the aisle by Joffrey. At their wedding feast, Tyrion gets drunk. Joffrey, after threatening to rape Sansa, calls for the traditional bedding ceremony to begin, but his plan is thwarted when Tyrion threatens to castrate an outraged Joffrey. Tywin defuses the situation. Tyrion leaves the feast with Sansa, and he tells Sansa he will not share her bed until she wants him to. ===At Dragonstone=== Melisandre returns to Dragonstone with Gendry and takes him to see Stannis, who recognizes Gendry as one of Robert's bastards. When Gendry is taken to his chamber, Stannis and Melisandre discuss what they intend to do with him. In the dungeons, Davos continues to learn to read. Stannis visits him to discuss Melisandre's plan to sacrifice Gendry. Davos objects to the plan, but Stannis remains resolved. He then makes Davos swear to never raise his hand to Melisandre again, and frees him. Later, Melisandre visits Gendry and seduces him, tying him to a bed in the process. She lays three leeches on him to draw his royal blood. Stannis ritually burns the leeches, speaking the names of the usurpers to his throne: Robb Stark, Balon Greyjoy, and Joffrey Baratheon. ===In the Riverlands=== Arya tries to kill the Hound while he is sleeping, but he is revealed to be awake, and thwarts her attempt on his life. They depart their camp and head for the Twins, where the Hound intends to ransom Arya to Robb. ===At Yunkai=== Jorah tells Daenerys that Yunkai has employed a mercenary group called the Second Sons. Daenerys meets with Mero, his co-captain Prendahl na Ghezn and his lieutenant Daario Naharis. She attempts to bribe Mero to fight for her, and gives him two days to make a decision. After nightfall, Daario enters Daenerys' camp, disguised as an Unsullied soldier. He enters her tent and shows her and Missandei the severed heads of Mero and Prendahl, admitting that he is smitten by Daenerys. ===Beyond the Wall=== Sam and Gilly continue their journey to the Wall. They stop at an abandoned hut for the night. When they hear a murder of crows cawing nearby, Sam leaves the hut to investigate. Soon after, he is attacked by a White Walker. The Walker intents on taking Gilly's son, but Sam stabs it with his dragonglass dagger, causing the Walker to disintegrate. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. "Second Sons" was written by the show creators and executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based on material from George R. R. Martin's novel ''A Storm of Swords''. The episode adapts parts of the book's chapters 19, 29, 37, 43, 47 and 48 (Samwell I, Sansa III, Davos IV, Daenerys IV, Samwell III and Arya IX). ===Casting=== The episode introduced the mercenary captains in service of Yunkai: Mark Killeen was cast as Mero (known as the Titan's Bastard), Ed Skrein the recurring role of Daario Naharis, and Ramon Tikaram the part of Prendahl na Ghezn. Tikaram is mistakenly credited as "Ramon Tikrum" in the closing credits. ===Filming locations=== Most of the scenes of the episode were shot in the Belfast studios of The Paint Hall, including the wedding of Tyrion and Sansa that was filmed at the huge semicircular set of the Great Sept of Baelor in mid September 2012. For this scene, a few hundred extras were recruited. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== The episode received 5.1 million viewers, an increase from the previous week, with an 18-49 demographic of 2.6. In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 0.907 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, being the channel's highest-rated broadcast that week. ===Critical reception=== "Second Sons" received critical acclaim. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 20 reviews of the episode and judged 100% of them to be positive with an average score of 8 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, " 'Second Sons' shines through efficient storytelling -- and a comparatively low number of storylines to keep track of this week." Writing for IGN, Matt Fowler rated the episode a 9.0/10, and wrote "This week's well-crafted and wonderfully acted Game of Thrones gave us a cold wedding, a hot bath and a blood-letting." He especially praised the scenes between Sansa and Tyrion and between Ser Davos and Stannis. David Sims and Emily VanDerWerff, both writing for The A.V. Club, gave the episode "B" ratings. Sims was frustrated by the episode's meandering pace, but praised the end of the episode, with Sam killing the white walker, as "the most crucial, fascinating, electric moment of the night". VanDerWerff praised the use of nudity in the episode, writing "...I actually think Game Of Thrones has gotten quite a bit better at utilizing nudity and sex in the midst of everything else as a method of telling its story. It’s come a long way from the 'sexposition' days of season one, when it sometimes seemed like the series would toss some breasts into the background of a scene just in case we got bored of hearing somebody talk at length." ===Accolades=== Due to his nomination, Peter Dinklage submitted this episode for consideration for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards. At the 65th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, the episode was nominated for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series. ==References== ==External links== * "Second Sons" at HBO.com * *

The fire maps show the locations of actively burning fires around the world on a monthly basis, based on observations from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite. The colors are based on a count of the number (not size) of fires observed within a 1,000-square-kilometer area. White pixels show the high end of the count—as many as 100 fires in a 1,000-square-kilometer area per day. Yellow pixels show as many as 10 fires, orange shows as many as 5 fires, and red areas as few as 1 fire per day. '''Fire''' is the rapid oxidation of a material in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition. Fire is hot because the conversion of the weak double bond in molecular oxygen, O2, to the stronger bonds in the combustion products carbon dioxide and water releases energy (418 kJ per 32 g of O2); the bond energies of the fuel play only a minor role here. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames are produced. The ''flame'' is the visible portion of the fire. Flames consist primarily of carbon dioxide, water vapor, oxygen and nitrogen. If hot enough, the gases may become ionized to produce plasma. Depending on the substances alight, and any impurities outside, the color of the flame and the fire's intensity will be different. Fire in its most common form can result in conflagration, which has the potential to cause physical damage through burning. Fire is an important process that affects ecological systems around the globe. The positive effects of fire include stimulating growth and maintaining various ecological systems. The negative effects of fire include hazard to life and property, atmospheric pollution, and water contamination. If fire removes protective vegetation, heavy rainfall may lead to an increase in soil erosion by water. Also, when vegetation is burned, the nitrogen it contains is released into the atmosphere, unlike elements such as potassium and phosphorus which remain in the ash and are quickly recycled into the soil. This loss of nitrogen caused by a fire produces a long-term reduction in the fertility of the soil, which only slowly recovers as nitrogen is "fixed" from the atmosphere by lightning and by leguminous plants such as clover. Fire has been used by humans in rituals, in agriculture for clearing land, for cooking, generating heat and light, for signaling, propulsion purposes, smelting, forging, incineration of waste, cremation, and as a weapon or mode of destruction. ==Physical properties== ===Chemistry=== The fire tetrahedron Fires start when a flammable or a combustible material, in combination with a sufficient quantity of an oxidizer such as oxygen gas or another oxygen-rich compound (though non-oxygen oxidizers exist), is exposed to a source of heat or ambient temperature above the flash point for the fuel/oxidizer mix, and is able to sustain a rate of rapid oxidation that produces a chain reaction. This is commonly called the fire tetrahedron. Fire cannot exist without all of these elements in place and in the right proportions. For example, a flammable liquid will start burning only if the fuel and oxygen are in the right proportions. Some fuel-oxygen mixes may require a catalyst, a substance that is not consumed, when added, in any chemical reaction during combustion, but which enables the reactants to combust more readily. Once ignited, a chain reaction must take place whereby fires can sustain their own heat by the further release of heat energy in the process of combustion and may propagate, provided there is a continuous supply of an oxidizer and fuel. If the oxidizer is oxygen from the surrounding air, the presence of a force of gravity, or of some similar force caused by acceleration, is necessary to produce convection, which removes combustion products and brings a supply of oxygen to the fire. Without gravity, a fire rapidly surrounds itself with its own combustion products and non-oxidizing gases from the air, which exclude oxygen and extinguish the fire. Because of this, the risk of fire in a spacecraft is small when it is coasting in inertial flight. This does not apply if oxygen is supplied to the fire by some process other than thermal convection. Fire can be extinguished by removing any one of the elements of the fire tetrahedron. Consider a natural gas flame, such as from a stove-top burner. The fire can be extinguished by any of the following: * turning off the gas supply, which removes the fuel source; * covering the flame completely, which smothers the flame as the combustion both uses the available oxidizer (the oxygen in the air) and displaces it from the area around the flame with CO2; * application of water, which removes heat from the fire faster than the fire can produce it (similarly, blowing hard on a flame will displace the heat of the currently burning gas from its fuel source, to the same end), or * application of a retardant chemical such as Halon to the flame, which retards the chemical reaction itself until the rate of combustion is too slow to maintain the chain reaction. In contrast, fire is intensified by increasing the overall rate of combustion. Methods to do this include balancing the input of fuel and oxidizer to stoichiometric proportions, increasing fuel and oxidizer input in this balanced mix, increasing the ambient temperature so the fire's own heat is better able to sustain combustion, or providing a catalyst, a non-reactant medium in which the fuel and oxidizer can more readily react. ===Flame=== A candle's flame Northwest Crown Fire Experiment, Canada Photo of a fire taken with a 1/4000th of a second exposure ISS A flame is a mixture of reacting gases and solids emitting visible, infrared, and sometimes ultraviolet light, the frequency spectrum of which depends on the chemical composition of the burning material and intermediate reaction products. In many cases, such as the burning of organic matter, for example wood, or the incomplete combustion of gas, incandescent solid particles called soot produce the familiar red-orange glow of "fire". This light has a continuous spectrum. Complete combustion of gas has a dim blue color due to the emission of single-wavelength radiation from various electron transitions in the excited molecules formed in the flame. Usually oxygen is involved, but hydrogen burning in chlorine also produces a flame, producing hydrogen chloride (HCl). Other possible combinations producing flames, amongst many, are fluorine and hydrogen, and hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide. Hydrogen and hydrazine/UDMH flames are similarly pale blue, while burning boron and its compounds, evaluated in mid-20th century as a high energy fuel for jet and rocket engines, emits intense green flame, leading to its informal nickname of "Green Dragon". The glow of a flame is complex. Black-body radiation is emitted from soot, gas, and fuel particles, though the soot particles are too small to behave like perfect blackbodies. There is also photon emission by de-excited atoms and molecules in the gases. Much of the radiation is emitted in the visible and infrared bands. The color depends on temperature for the black-body radiation, and on chemical makeup for the emission spectra. The dominant color in a flame changes with temperature. The photo of the forest fire in Canada is an excellent example of this variation. Near the ground, where most burning is occurring, the fire is white, the hottest color possible for organic material in general, or yellow. Above the yellow region, the color changes to orange, which is cooler, then red, which is cooler still. Above the red region, combustion no longer occurs, and the uncombusted carbon particles are visible as black smoke. The common distribution of a flame under normal gravity conditions depends on convection, as soot tends to rise to the top of a general flame, as in a candle in normal gravity conditions, making it yellow. In micro gravity or zero gravity, such as an environment in outer space, convection no longer occurs, and the flame becomes spherical, with a tendency to become more blue and more efficient (although it may go out if not moved steadily, as the CO2 from combustion does not disperse as readily in micro gravity, and tends to smother the flame). There are several possible explanations for this difference, of which the most likely is that the temperature is sufficiently evenly distributed that soot is not formed and complete combustion occurs. Experiments by NASA reveal that diffusion flames in micro gravity allow more soot to be completely oxidized after they are produced than diffusion flames on Earth, because of a series of mechanisms that behave differently in micro gravity when compared to normal gravity conditions. These discoveries have potential applications in applied science and industry, especially concerning fuel efficiency. In combustion engines, various steps are taken to eliminate a flame. The method depends mainly on whether the fuel is oil, wood, or a high-energy fuel such as jet fuel. ===Flame temperatures=== ====Temperatures of flames by appearance==== It is true that objects at specific temperatures do radiate visible light. Objects whose surface is at a temperature above approximately will glow, emitting light at a color that indicates the temperature of that surface. See the section on red heat for more about this effect. It is a misconception that one can judge the temperature of a fire by the color of its flames or the sparks in the flames. For many reasons, chemically and optically, these colors may not match the red/orange/yellow/white heat temperatures on the chart. Barium nitrate burns a bright green, for instance, and this is not present on the heat chart. ====Typical temperatures of flames==== The "adiabatic flame temperature" of a given fuel and oxidizer pair indicates the temperature at which the gases achieve stable combustion. * Oxy–dicyanoacetylene * Oxy–acetylene * Oxyhydrogen * Air–acetylene * Blowtorch (air–MAPP gas) * Bunsen burner (air–natural gas) * Candle (air–paraffin) * Smoldering cigarette: ** Temperature without drawing: side of the lit portion; ; middle of the lit portion: ** Temperature during drawing: middle of the lit portion: ** Always hotter in the middle. ==Fire ecology== Every natural ecosystem has its own fire regime, and the organisms in those ecosystems are adapted to or dependent upon that fire regime. Fire creates a mosaic of different habitat patches, each at a different stage of succession. Different species of plants, animals, and microbes specialize in exploiting a particular stage, and by creating these different types of patches, fire allows a greater number of species to exist within a landscape. ==Fossil record== ==Human control== Bushman starting a fire in Namibia Process of ignition of a match The ability to control fire was a dramatic change in the habits of early humans. Making fire to generate heat and light made it possible for people to cook food, simultaneously increasing the variety and availability of nutrients and reducing disease by killing organisms in the food. The heat produced would also help people stay warm in cold weather, enabling them to live in cooler climates. Fire also kept nocturnal predators at bay. Evidence of cooked food is found from , although there is a theory that fire could have been used in a controlled fashion about 1 million years ago. Evidence becomes widespread around 50 to 100 thousand years ago, suggesting regular use from this time; resistance to air pollution started to evolve in human populations at a similar point in time. The use of fire became progressively more sophisticated, with it being used to create charcoal and to control wildlife from tens of thousands of years ago. Fire has also been used for centuries as a method of torture and execution, as evidenced by death by burning as well as torture devices such as the iron boot, which could be filled with water, oil, or even lead and then heated over an open fire to the agony of the wearer. By the Neolithic Revolution, during the introduction of grain-based agriculture, people all over the world used fire as a tool in landscape management. These fires were typically controlled burns or "cool fires", as opposed to uncontrolled "hot fires", which damage the soil. Hot fires destroy plants and animals, and endanger communities. This is especially a problem in the forests of today where traditional burning is prevented in order to encourage the growth of timber crops. Cool fires are generally conducted in the spring and autumn. They clear undergrowth, burning up biomass that could trigger a hot fire should it get too dense. They provide a greater variety of environments, which encourages game and plant diversity. For humans, they make dense, impassable forests traversable. Another human use for fire in regards to landscape management is its use to clear land for agriculture. Slash-and-burn agriculture is still common across much of tropical Africa, Asia and South America. "For small farmers, it is a convenient way to clear overgrown areas and release nutrients from standing vegetation back into the soil", said Miguel Pinedo-Vasquez, an ecologist at the Earth Institute’s Center for Environmental Research and Conservation. However this useful strategy is also problematic. Growing population, fragmentation of forests and warming climate are making the earth's surface more prone to ever-larger escaped fires. These harm ecosystems and human infrastructure, cause health problems, and send up spirals of carbon and soot that may encourage even more warming of the atmosphere – and thus feed back into more fires. Globally today, as much as 5 million square kilometres – an area more than half the size of the United States – burns in a given year. There are numerous modern applications of fire. In its broadest sense, fire is used by nearly every human being on earth in a controlled setting every day. Users of internal combustion vehicles employ fire every time they drive. Thermal power stations provide electricity for a large percentage of humanity. Hamburg after four fire-bombing raids in July 1943, which killed an estimated 50,000 people The use of fire in warfare has a long history. Fire was the basis of all early thermal weapons. Homer detailed the use of fire by Greek soldiers who hid in a wooden horse to burn Troy during the Trojan war. Later the Byzantine fleet used Greek fire to attack ships and men. In the First World War, the first modern flamethrowers were used by infantry, and were successfully mounted on armoured vehicles in the Second World War. In the latter war, incendiary bombs were used by Axis and Allies alike, notably on Tokyo, Rotterdam, London, Hamburg and, notoriously, at Dresden; in the latter two cases firestorms were deliberately caused in which a ring of fire surrounding each city was drawn inward by an updraft caused by a central cluster of fires. The United States Army Air Force also extensively used incendiaries against Japanese targets in the latter months of the war, devastating entire cities constructed primarily of wood and paper houses. The use of napalm was employed in July 1944, towards the end of the Second World War; although its use did not gain public attention until the Vietnam War. Molotov cocktails were also used. ===Use as fuel=== coal-fired power station in the People's Republic of China Disability-adjusted life year for fires per 100,000 inhabitants in 2004 Setting fuel aflame releases usable energy. Wood was a prehistoric fuel, and is still viable today. The use of fossil fuels, such as petroleum, natural gas, and coal, in power plants supplies the vast majority of the world's electricity today; the International Energy Agency states that nearly 80% of the world's power came from these sources in 2002. The fire in a power station is used to heat water, creating steam that drives turbines. The turbines then spin an electric generator to produce electricity. Fire is also used to provide mechanical work directly, in both external and internal combustion engines. The unburnable solid remains of a combustible material left after a fire is called ''clinker'' if its melting point is below the flame temperature, so that it fuses and then solidifies as it cools, and ''ash'' if its melting point is above the flame temperature. ==Protection and prevention== This visualization shows fires detected in the United States from July 2002 through July 2011. Look for fires that reliably burn each year in western states and across the Southeast. Wildfire prevention programs around the world may employ techniques such as ''wildland fire use'' and ''prescribed or controlled burns''. ''Wildland fire use'' refers to any fire of natural causes that is monitored but allowed to burn. ''Controlled burns'' are fires ignited by government agencies under less dangerous weather conditions. Fire fighting services are provided in most developed areas to extinguish or contain uncontrolled fires. Trained firefighters use fire apparatus, water supply resources such as water mains and fire hydrants or they might use A and B class foam depending on what is feeding the fire. Fire prevention is intended to reduce sources of ignition. Fire prevention also includes education to teach people how to avoid causing fires. Buildings, especially schools and tall buildings, often conduct fire drills to inform and prepare citizens on how to react to a building fire. Purposely starting destructive fires constitutes arson and is a crime in most jurisdictions. Model building codes require passive fire protection and active fire protection systems to minimize damage resulting from a fire. The most common form of active fire protection is fire sprinklers. To maximize passive fire protection of buildings, building materials and furnishings in most developed countries are tested for fire-resistance, combustibility and flammability. Upholstery, carpeting and plastics used in vehicles and vessels are also tested. Where fire prevention and fire protection have failed to prevent damage, fire insurance can mitigate the financial impact. ==Restoration== Different restoration methods and measures are used depending on the type of fire damage that occurred. Restoration after fire damage can be performed by property management teams, building maintenance personnel, or by the homeowners themselves; however, contacting a certified professional fire damage restoration specialist is often regarded as the safest way to restore fire damaged property due to their training and extensive experience. Most are usually listed under "Fire and Water Restoration" and they can help speed repairs, whether for individual homeowners or for the largest of institutions. Fire and Water Restoration companies are regulated by the appropriate state's Department of Consumer Affairs – usually the state contractors license board. In California, all Fire and Water Restoration companies must register with the California Contractors State License Board. Presently, the California Contractors State License Board has no specific classification for "water and fire damage restoration." Hence, the Contractor's State License Board requires both an asbestos certification (ASB) as well as a demolition classification (C-21) in order to perform Fire and Water Restoration work. ==See also== * Aodh (given name) * Colored fire * Control of fire by early humans * Deflagration * Fire (classical element) * Fire investigation * Fire lookout * Fire lookout tower * Fire making * Fire pit * Fire safety * Fire triangle * Fire whirl * Fire worship * Flame test * Life Safety Code * List of fires * List of light sources * Phlogiston theory * Piano burning * Prometheus, the Greek mythological figure who gave mankind fire * Pyrokinesis * Pyrolysis * Pyromania * Self-immolation * ''The Chemical History of a Candle'' ==References== ==Bibliography== * * Haung, Kai. 2009. Population and Building Factors That Impact Residential Fire Rates in Large U.S. Cities. Applied Research Project. Texas State University. TXstate.edu * * Kosman, Admiel: Sacred fire. In: Thu, January 13, 2011. ==External links== * How Fire Works at HowStuffWorks * What exactly is fire? from The Straight Dope * On Fire, an Adobe Flash-based science tutorial from the NOVA (TV series) * 20 Things You Didn't Know About... Fire from ''Discover'' magazine

The title sequence of the HBO fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'' that introduces every episode serves as a guide to the physical landscape of the world of the series. It changes depending on the locations visited in the particular episode it introduces. The title sequence was created by Elastic for HBO, and is accompanied by a theme tune composed by Ramin Djawadi. The sequence depicts a three-dimensional map of the series' fictional world, projected onto a concave earth, and lit by a small sun contained within an armilla (or spherical astrolabe) that metaphorically depicts major events in the history of the fictional world at the sphere's center. As the camera swoops across the map and focuses on the locations in which the episode's events take place, complicated clockwork mechanisms cause buildings and other structures to emerge from the map and unfold. Meanwhile, the names of the principal cast (with the symbols of the characters' families next to the names) and creative staff are displayed. The sequence concludes after about one-and-a-half minutes with the title card and brief opening credits indicating the episode's writers and directors. Creative director Angus Wall, art director Robert Feng, animator Kirk Shintani and designer Hameed Shaukat received the 2011 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Design for their work on the sequence. The title sequence has been ranked one of the best TV title sequences of all time. ==Description== The title sequence consists of a three-dimensional map of the world, with the continents of Westeros and Essos located on the inner surface of a sphere, which is rendered in the style of a fantasy role-playing map used as a game board by participants for their battle plans. The maps used are those of Westeros and Essos that precede the novels in the book series. At the center of the sphere is a heliocentric armillary sphere. The title sequence serves as a guide to the physical landscape of the world of ''Game of Thrones'', and details of the title sequence change each week depending on the locations visited, and new locations may be added in each season. The sequence of every episode opens with a close-up of the sun and the sphere surrounding it. Relief depictions of the fictional's world's history are visible on the sphere, such as the Doom of Valyria, Aegon's Conquest and the rise of House Baratheon, which appear at varying points in the sequence. The camera then pans to different parts of the map, on which different locations in the fictional world are shown. Many of the cities and buildings on these locations appear out of the ground using clockwork mechanisms. Other elements, such as the weirwood tree at Winterfell and the Horse Gate at Vaes Dothrak, are also added at the various locations. The locations shown vary depending on the locations visited in that particular episode, and three or four variations of the title sequence are shown in each season. However, due to the limitation on time for the title sequence, no more than six locations may be shown in any episode. Also, because of their importance in the show, every episode features King's Landing, Winterfell, The Wall, and wherever Daenerys may be regardless of whether or not any of these locations is featured in that episode. The sigils of the reigning families are added to each location; for example, the Baratheon stag sigil on King's Landing and the Stark dire wolf at Winterfell. The names of the cast are also shown together with the corresponding sigil of the character they portray. The sigil may change depending on the storyline, for example the flayed man sigil is displayed over Winterfell when it is taken by the Boltons, but it reverts to the dire wolf sigil after it is recaptured by the Starks. Other events in the show are also reflected in the title sequence. For example, after Winterfell is burned, smoke is depicted billowing out from it. The ''Game of Thrones'' logo appears over the armilla at the end. HBO released an interactive 360-degree video of the title sequence in season 6. While the locations featured change from episode to episode, the general design and route of the sequence remain roughly similar. However, in the final season, the title sequence received a major revamp to denote the change in season and shift in storyline. In this new version, the first location shown is the breached wall instead of King's Landing, and moves down to the cities south of the wall following the path of the army of the dead. The interiors of two major locations are shown for the first time: the crypts of Winterfell and the Red Keep at King's Landing, as well as the latter's throne room. The appearance of the armilla and the events depicted on it also change to reflect event of the season 7 finale, such as the fall of the Wall. ==Conception and production== The title sequence was created by three teams: its design, which forms the bulk of the project, was done by Elastic, the computer graphics by a52, and the title sequence editing by Rock Paper Scissors. Elastic had previously created the title sequences for ''Rome'', ''Big Love'', and ''Carnivale'' for HBO, and they were approached by Carolyn Strauss of HBO, with whom they had worked on these shows, to create the title sequence for ''Game of Thrones''. Angus Wall, the head of title design firm Elastic, met with Strauss, the showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and producer Greg Spence to discuss the project around a year before the show debut. When the pilot was first made, it was felt that the geography of the imaginary world of Westeros and Essos might confuse the viewers, and that maps could be useful as navigational guides for the viewers. An early suggestion was to use animated maps as a transition between scenes to orient viewers, but that idea was dropped as it would interrupt the narrative flow. The idea of the map was therefore moved into the title sequence. For the original pilot, the showrunners Benioff and Weiss initially wrote the title sequence as a crow's flight from King's Landing to Winterfell; however, the production team at Elastic thought the idea was too flat and devised the idea of using 3-D models within a sphere that represents the world of the show. The sphere was used to obviate the question of what might lie beyond the horizon of the map, and the whole sphere is lit by the sun in the middle. According to Angus Wall, the title sequence had "a concrete function in the world of the show, in that it serves as a legend the way the map at the beginning of a fantasy book orients you." The title sequence informs the viewers of the locations of the show relevant to each episode, and changes to reflect the storylines of the show and changes within this world. On the use of an armillary and models with moving parts, producer Greg Spence explained that Angus Wall at Elastic came up with "a vision of a mad monk, in a tower somewhere," who was somehow keeping track of all this action "and creating as he went. He would then fashion little automatons out of the materials that would be available in his world. They would be stone, or tin, or wood, and everything would feel very hand-crafted." The idea is, therefore, that everything in the title sequence could be created with hammer, saw, and chisel, and operated with gears and cogs. The turning gears and cogs were meant to be reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci's inventions. The design team were given a list of the locations where the action may take place in each episode after the shooting had completed, and they had around 3 months to create title sequences. The concepts, including details such as the machinery used, were first sketched by hand, and the models were then created with computer graphics. ==''Game of Thrones'' theme== The theme music that accompanies the title sequence was composed by Ramin Djawadi. The production team showed the title sequence they were working on to Djawadi, who was then inspired to create the music for the "''Game of Thrones'' Theme" and finished the theme music three days later. Djawadi said the showrunners Benioff and Weiss wanted the theme music to be about a journey that reflects the variety of locations and characters in the show. ==List of elements== The following table lists the locations shown in each episode's title sequence, in the order of their appearance in the sequence as determined by the first episode in which they are shown. The locations King's Landing, Winterfell, and The Wall are featured in every title sequence, as well as the most recent location in Essos (in the first 6 seasons), even if they are not present in that particular episode. It is also noteworthy that the appearance of Winterfell has changed over the seasons: in Seasons 3 and 4 Winterfell was covered in smoke, referencing its burning at the end of Season 2, and in Season 5 the smoke was removed but the Bolton sigil replaced the Stark sigil, reflecting how the Boltons moved to Winterfell during that season. In episode 6.10, the Stark sigil returned, the result of Jon Snow and Sansa Stark's reclaiming Winterfell from the Boltons at the end of the previous episode. ===Summary=== S. 1 S. 2 S. 3 S. 4 S. 5 S. 6 S. 7 S. 8 Total Count '''Locations''' King's Landing 10 10 10 10 10 10 7 6 73 Winterfell 10 10 10 10 10 10 7 6 73 The Wall 10 10 10 10 10 10 7 6 73 Meereen 10 10 10 30 Braavos 5 9 7 21 Dragonstone 3 4 5 7 19 Pyke 9 3 3 15 Vaes Dothrak 9 3 3 15 Harrenhal 7 8 15 Riverrun 6 3 9 Dorne 7 2 9 The Eyrie 4 2 1 7 The Dreadfort 7 7 Qarth 7 7 Oldtown 7 7 Yunkai 6 6 Last Hearth 6 6 The Twins 1 2 1 1 5 Moat Cailin 3 1 4 Astapor 4 4 Eastwatch 3 3 Pentos 1 1 2 ==Homage== ''The Simpsons'' episode "Exit Through the Kwik-E-Mart" features a homage to the ''Game of Thrones'' title sequence, with famous buildings in the town of Springfield rising through the ground as characters watch on, dressed in ''Game of Thrones''-style costumes. The Wall is replaced by the monolithic "Couch" at the end of the sequence. A version of the title sequence has also been recreated with Oreo cookies. ==Awards== The design team behind the title sequence, Angus Wall, art director Rob Feng, designer Hameed Shaukat, and C.G. supervisor Kirk Shintani, won a Creative Arts Emmy Award on September 10, 2011. === Awards and nominations === Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2011 63rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Main Title Design Angus Wall, Hameed Shaukat, Kirk Shintani and Robert Feng 2016 68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Interactive Program Game of Thrones Main Titles 360 Experience ==References== == External links == * Perkins, Will; Albinson, Ian (June 29, 2011). "Game of Thrones (2011)". Art of the Title. May 11, 2011. * Appelo, Tim (April 19, 2011). "Secrets Behind 'Game of Thrones' Opening Credits (Video)". ''The Hollywood Reporter''.

"'''Mhysa'''" is the third season finale of the American medieval epic fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and its 30th episode overall. Written by executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by David Nutter, it originally aired on on HBO in the United States. The episode revolves on the aftermath of the events instigated by "The Red Wedding", in which Tywin Lannister is revealed to be the mastermind behind the massacre — with Walder Frey and Roose Bolton having conspired with the Lannisters against the Starks. As a result, House Frey receives the Seat of Riverrun and Roose Bolton is appointed the new "Warden of the North". Elsewhere, House Greyjoy begins a new military campaign. In the North, Maester Aemon sends out ravens to alert the whole of Westeros about the arrival of the White Walkers. And across the narrow sea, the freed slaves of Yunkai hail Daenerys as their "mhysa", the Ghiscari language's word for "mother". According to Nielsen Media Research, "Mhysa" was seen by 5.4 million household viewers in the United States, a twenty-eight percent increase compared to the second season finale, "Valar Morghulis". After its broadcast, the episode received generally positive reviews from television critics, with some of them addressing its anti-climactic closure of the series' third season, and its establishment of potential storylines for the fourth season, such as through the final scene's "glimmer of hope". The episode received a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series at the 65th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards. ==Plot== ===In King's Landing=== Tyrion learns of the deaths of Robb and Catelyn during the Red Wedding. Tyrion tells Tywin that northerners will never forget the role the Lannisters played in the Red Wedding. Varys gives Shae a sack of diamonds to sail for Essos, but she refuses. Jaime, Brienne, and Qyburn arrive in King's Landing. ===At the Twins=== Sandor and Arya find a group of Frey men. Arya kills one, who claimed to have desecrated Robb's body and Sandor kills others. Walder and Bolton discuss the escape of Brynden and their new oppositions as Lord of Riverrun and Warden of the North. ===In the North=== Bran and his group arrive at the Nightfort and meet Sam and Gilly. Sam realizes that Bran is Jon's brother. Bran asks Sam to take them north of the Wall. He takes them through the passage and gives them his dragonglass weapons. Sam and Gilly arrive at Castle Black and meet Aemon, who, after hearing of White Walkers, sends all ravens with messages warning the return of White Walkers. Ygritte finds Jon, but before he escapes, Ygritte shoots three arrows into him. Jon arrives at Castle Black, where his wounds are treated. At the Dreadfort, Theon's torturer, revealed to be Bolton's bastard Ramsay Snow, nicknames Theon Reek. ===On the Iron Islands=== Balon reads letter from Ramsay, demanding to have the Ironborn soldiers withdraw from the North. Balon allows Theon's torture to continue, but Yara takes 50 best Ironborn men to attack the Dreadfort. ===At Dragonstone=== Stannis informs Davos of Robb's death and Melisandre plans to sacrifice Gendry to the Lord of Light. Davos gives Gendry a boat to escape Dragonstone. Stannis orders Davos’ execution, but after he shows Stannis a letter from the Wall, Melisandre tells Stannis that only he can save the North from the White Walkers and that he will need Davos' help, preventing his execution. ===Outside Yunkai=== Daenerys frees slaves from Yunkai, who begin to shout mhysa, which Missandei tells Daenerys is Ghiscari for mother. ==Production== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. ===Writing=== "Mhysa" was written by executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based on George R. R. Martin's original work from his novel ''A Storm of Swords''. Chapters adapted from ''A Storm of Swords'' to the episode were chapters 43, 49, 53 to 55, 57, 63, and 64 (Daenerys IV, Jon VI, Arya XI, Tyrion VI, Davos V, Bran IV, Jaime VII, Davos VI). ===Casting=== After being absent for the entire second season, Peter Vaughan returns as Maester Aemon and Josef Altin returns as Pypar. This episode also marks the return, after a long absence, of Patrick Malahide as Balon Greyjoy and Gemma Whelan as Yara Greyjoy. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== In its original American broadcast in HBO, "Mhysa" was seen by an estimated 5.4 million household viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. It marked a year-to-year increase in viewership of 28 percent compared to the second season finale, "Valar Morghulis", which was seen by 4.2 million. The second broadcast of the "Mhysa" during the night was viewed by 900,000 viewers, bringing its total viewership for to 6.30 million. According to analysts, the success of the episode significantly helped ''Game of Thrones'' to surpass ''True Blood'' as the second most-watched series on HBO, after ''The Sopranos''. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 1.154 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.110 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reception=== "Mhysa" received generally positive reviews from television critics, with some of them addressing the finale's anti-climactic closure of the third season and for establishing new storylines for the fourth. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 20 reviews of the episode and deemed 100% of them to be positive with an average score of 8.5 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "'Mhysa' wraps up several of season 3's lingering storylines while subtly setting the table for season 4." James Poniewozik of ''Time'' wrote in his review, "The end of season 3, then, spent some time among the winners and losers in post-Red-Wedding Westeros, giving the audience a chance to soak in the shock, seethe at the winners' glee, and get a reminder of the larger forces – White Walkers, dragons – well beyond the war between the Lannisters and the Starks. If the Red Wedding seemed to kill hope, 'Mhysa' made clear that it didn't end anything. And it weaved together the many, many threads of ''GoTs'' tapestry by returning to a recurring theme: that ''Game of Thrones'' is ultimately about family." Matt Fowler of IGN described that the finale had "nicely set up a lot of cool stuff for Season 4, but it was also lacking some of the power and majesty of previous finales. Especially the ending with Dany, who herself had a better ending back in 'And Now His Watch is Ended' when her dragons torched Astapor and she left with a full army." He also praised the scene where Arya killed a Frey soldier. Writing for ''Today'', Drusilla Moorhouse remarked that "After last week's shocking massacre, most fans braced for more tragic deaths in season three's finale. Instead, the blow was softened with poignant reunions and surprising saves, setting the stage for an explosive fourth season." In her review for Zap2it, Terri Schwartz wrote that "Nothing can ever quite redeem the deaths of Robb and Catelyn Stark, but at least larger forces are taking shape that are propelling this series into Season 4. Daenerys is as powerful as she's ever been, Jon Snow returns to the Wall while Bran heads north of it and the Greyjoys ready an assault to finally save Theon from his captor. Then there's the fact that Stannis decides to sail north to the Wall to aid the Night's Watch in their fight against the White Walkers, which seems like it's going to end up being the greater, global conflict in the future of 'Game of Thrones'." Writing for ''The A.V. Club'', David Sims gave "Mhysa" an "A-" rating, while Emily VanDerWerff gave it a "B+". Sims, writing for audiences who have not read the novels, described the episode as lacking "a lot of serious plot movement or major twists and may have fans gnashing their teeth a little bit as they wait nine months for season four. The previous season finales have also had that quality, but they each ended on a barnstorming note. 'Mhysa', not quite so much." VanDerWerff, writing for audiences who have read the novels, wrote that "On a plot level, not a lot happens in 'Mhysa'", but praised the episode in addressing the series' "value of one human life is in the face of a kingdom." He also mildly criticized the series' template of when "something terrible happens in Westeros, Dany offers a glimmer of hope over in her story line", referring to it as its "Achilles' heel". Kevin Fitzpatrick of ScreenCrush wrote in his review, "All in all, the air (or blood) of the season had mostly been let out by 'The Rains of Castamere', as even a returning Jaime’s most interesting moments arrived much earlier in the season, but 'Mhysa' gave us a good course-heading for season 4, with some much-needed catharsis along the way." The episode's final scene, in which Daenerys, "the blondest possible savior figure", appears with "uncharacterized brown people" as "being lifted up as their messiah and praising her for saving them from bondage", was criticized by at least four commentators as having colonialist or even racist undertones. They asked why the series chose to portray the Yunkish as nearly uniformly dark-skinned, rather than as ethnically diverse as in the source novels, to which George R. R. Martin replied that this was because the scene was shot in Morocco with local extras. Commentators also criticized, more broadly, that the series's inclusion of people of color was limited to only a small number of characters. == References == ==External links== * at HBO.com * *

The soundtrack album of the fifth season of HBO series ''Game of Thrones'', titled '''''Game of Thrones: Season 5''''', was released digitally on June 9, 2015, and on CD on July 17, 2015. The album was composed by Ramin Djawadi. ==Reception== The soundtrack received positive reviews from critics. ==Track listing== ==Credits and personnel== Personnel adapted from the album liner notes. * David Benioff – liner notes * Ramin Djawadi – composer, primary artist, producer * Czech Film Orchestra and Choir – primary artist * Bradley Hanan Carter – featured artist * D.B. Weiss – liner notes ==References==

The soundtrack album of the sixth season of HBO series ''Game of Thrones'', titled '''''Game of Thrones: Season 6''''', was released digitally on June 24, 2016, and later released on CD on July 29, 2016. The album reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard''s Soundtracks chart, and the track from the season finale "Light of the Seven" reached No. 1 on ''Billboard''s Spotify Viral 50 chart. The "Light of the Seven" is the first time piano is used in the music for ''Game of Thrones''. The album was composed by Ramin Djawadi. The soundtrack has received favorable reviews and peaked at #1 on the U.S. Soundtrack Albums chart and #27 on the U.S. Billboard 200. It won an International Film Music Critics Association for "Best Original Score for a Television Series". ==Reception== The soundtrack received positive reviews from critics. ==Track listing== ==Credits and personnel== Personnel adapted from the album liner notes. * David Benioff – liner notes * Ramin Djawadi – composer, primary artist, producer * D.B. Weiss – liner notes ==Charts== Chart (2016) Peak position UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC) 2 US Soundtrack Albums (''Billboard'') 1 US Digital Albums (''Billboard'') 5 US Top Album Sales (''Billboard'') 12 ==Awards and nominations== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2016 International Film Music Critics Association Best Original Score for a Television Series World Soundtrack Awards Television Composer of the Year ==Notes== ==References==

The soundtrack album of the seventh season of HBO series ''Game of Thrones'', titled '''''Game of Thrones: Season 7''''', was released digitally on August 25, 2017 on CD on September 29, 2017. ==Track listing== ==Credits and personnel== Personnel adapted from the album liner notes. * David Benioff – liner notes * Ramin Djawadi – composer, primary artist, producer * D.B. Weiss – liner notes ==Charts== Chart (2017) Peak position New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ) 4 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) 85 ==Awards and nominations== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2018 60th Annual Grammy Awards Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media Ramin Djawadi 70th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Music Composition for a Series Episode: "The Dragon and the Wolf" ==References==

The soundtrack album of the eighth season of HBO series ''Game of Thrones'', titled '''''Game of Thrones: Season 8''''', was released digitally on May 19, 2019, A double CD release was released July 19, 2019 and a vinyl release is set later in the year. Ramin Djawadi received his seventh Primetime Emmy Award nomination, for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score), for the season's third episode, "The Long Night" and then won the award, making two consecutive wins for Ramin. ==Background== "It's been such an honor to be a part of this incredible show for the past eight years", said Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi says of his track "The Night King": "When I talked to Miguel Sapochnik|Miguel Sapochnik, the director, and when David Benioff|David Benioff and D. B. Weiss|D. B. Weiss came to my studio and we started working on this episode, we all agreed that it had to be a piano piece again, just like 'Light of the Seven'.... It definitely misled the audience because of what they knew from 'Light of the Seven', back in season six. We always treated the music as another character in the show." == Track listing == ==Charts== Chart (2019) Peakposition Australian Albums (ARIA) 75 French Albums (SNEP) 88 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) 51 UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC) 6 US ''Billboard'' 200 95 US Soundtrack Albums (''Billboard'') 6 ==References==

Linda Antonsson and Elio García at Archipelacon on June 28, 2015. '''Elio Miguel García Jr.''' (born May 6, 1978) and '''Linda Maria Antonsson''' (born November 18, 1974) are authors known for their contributions and expertise in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series by George R. R. Martin, co-writing in 2014 with Martin ''The World of Ice & Fire'', a companion book for the series. They are also the founders of the fansite Westeros.org, one of the earliest fan websites for ''A Song of Ice and Fire''. ==Career== Elio García was attending the University of Miami, while his partner Linda Antonsson was living in Sweden. At that time, in 1996, Antonsson introduced García to the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' book series when it came out on paperback. After the second book, ''A Clash of Kings'', was released, they decided to create a forum for discussion of the series, creating an early iteration of Westeros.org, and later expanded it as the series became more popular. As of 2016, Westeros.org had more than 100,000 registered members. García and Antonsson have communicated closely with George R. R. Martin, serving sometimes as fact checkers and researchers of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' universe. They first approached Martin when they had the desire to create a game based on the series, seeking his permission, and created Westeros.org as an information source about how to play the game, titled "Blood of Dragons", but it transformed to become more encompassing of the entire series as a whole, with discussion forums, news, and a Wiki. Around 2000, when ''A Storm of Swords'' was published, García and Antonsson began compiling a concordance of facts and details about Westeros, which they sent to Martin, leading him to state that they knew more about Westeros than he did. During the writing of the series' fourth book, ''A Feast for Crows'', the couple became a regular fact checker for details regarding the series' many characters and locations. After meeting with Martin in person in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the pair was approached by Martin to co-author a book titled ''The World of Ice & Fire'', a companion book which focuses primarily on the history of the Targaryen family, one of the main families presented in the books. The book is written from the point of view that it is a scholarly work of a maester at the Citadel, the main center of knowledge in the world of Westeros. They work together from their home in Nödinge-Nol, near Gothenburg, Sweden. Antonsson has stated that they never contribute to the main series of books on a story level, rather about setting details and continuity details. In addition to writing, Antonsson has also done English to Swedish translating, including for ''Game of Thrones''. The pair provided episode recaps, analysis and video commentary for each episode of Game of Thrones on westeros.org, but as the television series surpassed the book series, they have become critics of many of the show's plot conveniences, in their view, and "clichés"; following the 6th season of the program, Garcia announced that he would no longer be watching the show, after which Antonsson began doing the episode reviews and commentary alone. ==Personal life== García and Antonsson met in 1995 while playing a game based on ''The Lord of the Rings'' over the internet. They were married in 2014, the same day that ''The World of Ice & Fire'' was released, 16 years after the couple had become engaged. García moved to Sweden in 1999, where the couple now lives in Nödinge, Ale Municipality. ==References== ==External links== * Westeros.org - Official website

'''''The Sons of the Dragon''''' is a novella by George R. R. Martin, set in the fictional land of Westeros, the setting of Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series. The story commences about 270 years before the start of ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996). It portrays the death of Aegon I, known as "Aegon the Conqueror", and his two sons Aenys I, his successor to the throne, and Maegor I "the Cruel", in their respective successions to the throne thereafter, and the conflicts faced between them. The story concludes with the death of Maegor, and introduces the groundwork for its sequel, being about the life of his successor and nephew Jaehaerys I "the Conciliator", who reigned 55 years as the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. ==Format== As with his previous Westerosi "histories", including ''The World of Ice and Fire'', ''The Rogue Prince'' and ''The Princess and the Queen'', Martin wrote ''The Sons of the Dragon'' from the perspective of a fictional Westerosi scholar, referred to in-universe as some rank of "maester". Unlike the previous works, attributed to Maester Yandel and Archmaester Gyldayn, the maester of ''The Sons of the Dragon'' remains anonymous throughout the story. At the conclusion of the novella, the unnamed maester notes that the following history of the Targaryen family, concerning the life of Jaehaerys I, would be a "task for another maester". ==Background== Following an early 2017 leak that revealed plans for the novella to be included in the anthology ''The Book of Swords'' (edited by Martin's longtime friend Gardner Dozois), Martin himself confirmed that the anthology was scheduled to be released on October 10, 2017, and confirmed that ''The Sons of the Dragon'' would be included. The story was derived from previously written lengthier material that Martin had prepared for the companion book ''The World of Ice & Fire'', but was removed because the book was becoming too long for the original concept of a fully illustrated book. It and several other stories appeared in abridged versions in other anthologies. The story is included in full in ''Fire & Blood''. ==Publication== The novella was released by Bantam Spectra in October 2017 in hardcover, paperback and audiobook formats, all as the final story in ''The Book of Swords'' anthology. The audiobook edition was narrated by Ralph Lister, who previously collaborated with Martin and Dozois as narrator for their 2012 anthology ''Down These Strange Streets''. ==References==

'''''Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming''''' is a new videogame published in 2019, based on the ''Game of Thrones'' television series and the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' books. On 26 March 2019, Chinese studio Yoozoo Games announced the global launch of ''Game of Thrones Winter is Coming'', a real-time strategy browser game officially licensed by Warner Bros, under license from HBO. The player takes the part of the king of one of the seven kingdoms of Westeros, and he has to try to conquer the other six kingdoms, or to unify them by stopping wars which are current between them. YouTube advertisements for this game seem to say that game activity includes not only fighting and war, but also increasing food production (cultivating land, herding sheep, fishing, picking fruit), mining metal ore, having weapons made, felling timber and making buildings, and training men. In the game, a dragon can be obtained, as an egg, which can be hatched, and the hatchling can be raised through its juvenile stage to being big enough to be useful in battle. The game starts after Eddard Stark dies. It takes some days to play it to completion. ==References== ==External links== * Game of Thrones Winter is Coming Official Website *https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/the-official-game-of-thrones-browser-game-wont-fill-that-dragon-shaped-hole-in-your-life/ :: critical review by PCGamer * description by Gamewarrior * description by bluemoongame * on Facebook

'''Ellaria Sand''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of high fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin and its television adaptation, ''Game of Thrones''. Ellaria first appears in ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), and while she is only mentioned in ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005), she returns in ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011). She is the paramour to Oberyn Martell and mother to several of his bastard daughters, the Sand Snakes. After the death of her lover in a duel at the hands of Ser Gregor Clegane, she is sent into deep mourning, although her subsequent characterization differs between the novels and the television adaptation. In the novels, she sues for peace, seeking an end to the cycle of revenge. In the television adaptation, however, she is portrayed as ruthless and vengeful, willing to do anything to destroy House Lannister, even if it means killing Oberyn's own family in the process. The character is portrayed by Indira Varma in the HBO television adaptation. ==Character description== Ellaria Sand is a bastard from Dorne but is not discriminated against for this, as Dorne's views and customs towards children born out of wedlock differ from those of the rest of Westeros, where bastards are often discriminated against. She is the paramour of Oberyn Martell, as even in Dorne a Prince cannot marry a bastard. She is the mother of the youngest four Sand Snakes (Oberyn's bastard daughters). Like Oberyn, she is bisexual. In the novels, Ellaria Sand is mostly a background character. She is not a point of view character; rather, her actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other people, such as Tyrion Lannister, Arianne Martell, and Areo Hotah. ==Storylines== Coat of arms of House Martell ====''A Storm of Swords''==== Ellaria comes with Oberyn to King's Landing, as part of Tyrion Lannister's efforts to win them to the Iron Throne. Oberyn, however, clearly wants revenge for his sister's death, apparently committed on the orders of Tywin Lannister, during King Robert's rebellion. Oberyn wants Ellaria to sit with him at Joffrey Baratheon's wedding, causing trouble when Olenna Tyrell calls her "the serpent's whore". Later, when Tyrion is condemned for poisoning Joffrey Baratheon, Oberyn acts as his champion in a Trial by Combat against Ser Gregor Clegane, who had raped and murdered Oberyn's sister, Elia Martell, during the Sack of King's Landing. Oberyn wounds Gregor with a poisoned spear but is killed by Gregor. Afterwards, Ellaria returns to Dorne. ====''A Dance with Dragons''==== Gregor Clegane apparently dies of the poison after spending days in agony (Oberyn having treated the poison to work slowly). His skull is sent to Dorne, where Oberyn's brother, Doran Martell, the ruling Prince of Dorne, sees it. Despite Gregor and Tywin's deaths, Oberyn's bastard daughters want revenge. Ellaria argues against revenge, saying all those they want revenge against are dead and the Lannisters they are now targeting took no part in their kin's deaths. She reminds them Oberyn died trying to avenge his sister's death and worries they too will die, if they seek vengeance. Doran sends her back to her father, Lord Harmen Uller of Hellholt with her youngest daughter Loreza Sand. ==TV adaptation== English actress Indira Varma portrays Ellaria Sand. Ellaria Sand is played by the British actress Indira Varma in the television adaption of the series of books. She won the Empire Hero Award along with the rest of the cast in 2015. She was also nominated, along with the rest of the cast for Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2016. ====Season 4==== Ellaria Sand's storyline in this season is very similar to her storyline in ''A Storm of Swords''. ====Season 5==== Ellaria tries to persuade Doran Martell, Prince of Dorne, to avenge his brother's death. However, Doran refuses, as Oberyn's death was via trial by combat, and therefore by Westerosi law, Gregor Clegane did not murder Oberyn. Ellaria soon learns that Jaime Lannister is sailing for Dorne, planning to rescue his daughter Myrcella, betrothed to Doran's son, Trystane. When Jaime arrives at the Water Gardens, the Sand Snakes attack him and Bronn, but the skirmish ends with all arrested by Martell guards. Doran and Jaime reach a deal, Trystane will marry Myrcella, but the two will live in King's Landing and Trystane will be granted a seat on the Small Council. Ellaria is threatened with death by Doran if she ever defies him and she feigns allegiance to him. She kisses Myrcella goodbye at the docks, secretly wearing lipstick coated with a slow-acting poison, which kills Myrcella on the ship headed for King's Landing. ====Season 6==== After Doran Martell realises that Myrcella has been murdered, Ellaria stabs Doran, while in King's Landing, Obara and Nymeria, who had snuck onto the ship headed to King's Landing, kill Trystane. This makes Ellaria the de facto ruler of Dorne. A while later, Ellaria meets Olenna Tyrell, whose son and grandchildren have been killed by Cersei, the present Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Ellaria then reveals her allegiance to Daenerys Targaryen. Later, Martell and Tyrell ships can be seen in Daenerys' fleet heading for Westeros. ====Season 7==== Ellaria and the Sand Snakes arrive in Dragonstone to discuss the conquest of Westeros with Daenrys. Yara and Theon Greyjoy return Ellaria and the Sand Snakes to Dorne so they can gather their army. En route, Euron Greyjoy attacks them and burns Yara's fleet. He kills Obara and Nymeria and captures Yara, and takes Ellaria and Tyene to Cersei, as a gift. In the dungeons Cersei recalls the death of Oberyn Martell and explains how much she loved Myrcella. Then she kisses Tyene using the same poison that Ellaria used to murder Myrcella. She tells Ellaria that she will be watching Tyene die and after Tyene's death, she will be kept alive to watch as her daughter's body rots away. ===Family tree=== ==References==

'''Margaery Tyrell''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of high fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. Margaery is first mentioned in ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996) and first appears in ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998). She is a member of the House Tyrell, the second wealthiest and largest of the eight Great Houses in Westeros. She is twin sister to Loras Tyrell and the granddaughter of Olenna Tyrell. She subsequently appeared in ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005), and ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011). Like her grandmother, she is shrewd, ambitious and adaptable, and uses her beauty, generosity and family influence to secure power for herself. Having wed herself to three different kings over the course of the narrative, she is one of the most influential political figures in Westeros, which often brings her into conflict with her chief rival at court, Cersei Lannister. Margaery is portrayed by English actress Natalie Dormer in the HBO television adaptation, a role for which she has received critical acclaim. Margaery is one of the most popular supporting characters in both the books and television show, and is often cited as a prominent example of the story's strong feminist themes. ==Character description== Margaery is the only daughter of Alerie Hightower and Mace Tyrell, the Lord of Highgarden in the Reach. Her older brothers are the heir Willas, Garlan and Loras the Knight of Flowers, who is a member of the Kingsguard. One of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Westeros, House Tyrell is actually guided by the willful Lady Olenna, Mace's mother, who has arranged Margaery's marriages and mentors her in politics and court intrigue. Margaery Tyrell is not a point of view character in the novels, so her actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of Sansa Stark and Cersei Lannister. ==Storylines== Coat of arms of House Tyrell Margaery appears in ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998), having married Renly Baratheon and supporting his claim to the Iron Throne. After Renly's assassination, the Tyrells switch allegiance and Margaery is instead offered to wed King Joffrey Baratheon. In ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), she becomes popular among the citizens of King's Landing through her various charitable activities. Margaery forms an amiable relationship with the King's ex-fiancee Sansa Stark and through Sansa she learns much about Joffrey's true nature. Margaery weds Joffrey, but he is poisoned at their wedding feast. In ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005) Margaery marries Joffrey's younger brother, Tommen, and encourages him to assert himself as king. Margaery's growing influence over Tommen puts her in a bitter power struggle with his mother Cersei Lannister, which eventually culminates in Cersei framing Margaery for adultery. In ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011), Margaery is released from prison and placed under house arrest, where she awaits trial. ==TV adaptation== In HBO's ''Game of Thrones'', Margaery's backstory and plotline in the early seasons remain largely unchanged from the novels, though the character is more prominent in the series and this version of Margaery is an adult as opposed to a teenager. Margaery first appears in the second season, following her marriage to Renly; she is well aware that her marriage is a political one, and displays pragmatism regarding Renly's homosexuality and his relationship with her brother Loras. ===Season 2=== Margaery, newly married to Renly, reveals that she is aware of his romantic relationship with her brother and is willing to work around his desires to secure their alliance and her position. Following Renly's assassination, Margaery indicates to Petyr Baelish that she is aware that her brother-in-law, Stannis Baratheon, is more likely to be behind the assassination than Brienne of Tarth, the official suspect. She also makes it clear that her ambition is to be the Queen of Westeros, and that she will not settle for anything less. ===Season 3=== Margaery has relocated to King's Landing and taken up residence in the Red Keep. She swiftly proves that she is one of the few people capable of managing Joffrey, which pleases his grandfather, Tywin Lannister, but makes her an enemy in Cersei. The series also expands on Margaery's friendship with Sansa Stark, though her motives are unclear and Margaery swiftly replaces Sansa as Joffrey's fiancee. Through several shrewd PR moves towards the city's poor and orphaned, Margaery becomes extremely popular with the common people as their future Queen. ===Season 4=== Margaery Tyrell has been married to Joffrey Baratheon, but she is widowed hours later when he is poisoned at the wedding feast. Soon after, Olenna reveals herself as masterminding the poisoning, but Margaery, now aware that Tyrion Lannister's trial is a farce, keeps quiet. Arrangements are made to wed Margaery to Joffrey's younger brother Tommen, to whom Margaery swiftly ingratiates herself. Cersei and Margaery continue their bitter rivalry; Cersei resents being displaced as Queen and being forced to marry her very young child to the much older Margaery, while Margaery tries to outmaneuver her. ===Season 5=== Margaery and Tommen wed, and she finally becomes the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. She taunts Cersei over her triumph, and exhorts Tommen to send Cersei away from the capital. Cersei, in a shortsighted attempt to get rid of her rival, consents for the Faith of the Seven to once again bear arms. Cersei intends for the zealously fervent religious order to seize and condemn Loras for his homosexual behavior, thus tricking Margaery into perjuring herself by denying knowledge of his proclivities. Margaery finds herself arrested and awaiting trial, although Cersei is arrested as well for her unrelated charges, ie. her incestuous behaviors. ===Season 6=== After a period of captivity, Margaery is permitted to visit Loras in his cell. She discovers that he is beginning to break under the Faith's questioning, and that the meeting is a ploy to break her too. Jaime Lannister leads the Tyrell army on the Sept of Baelor to secure Margaery's release, but it is revealed that she has been absolved, by convincing Tommen to forge an alliance between the Faith and the Crown. To placate Cersei, Margaery surreptitiously convinces Olenna to return to Highgarden, subtly indicating that she is still loyal to House Tyrell. Margaery persuades the High Sparrow, the leader of the Faith, to release Loras if he surrenders his claim as heir of House Tyrell and joins the Faith. However, when Cersei fails to arrive for her trial Margaery deduces Cersei is plotting something. Panicking, she desperately tries to convince the High Sparrow to evacuate the Sept of Baelor, but the High Sparrow refuses and has the Faith Militant bar the exits. Moments later, wildfire set beneath the Sept by Qyburn, on Cersei's orders explodes. Margaery is killed, along with hundreds of others present. Her death, and those of her brother and father, lead Olenna to accept a proposal by the Sand Snakes (who currently lead the Reach's ancient rival, Dorne) in supporting Daenerys Targaryen's invasion of Westeros. ==Family tree of House Tyrell== ==Reception== ===''A Song of Ice and Fire''=== Adam Whitehead of the wertzone feels Margaery's rivalry with Cersei Lannister is a major driving force in ''A Feast for Crows''. Hahn Nguyen of wickedlocal.com feels that Margaery is a background character whose cunning is only addressed subtly. She states that; "In the books, I felt Margaery was just pushed to the background. A pawn," and "Margaery's cunning was hinted at in the books, especially in her lunch with Lady Olenna and Sansa." In a similar vein, Sean T. Collins writing for ''Rolling Stone'' feels that author Martin has been vague about Margaery's ambition and political cunning and describes her as a; "mute mystery whose motives and level of involvement in the game of thrones are unknown by ''A Clash of Kings''" However other writers feel Margaery's political ambition is more obvious. Madeline of Feministing writes; "Margaery is an ambitious politico as well as being a damn good actress – she plays the part of the tragic, virginal twice-widow so well that almost no one suspects that she is dead set on winning the throne. Despite frequently being used as a bartering chip, Margaery uses her womanhood to her advantage, knowing that producing an heir will shoot her to power." Similarly, Danica Liu writing for ''The Duke Chronicle'' describes Margaery as "subtle and graceful" and like most of the women in ''A Song of Ice and Fire,'' deals in the currencies of power. ===''Game of Thrones''=== Natalie Dormer plays the role of Margaery Tyrell in the television series. David Sims writing for ''The A.V. Club'' enjoyed the introduction of Margaery's character in "What Is Dead May Never Die" commenting; "the fun twist to this plot is that Margaery Tyrell is obviously not the blushing maiden she appears to be, but an operator just like everyone else," and "Margaery could just be a cypher, a mostly silent cog in Renly's plans for dominance, but instead she's going to be a lot more." He uses her character to praise the writing of ''Game of Thrones'', stating that it; "rarely traffics in cliched characterization." Jenna Busch of Zap2it calls Margaery a "power player" who will "do anything to stay on the throne." Writer and editor Silvia Moreno Garcia describes Margaery as "a sleeker, more determined player of this game of thrones" when compared to her book characterization and goes on to comment that she is a "shrewd politician," who might give the other good players a run for their money." She also believes she is "older and worldlier than the one in the books." In "Valar Dohaeris", Diana Huang of UC Riverside's ''Highlander News'' appreciated the development of Margaery's character and called her "self aware and quick-witted" and believes she has the power to wreak havoc in King's Landing. Many commentators notice Margaery's desire and ability to gain the support of the public. Rhiannon of feministfiction writes: "this Margaery is ambitious but kind, clearly sweet and generous, but also a master at working people's emotions in her favor. Graceful, elegant, and aware of how powerful every word can be. She's an expert at the game that Sansa has only just begun, and it is stunning to see her." Tiffany Brown, writing for ''TV After Dark'', states "Margaery has gained the favor and love of the people of King's Landing, and has even garnered the affections of her future king." Natalie Dormer, the actress who plays Margaery, when interviewed by HitFix discussed Margaery's political savviness: Margaery brings this whole new element to the Game that you haven't seen before, which is basically PR. It's quite a modern ethos on PR and courting public affections, hopefully. We've all seen politicians kiss babies. It doesn't mean that she's insincere in her genuine hope to do charitable work and it's just an interesting new comment on how you handle the masses and how you win power that maybe we haven't seen in Westeros before. She also noted that Margaery comes from a matriarchal family and "that she's more cut from the cloth as a protegee of her grandmother, so she knows what it's like for a woman to be in charge." For her performance in the show, Natalie Dormer, along with the rest of the ensemble cast, was nominated for four Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016, respectively, and the cast was awarded the Empire Hero Award in 2015 by the British film magazine ''Empire''. For her performance in the third season of the show, Dormer won the Ewwy Award for Best Supporting Actress - Drama. ==References==

'''Viserys Targaryen''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and the first season of the television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. Introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', Viserys and his younger sister, Daenerys are the last confirmed members of House Targaryen who, until fifteen years before the events of the first novel, ruled on the Iron Throne in Westeros for nearly three hundred years. As such, they are hunted by the forces of the new king, Robert Baratheon, and have been forced to flee to the neighboring continent of Essos. Viserys is characterized by his vanity and bitterness, and often behaves cruelly towards his younger sister. Viserys is portrayed by Harry Lloyd in the HBO television adaptation. == Character description == Viserys Targaryen is the middle child and younger son of Aerys II Targaryen, also known as The Mad King, and his sister-wife Rhaella Targaryen. Viserys Targaryen is not a point of view character in the novels, so his actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of his sister Daenerys. ==Storylines== Coat of arms of House Targaryen ====''A Game of Thrones''==== Viserys Targaryen is the second born son of Aerys II Targaryen. Thirteen years before the events of the series, he and his sister Daenerys fled Westeros to escape death at the hands of rebel Robert Baratheon. Viserys is an arrogant, cruel and ambitious man given to violent mood swings. In ''A Game of Thrones'', he sells his sister as a wife to the Dothraki Khal Drogo, as a means to secure the allegiance of Drogo's army toward his goal of reclaiming the throne. Frustrated with Drogo, Viserys demands a crown and threatens Daenerys and her unborn child; Drogo kills him by pouring a pot of molten gold over his head. Daenerys later names one of her dragons Viserion, after Viserys. She explains that in spite of everything, he was still her brother, and that his draconic namesake will help do what he could not. She also tries to remember him as the good person he was before the stresses of their exile made him violent and bitter, and acknowledges that he at least kept her alive and safe through her childhood. ==TV adaptation== Viserys Targaryen is played by British actor Harry Lloyd in the television adaption of the books. Harry Lloyd on Viserys Targaryen: As soon as I looked into more of the history of the Targaryen family and actually read the other books, I found out more and pieced together his backstory, and he became sympathetic. I understood more what motivated him, and the fear he had, and the responsibility he had, and his childishness. I mean, he never really had a parent. That changed a lot my view from reading it to playing it. Lloyd on his character's death scene: I've never had to die on camera before, let alone in such a grisly way. So you just have to kind of give it everything. You talk to the two actors holding you and say, ‘Let's not pansy around here. I'm gonna absolutely try and get out of this, so don't let me.' Then, you let it rip. It can't be some sort of half-assed whimpering – you've got to really believe the pain and the fear. It's actually quite liberating. Lloyd has received positive reviews for his role as Viserys in the TV series. ====Season 1==== Viserys Targaryen is the exiled prince and heir of the Targaryen dynasty and is known as "The Beggar King" for his search for an army to recapture his throne. A narcissist, he is arrogant and self-centered, caring only about himself and looking down on others, especially his sister Daenerys. In exchange for an army to help regain the Iron Throne, Viserys marries off his sister to the powerful Dothraki warlord Khal Drogo in the first episode, "Winter Is Coming", and follows his horde's journey to the Dothraki capital to ensure Drogo will keep his end of the bargain. But as they journey, it becomes evident that Viserys does not have any leadership skills to reclaim the throne as his arrogance and disrespect for the Dothraki does not win him any hearts. Furthermore, Daenerys, whom he has always threatened throughout his life, starts to stand up to him. Seeing that Daenerys is loved by the Dothraki and that her and Drogo's unborn son is prophesied to unite the world, Viserys realizes that it is not he but Daenerys who will reclaim the Iron Throne. In the sixth episode, "A Golden Crown", he gets in a fit of drunken rage, threatens Drogo to give him his army and crown or he will kill his sister and her unborn son. Having had enough of his behavior, Drogo kills Viserys by giving him a "Golden Crown"; molten gold poured over his head. Daenerys watches her brother's agonizing death, proclaiming that he wasn't a true dragon, as "fire cannot kill a dragon". Daenerys later names one of her dragons Viserion, as a tribute to Viserys, although the reasoning is not explained on-screen. ==Family tree of House Targaryen== == References ==

'''Gendry''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its HBO television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. First appearing in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', Gendry is a blacksmith apprentice in King's Landing, and an unacknowledged bastard of King Robert Baratheon. He subsequently appeared in ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998), ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000) and ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005). After Queen Cersei Lannister orders the execution of all of King Robert's bastards, Gendry is forced to flee King's Landing alongside Arya Stark under the protection of Yoren, a recruiter for the Night's Watch. He later joins the outlaw group Brotherhood Without Banners and is knighted by its leader Beric Dondarrion, and becomes a follower of R'hllor. Gendry is portrayed by English actor Joe Dempsie in the HBO television adaptation. == Character description == Gendry was conceived and born in King's Landing after Robert's Rebellion ended and is one of sixteen (twenty in the television series) bastard children of King Robert Baratheon,. He is portrayed as tall and very muscled, having blue eyes and thick black hair, very similar to his biological father Robert and uncle Renly in their youth (Brienne of Tarth once almost mistook him for Renly for a moment). He is stubborn and easily confused. Despite being one of the only four surviving biological children of King Robert (along with Mya Stone, Edric Storm and Bella Rivers), Gendry never knew who his father was. His mother was reported to have been a worker at an alehouse who died when Gendry was still a young boy, and all he remembers of her was that she had blond hair. Later on, Tobho Mott, a master armourer from Qohor, was offered double the customary fee by a "lord" with concealed identity to take Gendry in as a smith apprentice, but accepted him for free after being impressed by the boy's physique. Gendry turns out to be a talented apprentice, and likes to spend time polishing a bull head helmet that he proudly made for himself, which earned him the nickname "Bull" by Arya Stark. ==Storylines == Coat of arms of House Baratheon Gendry is not a point of view character in the novels, and his actions are witnessed and interpreted primarily through the eyes of Arya Stark, as well as some descriptions from Eddard Stark and Brienne of Tarth. He has the most story arc out of King Robert's children. ====''A Game of Thrones''==== In his investigation about the death of Jon Arryn, Eddard Stark meets several people who had met with Arryn shortly before his death. One of them is Gendry, who was sought by both Jon Arryn and Stannis Baratheon. Eddard immediately recognizes Gendry as Robert Baratheon's bastard child, and tells Tobho Mott that if Gendry ever shows interest in military service, he is to be sent directly to Eddard. Gendry has shown promise as a blacksmith and made a helmet in the shape of a bull. Eddard compliments the helmet, offering to purchase it, but Gendry refuses, to the shame of his master. ====''A Clash of Kings''==== After Eddard Stark's political fall and eventual execution, Varys makes arrangements for the Night's Watch recruiter Yoren to take Gendry to the Wall in order to ensure his safety. Gendry travels north with Yoren and thirty other recruits including Lommy Greenhands, Hot Pie and a disguised Arya Stark. Not far from King's Landing they are stopped by several gold cloaks from the City Watch, who demand that Yoren give up Gendry as he is wanted by Queen Regent Cersei Lannister. Yoren refuses, and chases off the gold cloaks with his recruits. Later, near an abandoned holdfast by the God's Eye, the recruits are attacked by soldiers led by Ser Amory Lorch. Yoren is killed in the fight, and Gendry along with Arya, Lommy and Hot Pie escape through a secret tunnel. Whilst on a reconnaissance run with Arya, Gendry confronts her about her true gender and identity. He eventually has the truth out of her and is subsequently embarrassed by how crass he had spoken to her when she was in fact highborn. Gendry is later captured by soldiers led by Ser Gregor Clegane, but is spared from death since a blacksmith is useful as a slave laborer. After Lannister man at arms, Polliver, kills the injured Lommy, they are taken to Harrenhal, where Gendry works as a smith. When Arya decides to escape from Harrenhal, however, she persuades Gendry and Hot Pie to join her. ====''A Storm of Swords''==== While wandering around the Riverlands looking for the direction of Riverrun, Arya, Gendry and Hot Pie are captured by the Brotherhood without Banners, led by a resurrected Beric Dondarrion. At the Peach brothel in Stoney Sept, Gendry declines sleeping with Bella. Later he argues with Arya, jealous she talked to Beric's squire Edric Dayne, who claims to be Jon Snow's milk brother. Gendry is later impressed with Thoros of Myr's description of the ideals of the brotherhood, and decides to join them. He is knighted by Beric, thus becoming Ser Gendry, knight of the hollow hill. ====''A Feast for Crows''==== While questing to find Sansa Stark, Brienne of Tarth encounters Gendry working as a smith at the Inn at the Crossroads along with a group of orphans, and is struck by his resemblance to the late Renly Baratheon. At the inn, Brienne encounters and duels with Rorge, killing him, only to be savaged by Biter; Gendry saves Brienne by driving a spear through Biter's neck. ==== Family tree of House Baratheon ==== ==TV adaptation== Joe Dempsie plays the role of Gendry in the television series ''Game of Thrones''. Gendry is played by Joe Dempsie in the television adaption of the series of books. Explaining how he got cast for the role: When I was cast as Gendry, I didn't have any of the physical attributes the part required. I was astounded that I got the role, to be honest. But David and Dan said, "We need to dye ''sic'' his hair black ... and it'd be great you hit the gym before we start filming." So I was told to get in shape. Dempsie has received positive reviews for his performance as Gendry in the television series. He and the rest of the cast were nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2014. ===Season 1=== Eddard "Ned" Stark tells the smith to send Gendry to him if he ever shows interest in wielding a sword. Gendry shows promise as a smith and makes a helmet in the shape of a bull's head; Eddard compliments the helmet, offering to purchase it. Gendry refuses, to the shame of the master smith. After Ned's arrest and eventual execution, arrangements are made for Yoren of the Night's Watch to take Gendry to the Wall with him. ===Season 2=== Gendry travels North with Yoren and other Night's Watch recruits, including Arya Stark (disguised as an orphan boy named 'Arry), Lommy Greenhands, Hot Pie and Jaqen H'ghar. During their journey, they are stopped by the Goldcloaks of the City Watch, who demand that Yoren hand Gendry over to them - King Joffrey has ordered that all of his father Robert's bastards be killed, but Yoren turns the Goldcloaks away. Later, Gendry forces Arya to reveal her true identity, and is surprised to learn she is in fact Ned Stark's daughter. After the Goldcloaks get help from Ser Amory Lorch and his men, they ambush the travelling party. In the chaos, Yoren is killed. Gendry's life is then saved by Arya, who convinces the Goldcloaks that Lommy, who was killed during the attack, was in fact Gendry. Gendry and the rest of the recruits are then escorted to Harrenhal, the ruined castle-turned-prison. Ser Gregor Clegane oversees order here, and arbitrarily has many of the prisoners tortured and killed. Gendry is nearly tortured and killed but is saved by the arrival of Lord Tywin Lannister, who chides Clegane's men for their reckless treatment of the prisoners. Thanks to Jaqen H'ghars help, Arya, Gendry and Hot Pie are able to escape Harrenhal. ===Season 3=== As they head towards the Riverlands, the group encounters the Brotherhood Without Banners, a group of outlaws who defend the weak. Inspired, he decides to join the Brotherhood but is betrayed by them when they sell him to Lady Melisandre, as ordered by the Lord of Light. Melisandre later reveals to Gendry that the late King Robert was his father, and that she is bringing him to meet his uncle Stannis at Dragonstone. But in truth, Melisandre and Stannis plan to use his blood in a magic ritual to create a death curse on the usurpers to his throne, King Joffrey, the King in the North Robb Stark, and King of the Iron Islands Balon Greyjoy. Before they can sacrifice him, however, Davos Seaworth helps Gendry escape to King's Landing in a rowing boat. Unable to swim or row competently, Gendry is nevertheless convinced that the Red Woman has a surer death in store for him, and returns to Westeros' capital by sea. ===Season 7=== In the years after his escape from Dragonstone, a series of events result in the deaths of the rest of House Baratheon, leaving Gendry as the only person with Baratheon heritage. Gendry returns to work as a blacksmith in King's Landing, hiding in plain sight from the Lannister soldiers and Goldcloaks. Although he reasons that the Lannisters will not think to look for him in the city, he grates at having to manufacture weapons for their army. Gendry is greeted by Davos, who has returned briefly to the capital to find him. He wants his assistance in the coming war against the White Walkers, and Gendry leaps at the chance of escaping his life armoring his enemies. After meeting King in the North Jon Snow and bonding over their status as the bastards of Robert Baratheon and (allegedly) Ned Stark respectively, they head north to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. He, along with Jon, Tormund Giantsbane, Sandor Clegane, Beric Dondarrion, Thoros of Myr and Jorah Mormont, heads beyond the Wall to retrieve a wight to present as evidence to Cersei Lannister of the impending White Walker invasion, with Davos remaining at Eastwatch. Gendry still resents Beric and Thoros for selling him. The group manages to capture a lone wight, but Jon realizes that the rest of the wights are approaching and orders Gendry to run back to Eastwatch to send a raven to Daenerys Targaryen requesting her assistance. After running through the night, Gendry collapses from exhaustion outside Eastwatch, but is rescued by Davos and a group of wildlings and manages to tell them of Jon's warning. ===Season 8=== Gendry joins Daenerys' army as they camp at Winterfell in anticipation of the White Walkers' attack. Gendry is tasked with smithing weapons from dragonglass, capable of instantly killing the wights. Reunited with Arya, she bids him create a dual-bladed, dragonglass staff. On the eve of the attack, Gendry gives her the weapon and relates his Baratheon heritage to her. Arya inquires of his past romantic liaisons, then expresses her desire to lose her virginity, should they die tomorrow, and they make love. Gendry survives the Long Night and is legitimised a Baratheon by Daenerys, and given lordship of Storm's End. Gendry professes his love to Arya and proposes, however Arya is uninterested in marriage and declines. After Jon kills Daenerys, Gendry travels to King's Landing along with Westeros' other nobility to decide the future of the Seven Kingdoms. Tyrion proposes that Bran Stark be crowned king, and Gendry approves, along with the other lords, unanimously. == References == ==Sources== *

"'''Lord Snow'''" is the third episode of the first season of the HBO medieval fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones''. It first aired on May 1, 2011. It was written by the show creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by series regular Brian Kirk, his directorial debut for the series. The plot follows Jon Snow's training at The Wall; Eddard's arrival at King's Landing, followed by Catelyn, looking for Bran's would-be murderer; Arya reveals her desire to learn sword fighting to her father; Joffrey is given a lesson in ruling the Kingdom by Cersei, and Robert longs for the glory of his past. Meanwhile, Daenerys learns she is pregnant. The episode was the first to feature Old Nan, played by Margaret John, who died before the series was broadcast; the episode is dedicated to her memory in the final credit. The title of the episode is the demeaning nickname given to Jon Snow by Ser Alliser Thorne, the sadistic trainer of Night's Watch recruits, referring to the fact that he's highborn, yet ended up at the Wall. Critical reception was generally positive, with critics praising Maisie Williams for her portrayal of Arya Stark, and her sword lesson scenes, as well as the introduction of the Small Council, and further character development for the series. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 2.4 million in its initial broadcast. ==Plot== ===In the Dothraki Sea=== Daenerys gains confidence and earns the respect of Ser Jorah Mormont. After assaulting her, Viserys is nearly killed by one of Danerys's bloodriders. Irri notices that Daenerys is pregnant and Jorah, upon being told, departs for Qohor for supplies. Later, Daenerys reveals to Drogo that their child is a boy. ===In Winterfell=== With Bran now awake, Robb tells him that he will never walk again. Bran, saying he is unable to remember anything about his fall, wishes he was dead. ===At the Wall=== Jon easily beats his fellow recruits in combat. Master-at-arms Ser Alliser berates them all for their poor performance, even Jon, nicknaming him "Lord Snow" to mock his bastard heritage. Jon asks Benjen to take him north of the Wall, but he tells Jon that he must earn it. Jon makes amends by giving his fellow recruits proper sword training. Tyrion is asked to provide more men from Cersei and Jaime for the outnumbered Night's Watch. Though skeptical, Tyrion agrees to do so; he departs the Wall and says goodbye to Jon, who finally accepts Tyrion as a friend. ===In King's Landing=== On his way to a meeting of the king's Small Council, Ned encounters Jaime Lannister. It is revealed that Jaime killed the Mad King Aerys Targaryen, father of Daenerys and Viserys. Ned remains dissatisfied that Jaime broke his oath as knight of the Kingsguard. Ned joins the Small Council, consisting of Robert's brother Lord Renly, Lord Varys, Grand Maester Pycelle, and Lord Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish. Renly announces Robert's plans for a great tourney in honor of Ned's appointment as the Hand of the King. Ned learns that the crown is heavily indebted. Upon arriving in King's Landing, Catelyn is taken to a brothel owned by Littlefinger who, along with Varys and Ser Rodrik, discuss the attempt on Bran's life. Littlefinger admits that the assassin's dagger was once his but he lost it to Tyrion. Ned agrees to ally with Littlefinger to find who is responsible for Bran's attempted murder. Ned returns to his keep to find Sansa and Arya arguing, with Arya angry at Sansa for lying for Joffrey. Ned reminds her that Sansa and Joffrey will be married one day. Learning that Arya aspires to be a swordsman and has a sword of her own, Ned hires Syrio Forel to teach her the art of swordsmanship. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. "Lord Snow" was written by the show creators and executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based on A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, including chapters 18-22, 24 and 37. (Catelyn IV, Jon III, Eddard IV, Tyrion III, Arya II, Bran IV and Daenerys IV). ===Casting=== The third episode introduces a number of new characters to the story, due to the expansion of the story to the new locales of King's Landing and the Wall. In the capital city the members of the council are presented. Series regular Aidan Gillen, known for his roles in ''Queer as Folk'' and ''The Wire'' takes the role of Lord Petyr Baelish, the king's master of coin known as "Littlefinger." Gethin Anthony plays the king's youngest brother Renly Baratheon, and veteran actor Julian Glover, well known to science fiction and fantasy fans after appearing in films such as ''The Empire Strikes Back'' and ''Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'', was cast as Grand Maester Pycelle after actor Roy Dotrice had to be replaced for medical reasons. Author George R. R. Martin wrote on the casting of Conleth Hill as spymaster Varys: "Hill, like Varys, is quite a chameleon, an actor who truly disappears inside the characters he portrays, more than capable not only of bringing the slimy, simpering eunuch to life." Ian McElhinney plays Ser Barristan Selmy, the commander of the Kingsguard, and Miltos Yorelemou appears as the fencing instructor Syrio Forel. McElhinney had previously played Gillen's father in ''Queer as Folk''. The hierarchy of the Wall is introduced with James Cosmo as commander Jeor Mormont, Peter Vaughan as the blind maester Aemon, Owen Teale as the trainer of the new recruits Ser Alliser Thorne, and Francis Magee as the recruiter Yoren. This episode also marks the first appearance of the Welsh actress Margaret John as Old Nan. 84-year-old Margaret John died on 2 February 2011, a few months after having finished recording her scenes in ''Game of Thrones'', which was her last role on television. Executive producers David Benioff and Dan Weiss issued a statement grieving her death. The episode "Lord Snow" is dedicated to her, with the last credit being "In the memory of Margaret John." The Mdina Gate doubles as the gate of the Red Keep. ===Filming locations=== To film the scenes at the Wall the production built a set on the abandoned quarry of Magheramorne, a few minutes north of Belfast. The composite set (with both exteriors and interiors) consisted of a large section of Castle Black including the courtyard, the ravenry, the mess hall and the barracks, and used the stone wall of the quarry as the basis for the ice wall that protects Westeros from the dangers that dwell beyond. They also made a real elevator to lift the rangers to the top of the Wall. For the streets of King's Landing, the production flew to Malta. The gate of Fort Ricasoli doubled as the King's Gate, shown at the beginning of the episode when the royal entourage enters the city. The entrance of the Red Keep used when Catelyn and Rodrik enter the fortification corresponds to Mdina Gate, and also in Mdina the Pjazza Mesquita is the location for the entrance to the brothel owned by Lord Baelish. Ron Donachie, the actor playing Ser Rodrik Cassel, said that the scene where he entered King's Landing was his favourite moment. Visiting a museum in the Maltese capital of Valletta, Donachie had seen a painting of armed knights riding through that Gate of Mdina itself and found exciting that to be able to do the same thing, "especially in Rodrik’s full-scale Stark battle regalia". ===Other=== On the scene where Old Nan offers to tell Bran stories, she claims that his favorites are the ones about Ser Duncan the Tall. The tales of Duncan and his squire Egg are a series of novellas written by author George R. R. Martin, taking place about a hundred years before the events of ''Game of Thrones''. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "Lord Snow"'s first airing was seen by 2.4 million viewers, which represented a 10% increase in the ratings from the two previous episodes. Combined with the second airing it reached 3.1 million viewers, which were considered good results especially considering that the news of Osama Bin Laden's death broke during the West Coast airing of the episode. In the UK, the viewership figures were in line with those obtained on the previous week, with around 510,000 viewers. Those figures are in the top end for the network, Sky Atlantic. ===Critical response=== While the majority of the critics gave "Lord Snow" a positive review, many suggested that it suffered from having to introduce many new characters and locations. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 10 reviews of the episode and judged 80% of them to be positive with an average score of 8.75 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "'Lord Snow' is an intriguing and heavy transitional episode with standout performances from Bean and Gillen, though it would be better served with more focus on character change and development." Myles McNutt wrote at Cultural Learnings that it was "perhaps the most narratively uninteresting episode of the first six," although he highlighted that it was "hardly a bad episode of television, filled as it is with satisfying sequences that capture many themes key to the series," and added that many issues introduced in this episode had a payoff in future installments. ''Entertainment Weekly'' James Hibberd also thought that it was his least favorite episode of the first six, due to too much character development. However, Alan Sepinwall from HitFix, liked the "more rambling quality of 'Lord Snow,' and while admitting it is heavy on exposition he felt it worked "because the stories are being told with such passion." IGN's Matt Fowler wrote that "Lord Snow" was "dense and filled with tons of exposition and backstory, which may or may not have interested those new to this story - but I found myself hanging on every precious word." Alan Sepinwall wrote a positive review of the episode for HitFix, saying "Arya's fencing lesson is a wonderful scene, carried by the joy of Maisie Williams' performance and the playful, Inigo Montoya-ish quality of her new teacher Syrio, but it's also such a small, simple thing that you wouldn't ordinarily expect it to be the note that an episode of dramatic television goes out on" and continued "I liked the looser, more rambling quality of "Lord Snow," an episode largely about transitions, fish out of water, and old ghosts. Some of the scenes were highly praised by reviewers. The closing scene with Arya taking her first lesson from the Braavosi Syrio Forel was highlighted. Maureen Ryan from AOL TV stated that it was her favorite scene of the series so far, and James Hibberd remarked upon the quality of all the child actors of the show and stated that Maisie Williams owned her role in this episode. Other scenes that were noted by the critics were the father-daughter dialogue with Eddard Stark and Arya, King Robert remembering with the members of his Kingsguard their first killings, and Eddard attending his first session of the Small Council. ==References== ==External links== * "Lord Snow" at HBO * *

'''''A Song of Ice and Fire''''' is a series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. He began the first volume of the series, ''A Game of Thrones,'' in 1991, and it was published in 1996. Martin, who initially envisioned the series as a trilogy, has published five out of a planned seven volumes. The fifth and most recent volume of the series, ''A Dance with Dragons'', was published in 2011 and took Martin six years to write. He is currently writing the sixth novel, ''The Winds of Winter''. ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' takes place on the fictional continents Westeros and Essos. The point of view of each chapter in the story is a limited perspective of a range of characters growing from nine in the first novel, to 31 characters by the fifth novel. Three main stories interweave: a dynastic war among several families for control of Westeros, the rising threat of the supernatural Others in northernmost Westeros, and the ambition of Daenerys Targaryen, the deposed king's exiled daughter, to assume the Iron Throne. Martin's inspirations included the Wars of the Roses and the French historical novels ''The Accursed Kings'' by Maurice Druon. ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' received praise for its diverse portrayal of women and religion, as well as its realism. An assortment of disparate and subjective points of view confronts the reader, and the success or survival of point-of-view characters is never assured. Within the often morally ambiguous world of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', questions concerning loyalty, pride, human sexuality, piety, and the morality of violence frequently arise. The books have sold 90 million copies worldwide , after having been translated into 47 languages . The fourth and fifth volumes reached the top of the ''New York Times'' Best Seller lists upon their releases. Among the many derived works are several prequel novellas, a TV series, a comic book adaptation, and several card, board, and video games. ==Plot synopsis== ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' takes place in a fictional world in which seasons last for years and end unpredictably. Nearly three centuries before the events of the first novel, the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros were united under the Targaryen dynasty by Aegon I and his sister-wives Visenya and Rhaenys, establishing military supremacy through their control of dragons. The Targaryen dynasty ruled for three hundred years, although civil war and infighting among the Targaryens was frequent. Due to being held and bred in captivity, their dragons became ever smaller until they finally went extinct. At the beginning of ''A Game of Thrones'', 15 peaceful years have passed since the rebellion led by Lord Robert Baratheon that deposed and killed the last Targaryen king, Aerys II "the Mad King", and proclaimed Robert king of the Seven Kingdoms, with a nine-year-long summer coming to an end. The principal story chronicles the power struggle for the Iron Throne among the great Houses of Westeros following the death of King Robert in ''A Game of Thrones''. Robert's heir apparent, the 13-year-old Joffrey, is immediately proclaimed king through the machinations of his mother, Queen Cersei Lannister. When Lord Eddard "Ned" Stark, Robert's closest friend and chief advisor, discovers that Joffrey and his siblings are the product of incest between Cersei and her twin brother Ser Jaime "The Kingslayer" Lannister, Eddard attempts to unseat Joffrey, but is betrayed and executed for treason. In response, Robert's brothers Stannis and Renly both lay separate claims to the throne. During this period of instability, two of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros attempt to become independent from the Iron Throne: Eddard's eldest son Robb is proclaimed King in the North, while Lord Balon Greyjoy desires to recover the sovereignty of his region, the Iron Islands. The so-called "War of the Five Kings" is in full progress by the middle of the second book, ''A Clash of Kings''. The second part of the story takes place in the far north of Westeros, where an 8,000-year-old wall of ice, simply called "the Wall", defends the Seven Kingdoms from supernatural creatures known as the Others. The Wall's sentinels, the Sworn Brotherhood of the Night's Watch, also protect the realm from the incursions of the "wildlings" or "Free Folk", who are several human tribes living on the north side of the Wall. The Night's Watch story is told primarily through the point of view of Jon Snow, Lord Eddard Stark's bastard son. Jon follows the footsteps of his uncle Benjen Stark and joins the Watch at a young age, rising quickly through the ranks. He eventually becomes Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. In the third volume, ''A Storm of Swords'', the Night's Watch storyline becomes increasingly entangled with the War of the Five Kings. The third storyline follows Daenerys Targaryen, daughter of Aerys II, the last Targaryen king. On the continent of Essos, east of Westeros across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys is married off by her elder brother Viserys Targaryen to a powerful warlord, but slowly becomes an independent and intelligent ruler in her own right. Her rise to power is aided by the historic birth of three dragons, hatched from eggs given to her as wedding gifts. The three dragons soon become not only a symbol of her bloodline and her claim to the throne, but also devastating weapons of war, which help her in the conquest of Slaver's Bay. ==Publishing history== ===Overview=== Books in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series are first published in hardcover and are later re-released as paperback editions. In the UK, Harper Voyager publishes special slipcased editions. The series has also been translated into more than 30 languages. All page totals given below are for the US first editions. # Title Pages Chapters Words Audio US release 1 ''A Game of Thrones'' 694 73 292,727 33h 53m August 1996 2 ''A Clash of Kings'' 768 70 318,903 37h 17m February 1999 3 ''A Storm of Swords'' 973 82 414,604 47h 37m November 2000 4 ''A Feast for Crows'' 753 46 295,032 31h 10m November 2005 5 ''A Dance with Dragons'' 1056 73 414,788 48h 56m July 2011 6 ''The Winds of Winter'' ''Forthcoming'' 7 ''A Dream of Spring'' ''Forthcoming'' Total 4,228 344 1,736,054 198h 53m 1996–2011 ===First three novels (1991–2000) === George R. R. Martin at Archipelacon in Mariehamn, 2015. George R. R. Martin was already a successful fantasy and sci-fi author and TV writer before writing his ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' book series. Martin had published his first short story in 1971 and his first novel in 1977. By the mid-1990s, he had won three Hugo Awards, two Nebula Awards, and other awards for his short fiction. Although his early books were well-received within the fantasy fiction community, his readership remained relatively small and Martin took on jobs as a writer in Hollywood in the mid-1980s. He worked principally on the revival of ''The Twilight Zone'' throughout 1986 and on ''Beauty and the Beast'' until 1990, but he also developed his own TV pilots and wrote feature film scripts. He grew frustrated that his pilots and screenplays were not getting made and that TV-related production limitations like budgets and episode lengths were forcing him to cut characters and trim battle scenes. This pushed Martin back towards writing books, where he did not have to worry about compromising the size of his imagination. Admiring the works of J. R. R. Tolkien in his childhood, he wanted to write an epic fantasy, though he did not have any specific ideas. When Martin was between Hollywood projects in the summer of 1991, he started writing a new science fiction novel called ''Avalon''. After three chapters, he had a vivid idea of a boy seeing a man's beheading and finding direwolves in the snow, which would eventually become the first non-prologue chapter of ''A Game of Thrones''. Putting ''Avalon'' aside, Martin finished this chapter in a few days and grew certain that it was part of a longer story. After a few more chapters, Martin perceived his new book as a fantasy story and started making maps and genealogies. However, the writing of this book was interrupted for a few years when Martin returned to Hollywood to produce his TV series ''Doorways'' that ABC had ordered but ultimately never aired. In 1994, Martin gave his agent, Kirby McCauley, the first 200 pages and a two-page story projection as part of a planned trilogy with the novels ''A Dance with Dragons'' and ''The Winds of Winter'' intended to follow. When Martin had still not reached the novel's end at 1400 manuscript pages, he felt that the series needed to be four and eventually six books long, which he imagined as two linked trilogies of one long story. Martin chose ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' as the overall series title: Martin saw the struggle of the cold Others and the fiery dragons as one possible meaning for "Ice and Fire", whereas the word "song" had previously appeared in Martin's book titles ''A Song for Lya'' and ''Songs the Dead Men Sing'', stemming from his obsessions with songs. Martin also named Robert Frost's 1920 poem "Fire and Ice" and cultural associations such as passion versus betrayal as possible influences for the series' title. The revised finished manuscript for ''A Game of Thrones'' was 1088 pages long (without the appendices), with the publication following in August 1996. ''Wheel of Time'' author Robert Jordan had written a short endorsement for the cover that was influential in ensuring the book's and hence series' early success with fantasy readers. ''Blood of the Dragon'', a pre-release sample novella drawn from Daenerys's chapters, went on to win the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Novella. The 300 pages removed from the ''A Game of Thrones'' manuscript served as the opening of the second book, entitled ''A Clash of Kings''. It was released in February 1999 in the United States, with a manuscript length (without appendices) of 1184 pages. ''A Clash of Kings'' was the first book of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series to make the best-seller lists, reaching 13 on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list in 1999. After the success of ''The Lord of the Rings'' films, Martin received his first inquiries to the rights of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series from various producers and filmmakers. Martin was several months late turning in the third book, ''A Storm of Swords''. The last chapter he had written was about the "Red Wedding", a pivotal scene notable for its violence (see Themes: Violence and death). ''A Storm of Swords'' was 1521 pages in manuscript (without appendices), causing problems for many of Martin's publishers around the world. Bantam Books published ''A Storm of Swords'' in a single volume in the United States in November 2000, whereas some other-language editions were divided into two, three, or even four volumes. ''A Storm of Swords'' debuted at number 12 in the ''New York Times'' bestseller list. ===Bridging the timeline gap (2000–2011) === After ''A Game of Thrones'', ''A Clash of Kings'', and ''A Storm of Swords'', Martin originally intended to write three more books. The fourth book, tentatively titled ''A Dance with Dragons'', was to focus on Daenerys Targaryen's return to Westeros and the associated conflicts. Martin wanted to set this story five years after ''A Storm of Swords'' so that the younger characters could grow older and the dragons grow larger. Agreeing with his publishers early on that the new book should be shorter than ''A Storm of Swords'', Martin set out to write the novel closer in length to ''A Clash of Kings''. A long prologue was to establish what had happened in the meantime, initially just as one chapter of Aeron Damphair on the Iron Islands at the Kingsmoot. Since the events on the Iron Islands were to have an impact in the book and could not be told with existing POV characters, Martin eventually introduced three new viewpoints. In 2001, Martin was still optimistic that the fourth installment might be released in the last quarter of 2002. However, the five-year gap did not work for all characters during writing. On one hand, Martin was unsatisfied with covering the events during the gap solely through flashbacks and internal retrospection. On the other hand, it was implausible to have nothing happen for five years. After working on the book for about a year, Martin realized he needed an additional interim book, which he called ''A Feast for Crows''. The book would pick up the story immediately after the third book, and Martin scrapped the idea of a five-year gap. The material of the written 250-page prologue was mixed in as new viewpoint characters from Dorne and the Iron Islands. These expanded storylines and the resulting story interactions complicated the plot for Martin. The manuscript length of ''A Feast for Crows'' eventually surpassed ''A Storm of Swords''. Martin was reluctant to make the necessary deep cuts to get the book down to publishable length, as that would have compromised the story he had in mind. Printing the book in "microtype on onion skin paper and giving each reader a magnifying glass" was also not an option for him. On the other hand, Martin rejected the publishers' idea of splitting the narrative chronologically into ''A Feast for Crows'', Parts One and Two. Being already late with the book, Martin had not even started writing all characters' stories and also objected to ending the first book without any resolution for its many viewpoint characters as in previous books. With the characters spread out across the world, a friend suggested that Martin divide the story geographically into two volumes, of which ''A Feast for Crows'' would be the first. This approach would give Martin the room to complete his commenced story arcs as he had originally intended, which he still felt was the best approach years later. Martin moved the unfinished characters' stories set in the east (Essos) and north (Winterfell and the Wall) into the next book, ''A Dance with Dragons'', and left ''A Feast for Crows'' to cover the events in King's Landing, the Riverlands, Dorne, and the Iron Islands. Both books begin immediately after the end of ''A Storm of Swords'', running in parallel instead of sequentially, and involve different casts of characters with only little overlap. Martin split Arya's chapters into both books after having already moved the three other most popular characters (Jon Snow, Tyrion, and Daenerys) into ''A Dance with Dragons''. Upon its release in October 2005 in the UK and November 2005 in the US, ''A Feast for Crows'' went straight to the top of ''The New York Times'' bestseller list. Among the positive reviewers was Lev Grossman of ''Time'', who dubbed Martin "the American Tolkien". However, fans and critics alike were disappointed with the story split that left the fates of several popular characters unresolved after ''A Storm of Swords'' cliffhanger ending. With ''A Dance with Dragons'' said to be half-finished, Martin mentioned in the epilogue of ''A Feast for Crows'' that the next volume would be released by the next year. However, planned release dates were repeatedly pushed back. Meanwhile, HBO acquired the rights to turn ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' into a fantasy drama series in 2007 and aired the first of ten episodes covering ''A Game of Thrones'' in April 2011. With around 1600 pages in manuscript length, ''A Dance with Dragons'' was eventually published in July 2011 after six years of writing, longer in page count and writing time than any of the preceding four novels. The story of ''A Dance with Dragons'' catches up with and goes beyond ''A Feast for Crows'' around two-thirds into the book, but nevertheless covers less story than Martin had intended, omitting at least one planned large battle sequence and leaving several character threads ending in cliff-hangers. Martin attributed the delay mainly to his untangling "the Meereenese knot", which the interviewer understood as "making the chronology and characters mesh up as various threads converged on Daenerys". Martin also acknowledged spending too much time on rewriting and perfecting the story, but soundly rejected the theories of some of his critics that he had lost interest in the series or would bide his time to make more money. ===Planned novels and future=== Martin believes the last two volumes of the series will be big books of 1500 manuscript pages each. The sixth book will be called ''The Winds of Winter'', taking the title of the last book of the originally planned trilogy. Displeased with the provisional title ''A Time for Wolves'' for the final volume, Martin ultimately announced ''A Dream of Spring'' as the title for the seventh book in 2006. Martin said in March 2012 that the final two novels will take readers farther north than any of the previous books, and that the Others will appear in the book. ====''The Winds of Winter'' ==== ''The Winds of Winter'' will resolve the cliffhangers from ''A Dance with Dragons'' early on and "will open with the two big battles that the fifth book was building up to, the battle in the ice and the battle ... of Slaver's Bay. And then take it from there." By the middle of 2010, Martin had already finished five chapters of ''The Winds of Winter'' from the viewpoints of Sansa Stark, Arya Stark, Arianne Martell, and Aeron Greyjoy, coming to around 100 completed pages. After the publication of ''A Dance with Dragons'' in 2011, Martin announced he would return to writing in January 2012. He spent the meantime on book tours, conventions, and continued working on his ''The World of Ice & Fire'' companion guide and a new ''Tales of Dunk and Egg'' novella. In December 2011, Martin posted a chapter from ''The Winds of Winter'' from the viewpoint of Theon Greyjoy; several other chapters have been made public since. Four hundred pages of the sixth novel had been written , although Martin considered only 200 as "really finished"; the rest needed revising. During the Guadalajara International Book Fair in Mexico in early December 2016, Martin offered the following hint as to the tone of this book: "There are a lot of dark chapters right now ... I've been telling you for 20 years that winter was coming. Winter is the time when things die, and cold and ice and darkness fill the world, so this is not going to be the happy feel-good that people may be hoping for. Some of the characters are in very dark places." Martin did not intend to separate the characters geographically again. In 2011, Martin gave three years as a realistic estimate for finishing the sixth book at a good pace, but said ultimately the book "will be done when it's done", acknowledging that his publication estimates had been too optimistic in the past. In 2015 there were indications that the book would be published before the sixth season of the HBO show but in early January 2016 Martin confirmed that he had not met an end-of-year deadline that he had established with his publisher for release of the book before the sixth season. He also revealed there had been a previous deadline of October 2015 that he had considered achievable in May 2015, and that in September 2015 he had still considered the end-of-year deadline achievable. He further confirmed that some of the plot of the book might be revealed in the upcoming season of ''Game of Thrones''. In February 2016, Martin stated that he dropped all his editing projects except for ''Wild Cards'', and that he would not be writing any teleplays, screenplays, short stories, introductions or forewords before delivering ''The Winds of Winter''. In April 2018, Martin announced in a blog post that ''The Winds of Winter'' would not be published in 2018. ====''A Dream of Spring''==== Martin is only firm about ending the series with the seventh novel "until I decide not to be firm". With his stated goal of telling the story from beginning to end, he will not truncate the story to fit into an arbitrary number of volumes. He knows the ending in broad strokes as well as the future of the main characters, and will finish the series with bittersweet elements where not everyone will live happily ever after. Martin hopes to write an ending similar to ''The Lord of the Rings'' that he felt gave the story a satisfying depth and resonance. On the other hand, Martin noted the challenge to avoid a situation like the finale of the TV series ''Lost'', which left some fans disappointed by deviating too far from their own theories and desires. In 2012, Martin had acknowledged his concerns about ''A Dream of Spring'' not being completed by the time the TV series ''Game of Thrones'' catches up in its storyline to the novels. In 2015, Martin said that he was not writing ''A Dream of Spring'' together with ''The Winds of Winter'', and in early 2016, he said he did not believe ''A Dream of Spring'' would be published before the last season of the HBO show. In April 2018, Martin commented he had not started working on the book, and in November he said that after ''The Winds of Winter'' he would decide what to do next: ''A Dream of Spring'' or the second volume of ''Fire & Blood'' or one or two stories for the ''Tales of Dunk and Egg''. In May 2019 he reiterated he had not started writing ''A Dream of Spring'' and would not do so before finishing ''The Winds of Winter''. Martin offered the following hint as to how the series would conclude during a Q&A at the Guadalajara International Book Fair. "I'm not going to tell you how I'm going to end my book, but I suspect the overall flavor is going to be as much bittersweet as it is happy." ====TV series and other writings==== Early during the development of the TV series, Martin told major plot points to producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. Martin was confident he would have published at least ''The Winds of Winter'' before the TV series overtook him. Nevertheless, there were general concerns about whether Martin would be able to stay ahead of the show. As a result, head writers Benioff and Weiss learned more future plot points from Martin in 2013 to help them set up the show's new possible seasons. This included the end stories for all the core characters. Deviations from the books' storylines were considered, but a two-year hiatus to wait for new books was not an option for them (as the child actors continue to grow and the show's popularity would wane). Martin indicated he would not permit another writer to finish the book series. On January 2, 2016, Martin confirmed that the sixth volume would not be published before the start of the sixth season of the HBO series. Regarding ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' as his masterpiece, Martin is certain never to write anything on this scale again and would only return to this fictional universe in the context of stand-alone novels. He prefers to write stories about characters from other ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' periods of history such as his ''Tales of Dunk and Egg'' project, instead of continuing the series directly. Martin said he would love to return to writing short stories, novellas, novelettes, and stand-alone novels from diverse genres such as science fiction, horror, fantasy, or even a murder mystery. ==Inspiration and writing== ===Genre=== George R. R. Martin believes the most profound influences to be the ones experienced in childhood. Having read H. P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Robert A. Heinlein, Eric Frank Russell, Andre Norton, Isaac Asimov, Fritz Leiber, and Mervyn Peake in his youth, Martin never categorized these authors' literature into science fiction, fantasy, or horror and will write from any genre as a result. Martin classified ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' as "epic fantasy", and specifically named Tad Williams' high fantasy epic ''Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn'' as very influential for the writing of the series. One of his favorite authors is Jack Vance, although Martin considered the series not particularly Vancean. Martin experienced some harsh winters when living in Dubuque a few years in the 1970s, and suspects these winters had an influence on his writing; "I think a lot of the stuff in ''A Game of Thrones'', the snow and ice and freezing, comes from my memories of Dubuque". The medieval setting has been the traditional background for epic fantasy. However, where historical fiction leaves versed readers knowing the historical outcome, original characters may increase suspense and empathy for the readers. Yet Martin felt historical fiction, particularly when set during the Middle Ages, had an excitement, grittiness, and a realness to it that was absent in fantasy with a similar backdrop. Thus, he wanted to combine the realism of historical fiction with the magic appeal of the best fantasies, subduing magic in favor of battles and political intrigue. He also decided to avoid the conventional good versus evil setting typical for the genre, using the fight between Achilles and Hector in Homer's ''Iliad'', where no one stands out as either a hero or a villain, as an example of what he wants to achieve with his books. Martin is widely credited with broadening the fantasy fiction genre for adult content, including incest, paedophilia, and adultery. Writing for ''The Atlantic'', Amber Taylor assessed the novels as hard fantasy with vulnerable characters to which readers become emotionally attached. CNN found in 2000 that Martin's mature descriptions were "far more frank than those found in the works of other fantasy authors", although Martin assessed the fantasy genre to have become rougher-edged a decade later and that some writers' work was going beyond the mature themes of his novels. Adam Roberts called Martin's series the most successful and popular example of the emerging subgenre of grimdark fantasy. ===Writing process=== ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series was partly inspired by the Wars of the Roses, a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England. This painting by Richard Burchett portrays Edward IV demanding that his defeated enemies be taken from Tewkesbury Abbey. Setting out to write something on an epic scale, Martin projected to write three books of 800 manuscript pages in the very early stages of the series. His original 1990s contract specified one-year deadlines for his previous literary works, but Martin only realized later that his new books were longer and hence required more writing time. In 2000, Martin planned to take 18 months to two years for each volume and projected the last of the planned six books to be released five or six years later. However, with ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series evolving into the biggest and most ambitious story he has ever attempted writing, he still has two more books to write . Martin said he needed to be in his own office in Santa Fe, New Mexico to immerse himself in the fictional world and write. , Martin was still typing his fiction on a DOS computer with WordStar 4.0 software. He begins each day at 10 am with rewriting and polishing the previous day's work, and may write all day or struggle to write anything. Excised material and previous old versions are saved to be possibly re-inserted at a later time. Martin does not consider ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' a "series" but a single story published in several volumes. Martin set the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' story in a secondary world inspired by Tolkien's writing. Unlike Tolkien, who created entire languages, mythologies, and histories for Middle-earth long before writing ''The Lord of the Rings'', Martin usually starts with a rough sketch of an imaginary world that he improvises into a workable fictional setting along the way. He described his writing as coming from a subconscious level in "almost a daydreaming process", and his stories, which have a mythic rather than a scientific core, draw from emotion instead of rationality. Martin employs maps and a cast list topping 60 pages in the fourth volume, but keeps most information in his mind. His imagined backstory remains subject to change until published, and only the novels count as canon. Martin does not intend to publish his private notes after the series is finished. Martin drew much inspiration from actual history for the series, having several bookcases filled with medieval history for research and visiting historic European landmarks. For an American who speaks only English, the history of England proved the easiest source of medieval history for him, giving the series a British rather than a German or Spanish historic flavor. For example, Ned and Robb Stark resemble Richard, 3rd Duke of York, and his son Edward IV, and Queen Cersei resembles both Margaret of Anjou and Elizabeth Woodville. Martin immersed himself in many diverse medieval topics such as clothing, food, feasting, and tournaments to have the facts at hand if needed during writing. The series was in particular influenced by the Hundred Years' War, the Crusades, the Albigensian Crusade, and the Wars of the Roses, although Martin refrained from making any direct adaptations. Martin was also inspired by the French historical novels ''The Accursed Kings'' by Maurice Druon, which are about the French monarchy in the 13th and 14th centuries. The story is written to follow principal landmarks with an ultimate destination, but leaves Martin room for improvisation. On occasion, improvised details significantly affected the planned story. By the fourth book, Martin kept more private notes than ever before to keep track of the many subplots, which became so detailed and sprawling by the fifth book as to be unwieldy. Martin's editors, copy editors, and readers monitor for accidental mistakes, although some errors have slipped into publication. For instance, Martin has inconsistently referred to certain characters' eye colors, and has described a horse as being of one sex and then another. ===Narrative structure=== +Number of chapters per point-of-view character POV character ''Game'' ''Clash'' ''Storm'' ''Feast'' ''Dance'' (''Winds'') '''Sum''' Bran Stark 7 7 4 3 21 Catelyn Stark 11 7 7 25 Daenerys Targaryen 10 5 6 10 31 Eddard Stark 15 15 Jon Snow 9 8 12 13 42 Arya Stark 5 10 13 3 2 Tyrion Lannister 9 15 11 12 Sansa Stark 6 8 7 3 Davos Seaworth 3 6 4 13 Theon Greyjoy 6 7 Jaime Lannister 9 7 1 17 Samwell Tarly 5 5 10 Cersei Lannister 10 2 12 Brienne of Tarth 8 8 Aeron Greyjoy 2 Areo Hotah 1 1 Asha Greyjoy 1 3 4 Arys Oakheart 1 1 Victarion Greyjoy 2 2 Arianne Martell 2 Quentyn Martell 4 4 Jon Connington 2 2 Melisandre 1 1 Barristan Selmy 4 Prologue/Epilogue Total (characters) 73 (9) 70 (10) 82 (12) 46 (13) 73 (18) The books are divided into chapters, each one narrated in the third person limited through the eyes of a point of view character, an approach Martin learned himself as a young journalism student. Beginning with nine POV characters in ''A Game of Thrones'', the number of POV characters grows to a total of 31 in ''A Dance with Dragons'' (see table). The short-lived one-time POV characters are mostly restricted to the prologues and epilogues. David Orr of ''The New York Times'' noted the story importance of "the Starks (good guys), the Targaryens (at least one good guy, or girl), the Lannisters (conniving), the Greyjoys (mostly conniving), the Baratheons (mixed bag), the Tyrells (unclear), and the Martells (ditto), most of whom are feverishly endeavoring to advance their ambitions and ruin their enemies, preferably unto death". However, as ''Time'' Lev Grossman noted, readers "experience the struggle for Westeros from all sides at once", such that "every fight is both triumph and tragedy ... and everybody is both hero and villain at the same time". Modeled on ''The Lord of the Rings'', the story of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' begins with a tight focus on a small group (with everyone in Winterfell, except Daenerys) and then splits into separate stories. The storylines are to converge again, but finding the turning point in this complex series has been difficult for Martin and has slowed down his writing. Depending on the interview, Martin is said to have reached the turning point in ''A Dance with Dragons'', or to not quite have reached it yet in the books. The series' structure of multiple POVs and interwoven storylines was inspired by ''Wild Cards'', a multi-authored shared universe book series edited by Martin since 1985. As the sole author, Martin begins each new book with an outline of the chapter order and may write a few successive chapters from a single character's viewpoint instead of working chronologically. The chapters are later rearranged to optimize character intercutting, chronology, and suspense. Influenced by his television and film scripting background, Martin tries to keep readers engrossed by ending each ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' chapter with a tense or revelational moment, a twist or a cliffhanger, similar to a TV act break. Scriptwriting has also taught him the technique of "cutting out the fat and leaving the muscle", which is the final stage of completing a book, a technique that brought the page count in ''A Dance with Dragons'' down almost eighty pages. Dividing the continuous ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' story into books is much harder for Martin. Each book shall represent a phase of the journey that ends in closure for most characters. A smaller portion of characters is left with clear-cut cliffhangers to make sure readers come back for the next installment, although ''A Dance with Dragons'' had more cliffhangers than Martin originally intended. Both one-time and regular POV characters are designed to have full character arcs ending in tragedy or triumph, and are written to hold the readers' interest and not be skipped in reading. Main characters are killed off so that the reader will not rely on the hero to come through unscathed and will instead feel the character's fear with each page turn. The unresolved larger narrative arc encourages speculation about future story events. According to Martin, much of the key to ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' future lies over a dozen years in the fictional past, of which each volume reveals more. Events planned from the beginning are foreshadowed, although Martin is careful not to make the story predictable. The viewpoint characters, who serve as unreliable narrators, may clarify or provide different perspectives on past events. Therefore, what the readers believe to be true may not necessarily be true. ===Character development=== Regarding the characters as the heart of the story, Martin planned the epic ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' to have a large cast of characters and many different settings from the beginning. ''A Feast for Crows'' has a 63-page list of characters, with many of the thousands of characters mentioned only in passing or disappearing from view for long stretches. When Martin adds a new family to the ever-growing number of genealogies in the appendices, he devises a secret about the personality or fate of the family members. However, their backstory remains subject to change until written down in the story. Martin drew most character inspiration from history (without directly translating historical figures) and his own experiences, but also from the manners of his friends, acquaintances, and people of public interest. Martin aims to "make my characters real and to make them human, characters who have good and bad, noble and selfish well-mixed in their natures". Jeff VanderMeer of the ''Los Angeles Times'' remarked that "Martin's devotion to fully inhabiting his characters, for better or worse, creates the unstoppable momentum in his novels and contains an implied criticism of Tolkien's moral simplicity" (see Themes: Moral ambiguity). Martin deliberately ignored the writing rule of never giving two characters names starting with the same letter. Instead, character names reflect the naming systems in various European family histories, where particular names were associated with specific royal houses and where even the secondary families assigned the same names repeatedly. The story of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' therefore has children called "Robert" in honor of King Robert of House Baratheon, a "Brandon" in every other generation of the Starks in commemoration of Brandon the Builder (of the Wall), and the syllable "Ty" commonly occurring in given names of House Lannister. Confident that readers would pay attention, Martin distinguished people sharing a given name by adding numbers or locations to their given names (e.g. Henry V of England). The family names were designed in association with ethnic groups (see backstory): the First Men in the North of Westeros had very simply descriptive names like Stark and Strong, whereas the descendants of the Andal invaders in the South have more elaborate, undescriptive house names like Lannister or Arryn, and the Targaryens and Valyrians from the Eastern continent have the most exotic names with the letter Y. All characters are designed to speak with their own internal voices to capture their views of the world. ''The Atlantic'' pondered whether Martin ultimately intended the readers to sympathize with characters on both sides of the Lannister–Stark feud long before plot developments force them to make their emotional choices. Contrary to most conventional epic fantasies, the characters of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' are vulnerable so that, according to ''The Atlantic'', the reader "cannot be sure that good shall triumph, which makes those instances where it does all the more exulting." Martin gets emotionally involved in the characters' lives during writing, which makes the chapters with dreadful events sometimes very difficult to write. Seeing the world through the characters' eyes requires a certain amount of empathy with them, including the villains, all of whom he has said he loves as if they were his own children. Martin found that some characters had minds of their own and took his writing in different directions. He returns to the intended story if it does not work out, but these detours sometimes prove more rewarding for him. Arya Stark, Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow, and Daenerys Targaryen generate the most feedback from readers. Martin has stated that Tyrion is his personal favorite, as the grayest of the gray characters, with his cunning and wit making him the most fun to write. Martin has also said that Bran Stark is the hardest character to write. As the character most deeply involved in magic, Bran's story needs to be handled carefully within the supernatural aspects of the books. Bran is also the youngest viewpoint character, and has to deal with the series' adult themes like grief, loneliness, and anger. Martin set out to have the young characters grow up faster between chapters, but, as it was implausible for a character to take two months to respond, a finished book represents very little time passed. Martin hoped the planned five-year break would ease the situation and age the children to almost adults in terms of the Seven Kingdoms, but he later dropped the five-year gap (see section Bridging the timeline gap). ==Themes== Although involving dragons and sorcery, ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series de-emphasizes magic as compared to many other epic fantasy works (emblem of J. Allen St. John's 1905 fantasy work ''The Face in the Pool''). Although modern fantasy may often embrace strangeness, ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series is generally praised for what is perceived as a sort of medieval realism. Believing that magic should be used moderately in the epic fantasy genre, Martin set out to make the story feel more like historical fiction than contemporary fantasy, with less emphasis on magic and sorcery and more on battles, political intrigue, and the characters. Though the amount of magic has gradually increased throughout the story, the series is still to end with less overt magic than most contemporary fantasies. In Martin's eyes, literary effective magic needs to represent strange and dangerous forces beyond human comprehension, not advanced alien technologies or formulaic spells. As such, the characters understand only the natural aspects of their world, but not the magical elements like the Others. Since Martin drew on historical sources to build the world of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' , Damien G. Walter of ''The Guardian'' saw a strong resemblance between Westeros and England in the period of the Wars of the Roses. ''The Atlantic'' Adam Serwer regarded ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' as "more a story of politics than one of heroism, a story about humanity wrestling with its baser obsessions than fulfilling its glorious potential", where the emergent power struggle stems from the feudal system's repression and not from the fight between good and evil. Martin not only wanted to reflect the frictions of the medieval class structures in the novels, but also explore the consequences of the leaders' decisions, as general goodness does not automatically make competent leaders and vice versa. A common theme in the fantasy genre is the battle between good and evil, which Martin rejects for not mirroring the real world. Attracted to gray characters, Martin instead endorses William Faulkner's view that only the human heart in conflict with itself was worth writing about. Martin explores the questions of redemption and character change in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series. The multiple viewpoint structure allows characters to be explored from many sides, such that the supposed villains can provide their viewpoint. Although fantasy comes from an imaginative realm, Martin sees an honest necessity to reflect the real world where people die sometimes ugly deaths, even beloved people. Main characters are killed off so that the reader will not expect the supposed hero to survive, and instead will feel the same tension and fear that the characters might. The novels also reflect the substantial death rates in war. The deaths of supernumerary extras or orcs have no major effect on readers, whereas a friend's death has much more emotional impact. Martin prefers a hero's sacrifice to say something profound about human nature. According to Martin, the fantasy genre rarely focuses on sex and sexuality, instead often treating sexuality in a juvenile way or neglecting it completely. Martin, however, considers sexuality an important driving force in human life that should not be excluded from the narrative. Providing sensory detail for an immersive experience is more important than plot advancement for Martin, who aims to let the readers experience the novels' sex scenes, "whether it's a great transcendent, exciting, mind blowing sex, or whether it's disturbing, twisted, dark sex, or disappointing perfunctory sex." Martin was fascinated by medieval contrasts where knights venerated their ladies with poems and wore their favors in tournaments while their armies mindlessly raped women in wartime. The non-existent concept of adolescence in the Middle Ages served as a model for Daenerys' sexual activity at the age of 13 in the books. The novels also allude to the incestuous practices in the Ptolemaic dynasty of Ancient Egypt to keep their bloodlines pure. Martin provides a variety of female characters to explore the place of women in a patriarchal society. Writing all characters as human beings with the same basic needs, dreams, and influences, his female characters are to cover the same wide spectrum of human traits as the males. ==Reception== ===Critical response=== ''Science Fiction Weekly'' stated in 2000 that "few would dispute that Martin's most monumental achievement to date has been the groundbreaking ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' historical fantasy series", for which reviews have been "orders of magnitude better" than for his previous works, as Martin described to ''The New Yorker''. In 2007, ''Weird Tales'' magazine described the series as a "superb fantasy saga" that "raised Martin to a whole new level of success". Shortly before the release of ''A Dance with Dragons'' in 2011, Bill Sheehan of ''The Washington Post'' was sure that "no work of fantasy has generated such anticipation since Harry Potter's final duel with Voldemort", and Ethan Sacks of ''Daily News'' saw the series turning Martin into a darling of literary critics as well as mainstream readers, which was "rare for a fantasy genre that's often dismissed as garbage not fit to line the bottom of a dragon's cage". Salon.com's Andrew Leonard stated: ''Publishers Weekly'' noted in 2000 that "Martin may not rival Tolkien or Robert Jordan, but he ranks with such accomplished medievalists of fantasy as Poul Anderson and Gordon Dickson." After the fourth volume came out in 2005, ''Time'' Lev Grossman considered Martin a "major force for evolution in fantasy" and proclaimed him "the American Tolkien", explaining that, although Martin was "not the best known of America's straight-up fantasy writers" at the time and would "never win a Pulitzer or a National Book Award ... his skill as a crafter of narrative exceeds that of almost any literary novelist writing today". As Grossman said in 2011, the phrase ''American Tolkien'' "has stuck to Martin, as it was meant to", being picked up by the media including ''The New York Times'' ("He's much better than that"), the ''New Yorker'', ''Entertainment Weekly'' ("an acclaim that borders on fantasy blasphemy"), ''The Globe and Mail'', and ''USA Today''. ''Time'' magazine named Martin one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2011, and ''USA Today'' named George R.R. Martin their Author of the Year 2011. According to ''The Globe and Mail'' John Barber, Martin manages simultaneously to master and transcend the genre so that "Critics applaud the depth of his characterizations and lack of cliché in books that are nonetheless replete with dwarves and dragons". ''Publishers Weekly'' gave favorable reviews to the first three ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels at their points of release, saying that ''A Game of Thrones'' had "superbly developed characters, accomplished prose and sheer bloody-mindedness", that ''A Clash of Kings'' was "notable particularly for the lived-in quality of their fictional world and for the comparatively modest role of magic", and that ''A Storm of Swords'' was one "of the more rewarding examples of gigantism in contemporary fantasy". However, they found that ''A Feast For Crows'' as the fourth installment "sorely misses its other half. The slim pickings here are tasty, but in no way satisfying." Their review for ''A Dance with Dragons'' repeated points of criticism for the fourth volume, and said that, although "The new volume has a similar feel to ''Feast''", "Martin keeps it fresh by focusing on popular characters who were notably absent from the previous book." According to the ''Los Angeles Times'', "Martin's brilliance in evoking atmosphere through description is an enduring hallmark of his fiction, the settings much more than just props on a painted stage", and the novels captivate readers with "complex storylines, fascinating characters, great dialogue, perfect pacing, and the willingness to kill off even his major characters". CNN remarked that "the story weaves through differing points of view in a skillful mix of observation, narration and well-crafted dialogue that illuminates both character and plot with fascinating style", and David Orr of ''The New York Times'' found that "All of his hundreds of characters have grace notes of history and personality that advance a plot line. Every town has an elaborately recalled series of triumphs and troubles." Salon.com's Andrew Leonard "couldn't stop reading Martin because my desire to know what was going to happen combined with my absolute inability to guess what would happen and left me helpless before his sorcery. At the end, I felt shaken and exhausted." ''The Christian Science Monitor'' advised reading the novels with an ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' encyclopedia at hand to "catch all the layered, subtle hints and details that Martin leaves throughout his books. If you pay attention, you will be rewarded and questions will be answered." Among the most critical voices were Sam Jordison and Michael Hann, both of ''The Guardian''. Jordison detailed his misgivings about ''A Game of Thrones'' in a 2009 review and summarized "It's daft. It's unsophisticated. It's cartoonish. And yet, I couldn't stop reading .... Archaic absurdity aside, Martin's writing is excellent. His dialogue is snappy and frequently funny. His descriptive prose is immediate and atmospheric, especially when it comes to building a sense of deliciously dark foreboding of the long impending winter." Hann did not consider the novels to stand out from the general fantasy genre, despite Martin's alterations to fantasy convention, although he rediscovered his childhood's views: Academic literary criticism has been slow to engage with the series; there will likely be much more criticism if and when the series is completed. The first scholarly monograph on the series is ''George R. R. Martin and the Fantasy Form'', by New Zealand scholar Joseph Rex Young. ===Sales=== Sales performance of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series in the ''New York Times'' combined print and e-book fiction bestseller list in 2011 between the airing of the ''Game of Thrones'' pilot episode and the publication of ''A Dance with Dragons''. The reported overall sales figures of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series vary. ''The New Yorker'' said in April 2011 (before the publication of ''A Dance with Dragons'') that more than 15 million ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' books had been sold worldwide, a figure repeated by ''The Globe and Mail'' in July 2011. Reuters reported in September 2013 that the books including print, digital and audio versions have sold more than 24 million copies in North America. ''The Wall Street Journal'' reported more than six million sold copies in North America by May 2011. ''USA Today'' reported 8.5 million copies in print and digital overall in July 2011, and over 12 million sold copies in print in December 2011. The series has been translated into more than 20 languages; ''USA Today'' reported the fifth book to be translated into over 40 languages. ''Forbes'' estimated that Martin was the 12th highest-earning author worldwide in 2011 at $15 million. Martin's publishers initially expected ''A Game of Thrones'' to be a best-seller, but the first installment did not even reach any lower positions in bestseller list. This left Martin unsurprised, as it is "a fool's game to think anything is going to be successful or to count on it". However, the book slowly won the passionate advocacy of independent booksellers and the book's popularity grew by word of mouth. The series' popularity skyrocketed in subsequent volumes, with the second and third volume making ''The New York Times'' Best Seller lists in 1999 and 2000, respectively. The series gained Martin's old writings new attention, and Martin's American publisher Bantam Spectra was to reprint his out-of-print solo novels. The fourth installment, ''A Feast for Crows'', was an immediate best-seller at its 2005 release, hitting number one on "The New York Times" hardcover fiction bestseller list November 27, 2005, which for a fantasy novel suggested that Martin's books were attracting mainstream readers. The paperback edition of ''A Game of Thrones'' reached its 34th printing in 2010, surpassing the one million mark. Before it even premiered, the TV series had boosted sales of the book series, with ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' approaching triple-digit growth in year-on-year sales. Bantam was looking forward to seeing the tie-ins boost sales further, and Martin's British publisher Harper Voyager expected readers to rediscover their other epic fantasy literature. With a reported 4.5 million copies of the first four volumes in print in early 2011, the four volumes re-appeared on the paperback fiction bestseller lists in the second quarter of 2011. At its point of publication in July 2011, ''A Dance with Dragons'' was in its sixth print with more than 650,000 hardbacks in print. It also had the highest single and first-day sales of any new fiction title published in 2011 at that point, with 170,000 hardcovers, 110,000 e-books, and 18,000 audio books reportedly sold on the first day. ''A Dance with Dragons'' reached the top of ''The New York Times'' bestseller list on July 31, 2011. Unlike most other big titles, the fifth volume sold more physical than digital copies early on, but nevertheless, Martin became the tenth author to sell 1 million Amazon Kindle e-books. All five volumes and the four-volume boxed set were among the top 100 best-selling books in the United States in 2011 and 2012. The TV series has contributed significantly boosting sales of both the books and collectibles like box-sets, merchandise, and other items. The TV series also contributed in increasing the geographic coverage of the books, introducing new customers in emerging countries like India and Brazil to the book series. All this has significantly increased the overall book sales. As of April 2019, the book series has sold 90million copies worldwide. ===Fandom=== During the 1980s and early 1990s, Martin's novels had slowly earned him a reputation in science fiction circles, although he said to only have received a few fans' letters a year in the pre-internet days. The publication of ''A Game of Thrones'' caused Martin's following to grow, with fan sites springing up and a Trekkie-like society of followers evolving that meet regularly. Westeros.org, one of the main ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' fansites with about seventeen thousand registered members , was co-founded in 1999 by a Swedish-based fan of Cuban descent, Elio M. García, Jr., as well as Linda Antonsson, who introduced him to the series; their involvement with Martin's work has now become semi-professional. The Brotherhood Without Banners, an unofficial fan club operating globally, was formed in 2001. Their founders and other longtime members are among Martin's good friends. Martin runs an official website and administers a lively blog with the assistance of Ty Franck. He also interacts with fandom by answering emails and letters, although he stated in 2005 that their sheer numbers might leave them unanswered for years. Since there are different types of conventions nowadays, he tends to go to three or four science-fiction conventions a year simply to go back to his roots and meet friends. He does not read message boards anymore, so that his writing will not be influenced by fans foreseeing twists and interpreting characters differently from what he intended. While Martin calls the majority of his fans "great", and enjoys interacting with them, some of them turned against him because of the six years it took to release ''A Dance with Dragons''. A movement of disaffected fans called GRRuMblers formed in 2009, creating sites such as ''Finish the Book, George'' and ''Is Winter Coming?'' When fans' vocal impatience for ''A Dance with Dragons'' peaked shortly after, Martin issued a statement called "To My Detractors" on his blog that received media attention. ''The New York Times'' noted that it was not uncommon for Martin to be mobbed at book signings either. ''The New Yorker'' called this "an astonishing amount of effort to devote to denouncing the author of books one professes to love. Few contemporary authors can claim to have inspired such passion." ===Awards and nominations=== * ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996) – Locus Award winner, World Fantasy Award and Nebula Award nominee, 1997 * ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998) – Locus Award winner, Nebula Award nominee, 1999 * ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000) – Locus Award winner, Hugo Award and Nebula Awards nominee, 2001 * ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005) – Hugo, Locus, and British Fantasy Awards nominee, 2006 * ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011) – Locus Award winner, Hugo Award and World Fantasy Award nominee, 2012 ==Derived works== ===Novellas=== Martin has written several prequel novellas. The ''Tales of Dunk and Egg'' series, three novellas set 90 years before the events of the novel series, feature the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire "Egg", who later became King Aegon V Targaryen. The stories have no direct connection to the plot of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', although both characters are mentioned in ''A Storm of Swords'' and ''A Feast For Crows'', respectively. The first installment, ''The Hedge Knight'', was published in the 1998 anthology ''Legends''. ''The Sworn Sword'' followed in 2003, published in ''Legends II''. Both were later adapted into graphic novels. The third novella, ''The Mystery Knight'', was first published in the 2010 anthology ''Warriors'' and in 2017 it was adapted as a graphic novel, as well. In 2015, the first three novellas were published as one illustrated collection, ''A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms''. The novella ''The Princess and the Queen or, the Blacks and the Greens'' appeared in Tor Books's 2013 anthology ''Dangerous Women'' and explains some of the Targaryen backstory two centuries before the events of the novels. ''The Rogue Prince, or, the King's Brother'', published in the 2014 anthology ''Rogues'', is itself a prequel to the events of ''The Princess and the Queen''. The novella ''The Sons of the Dragon'', published in the 2017 anthology ''The Book of Swords'', is the story of Aegon the Conqueror's two sons Aenys I and Maegor I "The Cruel". All three of these stories were incorporated as parts of ''Fire and Blood,'' a book chronicling the history of the Targaryen line. Chapter sets from the novels were also compiled into three novellas that were released between 1996 and 2003 by ''Asimov's Science Fiction'' and ''Dragon'': * ''Blood of the Dragon'' (July 1996), taken from the Daenerys chapters in ''A Game of Thrones'' * ''Path of the Dragon'' (December 2000), taken from the Daenerys chapters in ''A Storm of Swords'' * ''Arms of the Kraken'' (March 2003), based on the Iron Islands chapters from ''A Feast for Crows'' ===''Fire & Blood''=== ''Fire & Blood'' is Martin's complete history of House Targaryen, to be released in two volumes. The first volume was released on November 20, 2018. ===TV series=== With the popularity of the series growing, HBO optioned ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' for a television adaptation in 2007. A pilot episode was produced in late 2009, and a series commitment for nine further episodes was made in March 2010. The series, titled ''Game of Thrones'', premiered in April 2011 to great acclaim and ratings (see ''Game of Thrones'': Reception). The network picked up the show for a second season covering ''A Clash of Kings'' two days later. Shortly after the conclusion of the first season, the show received 13 Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, winning Outstanding Main Title Design and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Peter Dinklage's portrayal of Tyrion Lannister. HBO announced a renewal for a third season in April 2012, ten days after the season 2 premiere. Due to the length of the corresponding book, the third season only covered roughly the first half of ''A Storm of Swords''. Shortly after the season 3 premiere in March 2013, the network announced that ''Game of Thrones'' would be returning for a fourth season, which would cover the second half of ''A Storm of Swords ''along with the beginnings of ''A Feast for Crows ''and ''A Dance With Dragons''. ''Game of Thrones'' was nominated for 15 Emmy Awards for season 3. Two days after the fourth season premiered in April 2014, HBO renewed ''Game of Thrones'' for a fifth and sixth season. Season 5 premiered on April 12, 2015 and set a Guinness World Records for winning the highest number of Emmy Awards for a series in a single season and year, winning 12 out of 24 nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series. These episodes were watched by 8 million viewers, setting a record number for the series. The sixth season premiered on April 24, 2016. These episodes received the most nominations for the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards with 23, winning 12, including the award for Outstanding Drama Series. The seventh season premiered on July 16, 2017. The eighth and final season premiered on April 14, 2019. ===Other works=== ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' has spawned an industry of spin-off products. Fantasy Flight Games released a collectible card game, a board game, and two collections of artwork inspired by ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series. Various roleplaying game products were released by Guardians of Order and Green Ronin. Dynamite Entertainment adapted ''A Game of Thrones'' into a same-titled monthly comic in 2011. Several video games are available or in production, including ''A Game of Thrones: Genesis'' (2011) and ''Game of Thrones'' (2012) by Cyanide; both received mediocre ratings from critics. A social network game titled ''Game of Thrones Ascent'' (2013) by Disruptor Beam allows players to live the life of a noble during the series' period setting. Random House released an official map book called ''The Lands of Ice and Fire'', which includes old and new maps of the ''Ice and Fire'' world. The companion book ''The World of Ice & Fire'' by Martin and the Westeros.org owners Elio M. García Jr. and Linda Antonsson was published in October 2014. Other licensed products include full-sized weapon reproductions, a range of collectable figures, Westeros coinage reproductions, and a large number of gift and collectible items based on the HBO television series. The popularity of the HBO series has made its version of the Iron Throne an icon of the entire media franchise. == See also == * Outline of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' franchise ==References== ==External links== * George R. R. Martin's Official Website * So Spake Martin, Collection of statements, correspondences and interviews by George R. R. Martin. * * *

The fictional world in which the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels by George R. R. Martin take place is divided into several continents, known collectively as The Known World. Some unofficial fan groups call it Planetos. Most of the story takes place on the continent of Westeros and in a large political entity known as the Seven Kingdoms. Those kingdoms are spread across nine regions: the North, the Iron Islands, the Riverlands, the Vale, the Westerlands, the Stormlands, the Reach, the Crownlands, and Dorne. A massive wall of ice and old magic separates the Seven Kingdoms from the largely unmapped area to the north. The vast continent of Essos is located east of Westeros, across the Narrow Sea. The closest foreign nations to Westeros are the Free Cities, which is a collection of independent city-states along the western edge of Essos. The lands along the southern coastline of Essos are called the Lands of the Summer Sea and include Slaver's Bay and the ruins of Valyria. The latter is the former home of the ancestors of House Targaryen. To the south of Essos are the continents of Sothoryos and Ulthos, which in the narrative are largely unexplored. The planet experiences erratic seasons of unpredictable duration that can last for many years. At the beginning of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', Westeros has enjoyed a decade-long summer, and many feared that an even longer and harsher winter would follow. George R. R. Martin set the ''Ice and Fire'' story in an alternative world of Earth, a "secondary world", such as that which J. R. R. Tolkien pioneered with Middle-earth. Martin has also suggested that world may be larger than the real world planet Earth. The ''Ice and Fire'' narrative is set in a post-magic world where people no longer believe in supernatural things such as the Others. Although the characters understand the natural aspects of their world, they do not know or understand its magical elements. Religion, though, has a significant role in the life of people, and the characters practice many different religions. ==Maps== Map ''Game'' ''Clash'' ''Storm'' ''Feast'' ''Dance'' (''Lands'') The North of Westeros US The South of Westeros US King's Landing city map Beyond the Wall Slaver's Bay, Valyria, and Sothoryos The Iron Islands The Free Cities ''A Game of Thrones'', the first installment of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, has two maps of Westeros. Each new book has added one or two maps so that, as of ''A Dance with Dragons'', seven maps of the fictional world are available in the books. Martin said in 2003 that complete world maps were not made available so that readers may better identify with people of the real Middle Ages who were uneducated about distant places. He also did not "subscribe to the theory put forth in ''The Tough Guide To Fantasyland'' ... that eventually the characters must visit every place shown on The Map." He conceded, however, that readers may be able to piece together a world map by the end of the series. He was intentionally vague about the size of the ''Ice and Fire'' world, omitting a scale on the maps to discourage prediction of travel lengths based on measured distances. A new map artist was used in ''A Dance with Dragons'' so that the maps are available in two versions by James Sinclair and Jeffrey L. Ward, depending on the book. The old maps were redone to match the style of the new ones. A set of foldout maps was published on October 30, 2012 as ''The Lands of Ice and Fire'' (). The illustrator and cartographer Jonathan Roberts drew the maps, based on drafts by Martin. The twelve maps in the set are entitled "The Known World", "The West", "Central Essos", "The East", "Westeros", "Beyond The Wall", "The Free Cities", "Slaver's Bay", "The Dothraki Sea", "King's Landing", "Braavos", and "Journeys". The latter tracks the paths taken by the novels' characters. ==Westeros == The story takes place primarily on a continent called '''Westeros''', which is roughly the size of South America. The continent is home to the Seven Kingdoms and lands beyond the great Wall, which makes up a large chunk of Westeros, being roughly the size of Canada, with most of it largely unmapped and unexplored. At the novel's beginning, the majority of Westeros is united under the rule of one king, with each of nine regions controlled by a different major house. Martin here drew inspiration from medieval European history, in particular the Hundred Years' War, the Crusades, the Albigensian Crusade, and the Wars of the Roses. The first inhabitants of the continent were the Children of the Forest, a nature-worshipping anthropoid species who carved the faces of their gods in weirwood trees. Some time later, the First Men's attempts at cultivating the land led to a war with the Children of the Forest that eventually was settled by an agreement known as "The Pact". This was the beginning of the Age of Heroes. During that time, the First Men adopted the gods of the Children of the Forest. Those gods later became known in Westeros as the Old Gods. Eight thousand years before the events of the novels, an enigmatic species called the Others emerged from the furthermost north during the decades-long winter known as "The Long Night". The Children of the Forest and the First Men jointly repelled the Others and then built a massive wall barring passage from the far north. Sometime later, the Andals invaded Westeros and established the Faith of the Seven, writing, and steel. Only the North remained unconquered. The Children of the Forest disappeared from Andal lands. Over time, '''seven kingdoms''' were forged across Westeros: The North, The Iron Islands (inclusive of the riverlands and parts of the crownlands), The Vale, The Westerlands, The Stormlands (inclusive of the remaining parts of the crownlands), The Reach, and Dorne. The Seven Kingdoms were constantly at war with one another, and no kingdom remained dominant for long. Three hundred years before the novels begin, Aegon the Conqueror and his two Targaryen sister-wives came from Dragonstone and landed at present-day King's Landing. The three assembled a temporary bastion, known as "Aegon's Fort", which grew into the capital city, later known as King's Landing. Their powerful dragons overwhelmed six of the Seven Kingdoms through conquest or treaty, with Dorne remaining independent for another two hundred years until it was absorbed through a marriage-alliance. The Targaryens built the Iron Throne, which consists of the swords of defeated rulers, fused together by dragonfire. They also established King's Landing as their capital city and consolidated parts of surrounding regions of the riverlands and stormlands into the crownlands region. They remained the ruling power on the continent until deposed by a rebellion led by Robert Baratheon. ===The North === The North consists of the northern half of the Seven Kingdoms and is ruled by House Stark from their castle at Winterfell. The North is sparsely populated, but it is nearly as big as the other six kingdoms combined. Martin compared the North to Scotland. The climate is cold overall, with hard winters and mild snows common regardless of season. The region's northern border is the New Gift, which is a stretch of land 50 leagues wide and in possession of the Night's Watch. An isthmus of swampland named The Neck separates the North from the South. It is home to small, marsh-dwelling crannogmen and is ruled by House Reed of Greywater Watch, bannermen of House Stark. The Neck's narrowness, difficult terrain, and almost impenetrable Moat Cailin help protect the North from invasion. The city of White Harbor is a thriving port. Illegitimate children born of a noble parent in the North are given the surname Snow. ====Winterfell==== Winterfell is the ancestral castle of House Stark and was built over a natural hot spring. Scalding water runs through the castle walls and warms its halls and rooms. There are several open pools where heated water collects within the godswood. The hot spring also prevents the ground from freezing. The castle has deep catacombs where bodies of the Starks are entombed behind statues in their likeness with a direwolf at their feet and their swords left in their hands. The tombs have been used since the old kings of the North, known as the Kings of Winter, were in power. They ruled before Aegon the Conqueror and the arrival of the Andals before that. To depict Winterfell, both the pilot and season 1 of the television adaptation used the 16th century clock tower and ancient courtyard of the Clearsky Adventure Centre located at Castle Ward in County Down, Northern Ireland, Doune Castle in Stirling, Scotland, which previously featured as Castle Anthrax in the film ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail'', was also used for exterior scenes. Saintfield Estates stood in as Winterfell's godswood, which is an enclosed wooded area where characters can worship the old gods beside trees with faces carved in their bark. A car park stood in for Winterfell's courtyard, and a wine cellar was used to depict the Stark family crypt. Tollymore Forest featured prominently in the prologue of the pilot episode and in the pivotal scene where the Starks first find the direwolves. Cairncastle, meanwhile, served as the location where Ned Stark beheads the deserter Will." The interior of Winterfell, such as the Tower of the First Keep, the Great Hall, and Catelyn's bedchamber, were filmed at The Paint Hall studio. Set designer Gemma Jackson said, "Winterfell was based on a Scottish castle." ====The Wall==== The Wall in the ''Ice and Fire'' series was inspired by Hadrian's Wall in the North of England. The Wall is a huge structure of stone, ice, and magic on the northern border of the Seven Kingdoms. It is home to the Night's Watch, a brotherhood sworn to protect the realms of men from the threats beyond the Wall. The Wall was inspired by Martin's visit to Hadrian's Wall, in the North of England close to the border with Scotland. Looking out over the hills, Martin wondered what a Roman centurion from the Mediterranean would feel, not knowing what threats might come from the north. This experience was so profound that a decade later, in 1991, he wanted to "write a story about the people guarding the end of the world", and ultimately "the things that come out of the fictional north are a good deal more terrifying than Scotsmen or Picts". Martin adjusted the size, length, and magical nature of the Wall for genre demands; Jon Snow's chapters describe it as approximately long and high in general, rising up to a perceived in spots due to huge foundation blocks. The top is wide enough for a dozen mounted knights to ride abreast (approximately 30 ft or 10 m), while the base is so thick that the Wall's gates are more like tunnels through the ice. The novels' legends claim that the First Men, or more specifically Brandon the Builder with the possible help of children of the forest and giants, constructed the Wall some 8,000 years before the events of the series. The Wall has since been maintained by the Night's Watch to guard the realms of men against the threats from beyond, originally the Others, and later against wildling raids. A strip of land known as "the Gift", now stretching 50 leagues (about ) south of the wall, was given to them in perpetuity thousands of years ago for cultivation. In ''A Game of Thrones'', out of the nineteen castles built along the wall, only three are still manned: Castle Black with 600 men, and the Shadow Tower and Eastwatch-by-the-Sea with 200 men each. Parts of Castle Black have fallen into ruin. The TV series' Castle Black and the Wall were filmed in the abandoned Magheramorne Quarry near Belfast, Northern Ireland, whereas the scenes shot atop the wall were filmed inside Paint Hall Studios. The composite set (with both exteriors and interiors) consisted of a large section of Castle Black including the courtyard, the ravenry, the mess hall, and the barracks, and used the stone wall of the quarry as the basis for the ice wall that protects Westeros from the dangers that dwell beyond. They also made a functional elevator to lift the rangers to the top of the Wall. A castle with real rooms and a working elevator were built near a cliff high. "Working construction lifts were discovered at a nearby work site and rise 18 feet; CGI fills in the rest to make the wall appear 700 feet high." The area around the elevator was painted white to make it look like ice. Martin was surprised by the height and thought: "Oh I may have made the wall too big!" Martin observed: "It's a pretty spectacular, yet miserable location. It is wet and rainy, and the mud is thick....it really gets the actors in the mood of being at the end of the world in all of this cold and damp and chill." ====Beyond the Wall==== Season 2 of the TV adaptation featured scenes set north of the Wall that were filmed on the Vatnajökull glacier in Iceland. ''A Clash of Kings'' takes the story to the lands Beyond the Wall, although the first five books do not explore "what lies really north ... but we will in the last two books". The TV adaptation used Iceland as filming location for the lands Beyond the Wall. Martin, who has never been to Iceland, said Beyond the Wall was "considerably larger than Iceland and the area closest to my Wall is densely forested, so in that sense it's more like Canada Hudson Bay or the Canadian forests just north of Michigan. And then as you get further and further north, it changes. You get into tundra and ice fields and it becomes more of an arctic environment. You have plains on one side and a very high range of mountains on the other. Of course, once again this is fantasy, so my mountains are more like the Himalayas." In an HBO featurette, Martin stated the lands beyond the wall make up a big part of Westeros, being roughly the size of Canada. The Valley of Thenn is one such location beyond the Wall, and north of that is the Lands of Always Winter, where the Others come from. During the first season, the HBO team used places that they could decorate with artificial snow for the north of the Wall, but a bigger landscape was chosen for Season 2. "Primary filming for these scenes, which encompass both the Frostfangs and the Fist of the First Men, occurred at the Svínafellsjökull calving glacier in Skaftafell, Iceland, followed by shooting near Smyrlabjörg and Vík í Mýrdal on Höfðabrekkuheiði. Benioff said, "We always knew we wanted something shatteringly beautiful and barren and brutal for this part of Jon's journey, because he's in the true North now. It's all real. It's all in camera. We're not doing anything in postproduction to add mountains or snow or anything." ===The Iron Islands=== The Iron Islands are a group of seven islands to the west of Westeros – Pyke, Great Wyk, Old Wyk, Harlaw, Saltcliffe, Blacktyde, and Orkmont – in Ironman's Bay off the west coast of the continent. Ruled by House Greyjoy of Pyke, the isles are described as bare and barren, and the local weather as "windy and cold, and damp". The members of this seafaring nation are known in the rest of Westeros as Ironmen, and to themselves as Ironborn. Illegitimate children born in the Iron Islands are given the surname Pyke. For fierce raids, the Ironmen are titled the "terror of the seas". They worship the Drowned God, who "had made them to reave and rape, to carve out kingdoms and write their names in fire and blood and song". The appendix of ''A Game of Thrones'' summarizes that the Ironmen once ruled over the Riverlands and much of the western coast of Westeros. When Aegon the Conqueror extinguished Harren the Black's line, he chose House Greyjoy as the new rulers of the Ironmen. ====Pyke==== For the TV adaptation, the harbour of Ballintoy in Northern Ireland was redressed as the port of Pyke. Pyke is the seat of House Greyjoy. The television adaptation filmed the scenes of Pyke's port at Lordsport Harbour in Ballintoy Harbour, in Northern Ireland's County Antrim. The sea has worn away much of the rock on which Pyke originally stood, so the castle now consists mostly of a main keep on the main island and smaller towers perched on rocks. ====Old Wyk==== Old Wyk is the smallest and holiest island in the Iron Islands. It is where Kingsmoots are held, and where the Grey King slew Nagga, a sea dragon, and made a court of his bones. ===The Riverlands=== The Riverlands are the populous and fertile areas surrounding the forks of the river Trident on Westeros. While they form one of the nine regions of Westeros, the Riverlands' central location and geographic features made the region an inter-kingdom battle zone that changed hands rather than becoming its own 'eighth' kingdom of the Seven Kingdoms. Centrally located between the Westerlands, the Crownlands, the Vale, and the North and lacking the natural defenses of other regions, they have seen frequent warfare. The first ruler to unite the Riverlands was Benedict Justman, but the Justman dynasty died out three centuries later. The Durrandons conquered the Riverlands, but lost rule of it to Harwyn "Hardhand" Hoare, King of the Iron Islands. At the time of Aegon's conquest, the Riverlands were ruled by Harwyn's grandson, Harren the Black, king of the Iron Islands, and the Tullys were local nobles who rebelled against him by joining Aegon the Conqueror. As with Westerosi customs to give bastards a surname showing their origins, illegitimate children born in the Riverlands are given the surname Rivers. ====Harrenhal==== Harrenhal is an enormous ruined castle and is the site of many important events in the novels. Harrenhal was built by Harren the Black, after his conquest of the Riverlands, intending to make it the largest fortification ever built in Westeros. The castle has been described as so large that an entire army was needed to garrison it. The Great Hall had 35 hearths and seated thousands. Shortly after the castle was completed, Aegon the Conqueror's dragon slew Harren, his sons, and his entire army by setting the castle alight. Since then, the ruins of the castle have been occupied by a variety of houses, all of which eventually became extinct. As a result, the people of Westeros believe the castle is cursed. The logistical and economic difficulties inherent in keeping such an enormous castle maintained and garrisoned has made it something of a white elephant. At the start of the War of the Five Kings, the castle is in ruin, with only a fraction of it habitable, and held by Lady Shella Whent, the last of her House, who is stripped of Harrenhal when the Lannisters seize her castle. The castle changes hands repeatedly over the course of the novels, many of those holding it meeting unpleasant ends. ====Riverrun==== Riverrun is the ancestral stronghold of House Tully. The castle is located along one of the "forks" of the Trident and controls access to the interior of Westeros. The castle is bordered on two sides by the Tumblestone River and the Red Fork. The third side fronts on a massive manmade ditch. It was built by Ser Axel Tully on land he received from the Andal King Armistead Vance. The castle is the location of Robb Stark's great victory over House Lannister and the site of his crowning. By the end of the ''A Feast for Crows'', Brynden Tully surrenders the castle to Jaime Lannister to spare further bloodshed. Riverrun then passed into the hands of Emmon Frey, an ally of House Lannister. ====The Twins==== The Twins is the seat of House Frey, which has grown wealthy by charging a toll of all those who cross for the past six centuries. Because the Freys are both wealthy and numerous, theirs is one of the most powerful houses sworn to House Tully. The castle's strategic position gives House Frey enormous importance in times of war. When Robb Stark goes to The Twins to repair his alliance with House Frey, the Freys massacre him, his mother, and his army (and in the TV adaptation, his wife): an event known as "The Red Wedding", which violates native customs of guest right and incurs enmity throughout the Seven Kingdoms, especially in the Riverlands and North. ===The Vale of Arryn=== For the TV adaptation, images of the Greek rock formations of Meteora were used for the composite views of the Vale. The Vale is the area surrounded almost completely by the Mountains of the Moon in the east of Westeros. The Vale is under the rulership of House Arryn, one of the oldest lines of Andal nobility and formerly Kings of Mountain and Vale. Their seat, the Eyrie, is a castle high in the mountains, small but considered unassailable. The only way to reach the Vale is by a mountain road teeming with animals called 'shadowcats', rock slides, and dangerous mountain clans. The mountain road ends at the Vale's sole entrance, the Bloody Gate: a pair of twin watchtowers, connected by a covered bridge, on the rocky mountain slopes over a very narrow path. The protection of the surrounding mountains gives the Vale itself a temperate climate, fertile meadows, and woods. The snowmelt from the mountains and a constant waterfall that never freezes, named Alyssa's Tears, provide plentiful water. The Vale has rich black soil, wide slow-moving rivers, and hundreds of small lakes. Illegitimate children born in the Vale are given the surname Stone. ====The Eyrie==== castle of Neuschwanstein, on which the Eyrie is based Based on the German castle of Neuschwanstein, the Eyrie is the seat of House Arryn. It is situated on the Giant's Lance and reachable only by a narrow mule trail, guarded by the Gates of the Moon and three small castles, titled Stone, Snow, and Sky. Travelers must enter the Gates of the Moon and its upper bailey before reaching the narrow path up the mountain. The steps up the Giant's Lance starts directly behind the Gates of the Moon. The Eyrie clings to the mountain and is six hundred feet above Sky. The last part of the climb to the Eyrie is something of a cross between a chimney and a stone ladder, which leads to the Eyrie's cellar entrance. Due to the Mountains of the Moon's harsh winters, travel to and from the Eyrie is possible through the mountains only in summer. The Eyrie is the smallest of the great castles in the story, consisting of seven slim towers bunched tightly together. It has no stables, kennels, or smithies, but the towers can house 500 men, and the granary can sustain a small household for a year or more. The Eyrie does not keep livestock on hand; all dairy produce, meats, fruits, vegetables, etc., must be brought from the Vale below. Its cellars hold six great winches with long iron chains to draw supplies and occasionally guests from below, with oxen are used to raise and lower them. Winter snows can make supplying the fortress impossible. The Eyrie's dungeons, known as "sky cells", are left open to the sky on one side and have sloping floors that put prisoners in danger of slipping or rolling off the edge. Executions in the Eyrie are carried out via the Moon Door, which opens from the high hall onto a 600-foot drop. The Eyrie is made of pale stone and primarily decorated with the blue and white colors of House Arryn. Elegant details provide warmth and comfort through plentiful fireplaces, carpets, and luxurious fabrics. Many of the chambers have been described to be warm and comfortable, with magnificent views of the Vale, the Mountains of the Moon, or the waterfall. The Maiden's Tower is the easternmost of the seven slender towers, so all the Vale can be seen from its windows and balconies. The apartments of the Lady of the Eyrie open over a small garden planted with blue flowers and ringed by white towers, containing grass and scattered statuary, with the central statue of a weeping woman believed to be Alyssa Arryn, around low, flowering shrubs. The lord's chambers have doors of solid oak, and plush velvet curtains covering windows of small rhomboid panes of glass. The High Hall has a blue silk carpet leading to the carved weirwood thrones of the Lord and Lady Arryn. The floors and walls are of milk-white marble veined with blue. Daylight enters down through high narrow arched windows along the eastern wall, and there are some fifty high iron sconces where torches may be lit. The Eyrie was held by Lord Jon Arryn, who fostered Ned Stark and Robert Baratheon prior to Robert's Rebellion. After the war, Lord Arryn served as King Robert I Baratheon's Hand of the King (prime minister). After Lord Arryn was assassinated, his wife, Lady Lysa Arryn, took her sickly child, Robin, and fled to the Eyrie. Lysa refused to align herself with any of the claimants during the War of the Five Kings, but eventually pretends to a possible alliance with House Lannister after Lord Petyr Baelish agrees to marry her. Later Baelish kills Lysa after she attempts to murder her niece, Sansa Stark. As of ''Feast for Crows'', Baelish rules in the Eyrie as the Lord Protector and Regent for the sickly, epileptic Lord Robert "Robin" Arryn, and plans for Sansa to marry Harold Harding, who will become heir to the Eyrie and the Vale in the event of young Robin Arryn's death. For the CGI compositions of the Vale of Arryn in the TV series, as seen in the establishing shot of the Eyrie and from the sky cells, the visual effects team used images and textures from the Greek rock formations of Meteora. Initially they had been considering the Zhangjiajie Mountains in China, but because the landscape base plates were shot in Northern Ireland, using Meteora resulted a better option. Set designer Gemma Jackson said, "A lot of the mosaics in the Eyrie were based on a beautiful chapel I visited in Rome." The interior of the High Hall of the Arryns was filmed at The Paint Hall, occupying one of the four soundstages there. Martin acknowledged that the set differed significantly from its presentation in the books: "In the books, the room is long and rectangular. But The Paint Hall soundstage had essentially a square space, which they chose to put a round hall in, with a staircase curving up to a throne that was high above." ===The Westerlands=== The Westerlands are the Westerosi lands to the west of the Riverlands and north of the Reach. They are ruled by House Lannister of Casterly Rock, formerly Kings of the Rock. People of this region are often called "Westermen." Lannisport, lying hard by Casterly Rock, is the chief town of the region and one of the great ports and cities of Westeros. The Westerlands are rich in precious metals, mostly gold, which is the source of their wealth. As with Westerosi customs to give bastards a surname showing their origins, illegitimate children born in the Westerlands are given the surname Hill. ====Casterly Rock==== Casterly Rock was inspired by the Rock of Gibraltar (pictured). A stronghold carved from a mountain overlooking the harbor city of Lannisport and the sea beyond, Casterly Rock is the ancestral seat of House Lannister. According to popular legend, the hero known as Lann the Clever tricked the Casterlys into giving up the Rock, and took it for himself. The Rock is renowned as the wealthiest region due to its abundance of gold mining resources, and it is one of the strongest castles of the Seven Kingdoms. It has never been taken in battle, despite attacks by the Iron Islanders and the plans of Robb Stark in the War of the Five Kings. It was held by Lord Tywin Lannister before the War of the Five Kings, but after his death, Queen Regent Cersei Lannister made one of her cousins castellan of the castle. As of ''A Dance with Dragons'', the narrative has not actually taken place in Casterly Rock, yet descriptions of it have been offered by the Lannisters in the POV chapters. West of Casterly Rock is the coastal city of Lannisport. A busy port under the governance of the Lannisters of Casterly Rock, Lannisport thrives as a protected and wealthy city. The city is also home to many lesser Lannisters and other people with similar surnames, such as Lannys. George R. R. Martin stated on his blog that he drew inspiration for Casterly Rock from the Rock of Gibraltar. ===The Reach=== The Castle of Almodóvar del Río in Córdoba, Spain, which represented Highgarden in ''Game of Thrones'' The Reach is the most lush and fertile region of Westeros, ruled by House Tyrell from Highgarden. The Tyrells were stewards to House Gardener, the Kings of the Reach before Aegon's conquest. After the last Gardener King was killed on the Field of Fire, the Tyrells surrendered Highgarden to Aegon and were rewarded with both the castle and the position of overlords of the Reach. The wealth and power of the Reach comes from their bountiful harvests of the most sought-after wines and foods. During times of war, the lengthy distance of the Reach and its abundance of foods protects their inhabitants from initial famine and sickness. In a significant political maneuver during the civil war in Westeros and the War of the Five Kings, House Tyrell provides the starving populace of King's Landing with hundreds of carts of food, ensuring the positive image of House Tyrell foremost, and the alliance for the Iron Throne with House Baratheon as secondary. However, the Tyrells were responsible for the starvation in the first place, as part of their plan to help Renly usurp the Iron Throne. The most prominent city in the Reach is Oldtown. It is the oldest city in Westeros, home to the Maester's Citadel, and the previous seat of the Faith of the Seven. Illegitimate children born in the Reach are given the surname Flowers. ====Oldtown==== The Hightower of Oldtown bears similarities to the Lighthouse of Alexandria (3D reconstruction pictured) Oldtown is one of the largest cities in Westeros and is by far the oldest, built by the First Men before the Andal Invasion. It survived the invasion by welcoming the Andals rather than resisting them. The city is located in the southwestern part of Westeros, at the mouth of the River Honeywine, where it opens onto Whispering Sound and the Sunset Sea beyond. Oldtown is primarily known as the location of the Citadel, home of the order of Maesters who serve as councillors, doctors, scientists, and postmasters for the Seven Kingdoms. The city's Starry Sept was the seat of the Faith of the Seven until the construction of the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing. Aegon the Conqueror's reign is dated from his entrance into the city of Oldtown and his acknowledgment as king by the High Septon. Oldtown is the second most important port in the Seven Kingdoms after King's Landing: trading ships from the Summer Islands, the Free Cities, the eastern cities, and the rest of Westeros constantly crowd into its harbors. The city itself is described as stunningly beautiful. Many rivers and canals crisscross its cobbled streets, and breathtaking stone mansions are common. The city lacks the squalor of King's Landing, which usurped its position as the preeminent city of Westeros. The largest structure in the city, and the tallest structure in Westeros, is the Hightower, a massive stepped lighthouse which extends some into the sky and is topped by a huge beacon which can be seen for many miles out to sea. Oldtown is ruled from the Hightower by House Hightower. Originally kings in their own right, they later swore fealty to the Gardeners of Highgarden, and became vassals of the Tyrells after the Conquest. The Hightowers are known for their loyalty and stalwartness. The current ruler of the city is Lord Leyton Hightower. Oldtown remained aloof from the War of the Five Kings, but late in the war the Ironborn under King Euron Greyjoy launched a massive raid along the coast, conquering the Shield Islands and parts of the Arbor before trying to blockade the mouth of the Honeywine. An attempt to attack the city harbor was repulsed by the city's defenders. Oldtown remains under threat from the Ironborn. ===The Stormlands=== The Stormlands are the Westerosi areas between King's Landing and the Sea of Dorne. In the east they are bordered by Shipbreaker Bay and the Dornish Sea to the south. Before Aegon's conquest they were ruled by the Storm Kings, and afterwards by House Baratheon, bastard relatives to the Targaryens. The Dornish Marches are located within this region, and were common battlegrounds between the Stormlands and Dorne until Dorne joined the Seven Kingdoms. Illegitimate children born in the Stormlands are given the surname Storm. ====Storm's End==== Storm's End is the seat of House Baratheon and, before them, the ancestral seat of the Storm Kings extending back many thousands of years. According to legend, the first Storm King in the age of the First Men was Durran, who married Elenei, the daughter of the sea god and the goddess of the wind. In a rage her parents sent vast storms to shatter his keep and kill his wedding guests and family; whereupon Durran declared war against the gods and raised several castles over Shipbreaker Bay, each larger and more formidable than the last. Finally, the seventh castle stayed in place and resisted the storms. Some believe the Children of the Forest took a hand in its construction; others suggest that Brandon Stark, the builder of the Wall, advised Durran on its construction. The truth of the matter is unknown. Storm's End has never fallen to either siege or storm. Its outer defenses consist of a huge curtain wall, tall and thick on its thinnest side, nearly thick on its seaward side. The wall consists of a double course of stones with an inner core of sand and rubble. The wall is smooth and curving, the stones so well placed that the wind cannot enter. On the seaward side, there is a drop below the wall into the sea. The castle itself consists of one huge drum tower crowned with formidable battlements, and so large that it can comfortably contain stables, barracks, armory and lord's chambers in the same structure. Although never taken in battle, Storm's End has endured several sieges and battles in recent history. The last Storm King, Argilac the Arrogant, abandoned his impressive defenses to meet the Targaryen commander, Orys Baratheon, in open battle during Aegon Targaryen's War of Conquest, and lost. This led to Orys Baratheon marrying Argilac's daughter and becoming Lord of Storm's End. During the War of the Usurper, Storm's End was besieged for a year by the host of Lord Mace Tyrell, who commanded the landward forces, while Paxter Redwyne's fleet of the Arbor kept the castle cut off by sea. Stannis Baratheon, commanding the defense, refused to yield and his men were reduced to eating rats. A smuggler named Davos ran the blockade to resupply the castle and Stannis rewarded him by knighting him and giving him lands, thus founding House Seaworth, but he also cut off the fingertips of his left hand as punishment for all his previous smuggling. After the war, Stannis was furious when his brother Robert, now king, gave the castle to their younger brother Renly and placed Stannis in command of Dragonstone. This led to many years of bitterness on Stannis' part. During the War of the Five Kings, Storm's End supported Renly when he attempted to usurp the crown, and was besieged by Stannis. When the castellan, Cortnay Penrose, refused to yield even after Renly's death, he was killed by Stannis' ally, the priestess Melisandre, and the castle surrendered. Later, the castle was besieged by a strong army under Mace Tyrell, but he abandoned the siege after a few weeks to return to King's Landing after the arrest of his daughter Margaery by the High Septon. As of ''A Dance with Dragons'', the castle remains in the hands of Stannis Baratheon. At the end of ''A Dance with Dragons'' an army lands in the Stormlands led by Jon Connington and a young man claiming to be Aegon Targaryen, the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell and heir to the Iron Throne. To attract support, Aegon plans to conquer Storm's End and raise the banner of House Targaryen above the battlements. In the TV adaptation, scenes in the Stormlands were filmed in Larrybane, Northern Ireland. The scene where Stannis' red priestess Melisandre gave birth to a shadow creature was filmed in the Cushendun Caves, also in Northern Ireland. ===The Crownlands=== The Crownlands are the lands in Westeros surrounding King's Landing, ruled directly by the crown of the Iron Throne. The Targaryen kings consolidated this as one of the nine regions of Westeros, after their conquest of the Seven Kingdoms, from sparsely populated pieces of the Riverlands and Stormlands. The Crownlands form the entire coastline of Blackwater Bay, and include the original Targaryen homeland on the island of Dragonstone, at the Narrow Sea entrance to Blackwater Bay. Besides King's Landing, which is the largest city in Westeros, the Crownlands include many towns and castles. The illegitimate children born in the Crownlands are given the surname Waters. ====Dragonstone==== Dragonstone was once the westernmost outpost of the ancient Freehold of Valyria. A century before the Doom, the Targaryen family moved to Dragonstone. When the Doom came upon Valyria, House Targaryen survived along with the last of the Valyrian dragons. Another century later, Aegon Targaryen and his sisters Rhaenys and Visenya launched a massive campaign of conquest from the island and eventually conquered all of Westeros except for Dorne, and North of the Wall. Aegon's progeny reigned as kings of the Seven Kingdoms for centuries. Dragonstone is a massive, forbidding fortress, taking up a large portion of the island of the same name. The castle is unique in that the builders and sorcerers of Valyria carved its towers and keeps into the shapes of dragons and made ferocious gargoyles to cover its walls using both magic and masonry. The castle's lower levels are warmed by residual volcanic activity deep below the keep. There is a small port and town outside of the castle. During the War of the Usurper, before the sack of King's Landing, the Targaryen Queen Rhaella, who was pregnant, and her son Viserys were sent to Dragonstone along with part of the Targaryen fleet and a garrison of loyal soldiers. But after King's Landing fell, Robert Baratheon dispatched his brother Stannis to take the island stronghold. After a storm destroyed the royalist fleet, the Targaryen garrison tried to betray Viserys and his newborn sister, Daenerys, to Stannis (the queen had died in childbirth). But Targaryen loyalists led by Ser Willem Darry took the children away. Stannis conquered Dragonstone easily, and King Robert granted him ownership of the castle. Stannis took this a slight because his younger brother Renly then inherited Storm's End, the ancient seat of House Baratheon. Ser Axell Florent, one of the uncles of Stannis' wife Selyse Florent, acted as castellan. Upon Robert's death, Stannis declared himself King of Westeros and condemned the queen's children as bastards born of incest, as he had discovered with Jon Arryn. Dragonstone became his main seat. He returned there after the disastrous Battle of the Blackwater. His councilor, the red priestess Melisandre of Asshai, tried to convince him to let her raise the "stone dragon" of the castle through blood magic, but Lord Davos Seaworth convinced Stannis to go north to the Wall to help the Night's Watch instead. After Stannis abandoned Dragonstone, leaving the Bastard of Nightsong Rolland Storm as castellan, Queen Regent Cersei Lannister dispatched a fleet to barricade it. However, Ser Loras Tyrell, impatient to free the fleet to protect his home castle of Highgarden, attacked Dragonstone directly. He took the castle but lost a thousand men and was himself reportedly gravely wounded. As of ''A Dance with Dragons'', Dragonstone is now controlled by troops loyal to House Tyrell, and theoretically, once again under control of the Iron Throne. One scene set at Dragonstone, in which Stannis burns wooden sculptures of the Seven gods, was filmed at the beach of Downhill Strand. In Season 7 of the show, filming for Dragonstone took place at several locations in the Basque region of Spain: the islet of Gaztelugatxe in Bermeo, Itzurun Beach in Zumaia, and Muriola Beach in Barrika. ====King's Landing==== King's Landing is the royal capital of Westeros and the Seven Kingdoms. King's Landing has an estimated population of 1 million people, making it the most populous city in Westeros. It is situated on the Blackwater river on the spot where Aegon the Conqueror landed in Westeros to begin his conquest. The main city is surrounded by a wall, which is manned by the City Watch of King's Landing, which is nicknamed the gold cloaks, after the cloaks they wear. Within the walls, the city's natural landscape is dominated by three hills, named after Aegon and his two sister-wives Rhaenys and Visenya. Poorer smallfolk (commoners) build shanty settlements outside the city. King's Landing is described as extremely populous but unsightly and dirty. The stench of the city's waste can be smelled far beyond its walls. The royal castle, called the Red Keep, sits on Aegon's Hill. It is the seat of the royal court. The Keep holds the Iron Throne. Aegon commissioned the throne's construction from the swords of his defeated enemies. According to legend, he kept the blades sharp because he believed that no ruler should ever sit comfortably. Centuries later, kings still cut themselves on the throne. It is a common belief that one who cuts himself on the throne has been "rejected" by the throne and is therefore not fit to rule. The city also holds the Great Sept of Baelor, where the Most Devout convene with the High Septon. It is the holiest sept of the Seven. The slums of King's Landing are called Flea Bottom, where residents are so poor they regularly subsist on "bowls of brown", a mystery stew that can include the meat of puppies and murder victims. Martin compared King's Landing to medieval Paris or London. It was inspired by the view of Staten Island from his childhood home in Bayonne, New Jersey. The first season of the TV adaptation used Malta's former capital Mdina to represent King's Landing. "Like King's Landing, Mdina is a walled medieval city built upon a hill, but unlike King's Landing, Mdina is an inland city so the production was limited to interior shots such as side streets and the town gate, which can be seen when Ned Stark arrives. Nearby Fort Manoel doubled as the great Sept of Baelor," which can be seen when Ned Stark is executed. Various other locations around Malta represent the Red Keep, "including the real-life residence of the president of Malta, San Anton Palace. The gates of Fort Ricasoli doubled as the Red Keep's gates; Fort St. Angelo was used for the scenes of Arya Stark chasing cats; and St. Dominic monastery stood in for the scene where Ned Stark confronts Cersei Lannister in the godswood." "In season two, filming for King's Landing and the Red Keep shifted from Malta to the historic parts of Dubrovnik and the Minčeta, Bokar, and Lovrijenac fortresses in Croatia, which allowed for more exterior shots of an authentic walled medieval city." Parts of Season three were filmed there, too, as well as in nearby Trsteno. "Known as ''the Pearl of the Adriatic'', the city proved to share many characteristics with the fictional capital: it had a well-preserved medieval look, with high walls and the sea at its side. According to David Benioff, executive producer of the show, "King's Landing might be the single most important location in the entire show, and it has to look right", and "The minute we started walking around the city walls we knew that was it. You read the descriptions in the book and you come to Dubrovnik and that's what the actual city is. It has the sparkling sea, sun and beautiful architecture." Co-Executive Producer D.B. Weiss added "To find a full-on, immaculately preserved medieval walled city that actually looks uncannily like King's Landing where the bulk of our show is set, that was in and of itself such an amazing find". The Tourney of the Hand in season 1 was filmed in Shane's Castle, Northern Ireland. The Red Keep interior are filmed at Belfast's studio The Paint Hall. Set designer Gemma Jackson said, "When I was thinking about King's Landing, the whole red aspect of it, that immediately made me think of Rajasthan. The floor at King's Landing was from the Pantheon in Rome." Martin said that "Our throne room is a spectacular throne room – we actually redressed a throne room built for another film. And again, it occupied a quarter of the Paint Hall, so it's very big, but in my mind in the books, it's Westminster Abbey, it's St. Paul's Cathedral. ===Dorne=== Castle of Zafra in Guadalajara, Spain, which portrayed the Tower of Joy in Dorne in ''Game of Thrones'' Dorne is the southernmost and least populated land of Westeros. The capital, Sunspear, is the seat of the ruling House Martell. As of the first five books, Doran Nymeros Martell is the Prince of Dorne and Lord of Sunspear. Doran's sister, Princess Elia, was married in a political alliance to Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, the Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne. They had two children, a daughter, Rhaenys, and a son, Aegon. During the Sack of King's Landing at the end of Robert's Rebellion, Princess Elia was raped and murdered by Gregor Clegane, a House Lannister bannerman (vassal). Her children were also killed in front of her. Prince Doran and his wife, Princess Mellaria, have three children, Arianne, Quentyn and Trystane. During the War of the Five Kings, Tyrion Lannister, as Hand of the King, turns the historical enmity of House Martell and Dorne into an alliance by sending King Joffrey's middle sibling and sister, Myrcella Baratheon, as the betrothed future bride to Trystane, the youngest child of Prince Doran, who is about her own age. The eldest child of Prince Doran, Arianne, is heir to House Martell, Sunspear and the rule of Dorne. The wealth of Dorne comes from their famous Sand Steeds, purebred horses of endurance, speed, and grace, and from spices, wines, fishing, fabrics, and textiles. Dorne is bordered by the Sea of Dorne to the north, the islands known as the Stepstones to the east, and stretches from the high mountains of the Dornish marches, the Red Mountains, separating Dorne from the remainder of the Seven Kingdoms by land. The two major passes though the Red Mountains that connect Dorne with the rest of the continent are the Stone Way Pass and the Prince's Pass. The Prince's Pass leads to the Reach, while the Stone Way exits the mountains near Summerhall. The southern coast of the continent is bordered by the Summer Sea. Described as tropical in climate by George R. R. Martin, Dorne has the highest temperatures kingdom in Westeros, is arid, with a rocky, mountainous, terrain that includes the only desert on the continent. Its rivers provide some fertile lands and during a long summer there is enough rain and other supplies of water to keep Dorne habitable. Inland water is almost as valuable as gold, and wells are jealously guarded. Notable locations of Dorne are Starfall, the seat of House Dayne, and Yronwood, the seat of House Yronwood, the most powerful of the Martell bannermen. Planky Town is a trade port town at the mouth of the River Greenblood. Dornishmen have a reputation for hot-bloodedness. They differ both culturally and ethnically from other Westerosi due to the historical mass immigration of Rhoynish people. They have adopted many Rhoynish customs as well, including equal primogeniture. Dorne was the only kingdom in Westeros to successfully resist Aegon's conquest, even killing one of his dragons during the war. It was conquered by Daeron I over a century after the Targaryen invasion, but rose against him leading to his death. Finally under Daeron's cousin Daeron II they joined through marriage. This accomplishment has allowed Dorne to retain a measure of independence. Lords of the ruling House Martell still style themselves "Prince" and "Princess" in the Rhoynish fashion. Unlike most of the rest of Westeros, illegitimate children born in Dorne are treated nearly the same as legal offspring and given the surname Sand, as with Westerosi customs to give bastards a surname showing their origins. According to ''A Storm of Swords'', "There were three sorts of Dornishmen .... There were the salty Dornishmen who lived along the coasts, the sandy Dornishmen of the deserts and long river valleys, and the stony Dornishmen who made their fastnesses in the passes and heights of the Red Mountains. The salty Dornishmen had the most Rhoynish blood, the stony Dornishmen the least. All three sorts seemed well represented in Doran’s retinue. The salty Dornishmen were lithe and dark, with smooth olive skin and long black hair streaming in the wind. The sandy Dornishmen were even darker, their faces burned brown by the hot Dornish sun. They wound long bright scarfs around their helms to ward off sunstroke. The stony Dornishmen were biggest and fairest, sons of the Andals and the First Men, brownhaired or blond, with faces that freckled or burned in the sun instead of browning." In the show, Dornish scenes were filmed in the Alcázar of Seville, Seville, Spain. ==Summer Sea== ====Basilisk Isles==== East of Naath, the Basilisk Isles have been a festering sore of the Summer Sea, and a safe haven for pirates, slavers, sellswords, and outlaws. Ruins have been found on the Isle of Tears, the Isle of Toads, and Ax Island. The Isle of Tears is the largest island, with steep valleys and black bogs. It was conquered by the Ghiscari and it was called Gorgai for two centuries, until the dragonlords of Valyria captured it and renamed it Gorgossos. It was used as a prison by the Freehold, a place where they sent their most despicable criminals. ====Naath==== Naath, also known as the Isle of Butterflies, is an island off the north-west coast of Sothoryos that lies west of the Basilisk Isles. The Naathi people have dark skin and golden eyes. They practice extreme pacifism, making music instead of war and refusing to eat meat, only fruit. This makes them especially vulnerable to slavers from Essos. Daenerys' interpreter Missandei is from Naath. ====Summer Islands ==== As indicated on a map in ''A Storm of Swords'', the Summer Islands are situated to the south of Westeros, with a local fauna of talking birds, apes, and monkeys. The novels describe the island natives as dark-skinned people who speak their own language. They wear colored feathery clothes and live on fruit and fish. From their port city named Tall Trees Town, the Summer Isles export rare goods to Westeros such as wine, spices, feathers, but also a special kind of wood from which bows are made that have a longer range than most others. People of the Seven Kingdoms call the Summer Islanders' great vessels ''swan ships'', "for their billowing white sails and for their figureheads, most of which depicted birds". Samwell Tarly, who spends two chapters in ''A Feast for Crows'' aboard a swan ship, describes the Summer Islander women as wanton, and their gods as strange; they "revered the elderly and celebrated their dead" through sexual intercourse. As a prostitute explains to Tyrion in ''A Clash of Kings'', the Summer Islanders regard their sexuality as the gods' gift to worship them through mating, and hence many of their highborn youths and maidens serve in pleasure houses for a few years to honor the gods. ==Essos== Part of the narrative in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' lies across the Narrow Sea from Westeros, an area comprising the large eastern continent named Essos. Being roughly the size of Eurasia, Essos has geography and climate that vary greatly. The western coastline is characterized by green rolling hills, the massive Forest of Qohor, and extensive island chains such as Braavos and Lys. The middle of the continent is covered by the flat grasslands of the Dothraki Sea and the arid lands known as the Red Waste to the east. Beyond the Red Waste lies the city of Qarth. The south is dominated by dry rolling hills and has a Mediterranean climate, with a coastline along the Summer Sea and Slaver's Bay. The north coast of the mainland is separated from the polar cap by the Shivering Sea. To the south, across the Summer Sea, lies the uncharted jungle continent of Sothoryos. Much of the fictional history of Essos relates to Valyria, a city located on a peninsula in southern Essos and the origin of House Targaryen before the destruction of the Valyrian Empire in an unspecified cataclysm. After the destruction of Valyria, the cities of Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen regained independence and ruled their respective areas as city-states. The area is known in the books as Slaver's Bay. ===Free Cities and vicinity === Across the Narrow sea on the western side of Essos lie the nine Free Cities, independent city-states that are mostly on islands or along the coast. They are Lys, Myr, Pentos, Braavos, Lorath, Norvos, Qohor, Volantis and Tyrosh. Although most Free Cities are named early in the first novel, the books only provide a map of this region in ''A Dance with Dragons''. Mountains to the east separate the coast from the plains of the Dothraki Sea, though gaps in the mountain range provide the Dothraki people some access to the Free Cities. The Free Cities were colonies built by the ancient Valyrian Freehold, and later declared independence after the Doom of Valyria. An exception to this is Braavos, which was founded by refugees fleeing Valyrian expansion, escaped slaves and other rabble. The languages of the Free Cities are derivatives of High Valyrian. The Free Cities span an area characterized by the river Rhoyne, which the local character Yandry describes as "the greatest river in the world". Its banks are the homeland of the Rhoynar, who worship the river as "Mother Rhoyne". As mapped in ''A Dance with Dragons'', the Rhoyne originates from the conjunction of two of its tributaries, the Upper Rhoyne and the Little Rhoyne, southeast of the ruins of Ghoyan Drohe. The headwaters of the Upper Rhoyne lie in Andalos, the homeland of the Andals between Braavos and Pentos. The Rhoyne's course runs southeast to turn due south after Dagger Lake, where river pirates hide on and around the many lake islands. The Rhoyne gains in width considerably as it gets fed by more tributaries, until it opens into the Summer Sea in a delta near the Free City of Volantis. ====Braavos==== Unique among the Free Cities, Braavos was not a Valyrian colony, but a secret refuge from Valyrian expansion. It is a city spread over hundreds of tiny islands in a lagoon on the northwestern end of Essos where the Narrow Sea and Shivering Sea meet. Braavos is home to the 'Iron Bank', one of the wealthiest banks in the known world . Braavos is also known for its swordsmen known as 'bravos', and its mysterious assassins, the Faceless Men. It is also famed for the Titan of Braavos, both a fortress and a statue. The ruler of Braavos is known as the Sealord and it is from the sea that the city's power and wealth flows. The hulls of Braavosi ships are painted purple and their merchant ships sail to many distant lands and bring their trade and wealth back home. Braavos has many moneylenders and the Iron Bank of Braavos lends money to foreign nations, especially The Crown, which has borrowed millions. Braavosi dress in flashy colors while the very rich and powerful dress in black and in blues that are almost black. Officials of Braavos, called keyholders and justiciars, wear drab coats of brown or grey. The city is also renowned worldwide for its courtesans. Every courtesan has her own barge and servants to work them. The beauty of famed courtesans has inspired many a song. They are showered with gifts from goldsmiths and craftsmen beg for their custom. Nobility and rich merchants pay the courtesans large amounts of money to appear alongside them at events, and bravos are known to kill each other in their names. The character Syrio Forel, former first sword of the Sealord of Braavos, introduces Arya Stark to a unique form of Braavosi sword fighting, called Water Dancing. The style is a refined form of fencing in which the practitioner stands sideways and wields a slender blade. Pugnacious bravos fill the city, frequently dueling to display their skill. Braavos was inspired by Venice, Italy. It was filmed in Croatian towns of Šibenik, and Kaštel Gomilica in the TV series. ====Pentos==== The TV series filmed Illyrio's mansion in Pentos at Verdala Palace in Malta. Pentos is a major trading port on a bay of the western coast. Dominated by an architecture of square brick towers, it is headed by a Prince who is chosen by the de facto rulers of the city, known as Magisters. Khalasars occasionally make their way this far from the Dothraki Sea, but the Pentoshi are spared much of the raiding and invasions by paying tribute to their khals. Men from Pentos wear dyed and forked beards. As in many Free Cities, slavery is outlawed, but the wealthy and powerful members of the city have the ability to flout these laws by keeping servants collared in bronze. Daenerys's scenes in the pilot episode were filmed in Morocco. The television adaptation re-used the Jerusalem sets of ''Kingdom of Heaven'' near Ouarzazate, Morocco. "One small portion of the Jerusalem set, redressed and repainted, became the courtyard of Illyrio's manse where Dany first meets Khal Drogo." "When the pilot was delivered, HBO asked for extensive reshoots, including the scrapping of all the footage shot in a landlocked part of Morocco which was supposed to take place in Pentos, a fictional port city and filming it again in Malta." The exterior scenes at Illyrio's mansion in Pentos were shot at Verdala Palace, the 16th century summer palace of the president of Malta. "One of Malta's most spectacular natural attractions, the Azure Window on the island of Gozo, stood in for the location of Daenerys Targaryen's wedding to Khal Drogo." When Pentos reappeared in Season 5, it was filmed in Croatia. ====Volantis==== Volantis is a port on the southern coast of Essos, and is the oldest and proudest of the Free Cities. A fortification known as the Black Wall protects the oldest parts of the city. The city is ruled by three triarchs, who are elected every year by free landholders of Volantis, and defended by slave soldiers called the "Tiger cloaks". Volantis is incredibly important to the slave market, and in the city there are five slaves to every free man. All Volantene slaves have facial tattoos denoting their profession: for instance, sex slaves have tears tattooed on their faces, and the tiger cloaks have tiger stripes. The worship of R'hllor is the most influential religion of Volantis, especially among slaves. The TV adaptation used locations in Córdoba, Spain. ====Other Free Cities ==== * '''Lorath''' is a port city on a group of northern islands. The character Jaqen H'ghar poses as a Lorathi in ''A Clash of Kings'', wearing long hair dyed red on one side and white on the other. * '''Lys''' sits astride a series of southern islands. The Lysene have a tendency to be tall and fair of skin and eyes, unlike most inhabitants of the Free Cities. Lys is well known for its pleasure houses, training slaves in the arts of love and selling them as concubines and bed-slaves. Lys also frequently fights over control of the Stepstones and the Disputed Lands. There appears to be a love goddess whose worship is peculiar to Lys. Dany's handmaiden Doreah and the pirate Salladhor Saan are Lysene. * '''Myr''' is a coastal city renowned for their master lenscrafters, intricate lace, and fine carpets. The dark eyed and dark skinned Myrmen are similar to Norvosi and Pentoshi in that they are ruled by magisters that are known to pay tribute to passing Dothraki khalasars. Myr is a hub of trade in both slaves and their signature green nectar wines. Myr frequently fights over control of the Disputed Lands. * '''Norvos''' sits on the main continent in two parts, one atop a high hill and the other beside a low river. The city has three large bells, each with its own name and distinctive voice, that are rung frequently. The surrounding area is a land of rolling hills, terraced farms, and white-stucco villages. The climate is fairly mild. Norvosi can be recognized by their dyed and upswept mustaches. The city is run by a council of magisters that are known to pay tribute to passing Dothraki khalasars. It is also home to a group of bearded priests that train elite guardsmen. These guardsmen swear oaths of duty and consider themselves wedded to their distinctive long axes. * '''Qohor''' is situated on the main continent, in the vast Forest of Qohor. It is known for its fine tapestries and its smiths, who have the rare ability to reforge Valyrian steel, even directly infusing the metal with a variety of different colors. The Black Goat is a prominent god in the city. Qohor's city guard has been composed solely of Unsullied eunuch slave soldiers ever since the Battle of the Three Thousand, when 3,000 Unsullied soldiers successfully defended the city against over 25,000 Dothraki horsemen. Guardsmen tie braids of human hair to their spears to commemorate the Dothraki cutting their braids in salute to Qohor's defenders. * '''Tyrosh''', a coastal city-state ruled by an Archon, is infamous for its avarice. Traders deal extensively in slaves and Tyroshi pear brandy. The city features an abundance of pleasure houses, but they are not as highly regarded as those in Lys. Tyroshi master armorsmiths make intricate armor in fantastic shapes. Tyrosh is a popular center for the hiring of sellswords. The city is often drawn into the ongoing conflicts over the Disputed Lands and the Stepstones. The Tyroshi often wear forked beards and pointed mustaches dyed in bright colors. The character Daario Naharis is from Tyrosh. ===Central Essos=== This section covers the Essos locations east of the Free Cities that Daenerys Targeryen passes through on her travels in ''A Game of Thrones'' and ''A Clash of Kings'' before moving on to Slaver's Bay. ==== Valyria ==== Valyria is a peninsula in South-Central Essos, west of Slaver's Bay. Before the Doom of Valyria, it was the seat of the Valyrian Freehold, a massive empire thousands of years old. The Valyrians are characterized by their silver hair and violet eyes. Valyria was called The Freehold because every man who owned land was allowed to vote for their leaders. The Valyrians also used slaves to mine the Fourteen Flames, a series of volcanoes rich with ore. They subjugated the Ghiscari and the Rhoynar and established all of the Free Cities, save Braavos. They did this through their knowledge of dragonlore. Many Valyrians rode dragons. However, hundreds of years ago, an event known as the Doom of Valyria, apparently involving a violent eruption of the Fourteen Flames, destroyed the Freehold and made Valyria an archipelago. The Targaryens are of the blood of old Valyria, who escaped before The Doom. ====Dothraki Sea ==== The Dothraki Sea is a vast, flat grassland on Essos. It is inhabited by the Dothraki people, a copper-skinned race of warlike nomads with their own language and unique culture. The Dothraki live in hordes called khalasars, each led by a chief called a khal. Khalasars are broken into groups, called khas, which are each led by one of the khal's captains, called kos. Each khal and his khalasar owe fealty to a ruling council of royal priestesses, called the dosh khaleen, whose members are each a former khal's consort, called a khaleesi during the reign of her husband, one who became part of the dosh khaleen following his death. Dothraki are expert riders and their horses are of prime importance in their culture, used for food, transportation, raw materials, warfare, and establishing social standing. They regularly raid other peoples. George R. R. Martin said "The Dothraki were actually fashioned as an amalgam of a number of steppe and plains cultures ... Mongols and Huns, certainly, but also Alans, Sioux, Cheyenne, and various other Amerindian tribes ... seasoned with a dash of pure fantasy. So any resemblance to Arabs or Turks is coincidental. Well, except to the extent that the Turkic peoples|historic Turks were also originally horsemen of the steppes, not unlike the Alans, Huns, and the rest." However, he also noted that "In general, though, while I do draw inspiration from history, I try to avoid direct one-for-one transplants, so it would not be correct to say that the Dothraki are Mongols." The Dothraki have only one permanent city, called Vaes Dothrak, which serves as their capital. The dosh khaleen hold the city as their seat. It is filled with statues stolen from other cities the Dothraki conquered or raided. There is a law that no Dothraki may shed blood within the boundaries of Vaes Dothrak and that those who do are cursed. Two gigantic bronze stallions, whose hooves meet midair, form an arch above the entryway to the city. For the first season of the TV adaptation, Sandy Brae in the Mourne Mountains of northern Ireland was chosen to stand in for Vaes Dothrak; the bronze stallions making up the Horse Gate as the main entrance of Vaes Dothrak were later C.G.I.ed on two pedestals erected on location. ====Lhazar==== Lhazar is an area of the semi-arid lands south of the Dothraki Sea. A region of pastures and hills, it is inhabited by the Lhazareen, a peaceful people with bronze skin, flat faces, and almond eyes. They are predominantly shepherds, called the Lamb Men by the Dothraki, who frequently prey on them. They worship a god called the Great Shepherd and believe that all of humanity is part of a single flock. The scenes at the village of the Lamb Men that is sacked by the Dothraki were filmed in Malta, at the farming town of Manikata. ===Slaver's Bay === Slaver's Bay is a marginal sea of the Summer Sea, lying to the south of the Dothraki Sea, to the west of Lhazar and thousands of leagues to the east of the Free Cities. The climate is very hot. After a first mention in ''A Game of Thrones'' in relation to slavery, Daenerys Targaryen conquers the three great Slaver's Bay port city-states Astapor, Yunkai and Meereen in ''A Storm of Swords''. She stays in Meereen throughout most of ''A Dance with Dragons''. The cities were built from the rubble of Old Ghis, an ancient rival of Valyria that was crushed by Valyria thousands of years before the series' events. The economies of the cities are largely based on slave labor and the slave trade. Treatment of slaves is often harsh, while citizens live in relative luxury. Professional soldiers of all three cities wear outlandish costumes and hairstyles that limit their usefulness in battle. The cities' militaries are highly dependent on additional slave and mercenary armies for the actual fighting. Present inhabitants of the bay are a mixed race that no longer speak the old Ghiscari tongue but variations of High Valyrian with a characteristic growl. The ancient folk of Ghis, who name themselves the harpy's sons in Astapor, are said to have bristly red-black hair. The Good Masters of Astapor all appear alike to Daenerys as "thick fleshy men with amber skin, broad noses, dark eyes. Their wiry hair was black or a dark red, or that queer mixture of red and black that was peculiar to Ghiscari". Only the freeborn men of Astapor are permitted to wear garments called tokars, whose fringes display their status. Many Astapori women veil their face for the dust. The Astapori are drenched in sweet perfumes. ====Astapor==== Astapor lies on the banks of the Worm River, a wide, slow and crooked stream with wooded islands. Entering Astapor at the beginning of ''A Storm of Swords'', Daenerys experiences it as an ancient and dilapidated city that has long passed its glory days. The city is dominated by its red brick architecture, and Arstan Whitebeard explains to Daenerys that the saying "Brick and blood built Astapor, ... and brick and blood her people" refers to the slaves who make the bricks. Astapor's stepped pyramids, its fighting pits, streets, the surrounding walls and the Plaza of Pride are all made of red bricks. The so-called Plaza of Punishment at Astapor's main gates is even larger than the Plaza of Pride. The Plaza of Pride, which has a red-brick fountain and a huge bronze harpy statue in its center, serves as an open air slave market and a marshaling area for the Unsullied, elite eunuch spearmen with a renown for discipline and effectiveness. Astapor is the only city to sell Unsullied, but also sells bed slaves, fieldhands, scribes, craftsmen and tutors. The Unsullied require a huge investment in both time and money by the Astapori who raise and train them, but they earn the most profitable of returns for the Good Masters of Astapor. The Unsullied wear spiked bronze hats, and they obey at all costs, even if it demands their death. They are given new slave names each day to be reminded of their worthlessness. In times of attack, unsold Unsullied are deployed to the massive, crumbling red-brick walls that the Astapori no longer man. Daenerys decides to buy all of Astapor's trained and untrained Unsullied, over 8600 in number, and tells them to kill all adult Astapori slavers and soldiers when she leaves the city. She gives the power over Astapor to a council of former slaves led by a healer, a scholar and a priest, and tens of thousands of former slaves join her on her travels to Yunkai. A former butcher named Cleon fends off a scheme to have the Good Masters re-established, and was crowned as the King of Astapor in reward. The TV show used the coastal town of Essaouira, Morocco to film scenes in Astapor. ====Yunkai==== The smallest of the three cities, Yunkai, like Meereen, does not trade in Unsullied but is known for its fighting pits and its pleasure houses, both of which turn out slaves at a brisk pace. The city is similar to Astapor in architecture except for its smaller size and its use of yellow brick in its buildings instead of red. The slavers of Yunkai are known as the Wise Masters. Because of the city's lack of Unsullied, it relies on a mixed professional and slave army of approximately 4,000 with at least 1,000 mercenaries. Typical for Ghiscari, Yunkai soldiers wear impractical armor and oiled hair teased into enormous shapes, limiting their effectiveness. Yunkish scenes were filmed in Aït Benhaddou, Morocco in the TV show. ====Meereen==== The largest of the three slaver cities, Meereen has a population equaling that of Astapor and Yunkai combined. The city has architecture similar to that of its neighbors, but it is made of bricks of many colors. Its landscape is dominated by a massive pyramid, named the Great Pyramid, and the Temple of Graces, which is capped by a golden dome. Meereen is unique among the Ghiscari cities in that it is filled with many temples and pyramids. The slavers of Meereen are known as the Great Masters. They field a force of lancers equipped in traditionally extravagant Ghiscari fashion with scales of copper and lances as long as fourteen feet. It is built on the banks of the river Skahadhazan. For the HBO television series, many of the scenes in Meereen were filmed in Split and the Fortress of Klis, Croatia. In Season 5, Daznak's Pit in the city was shot in the Plaza de Toros in Osuna, Spain. === Eastern Essos === ====Red Waste ==== The Red Waste is a great desert-like area in the eastern part of Essos. Not much is known about it, since it was only briefly seen in ''A Clash of Kings'' when Daenerys Targaryen and her ''khalasar'' crossed it. The only known settlement in the region, Vaes Tolorro, is in ruins. ====Qarth==== First mentioned in ''A Game of Thrones'', the city of Qarth has not yet appeared on any maps in the books. However, the HBO ''Viewer's Guide'' world map and the opening titles of the TV series' second season show Qarth located at a strait between the Summer Sea and the Jade Sea in the south-east of Essos. Upon Daenerys' first visit to Qarth in ''A Clash of Kings'', the warlock Pyat Pree describes his city as the center of the world and as a gateway of commerce and culture between the east and west, and the north and south. The reader learns through Daenerys's eyes that the city is surrounded by three graded walls of thirty to fifty feet in height, respectively engraved with portraits of animals, war, and lovemaking. The city's buildings are of many colors, including rose, violet, and umber. Slender towers rise throughout the city, fountains adorn every square, and thousands of colored birds, blooming trees and flowers fill the city. The TV adaptation filmed Qarth on the island of Lokrum near Dubrovnik and constructed a set at the Dubac quarry in Croatia to double for the gates of Qarth. The Qartheen are described as "tall pale folk in linen and samite and tiger fur", with the women wearing gowns that leave one breast bare, while the men sport beaded silk skirts. Daenerys perceives them as "nothing if not polite". Slaves serve their needs. The Pureborn, descendants of the city's ancient kings and queens, govern Qarth and also command the city's defenses. Three principal merchant groups battle amongst themselves and against the Pureborn for dominance of the city: the Thirteen, the Ancient Guild of Spicers, and the Tourmaline Brotherhood. Qarth's warlocks, whose lips are turned blue from a potion called "the shade of the evening", are said to brood over these factions; they are still feared although their power and prestige have waned over the years. Qarth is also home to the Sorrowful Men, a guild of assassins named so for whispering "I am so sorry," before killing their victims. Daenerys leaves Qarth again at the end of ''A Clash of Kings''. === Unvisited lands === ====Asshai and the Shadow Lands ==== Asshai and the Shadow Lands are mysterious locations in the ''Ice and Fire'' world. They are first mentioned in ''A Game of Thrones'' and were first mapped in ''The Lands of Ice and Fire'', lying on the far east of the known world. Martin is unsure if the books will ever take the readers to Asshai, but said that readers may learn more through the POV character Melisandre (who originates from Asshai) or through the memories and mentions of other characters. Jorah Mormont describes Asshai as a port city far to the south of the Dothraki sea, at the end of the known world. Asshai exports such goods as black amethysts, amber and dragonglass. At another time, Jorah Mormont tells Daenerys of great kingdoms to the east of the Red Waste, and lists Asshai by the Shadow as one of the cities full of wonders there. According to Martin, all ship travels between Westeros and Asshai go via the Summer Sea and the Jade Sea through the straits at Qarth, and that the common folk still believe the world to be flat. However, according to Martin, "Asshai is not nearly important to trade as Yi Ti, and the rich port cities of Yi Ti (and Leng) and more easily reached via Qarth." Quaithe of the Shadow prophesies Daenerys in Qarth that "To go north, you must journey south. To reach the west, you must go east ... and to touch the light you must pass beneath the shadow." When Daenerys interprets this to mean she must go to Asshai, Quaithe says she would find the truth there. There are many tales about the Shadow Lands, though how much truth they hold is unclear. The Dothraki believe that ghost grass covers the Shadow Lands, with stalks that glow in the dark and grow taller than a man on horseback. Daenerys heard that "spellsingers, warlocks, and aeromancers practiced their arts openly in Asshai, while shadowbinders and bloodmages worked terrible sorceries in the black of night". There are also Westerosi maesters in Asshai. The mages of Asshai teach others their healing powers, but also their spells requiring blood sacrifice. Ancient books of Asshai record the Azor Ahai prophecy followed by members of the R'hllor faith. Daenerys heard that dragons themselves originated from the Shadow Lands beyond Asshai and the islands of the Jade Sea, and they possibly still live there. Bran dreams of flying Dragons in Asshai. The petrified dragon eggs Illyrio gives to Daenerys are said to come from the Shadow Lands. The "dour and frightening" Shadow Men cover their bodies in tattoos and wear lacquered wooden masks, and the appearance of the Asshai'i is described as dark and solemn. The Dothraki believe the Asshai'i to be the spawn of shadows. The Asshai'i have a language of their own. ====Ibben==== Ibben is a collection of islands north of Essos in the Bay of Whales. The largest of these islands is Ib, which contains the cities Port of Ibben and Ib Nor. Until the Doom of Valyria, Ibben was ruled by a God-King. Now power is held by the Shadow Council, which is made up of nobles, priests, and wealthy guildsmen. Ibben is first mentioned in ''A Game of Thrones'', where Tyrion talks of rumors that mammoths "roam the cold wastes beyond the Port of Ibben". In 2002, Martin said the narrative would "probably not" take readers to Ibben, which he described as a "cold, mountainous, Iceland-sized island" (i.e. 40,000 square miles) in the Shivering Sea, with the Port of Ibben as the major city; some Ibbenese also live on smaller islands nearby or in colonies on Essos. Ibben is unmapped in the books as of ''A Dance with Dragons'', but similar to Martin's descriptions, the HBO ''Viewer's Guide'' world map gives the island's location as to the north-east of Essos. Martin said that due to a large whale population in the Shivering sea, many of the Ibbenses were whalers. The Ibbenses are known to chew whale blubber in order to maintain their metabolism in the cold climate. Several characters see Ibbenese whalers and cogs at the ports of King's Landing, Braavos, Maidenpool, Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, and the Iron Islands. The novels describe the people of Ibben as squat and hairy; Arya even meets an Ibbenese woman with a mustache. Tyrion and Varys meet foul-smelling Ibbenese, who "were as fond of axes as they were of each other". Arya sees "a dark brutal axeman from Ib" in her dreams. The Ibbenese are said to speak with low, raspy voices and to have their own language. ====Yi Ti==== The novels repeatedly describe Yi Ti as a city full of wonders, lying in the far east. As of ''A Dance with Dragons'', Yi Ti has not appeared on any maps in the books, but Martin specified that "Yi Ti is to the south east of Qarth, generally, across the Jade Sea." The city is first mentioned in ''A Game of Thrones'', talking of rumors that "basilisks infested the jungles of Yi Ti". Sailor stories presented in ''A Feast for Crows'' mention that a grey plague has hit Yi Ti. The god of the people of Yi Ti is called the Lion of Night. Daenerys sees people of Yi Ti as bright-eyed men in monkey-tail hats in the markets of Vaes Dothrak. Martin is unsure "to what extent those peoples like of Yi Ti will ever enter this present story, however... their lands are very far away." ====Plains of Jogos Nhai==== North of Yi Ti, the Plain of Jogos Nhai are windswept, with rolling hills. They are dominated by a race of mounted warriors called the Jogos Nhai. The Jogos Nhai live in yurts and tents, and are a nomadic people. They are short, squat, and have large heads and small faces. Men and women both have pointed skulls, a result of their custom of binding the heads of newborns. They also ride zorses, a striped mount that can withstand much more than average horse. The Jogos Nhai do not fight between themselves, and live in small clans bound by blood. They live in a state of perpetual war with outsiders. Each tribe is commanded by a ''jhat'', or war chief, and a moonsinger, who is a priestess, healer, and judge. Moonsingers are generally female, and ''jhats'' are mostly male. (Paraphrased from ''The World of Ice and Fire)'' ==Sothoryos == To the south of Essos is the continent of Sothoryos (mistakenly spelled Sothoros in early novels). Sothoryos is the third continent of the known world, and is vast, plague-ridden, covered in jungles, and largely unexplored. It is reported to be as large as Essos and described as a "land without end" by Jaenara Belaerys, a Valyrian dragonlord from before the Doom of Valyria. The continent is first named on a map in ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), showing the cities of Yeen and Zamettar on it. The narrative itself first refers to the continent in ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005). Martin had described Sothoryos in 2002 as "the southern continent, roughly equivalent to Africa, jungly, plague-ridden, and largely unexplored". The novels provide little other information. The swampy nature of Sothoryos is briefly referenced by Victarion in ''A Dance with Dragons'', and teak from Sothoryos is said to be used to build ships. A corsair's road runs along the continent's northern coast. ''A Dance with Dragons'' refers to the diseases on Sothoryos in regards to the wealthy but sick Yunkai slave trader Yezzan zo Qaggaz. Victarion describes some people as "squat and hairy as the apes of Sothoros", and some people fighting in Daznak's Pit for Daenerys's entertainment in ''A Dance with Dragons'' are described as "brindle-skinned half-men from the jungles of Sothoros". Martin said that, unlike other peoples in the novels, the brindled men of Sothoryos were pure fantasy constructs. ==Ulthos == The map collection ''The Lands of Ice and Fire'' also shows the north tip of a landmass named "Ulthos" to the south of Essos and east of Sothoryos. Asked whether this was another continent, Martin replied, "Well, it's a large landmass. I am a little unclear on the formal definition of 'continent' as opposed to 'big island.' Also on the size of Ulthos, which after all sits at the edge of the known world. Terra incognita and all that." ==References== ===Secondary sources=== ===Primary sources=== ===Bibliography=== * * * * * * * * ==External links== * Wiki of Ice and Fire, Geography

'''''A Game of Thrones''''' is the first novel in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by the American author George R. R. Martin. It was first published on August 1, 1996. The novel won the 1997 Locus Award and was nominated for both the 1997 Nebula Award and the 1997 World Fantasy Award. The novella ''Blood of the Dragon'', comprising the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel, won the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Novella. In January 2011, the novel became a ''New York Times'' Bestseller and reached #1 on the list in July 2011. In the novel, recounting events from various points of view, Martin introduces the plot-lines of the noble houses of Westeros, the Wall, and the Targaryens. The novel has inspired several spin-off works, including several games. It is also the namesake and basis for the first season of ''Game of Thrones'', an HBO television series that premiered in April 2011. A March 2013 paperback TV tie-in re-edition was also titled ''Game of Thrones'', excluding the indefinite article "A". ==Plot== ''A Game of Thrones'' follows three principal storylines simultaneously. ===In the Seven Kingdoms=== At the beginning of the story, Eddard "Ned" Stark, the Warden of the North in the Seven Kingdoms, executes a deserter from the Night's Watch, the military order that guards the Wall on the Seven Kingdoms' northern border. On the way home to his castle Winterfell, he discovers six orphaned direwolf pups, which are adopted by his six children. Upon the death of Lord Jon Arryn, the principal advisor to King Robert Baratheon, Robert recruits Ned to replace Arryn as "Hand of the King", and betroth Ned's daughter Sansa to Robert's son Joffrey. Ned accepts the position when he learns that Arryn's widow Lysa believes Queen Cersei Lannister and her family poisoned Arryn. Shortly thereafter, Ned's son Bran discovers Cersei having sex with her twin brother Jaime Lannister, who throws Bran from the tower to conceal their affair, paralyzing his legs. Ned and his daughters Sansa and Arya depart for the capital city, King's Landing. During the journey south, an altercation between Arya and Joffrey leads to Arya's direwolf being driven away and Sansa's direwolf being executed to appease the Lannisters. Upon arriving in King's Landing to take his post as Hand, Ned finds that Robert is an ineffective king whose only interests are hunting, drinking and womanizing, leaving his Small Council to govern the realm. At Winterfell, an assassin attempts to kill Bran, and Ned's wife Catelyn travels to King's Landing to bring word to Ned. Catelyn's childhood friend, Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish, implicates Tyrion Lannister, the dwarf brother of Cersei and Jaime, in the assassination attempt. En route back to Winterfell, Catelyn encounters Tyrion by chance, arrests him, and takes him to stand trial for the attempt on Bran's life. In retaliation for Tyrion's abduction, his father Lord Tywin Lannister sends soldiers to raid the Riverlands, Catelyn's home region. Tyrion regains his freedom by recruiting a mercenary named Bronn to defend him in trial by combat. Ned investigates Jon Arryn's death and eventually discovers that Robert's legal heirs, including Joffrey, are in fact Cersei's children by Jaime, and that Jon Arryn was killed to conceal his discovery of their incest. Ned offers Cersei a chance to flee before he informs Robert, but she uses this chance to arrange Robert's death in a hunting accident and install Joffrey on the throne. Ned enlists Littlefinger's help to challenge Joffrey's claim; but Littlefinger betrays him, resulting in Ned's arrest. Arya escapes the castle, but Sansa is taken hostage by the Lannisters. Ned's eldest son Robb marches his army south in response to his father's arrest, and in order to relieve the threat on the Riverlands. To secure a strategically necessary bridge crossing, Catelyn negotiates a marital alliance between Robb and the notoriously unreliable House Frey. Robb defeats a Lannister army in the Riverlands, capturing Jaime. Tywin sends Tyrion back to King's Landing to act as Hand of the King to Joffrey. When Ned is executed, Robb's followers declare the North's independence from the Seven Kingdoms, proclaiming Robb "King in the North". ===On the Wall === The prologue of the novel introduces the Wall: an ancient barrier of stone, ice, and magic, hundreds of feet high and hundreds of miles long, shielding the Seven Kingdoms from the northern wilderness. The Wall is manned by the Night's Watch: an order of warriors sworn to serve there for life, defending the realm from the fabled Others, an ancient and hostile inhuman race, as well as from the human "wildlings" who live north of the Wall. Jon Snow, Ned’s bastard son, is inspired by his uncle, Benjen Stark, to join the Night's Watch, but becomes disillusioned when he discovers that its primary function is as a penal colony. Jon unites his fellow recruits against their harsh instructor and protects the cowardly but good-natured and intelligent Samwell Tarly. Jon is appointed steward to the leader of the Watch, Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, making him a potential successor to Mormont. Benjen fails to return from an expedition north of the Wall. Six months later, the dead bodies of two men from his party are recovered; these re-animate as undead wights before being dispatched by Jon. When word of his father's execution reaches Jon, he attempts to join Robb against the Lannisters, but is persuaded to remain loyal to the Watch. Mormont then declares his intention to march north to find Benjen, dead or alive, and to investigate rumors of a "King-Beyond-the-Wall" uniting the wildlings. ===Across the narrow sea=== Across the sea to the east of Westeros, the exiled prince Viserys Targaryen, son of the late "mad king" and rightful heir to House Targaryen, the royal house of Westeros before it was overthrown by Robert Baratheon, betroths his 13-year-old sister Daenerys to Khal Drogo, a warlord of the nomadic Dothraki, in exchange for the use of Drogo's army to reclaim the throne of Westeros. Illyrio, a wealthy merchant who has been supporting the penniless Targaryens, gives Daenerys three petrified dragon eggs as a wedding gift. Jorah Mormont, a knight exiled from Westeros, joins Viserys as an adviser. Initially terrified of her new husband and his people, Daenerys eventually embraces her role as Drogo's queen. Drogo, however, shows little interest in conquering Westeros before the birth of his child with Daenerys, and an impatient Viserys tries to browbeat his sister into coercing Drogo. When Viserys publicly threatens Daenerys, Drogo executes him by pouring molten gold on his head. An assassin seeking King Robert's favor attempts to poison Daenerys and her unborn child, finally convincing Drogo to conquer Westeros. While sacking villages to fund the invasion of Westeros, Drogo is badly wounded, and Daenerys commands a captive folk healer to save him. The healer, angered by the Dothraki raids against her people, sacrifices Daenerys' unborn child to power the spell to save Drogo's life, which restores Drogo's physical health but leaves him in a persistent vegetative state. With Drogo completely incapacitated and unable to lead, much of the Dothraki army departs to follow a new Khal. Daenerys smothers Drogo with a pillow, and the healer responsible for his condition is tied to Drogo's funeral pyre on her orders. She places her three dragon eggs on the pyre and enters it herself; she soon emerges, unburned, with three newly hatched dragons. Awe-struck, Jorah and the remaining Dothraki swear allegiance to her. == Themes == Throughout the novel, characters are often faced with decisions that match one redeemable trait against another. ''The Guardian'' outlines characters who are frequently "forced to choose between their love for those close to them and the greater interests of honour, duty and the realm." In Westeros, Ned ultimately decides to venture south with Robert, leaving much of his family in Winterfell. At the Wall, Jon wrestles with the predicament of joining his half-brother Robb in rebellion or staying with his sworn brothers in the Night's Watch. Daenerys has issue with the Dothraki treatment of those they conquered in Essos. These conflicts characters encounter oftentimes reflect inconsistent decision making. Catelyn initially is overwhelmed by grief and does not leave Bran's bedside while he is comatose, ignoring her political responsibilities, choosing family over duty. But soon after, Catelyn leaves Bran and her family for Kings Landing to inform Ned of potential Lannister treason, effectively displaying a more duty fulfilling role. Family, duty, and honor play major roles in conflicts that arise in the story arc, and qualities traditionally categorized as noble oppose each other in resolution. Character decision conflicts and consequence analysis are particular to how Martin wants to portray fantasy. Martin characteristically deviates from the traditional fantasy model and clear-cut lines of good versus evil. Martin reflects: "I think the battle between good and evil is fought largely within the individual human heart, by the decisions that we make. It's not like evil dresses up in black clothing and you know, they're really ugly". This viewpoint characterizes the book and is evident in the actions of several different families which frequently have conflicts with each other. The Starks' and Lannisters' conflict is a central component of the novel, and the reader receives points of view from both sides. Likewise, Daenerys' storyline develops around the Targaryen's upheaval in Westeros, in which the Starks played a significant role. Martin argues: Having multiple viewpoints is crucial to the grayness of the characters. You have to be able to see the struggle from both sides, because real human beings in a war have all these processes of self-justification, telling ourselves why what we're doing is the right thing. ==Viewpoint characters== Each chapter concentrates on the third person limited point of view of a single character; the book presents the perspective of eight main characters. Additionally, a minor character provides the prologue. Chapter headings indicate the perspective. * Prologue: Will, a man of the Night's Watch. * Lord Eddard "Ned" Stark, Warden of the North and Lord of Winterfell, Hand of the King. * Lady Catelyn Stark, of House Tully, wife of Eddard Stark. * Sansa Stark, elder daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark. * Arya Stark, younger daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark. * Bran Stark, middle son of Eddard and Catelyn Stark. * Jon Snow, illegitimate son of Eddard Stark. * Tyrion Lannister, a dwarf, brother of the twins Queen Cersei and Jaime, son of Lord Tywin Lannister. * Princess Daenerys Targaryen, Stormborn, the Princess of Dragonstone and heiress to the Targaryen throne after her older brother Viserys Targaryen. In the later books, certain viewpoint characters are added while others are removed. ==Writing== Martin acknowledges several authors who lent their time and expertise during the writing of the novel: Sage Walker, Martin Wright, Melinda Snodgrass, Carl Keim, Bruce Baugh, Tim O'Brien, Roger Zelazny, Jane Lindskold, and Laura Mixon. ==Editions== According to author George R.R. Martin, the Bantam 1996 edition was the true first. The HarperCollins/ Voyager 1996 edition was the British first edition. Its official publication date was earlier than that of the US Bantam edition, but Bantam went to print several months earlier to hand out copies at the American Boksellers Association (ABA). The novel has been translated into many languages and published in multiple editions in hardcover, paperback, e-book, and audio book form. In different languages, the number of books may not be the same. In June 2000, Meisha Merlin published a limited edition of the book, fully illustrated by Jeffrey Jones. ==Adaptations== ''A Game of Thrones'' and the subsequent novels in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series have been adapted in a HBO television series, a comics series, several card, board and video games, and other media. ==Reception== ''A Game of Thrones'' has received critical acclaim. Lauren K. Nathan of the Associated Press wrote that the book "grips the reader from Page One" and is set in a "magnificent" fantasy world that is "mystical, but still believable." Steve Perry told readers of ''The Oregonian'' that the plot is "complex and fascinating" and the book is "rich and colorful" with "all the elements of a great fantasy novel". Writing in ''The Washington Post'', John H. Riskind commented that "many fans of sword-and-sorcery will enjoy the epic scope of this book" but felt that the book "suffers from one-dimensional characters and less than memorable imagery." Phyllis Eisenstein of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' wrote that, although the book uses many generic fantasy tropes, Martin's approach is "so refreshingly human and intimate that it transcends them." She described it as "an absorbing combination of the mythic, the sweepingly historical, and the intensely personal." John Prior, writing in the ''San Diego Union-Tribune'', called Martin's writing "strong and imaginative, with plenty of Byzantine intrigue and dynastic struggle", and compared it to Robert Jordan's ''Wheel of Time'' books, "though much darker, with no comedy or romance to relieve the nastiness." On November 5, 2019, the ''BBC News'' listed ''A Game of Thrones'' on its list of the 100 most influential novels. ==Awards and nominations== * Locus Award – Best Novel (Fantasy) (Won) – (1997) * World Fantasy Award – Best Novel (Nominated) – (1997) * Hugo Award – Best Novella for ''Blood of the Dragon'' (Won) – (1997) * Nebula Award – Best Novel (Nominated) – (1997) * Ignotus Award – Best Novel (Foreign) (Won) – (2003) ==References== ==External links== * *

'''''A Clash of Kings''''' is the second novel in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', an epic fantasy series by American author George R. R. Martin expected to consist of seven volumes. It was first published on 16 November 1998 in the United Kingdom, although the first United States edition did not follow until February 2, 1999 Like its predecessor, ''A Game of Thrones'', it won the Locus Award (in 1999) for Best Novel and was nominated for the Nebula Award (also in 1999) for best novel. In May 2005 Meisha Merlin released a limited edition of the novel, fully illustrated by John Howe. The novel has been adapted for television by HBO as the second season of the TV series ''Game of Thrones''. ''A Clash of Kings'' is also the name of the first expansion to the ''Game of Thrones'' board game. == Plot summary == ''A Clash of Kings'' depicts the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros in civil war, while the Night's Watch mounts a reconnaissance to investigate the mysterious people known as wildlings. Meanwhile, Daenerys Targaryen continues her plan to reconquer the Seven Kingdoms. ===In the Seven Kingdoms=== With King Robert Baratheon dead, his purported son Joffrey and his brothers Renly and Stannis all claim the throne of the Seven Kingdoms. Two regions attempt to secede from the realm: Robb Stark is declared "King in the North" while Balon Greyjoy declares himself king of the Iron Islands. The war among these contenders is dubbed the War of the Five Kings. Stannis Baratheon, claiming the throne as Robert's eldest brother and therefore heir, is supported by Melisandre, a foreign priestess who believes Stannis to be the reincarnation of Azor Ahai, a messianic figure of her faith. Renly Baratheon has married Margaery Tyrell, the daughter of the wealthy Lord Mace Tyrell, who is supporting Renly's attempt to usurp the throne. Robb sends his mother Catelyn Stark to meet with Renly and Stannis to discuss an alliance against Joffrey's family, the Lannisters, but she is unable to reach an agreement with them. Melisandre uses magic to send a shadow to assassinate Renly; after witnessing Renly's death, Catelyn and Renly's bodyguard Brienne of Tarth flee the scene. Having lost Renly, some of his followers shift their support to Stannis. Tyrion Lannister, Joffrey's uncle, arrives at King's Landing as acting Hand of the King, the senior adviser to Joffrey's reign. Whilst jockeying for power against Joffrey's mother, the Queen Regent Cersei, Tyrion improves the defenses of the city. Learning of Renly's death, and knowing that the Tyrells will not support Stannis, Tyrion sends the crown's treasurer Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish to negotiate a marriage alliance between Margaery and Joffrey. Riots break out in the city due to Joffrey's cruelty and food shortages caused by the ongoing war. Robb wins several victories against the Lannisters while Robb's younger brother Bran rules the Northern stronghold of Winterfell in his absence. Robb sends his friend Theon Greyjoy, Balon Greyjoy's son, who grew up as a hostage in Winterfell, to negotiate an alliance between the North and the Iron Islands. Theon betrays Robb and attacks Winterfell, taking the castle and capturing Bran and his younger brother Rickon. When Bran and Rickon escape, Theon fakes their deaths. Believing this ruse, Stark supporters besiege the castle, including a force from the Starks' sometime ally House Bolton. However, the Bolton soldiers turn against the Stark and Greyjoy forces alike, burn Winterfell, slaughter its inhabitants, and take Theon prisoner. Robb's sister Arya is taken north posing as a new recruit for the Night's Watch. The recruits are attacked by Lannister forces, and the survivors are taken to the gigantic castle of Harrenhal, which is controlled by Joffrey's grandfather Tywin Lannister, and put to work as servants. For saving his life during the attack, a mysterious man named Jaqen H'ghar promises to repay Arya by killing three men of her choice. Arya leverages this offer to help Northern forces retake control of Harrenhal. Jaqen gives Arya a mysterious iron coin and tells her to find him in the foreign city of Braavos if she should ever desire to learn his secrets. Arya soon escapes the castle. Stannis' army launches assaults on King's Landing by both land and sea in a battle in Blackwater Bay. Under Tyrion's command, the Lannister forces use "wildfire" (similar to Greek fire) to ignite the bay, and raise a massive chain across its mouth to prevent Stannis' fleet from retreating. Tywin leads his army and the Tyrell forces to the defense of King's Landing, and Stannis's forces are defeated. During the battle, Tyrion is attacked and injured by a knight of Joffrey's Kingsguard; by the time Tyrion regains consciousness after the battle, Tywin has assumed the post of Hand of the King. ===Beyond the Wall=== A scouting party from the Night's Watch learns that the wildlings are uniting under "King-beyond-the-Wall" Mance Rayder. The Watch then continue to an ancient hill-top fortress known as the Fist of the First Men, where Jeor Mormont sends Jon Snow and Qhorin Halfhand with others to the Skirling Pass, where they are hunted by wildling warriors. Facing certain defeat, Halfhand commands Jon to infiltrate the wildlings and learn their plans. They are captured by wildlings who demand Jon fight Qhorin to join them. Jon kills Qhorin with the aid of his direwolf, Ghost, and learns that Mance Rayder is advancing on the Wall with thirty thousand wildlings, giants, and mammoths. ===Across the Narrow Sea=== Daenerys Targaryen travels east, accompanied by the knight Jorah Mormont, her remaining followers, and three newly hatched dragons. Scouts find a safe route to the city of Qarth, where her dragons make Daenerys notorious. Xaro Xhoan Daxos, the leader of the Thirteen, a prominent group of traders in Qarth, initially befriends the outsiders; but Daenerys cannot secure aid in claiming the Iron Throne, because she refuses to give away any of her dragons. As a last resort, Daenerys seeks counsel from the warlocks of Qarth, who show Daenerys many confusing visions and threaten her life, whereupon one of Daenerys' dragons, Drogon, burns down the warlocks' House of the Undying. An attempt to assassinate Daenerys is thwarted by a fat warrior named Strong Belwas and his squire Arstan Whitebeard: agents of Daenerys' ally Illyrio Mopatis, who have come to escort her back to Pentos. == Characters == The tale is told through the eyes of 9 recurring POV characters plus one prologue POV character: * Prologue: Maester Cressen, maester at Dragonstone * Tyrion Lannister, youngest son of Lord Tywin Lannister, a dwarf and a brother to Queen Cersei, and the acting Hand of the King * Lady Catelyn Stark, of House Tully, widow of Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell * Ser Davos Seaworth, a smuggler turned knight in the service of King Stannis Baratheon, often called the Onion Knight * Sansa Stark, eldest daughter of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Stark, held captive by Queen Cersei at King's Landing * Arya Stark, youngest daughter of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Stark, missing and presumed dead * Bran Stark, second son of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Stark and heir to Winterfell and the King in the North * Jon Snow, bastard son of Eddard Stark, and a man of the Night's Watch * Theon Greyjoy, heir to the Seastone Chair and former ward of Lord Eddard Stark * Queen Daenerys Targaryen, the Unburnt and Mother of Dragons, of the Targaryen dynasty ==Editions== ;Foreign language editions * Arabic: "اغنية الثلج والنار: صراع الملوك" ("A Song of Ice and Fire : Clash of kings") * Bulgarian: Бард :"Сблъсък на Крале" * Catalan: Alfaguara :"Xoc de reis" ("Clash of kings") * Croatian: Algoritam: "Sraz kraljeva" * Chinese: "列王的纷争", 重庆出版社(2006) ("Conflict of Kings"). * Czech: Talpress: "Střet králů" ("Clash of Kings") * Danish: Gyldendal :"Kongernes Kamp" ("The Battle of Kings") * Dutch: One volume, Luithing Fantasy (1999): hardcover : ''De Strijd der Koningen'' ("The Clash of Kings") * Estonian: Two volumes, hardcover : Varrak (2008, 2009), "Kuningate heitlus I & II" ("A Clash of Kings") * Finnish: Kirjava: "Kuninkaiden koitos" * French: Three volumes (Hardcover: Pygmalion (2000); paperback: J'ai Lu (2002)): "La bataille des rois", "L'ombre maléfique", "L'invincible forteresse" ("The Battle of Kings", "The Evil Shadow", "The Invincible Fortress"). * German: Single volume, Fantasy Productions (2004): "Königsfehde" ("King's Feud"). Two volumes, Blanvalet (2000): "Der Thron der Sieben Königreiche", "Die Saat des goldenen Löwen" ("The Throne of the Seven Kingdoms", "The Seed of the Golden Lion"). * Georgian: Paperback, Arete (2014): "მეფეთა ჯახი" I/II ("Clash of Kings" I/II) * Greek: Anubis: "Σύγκρουση Βασιλέων" ("Clash of Kings") * Hebrew: "I/II עימות המלכים" ("Clash of Kings") * Hungarian: Alexandra Könyvkiadó : "Királyok csatája" ("Battle of Kings") * Icelandic: UGL: "Konungar kljást" ("Kings Clash") * Indonesian: Fantasious: "Pertempuran Raja-raja" ("Battle of Kings") * Italian: Two volumes, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore (2001, 2002): "Il regno dei lupi", "La regina dei draghi" ("The Kingdom of Wolves", "The Queen of Dragons"). * Japanese: Two volumes, hardcover : Hayakawa (2004), paperback : Hayakawa (2007): "王狼たちの戦旗" ("Banner of the Wolf Kings") * Korean: Eun Haeng Namu Publishing Co. :"왕들의 전쟁" ("War of Kings") * Latvian: Whitebook: "Karaļu cīņa" ("War of Kings") * Lithuanian: Alma Littera "Karalių kova" ("A Battle of Kings") * Norwegian: Two volumes (2012) 'Bok II Del I: Kongenes kamp' (Book II Part I: The Battle of Kings) and 'Bok II Del II: Dragenes dronning' (Book II Part II: The Queen of Dragons) * Polish: Zysk i s-ka: "Starcie królów" * Brazilian Portuguese: Leya: "A Fúria dos Reis" ("Wrath of the Kings") * European Portuguese: Two Volumes, Saída de Emergência : "A Fúria dos Reis", "O Despertar da Magia" * Romanian: Nemira: "Încleștarea regilor" * Russian: Single volume, AST (2004, 2005, 2006): "Битва королей" ("The Battle of Kings"). Two volumes, AST (2000): "Битва королей. Книга 1", "Битва королей. Книга 2" ("The Battle of Kings: Book 1", "The Battle of Kings: Book 2). * Serbian: Лагуна : "Судар краљева" * Slovenian: "Spopad kraljev" ("Clash of Kings") * Spanish: Gigamesh (2003): "Choque de reyes" ("Clash of Kings"). * Swedish: Forum bokförlag: "Kungarnas krig" ("War of the Kings") * Turkish: Two volumes, Epsilon Yayınevi: "Buz ve Ateşin Şarkısı II: Kralların Çarpışması - Kısım I & Kralların Çarpışması - Kısım II" ("A Clash of Kings") * Ukrainian: One volume, KM Publishing (2014): "Битва Королів" ("A Clash of Kings") * Vietnamese: Two volumes: "Trò Chơi Vương Quyền 2A: Hậu Duệ Của Sư Tử Vàng", "Trò Chơi Vương Quyền 2B: Bảy Phụ Quốc". ("Game of Thrones 2A: Descendants of the Golden Lion", "Game of Thrones 2B: Seven Kingdoms") ==Television adaptation== ''A Clash of Kings'' has been adapted for television by HBO as the second season of its successful adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire''. Filming began July 2011, and the first episode of season 2 of ''Game of Thrones'' aired on April 1, 2012. ==Reception== As with its predecessor, ''A Clash of Kings'' was positively received by critics. Dorman Shindler of ''The Dallas Morning News'' described it as "one of the best works in this particular subgenre", praising "the richness of this invented world and its cultures ... that lends Mr. Martin's novels the feeling of medieval history rather than fiction." Writing in ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'', Jim Hopper called ''A Clash of Kings'' "High Fantasy with a vengeance" and commented: "I'll admit to staying up too late one night last week to finish off this big book, and I hope it's not too terribly long until the next one comes out." Danielle Pilon wrote in the ''Winnipeg Free Press'' that the book "shows no signs of the usual 'middle book' aimlessness". Although she found the constantly switching viewpoints "momentarily confusing", she felt that it "draws the reader deep into the labyrinthine political and military intrigues and evokes sympathy for characters on all sides of the conflict." Bradley H. Sinor of the ''Tulsa World'' praised Martin for "keeping readers balanced on a sword's edge" and managing to do "three important things" with ''A Clash of Kings'': "It grips the reader whether or not they read the earlier book, tells a satisfying story and leaves the reader wanting the next book as soon as possible." ''The Oregonian's'' Steve Perry called the book "easily as good as the first novel" and commented that the ''Song of Ice and Fire'' books were "so complex, fascinating and well-rendered that readers will almost certainly be hooked into the whole series." However, he cautioned that "if it were a movie, it would be rated "R" for sex and violence, so don't pick the book up for your 10-year-old nephew who likes Conan." ==Awards and nominations== * Locus Award – Best Novel (Fantasy) (Won) – (1999) * Nebula Award – Best Novel (Nominated) – (1999) * Ignotus Award – Best Novel (Foreign) (Won) – (2004) ==References== ==External links== * *

'''''A Storm of Swords''''' is the third of seven planned novels in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a fantasy series by American author George R. R. Martin. It was first published on August 8, 2000, in the United Kingdom, with a United States edition following in November 2000. Its publication was preceded by a novella called ''Path of the Dragon'', which collects some of the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel into a single book. At the time of its publication, ''A Storm of Swords'' was the longest novel in the series. It was so long that in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and Israel, its paperback edition was split in half, Part 1 being published as ''Steel and Snow'' in June 2001 (with the one-volume cover) and Part 2 as ''Blood and Gold'' in August 2001 (with a specially-commissioned new cover). The same division was used in the Polish and Greek editions. In France, the decision was made to cut the novel into four separate volumes. ''A Storm of Swords'' won the 2001 Locus Award, the 2002 Geffen Award for Best Novel and was nominated for the 2001 Nebula Award for Best Novel. It was the first novel in the series to be nominated for the Hugo Award, one of the two most prestigious awards in science fiction and fantasy publishing, although it lost to J. K. Rowling's novel ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire''. Meisha Merlin Publishing, which had previously issued limited, illustrated editions of both ''A Game of Thrones'' and ''A Clash of Kings'', was planning to release a similar version for ''A Storm of Swords'' in two volumes; however, lengthy delays in the release of ''A Clash of Kings'' caused it to lose its publishing rights, which were picked up by Subterranean Press. This edition, illustrated by Charles Vess, was released in the summer of 2006. ''A Storm of Swords'' is also the name of the second expansion to the board game ''A Game of Thrones'', released in July 2006. Approximately the first half of the novel was adapted for television as the third season of the HBO show ''Game of Thrones'', while the second half became the basis for the series' fourth season, and some elements for the series' fifth season. ==Plot summary== ''A Storm of Swords'' picks up the story slightly before the end of its predecessor, ''A Clash of Kings''. The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros are still in the grip of the War of the Five Kings, wherein Joffrey Baratheon and Stannis Baratheon compete for the Iron Throne, while Robb Stark of the North and Balon Greyjoy of the Iron Islands declare their independence. Meanwhile, a large host of wildlings, the tribes from beyond the Seven Kingdoms' northern border, approach the Wall that marks the border, under the leadership of Mance Rayder, the self-proclaimed "King Beyond the Wall", with only the undermanned Night's Watch in opposition. Finally, Daenerys Targaryen, the daughter of a deposed former king of Westeros and "mother" of the world's only living dragons, travels west to plan to retake her father's throne. ===In the Seven Kingdoms=== ====The Riverlands==== At her father's castle of Riverrun, Robb's mother Catelyn Stark releases the captive Jaime Lannister, Joffrey's uncle (and, secretly, father) in order to secure the release of Catelyn's daughters, Sansa and Arya, who Catelyn believes are held hostage by the Lannisters in the capital city, King's Landing. Jaime is sent south, escorted by Brienne of Tarth. Robb's army returns to Riverrun, having vanquished the Lannister armies in the west, and Robb reveals that he has married Jeyne Westerling, violating his promise to be wed to a daughter of House Frey. These actions alienate and infuriate some of Robb's allies, weakening his military position. Jaime and Brienne are captured by mercenaries working for Roose Bolton, who is nominally an ally of Robb's but is secretly plotting to undermine him. The mercenary captain Vargo Hoat has Jaime's sword hand cut off. Brienne is thrown into a bear pit by Hoat, and Jaime risks his own life to rescue her. Bolton releases Jaime and Brienne and they travel to King's Landing. Arya Stark, traveling in the Riverlands, is taken in by the "Brotherhood Without Banners": a band that defends the smallfolk of the Riverlands, led by Lord Beric Dondarrion and the red priest Thoros of Myr. The group encounters Sandor "The Hound" Clegane, Joffrey's former bodyguard, and offers him trial by combat for his crimes. The Hound kills Beric, but Thoros resurrects him with the power of the fire god R'hllor. The Hound kidnaps Arya and flees with her. In order to return north to defend the region against Greyjoy attacks, Robb needs the support of the Freys. The Freys propose a wedding between Catelyn's brother Edmure Tully, now lord of the Riverlands, and one of Lord Walder Frey's daughters, to compensate for Robb breaking his marriage agreement. At the wedding celebration, the Boltons and Freys turn on the Starks, massacring Robb's forces. Robb is murdered by Roose Bolton, while Catelyn's throat is cut and her body thrown into the river; Edmure is kept alive as a hostage. These events become known as the Red Wedding. Arya and the Hound witness the Red Wedding and escape, but soon after, the Hound is wounded in a skirmish, and Arya abandons him. She takes a ship to the Free City of Braavos, where the assassin Jaqen H'ghar had told her she could find him. In the epilogue, a re-animated but decayed and mutilated Catelyn is leading the Brotherhood Without Banners, and she oversees the lynching of two of the Freys who were present at the Red Wedding. ====King's Landing, Dragonstone, and the Eyrie==== The smuggler-turned-knight Davos Seaworth attempts to assassinate Stannis' advisor Melisandre, a sorceress and priestess of R'hllor, blaming her for Stannis' defeat in his prior assault on King's Landing. Davos is imprisoned for treason, but at Melisandre's behest, Stannis releases Davos and appoints him Hand of the King. Melisandre uses the blood of Edric Storm, a bastard son of Stannis' late brother King Robert, to curse the three rival Kings. Balon Greyjoy's death is reported shortly thereafter. King's Landing welcomes the Lannisters' new allies, the Tyrells, as liberators, and King Joffrey sets aside his betrothal to Sansa Stark in favor of Margaery Tyrell. Joffrey's grandfather Tywin Lannister, the Hand of the King, compels Sansa to marry his dwarf son Tyrion, to enable Lannister control of the North; but Tyrion refuses to consummate the marriage against her will. Margaery and Joffrey's wedding is held as planned, but during the wedding feast, Joffrey is poisoned and dies. Tyrion is accused of the murder by his sister Cersei, Joffrey's mother, and arrested. Sansa escapes the castle with the help of Lord Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish, who admits to her his culpability in Joffrey's death, incriminating Margaery's grandmother Olenna as well. Littlefinger and Sansa depart King's Landing for the Eyrie, home of Catelyn's sister Lysa Arryn. After Balon, Robb and Joffrey die, as Melisandre predicted, Davos has Edric smuggled to safety to prevent Melisandre and Stannis sacrificing him for the power in his blood. Davos discovers a request by the Night's Watch for aid against Mance Rayder; Stannis prepares to execute Davos for treason but changes his mind after Davos shows Stannis the Night's Watch's plea. The spymaster Varys and Tyrion's lover Shae testify falsely against Tyrion at his trial. Prince Oberyn Martell, of the southern region of Dorne, offers to represent Tyrion in a trial by combat against Cersei's champion, Gregor Clegane, who was responsible for the death of Oberyn's sister Elia. Oberyn nearly wins, but is ultimately killed by Gregor, although the poison on Oberyn's spear leaves Gregor dying in agony. Tyrion is sentenced to death. Upon returning to King's Landing, Jaime gives Brienne a sword reforged from the hereditary sword of the Stark family, and sends her to find Arya and Sansa and return them home. Jaime refuses to believe that Tyrion killed Joffrey, and helps Varys free Tyrion from prison. Jaime reveals that Tyrion's first wife Tysha, whom Tywin had gang-raped by his garrison, was not a prostitute as Tywin told him, and genuinely loved Tyrion. Outraged, Tyrion swears revenge on Jaime, Cersei, and Tywin; during his escape, he murders both Shae and Tywin before fleeing Westeros. At the Eyrie, Sansa is disguised as an illegitimate daughter of Littlefinger, and Littlefinger and Lysa are married. Lysa reveals that Littlefinger had convinced her to poison her late husband Jon, and to pin the blame on the Lannisters, which was the catalyst for the events of ''A Game of Thrones''. Lysa threatens to kill Sansa, thinking she is trying to seduce Littlefinger, but Littlefinger intervenes and, after revealing that he had only ever loved Catelyn, pushes Lysa to her death. ===The North=== The detachment of the Night's Watch under Lord Commander Jeor Mormont are attacked by undead wights and the Others, hostile inhuman creatures from the far north. The Watch suffer heavy casualties, although the steward Samwell Tarly kills one of the Others with a blade of obsidian. Soon some of the Watch mutiny and kill Mormont, but Sam escapes with the help of a wildling girl, Gilly. Sam, Gilly, and Gilly's newborn child approach the Wall, assisted by a strange figure riding an elk, whom Sam calls Coldhands. Among the dead are most of the Watch's senior leadership. Robb's brother Bran and his friends, having escaped the Boltons' attack on the Stark castle Winterfell, are guided north by Bran's dreams of a three-eyed crow. At the Wall, Sam guides them to Coldhands and returns to the Night Watch's headquarters at Castle Black, having sworn to keep Bran's survival secret even from Jon Snow, Bran's bastard brother and Sam's fellow Watchman. Jon, on a mission to infiltrate the wildlings, convinces Mance that he is a deserter from the Night's Watch, and learns that the Others are driving the wildlings south towards the Wall. Jon and his captor Ygritte also begin a sexual relationship. After crossing the Wall, Jon escapes the wildlings and returns to Castle Black. The approaching wildling army attacks Castle Black; but Jon takes command of the defenses and repels several assaults, during which Ygritte is slain. After that, the Watch's surviving leaders Janos Slynt and Alliser Thorne falsely accuse Jon of treachery, and send him north of the Wall to kill Mance under a pretense of parley. As Jon is talking with Mance in the wildling camp, Stannis' army arrives, routing the Wildlings, and Mance is imprisoned. Stannis offers to legitimize Jon and make him Lord of Winterfell in exchange for his support, but Jon decides to decline Stannis' offer, and is elected by the Night's Watch as its new Lord Commander. ===Slaver's Bay=== Daenerys Targaryen learns that large slave armies can be bought in Astapor, one of the cities of Slaver's Bay, and buys the entire host of the warrior-eunuch Unsullied by offering one of her infant dragons in exchange. Upon payment, Daenerys orders the Unsullied and the dragon to turn on the slave traders and sack the city. With the help of her maturing dragons, she frees all the slaves of Astapor, including the Unsullied. Daenerys' army then conquers the slaver city of Yunkai; but the lords of the neighbouring city of Meereen antagonize Daenerys by killing child slaves and burning the land to deny her resources. Consequently, Daenerys besieges the city to no avail. Daenerys discovers two traitors in her camp: Ser Jorah Mormont, who had spied on her for the late King Robert, and Ser Barristan Selmy, the humiliated former Lord Commander of King Robert’s Kingsguard. Daenerys offers both men the chance to make amends by sneaking into Meereen to free the slaves and start an uprising. Meereen soon falls and, in retaliation for the murdered child slaves, Daenerys has the city's rulers put to death. Selmy asks for Daenerys' forgiveness and becomes Lord Commander of her Queensguard, while Jorah, who refuses to admit any wrongdoing, is banished. When Daenerys learns that the council she left to govern Astapor has been overthrown, she decides to remain in Meereen to rule it herself. ==Characters== The tale is told through the eyes of ten main characters, plus a one-off prologue POV and a one-off epilogue POV character, for a total of 12 narrators. * Prologue: Chett, a brother and hound-keeper of the Night's Watch * Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer * Jon Snow, bastard son of Eddard Stark, a sworn brother of the Night's Watch * Catelyn Stark, of House Tully, widow of Lord Eddard Stark, mother of Robb Stark * Tyrion Lannister, youngest son of Tywin Lannister, a dwarf, brother of Jaime and Cersei Lannister * Sansa Stark, eldest daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark * Arya Stark, youngest daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark * Bran Stark, son of Eddard and Catelyn Stark, heir to Winterfell and the North * Samwell Tarly, cowardly son of Lord Randyll Tarly, a sworn brother of the Night's Watch * Davos Seaworth, a smuggler turned knight in the service of King Stannis Baratheon * Daenerys Targaryen, exiled Queen of Westeros, of the Targaryen dynasty * Epilogue: Merrett Frey, a member of the numerous Frey family. ==Development== On October 6, 2009, Martin noted on his blog that his manuscript for ''A Storm of Swords'' had been 1521 pages in length; the initial printed hardcover came in at 992 pages. Martin did not write the Red Wedding chapters until he had completed every other chapter of the book, as he felt it was "the hardest thing I ever wrote" and that he would rather delay writing until absolutely necessary. In contrast, he referred to the chapter of Joffrey's fatal wedding as "easy and fun to write" but that he nevertheless tried to instill empathy for the painful demise of this very unpopular character and "bring home the point that this, too, was a human being who was scared and terrified and then dead". ==Editions== '''Foreign language editions''' * Bulgarian: Бард: "Вихър от Мечове" * Catalan: Alfaguara: "Tempesta d'espases" "Storm of swords" * Chinese: 重庆出版社(2007): "冰雨的风暴" ("Storm of Freezing Rain"). * Czech: Talpress: "Bouře mečů" ("Storm of Swords") * Danish: Gyldendal: "En Storm af Sværd" ("A Storm of Swords") * Dutch: Luitingh-Sijthoff: "Een storm van zwaarden" ("A Storm of Swords") * Estonian: Two volumes, hardcover, Varrak (2010, 2011): "Mõõkade maru. Teras ja lumi" (A Storm of Swords: Steel and Snow"), "Mõõkade maru. Veri ja kuld" ("A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold") * Finnish: Kirjava: "Miekkamyrsky" ("Swordstorm") * French: Four volumes (Hardcover: Pygmalion (2001, 2002, 2003); paperback: J'ai Lu (2003, 2004)): "Les brigands" (hardcover) / "Intrigues à Port-Réal" (paperback), "L'épée de feu", "Les noces pourpres", "La loi du régicide" ("The Outlaws/Intrigues in King's Landing", "The Sword of Fire", "The Crimson Wedding", "The Law of the Kingslayer".) * German: Single volume, Fantasy Productions (2005): "Schwertgewitter" ("Sword Storm"). Two volumes, Blanvalet (2001, 2002): "Sturm der Schwerter", "Die Königin der Drachen" ("Storm of Swords", "The Queen of Dragons"). * Greek: Two volumes, Anubis: "Παγωμένες Λεπίδες", "Ματωμένο Χρυσάφι" ("Frozen Blades","Bloody Gold") * Hebrew: "סופת החרבות חלק א - פלדה ושלג, סופת החרבות חלק ב - דם וזהב" ("Storm of swords - Steel and snow","Storm of swords - blood and gold") * Hungarian: Alexandra Könyvkiadó: "Kardok vihara” ("Storm of Swords") * Indonesian: Fantasious: "Amukan Baja” ("Steel's Fury") * Italian: Three volumes, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore (2002, 2003, 2004): "Tempesta di spade", "I fiumi della guerra", "Il Portale delle Tenebre" ("A Storm of Swords", "The Rivers of War", "The Gate of Darkness"). * Japanese: Three volumes, hardcover : Hayakawa (2006-7), paperback : Hayakawa (2012): "剣嵐の大地" ("The Land of the Sword Storm") I, II and III * Korean: Eun Haeng Namu Publishing Co. : "성검의 폭풍” ("Storm of Holy Swords") * Lithuanian: Alma Littera "Kardų audra" ("A Storm of Swords"). * Norwegian: Two volumes, Vendetta (2013): "Stål og snø: en sang om is og ild, bok 3, del 1", "Blod og Gull: en sang om is og ild, bok 3, del 2" ("Steel and Snow: A Song of Ice and Fire, book 3, part 1, Blood and Gold: A Song of Ice and Fire, book 3, part 2)" * Polish: Two volumes, Zysk i S-ka: "Nawałnica mieczy:Stal i Śnieg (I)", "Nawałnica mieczy: Krew i Złoto(II)" (A Storm of Swords: Steel and Snow", "A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold") * Brazilian Portuguese: Leya: "A Tormenta de Espadas" ("The Storm of Swords") * European Portuguese: Two Volumes, Saída de Emergência: "A Tormenta de Espadas" ("A Storm of Swords"), "A Glória dos Traidores" ("The Betrayer's Glory") * Romanian: Nemira: "Iureșul săbiilor" * Russian: AST: "Буря мечей" ("Storm of Swords"). * Serbian: Two volumes, Лагуна: "Олуја мачева Део први: Челик и снег"(A Storm of Swords First part: "Steel and snow"), "Олуја мачева Део други: Крв и Злато" (A Storm of Swords Second part: "Blood and Gold" ) * Slovenian: Vihra mečev ("A Storm of Swords") * Spanish: Two volumes, Gilgamesh (2005): "Tormenta de espadas I", "Tormenta de espadas II" ("Storm of Swords I", "Storm of Swords II"). * Swedish: Forum: "Svärdets makt" ("The Might of the Sword") * Turkish: Two volumes, Epsilon Yayınevi: "Buz ve Ateşin Şarkısı III: Kılıçların Fırtınası - Kısım I & Kılıçların Fırtınası - Kısım II" ("A Storm of Swords") * Ukrainian: KM Publishing (2015): "Буря мечів" ("A Storm of Swords") * Vietnamese: Three Volumes: "Trò Chơi Vương Quyền 3A: Sự trở lại của Ngoại nhân", "Trò Chơi Vương Quyền 3B: Nước mắt Sói Tuyết", "Trò Chơi Vương Quyền 3C: Tử Hôn". ("Game of Thrones 3A: Return of the Others", "Game of Thrones 3B: Tears of Direwolf", "Game of Thrones 3C: Purple Wedding") ==Reception== ''Publishers Weekly'' said the third volume was "one of the more rewarding examples of gigantism in contemporary fantasy. ... The complexity of characters such as Daenerys, Arya and the Kingslayer will keep readers turning even the vast number of pages contained in this volume, for the author, like Tolkien or Jordan, makes us care about their fates. Those two fantasy greats are also evoked by Martin's ability to convey such sensual experiences as the heat of wildfire, the chill of ice, the smell of the sea and the sheer gargantuan indigestibility of the medieval banquet at its most excessive. Perhaps this saga doesn't go as far beyond the previous bounds of high fantasy as some claim, but for most readers it certainly goes far enough to command their attention." Martin was nominated for the 2001 Hugo Award for Best Novel, but lost to J. K. Rowling for ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire''. Afterwards he made this comment about his fans: "Eat your heart out, Rowling. Maybe you have billions of dollars and my Hugo, but you don't have readers like ''these''." ==Awards and nominations== * Hugo Award – Best Novel (Nominated) – (2001) * Locus Award – Best Novel (Fantasy) (Won) – (2001) * Nebula Award – Best Novel (Nominated) – (2001) * Geffen Award – Best Fantasy Book (Won) – (2002) * Ignotus Award – Best Novel (Foreign) (Won) – (2006) ==References== ==External links== * A Wiki Of Ice And Fire Wiki dedicated to ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' * * * '' A Storm of Swords'' at Worlds Without End

"'''Dragonstone'''" is the seventh season premiere episode of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 61st overall. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Jeremy Podeswa. The episode's main plot focuses on Daenerys Targaryen's long-awaited homecoming to Dragonstone with her vast forces, and Cersei and Jaime Lannister treating with Euron Greyjoy for an alliance after the demise of House Frey. "Dragonstone" received positive reviews from critics, who considered Arya's revenge on House Frey, Sandor Clegane's atonement for his old life, and Daenerys's dramatic homecoming to Dragonstone as highlights of the episode. However, a cameo appearance by singer Ed Sheeran received some criticism. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 10.11 million in its initial broadcast. This episode marks the final appearance for David Bradley (Walder Frey). ==Plot== ===In the Riverlands=== Disguised as Walder Frey, Arya Stark kills all the men of House Frey with poisoned wine, avenging the Red Wedding ("The Rains of Castamere"). Arya proceeds south to assassinate Queen Cersei Lannister, and makes camp with friendly Lannister soldiers. Sandor Clegane and the Brotherhood without Banners take shelter in the farm Sandor once robbed ("Breaker of Chains"); the farmer and his daughter are long dead inside. Beric Dondarrion admits he does not know why he has been repeatedly resurrected. Thoros of Myr shows Sandor a vision in the flames of White Walkers at a point where the Wall meets the sea. At night, Sandor buries the bodies. Discovering him, Thoros helps. ===Beyond the Wall=== Bran Stark and Meera Reed arrive at the Wall. Eddison Tollett lets them in. Meanwhile, the White Walkers and wights march south. ===At Winterfell=== Despite Sansa Stark's objections, Jon Snow forgives Alys Karstark and Ned Umber for their fathers' betrayals, and they swear loyalty to House Stark. Jon orders Tormund Giantsbane and the wildlings to fortify the Wall at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, and all Northerners to train for battle. Jon is frustrated that Sansa questioned his actions, but Sansa doesn't want Jon to repeat the mistakes for which Ned and Robb Stark died. A message from Cersei orders Jon to swear loyalty to her; Jon believes her army poses no threat to them during winter, but Sansa disagrees. Sansa rejects Littlefinger's attempts to ingratiate himself with her. She tells Brienne of Tarth that she can't dismiss him because they need the Vale's military support. ===In King's Landing=== Cersei learns that Daenerys Targaryen will return to Westeros soon, and realizes she and Jaime Lannister have very few allies. Euron Greyjoy arrives in King's Landing offering Cersei an alliance and marriage. Cersei rejects Euron because he is untrustworthy, but Euron promises to win her over with a priceless gift. ===In Oldtown=== Archmaester Ebrose denies Samwell Tarly access to the library's restricted area; Ebrose believes in the White Walkers, but trusts the Wall will halt their march. Sam manages to enter the restricted area and steals a few books. He learns of a dragonglass deposit under Dragonstone, and informs Jon. Sam encounters Jorah Mormont, who is a patient in isolation due to his greyscale. Jorah asks if Daenerys has arrived in Westeros, but Sam doesn't know. ===On Dragonstone=== Daenerys and her fleet arrive at Dragonstone, and she and her advisors enter the castle. She then starts planning the upcoming war. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. "Dragonstone" was written by the series' creators, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The conversation between Jon Snow and Sansa Stark shows Sansa's lingering resentment that she has been insufficiently credited for securing the alliance with the Vale, and also highlights Jon and Sansa's respective, differing identification of the White Walkers and Cersei as primary threats. The dialogue between Jaime and Cersei emphasizes that, with her children dead, Cersei is morally unconstrained and lacks Daenerys's concern for innocents. The writers deliberately excluded dialogue from the scene of Daenerys's arrival at Dragonstone, to preserve the gravitas of that moment. ===Casting=== Jim Broadbent joins the series as Archmaester Ebrose "Dragonstone" saw the introduction of Jim Broadbent as Archmaester Ebrose at the Citadel. His casting in the series was initially announced by HBO to ''Entertainment Weekly'' in August 2016, and at the time was only revealed as a "significant" role in the seventh season. In a subsequent interview, Broadbent revealed his role in the series, and that he would be sharing his scenes with John Bradley, who portrays Samwell Tarly. Prior to the episode airing, it was announced that musician Ed Sheeran would be making a cameo appearance at some point during the season. According to David Benioff, they had been trying for years to get him onto the show as a surprise for Maisie Williams, who portrays Arya Stark in the series and is a fan of Sheeran. Before the episode's official release, Sheeran stated about his appearance that "Nothing exciting happens in this scene, we just have a conversation and that's kind of it." In "Dragonstone", Sheeran portrays a Lannister soldier, who Arya happens upon when she hears him singing a song that is unfamiliar to her. The song originates from George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' book series, which the television series is adapted from, and is titled "Hands of Gold". In the book series, it is sung by a character known as Symon Silver Tongue, a character unrelated to Sheeran's portrayal. ===Filming=== "Dragonstone" was directed by Jeremy Podeswa. He joined the series as a director in the fifth season, his first episode being "Kill the Boy", which was followed by "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken", for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. He further directed two more episodes in the series' sixth season, and also directed the seventh season's finale episode. In an interview with ''The Hollywood Reporter'' following the airing of "Dragonstone", Podeswa discussed his experience with directing Ed Sheeran's cameo appearance, stating "He was lovely to work with. He was lovely on the show. I think he fit right into that world." He continued by noting that Sheeran requested to change the key of the song that he performs in the scene during the episode's filming. Gaztelugatxe in Spain was used for portions of the scene set on Dragonstone. Podeswa also discussed his direction for the cold open, saying he wanted to "honor the great writing", and praised Maisie Williams and David Bradley's performance as Arya Stark and Walder Frey respectively, stating "As we got more into it, you knew the audience would have questions coming right into the scene, knowing Walder Frey is dead. So, what is this? Is it a flashback? Is there something else going on here? It's about playing that line of audience surprise and curiosity and how they read the scene. David's performance is so fantastic where there's a moment you can almost feel Arya inside of him. It's even before the dialogue betrays who he is." The scene was not written as a cold open; Benioff and Weiss made that decision on the strength of Bradley's work. Following the cold open, Podeswa also spoke about directing the opening scene following the title sequence, revealing "We knew it would be one shot. Nothing fancy in terms of camerawork. But it's a shot that very slowly reveals itself over time, and we take that time. Then it was a matter of me conceptualizing it with the storyboard artists and visual effects department." Podeswa also stated that the scene ending on the eye of the giant wight was not originally in the script, but came from working with the art department for the series. Benioff and Weiss praised Rory McCann's acting in showing the torment and guilt experienced by Sandor Clegane; Weiss identified Clegane's discovery of the farm family's unpleasant deaths as a favorite scene in the episode. In discussing the montage of Samwell Tarly at the Citadel, Podeswa noted that his past experience with directing a montage sequence of Arya while she is washing bodies at the House of Black and White may have been the reason for the showrunners to have included it in the episode, saying "In David and Dan's minds, they made a connection between me and montages, even though tonally these two are very different." He also divulged that the original version of the montage was "about seven or eight minutes" due to the amount of material that Podeswa had directed, and that the final version was edited down significantly. For the closing scene of Daenerys Targaryen arriving at Dragonstone, Podeswa noted that very little of the scene was shot on a sound stage, but rather on location, saying "The only thing shot on stage were the gates at the top of the stairs that leads to the long winding pathway up to the castle. Everything else was shot on location, in a number of different locations: Zumaia Beach in Spain is where she lands and walks up the stairs and gets to where the gates are. Another place — San Juan — is the place where that amazing staircase that doesn't look real and looks like a CG creation, but it's not, that's a spectacular location going up to Dragonstone castle." The interiors of Dragonstone, however, were all shot on a sound stage, with set designer Deb Riley creating the throne room, and redesigning the map room for the episode. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "Dragonstone" was viewed by 16.1 million total viewers, including 10.11 million on its initial viewing on HBO and the remaining coming from DVR and streaming, making it the most watched episode in the series' history up to that point. The episode also acquired a 4.7 rating in the 18–49 demographic. The episode inspired 2.4 million tweets during the time it aired, making it the show's most-tweeted episode yet. The episode was pirated 90 million times in the first three days since it aired. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 3.495 million viewers on Sky Atlantic during its Simulcast, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. On August 2, 2017, HBO announced that the episode was about to surpass 30 million U.S. viewers across all of the network's domestic platforms. In the UK, the episode received up to 4.7 million viewers after seven days, making it the highest for any program ever on Sky Atlantic. ===Critical reception=== "Dragonstone" has received widespread praise from critics. It has a 93% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes from 45 reviews with an average score of 8.4 out of 10. The site's consensus reads "With a blistering opening salvo, ''Game of Thrones'' charts an assured path for its anxiously-anticipated final stretch." Matt Fowler of IGN wrote in his review for the episode "'Dragonstone' sublimely set the stage for ''Game of Thrones'' Season 7 with some righteous revenge, a new alliance, a dramatic (and quiet) homecoming, and a surprisingly great sequence from The Hound as he began to atone for his old life." He gave the episode an 8.8 out of 10. Erik Kain of ''Forbes'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing "This was easily one of my favorite season premieres of any season of ''Game of Thrones''. It's a testament to the show's staying power and quality that even this far in, a season's first episode could be so good. So much of it was just setting the stage, and yet I was reeled in, hook, line and sinker, from the opening moment to the closing credits." Jane Mulkerrins of ''The Daily Telegraph'' also praised the episode, writing "One might wonder whether the biggest, bloodiest, most Dragon-heavy show on television would still have the ability to shock and surprise. The answer, happily, is yes." Matthew Gilbert of ''The Boston Globe'' said "The season premiere of Game of Thrones was thoroughly satisfying, a transporting hour that brilliantly reestablished the chessboard for the new, penultimate season." Ed Sheeran received mixed reviews over his cameo appearance. He deleted his Twitter account shortly after it. Much of the criticism was around the fact that there seemed to have been little attempt to disguise his cameo – while other artists such as Coldplay drummer Will Champion and Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol were more difficult to spot in their scenes. ===Accolades=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2017 American Society of Cinematographers Awards Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series for Non-Commercial Television Gregory Middleton Hollywood Post Alliance Outstanding Color Grading Joe Finley Outstanding Editing Crispin Green 2018 Art Directors Guild Awards One-Hour Single Camera Period Or Fantasy Television Series Deborah Riley Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Production Design for a Fantasy Program Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, Rob Cameron ==References== ==External links== * "Dragonstone" at HBO.com * *

'''''A Game of Thrones: The Card Game''''' (or '''''AGoT''''', for short) is an out-of-print collectible card game produced by Fantasy Flight Games. It is based on ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of novels written by George R. R. Martin. The first set was Westeros Edition and was released in August 2002. It has since won two Origins Awards. The game's primary designer is Eric Lang, the lead developer is Nate French, with Damon Stone serving as associate designer. In the game, players assume the leadership of one of the great houses of Westeros vying for control of King's Landing and the Iron Throne. To accomplish this, players launch military attacks against their opponents, undermine their opponents’ plans with intrigues of their own, and make power plays to win the support of the realm. ==Factions== Each house represents one of the main factions involved in the struggle for the Iron Throne emulated by the AGoT LCG. Each house provides different strengths and weaknesses, allowing for various play styles to interact within the same game. Certain cards are restricted to one or two houses, giving each house a unique flavor. Currently, there are eight playable factions in the AGoT LCG. Each is identified by a shield bearing the arms of the house, located in the upper right corner of the card. ===Great houses=== * House Stark, the honorable rulers of the cold North. The Stark shield is a grey direwolf on an ice-white field. Prominent Stark characters include Lord Eddard Stark and his wife Catelyn, their son Robb, as well as Maester Luwin, Ser Rodrik Cassel, and Brynden "The Blackfish" Tully. Common game mechanics include direct kill, deck searching, and improved defense. Many Stark effects are themed around military challenges. * House Lannister, the rich and treacherous residents of Casterly Rock. The Lannister shield is a gold lion on a crimson field. Prominent Lannister characters include Jaime, Cersei, and Tyrion Lannister, as well as Ser Gregor Clegane, Ser Addam Marbrand, and Grand Maester Pycelle. Common game mechanics include card draw, kneeling effects, and trait manipulation. Many Lannister effects are themed around intrigue challenges. * House Baratheon, the royal blood of King Robert, rulers of Dragonstone and Storm's End. The Baratheon shield is a black crowned stag on a gold field. Prominent Baratheon characters include Robert, his brothers Stannis and Renly, as well as Melisandre, Ser Davos Seaworth, and the Loras Tyrell, the Knight of Flowers. Common game mechanics include power manipulation, standing effects, and retrieval of cards from the dead and discard piles. Many House Baratheon effects are themed around power challenges. * House Greyjoy, the rulers of the Iron Islands and the Ironborn raiders who prey on the rest of Westeros. The Greyjoy shield is a gold kraken on a black field. Prominent Greyjoy characters include Theon, Asha, and their father Balon Greyjoy, as well Balon's brothers Euron Crow's Eye and Aeron Damphair. Common game mechanics include location control, the ability to save characters, event cancels, and boosting the strength of attacking characters. Many house Greyjoy effects are themed around winning unopposed challenges. * House Targaryen, the exiled descendants of Aegon the Conqueror and their exotic followers. The Targaryen shield is a red on black, three-headed dragon representing Aegon and his sisters. Prominent Targaryen characters include Daenerys Targaryen and her three dragons, Khal Drogo, Ser Jorah Mormont, and Grey Worm. Common game mechanics include attachment manipulation, strength reducers and kill effects on strength 0 characters (frequently referred to as "burn" effects), and playing characters outside of the marshalling phase. Many Targaryen effects are themed around winning or losing challenges by 4 or more strength. * House Martell, rulers of the desert realm of Dorne, the southernmost region of Westeros. The Martell shield is a red sun pierced by a golden spear, on an orange field. Prominent Martell characters include Doran Martell, Oberyn Martell the Red Viper, his daughters the Sand Snakes, and his niece Arianne Martell. Common game mechanics include icon manipulation, discard effects, stealth, and card draw. Many Martell effects are themed around losing challenges, leading to such effects being referred to as "revenge" effects. ===Other factions=== Some great houses featured in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' are not represented as individual Houses in the ''AGoT'' LCG, but still appear in the game. House Tully is present in the game as a subset of their allies, House Stark. House Lannister and House Baratheon both feature numerous House Tyrell cards, and several significant House Tyrell characters were featured as promotional cards. House Tyrell also features prominently in the ''A House of Thorns'' expansion, as does House Bolton to a smaller extent. Other lesser houses also appear in the game, in service to the Great Houses to which they are sworn. Several House Frey cards also make an appearance, primarily as neutral cards. House Arryn is a prominent theme in ''A House of Talons''. In addition to the noble houses, the ''AGoT'' LCG also features many other factions present in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' as part of a particular theme. Example: The Wildlings are featured in ''Winter Block'', while the Asshai'i have been a sub theme over many expansions. ==Cards== Each player supplies his or her own deck to play the game. A deck consists of a ''House Card'' or ''Alliance'' to represent the player's faction, an optional ''Agenda'' that modifies his faction, a plot deck that consists of exactly seven ''Plot'' cards, and then a main draw deck of at least 60 cards consisting of ''Characters'', ''Attachments'', ''Locations'', and ''Events''. ===House cards=== Each House card represents one of the main factions involved in the War of the Five Kings. Each House provides different strengths and weaknesses, allowing for various playstyles to interact within the same game. The House card selected will often restrict cards allowed in the remainder of the deck, by limiting cards that are marked as being allowed solely for another House. Characters, Locations, and Attachments often have a House affiliation, and often are used in decks running a matching House card. Some cards have no House affiliation, and such neutral cards may be used freely in any deck. Cards with House affiliations other than the chosen House card may be used, providing the card itself has no restriction, but require an extra expenditure of resources to bring them into play. ===Agenda cards (optional)=== Introduced in Valyrian Block, any deck using a House card (but not an Alliance card) may use one Agenda card. Agenda cards either modify the rules for building the player's deck, or grant an in-game advantage, typically at the cost of some other disadvantage such as requiring extra power to win, reduced card draw, or limiting claimed power. ===Plot cards=== Plot cards are generally regarded as the defining feature of ''A Game of Thrones: The Card Game''. Unlike the shuffled and randomly drawn resource deck, at the beginning of each round, each player chooses a new plot card to be revealed, which will have an effect on the round to be played, allowing for a strategic element to an otherwise random game. Plot cards indicate the base amount of gold available for the player to use to bring new cards into play during his ''Marshalling'' phase (indicated by a number within a gold coin), a base initiative value to determine the order of play for the round (indicated by a number within a diamond), a base claim value to determine the scope of the effect that player winning a challenge (indicated by a number in a silver disk), and a text box detailing any other effects or restrictions on the plot card, including any ''traits'' that it might have. Most plot cards are designed with built-in trade-offs, sacrificing high claim for low income, or some other game mechanic drawback. ===Character cards=== Character cards represent the unique characters from the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels, such as Eddard Stark, as well as generic individuals and massed groupings (such as armies) that can be found there. Generally, characters are the main focus of a deck as they are the principle card type used to participate in challenges, and thus collect the power tokens necessary to win. Attributes of a Character card consist of a gold cost (generally represented by a number overlaid on a gold coin in the upper left corner), a name across the top that may be preceded by a black flag if the character is unique and/or an infinity symbol if the character is ''endless'', a House affiliation (represented by one or more House shields in the upper right corner, although neutral characters will have a blank shield), artwork depicting the character in the top half of the card, a strength value (represented by a number on a stylized tapestry or a nondescript shield in the middle of the left side), zero to three challenge icons (a red axe represents Military, a green eye represents Intrigue, and a blue crown represents Power) arrayed in the bottom half of the left side, and a text box in the lower half of the card. Within the textbox may be ''traits'', ''keywords'', other game effects or icons, and flavour text from the novels. Traits are bold and italicized words at the top of the textbox, and usually represent roles or groups within the world of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', such as Lords or Dothraki. They have no game function themselves, but instead are used to group characters together in order for other game effects to be used by or against varied groups of characters. Keywords are game mechanics defined in the rules that affect that character, such as No Attachments, which prevents any attachments from being placed on that character. ===Attachment cards=== Attachments are cards that are used exclusively to modify other cards. An attachment may not be in play unless it is attached to the proper type of card, typically a character card unless the attachment itself says otherwise. Attributes of an Attachment card consist of a gold cost (generally represented by a number overlaid on a gold coin in the upper left corner), a name across the top that may be proceeded by a black flag if the attachment is unique and/or an infinity symbol if the attachment is ''endless'', a House affiliation (represented by one or more House shields in the upper right corner, although neutral attachments will have no shield), artwork depicting the attachment in the top half of the card, and a text box in the lower half of the card. Throughout the Winter block, some cards were printed with a black crow icon in the bottom left corner to indicate the attachment is ''Doomed''. It is unknown if such attachments will appear again. Within the textbox may be ''traits'', ''keywords'', other game effects or icons, and flavour text from the novels. Traits are bold and italicized words at the top of the textbox, and usually represent types of enhancements, such as skills or titles. They have no game function themselves, but instead are used to group attachments together in order for other game effects to be used by or against varied groups of attachments. Keywords are game mechanics defined in the rules that affect that attachment such as Setup, which allows the attachment to be played at the beginning of the game unlike normal attachments. Occasionally, game effects can cause cards to become face-down attachments attached to specific other cards. These function the same as normal attachments, except they are treated as having no names, no text, no gold costs, no House affiliations, and are discarded if they are ever forced to leave play. ===Location cards=== Location cards represent the unique places in the setting of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels, such as King's Landing, generic regions such as fiefdoms, and even mobile locations such as sailing vessels and warships. Many locations are used to supply additional ''income'', ''influence'', but a wide variety of effects are present. Attributes of a Location card consist of a gold cost (generally represented by a number overlaid on a gold coin in the upper left corner), a name across the top that may be preceded by a black flag if the location is unique, a House affiliation (represented by one or more House shields in the upper right corner, although neutral locations will have no shield), artwork depicting the location in the top half of the card, and a text box in the lower half of the card. Within the textbox may be ''traits'', ''keywords'', other game effects or icons, and flavour text from the novels. Traits are bold and italicized words at the top of the textbox, and usually represent regions within the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, such as Westeros or Dorne. They have no game function themselves, but instead are used to group locations together in order for other game effects to be used by or against varied groups of locations. Keywords are game mechanics defined in the rules that affect that location, such as Limited which restricts the player to playing one such card per round. ===Event cards=== Event cards represent special actions or happenings from the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels that can be used in the course of the game. Certain events may be restricted so that they may only be played by a specific House, and some may only affect cards of a particular House affiliation. Event cards generally have a play restriction or a cost of some type which may be paid in influence, gold, or possibly by modifying the game state of one or more characters, locations, attachments or house card. Attributes of an Event card consist of a name across the top that may be preceded by a black flag if the event is unique and/or an infinity symbol if the event is ''endless'', artwork depicting the event in the top half of the card, and a text box in the lower half of the card. Within the textbox may be ''traits'', ''keywords'', but primarily will be one or more game effects, and flavour text from the novels. Traits are bold and italicized words at the top of the textbox, and usually represent specific types of events such as ''Small Council''. They have no game function themselves, but instead are used to group events together in order for other game effects to be used by or against varied groups of events. Keywords are game mechanics defined in the rules that affect that event, such as Deathbound directing a used event to the dead pile instead of the normal discard pile. ==Rules== ===Deck building=== Each player participating in an A Game of Thrones game uses two decks: 1) a 7 card ''plot'' deck and 2) a 60+ (40+ for draft) card ''draw'' deck of ''characters'', ''attachments'', ''locations'', and ''events''. During play the ''draw'' deck cards will often end up in other game play areas including the ''discard pile'' (cards discarded from play) and the ''dead pile'' (cards that were killed or are marked with the Deathbound keyword). Typically, players are only allowed three copies of any particular card (as determined by the card name, regardless of card type or game text similarity) in their ''draw'' deck, and only one copy of any particular card, by name, in their ''plot'' deck, but these restrictions can be modified by some other cards, such as the Twins agenda. ===Winning conditions=== A player must earn 15 power tokens between their House card and characters in play to win A Game of Thrones. Numerous cards in the game can change the amount a player or his opponent are required to earn in order to win. Generally, power tokens are earned by winning challenges against an opponent, but some cards allow a player to directly claim power for his House card or characters in other ways. ===Setup=== At the beginning of the game, each player shuffles their ''draw'' deck, and draws the top 7 cards, with an option for a ''mulligan'' given to each player to shuffle and draw a new hand. From this initial hand, each player is able to select up to 5 gold worth of characters, locations, and attachments with the Setup keyword, but no more than 1 card of any type with the Limited keyword, from their hand; these cards are placed face-down until all players are ready to reveal their initial cards in play. Once all cards are revealed, players draw cards again until they each have 7 cards in their hand again. ===Rounds and phases=== The game is played through repeated rounds until one or more players meets the winning condition, or all but one player has met the elimination condition. Rounds are divided into 7 phases, with each phase allowing players to alternate actions that affect the game state in some way. The first phase every round is the ''Plot'' phase. Each player selects one unused plot from his ''plot'' deck, and all players reveal their chosen plots simultaneously. Initiative values from plot cards and other resources are tallied, and the player with the highest initiative chooses which player will go first in each phase of the current round. The textbox effects of plots are then resolved in the order chosen by the first player. In the second phase, the ''Draw'' phase, each player is allowed to draw two cards from their ''draw'' deck. Although divided into turns for each player, the ''Marshalling'' phase is a single phase for all players. At the beginning of each player's turn in the Marshalling phase, the player counts all income from plot card and any other resources available. The player is then able to bring new resources in the form of characters, locations, and attachments into play by spending the gold. Some events and other triggered effects also require the payment of gold, and unused income is not carried over into other rounds, so resource management is important. The fourth phase is the ''Challenge'' phase. As with the ''Marshalling'' phase, each player has a turn to initiate challenges against other players. Generally, players may initiate one each of ''Military'', ''Intrigue'', and ''Power'' challenges each round, but several cards can allow exta challenges to be initiated or deny certain challenges at all. Also, in a multiplayer game, he can either use all his challenges on one opponent or divide them among his adversaries. He doesn't have to use all of them. Challenges can be initiated in any order, and require a player to ''kneel'' one or more characters with an icon matching the challenge type to begin the challenge. Then, the player being attacked may kneel one or more characters to attempt to oppose the challenge. Once all player actions are taken, the player with the highest total strength in the challenge wins. If the defending player wins, nothing special occurs, but if the attacker wins, then the defender suffers losses depending on the type of challenge initiated. * Military - if the defending player loses, he must ''kill'' a number of characters he controls equal to the claim value on the attacker's plot. * Intrigue - if the defending player loses, he must randomly discard a number of cards from hand equal to the claim value on the attacker's plot. * Power - if the defending player loses, he must remove a number of power tokens from his House card equal to the claim value on the attacker's plot, and place them on the attacker's House card. In the fifth phase, the ''Dominance'' phase, each player counts the total strength of all controlled characters that are still ''standing'', plus the amount of gold still remaining in his possession (unspent). The player with the highest total wins dominance that round, and claims 1 power token for his House, taken from the power common pool. In the ''Standing'' phase each player changes each ''kneeling'' card to ''standing''. With the LCG format came a new phase, the ''Taxation'' phase, in which each player returns unspent gold to the common pool (in the CCG format, players could not use gold outside of their turn in the Marshalling phase). ===Common game terms and rules=== ''Kneeling'' and ''standing'' are the two possible game states for each card in the game, although there is a special ''moribund'' state that's further explained in the faq on FFG website. ''Standing'' cards are upright, and are ready for use to pay for effects, or to initiate or defend challenges. ''Kneeling'' cards are rotated 90 degrees to the side, to indicate that they've been used to pay for an effect, or to initiate or defend a challenge. Some game effects are able to ''kneel'' cards (changing them from ''standing'' to ''kneeling'') or ''stand'' cards (changing them from ''kneeling'' to ''standing'') in order to manipulate the resources a player has available. ''Unique'' cards represent the special individuals, places, items, and happenings in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire. Unique cards may not be played if the player already has a copy of that card in play, or if a copy of that card can be found in the player's dead pile. Unique characters, locations, and attachments may be placed with copies that are already in play to serve as ''duplicates''. Duplicates may be discarded to save the unique card from being killed or discard. ''Triggered Effects'' are a type of game effect that a player chooses to use in order to change the game state in some way. Triggered effects are indicated by a bold name of a phase (one of ''Plot'', ''Draw'', ''Marshalling'', ''Challenges'', ''Dominance'', or ''Standing'') or ''Any phase'' to indicate when the effect may be used. Another timing word that may precede a triggered effect is a bold ''Response'', which indicates that the effect may only be used in response to another occurrence in the game. ''Triggered abilities'' are a subset of triggered effects, and are specifically triggered effects that are written on cards currently in play. ''Passive Effects'' are game effects that have no bold timing restriction indicated, but instead happen whenever certain prerequisites are met, such as a character coming into play. ''Constant Abilities'' are game effects written on cards in play that have an ongoing effect on the game state. ''Influence'' is indicated on various characters, locations, and attachments in the game by a number on a scroll in the textbox of the card. In the Valyrian block, influence was introduced as an additional resource to manage, requiring players to kneel one or more cards with a specific total amount of influence to pay for an effect. Normally, once a game effect has been initiated, it fully resolves without an interruption. However, once an effect is begun, there is a chance for specific effects to ''Cancel'' the initial effect. If the effect is cancelled, all costs stay paid, use limitations remain, but the effects do not occur. ''Kill'' means removing a character from play, and placing that character in the ''dead pile''. Kill effects only work on characters, including other cards that are currently functioning as characters, but other cards can be placed in the dead pile through various game effects, such as the Deathbound keyword. ''Discard'', when occurring without the modifier ''from hand'', means to take a card that is in play, and place it in the ''discard pile''. Generally, whenever an effect targets a card to be killed or discarded, players are given a chance to ''Save'' the card from the effect, either by discarding a duplicate of the targeted card or by using another game effect. If a card is saved, it is not removed from play, and it is not considered killed or discarded. ==Organized play== ===Night's Watch=== Fantasy Flight Games has an official group of volunteers that organize sanctioned tournaments for A Game of Thrones. The Night's Watch are named after the guardians of The Wall in northern Westeros in the fictional setting of ''A Song of Ice and Fire''. These volunteers organize tournaments, arrange demonstration games for new and interested players, and hand out promotional materials provided by FFG. ===Prizes=== * '''Gold dragons''' are a form of loyalty points that were awarded for purchases and playing in tournaments. The packaging for booster packs, starter decks, and premium starter decks all have an image of a gold coin with a number representing the number of gold dragons earned, being one, two, and five respectively. Players could also earn certificates of eighty, forty, and twenty gold dragons for placing first, second, or third (respectively) in a sanctioned tournament. Gold dragons were redeemable to FFG for older promotional cards, booster packs, and other specialized AGoT products, such as card binders, stone house cards, and house-specific power tokens. The Gold Dragon redemption program officially ended on June 30, 2008. * '''Promotional cards''' were frequently provided to Night's Watch volunteers by FFG to be given to participants of sanctioned tournaments. Sometimes these cards follow a special theme for the tournament, but that is not always the case. Usually the cards can legally be included in any deck, but some are marked with a skull icon to indicate they cannot be included unless special rules are in effect for that tournament. ===Tournaments=== There are several different official tournament types sanctioned by FFG. In the ''Classic'' format, players bring their own decks, which may include cards from any set, as long as the card is not on the banned list. In ''Standard'' format, players bring their own decks, which may only include cards from the most recent blocks. , only cards released since Valyrian block are legal in Standard format. In ''Limited'' format, players instead build their decks at the tournament, using provided draft packs (in ''Limited - Draft'') or starter decks (in ''Limited - Sealed Deck'') and booster packs. Aside from the restrictions on usable card pool, FFG places no limits on how Night's Watch volunteers organize the tournaments. Thrones-Tournaments.com tries to provide a central list of all international and local store tournaments, to help gamers find play to compete in. ===World and Continental Championships=== The A Game of Thrones World Championships were held yearly at Gen Con Indy until 2012, when they moved to Fantasy Flight's Event Centre in Minneapolis, with Gencon being redesignated North American Championships. Part of the winner's prize is the opportunity to design their own card. + '''Previous world champions and cards designed''' Year World champion Card designed Set card was included in (CCG) Set card was included in (1E) Set card was included in (2E) 2003 Casey Galvan Bandit Lord A Crown of Suns Tourney for the Hand The King's Peace 2004 Greg Atkinson Flea Bottom A Reign of Kings The Grand Melee Oberyn's Revenge 2005 John Bruno The First Snow of Winter A Song of Night On Dangerous Grounds No Middle Ground 2006 Matthew Ley Ghost of High Heart A House of Talons Where Loyalty Lies City of Secrets 2007 Samuel Tham Den of the Wolf A Change of Seasons 2008 Tzu-Mainn Chen (Melee) When I Woke... Princes of the Sun Kings of the Isles 2008 Lucas Reed (Joust) A Pinch of Powder Princes of the Sun In Daznak's Pit 2008 Tzu-Mainn Chen (Overall) Former Champion Princes of the Sun 2009 Jonathan Benton (Melee) Qhorin Halfhand Lords of Winter Tyrion's Chain 2009 Greg Atkinson (Joust) Knights of the Hollow Hill Mountains of the Moon City of Secrets 2009 Erick Butzlaff (Overall) The Blackfish Lords of Winter Wolves of the North 2010 Brett Zeiler (Melee) Arrogant Contender Lions of the Rock City of Secrets 2010 Alec Irwin (Joust) The Laughing Storm Secrets of Oldtown 2010 Erick Butzlaff (Overall) Not yet released 2010 Andrea Gualdoni (European Joust) Meera Reed Tourney for the Hand Music of Dragons 2011 Corey Faherty (Melee) Dark Wings, Dark Words Ancestral Home 2011 Brett Zeiler (Joust) Coldhands The Horn that Wakes The Faith Militant 2011 Corey Faherty (Overall) House of Dreams (1E)/The House with the Red Door A Roll of the Dice Journey to Oldtown 2011 Martí Foz Hernandez (European Joust) The Reader The Great Fleet The Road to Winterfell 2011 Grégoire Lefebvre (European Melee) Margaery Tyrell A Turn of the Tide House of Thorns 2012 Dan Seefeldt (North American Overall) A Time for Wolves A Time for Wolves Wolves of the North 2012 Michael Pandorf (North American Melee) Not yet released 2012 Mathieu Hosatte (Melee) Not yet released 2012 John Bruno (Joust) Mad King Aerys A Dire Message 2012 Derek Shoemaker (Overall) Northern Patriarch The Blue is Calling 2012 Stefano Montanari (European Joust) Theon Greyjoy Spoils of War 2012 Istvan Cserdi (European Melee) Desert Raider The Champion's Purse Kings of the Isles 2013 Steven Simoni (North American Overall) The Withering Cold The Valemen Kingsmoot 2013 Ryan Jones (Melee) Faceless Man House of Thorns 2013 Álvaro Rodríguez (Joust) "The Rains of Castamere" Lions of Casterly Rock 2013 Ryan Jones (Overall) The Iron Bank Will Have Its Due Oberyn's Revenge 2013 Miguel Tarin (European Joust) Not yet released 2013 Vincent Teulé (European Melee) Drowned God Fanatic Streets of King's Landing 2014 Jonathan Andrews (North American Overall) Duel The Fall of Astapor 2014 Dan Seefeldt (Melee) Not yet released 2014 Sam Braatz (Joust) The Crow is a Tricksy Bird Someone Always Tells 2014 Alexander Hynes (Overall) The Annals of Castle Black Guarding the Realm 2014 Jakob Hultman (European Melee) Beric Dondarrion The Brotherhood Without Banners 2014 Donovan van Beek (European Joust) The Wars to Come Sands of Dorne 2015 Patrick Reynolds (North American Joust) Not yet released 2015 Brian Aurelio (North American Melee) Winterfell Archery Range The Red Wedding 2015 Ryan Jones (Draft) Not yet released 2015 Jakob Hultman (Joust) The King in the North Favor of the Old Gods 2015 Corey Faherty (Melee) Valyrian Steel Long May he Reign 2015 Sam Braatz (War of the Five Kings 2E) Not yet released 2015 Jesus Valdez Gaspar (European Joust) Assault from the Shadows Daggers in the Dark 2016 Chris Schoenthal (North American Joust 2E) Not yet released 2016 Joe Mirando (Joust 2E) Not yet released 2016 Luiz Bretas (European Melee 2E) Breaking Ties Sands of Dorne 2016 Florian Maas (European Joust 2E) Trading with Qohor The March on Winterfell 2017 Reinhard Schefcik (European Joust 2E) Not yet released 2017 Alex Black (North American Joust 2E) Not yet released 2017 Reinhard Schefcik (Joust 2E) Not yet released 2018 Lennart Paga (Joust 2E) Not yet released The 2003 world champion Casey Galvan was later hired by FFG to serve as lead developer, a position he occupied until fall of 2005. He now has a consulting role at FFG. The runner up in that tournament, Nate French, came on as lead developer in Spring of 2006 and continues to this day. ==Podcasts== There are a number of podcasts focused on the ''A Game of Thrones: The Living Card Game'', such as the weekly Beyond The Wall, 2 Champs and a Chump, Great Beards of Westeros and the Spanish language 2 Maestros 1 Pupilo. ==Sets and expansions== When it was released, A Game of Thrones was introduced as a CCG. The cards for the AGoT CCG were organized into numerous sets and expansions that could be mixed together and used interchangeably. A ''block'' consisted of a ''base set'', up to two ''expansion sets'', a ''premium starter'', and often one or more promotional cards. Typically, a base set consisted of 240 cards available in either starter decks, consisting of a mix of fixed cards and a random assortment of other cards, or booster packs, consisting of 11 randomly sorted cards, of which 1 is rare, 3 are uncommon, and 7 are common. Booster packs were generally shipped in groups of 36, creating booster boxes. Expansion sets typically contained 150 cards, and were only distributed as booster packs similar to those of a base set. Premium Starters consisted of two or three pre-built decks of fixed cards, typically reprints from earlier sets, but also introducing 10 new cards as well. Within a base set and expansion set, the cards were divided into groups based on their frequency of appearance, with rare cards being included the least frequent, uncommon cards slightly more frequent, and common cards being the most frequent. Also available in regular and premium starters were a specific number of fixed cards that always appeared in that packaging. Also available were ''draft packs'' which consisted of 1 ''draft'' card, 5 ''plot'' cards, 6 ''house'' cards and 8 ''locations'' that are generally useful to any deck, and allow for a more level competitive field during ''draft'' tournaments. In late 2007, the A Game of Thrones CCG was converted to the A Game of Thrones LCG (Living Card Game), which ended the random booster packs in favor of fixed packs, called Chapter Packs, released on a roughly monthly basis. Chapter packs consist of 60 fixed cards - 3 copies of 20 cards. The Core Set consists of 4 preconstructed decks consisting of Stark, Lannister, Baratheon, and Targaryen, and is marketed as a starting point for a new player. It will also include a game board, power tokens, gold tokens, as well as game pieces to use for the multiplayer titles. Along with the switch to the LCG, there has also been more of a focus on the multiplayer aspect of the game, now referred to as Melee, rather than the head to head play, now referred to as Joust. + '''A Game of Thrones CCG card sets''' Block Set Notes Westeros Block Westeros Edition Introduced House Stark, House Lannister, and House Baratheon Sea of Storms Introduced House Greyjoy Premium Starter Included three pre-built decks for House Stark, Lannister, and Baratheon A Flight of Dragons Introduced House Targaryen Ice and Fire Block Ice & Fire Edition A Throne of Blades Ice and Fire Premium Starters Included two pre-built decks for House Greyjoy and Targaryen A Crown of Suns Introduced House Martell Valyrian Block Valyrian Edition Introduced Influence and Agendas. A Tourney of Swords Valyrian Premium Starters Included two pre-built decks for Houses Stark\Baratheon and Lannister\Martell A Reign of Kings Winter Block Winter Edition A Song of Twilight Winter Premium Starters Included two pre-built decks for House Greyjoy and Targaryen A Song of Night Iron Throne Block Iron Throne Edition Introduced new card templates and multiplayer titles. New mechanics include crests, and dual house cards. A House of Thorns Themed around House Tyrell and Bolton. Iron Throne Edition Legacy Pack Pack of 55 Fixed Cards, 45 reprints and 10 new cards. A House of Talons Themed around House Arryn and the Clansmen. Five Kings Block Five Kings Edition The final set in CCG format. + '''A Game of Thrones LCG Core Set and Expansions''' Set Expansion Symbol Featured House Note A Game of Thrones (Core Set) Stark Baratheon Lannister Targaryen Kings of the Sea (Out Of Print) Greyjoy Set contains 60 cards and Greyjoy Resin House Card. Introduces the rules for the "Kingsmoot" multiplayer variant. Princes of the Sun (Out Of Print) Martell Set contains 120 cards, two copies of 60 different cards. Introduces the rules for the "Civil War" joust variant. Lords of Winter Stark Set contains 165 cards, three copies each of 55 different cards. Two deck building themes, the "Wolves of the North" and the "Tullys of Riverrun". Kings of the Storm Baratheon Set contains 165 cards, three copies each of 55 different cards. Two deck building themes, "Power Rush" and the "Knights of the Realm". Kings of the Sea (Revised Edition) Greyjoy Set contains 180 cards, three copies each of 60 different cards. The Greyjoy Resin House Card is no longer included. Princes of the Sun (Revised Edition) Martell Set contains 180 cards, three copies of 60 different cards. Includes the rules for the "Civil War" joust variant. Queen of Dragons Targaryen Set contains 165 cards, three copies each of 55 different cards. Two deck building themes, "Fire and Blood” and “Hosts of the True-Queen". Lions of the Rock Lannister Set contains 165 cards, three copies each of 55 different cards. + '''A Game of Thrones LCG chapter packs''' Set Expansion Symbol Chapter Pack Notes A Clash of Arms War of the Five Kings Ancient Enemies Sacred Bonds Epic Battles Introduced the Epic Phase Battle of the Ruby Ford Calling the Banners last chapter pack with black bordered cards A Time for Ravens A Song of Summer Introduced the Seasons mechanic The Winds of Winter A Change of Seasons The Raven's Song Refugees of War Scattered Armies King's Landing City of Secrets Introduced the Shadows mechanic A Time of Trials Tower of the Hand Tales of the Red Keep Secrets and Spies The Battle of Blackwater Bay Defenders of the North Wolves of the North Beyond the Wall A Sword in the Darkness The Wildling Horde A King in the North Return of the Others last of the 40 card chapter packs Brotherhood Without Banners Illyrio’s Gift start of the 60 card chapter packs Rituals of R’hllor Mountains of the Moon A Song of Silence Of Snakes And Sand Dreadfort Betrayal Secrets of Oldtown Gates of the Citadel Forging the Chain Called by the Conclave The Isle of Ravens Mask of the Archmaester Here to Serve A Tale of Champions Tourney for the Hand Introduced the "Joust" and "Melee" keywords The Grand Melee On Dangerous Grounds Where Loyalty Lies Trial by Combat A Poisoned Spear Beyond the Narrow Sea Valar Morghulis Valar Dohaeris Chasing Dragons A Harsh Mistress The House of Black and White A Roll of the Dice A Song of the Sea Reach of the Kraken Introduced the naval enhancement The Great Fleet The Pirates of Lys A Turn of the Tide The Captain's Command A Journey's End Kingsroad The Banners Gather Fire and Ice The Kingsguard The Horn that Wakes Forgotten Fellowship A Hidden Agenda Conquest and Defiance Spoils of War Introduced the "Prized X" keyword The Champion's Purse Fire Made Flesh Ancestral Home The Prize of The North A Dire Message Wardens Secrets and Schemes A Deadly Game The Valemen A Time for Wolves House of Talons The Blue is Calling Promotional cards are usually provided as prizes for participating in FFG registered tournaments, by attending certain conventions, or buying other A Game of Thrones promotional packages. ==Industry awards== The game's first base set - ''Westeros Edition'' - won the 2002 Origins Award for ''Best Trading Card Game of 2002''. The second base set - ''Ice and Fire Edition'' - followed next year and won the 2003 Origins Award for ''Best Card Game Expansion or Supplement of 2003''. ==References== * * ==External links== * agameofthrones.com - Official website

'''''A Feast for Crows''''' is the fourth of seven planned novels in the epic fantasy series ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' by American author George R. R. Martin. The novel was first published on October 17, 2005, in the United Kingdom, with a United States edition following on November 8, 2005. In May 2005, Martin announced that the "sheer size" of his still-unfinished manuscript for ''A Feast for Crows'' had led him and his publishers to split the narrative into two books. Rather than divide the text in half chronologically, Martin opted to instead split the material by character and location, resulting in "two novels taking place simultaneously" with different casts of characters. ''A Feast for Crows'' was published months later, and the concurrent novel ''A Dance with Dragons'' was released on July 12, 2011. Martin also noted that the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series would now likely total seven novels. ''A Feast for Crows'' was the first novel in the series to debut at number one on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list, a feat among fantasy writers only previously achieved by Robert Jordan and Neil Gaiman. In 2006 the novel was nominated for the Hugo Award, the Locus Award, and the British Fantasy Society Award. It has since been adapted, along with ''A Dance With Dragons'', for television as the fifth season of ''Game of Thrones'', though elements of the novel appeared in the series' fourth and sixth seasons. == Plot summary == The War of the Five Kings is slowly coming to its end. The secessionist kings Robb Stark and Balon Greyjoy have been killed. One claimant to the throne, Stannis Baratheon, has gone to fight off invading wildling tribes at the northern Wall, where Robb's half-brother Jon Snow has become the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, the order responsible for guarding the Wall. The eight-year-old King Tommen Baratheon now rules in King's Landing under the regency of his mother, Cersei Lannister. The warrior woman Brienne of Tarth has been sent by Cersei's brother (and lover) Jaime Lannister on a mission to find Robb's sister Sansa Stark. Sansa is hiding in the Vale, protected by her mother's childhood friend Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish, who has murdered his wife Lysa Arryn and named himself Protector of the Vale and guardian of Lysa's son, the eight-year-old Lord Robert Arryn. === In the Seven Kingdoms === ==== Prologue in Oldtown ==== Pate, a young apprentice at the Citadel in Oldtown, is studying to become a maester, a member of an ancient order of scholar-healers. He has stolen an important key to a depository of books and records at the request of a stranger in exchange for a reward; after turning over the key and receiving the reward, he dies abruptly from poison. ==== King's Landing ==== Following the death of Cersei's father Tywin, the late Hand of the King, Cersei's regency is marked by rampant cronyism, and her councils are staffed with incompetent loyalists and unreliable flatterers. She disregards advice from her uncle Kevan and her brother Jaime, alienating them both. Making matters worse is Cersei's increasing distrust of the powerful Tyrells, whose alliance is essential to the stability of the Lannister regime—particularly Tommen's fiancée Margaery Tyrell, whom Cersei believes to be the subject of a prophecy about a "younger, more beautiful queen" who will take away all that Cersei holds dear. Her incompetent management raises the kingdom's debts to the Iron Bank of Braavos and the Faith of the Seven. The Iron Bank refuses to grant new loans and demands immediate repayment, nearly crippling the economy of Westeros. To settle the crown's debts to the Faith, Cersei permits the restoration of that religion's military order, the Faith Militant, ignoring the danger to her own power. A scheme to falsely have the Faith put Margaery on trial for adultery backfires when the religious leadership imprisons Cersei herself on similar (correct) charges. ==== Riverlands ==== Cersei dispatches Jaime to the Riverlands to put down the remnants of the late Robb Stark's rebellion. He negotiates with Robb's great-uncle Brynden “the Blackfish” Tully to surrender the castle of Riverrun in exchange for his nephew Edmure‘s life. Though the siege ends bloodlessly, Brynden escapes. Jaime then receives word that Cersei, who has been arrested by the Faith, wants him to defend her in a trial by combat, but Jaime ignores her message and abandons her to her fate. Brienne's quest leads her all over the Riverlands, where she witnesses the devastation caused by the war. She acquires as traveling companions Podrick Payne, former squire to Jaime's brother Tyrion, and Ser Hyle Hunt, a knight who had once mocked her ugliness. Eventually she is captured by the Brotherhood Without Banners, an order that was once devoted to protecting the smallfolk of the Riverlands but is now commanded by the undead Catelyn Stark—Robb's mother, murdered with him but magically resurrected and set on vengeance. Catelyn, who has taken the name Lady Stoneheart, sentences Brienne to death for consorting with the Lannisters, but offers to let her live if she agrees to kill Jaime. ==== The Vale ==== In the remote castle of the Eyrie, Sansa poses as Littlefinger’s daughter Alayne, befriending young Lord Robert Arryn, managing the household, and receiving informal training in politics. During this time, Littlefinger appears to be carefully manipulating Robert's bannermen and securing control of the Protectorship of the Vale. He eventually reveals that he plans to betroth Sansa to Harrold Hardyng, the next in line to Robert's title; when the sickly Robert dies, Littlefinger intends to reveal Sansa's identity and claim her family stronghold of Winterfell in her name. ==== Iron Islands ==== On the Iron Islands, the rebellious realm of House Greyjoy, the late Balon Greyjoy's eldest surviving brother Euron returns from exile to claim the throne. To prevent this, his younger brother Aeron, a priest, calls a Kingsmoot to elect Balon's successor. Though Euron's claim is contested by his other brother Victarion and Balon's daughter Asha, eventually Euron is chosen as king for his promise to control dragons with an enchanted horn he possesses. The fleet of the Ironborn captures the Shield Islands, threatening House Tyrell's seat at Highgarden. Euron sends Victarion east to woo Daenerys Targaryen on his behalf, to thus gain a claim to the Iron Throne by marrying the daughter of a past king; but Victarion decides to woo her for himself instead. ==== Dorne ==== In the southern region of Dorne, Prince Doran Martell is confronted by three of his brother Oberyn's bastard daughters, who want vengeance for the death of their father, who was killed defending Tyrion Lannister from a false charge of murder. Because they are inciting the commonfolk, Doran has them imprisoned in the palace. A bold attempt by Doran's daughter Arianne to crown Tommen's sister Myrcella as queen of Westeros is thwarted. In the confusion, one of Arianne's co-conspirators, Ser Gerold "Darkstar" Dayne, attempts to kill Myrcella; she survives but her face is scarred, and a knight of Tommen's Kingsguard is killed. This strains the new Dornish alliance with the Lannisters and the Iron Throne. To his daughter, Doran reveals that her brother Quentyn has gone east to bring back "Fire and Blood" through an alliance with Daenerys. === Braavos === Arriving in Braavos, Arya Stark finds her way to the House of Black and White, a temple associated with the assassins known as the Faceless Men. As a novice there, Arya is taught to abandon her identity and pose as an anonymous girl called "Cat of the Canals", but her true identity asserts itself in the form of wolf dreams. Jon Snow has ordered Night's Watch steward Samwell Tarly to sail to the Citadel in Oldtown, to research the hostile creatures known as the Others and become a maester. Sam is accompanied by the aging Maester Aemon, the wildling girl Gilly, Gilly's newborn baby, and Dareon, another Night's Watch member. After the voyage is underway, Sam realizes that the child is actually the son of the wildling leader Mance Rayder, swapped with Gilly's son for his protection. Aemon becomes sick and the party waits in Braavos for his health to improve. After learning that Daenerys Targaryen possesses dragons, Aemon concludes that she is destined to fulfill a prophecy. Shortly after the party leaves Braavos (without Dareon), Aemon dies at the age of 102. Arya chances to meet Dareon and executes him as a deserter from the Night's Watch. The Faceless Men punish her for this unauthorized killing by feeding her a potion that causes blindness. At the end of the novel, Samwell arrives at the Citadel to begin his training. He meets the archmaester Marwyn, who tells him the maesters are plotting against magic, and leaves to find Daenerys. Samwell also encounters a fellow apprentice who introduces himself as Pate, connecting the prologue to the narrative. == Characters == The story is narrated from the point of view of 12 characters and a one-off prologue point of view. Unlike its predecessors, the fourth novel follows numerous minor characters as well. * Prologue: Pate, a novice of the Citadel in Oldtown * Cersei Lannister, The Queen Regent * Ser Jaime Lannister, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard * Brienne, Maid of Tarth, a young warrior woman searching for Sansa and Arya Stark * Sansa Stark, pretending to be Petyr Baelish's daughter "Alayne Stone" (her later chapters are titled as such) * Arya Stark, later referred to as "Cat of the Canals", beginning her training at the Temple of Him of Many Faces in the free city of Braavos * Samwell Tarly, a sworn brother of the Night's Watch * In the Iron Islands: ** The Prophet, The Drowned Man: Aeron "Damphair" Greyjoy, Self-proclaimed servant of the Drowned god, youngest of Late King Balon's three surviving brothers ** The Kraken's Daughter: Princess Asha Greyjoy, daughter of Late King Balon of the Iron Islands ** The Iron Captain, The Reaver: Prince Victarion Greyjoy, Captain of the Iron Fleet, one of Late King Balon's three surviving brothers * In Dorne: ** The Captain of Guards: Areo Hotah, Captain of the Guards to Prince Doran Martell of Dorne ** The Soiled Knight: Ser Arys Oakheart of the Kingsguard ** The Queenmaker, The Princess in the Tower: Arianne Martell, daughter of Prince Doran and heir to Dorne == Editions == '''Foreign-language editions''' * Bulgarian: Бард: "Пир за Врани" * Catalan: Alfaguara: "Festí de corbs" ("Feast of crows") * Chinese (Simplified): 重庆出版社(2008): "群鸦的盛宴" ("Feast for Crows"). * Chinese (Traditional): 高寶國際(2006): "群鴉盛宴" ("Feast for Crows"). * Croatian: "Gozba vrana" ("Crows' Feast") * Czech: Talpress; "Hostina pro vrány" ("Feast for Crows") * Danish: Kragernes rige ("The Kingdom of the Crows") * Dutch: Luitingh-Sijthoff: "Een feestmaal voor kraaien" ("A Feast for Crows") * Estonian: Two volumes, hardcover : Varrak "Vareste pidusöök" ("Feast of Crows") book 1 & book 2 * Finnish: "Korppien kestit" ("Feast of Crows") * French: Three Volumes, Hardcover: Pygmalion (2006–...): "Le chaos", "Les sables de Dorne", "Un Festin pour les Corbeaux" ("Chaos", "The Sands of Dorne", "A Feast For Crows"). * German: Single volume, Fantasy Productions (2006): "Krähenfest" ("Crow's Feast", to be released). Two volumes, Blanvalet (2006): "Zeit der Krähen", "Die dunkle Königin" ("Time of the Crows", "The Dark Queen"). * Greek: Anubis: "Βορά Ορνίων" ("Prey of Vultures") * Hebrew: "משתה לעורבים א\ב" ("Feast for Crows pts. A/B") * Hungarian: Alexandra Könyvkiadó: "Varjak lakomája" ("Feast of Crows") * Italian: Two volumes, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore (Hardcover 2006, 2007 – Paperback 2007, 2008): "Il dominio della regina", "L'ombra della profezia" ("The Rule of the Queen", "The Shadow of the Prophecy"). * Japanese: Two volumes, hardcover : Hayakawa (2008), paperback : Hayakawa (2013): "乱鴉の饗宴" ("Feast of the War Crows") I and II * Korean: Eun Haeng Namu Publishing Co. :"까마귀의 향연" ("Feast for Crows") * Lithuanian: Alma Littera "Varnų puota" ("Crows' Feast") * Norwegian: Two volumes, "Kråkenes gilde" (The Crows' Feast), "Jern og sand" (Iron and Sand) * Polish: Two volumes, Zysk i S-ka: "Uczta dla wron: Cienie Śmierci", "Uczta dla wron: Sieć Spisków" ("A Feast for Crows: Shadows of Death", "A Feast for Crows: Web of Intrigues") * Brazilian Portuguese: Leya: "O Festim dos Corvos" ("The Crows Feast") * European Portuguese: Two volumes, Saída de Emergência: "O Festim de Corvos" ("A Feast of Crows"), "O Mar de Ferro" ("The Iron Sea") * Romanian: Paperback 2009, Hardcover 2011: "Festinul ciorilor" ("The Crows' Feast") * Russian: AST: "Пир стервятников" ("Vultures' Feast"). * Serbian: Two Volumes, Лагуна: "Гозба за вране Део први", "Гозба за вране Део други" ("A Feast for Crows") * Slovenian: Vranja gostija ("A Feast for Crows") * Spanish: Gigamesh (2007): "Festín de Cuervos" ("Feast of Crows") * Swedish: Forum bokförlag: "Kråkornas fest" ("The Crows' Feast") * Turkish: Two volumes, Epsilon Yayınevi: "Buz ve Ateşin Şarkısı IV: Kargaların Ziyafeti – Kısım I & Kargaların Ziyafeti – Kısım II" ("A Feast for Crows") * Ukrainian: KM Publishing (2016): "Бенкет круків" ("The Feast of Crows") * Vietnamese: Two Volumes: "Trò Chơi Vương Quyền 4A: Tiệc Quạ đen", "Trò Chơi Vương Quyền 4B: Lời Tiền tri". ("Game of Thrones 4A: A Feast of Crows", "Game of Thrones 4B: The Prophecy") * Mongolian: Хэрээний найр ("Feast of Crow") == Publication == Martin released the first four "Iron Islands" chapters of ''A Feast for Crows'' as a novella called ''Arms of the Kraken'', published in the 305th edition of ''Dragon'' magazine, published in May 2003. Another chapbook featuring three Daenerys chapters was published for BookExpo 2005 although, following the geographical division of the book, these chapters were subsequently moved into the fifth volume in the series, ''A Dance with Dragons''. Martin originally planned for the fourth book to be called ''A Dance with Dragons'' with the story picking up five years after the events of ''A Storm of Swords'' (primarily to advance the ages of the younger characters). However, during the writing process it was discovered that this was leading to an overreliance on flashbacks to fill in the gap. After twelve months or so of working on the book, Martin decided to abandon much of what had previously been written and start again, this time picking up immediately after the end of ''A Storm of Swords''. He announced this decision, along with the new title ''A Feast for Crows'', at Worldcon in Philadelphia on September 1, 2001. He also announced that ''A Dance with Dragons'' would now be the fifth book in the sequence. In May 2005, Martin announced that his manuscript for ''A Feast for Crows'' had hit 1527 completed pages but still remained unfinished, with "another hundred or so pages of roughs and incomplete chapters, as well as other chapters sketched out but entirely unwritten." As the size of the manuscript for 2000's ''A Storm of Swords'', his previous novel, had been a problem for publishers around the world at 1521 pages, Martin and his publishers had decided to split the narrative planned for ''A Feast for Crows'' into two books. Rather than divide the text in half chronologically, Martin opted to instead split the material by character and location: It was my feeling ... that we were better off telling all the story for half the characters, rather than half the story for all the characters. Cutting the novel in half would have produced two half-novels; our approach will produce two novels taking place simultaneously, but set hundreds or even thousands of miles apart, and involving different casts of characters (with some overlap). Martin noted that ''A Feast for Crows'' would focus on "Westeros, King's Landing, the riverlands, Dorne, and the Iron Islands," and that the next novel, ''A Dance with Dragons'', would cover "events in the east and north." Martin also added that the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series would now likely total seven novels. ''A Feast for Crows'' was published months later on October 17, 2005, over five years after the previous volume in the series, ''A Storm of Swords''. The parallel novel ''A Dance with Dragons'' was released on July 12, 2011. == Release details == * 2005, UK, Voyager , Pub date October 17, 2005, hardback * 2005, UK, Voyager , Pub date ? ? 2005, hardback (presentation edition) * 2005, US, Spectra Books , Pub date November 8, 2005, hardback * 2006, UK, Voyager , Pub date April 25, 2006, paperback == Reception == Though ''A Feast for Crows'' was the first novel in the sequence to debut at number one on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list, it received more negative reviews in comparison with the previous novels in the series. Martin's decision to halve the plot in terms of character and location was highly controversial; many critics felt that this novel consisted of characters that people were less interested in. ''Publishers Weekly'' said, "Long-awaited doesn't begin to describe this fourth installment in bestseller Martin's staggeringly epic Song of Ice and Fire. .... This is not Act I Scene 4 but Act II Scene 1, laying groundwork more than advancing the plot, and it sorely misses its other half. The slim pickings here are tasty, but in no way satisfying." Salon.com's Andrew Leonard said in 2011, "I don't care how good a writer you are: If you subtract your three strongest characters from your tale, you severely undermine the basis for why readers fell under your spell in the first place. It didn't work. But there was also a sense in ''A Feast of Crows'' that Martin had lost his way. The characters whose stories he did tell wandered back and forth across a landscape devastated by war and oncoming winter, but didn't seem to be headed anywhere in particular." Remy Verhoeve of ''The Huffington Post'' noted in their 2011 ''A Dance with Dragons'' review that the fifth volume had to "repair some of the damage done by ''A Feast for Crows'', which frankly felt as if it was written by a ghost writer at times." Both books had "the same structural problems", being "sprawling and incoherent", and in her opinion ''Feast'' has the less interesting characters. ''The Atlantic'' Rachael Brown said in their ''A Dance With Dragons'' review that ''Feast'' was "bleak and plodding" and "sorely missed" Daenerys Targaryen, Tyrion Lannister, and Jon Snow. == Awards and nominations == * Hugo Award – Best Novel (nominated) – (2006) * Locus Award for Fantasy – Best Novel (nominated) – (2006) * British Fantasy Award – Best Novel (nominated) – (2006) * Quill Award – Best Novel (Science Fiction & Fantasy) (nominated) – (2006) == References == * == External links == * of author George R. R. Martin * *

'''Jon Snow''' 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'', in which he is portrayed by English actor Kit Harington. In the novels, he is a prominent point of view character. He is one of the most popular characters in the series, and ''The New York Times'' cites him as one of the author's finest creations. Jon is a main character in the TV series, and his storyline in the season 5 finale generated a strong reaction among viewers. Speculation about the character's parentage has also been a popular topic of discussion among fans of both the books and the TV series. Jon is introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'' as the illegitimate son of Ned Stark, the honorable lord of Winterfell, an ancient fortress in the North of the fictional continent of Westeros. Knowing his prospects are limited by his status, Jon joins the Night's Watch, who guard the far northern borders from the wildlings who live beyond The Wall. As the rest of the Starks face grave adversity, Jon finds himself honor bound to remain with the Watch. In ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998), he joins a scouting party investigating the growing threat from the otherworldly "Others" beyond the Wall, and manages to infiltrate the wildlings. Jon learns of their plans to invade Westeros in ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), and begins to fall in love with the fierce wildling woman Ygritte. He betrays them—and Ygritte—before they can attack, but the Night Watch's victory comes at a heavy price for Jon. Now the Lord Commander of the Watch, he appears briefly in 2005's ''A Feast for Crows''. Jon returns as a prominent character in a ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011), working to negotiate an alliance between the Night's Watch and the wildlings. The growing animosity he has attracted from among the Watch finally catches up with him, and he is forced to face the dire consequences. On the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'', Jon's storyline follows the character's plot arc from the novel series, though season 6, season 7 and season 8 of the TV adaptation continue on from the events of Martin's latest published installment. Harington was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the role in 2016. He was also nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television in 2012, 2016 and 2017. ==Character== ===Description=== In ''A Game of Thrones'', Jon Snow is introduced as the 14-year-old illegitimate son of Eddard "Ned" Stark, Lord of Winterfell, and half-brother to Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon. Jon is described as having strong Stark features with a lean build, long face, dark brown hair and grey eyes. Jon has the surname "Snow" (customarily used for illegitimate children in the North) and is resented by Ned's wife Catelyn, who views him as a constant reminder of Ned's infidelity. Jon is the same age as Robb and enjoys a warm relationship with his siblings, particularly the tomboy Arya (who resembles Jon and like him does not feel like she fits in). Ned treats Jon as much like his other children as propriety and his honor will allow. Still, as somewhat of an outsider, Jon has learned to be independent and to fend for himself when necessary. Jon idolizes his father, but is wounded by Ned's refusal to tell him about his mother. At the beginning of the story, Jon adopts the albino direwolf that he names Ghost. He later finds that at times he can "inhabit" the wolf and share its experiences. David Orr of ''The New York Times'' describes Jon as "a complex, thoughtful and basically good character". David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, the creators and executive producers of the television adaptation of the series, explain that Jon is one of several characters in the series who must "face hard truths about the world they live in, and adapt themselves to those truths" because "The struggle many of them face is how to do that without losing their grip on who they are." Ned Stark teaches all his children about leadership, selflessness, duty and honor. Following his father's example becomes more difficult as Jon faces challenges to his identity as a man, a Stark, and a brother of the Night's Watch. Benioff and Weiss note that "Jon Snow tries to live with honor, while knowing that honor often gets his family members murdered." Writing for ''Variety'' about the season 6 episode "Battle of the Bastards", Laura Prudom suggests that Jon "has the same shortcomings" as his father: "he fights with honor against opponents who are all too willing to use that predictable morality against him". Jon is a prominent point of view character in the novels, and has been called one of Martin's "finest creations". Jon is introduced as the illegitimate son of a Northern lord who, realizing he is an outsider in his own family, follows his uncle to the far north and accepts the honorable duty of serving in the Night's Watch. But as much as he is a second-class Stark at home, initially his fellow recruits and brothers of the Watch set him apart as privileged and aloof. Jon adapts, soon proving himself to be wise, compassionate, and a natural leader. Over the course of the series, Jon's loyalty to the Watch and its vows, his family, and even Westeros itself are tested as he becomes embroiled in the efforts of the wildlings from Beyond the Wall to force their way back into the Seven Kingdoms. He lives among them as a spy for the Watch, sympathetic to their cause and becoming romantically involved with the tenacious Ygritte. However he ultimately betrays them to defend The Wall. Later, as the newest Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, he pursues an alliance with the wildlings. Several reviews of 2011's ''A Dance with Dragons'' noted the return to the narrative of Jon, Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister, the three popular characters whom fans had missed most from the previous volume, ''A Feast for Crows''. These "favorites" had last been featured 11 years before in Martin's ''A Storm of Swords''. In ''A Dance with Dragons'', Jon's leadership of the Night's Watch is complicated by several unprecedented challenges, including a wildling alliance, the demands of would-be-king Stannis Baratheon and the conflicting factions developing within the Watch itself. ''The New York Times'' notes that "Jon’s leadership is the best hope of Westeros, so naturally he’s in imminent danger throughout ''A Dance With Dragons''." James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' called Jon's final chapter in ''A Dance with Dragons'' "a harsh chapter in terms of fan expectations. You go from this total high of Jon giving this rousing speech about going after the evil Ramsay Bolton, to this utter low of his men turning against him." Jon's presence in the forthcoming volume ''The Winds of Winter'' is uncertain. Asked what he thought was Jon’s biggest "mistake", Martin replied: ===Parentage=== The identity of Jon's mother has created much speculation among readers of the series, and guessing her identity was the test Martin gave Benioff and Weiss when they approached him in March 2006 about adapting his novels into a TV series. In the novels, Martin hints that she could be a servant named Wylla, or the noblewoman Ashara Dayne. The popular fan theory—called "R+L=J", an abbreviation of "Rhaegar + Lyanna = Jon"—proposes that Jon is not the son of Ned at all, but is actually the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Ned's younger sister Lyanna Stark. Though the character is presented as the illegitimate son of Ned Stark, David Orr voiced the doubt of some readers when he wrote in ''The New York Times'' in 2011, "Jon Snow is presented as the illegitimate son of the Stark patriarch, although it's uncertain whether Stark is indeed his father." Actor Sean Bean, who portrays Ned in the HBO television series, said when asked in a 2014 interview about returning to the series to appear in flashbacks, "I've definitely got some unfinished business that needs to be resolved there. I'm obviously not Jon Snow's dad. And you need that to be revealed at some point, don't you?" The uncertainty arises from anecdotal evidence in the texts interpreted by readers to connect the mysterious maternity of Ned's son with the vague backstory of his sister Lyanna. As recounted by Ned in ''A Game of Thrones'', at a tourney years before the events of the novel, Rhaegar had shown public favor to Lyanna in the presence of his own wife, the Dornish princess Elia Martell. When Rhaegar and Lyanna disappeared a year later, her father Rickard and eldest brother Brandon confronted Rhaegar's father, the Mad King Aerys Targaryen, demanding that his son return the abducted Lyanna. Aerys had Rickard and Brandon brutally executed for their insolence, inciting Ned and his friend Robert Baratheon, Lord of Storm's End and Lyanna's betrothed, to rebel against Aerys. In what later became known as Robert's Rebellion, Aerys was overthrown and Rhaegar was killed by Robert in single combat. After a bloody battle against three of Aerys' Kingsguard protecting the Tower of Joy in Dorne, Ned found Lyanna inside, in a "bed of blood." She died shortly after eliciting a promise from Ned. Once the war was won, he returned to Winterfell with his illegitimate son Jon. The R+L=J theory posits that rather than Rhaegar kidnapping Lyanna, they fell in love and ran away together. Living for a year in the Tower of Joy, they conceived a child—Jon. Rhaegar was killed in battle by Robert, and Lyanna died in childbirth. Ned promised Lyanna on her deathbed to claim the baby as his own to protect him from Robert, who sought to exterminate all Targaryens out of hatred and to secure his claim to the throne. HBO's ''Game of Thrones'' has included in its adaptation many of the "hints" identified by this theory. In the season 6 finale, "The Winds of Winter", Bran Stark has a vision of the past which shows Ned reuniting with a dying Lyanna in the Tower of Joy. Lyanna makes him promise to protect her son—Jon. An infographic subsequently posted on the HBO-controlled website MakingGameofThrones.com confirmed Rhaegar as Jon's father. Journalists later commented on the significance of two plot points in the season 7 episode "Eastwatch". One of Daenerys Targaryen's dragons, Drogon, approaches Jon calmly and allows the King in the North to pet him, seemingly recognizing him as a Targaryen. Later, Gilly learns from a book at the Citadel that a High Septon annulled Rhaegar's marriage, and married him to someone else in Dorne, suggesting the possibility that Jon is the legitimate son of Rhaegar and Lyanna. The season 7 finale episode "The Dragon and the Wolf" confirmed that Jon is indeed the legitimate son of Rhaegar and Lyanna, and that his birth name is actually Aegon Targaryen. ==Storylines== ===''A Game of Thrones''=== Jon Snow is first introduced in ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996), as he and his five siblings adopt six orphaned direwolf cubs. Known by all as Ned Stark's illegitimate son and with Ned's wife Catelyn despising him, Jon has always felt removed from the rest of the Stark family. He resolves to join the Night's Watch, as his status as a bastard prevents him from holding lands or marrying into a good family. At The Wall, the other recruits resent Jon's aura of superiority, but he makes amends by helping them master swordplay. He also befriends Samwell Tarly, a cowardly lordling who, despite being helpless with weapons, displays an aptitude for book learning. Jon's independence and his compassion for the recruits invite the ire of the harsh master-at-arms Alliser Thorne, who sees Jon as a threat to his authority. Jon gains the notice of the Lord Commander, Jeor Mormont, who names Jon his personal squire and grooms Jon for command. After learning of his father's execution, Jon resolves to desert the Night's Watch and join his half brother Robb, but the other recruits convince Jon to remain loyal to his vows. The next night, the body of a fallen Night's Watch brother brought back from the other side of The Wall rises as an undead wight, and Jon saves Mormont's life by killing the creature. In thanks, Mormont gives Jon the House Mormont ancestral sword Longclaw, made of Valyrian steel, with a wolf's head handle custom made for Jon. Mormont then orders a Great Ranging beyond the Wall to learn more of this new threat. ===''A Clash of Kings''=== In 1998's ''A Clash of Kings'', Mormont leads a party of Night's Watch rangers beyond the Wall to investigate the disappearance of Jon's uncle Benjen, assess the intentions of the wildling leader Mance Rayder and learn more of the threat posed by the Others. Jon is sent out with a scouting party led by Qhorin Halfhand. On the journey, Jon comes upon a wildling lookout and takes the warrior girl Ygritte captive; though told to kill her, Jon lets her escape. Jon and Qhorin are subsequently captured by the wildlings. Qhorin, who faces certain execution at Mance's hands, commands Jon to infiltrate the wildlings and learn their plans, at any cost. Jon pretends to disavow the Night's Watch, and the wildlings force him to fight Qhorin to the death to earn their trust. With Qhorin's silent consent, Jon kills him with the aid of Ghost. ===''A Storm of Swords''=== As ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000) begins, Jon has gained the trust of the wildlings by killing Qhorin, and marches with their host. He learns that Mance intends to breach the Wall and march south to escape the Others, crushing the Night's Watch if necessary. Jon finds himself torn between his growing love for Ygritte and his vows of celibacy. After climbing over The Wall with Ygritte and Tormund Giantsbane, Jon deserts them to warn the Watch of the impending attack. He helps defend Castle Black against the wildlings' initial attacks despite his lack of men and weapons. Ygritte is killed in the fighting, leaving Jon stricken. When the battle is won, Jon is arrested for desertion by Thorne and Janos Slynt, but is freed after convincing the judges of his loyalty. Still suspicious, Thorne orders that Jon be sent to kill Mance under the pretense of parley, but Jon's task is interrupted by the arrival of Stannis Baratheon's army. Stannis offers to legitimize Jon and declare him Lord of Winterfell if he will align the North with Stannis. Though greatly tempted at the prospect of becoming a true Stark, Jon again chooses to remain loyal to his Night's Watch vows. With Sam's help, Jon is elected to the position of Lord Commander by acclamation. ===''A Feast for Crows'' and ''A Dance with Dragons''=== Jon is not a POV character in 2005's ''A Feast for Crows'', but appears briefly from Sam's perspective as he sends Sam away from Castle Black with the Watch's Maester Aemon and Mance's newborn son to protect them from sacrifice by the Red Priestess Melisandre. Jon also gives Sam the specific mission of traveling to the Citadel in Oldtown to become a maester, so that he may better understand the threat of the Others and eventually succeed Maester Aemon. In ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011), after sending Sam away to the Citadel to become a Maester, Jon successfully negotiates the peaceful surrender of the remains of Mance's army. He promises to settle the wildlings in sparsely populated regions of the North, and allows some of them to join the Watch to garrison the many abandoned Night's Watch fortresses. Many members of the Watch dislike the idea of allowing their ancient enemies through the Wall and welcoming them into their ranks. Jon attempts to juggle the integration of the wildlings, growing unrest within the Night's Watch, and Stannis' attempts to use the Watch in his war for the Iron Throne, while trying to maintain the Watch's strict political neutrality. Already agitated by these unprecedented developments, a group of officers led by Slynt openly defies Jon's orders. When Slynt refuses to submit, Jon executes the man himself. Stannis explains to Jon his plan to attack the Dreadfort, but Jon advises him to instead rally the Mountain Clans and attack Deepwood Motte, the fortress of House Glover recently captured by the Ironborn. Stannis does so, winning the support of the Glovers and the Mormonts. Jon learns that his sister Arya is being married to Ramsay Bolton so that the Boltons may claim Winterfell. Unaware that the bride is actually Jeyne Poole, Jon sends Mance to rescue her while Stannis marches on Winterfell. Jon later receives a letter from Ramsay claiming that Stannis has been defeated and Mance is a prisoner. Ramsay demands hostages, else he will march on the Wall and kill Jon. Jon decides to seek out and kill Ramsay himself, but he is stabbed by his Night's Watch brothers seeking to uphold the Watch's neutrality before he can leave Castle Black. Jon's presence in the forthcoming volume ''The Winds of Winter'' is uncertain; when asked in 2011 by ''Entertainment Weekly'' "Why did you kill Jon Snow?", author Martin responded "Oh, you think he’s dead, do you?" Asked later whether Jon was killed or will survive, Martin responded with a laugh, "I will not comment on that." ===Family tree=== ==TV adaptation== ===Overview=== Kit Harington plays the role of Jon Snow in the television series. Martin told ''Rolling Stone'' in 2014 that some early inquiries he received about adapting ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' suggested identifying the story's "important character" and focusing on that individual plot line: Jon and Daenerys Targaryen being the two most popular choices. Martin was not interested in sacrificing so much of the overall story. When the pilot for the HBO adaptation went into production years later, one of the first parts cast was Jon, with Kit Harington announced in the role in July 2009. Alfie Allen and Iwan Rheon had also auditioned for the role, and were brought into the show to play Theon Greyjoy and Ramsay Snow instead, respectively. In October 2014, Harington and several other key cast members, all contracted for six seasons of the series, renegotiated their deals to include a potential seventh season and salary increases for seasons five, six, and seven. ''The Hollywood Reporter'' called the raises "huge", noting that the deal would make the performers "among the highest-paid actors on cable TV". ''Deadline Hollywood'' put the number for season five at "close to $300,000 an episode" for each actor, and ''The Hollywood Reporter'' wrote in June 2016 that the performers would each be paid "upward of $500,000 per episode" for seasons seven and the potential eight. In 2017, Harington became one of the highest paid actors on television and will earn £2 million per episode for the show. The costumes of Ygritte, Jon Snow, and Tormund Giantsbane in the show As the series premiered, ''TV Guide'' called Harington a "soulful heartthrob" whose Jon is idolized by his younger siblings and who "seeks purpose" by joining the Night's Watch. Creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss later noted that Jon "tries to live with honor, while knowing that honor often gets his family members murdered". They explained that he is one of several characters in the series who must "face hard truths about the world they live in, and adapt themselves to those truths. The struggle many of them face is how to do that without losing their grip on who they are." Matt Fowler of IGN wrote in 2013 that while Jon and Daenerys' storylines in season 1 and season 2 "felt very separate" from the rest of the series' plot, for the first time in season 3, "Jon's entire situation felt incorporated into the larger picture." Fowler also added that Jon's "oath-breaking romance with Ygritte added a lot of heat to the story". In May 2015, ''International Business Times'' called Jon "clearly the most popular character" of the series. In a 2015 interview Benioff said, "The problem with Jon is, he’s not a cautious man. It's the problem with him, and also the reason we love him. He is a hero, but heroes are inherently incautious." Weiss added, "At the end of the day, Jon is his father’s son, he’s a person who’s honorable to a fault and does the right thing even when the right thing is extremely dangerous to him personally." In the June 2015 season 5 finale "Mother's Mercy", Jon is stabbed to death by Alliser Thorne and several men of the Night's Watch after being labeled a traitor. With Martin's 2011 novel ''A Dance with Dragons'' vague on Jon's fate, Harington confirmed the character's death in an interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'', saying "I’ve been told I’m dead. I’m dead. I’m not coming back next season." He added, "I loved how they brought the orphan boy Olly in to be the person who kills me. I love how the storyline with Thorne was wrapped up." Benioff also said of the episode: Writing for ''The New York Times'', Jeremy Egner called Jon's demise "the biggest death on the show" since Ned Stark's beheading in season 1. Amid strong fan reaction over Jon's death on social media, immediately following the episode journalists began theorizing how the show could resurrect the character. Nate Jones of Vulture.com noted: A July 2015 sighting of Harington arriving in Belfast, a primary filming location for the series where other actors were arriving for season 6 script read-throughs, prompted further speculation about the character's return. However, a story in ''Vanity Fair'' pointed out that Charles Dance had been seen in Belfast the previous year after his character Tywin Lannister's death as well, and he only appeared in the first episode of the subsequent season as a corpse. Another photo that showed Harington on set in Belfast in a costume that varied from the Night's Watch outfit was published on September 25, 2015. A season 6 ''Game of Thrones'' promotional poster released in November 2015 featured a bloodied Jon. Jon is resurrected by Melisandre in "Home", the May 2016 second episode of season 6. Though calling it a "predictable move" for a television series, David Sims of ''The Atlantic'' praised the plot development as "the right choice" for the show's narrative. In a subsequent interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'', Harington said: Joanna Robinson of ''Vanity Fair'' credited Jon's much-discussed cliffhanger death as a primary factor behind ''Game of Thrones'' subsequent 25% ratings increase for season 6. Harington's performance in season 6 earned the actor his first Primetime Emmy Award nomination in July 2016. Harington as Jon has the most screen time of any other character in the seven seasons released to date. ===Storylines=== ====Season 1==== Following the plot of ''A Game of Thrones'', in the first season Jon, the bastard son of Ned Stark, joins the Night's Watch. He arrives at the Wall with his direwolf Ghost in tow, to find that the order is a shadow of its former self. Raised to be a talented fighter with a strong sense of justice and honor, Jon is at first contemptuous of his fellow recruits, who are mostly lowborn, untrained fighters who are criminals and exiles. In "Lord Snow", he is persuaded by Tyrion Lannister to put aside his prejudices and helps some of the others with their weapons training. Jon befriends Samwell Tarly, an overweight, clumsy coward who is more an intellectual than a fighter. Jon takes his vows but is disappointed about being made steward to Lord Commander Jeor Mormont rather than a ranger in "You Win or You Die". Sam points out that Jon is likely being groomed for command. Jon saves Mormont from a wight in "The Pointy End", and in "Baelor" Mormont gives him the House Mormont ancestral sword Longclaw, made of Valyrian steel, with a wolf's head handle custom made for Jon, in thanks. Jon learns of his father's execution for treason in "Fire and Blood", and although tempted to leave the Wall to help his family, his sense of duty ultimately compels him to stay. ====Season 2==== In the second season, Jon witnesses the wildling Craster, an old man with many wives who marries his own daughters, sacrifice his newborn son to the White Walkers in "The Night Lands". Later, as part of a small scouting party led by Night's Watch ranger Qhorin Halfhand, Jon is tasked with killing a wildling prisoner, the woman warrior Ygritte. He finds himself unable to do so in "The Old Gods and the New", and she escapes, only to capture him with her comrades in "The Prince of Winterfell". Qhorin orders Jon to pretend to defect and join the wildlings to discover their plans. In "Valar Morghulis", Qhorin stages a fight and secretly instructs Jon to kill him to gain the wildlings' trust. Jon does and is taken to meet Mance Rayder, the wildlings' King-Beyond-the Wall. ====Season 3==== In the third season, Jon pledges his loyalty to Mance and travels with the wildlings, learning that they intend to scale the Wall and force their way south of the Wall. Ygritte seduces Jon, and they have sex in "Kissed by Fire". When Jon refuses to kill an innocent man to prove his loyalty in "The Rains of Castamere", he is attacked by the other wildlings but escapes. In "Mhysa", he is tracked by Ygritte, who shoots him with three arrows before he is able to escape again and return to Castle Black. ====Season 4==== In "Two Swords", Alliser Thorne and Janos Slynt call for Jon's execution for defecting to the wildlings, but Maester Aemon is convinced of Jon's loyalty to the Watch and sets him free. In "First of His Name", Jon leads an expedition to Craster's Keep, where some men of the Watch have mutinied and murdered Lord Commander Mormont. After defeating the mutineers, Jon is reunited with Ghost. Tormund's wildlings attack Castle Black while Mance's army besieges the Wall in "The Watchers on the Wall". The wildlings are successfully repelled, although Ygritte is shot and dies in Jon's arms. Before Jon can negotiate with or kill Mance, Stannis Baratheon's army arrives and routs the wildling camp, taking Mance prisoner in the season finale "The Children". ====Season 5==== In "The Wars to Come", Stannis enlists Jon as an intermediary between himself and Mance, hoping to add the wildling army to his own. Mance refuses to submit to Stannis, and the wildling king is burned at the stake by the red priestess Melisandre. In "The House of Black and White", Stannis offers to legitimize Jon and make him lord of Winterfell in exchange for his support. Jon is voted the new Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, initially tying with his nemesis Thorne but after the tie is broken by Maester Aemon's vote. Jon's intention to welcome the wildlings into Westeros and grant them lands south of the Wall further enrages Thorne's faction of the Watch, which holds a deep seated hatred for the wildlings. In "Hardhome", Jon travels by ship north of the Wall to the eponymous wildling village, seeking their support for his plan to ally the Night's Watch and the wildlings against the growing threat of the White Walkers. As some of the wildling clans board Stannis' ships to travel south, a massive force of wights, led by White Walkers and their Night King, attacks the village. Jon kills a White Walker with Longclaw, learning that not only dragonglass, but weapons forged with Valyrian steel, can destroy them completely. Jon and his group barely make it out alive, with only a fraction of the wildling forces. Jon then permits the wildling forces to pass through the Wall into the North. Shortly after returning to Castle Black in the season finale "Mother's Mercy", Jon is summoned to hear news of his missing uncle Benjen but is instead ambushed and stabbed to death by Thorne and his group of mutineers. ====Season 6==== In "The Red Woman", Davos Seaworth, Dolorous Edd, and other brothers of the Watch loyal to Jon barricade themselves in a room with Ghost and Jon's body, and an attack by Thorne and his men is thwarted by the arrival of Tormund and his wildlings. Davos encourages Melisandre to attempt to resurrect Jon in "Home", and although the ritual at first seems to fail, Jon suddenly awakens. After hanging Thorne, Olly, Bowen Marsh, and Othell Yarwyck for their treason in "Oathbreaker", Jon gives command of the Watch to Edd and prepares to leave Castle Black. In "Book of the Stranger", he is reunited with his half-sister Sansa Stark, who has fled her abusive husband Ramsay Bolton and now seeks Jon's aid in crushing the Boltons. Jon is hesitant until a threatening message arrives from Ramsay demanding Sansa's return and announcing Ramsay's possession of their brother Rickon. Jon, Sansa, Davos, Tormund, and Brienne of Tarth set off to recruit an army to take back Winterfell and rescue Rickon from Ramsay in "The Broken Man", but their forces grow to only half the size of Bolton's. As the armies face each other in "Battle of the Bastards", Ramsay lures Jon away from his allies by forcing Rickon to run the gap between them, only to fatally shoot Rickon in the back before he can make it across. With Jon being separated from his forces, Ramsay's army closes in on him, but Jon's allies reach him in time. A devastating battle ensues in which the outnumbered Stark forces are nearly slaughtered, until the Knights of the Vale from House Arryn arrive with Sansa and Petyr Baelish, and attack the Bolton army from the rear. Jon chases Ramsay back into Winterfell and beats him savagely, stopping before killing him. Sansa subsequently feeds Ramsay to his own hounds. In the season finale episode "The Winds of Winter", Bran Stark has a vision of the past which shows Ned reuniting with a dying Lyanna in the Tower of Joy. She makes him swear to protect her son Jon. Meanwhile, the Northern lords name Jon the King in the North. ====Season 7==== Attempting to bolster the North's defenses in "Dragonstone", Jon is frustrated when his authority is undermined by Sansa, who does not want him to repeat the mistakes that got their father Ned and brother Robb killed. Jon dismisses a message from Cersei Lannister that he swear his allegiance to her. In "Stormborn", he receives an invitation to Dragonstone from Tyrion, on Daenerys Targaryen's behalf. Subsequently, receiving a message from Sam that a hoard of obsidian lies beneath the ancient Targaryen castle, Jon decides to meet Daenerys, leaving a surprised Sansa as his regent. At Dragonstone, he declines swearing fealty to Daenerys in "The Queen's Justice" and instead asks for her assistance fighting the White Walkers. She demurs but permits him to mine the obsidian. In "Eastwatch", Daenerys is surprised when her dragon Drogon approaches Jon and allows the King in the North to pet him. Determined to convince Cersei that their true enemy is the army of the dead, Jon leads an expedition north of the Wall to capture a wight and bring it south to King's Landing. They manage to do so in "Beyond the Wall" but are surrounded by a horde of the Night King's minions. Daenerys arrives with her dragons, but the Night King kills one of them with an ice spear, forcing the others to flee without Jon. He is saved by the reappearance of his uncle Benjen, who is overtaken by the dead as Jon escapes back to the Wall. Daenerys vows to fight the White Walkers with Jon, and he agrees to swear fealty to her as his queen. In "The Dragon and the Wolf", the two negotiate a truce with Cersei, who agrees to join them in fighting the Night King's forces. Samwell Tarly learns that Jon was born Aegon Targaryen, the legitimate son and heir of Daenerys' brother Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Meanwhile, Jon and Daenerys finally give in to their growing feelings for each other and have sex, unaware that they are related by blood. ====Season 8==== In "Winterfell", Jon reunites with Bran and Arya while learning the Wall has been breached by the White Walkers. Though they have readied Winterfell for battle, Sansa and many Northern lords are livid over Jon bending the knee to Daenerys, with Sansa accusing him of being in love with her. Jon's bond with Daenerys continues to grow, and he rides one of her dragons, Rhaegal. Sam, who has left the Citadel for Winterfell, tells Jon the truth about his identity as Aegon Targaryen. Jon tells this to Daenerys in the crypt before the White Walkers arrive in "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms". Jon survives the events of "The Long Night" and receives praise. This troubles Daenerys, who fears the people of Westeros would prefer Jon over her as the heir to the Iron Throne. In "The Last of the Starks", Jon assures Daenerys that he has no desire of taking the Iron Throne himself but refuses to keep his true identity and lineage secret from his family. He tells Sansa and Arya, the former seeing him as a preferable alternative to Daenerys and revealing the truth to Tyrion. Tyrion informs Varys, who implores Jon to take the Iron Throne in "The Bells". Jon refuses, but begins to doubt Daenrys' benevolence, when she impulsively burns soldiers and innocents, post surrender, as well as Varys for trying to subvert her authority. In the finale, "The Iron Throne", Jon listens to Tyrion, awaiting execution for treason. Jon can no longer deny how unhinged and blindly idealistic Daenerys has become, stabbing her during an embrace. Drogon spares Jon, while destroying the Iron Throne, carrying Daenerys' body off eastward. Jon is imprisoned by the Unsullied awaiting execution, however Tyrion convinces the lords of Westeros to set up a new system of kingship while the North is allowed to become an independent kingdom. Bran uses his position as the first elected "King of The Six Kingdoms" to arrange a compromise with Daenerys' supporters, with Jon condemned to spend the remainder of his days in the Night's Watch. In the final scene of the series, Jon is shown leaving Castle Black with Tormund, Ghost and the Wildlings to start a new life beyond the Wall. ===Recognition and awards=== Harington was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the role in 2016. He said, "It is a serious understatement to say that I am somewhat stunned ... For my work on ''Game of Thrones'' to be recognized in this way is an emotional moment for me. I could not be more humbled." Harington was also nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television for the role in 2012, 2016, and 2017. His other nominations include the Golden Nymph Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series in 2012, the Young Hollywood Award for Actor of the Year in 2013, and the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2016. IGN also nominated Jon Snow as its Best TV Hero in 2011. == References ==

'''Robb Stark''' 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 ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996), Robb is the eldest son and heir of Eddard Stark, the honorable lord of Winterfell, an ancient fortress in the North of the fictional continent Westeros. He subsequently appeared in Martin's ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998) and ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000). After his father is captured and executed by the Lannisters in King's Landing, he assembles his Northern bannermen and is crowned 'King in the North', seeking vengeance against the Lannisters and independence for his new kingdom. The stunning twist involving Robb and his Northern army at the wedding of his uncle Edmure Tully at the hands of House Frey and House Bolton in the third novel and the third-season episode "The Rains of Castamere" shocked both readers of the book and viewers of the TV series. Robb is portrayed by Scottish actor Richard Madden in the HBO television adaptation. == Character description == Robb is 14 years old at the beginning of ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996). He is the oldest legitimate son of Eddard "Ned" Stark and his wife Catelyn, and has five siblings: Sansa, Arya, Bran, Rickon, and Jon Snow, Ned's illegitimate son. Robb is constantly accompanied by his direwolf, Grey Wind. As Ned's oldest legitimate son, Robb is heir to Winterfell. When Lord Eddard relocates to King's Landing to become the King's Hand, Robb remains at Winterfell to rule in his father's stead. After Eddard is beheaded by Ser Ilyn Payne, Robb is declared King in the North by his bannermen (rather than to bend the knee (swear fealty) to the Lannister king, Joffrey Baratheon), drawing the lords of the North and of the Riverlands to Robb's cause. Despite displaying a proficiency in military tactics in his victories against the Lannisters, Robb is ultimately betrayed and murdered by disgruntled allies Walder Frey and Roose Bolton, all under discreet command of Tywin Lannister at the wedding of Robb's uncle, Edmure Tully, to Frey's daughter Roslin. == Development, overview and reception== Robb Stark is not a point of view character in the novels and is mostly a background character. His actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other characters, such as his brother Bran's and mother Lady Catelyn's, as well as memories of Jon Snow's and Theon Greyjoy's. James Poniewozik of ''Time'' describes Robb as less eager to seek retaliation than his father Eddard but as more pragmatic. Poniewozik's overview of the television version of Robb focuses on his role as a foil for Eddard: Robb has risen to take his father’s place, as a lord of Winterfell and as a focal character in the show. We never saw what kind of warrior Ned was in the field, but in King’s Landing, he fought a straight-ahead battle, telegraphing his moves, and died for it. Robb, seeing the Lannisters' numbers, shows himself capable of feints and deceptions—albeit at the cost of 2,000 men and the guilt of having sent them on a suicide mission. In the third novel, ''A Storm of Swords'', Robb is assassinated in an event called the Red Wedding, which was inspired by the Black Dinner and Glencoe Massacre from Scottish history. George Martin has said that he decided to kill Robb Stark because he wished to keep the story difficult to predict: "I killed Ned because everybody thinks he’s the hero ... The next predictable thing is to think his eldest son is going to rise up and avenge his father. And everybody is going to expect that. So immediately killing Robb became the next thing I had to do." In their 2015 book, ''Game of Thrones and Business'', Tim Phillips and Rebecca Claire agree: The Scottish actor Richard Madden has received positive reviews for his role as Robb Stark in the TV series. == Storylines == Coat of arms of House Stark === ''A Game of Thrones'' === When his father leaves for King's Landing to be made King Robert Baratheon's Hand, Robb becomes acting Lord of Winterfell. After his father's arrest for presumed treason, he marches south with an army in attempt to free his father. To secure passage through the Green Fork at the vital crossing of the Twins, Robb consents to the marriage to one of Walder Frey's daughters or granddaughters negotiated by his mother Lady Catelyn Tully. After crossing the river, he surprises and destroys the Lannister army besieging Riverrun, capturing Jaime Lannister in the process. Upon hearing of his father's execution at King's Landing, Robb is crowned the King in the North by his bannermen and King of the Trident by the Riverlands lords. === ''A Clash of Kings'' === Robb continues to win victories against the Lannister army, and earns the nickname "Young Wolf" for his ferocity in battle. He sends his mother Lady Catelyn to negotiate an alliance with Renly Baratheon, but Renly is assassinated by his brother Stannis Baratheon with blood magic from the red priestess Melisandre. As Stannis and the Starks still share a common enemy, Robb invades the Westerlands in order to strategically assist Stannis's campaign against the Lannisters. He also sends Theon Greyjoy to Pyke in hope to win the alliance of Theon's father Balon Greyjoy, ruler of the Iron Islands. However Balon decides to take advantage and attack the North instead. Theon joins his father and seizes Winterfell by surprise, where he is believed to have murdered Robb's youngest siblings Bran and Rickon, though in reality they have escaped and gone into hiding. === ''A Storm of Swords'' === During one of his assaults in the Westerlands, Robb is wounded, at the same time learns the news of his brothers' apparent murder. Falling ill due to mourning and injury, he falls in love with the noble maiden in charge of nursing him, Jeyne Westerling, and takes her virginity. To preserve Jeyne's honor, Robb marries her, rescinding his previous marriage arrangement with House Frey, causing the Freys to desert his army. Meanwhile, Stannis Baratheon, who has suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Blackwater, is urged by Melisandre to use blood magic with leeches to curse the three rival kings Joffrey Baratheon, Robb Stark, and Balon Greyjoy. After Stannis' defeat at the Blackwater, Robb withdraws from the Westerlands and returns to Riverrun to attend the funeral of his grandfather Lord Hoster Tully. Upon returning, Robb learns that his mother Lady Catelyn has secretly released the prisoner Jaime Lannister in the hope of exchanging her hostage daughter Sansa in King's Landing. This leads to the mutiny of Lord Rickard Karstark, whose two sons were slain by Jaime during the Battle of Whispering Woods, forcing Robb to execute Lord Rickard and lose the Karstark support. As the war situation is looking bad, Robb tries to repair the alliance with the Freys, by bargaining his uncle Edmure Tully to marry Roslin Frey, hence rebuilding the marriage alliance. The Freys then demand that Robb personally attend the wedding at the Twins as a gesture of apology. On their way to the Twins, Robb learns that Balon Greyjoy has accidentally died, and the ironborn commanders are returning to the Iron Islands to attend Kingsmoot. He decides to lead his army to retake the North immediately after the wedding is complete. He soon learns that his sister Sansa has been forcibly married to Tyrion Lannister. To prevent the Lannisters from claiming Winterfell through Sansa's child by Tyrion, Robb, against the opposition of his mother Catelyn, disinherits Sansa and signs a decree legitimizing his half-brother Jon Snow as his heir if Robb happens to die with no children, and he requests the Night's Watch release Jon from service. Robb then entrusts the decree to Lord Galbart Glover and Lady Maege Mormont, sending them to secretly sail up the Neck seeking contact with Howland Reed, Lord of Greywater Watch, so he can launch a coordinated attack to recapture the strategically crucial Moat Cailin. However at the Twins, the Northern convoy, who are unarmed in attendance to the wedding, are betrayed and massacred by the Freys during the wedding feast, in an event known as the "Red Wedding". Robb is personally murdered by his chief vassal, Lord Roose Bolton, who has also secretly defected to the Lannisters and been rewarded with the title Warden of the North. === Family tree of House Stark === == TV adaptation == Richard Madden plays the role of Robb Stark in the television series. Robb Stark is played by Richard Madden in the television adaption of the series of books. There are some slight differences between Robb's TV portrayal and the book version. Due to the child characters' ages being increased, Robb's age is changed from fourteen to seventeen-years-old at the start of the series. Instead of marrying Jeyne Westering (as in the novels), he marries a healer from Volantis named Talisa Maegyr, who is also killed during "The Red Wedding". And while Robb is a background character in the books, not having any chapters told from his perspective, he is listed ahead of Michelle Fairley, who plays POV character Catelyn Stark in the books, in the opening credits of many episodes, and we see the Stark's storyline in seasons two and three revolve more around Robb in the viewers' eyes as opposed to the readers'. James Poniewozik comments in ''TIME'', on Madden's performance in "The Pointy End": "both the script and Richard Madden show in deft, quick strokes how the crisis focuses him. (This is another case where having a live actor does a better job of showing a transition that seemed more abrupt in the book.)" Madden said that he learned that the character would be killed off early on but otherwise read the books season by season, focusing primarily on the scripts: "I'm, as an actor, forced to bend the path I put Robb on and change it and keep the surprises coming. Hopefully, I managed to do that." ===Storylines=== Robb Stark is the oldest son of Eddard and Catelyn Stark's and the heir to Winterfell. His direwolf is called Grey Wind. Robb becomes involved in the war against the Lannisters after his father, Ned Stark, is arrested for treason. Robb summons his bannermen for war against House Lannister and marches to the Riverlands. Eventually, crossing the river at the Twins becomes strategically necessary. To win permission to cross, Robb agrees to marry a daughter of Walder Frey, Lord of the Twins. Robb leads the war effort against the Lannisters and successfully captures Jaime. After Ned is executed, the North and the Riverlands declare their independence from The Seven Kingdoms and proclaim Robb as their new King, "The King in the North". Robb wins a succession of battles in season two, earning him the nickname "The Young Wolf". However, he feels that he botched the political aspects of war. He sends Theon to the Iron Islands hoping to broker an alliance with Balon Greyjoy, Theon's father. In exchange for Greyjoy support, Robb as the King in the North will recognize the Iron Islands' independence. Robb also sends his mother Catelyn to deal with the brothers Stannis Baratheon and Renly Baratheon, each of whom is fighting (against each other and against Robb) to be the rightful King. Theon and Catelyn fail in their missions, and Balon launches an invasion of the North. Robb falls in love with Talisa Maegyr, a healer from Volantis, due to her kindness and spirit. Despite his mother's protest, Robb breaks his engagement with the Freys and marries Talisa in the season two finale. In season three, upon learning of the death of his grandfather, Lord Hoster Tully, Robb travels with his party north to Riverrun for the funeral, where the young King is reunited with his great-uncle, Brynden Blackfish, and his uncle, Edmure Tully, the new lord of Riverrun. While at Riverrun, Robb makes the decision to execute Lord Rickard Karstark for the murders of two teenage squires related to the Lannisters. That decision loses the support of the Karstarks and leads Robb to make the ultimately fatal decision to ask the Freys for their alliance. Robb is killed in the Red Wedding massacre (season three, episode nine), after witnessing the murder of his pregnant wife and their unborn child. Lord Roose Bolton personally executes Robb, stabbing him through the heart while taunting, "the Lannisters send their regards", transmitting a message Jaime Lannister (who had no knowledge of Bolton's impending treason) asked Bolton to transmit, when Bolton was leaving for the Twins. After Robb is murdered, his corpse is decapitated, Grey Wind's head is sewn on in its place, and the corpse is paraded around as the Stark forces are slaughtered by the Freys and the Boltons. Although House Lannister strips House Stark of all lands and titles after Robb's failed rebellion against the Iron Throne, Robb and Catelyn are later avenged in season six and in "Dragonstone" (season seven, episode one), when Jon Snow and Sansa Stark successfully overthrow House Bolton and retake Winterfell. Jon is crowned the King in the North by the remaining Northern lords, wildlings, and Knights of the Vale, restoring Stark rule in the North in the process. Meanwhile, Robb's youngest sister Arya Stark returns to Westeros, murders Walder Frey, and later uses his face to disguise herself as Frey, to poison all of his sons and male descendants at the Twins, ultimately avenging the Red Wedding and exterminating House Frey. ==In other media== In his article "The War in Westeros and Just War Theory", Richard H. Corrigan uses Robb to illustrate the concepts of just cause and right intention in the decision to go to war: "Robb is not only fighting this war to ensure that his fellow Northerners have a just king Robb's cause. He is also doing it to avenge his father, Ned, and to recover his sisters Arya and Sansa Robb's intention." Corrigan speculates that Robb may be suffering from cognitive dissonance and says that, ethically, once Robb has achieved his cause, he is obligated to cease fighting even if he has not yet avenged his family. Robb's decision to renege on his promise to marry one of Walder Frey's daughters features heavily in the fifth chapter of Tim Phillips and Rebecca Clare's ''Game of Thrones and Business'', "Keep Your Word: Robb Stark discovers too late the dangers of broken promises in business deals." == References ==

"'''Mockingbird'''" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 37th overall. The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Alik Sakharov. It aired on May 18, 2014. The title refers to the symbol of House Baelish, Littlefinger's house. This episode marks the final appearance of Kate Dickie (Lysa Arryn). ==Plot== ===In King's Landing=== Jaime refuses to be Tyrion's champion due to his poor performance with his left hand. Bronn tells Tyrion that Cersei's champion is the Mountain and that she will wed Bronn to Lollys Stokeworth. Bronn refuses to be Tyrion's champion and admits his own fear of the Mountain's fighting prowess. Oberyn wants vengeance for Elia and tells Tyrion that he will be his champion. ===At Castle Black=== Jon suggests to Thorne to block the passage through the Wall to prevent Rayder's army from coming through, but his request is denied. ===At Dragonstone=== Melisandre tells Selyse that the Lord of Light needs Shireen to depart Dragonstone with them. ===In the Riverlands=== Brienne and Podrick stop at an inn, where they meet Hot Pie, who tells them about his journey with Arya. Podrick and Brienne decide to go to the Vale because Lysa is Sansa's and Arya's last living relative with money. Arya and Sandor are attacked by Biter and Rorge, who were part of the Night's Watch caravan that Arya travelled with. After Sandor kills Biter, Rorge explains that the bounty is on Sandor's head because of killing Lannister soldiers. Arya kills Rorge. ===In Meereen=== Daenerys tells Jorah that she ordered Daario to retake Yunkai and kill all the remaining masters. Jorah tells that if Ned Stark had done the same to him when he sold slaves, he would not be there to advise her. She orders Jorah to tell Daario to take Hizdahr with him to advise the masters in conforming to her rule. ===At the Eyrie=== Petyr tells Sansa that he loved Catelyn and killed Joffrey to avenge her. Petyr kisses Sansa and Lysa sees them. After Lysa threatens Sansa, Petyr admits to Lysa that he ever truly loved Catelyn and pushes her through the Moon Door. == Production == The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. "Mockingbird" adapts part of material from ''A Storm of Swords'', chapters 65, 66 and 80 (Arya XII, Tyrion IX & Sansa VII). It also adapts chapter 20 (Brienne IV) from ''A Feast for Crows'' as well as chapter 2 (Daenerys I) from ''A Dance with Dragons''. Additional material comes from Sansa II of ''A Game of Thrones'', Tyrion V of ''A Storm of Swords'' and Daenerys VI of ''A Dance With Dragons''. == Reception == === Ratings === The episode was watched by 7.20 million viewers during its premiere hour, setting a new series high. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 1.639 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.095 million timeshift viewers. === Critical reception === "Mockingbird" received critical acclaim. Rotten Tomatoes reported a score of 100% based on reviews from 36 critics with an average score of 9 out of 10. The site's consensus is that "Though the episode mostly sets the table for future events, it remains chock-full of action, suspense, surprise, and raw human emotion." === Accolades === Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2014 Hollywood Professional Alliance Outstanding Color Grading Joe Finley 2015 American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series Fabian Wagner == References == == External links == * at HBO.com * *

"'''Light of the Seven'''" is a piece in the HBO's series ''Game of Thrones'', the television series adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' by George R. R. Martin. It first played during the season six finale of the show and was composed by Ramin Djawadi in 2016. The "Light of the Seven" is the first time piano is used in the music for ''Game of Thrones''. It was nominated by the International Film Music Critics Association for Film Music Composition of the Year. ==Background== In an interview, Djawadi spoke about "Light of the Seven", which largely consisted of piano, something unusual for the series. Djawadi stated, "The interesting thing to me was the use of the piano. When we started the season showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the episode, reached out to me and said, 'There's something coming up in episode 10.' We talked about the 'Light of the Seven', and how it needed to be a new piece of music. Any kind of character theme could tip it, and we didn't want to tip the audience. Miguel brought it up: 'What about the piano?' We discussed it. The piano is not really in the language of the ''Game of Thrones'' score." Djawadi had tried other instruments, including playing the whole tune with harp, but none of them sounded right, eventually he settled on the colder sound of the piano. Djawadi said: "It all felt like a perfect fit. What's great about the scene, too, is there's hardly any dialogue. It's nine minutes long. I knew I had to start minimal and give it space. Let notes ring, then give it space, and build up the anticipation from there, without tipping in either direction." Djawadi stated that he refrained from using the typical Lannister theme, "The Rains of Castamere", in order to create more of a mystery. The piece also featured vocals by two young boys singing in unison, and Djawadi instructed the boys to sing in such a way that although it is "not out of tune, but you get that feeling of Something’s wrong." Djawadi describing how he pieced all of the separate pieces of the music together by saying "The boys I recorded completely separate. The strings I recorded all together. Even the solo instruments, I recorded them separately — the solo violins and solo cellists were recorded separately. The piano, I played. And the organ as well." In another interview, Djawadi talked about the process, saying, "That was the big guidance for me, in how I wanted to build this piece, It's a different instrument, and I put it in an upper register, but the idea is that it's building something that stays the same but changes over time. Of course, now that I say that, people might be like, 'No, it's not really that.' And it's not staying true to the form. Obviously the picture is guiding me, so I have to pull back and break away from it. I couldn't keep it as a passacaglia all the way through. But there are definitely moments where it defaults to that." ==Composition== "Light of the Seven" has a duration of approximately ten minutes. When Djawadi originally composed the piece, he intended at first to make it a passacaglia. The instrumentation of "Light of the Seven" consists of piano, organ, strings and two boy soloists. On why he decided to use two young soloists instead of a full choir, Djawadi said, "I felt that two of them were more haunting than using a full choir, because it's a smaller environment, when they're running around in the catacombs." ==Credits and personnel== Personnel adapted from the album liner notes. * Ramin Djawadi – composer, primary artist, producer * David Benioff – liner notes * D.B. Weiss – liner notes ==Live performances== Djawadi performing "Light of the Seven" at the ''Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience''. Djawadi has performed the piece with a live orchestra at the Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience, which consisted of 24 dates in cities across the United States and Canada. ==Reception== The piece received universal praise from critics and fans, with Lili Loofbourow of ''The Week'' calling it the "real winner" of the season finale. Djawadi responded to the universal praise the composition got, saying, "I never would have thought that would happen, It's so exciting because it's such a special finale." ==Aftermath== A remixed version of "Light of the Seven" was used in a season 7 trailer. The final motif from this piece is used in the season 6 track "Hear Me Roar", and is also used from season 7 onwards in tracks involving Cersei Lannister and her machinations, such as "The Long Farewell" or "No One Walks Away from Me", acting as an alternate theme to "The Rains of Castamere" for her character. ==Charts== Chart (2016) Peakposition ==Accolades== ===Awards and nominations=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2016 International Film Music Critics Association Film Music Composition of the Year Ramin Djawadi ==See also== *''Game of Thrones'' Theme *Music of Game of Thrones ==References==

"'''The Mountain and the Viper'''" is the eighth episode of the fourth season of HBO's acclaimed fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 38th overall. The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Alex Graves. It aired on June 1, 2014. This episode marks the final appearance of Pedro Pascal (Oberyn Martell). ==Plot== ===At the Wall=== Mole's Town is attacked by wildlings, but Ygritte spares Gilly and her son ===At Moat Cailin=== Theon enters Moat Cailin and gives the terms for their surrender to Ralf Kenning. Ralf declines, but is murdered by one of his men, who agrees. However, after the Ironborn open the Moat's gates, Ramsay's army slaughters them. As a reward for retaking the Moat, Roose legitimizes Ramsay as a true Bolton. Bolton's army and Reek depart for their new seat at Winterfell. ===In Meereen=== Barristan receives a letter with the Hand of the King's seal. The letter is Jorah's royal pardon signed by Robert for spying on Daenerys. Jorah admits his spying on Daenerys and she exiles him. ===In the Vale=== Petyr is interrogated by the nobility of the Vale about Lysa's death. He claims that Lysa committed suicide. Lord Yohn Royce demands to speak with Sansa, who reveals her identity, corroborates Petyr's story and convinces them of his innocence. Petyr, Sansa and Robin leave the Eyrie to tour the Vale. Sansa dyes her hair black to hide her identity. Sandor and Arya arrive at Bloody Gate, only to be informed of Lysa's death, by Donnel. ===In King's Landing=== Tyrion's trial by combat begins. Oberyn knocks Gregor to the ground, but instead of finishing him, Oberyn screams at him to confess that Tywin gave him the order to kill Elia and her children. Gregor knocks Oberyn down, confessing to the murder of Elia and her children and crushing Oberyn's skull with his hands. Tywin sentences Tyrion to death for regicide. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. This episode contains content from three of George Martin's novels: ''A Storm of Swords'', chapters Daenerys V, Daenerys VI, and Tyrion X; ''A Feast for Crows'', chapters Alayne I and Alayne II; and ''A Dance with Dragons'', chapter Reek II. ==Reception== === Ratings === "The Mountain and the Viper" was watched by an estimated 7.17 million people during its first airing. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 1.811 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.062 million timeshift viewers. === Critical reception === The episode received high praise from critics and audiences alike, with the fight between Prince Oberyn and the Mountain being hailed as the episode's highlight. On Rotten Tomatoes it obtained a 97% score, based on 32 reviews, with an average rating of 9/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "With one of the most gruesome scenes to date, 'The Mountain and the Viper' delivers a tense, twisty final scene well worth the wait." Writing for ''The A.V. Club'', Emily VanDerWerff gave the episode an A- and praised the staging of the final fight by director Alex Graves. Erik Adams, also writing for the ''A.V. Club'' gave the episode an A. Terri Schwartz, writing for Zap2it.com, wrote the episode was "one of the strongest ''Game of Thrones'' episodes to date, and that's just the type of episode that the death of Oberyn Martell deserves." ===Awards and nominations=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2014 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Fantasy Series Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, and Rob Cameron Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) Ramin Djawadi 2015 ADG Excellence in Production Design Award One-Hour Single Camera Fantasy Television Series Deborah Riley SFX Awards Best TV Episode Hugo Awards Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form David Benioff, Alex Graves, and D. B. Weiss ==References== ==External links== * at HBO.com * *

"'''The Watchers on the Wall'''" is the ninth and penultimate episode of the fourth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 39th overall. The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Neil Marshall. It aired on June 8, 2014. Like season two's "Blackwater" (also directed by Marshall), the episode focuses exclusively on one storyline: the Wildling assault on Castle Black and the Wall, and the Night's Watch defense, led by Ser Alliser Thorne and Jon Snow. ==Plot== As they keep watch atop the Wall for the coming invasion, Jon and Samwell discuss Jon's relationship with Ygritte during his time with the wildlings. At a nearby camp, the Thenn Warg scouts the Wall using an owl, while Ygritte declares that Jon is hers to kill. In the library of Castle Black, Sam and Maester Aemon discuss Gilly, who arrives at the castle. Their reunion is cut short by horns signaling that Mance Rayder's army has arrived. Jon sees a massive fire burning on the north side of the Wall, and he and his brothers complete preparations for battle. Sam finds Gilly and her baby shelter in the kitchen, and joins the defense after kissing her goodbye. Ygritte reports that the castle's entrance is undermanned, and Styr orders the group to attack. As Thorne readies the archers, another horn informs him the castle is being attacked from both sides. Alliser leaves charge of the Wall to Slynt and heads for the castle to battle the Thenns. Slynt proves an inept commander, and Grenn tricks him into going to the castle, leaving Jon in charge. Several giants and a woolly mammoth attempt to pull up the Wall gate, and Jon sends Grenn with men to defend the passage. At the castle, Thorne is wounded by Tormund and is taken to be treated. Sam and Pyp shoot at the wildlings with crossbows, but Pyp is shot through the neck by Ygritte. Sam ascends the Wall, killing the Thenn Warg, and informs Jon that the courtyard is overrun, and Jon leaves charge of the Wall to Edd. Returning to the south side of Castle Black, Jon leads the remaining Night's Watch, along with his direwolf, Ghost. Jon kills Styr after taking a severe beating, and is confronted by Ygritte. She hesitates as they smile at each other, and Olly shoots her in the back. As Ygritte and Jon reminisce that they should have stayed in the cave together, she dies in his arms. Edd leads a successful defense, and the wildling army appears to withdraw. Tormund, hit by several arrows, is captured on Jon's orders. In the morning, Jon tells Sam that he will go north of the Wall to kill Mance. They find Grenn and his men have died killing a giant, and Jon tells Sam to have their bodies burned. Jon gives Sam his sword, Longclaw, before departing. ==Production== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. This episode adapts content from the ''A Storm of Swords'' chapters Jon VII, Jon VIII and Jon IX. "The Watchers on the Wall" marks the return of director Neil Marshall, whose previous episode for the show as director was "Blackwater". Marshall also makes a cameo appearance in the episode as an archer on the Wall. ==Reception== === Ratings === "The Watchers on the Wall" was watched by an estimated 6.95 million people during its first airing. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 1.748 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.072 million timeshift viewers. === Critical reception === The episode received a score of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 33 reviews, the lowest score of the season. The site's consensus reads: "While "The Watchers of the Wall" lacks the emotional punch of previous episodes this season, it succeeds as an action-packed hour with cinema-worthy visuals." James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' wrote, "the episode was an intense rousing hour of heroism and heartbreak that set a new bar for what this show – and TV – can do." Another positive review came from Terri Schwartz of Zap2it.com, who wrote, "As the most expensive episode of the series, the Battle at Castle Black felt like an equivalent of ''The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' Battle of Helm's Deep." David Malitz of ''The Washington Post'' was more negative about the episode, writing, "Aside from the major moment with Jon Snow and Ygritte it was hard to feel too emotionally invested in anything that happened. And as visually exciting as it was to watch everything unfold, the ending was surprisingly unfulfilling." ===Accolades=== Neil Marshall was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for this episode. Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2014 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Neil Marshall Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series Tim Kimmel, Jed M. Dodge, Tim Hands, Paula Fairfield, David Klotz, Bradley C. Katona, Brett Voss, Jeffrey Wilhoit, and Dylan T. Wilhoit Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One-Hour) Ronan Hill, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank, and Mathew Waters Gold Derby TV Awards Best Drama Episode 2015 Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing in Television – Short Form: Music Visual Effects Society Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal/Live Action Broadcast Program Dan Breckwoldt, Martin Furman, Sophie Marfleet, and Eric Andrusyszyn ==References== ==External links== * at HBO.com * *

"'''The Children'''" is the fourth season finale of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 40th overall. The tenth and final episode of the fourth season, the episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Alex Graves. "The Children" received overwhelming acclaim from critics, with praise directed at the deaths of Shae and Tywin Lannister, Bran reaching the Heart Tree and the fight scene between Brienne and Sandor "The Hound" Clegane. This episode marks the final appearances of Sibel Kekilli (Shae), Rose Leslie (Ygritte) and Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Jojen Reed). It also marks the final appearance of Rory McCann (Sandor Clegane) until the sixth-season episode "The Broken Man". ==Plot== ===In Meereen=== Daenerys receives a citizen who wants to be sold back into slavery because he feels his life as a slave was better than as a freedman. Next citizen brings charred bones of his daughter, who was killed by Drogon. Drogon has not returned and Daenerys chains her two other dragons Rhaegal and Viserion as a precaution. ===Beyond the Wall=== Jon meets Rayder and tells him that he wants to discuss an end to their conflict. A massive cavalry charge led by Stannis and Davos overruns the wildling encampment. Mance surrenders and Stannis takes him captive, on Jon's suggestion. Bran's group reach the large Heart Tree. Jojen is killed by a group of wights, but Hodor, Meera and Bran are saved by a Child of the Forest, who leads them to meet an old man, who tells Bran that while he will never be able to walk again, he will be able to fly. ===In King's Landing=== Gregor lies dying from Oberyn's poisoned spear, but Qyburn says that he can save him and Cersei ousts Pycelle from his laboratory and gives Clegane's care over to Qyburn, who tells the procedure may change him, but will not weaken him. Cersei tells Tywin that, if forced to marry Loras, she will admit her incest with Jaime and that her children are the issue of such. In the dungeons, Tyrion awaits his execution, but Jaime helps him escape. Tyrion, before escaping, sneaks into the Tower of the Hand and kills Shae and Tywin. Tyrion then escapes on a ship bound for Essos with help from Varys, who boards with him. ===In the Vale=== Brienne and Podrick find Sandor and Arya. Brienne recognizes Arya and tells her about her oath to Catelyn. Sandor is unconvinced of her loyalties and after a brutal fight, Brienne knocks Sandor off a cliff and unsuccessfully searches for Arya. After they leave, Arya leaves Sandor to die and boards a ship to Braavos. She shows a captain the coin Jaqen gave her. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, This episode contains content from two of George Martin's novels, ''A Storm of Swords'', chapters Jon X, part of Jon XI, Jaime IX, Tyrion XI, and Arya XIII, and ''A Dance with Dragons'', chapters Daenerys I, Daenerys II, and Bran II. ===Filming=== "The Children" was directed by Alex Graves. The Thingvellir National Park in Iceland was used as the location for the fight between Brienne and The Hound. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "The Children" was watched by 7.09 million Americans during its premiere hour, a 32% increase from the previous season finale. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 1.850 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.085 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reception=== The episode received universal acclaim. All 35 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes were positive, with an average score of 9.5 out of 10. The site's consensus reading, "Capping off the best season of ''Game of Thrones'' to date, "The Children" provides enough satisfying plot developments for a finale, while its twists and turns leave you wanting more." IGN writer Matt Fowler called it a "strong seasonal send-off with tons of violent twists, and turns." Sean T. Collins of ''Rolling Stone'' wrote, "Sometimes ''Game of Thrones'' is a widescreen epic fantasy, other times it's a small-scale study of violent lives. At its best – and "The Children" is certainly this show at its wide and wild best – ''Game of Thrones'' is all of these things, simultaneously." TVLine named Rory McCann and Gwendoline Christie the "Performers of the Week" for their physical acting in their fight sequence, and wrote that it "was one of the finest examples of the form in recent TV history – absolutely too epic to ignore." ===Omission of Lady Stoneheart=== After the episode premiered, some fans of the novel series voiced their displeasure over the omission of Lady Stoneheart, a character from the end of ''A Storm of Swords''. This was in part fueled by a photo posted to Instagram two months earlier by actress Lena Headey that many fans assumed was a confirmation of the character's inclusion in the finale. A day later, director Alex Graves stated that the character was never planned to appear in the fourth season, and that he did not know whether she would appear in the fifth. In an interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'', actress Michelle Fairley stated that the character may not ever be included in the TV series, though she did not give a definite confirmation either way. ===Piracy=== The episode set a BitTorrent record with about 1.5 million downloads within 12 hours and set a record for 250,000 users sharing the file at the same time. ====Awards and nominations==== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2014 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D.B. Weiss Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series Jane Walker and Barrie Gower Outstanding Special and Visual Effects Joe Bauer, Joern Grosshans, Steve Kullback, Adam Chazen, Eric Carney, Sabrina Gerhardt, Matthew Rouleau, Thomas H. Schelesny, and Robert Simon Hollywood Professional Alliance Outstanding Sound Tim Kimmel, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Paula Fairfield, Brad Katona and Jed M. Dodge Outstanding Visual Effects Joe Bauer, Sven Martin, Jörn Grosshans, Thomas Schelesny and Matthew Rouleau IGN Awards Best TV Episode IGN People's Choice Awards Best TV Episode 2015 Cinema Audio Society Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Television Series – One Hour Ronan Hill, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Brett Voss American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series Anette Haellmigk Directors Guild of America Award Dramatic Series Alex Graves Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: FX/Foley Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Dialogue / ADR Visual Effects Society Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Photoreal/Live Action Broadcast Program ==References== ==External links== * "The Children" at HBO.com * *

The '''Valyrian languages''' are a fictional language family in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, and in their television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. In the novels, High Valyrian and its descendant languages are often mentioned but not developed beyond a few words. For the TV series, linguist David J. Peterson created the High Valyrian language, as well as the derivative languages Astapori and Meereenese Valyrian, based on the fragments given in the novels. Valyrian and Dothraki have been described as "the most convincing fictional tongues since Elvish". ==High Valyrian== In the world of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', High Valyrian occupies a cultural niche similar to that of Latin in medieval Europe. The novels describe it as no longer being used as a language of everyday communication, but rather as a language of learning and education among the nobility of Essos and Westeros, with much literature and song composed in Valyrian. ===Creation=== David J. Peterson, creator of the spoken Valyrian languages for ''Game of Thrones'' To create the Dothraki and Valyrian languages to be spoken in ''Game of Thrones'', HBO selected the linguist David J. Peterson through a competition among conlangers. The producers gave Peterson a largely free hand in developing the languages, as, according to Peterson, George R. R. Martin himself was not very interested in the linguistic aspect of his works. The already published novels include only a few words of High Valyrian, including ''valar morghulis'' ("all men must die"), ''valar dohaeris'' ("all men must serve") and ''dracarys'' ("dragonfire"). For the forthcoming novel ''The Winds of Winter'', Peterson has supplied Martin with additional Valyrian translations. Peterson commented that he considered Martin's choice of ''dracarys'' unfortunate because of its (presumably intended) similarity to the Latin word for dragon, ''''. Because the Latin language does not exist in the fictional world of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', Peterson chose to treat the similarity as coincidental and made ''dracarys'' an independent lexeme; his High Valyrian term for dragon is ''zaldrīzes''. The phrases ''valar morghulis'' and ''valar dohaeris'', on the other hand, became the foundation of the language's conjugation system. Another word, ''trēsy'', meaning "son", was coined in honour of Peterson's 3000th Twitter follower. Peterson did not create a High Valyrian writing system at the time, but he commented that he "was thinking something more like Egyptian's system of hieroglyphs—not in style, necessarily, but in their functionality. Egyptians had an alphabet, of sorts, a couple of phonetically-based systems, and a logography all layered on top of one another." In the third season's episode "The Bear and the Maiden Fair", Talisa is seen writing a Valyrian letter in the Latin alphabet, because according to Peterson, "it didn't seem worthwhile to create an entire writing system for what ultimately is kind of a throwaway shot". At the start of June 2013, there were 667 High Valyrian words. ===Phonology=== + Consonants Labial Dental Alveolar Palatal Velar Uvular Glottal Nasal m /m/ n /n/ ñ /ɲ/ Plosive p /p/ b /b/ t /t/ d /d/ j /j/ k /k/ g /ɡ/ q /q/ Fricative v /v/ (th /θ/) s /s/ z /z/ (kh /x/) gh /ɣ/ h /h/ Approximant Trill rh /r̥/ r /r/ Lateral l /l/ lj /ʎ/ Notes: :a. and are not native to High Valyrian but are present in some loanwords, such as the Dothraki ''arakh''. :b. varies between ~ . :c. varies between ~ ~ . :d. varies between ~ . + Vowels Front Central Back Close / High ī, i (iː, i)ȳ, y (yː, y) ū, u (uː, u) Mid ē, e (eː, e) ō, o (oː, o) Open / Low ā, a (aː, a) Vowels with a macron over them (ī, ȳ, ū, ē, ō and ā) are long, held for twice as long as short vowels. Some words are distinguished simply by their vowel length in High Valyrian. The rounded vowels and may not be pronounced in modern High Valyrian, as a non-native or prestige language and did not survive into the descendant languages. As a result, while Daenerys Targaryen's first name may generally be pronounced by characters in ''Game of Thrones'', in High Valyrian it would have been closer to , with a diphthong in the first syllable and a rounded vowel in the last. The long vowels have also been lost in some derived languages; in season 3 of ''Game of Thrones'', we hear Astapori Valyrian, from which all long vowels have been lost. Syllable stress is penultimate unless the penultimate syllable is light and the antepenultimate syllable is heavy, in which case stress is on the antepenultimate. As a highly inflected language, word order is flexible (a feature lost in derived languages), but sentences with relative clauses are head-final. ===Grammar=== ====Nouns==== There are four grammatical numbers in High Valyrian—singular, plural, paucal and collective. For example, ''vala'' "man" (nom. sing.); ''vali'' "men" (nom. pl.); ''valun'' "some men" (nom. pau.); ''valar'' "all men" (nom. coll.). The collective can itself be modified by number as a new noun declension, for example ''azantys'' "knight, soldier" (nom. sing.) → ''azantyr'' "army" (nom. coll.); ''azantyr'' "army" (nom. sing.) → ''azantyri'' "armies" (nom. pl.). Nouns have eight cases—nominative, accusative, genitive, dative, locative, instrumental, comitative and vocative, though the instrumental and comitative are not distinguished in all declensions, nor are the genitive, dative and locative always distinguished in the plural. Both prepositions and postpositions are used to form other cases; for example, the ablative is formed with the preposition ''hen'' + the locative (e.g. ''hen lentot'', "from a house") while the superessive is formed with the postposition ''bē'' following the genitive (e.g. ''lento bē'', "on top of a house"). There are four grammatical genders, which do not align with biological sex. The Valyrian names for the genders are: : ''hūrenkon qogror''—"lunar class", : ''vēzenkon qogror''—"solar class", : ''tegōñor qogror''—"terrestrial class", : ''embōñor qogror''—"aquatic class". Animate and individuatable nouns are generally in the lunar or solar classes, while other nouns are generally classified as terrestrial or aquatic. The names of the classes derive from the nouns themselves, which are prototypical members of each gender. Peterson describes Valyrian gender as being inherent but more predictable from phonology than gender in French, with some of the derivational properties of the noun classes of Bantu languages. As a result of the phonological predictability, many words for humans (which tend to end ''-a'' or ''-ys'') are lunar or solar; many foods and plants (often ending ''-on'') are terrestrial. According to Peterson, "what defines declension classes in High Valyrian" can be divined by paying "close attention to the singular and plural numbers" and noting "where cases are conflated and where they aren't". In the following tables, adjacent case conflations are merged into the same table cell; other cases that share a form with another are underlined. First declension(Lunar: ''vala'', "man") Second declension(Solar: ''loktys'', "sailor") Singular Plural Paucal Collective Singular Plural Paucal Collective Nominative vala vali valun valar loktys loktyssy loktyn loktyr Nom. Accusative vale valī valuni valari lokti loktī loktyni loktyri Acc. Genitive valo valoti valuno valaro lokto loktoti loktyno loktyro Gen. Dative valot valunta valarta loktot loktynty loktyrty Dat. Locative valā valunna valarra loktȳ loktī loktynny loktyrry Loc. Instrumental valosa valossi valussa valarza loktomy loktommi loktyssy loktyrzy Instr. Comitative valoma valommi valumma valarma loktymmy loktyrmy Com. Vocative valus valis valussa valarza loktys loktyssys loktyssy loktyrzy Voc. Singular Plural Paucal Collective Singular Plural Paucal Collective First declension Second declension ====Verbs==== Nouns have four grammatical numbers, but verb conjugations have only been described in the singular and the plural; paucals trigger plural agreement and collectives trigger singular agreement. There are two paradigms of verbs, those with a stem ending with a consonant and those with a stem ending with a vowel; the tables below show examples of three tenses in the active voice. It is possible to tell which paradigm is in use from the first person plural indicative—consonant stems will always end in ''-i'', whereas vowels stems will end in ''-ī''. Verbs with stems ending in a vowel follow a pattern where that stem-terminal vowel might change—''-a'' and ''-i'' do not change, ''-e'' becomes ''-i'', but ''-o'' and ''-u'' both become ''-v''. Verb stems may never end in a long vowel or a diphthong. There is a subjunctive mood that is not only used in subordinate clauses, but also in all negative statements. Consonantal verbs(''manaeragon'', "to raise" or "to lift") Present tense Perfect tense Imperfect tense Indicative mood Subjunctive mood Indicative mood Subjunctive mood Indicative mood Subjunctive mood Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural First person manaeran manaeri manaeron manaeroty manaertan manaerti manaerton manaertoty manaerilen manaerilin manaerilon manaeriloty Second person manaerā manaerāt manaerō manaerōt manaertā manaertāt manaertō manaertōt manaerilē manaerilēt manaerilō manaerilōt Third person manaerza manaerzi manaeros manaerosy manaertas manaertis manaertos manertosy manaeriles manaerilis manaerilos manaerilosy Imperative manaerās manaerātās Infinitive manaeragon manaertagon Participle manaerare, manaerarior Vowel verbs (stem ending -a)(''limagon'', "to cry") Present tense Perfect tense Imperfect tense Indicative mood Subjunctive mood Indicative mood Subjunctive mood Indicative mood Subjunctive mood Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural First person liman limī limaon limaoty limatan limati limaton limatoty limēlen limēlin limēlon limēloty Second person limā limāt limaō limaōt limatā limatāt limatō limatōt limēlē limēlēt limēlō limēlōt Third person limas limasi limaos limaosy limatas limatasi limatos limatosy limēles limēlis limēlos limēlosy Imperative limās limātās Infinitive limagon limatagon Participle limare, limarior Vowel verbs (stem ending -e)(''sōvegon'', "to fly") Present tense Perfect tense Imperfect tense Indicative mood Subjunctive mood Indicative mood Subjunctive mood Indicative mood Subjunctive mood Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural First person sōven sōvī sōvion sōvioty sōvetan sōveti sōveton sōvetoty sovīlen sovīlin sovīlon sovīloty Second person sōvē sōvēt sōviō sōviōt sōvetā sōvetāt sōvetō sōvetōt sovīlē sovīlēt sovīlō sovīlōt Third person sōves sōvesi sōvios sōviosy sōvetas sōvetis sōvetos sōvetosy sovīles sovīli sovīlos sovīlosy Imperative sōvēs sōvētēs Infinitive sōvegon sōvetagon Participle sōvere, sōverior ====Adjectives==== Adjectives have three declension classes. Like verbs, adjectives only have two number forms—a singular, which is also used for the collective, and a plural, also used for paucal numbers. Adjectives may be both prepositive (e.g. "the ''white'' shoe") or post-positive (e.g. "the body ''politic''"); when prepositive some further rules apply. Several forms of elision and consonant assimilation occur with prepositive adjectives: * With inflections of two syllables (such as ''kast'''oti''''' in several class plurals), the second syllable is often lost to elision; word-final ''-t'' is also lost before consonants—compare ''ader'''ot''' ābrot'' ("to the quick woman") with ''ader'''o''' Dovaogēdot'' ("to the quick Unsullied"). * When such elision causes a word-final ''-z'' (such as with the class ''kasta'' becoming ''kastyzy'' (nom.) and ''kastyzys'' (voc.) in the lunar plurals, below), the final ''-z'' is devoiced to ''-s'' when it precedes a voiceless consonant—compare ''kast'''ys''' hobresse'' ("blue goats") with ''kast'''yz''' dāryssy'' ("blue kings"), both forms from ''kastyzy'', the lunar nominative plural. * If the syllable in question is vowel–consonant–vowel, then only the final vowel is elided—compare ''ānogro ēl'''ȳro''''' ("of the first blood") to ''ēl'''ȳr''' ānogro'' ("of the first blood"). * Whereas instrumental forms are generally listed as containing ''-s-'' or ''-ss-'' and comitative forms generally contain ''-m-'' or ''-mm-'', some nouns use only the ''s''-forms in both cases and some nouns use the ''m''-forms for both. When this occurs, the consonant in question experiences consonant harmony, causing the use of what might otherwise be a comitative form for an instrumental and vice versa, where the forms appear to be instrumental ("by means of the ... men", "by means of the ... rains"), despite being comitative ("accompanying the ... man", "accompanying the ... rains"). * Finally, word-final ''-m'' is decreasingly common in High Valyrian. Contracted inflections that end in ''-m'' will often assimilate to ''-n'' unless the next word begins with a vowel or a labial consonant. =====Class I adjectives===== Class adjectives decline differently for each of the four noun classes. The exemplar is ''kasta'', meaning "blue and green". As before, in the following tables, adjacent case conflations are merged into the same table cell; other cases that share a form with another are underlined. Class adjectives(''kasta'', "blue and green") Singular Plural Lunar Solar Terrestrial Aquatic Lunar Solar Terrestrial Aquatic Nominative kasta kastys kaston kastor kasti kastyzy kasta kastra Nom. Accusative kaste kasti kastī Acc. Genitive kasto kastro kastoti kastroti Gen. Dative kastot kastrot Dat. Locative kastā kastȳ kastot kastoti kastī kastoti Loc. Instrumental kastosa kastosy kastoso kastroso kastossi kastrossi Instr. Comitative kastoma kastomy kastomo kastromo kastommi kastrommi Com. Vocative kastus kastys kastos kastis kastyzys kastas Voc. Lunar Solar Terrestrial Aquatic Lunar Solar Terrestrial Aquatic Singular Plural Notes: :a. See note about consonant harmony assimilation above. =====Class II and III adjectives===== Adjective classes and both conflate rather more forms, failing to distinguish between solar and lunar nouns and failing to distinguish between terrestrial and aquatic nouns. Class also has some subclasses, that have not yet been detailed. The exemplars used here are the class adjective ''adere'' ("sleek, smooth, slippery, fast, quick") and the class adjective ''ēlie'' ("first"). Class adjectives also experience vowel changes when subject to the elision described above. When a lunar or solar form is elided to a syllable containing ''-ȳ-'' (such forms are highlighted in the table below), this ''-ȳ-'' mutates to ''-io-''; this does not occur with terrestrial or aquatic forms. Compare: : ''valosa ēl'''ȳse'''''—"with the first man" (''vala'' is a lunar noun of the first declension) : ''ēl'''ios''' valosa''—"with the first man" : ''daomȳssi ēl'''ȳssi'''''—"with the first rains" : ''ēl'''ȳs''' daomȳssi''—"with the first rains" Class adjectives(''adere'', "sleek, smooth, slippery, fast, quick") Solar / Lunar Terrestrial / Aquatic Singular Plural Singular Plural Nominative adere aderi aderior aderiar Accusative Genitive adero aderoti aderȳro aderȳti Dative aderot Locative aderē Instrumental aderose aderossi aderȳso aderȳssi Comitative aderome aderommi aderȳmo aderȳmmi Vocative aderes aderis aderios aderīs Class adjectives(''ēlie'', "first") Solar / Lunar Terrestrial / Aquatic Singular Plural Singular Plural Nominative ēlie ēlī ēlior ēliar Accusative Genitive ēlio ēlȳti ēlȳro ēlȳti Dative ēliot ēlȳrot Locative ēliē Instrumental ēlȳse ēlȳssi ēlȳso ēlȳssi Comitative ēlȳme ēlȳmmi ēlȳmo ēlȳmmi Vocative ēlies ēlīs ēlios ēlīs Notes: :a. See note about consonant harmony assimilation above. :b. See note about vowel changes in elision above. === Duolingo course === On a course in High Valyrian for English speakers began to be constructed in the Duolingo Language Incubator. David J. Peterson is one of the contributors to the course. The beta version was released on July 12, 2017. In April of 2019, the course was updated in anticipation of Game of Thrones' eighth and final season. As a part of this update, Peterson created audio for the course's lessons and exercises. ==Derivative languages== In the world of the novel and TV series, the Nine Free Cities of Essos speak variants of High Valyrian, described by the character Tyrion in ''A Dance with Dragons'' as "not so much a dialect as nine dialects on the way to becoming separate tongues". The cities of Slaver's Bay speak related languages, descended from High Valyrian with the substrate of the local Ghiscari languages. Peterson noted that with regard to the vocabulary of the derived languages, "If it’s got a j in an odd place, it’s probably Ghiscari in origin." Peterson described the relationship between High Valyrian and the Free Cities languages as being similar to that between classical Latin and the Romance languages, or more accurately between Classical Arabic and the modern varieties of Arabic, in that High Valyrian is intelligible, with some difficulty, to a speaker of a local Essoan language. ===Astapori Valyrian=== The first derivative Valyrian language to be featured in the series was Astapori Valyrian, a variety from the city of Astapor in Slaver's Bay. It appeared in the third-season premiere episode "Valar Dohaeris". Peterson created the Astapori dialogue by first writing the text in High Valyrian, then applying a series of regular grammar and sound changes to simulate the changes in natural languages over a long period of time. For example, Astapori Valyrian has lost all long vowels (designated with a macron) and most diphthongs. Between vowels, b, d, g have become v, ð, ɣ; subsequently, p, t, k have become b, d, g in the same environment. As a result, an "Unsullied" is rendered as ''Dovaogēdy'' in High Valyrian, but as ''Dovoghedhy'' in Astapori. Similarly, Astapori Valyrian has lost the case system of High Valyrian, so the word order is more reliably subject–verb–object (SVO) and the four genders of High Valyrian have been reduced to two, with three definite articles: ''ji'' (animate singular, derived from High Valyrian ''ziry'' "him/her (accusative)"), ''vi'' (inanimate singular, derived from High Valyrian ''ūī'' "it (accusative)"), and ''po'' (plural, derived from High Valyrian ''pōnte'' "them (accusative)"). There is also an indefinite article, ''me'' , derived from High Valyrian ''mēre'' ("one"). Word stress is less predictable than in High Valyrian, but commands are stressed word-finally (for example: ''ivetrá''). === Meereenese Valyrian === Meereenese Valyrian appears in Seasons 4 and 6 of ''Game of Thrones''. Like Astapori Valyrian, it lacked long vowels as well as the sound /y/. However, its phonology departs considerably more from High Valyrian; for example, "Unsullied" is ''Thowoá'' θo.woˈa, whereas in High Valyrian it is ''Dovaogēdy'' do.vao.ˈɡeː.dy and in Astapori Valyrian it is ''Dovoghedhy'' do.vo.ˈɣe.ði. ==References== ==External links== * www.dothraki.com—A site managed by David J. Peterson, where he blogs about the languages he's constructed for ''Game of Thrones'' * Tongues of Ice and Fire wiki—fan wiki collating information about the constructed languages in ''Game of Thrones'' ** Learning High Valyrian on the Tongues of Ice and Fire wiki ** Learning Astapori Valyrian on the Tongues of Ice and Fire wiki * Tongues of Ice and Fire forums, including Valyrian-specific discussion threads (for beginners and about language updates).

The '''Dothraki language''' is a constructed fictional language in George R. R. Martin's fantasy novel series ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. It is spoken by the Dothraki, a nomadic people in the series's fictional world. The language was developed for the TV series by the linguist David J. Peterson, working off the Dothraki words and phrases in Martin's novels. , the language comprised 3163 words, not all of which have been made public. In 2012, 146 newborn girls in the United States were named "Khaleesi", the Dothraki term for the wife of a ''khal'' or ruler, and the title adopted in the series by Daenerys Targaryen. Dothraki and Valyrian have been described as "the most convincing fictional tongues since Elvish". ==Development== David J. Peterson, creator of the Dothraki spoken language for ''Game of Thrones'' The Dothraki vocabulary was created by David J. Peterson well in advance of the adaptation. HBO hired the Language Creation Society to create the language, and after an application process involving over 30 conlangers, Peterson was chosen to develop the Dothraki language. He delivered over 1700 words to HBO before the initial shooting. Peterson drew inspiration from George R. R. Martin’s description of the language, as well as from such languages as Estonian, Inuktitut, Turkish, Russian, and Swahili. David J. Peterson and his development of the Dothraki language were featured on an April 8, 2012 episode of CNN's ''The Next List''. He went on to create the Valyrian languages for season 3 of ''Game of Thrones''. Peterson and his development of Dothraki were also featured on the January 8, 2017 episode of ''To Tell the Truth''. ===Language constraints=== The Dothraki language was developed under two significant constraints. First, the language had to match the uses already put down in the books. Secondly, it had to be easily pronounceable or learnable by the actors. These two constraints influenced the grammar and phonology of the language: for instance, as in English, there is no contrast between aspirated and unaspirated stops. ==Phonology and romanization== David Peterson has said, "You know, most people probably don't really know what Arabic actually sounds like, so to an untrained ear, it might sound like Arabic. To someone who knows Arabic, it doesn't. I tend to think of the sound as a mix between Arabic (minus the distinctive pharyngeals) and Spanish, due to the dental consonants." Regarding the orthography, the Dothraki themselves do not have a writing system—nor do many of the surrounding peoples (e.g., the Lhazareen). If there were to be any written examples of Dothraki in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' universe, it would be in a writing system developed in the Free Cities and adapted to Dothraki, or in some place like Ghis or Qarth, which do have writing systems. === Consonants === There are 23 consonant phonemes in the Dothraki language. Here the romanized form is given on the left, and the IPA in brackets. Labial Dental Alveolar Postalveolar Velar Uvular Glottal Plosive voiceless t t k k q q voiced d d g ɡ Affricate voiceless ch tʃ voiced j dʒ Fricative voiceless f f th θ s s sh ʃ kh x h h voiced v v z z zh ʒ Nasal m m n n Trill r r Tap r ɾ Approximant central y j w w lateral l l The letters and do not appear in Dothraki, although appears in the digraph . and seem to appear only in names, as in ''Pono'' and ''Bharbo''. These consonants were used in the past but have since developed into and . They can still be used as variants of and . Voiceless stops may be aspirated. This does not change word meaning. The geminates of consonants marked with digraphs have a reduced orthography: * represents (not ) * represents (not ) * represents (not ) * represents (not ) * represents (not ) === Vowels === Dothraki has a four vowel system shown below: Vowels '''i''' /i/ '''e''' /e/ '''o''' /o/ '''a''' /a/ There are no diphthongs. In the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' books, never occurs as a vowel, appearing only after , and only in names, as in ''Jhiqui'' and ''Quaro''. In sequence of multiple vowels, each such vowel represents a separate syllable. Examples: ''shierak'' ('star'), ''rhaesh'' ('country'), ''khaleesi'' ('queen'). The vowels are realized as after . turns into after dental consonants. can be pronounced as after . ==Grammar== ===Parts of speech=== Though prepositions are also sometimes employed, the language is foremost inflectional. Prefixes, suffixes and circumfixes are all used. Verbs conjugate in infinitive, past, present, future, two imperatives and (archaic) participle; they also agree with person, number and polarity. Nouns divide into two classes, inanimate and animate. They decline in five cases, nominative, accusative, genitive, allative and ablative. Animate nouns also decline according to number. ===Word order=== The basic word order is SVO (subject–verb–object). In a basic sentence, the order of these elements (when all three are present) is as in English: first comes the subject (S), followed by the verb (V), and then the object (O). :'''Khal ahhas arakh.''' ''The Khal (S) sharpened (V) the arakh (O).'' When only a subject is present, the subject precedes the verb, as it does in English: :'''Arakh hasa.''' :''The arakh (S) is sharp (V).'' In noun phrases there is a specific order as well. The order is as follows: demonstrative, noun, adverb, adjective, genitive noun, prepositional phrase. Prepositions always precede their noun complements. but adjectives, possessor and prepositional phrases all follow the noun: :'''jin ave sekke verven anni m'orvikoon''' :this father very violent of.mine with.a.whip :''this very violent father of mine with a whip'' Adverbs normally are sentence final, but they can also immediately follow the verb. Modal particles precede the verb. In the episode "Andy's Ancestry" from the United States television show ''The Office'', Dwight Schrute created the Dothraki phrase "throat rip" by placing "throat" in front to make it the accusative. Peterson adapted that language technique and called it the "Schrutean compound". ==Sample== : '''Nevakhi vekha ha maan: Rekke, m'aresakea norethi fitte.''' : : seat. exist. for there. with.coward. hair. short : ''There is a place for him: There, with the short-haired cowards.'' ==Notes== ==References== ==External links== * The official Dothraki blog at dothraki.com * The Dothraki Language Wiki at wiki.dothraki.org * The LCS blog about the language at dothraki.conlang.org

'''''The Rogue Prince, or, a King's Brother''''' is a novelette by George R. R. Martin, published in the 2014 Bantam Spectra anthology ''Rogues''. It is set on the continent of Westeros of Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, hundreds of years before the events of ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996) during the reign of King Viserys I Targaryen. ''The Rogue Prince'' serves as a prequel to Martin's 2013 novella ''The Princess and the Queen'' and focuses on the reign of Viserys I, from his grandfather Jaehaerys I Targaryen's death to his own. It chronicles the evolving relationship between Viserys and his brother Prince Daemon, and the king's plan for succession to his daughter from his first marriage even though he has a son from his second marriage, which cements a rivalry within the Targaryens that plays out in ''The Princess and the Queen''. The work is presented as the writing of the fictional Archmaester Gyldayn, also the "author" of Martin's ''The Princess and the Queen''. ==Plot== Near the end of King Jaehaerys I's long reign, a succession crisis emerges when his second son Baelon dies, leading to a Great Council to decide who should be the old king's heir. Jaehaerys's elder son Aemon also died some years before, leaving behind a daughter named Rhaenys - but there are many who prefer Baelon's 26 year old son Viserys, due to his gender. Despite standard succession law that the elder brother's children should come first, Viserys wins the council by a ratio of twenty votes to one, and is declared the rightful heir. On the old king's death two years later, Viserys succeeds him on the Iron Throne. Rhaenys's husband, however, is the powerful lord Corlys Velaryon, and this estranges the Velaryons from the royal court. King Viserys, married to Aemma of House Arryn, names their daughter Rhaenyra as his successor, ahead of his hot-tempered and mercurial younger brother Daemon (the titular "rogue prince"). This decision contradicts the new inheritance law established at the Great Council, which should put a male heir ahead of any female one, but Daemon's reputation is so scandalous that Viserys's powerful advisor Otto Hightower eagerly goes along with it. Queen Aemma, however, later dies in childbirth, to a son that lives only a day. Viserys later re-marries to Alicent Hightower, Otto's daughter, and they succeed in producing a male heir, Aegon; but Viserys never rescinds his choice of Rhaenyra to succeed him. The king and queen subsequently have a daughter (Helaena) and two more sons (Aemond and Daeron). As the years pass, a rivalry develops between Rhaenyra and her stepmother Alicent - and two rival court factions develop around each of them. At a major tournament, Rhaenyra appears wearing a distinctive Targaryen-black dress, while Alicent wears one of the green dresses she favors. The two rival factions start copying this clothing style, with Rhaenyra's followers wearing black, and the Alicent/Aegon camp wearing green - leading to the two groups being dubbed "the Blacks and the Greens". Meanwhile, the Velaryons remain as a third major faction, but excluded from power at the royal court. Due to his adventures in the far east, Corlys Velaryon is still one of the wealthiest men in Westeros - and eventually, the isolated Daemon gravitates to the Velaryon camp as well, by marrying Corlys and Rhaenys's daughter Laena (producing two daughters, Baela and Rhaena). Together, Daemon and Corlys launch a proxy war in the Stepstones island chain, raising an army of mercenaries to carve out territory from pirate enclaves - aided by the large Velaryon fleet, and Daemon's dragon Caraxes, who soon earns a reputation as "the Blood Wyrm", battle-hardened from all the blood he has spilled. Daemon is briefly crowned as the new king of the Stepstones (mostly ruling over pirates), but this makes other regional powers grow wary. After defeating Volantis to the east, the other southern Free Cities - Lys, Myr, and Tyrosh - set aside their differences to unite as a triple-alliance with a shared government (inaccurately called "the Kingdom of the Three Daughters" of Valyria - or "the Triarchy", even though it is neither a kingdom nor a triarchy). The Triarchy at the eastern end of the island chain allies with independent Dorne at the western end of the Stepstones, and in subsequent years they apply more and more pressure on Daemon's mini-kingdom until he tires of the conflict and withdraws back to King's Landing. Meanwhile, the willful young Rhaenyra is infatuated with Ser Criston Cole of the kingsguard, but through unclear circumstances is later rumored to be in a relationship with Ser Harwin Strong. Pressured by her father, Rhaenyra eventually submits to an arranged marriage with her cousin Laenor Velaryon (son of Corlys, brother of Laena). Their marriage is unhappy, as Laenor is infamously an effete and foppish homosexual (Daemon is lustfully bisexual, but also a fierce warrior). Rhaenyra gives birth to three sons, but none of them have classic Targaryen features of white-blonde hair and purple eyes - which could be due to Rhaenyra's Arryn mother, but combined with widespread rumors of Laenor's sexuality, leads the Greens to whisper persistent rumors that they are really bastards fathered by Harwin Strong. Animosity between Rhaenyra and Alicent also puts their children at odds with one another. In rapid succession, Laenor dies in a suspicious quarrel, and Laena dies after a stillbirth. At Laena's funeral, Rhaenyra's sons brawl with Alicent's son Aemond when he tries to claim Laena's dragon Vhagar: as the older Aemond begins to overpower them, one pulls out a knife, ending up in Aemond losing one eye, but succeeding in claiming Vhagar - the greatest living dragon. Not long after, the realm is shocked to learn that Rhaenyra and her uncle Daemon married ''each other'', without asking Viserys's leave. This unites the estranged Velaryons with Rhaenyra's faction of Blacks, and they become one of her biggest supporters against the Greens. They have two sons — another Aegon and Viserys. Alicent's son Aegon also marries his sister Helaena, and they produce three young children: twins Jaehaerys and Jaehaera, and baby Maelor. The Hightowers, meanwhile, remain the biggest supporters of Alicent's Aegon, and her father Otto becomes Hand of the King for many years. The Hightowers increasingly whisper that according to the Great Council at the death of Jaehaerys I, a male heir should come ahead of a female one, and thus Aegon should inherit throne ahead of Rhaenyra - even though Otto himself once ignored that precedent of the council, when he wanted young Rhaenyra to be heir ahead of her uncle Daemon (a hypocrisy not lost on the Blacks). Rhaenyra's followers also counter that had the Great Council followed standard inheritance, Aemond's daughter Rhaenys should still have inherited ahead of Baelon's son Viserys, in which cause Rhaenyra's sons with Laenor would rank ahead of Aegon anyway (which only encourages the Greens to double-down on the accusation that they are really bastards). The subsequent death of King Viserys - in his bed, from old age and poor health - sets the stage for ''The Princess and the Queen'', and the outbreak of the Dance of the Dragons. ==Development== The story was to be included in the companion book ''The World of Ice & Fire'' but was removed because the book was becoming too long for the original concept of a fully illustrated book. It and several other stories appeared in abridged versions in other anthologies. ==References== ==External links== *

'''Olenna Tyrell''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of high fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation, ''Game of Thrones''. Olenna is first mentioned in ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996) and appears in ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000) and ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005). She is the matriarch of the powerful House Tyrell, the largest and second wealthiest of the eight Great Houses of Westeros. Olenna is characterized by her cunning, ambition, and sharp wit (the latter of which being the foundation for her title, '''the Queen of Thorns''', alongside the Tyrell sigil of a rose). Although her family is allied with the Lannisters in King's Landing, she often finds her own machinations at odds with theirs, especially those of Tywin Lannister. She, along with Petyr Baelish, is responsible for the death of King Joffrey Baratheon during his wedding to her granddaughter and protégé, Margaery. Olenna is portrayed by veteran English actress Diana Rigg in the HBO television adaptation, who has received significant critical praise for her portrayal. Rigg has received Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her performances in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2018. ==Character profile== Olenna Tyrell, also known as the Queen of Thorns, is a former Redwyne and the mother of Mace Tyrell. She is described as a wizened and cunning old woman with a wicked wit and a sharp tongue, and is known for openly stating her opinion. Olenna is not a point of view character in the novels, so her actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other people, such as Sansa Stark and Cersei Lannister. Olenna is mostly a background character in the novels. ==Storylines== Coat of arms of House Tyrell In ''A Storm of Swords'', she plots to have Sansa taken to Highgarden to marry her grandson Willas. This plan is foiled by the Lannisters, who force Sansa to marry Tyrion Lannister. According to Littlefinger later in ''A Storm of Swords'', in order to shield Margaery from King Joffrey's cruelty, Olenna had actually been the one who murdered Joffrey at his wedding. Margaery would later go on to marry the younger brother, Tommen Baratheon. ==TV adaptation== Lady Olenna, better known as "The Queen of Thorns", is the sharp-witted grandmother of Loras and Margaery. In the adaptation, Olenna is the matriarch of, and the true power behind, House Tyrell. She is also aware of and is generally unconcerned with her grandson Loras's homosexuality. Olenna implies that both closet matriarchy and tolerance of "sword-swallowers" are considered relatively normal in the Reach. She is notably one of the few characters that Tywin Lannister treats as an equal. Olenna is played by the British actress Diana Rigg in the television adaption of the series of books. Commenting on the casting of Diana Rigg, David Benioff said “you don’t audition Dames, they audition you”. Rigg highly praised the show after being cast as Olenna, saying that she "couldn’t ask for better lines – I’m so lucky. I could be sitting at home crumbling but I'm not." Speaking on the character, Rigg said that Olenna "says all the things that other people dare not say". Remarking on the series and the character: I wasn't aware I was getting involved in something so huge. I really had no idea. She is also pretty evil; I'm good at evil. Remarking on the costumes of the series: Also the costume is terrific. I don’t have to spend hours in make-up and I’m in a wimple, it’s great. I adore it, I absolutely adore it. Executive producer D. B. Weiss said of Rigg's final scene as Olenna, "What I love about the way she plays the scene is that even though you leave the scene knowing she’s soon going to be dead shortly after you cut to black you still feel like she won. She’s probably the only character to win her own death scene." ====Season 3==== After learning the abuses Sansa Stark suffered by Joffrey, Olenna figured out that Margaery could avoid the same fate by using Joffrey's love of violence. Varys warns Olenna that Petyr Baelish has designs on Sansa, who, given the death or disappearance of all her brothers, is now the key to the North. Olenna thus secretly plots to have Sansa marry Loras. Her plan is foiled by Loras himself, who accidentally reveals it to his new lover, one of Baelish's spies. Baelish informs Tywin Lannister, who has Sansa marry his son Tyrion Lannister instead. To secure the Reach, Tywin orders his daughter Cersei to marry Loras. Lady Olenna is at first against this because Cersei is too old (and therefore unlikely to have more children) and because of the scandal of her incestuous affair with her twin brother Jaime. But after Tywin threatens to make Loras join the celibate Kingsguard, which would make Joffrey and Margaery's children the heirs of Reach, Olenna admits defeat and praises Tywin for getting the best of her. ====Season 4==== Olenna conspires with Petyr Baelish to murder Joffrey, so as to protect Margaery from Joffrey's beastly nature – it is Olenna who actually does the deed, using a poison Petyr arranged to have smuggled into the wedding on Sansa's person. Quietly admitting her actions, Olenna advises Margaery to become acquainted with her new match, Tommen Baratheon, Joffrey's younger brother and heir, before Cersei turns him against her. Olenna returns to Highgarden shortly afterwards. ====Season 5==== When Loras is arrested by the recently reinstated Faith Militant for his homosexuality, Margaery writes to her grandmother who returns to the capital in order to protect her grandchildren from Cersei's schemes. But, mistakenly believing Loras's arrest was simply meant to humiliate House Tyrell, she helplessly assists to Olyvar's testimony which incriminates her grandson, as well as to Margaery's incarceration for perjuring herself in front of the gods in an effort to protect her brother. She later confronts the High Sparrow without results and has a secret meeting with Littlefinger who, blackmailed by Olenna for his part in Joffrey's death and in order to placate his role in her grandchildren's imprisonment in providing Olyvar to Cersei, gives valuable information about Lancel and Cersei's adulterous relationship. This results in the latter's arrest by the Faith Militant. ====Season 6==== Olenna takes steps to free Margaery from the High Sparrow and retake power from the Faith Militant, but the plan is thwarted when Tommen forges an alliance with the Faith and becomes the High Sparrow's new puppet. Margaery feigns loyalty and manages to instruct Olenna to leave the city when the High Sparrow threatens her life. Cersei's plotting ultimately causes the destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor, killing Margaery, Loras, Mace, and the High Sparrow. A grieving Olenna is invited to Dorne to meet with Ellaria Sand, who has seized control of the region and declared open rebellion against the Lannisters. In Dorne, Ellaria presents Varys, who persuades Olenna to support Daenerys Targaryen, having been a secret Targaryen loyalist all along. Olenna sends the Tyrell fleet to Meereen to assist in taking Daenerys' forces to Westeros. ====Season 7==== During a meeting with Daenerys' allies at Dragonstone, Olenna displays her initial unease about Tyrion Lannister's plan to attack King's Landing using the Tyrell and Dornish forces, but eventually agrees. After the meeting, Daenerys asks Olenna to stay to talk with her. Daenerys acknowledges that Olenna has joined forces with her to exact revenge for her family, and not out of any loyalty to her. Olenna advises Daenerys not to listen to "wise men" such as Tyrion, as that is how she has stayed alive all these years: ignoring them. She then tells her the lords of Westeros are all sheep, and Daenerys is a dragon, so she should *be* a dragon. In "The Queen's Justice", Jaime Lannister seizes control of Highgarden on Cersei's orders. He confronts Olenna, granting her a painless death by poison, putting it in her cup of wine as she watches. She drinks the entire cup all at once with no hesitation, and then admits her responsibility for Joffrey's death, wanting Cersei to know who had done it. === Family tree of House Tyrell === === Recognition and awards === Diana Rigg has received positive reviews for her role as Olenna Tyrell in the TV series. Screen Rant called Rigg's performance full of energy and fun, saying that the character is "refreshing" and has "sassy put-downs and blunt talk, she is likely the closest thing to comic relief we have in the show." She received several award nominations for her portrayal of Olenna Tyrell. For her performance in the series she earned the Gold Derby TV Awards for Best Drama Guest Actress in 2013, 2015 and 2018. Other nominations include the Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2018, the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series in 2013 and 2014, and the Gold Derby TV Awards for Best Drama Guest Actress in 2014. ==References==

"'''The Bear and the Maiden Fair'''" is a folk song in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', and it is sung in the television series adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. The lyrics are provided by George R. R. Martin in the original novel; Ramin Djawadi composed the tune's music in 2012, at the request of the series creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and the recording, by The Hold Steady, was arranged by Tad Kubler. ==History== The US indie rock band The Hold Steady recorded "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" for season 3. Brienne and Jaime's captors (who include musician Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol, in a cameo appearance) sing the song in episode 3 of that season ("Walk of Punishment"), and The Hold Steady's recording is played over the end credits. The recording was released on a seven-inch record on April 20, 2013. In the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels, "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" is a traditional song popular among people of all social classes throughout Westeros. It recounts the story of a bear, "All black and brown / And covered with hair", who traveled to a summer fair, and smelled "on the summer air ... The maid with honey / In her hair!" Although she vowed that she'll "never dance / With a hairy bear", he "lifted her high / Into the air", and "licked the honey / From her hair", until she "sighed and squealed / And kicked the air", eventually agreeing to go off with her "bear so fair". ==Credits== * The Hold Steady – band, primary artist * Ramin Djawadi – composer, primary artist, producer * David Benioff – liner notes * George R.R. Martin – lyricist * D.B. Weiss – liner notes * Tad Kubler - arrangement ==See also== *''Game of Thrones'' Theme *Music of ''Game of Thrones'' ==References==

"'''The Night Lands'''" is the second episode of the second season of HBO's medieval fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones''. The episode is written by the showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Alan Taylor. It was first released on April 2, 2012 via the online service HBO GO in some European countries, including the Netherlands, Poland and Slovenia. Cable television first broadcast it on April 8, 2012. The plot continues with some of the storylines from the season premiere: the Night's Watch caravan heading to the Wall is interrupted by a pair of City Watch guards looking for Gendry, the Small Council receives the terms proposed by King in the North Robb Stark, Daenerys waits in the desert for the return of the three riders she had sent out, and Theon Greyjoy returns to his homeland of the Iron Islands. "The Night Lands" was positively received by critics, who noted the many pivotal character moments as a highlight in the episode. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 3.76 million in its initial broadcast. The episode is titled after the Dothraki language term for death. ==Plot== ===In King's Landing=== Tyrion Lannister exchanges threats with Lord Varys. The Small Council ignores Robb Stark's peace terms, as well as the request by the Night's Watch for more men and their report of encounters with the undead. When City Watch Commander Lord Janos Slynt refuses to reveal who ordered the purge of King Robert Baratheon's bastard children, Tyrion exiles him to the Night's Watch, replacing him with Bronn. Cersei confronts Tyrion, who realizes King Joffrey Baratheon ordered the purge, warning his sister, "it will be difficult to rule over millions who want you dead." ===At Dragonstone=== Davos Seaworth and his son, Matthos, recruit the pirate Salladhor Saan and his fleet to join them in the war. Melisandre seduces Stannis Baratheon, promising him a son if he gives himself completely to the Lord of Light. ===On the Iron Islands=== Returning to his homeland, Theon Greyjoy tries to seduce a young woman, Yara. At Pyke, Theon presents his father Balon with Robb's offer that will make Balon King of the Iron Islands. Balon refuses, wishing to take his crown with Yara, revealed to be Theon's sister, at the helm of his fleet. Theon realises Balon's intention is to take the North for himself. ===In the Red Waste=== Rakharo's horse returns to Daenerys Targaryen's camp carrying his severed head, which Ser Jorah Mormont explains is a message from another khal, and Daenerys vows revenge. ===On the Kingsroad=== City Watchmen search the caravan for Gendry but are turned away by Yoren. Gendry tells Arya Stark that he knows she is a girl, and she reveals she is actually Arya Stark after learning that her father met Gendry before he was executed. ===At Craster's Keep=== Samwell Tarly asks Jon Snow about taking Gilly, one of Craster's daughter-wives, with them but Jon refuses. Gilly is pregnant, and Jon wonders what happens to Craster's sons. That night, Jon follows Craster taking a newborn child into the woods, and sees a White Walker retrieve the baby, but Craster knocks Jon unconscious. ==Production== Alan Taylor directed "The Night Lands", his fourth directed episode in the series. ===Writing=== The episode was written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based on original material from George R. R. Martin's second book of the series, A Clash of Kings. It includes most of the plot from chapters Arya II, Tyrion II, Arya III, Theon I, part of Daenerys I, Tyrion III, part of Arya V, part of Tyrion V, part of Jon III and part of Theon II (chapters 6, 8–12, 19–20, 23–25 respectively). One of the main deviations from the books was the removal of the character of the new commander of the City Watch, Ser Jacelyn Bywater, his role merged with the already introduced Bronn. Another character that was excluded was Aeron Damphair, who was not present to welcome his nephew Theon at the Iron Islands. Instead, he was received by his sister, in a scene that took place much later in the books. Also, some scenes that are only subtly implied in the original were made explicit in the episode. The scenes depicting Craster delivering a newborn son to the White Walkers and the sexual relationship between Stannis and Melisandre were written into the show by the producers. The episode was directed by Alan Taylor, making it the fourth episode he directed for the show. Taylor would direct three more episodes of the show, two of them in Season Two and one in Season Seven. ===Casting=== Theon Greyjoy's family is cast in this episode. The role of his father Balon Greyjoy, Lord of the Iron Islands, went to the English actor Patrick Malahide. The character of his sister was renamed from the original books (from Asha to Yara) in order to avoid confusion with the already established character Osha (the wildling captive at Winterfell), and Gemma Whelan was chosen to play the role. After seeing Whelan and Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy) acting together, the show creators assured that they made "an insanely good pair of siblings." Alfie Allen's sister, the English pop star Lily Allen, asserted that she had been offered the role of Yara Greyjoy, but had turned it down due to some scenes potentially being awkward to film. Alfie Allen, however, vehemently denied his sister's claims. Also introduced, in this episode, are the three caged recruits, traveling with the Night's Watch caravan. The three characters were briefly seen in the last season's finale, played by uncredited extras. For this season they were, Andy Beckwith as Rorge, Gerard Jordan as Biter, and the German actor Tom Wlaschiha as the mysterious Jaqen H'ghar of the free city of Lorath. Wlaschiha had not known of the show before auditioning on tape from Berlin, but was able to screen a few episodes during a meeting with the producers and director Alan Taylor. He quickly became an enthusiast, reading the first books of the series within a couple of days. Finally, the part of the Lyseni pirate Salladhor Saan went to Lucian Msamati. Msamati's physical appearance, a Black, British actor of Tanzanian descent, contrasts with Sallahdor's portrayal in the books, where he is described with the typical fair-haired and fair-skinned look of the free city of Lys. ===Filming locations=== The harbour of Ballintoy was redressed as the port of Pyke. The episode introduces the new location of Pyke, the Greyjoys' seat of power on the Iron Islands. Scenes set there were filmed at Lordsport Harbour, Ballintoy, in Northern Ireland's County of Antrim. The filming at the Harbour took place on August 18, 19 and 22, 2011, and from August 15 there was a limited public access to the zone. The local shops and fishermen, who had to temporarily berth their boats at the nearby town of Ballycastle, were compensated by the production. Other locations in Northern Ireland were used once again, including the interiors in the Paint Hall studio in Belfast. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== The ratings of the episode remained steady with the last week's season premiere. The number of viewers of the first airing reached 3.76 million viewers, with a rating of 1.9 in the relevant 18-49 demographic - just a little behind the series record of 3.9 reached in the last installment in what commentators considered a strong accomplishment. In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 0.851 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, being the channel's highest-rated broadcast that week. The day after the release of the rating of this second episode HBO announced the renewal of the show for a third season. ===Critical reception=== "The Night Lands" received positive reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 12 reviews of the episode and judged 83% of them to be positive with an average score of 8.5 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Moodier than the premiere and full of dark intrigue, 'The Night Lands' introduces viewers to exotic new locations in Westeros and delivers some pivotal character moments." Matt Fowler of IGN rated the episode 8 out of 10 and called it "a satisfying follow-up to the premiere filled with less-than-monumental happenings." He referred to the episode as "a great place-holder episode", comparing it to the first-season episode "The Kingsroad". In a review targeted at those who have read the source novels, The A.V. Club's Emily VanDerWerff gave it an A- and remarked: "This is a strong and confident episode of the show, and it takes us easily enough from the Red Wastes to Beyond the Wall to Melisandre and Stannis having sex on a giant exposition table, seemingly without breaking a sweat." She also commented positively on the themes of the episode, which she believed were the definition of good leadership and the negative side of patriarchy. In addition, the reviewer thought that the episode was indicative of the series turning from "a ridiculously entertaining show" to "something on the level of ''Breaking Bad'' or ''Mad Men''. On the other hand, WhatCulture's Patrick Koch was more critical of the episode. In his ranking of the first 40 ''Game of Thrones'' episodes (seasons 1-4), Koch placed "The Night Lands" at number 40, calling the Greyjoy plotline on Pyke "supremely non-interesting." Simon Abrams, writing for ''Slant Magazine'', gave the episode a mixed review compared to the premiere, referring to "The Night Lands" as "a bit of a let-down" and "not as thematically cogent as last week's episode." In his episode recap for ''Entertainment Weekly'', James Hibberd noted that the amount of sex in the first season of ''Game of Thrones'' was "probably the biggest point of debate among viewers" and observed that this episode "might have been the most sex-focused hour yet." Indeed, the episode was cut short by the Dubai-based broadcaster Etisalat during its initial airing due to concerns about nudity. According to ''The National'', previous episodes had been aired on Etisalat with "minimal editing." == References == == External links == * "The Night Lands" at HBO.com * *

'''Souad Adel Faress''' (born 25 March 1948) is a Ghanaian stage, radio, television and film actress. She is best known for her portrayal of the solicitor Usha Gupta, in the long-running BBC Radio 4 serial ''The Archers'' and for her role as the High Priestess of the Dosh Khaleen in the sixth season of the HBO series ''Game of Thrones''. ==Biography== Faress was born in 1948 in Accra, Ghana, to Irish and Syrian parents. She studied drama at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and lives in London. She has been exploring playwriting as a medium since before 2004. Faress completed a writing course at City Literary Institute adult education college. Her other skills include dancing, horse riding, cricket and yoga. ===Career=== Faress appeared in two episodes of the BBC serial ''I, Claudius'' (1976) as a slave girl (shouting fire) and as a dancer who at Messalina's (second and bigamous) marriage party realises troops are coming to arrest them. In another early BBC appearance, she played the character Selma in the ''Blake's 7'' episode 'Horizon'. Since then, Faress has had substantial roles in films such as ''My Beautiful Laundrette'' (1985) and ''Sixth Happiness'' (1997), as well as much stage work around the UK. In October 2001 she appeared briefly in ''Coronation Street'' as Dev Alahan's mother Umila. Souad Faress also appeared as the Old Rani in ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'' serial ''The Mad Woman in the Attic'' in October 2009. In October 2014, it was announced that Faress would perform in ''Hurried Steps'', Sharon Wood's translation of "Passi Affrettati by Dacia Maraini. The play's narratives were mainly sourced from Amnesty International, the subject matter including rape, honour killings, sex trafficking and other issues of violence against women. Between 2010 and 2011 she played Jay Faldren's grandmother, Maryam Shakiba, in ''Casualty''. Faress appeared in an episode of popular nursing drama ''No Angels'' as lead character, Anji Mittel's aunt Di. Faress appeared briefly as a hospital doctor in "The Dead of Jericho", the first episode of ''Inspector Morse''. In 2016 she joined the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'' in Season 6 as the High Priestess of the Dosh Khaleen. Faress will also be appearing in ITV drama ''Brief Encounters'', "a loose adaptation of Ann Summers CEO Jacqueline Gold's memoirs, ''Good Vibrations''." ==See also== * List of Ghanaian actors and actresses ==References== == External links == *

'''''Game of Thrones''''' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', George R. R. Martin's series of fantasy novels, the first of which is ''A Game of Thrones''. The show was both produced and filmed in Belfast and elsewhere in the United Kingdom. Filming locations also included Canada, Croatia, Iceland, Malta, Morocco, and Spain. The series premiered on HBO in the United States on April 17, 2011, and concluded on May 19, 2019, with 73 episodes broadcast over eight seasons. Set on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, ''Game of Thrones'' has several plots and a large ensemble cast and follows several story arcs. One arc is about the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms and follows a web of alliances and conflicts among the noble dynasties either vying to claim the throne or fighting for independence from it. Another focuses on the last descendant of the realm's deposed ruling dynasty, who has been exiled and is plotting a return to the throne, while another story arc follows the Night's Watch, a brotherhood defending the realm against the fierce peoples and legendary creatures of the North. ''Game of Thrones'' attracted a record viewership on HBO and has a broad, active, and international fan base. The series was acclaimed by critics for its acting, complex characters, story, scope, and production values, although its frequent use of nudity and violence (including sexual violence) was criticized; the final season received further criticism for its condensed story and creative decisions, with many considering it a disappointing conclusion. The series received 58 Primetime Emmy Awards, the most by a drama series, including Outstanding Drama Series in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019. Its other awards and nominations include three Hugo Awards for Best Dramatic Presentation (2012–2014), a 2011 Peabody Award, and five nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama (2012 and 2015–2018). In 2019, the show's final season established a new record for most Emmy nominations received in the same year by any regular series with 32, breaking the 25 years long record of 26 nominations established by ''NYPD Blue'' in 1994; it also established ''Game of Thrones'' as the drama series with the most overall Emmy nominations, with a total of 161. Of the ensemble cast, Peter Dinklage has won four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (2011, 2015, 2018, and 2019) and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (2012) for his performance as Tyrion Lannister. Alfie Allen, Gwendoline Christie, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, Diana Rigg, Carice van Houten, Max von Sydow, and Maisie Williams have also received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for their performances. ==Background== Power and violence are central themes of ''Game of Thrones'', and the number of weapons made for the series (some of which are shown here) reflects this. ===Setting=== ''Game of Thrones'' is roughly based on the storylines of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', set in the fictional Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and the continent of Essos. The series chronicles the violent dynastic struggles among the realm's noble families for the Iron Throne, while other families fight for independence from it. It opens with additional threats in the icy North and Essos in the east. Showrunner David Benioff jokingly suggested "''The Sopranos'' in Middle-earth" as ''Game of Thrones'' tagline, referring to its intrigue-filled plot and dark tone in a fantasy setting of magic and dragons. In a 2012 study, out of 40 recent television drama shows, ''Game of Thrones'' ranked second in deaths per episode, averaging 14 deaths. ===Themes=== The series is generally praised for what is perceived as a sort of medieval realism. George R.R. Martin set out to make the story feel more like historical fiction than contemporary fantasy, with less emphasis on magic and sorcery and more on battles, political intrigue, and the characters, believing that magic should be used moderately in the epic fantasy genre. Martin has stated that "the true horrors of human history derive not from orcs and Dark Lords, but from ourselves." A common theme in the fantasy genre is the battle between good and evil, which Martin says does not mirror the real world. Just like people's capacity for good and for evil in real life, Martin explores the questions of redemption and character change. The series allows the audience to view different characters from their perspective, unlike in many other fantasies, and thus the supposed villains can provide their side of the story. Benioff said, "George brought a measure of harsh realism to high fantasy. He introduced gray tones into a black-and-white universe." In early seasons, under the influence of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' books, main characters were regularly killed off, and this was credited with developing tension among viewers. In later seasons, critics pointed out that certain characters had developed "plot armor" to survive in unlikely circumstances, and attributed this to ''Game of Thrones'' deviating from the novels to become more of a traditional television series. The series also reflects the substantial death rates in war. ===Inspirations and derivations=== Although the first season closely follows the events of the first novel, later seasons have made significant changes. According to David Benioff, the series is "about adapting the series as a whole and following the map George laid out for us and hitting the major milestones, but not necessarily each of the stops along the way". The novels and their adaptations base aspects of their settings, characters, and plot on events in European history. Most of Westeros is reminiscent of high medieval Europe, from lands and cultures, to the palace intrigue, feudal system, castles, and knightly tournaments. A principal inspiration for the novels is the English Wars of the Roses (1455–1485) between the houses of Lancaster and York, reflected in Martin's houses of Lannister and Stark. The scheming Cersei Lannister evokes Isabella, the "she-wolf of France" (1295–1358). She and her family, as portrayed in Maurice Druon's historical novel series, ''The Accursed Kings'', were a main inspiration of Martin's. Other historical antecedents of series elements include Hadrian's Wall (which becomes Martin's Wall), the Roman Empire, and the legend of Atlantis (ancient Valyria), Byzantine Greek fire ("wildfire"), Icelandic sagas of the Viking Age (the Ironborn), the Mongol hordes (the Dothraki), the Hundred Years' War, and the Italian Renaissance. The series' popularity has been attributed, in part, to Martin's skill at fusing these elements into a seamless, credible version of alternate history. Martin acknowledges, "I take history and I file off the serial numbers and I turn it up to 11." ==Cast and characters== ''Game of Thrones'' has an ensemble cast estimated to be the largest on television; during its third season, 257 cast names were recorded. In 2014, several actor contracts were renegotiated to include a seventh-season option, with raises which reportedly made them among the highest-paid performers on cable television. In 2016, several actor contracts were again renegotiated, reportedly increasing the salary of five of the main cast members to $1 million per episode for the last two seasons, which would make them the highest paid actors on television. The main cast is listed below. Lord Eddard "Ned" Stark (Sean Bean) is the head of House Stark, whose members are involved in plotlines throughout most of the series. He and his wife, Catelyn Tully (Michelle Fairley), have five children: Robb (Richard Madden), the eldest; followed by Sansa (Sophie Turner), Arya (Maisie Williams), Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright), and Rickon (Art Parkinson). Ned's illegitimate son Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and his friend Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) serve in the Night's Watch under Lord Commander Jeor Mormont (James Cosmo). The Wildlings living north of the Wall include the young Gilly (Hannah Murray), and the warriors Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju) and Ygritte (Rose Leslie). Others associated with House Stark include Ned's ward Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen), his vassal Roose Bolton (Michael McElhatton), and Bolton's bastard son Ramsay Snow (Iwan Rheon). Robb falls in love with the healer Talisa Maegyr (Oona Chaplin), and Arya befriends the blacksmith's apprentice Gendry (Joe Dempsie) and the assassin Jaqen H'ghar (Tom Wlaschiha). The tall warrior Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) serves Catelyn and, later, Sansa. In King's Landing, the capital, Ned's friend King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy), shares a loveless marriage with Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey), who has taken her twin brother, the "Kingslayer" Ser Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), as her lover. She loathes her younger brother, the dwarf Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), who is attended by his mistress Shae (Sibel Kekilli) and the sellsword Bronn (Jerome Flynn). Cersei's father is Lord Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance), and she also has two young sons: Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) and Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman). Joffrey is guarded by the scar-faced warrior Sandor "the Hound" Clegane (Rory McCann). The king's Small Council of advisors includes the crafty Master of Coin Lord Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish (Aidan Gillen) and the eunuch spymaster Lord Varys (Conleth Hill). Robert's brother Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) is advised by foreign priestess Melisandre (Carice van Houten) and former smuggler Ser Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham). The wealthy Tyrell family is represented at court by Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer). The High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce) is the capital's religious leader. In the southern principality of Dorne, Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma) seeks vengeance against the Lannisters. Across the Narrow Sea, siblings Viserys (Harry Lloyd) and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) – the exiled children of the last king of the original ruling dynasty, who was overthrown by Robert Baratheon – are running for their lives and trying to win back the throne. Daenerys marries Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa), the leader of the nomadic Dothraki. Her retinue includes the exiled knight Ser Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen), her aide Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel), the sellsword Daario Naharis (Michiel Huisman), and Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson), who leads Daenerys' army of elite eunuch-warriors, the Unsullied. ==Production== ===Conception and development=== Showrunners D. B. Weiss and David Benioff created the series, wrote most of its episodes and directed several. In January 2006, David Benioff had a phone conversation with George R. R. Martin's literary agent about the books he represented and became interested in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', as he had been a fan of fantasy fiction when young but had not read the books before. The literary agent then sent Benioff the series' first four books. Benioff read a few hundred pages of the first novel, ''A Game of Thrones'', shared his enthusiasm with D. B. Weiss, and suggested that they adapt Martin's novels into a television series; Weiss finished the first novel in "maybe 36 hours". They pitched the series to HBO after a five-hour meeting with Martin (himself a veteran screenwriter) in a restaurant on Santa Monica Boulevard. According to Benioff, they won Martin over with their answer to his question, "Who is Jon Snow's mother?" Before being approached by Benioff and Weiss, Martin had had other meetings with other scriptwriters, most of whom wanted to adapt the series as a feature film. Martin, however, deemed it "unfilmable" and impossible to be done as a feature film, stating that the size of one of his novels is as long as ''The Lord of the Rings'', which had been adapted as three feature films. Similarly, Benioff also said that it would be impossible to turn the novels into a feature film as the scale of the novels is too big for a feature film, and dozens of characters would have to be discarded. Benioff added, "a fantasy movie of this scope, financed by a major studio, would almost certainly need a PG-13 rating. That means no sex, no blood, no profanity. Fuck that." Martin himself was pleased with the suggestion that they adapt it as an HBO series, saying that he "never imagined it anywhere else". "I knew it couldn't be done as a network television series. It's too adult. The level of sex and violence would never have gone through." The series began development in January 2007. HBO acquired the television rights to the novels, with Benioff and Weiss as its executive producers, and Martin as a co-executive producer. The intention was for each novel to yield a season's worth of episodes. Initially, Martin would write one episode per season while Benioff and Weiss would write the rest of the episodes. Jane Espenson and Bryan Cogman were later added to write one episode apiece the first season. The first and second drafts of the pilot script by Benioff and Weiss were submitted in August 2007 and June 2008, respectively. Although HBO liked both drafts, a pilot was not ordered until November 2008; the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike may have delayed the process. The pilot episode, "Winter Is Coming", was first shot in 2009; after a poor reception in a private viewing, HBO demanded an extensive re-shoot (about 90 percent of the episode, with cast and directorial changes). The pilot reportedly cost HBO US$5–10million to produce, while the first season's budget was estimated at $50–60million. In the second season, the series received a 15-percent budget increase for the climactic battle in "Blackwater" (which had an $8million budget). Between 2012 and 2015, the average budget per episode increased from $6million to "at least" $8million. The sixth-season budget was over $10million per episode, for a season total of over $100million and a series record. ===Casting=== Nina Gold and Robert Sterne are the series' primary casting directors. Through a process of auditions and readings, the main cast was assembled. The only exceptions were Peter Dinklage and Sean Bean, whom the writers wanted from the start; they were announced as joining the pilot in 2009. Other actors signed for the pilot were Kit Harington as Jon Snow, Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon, Harry Lloyd as Viserys Targaryen, and Mark Addy as Robert Baratheon. Addy was, according to showrunners Benioff and Weiss, the easiest actor to cast for the series, due to his audition performance. Some of the characters in the pilot were recast for the first season: Catelyn Stark was initially played by Jennifer Ehle, but the role was recast with Michelle Fairley. Daenerys Targaryen was also recast, with Emilia Clarke replacing Tamzin Merchant. The rest of the first season's cast was filled in the second half of 2009. Although many of the cast returned after the first season, the producers had many new characters to cast for each of the following seasons. Due to the large number of new characters, Benioff and Weiss postponed the introduction of several key characters in the second season and merged several characters into one or assigned plot functions to different characters. Some recurring characters were recast over the years; for example, Gregor Clegane was played by three different actors, while Dean-Charles Chapman who played Tommen Baratheon also played a minor Lannister character. ===Writing=== George R. R. Martin, author of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', is a series co-executive producer and wrote one episode for each of the first four seasons. ''Game of Thrones'' used seven writers in six seasons. Series creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, the showrunners, write most of the episodes each season. ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' author George R. R. Martin wrote one episode in each of the first four seasons. Martin did not write an episode for the later seasons, since he wanted to focus on completing the sixth novel (''The Winds of Winter''). Jane Espenson co-wrote one first-season episode as a freelance writer. Bryan Cogman, initially a script coordinator for the series, was promoted to producer for the fifth season. Cogman, who wrote at least one episode for the first five seasons, is the only other writer in the writers' room with Benioff and Weiss. Before his promotion, Vanessa Taylor (a writer during the second and third seasons) worked closely with Benioff and Weiss. Dave Hill joined the writing staff for the fifth season after working as an assistant to Benioff and Weiss. Although Martin is not in the writers' room, he reads the script outlines and makes comments. Benioff and Weiss sometimes assign characters to particular writers; for example, Cogman was assigned to Arya Stark for the fourth season. The writers spend several weeks writing a character outline, including what material from the novels to use and the overarching themes. After these individual outlines are complete, they spend another two to three weeks discussing each main character's individual arc and arranging them episode by episode. A detailed outline is created, with each of the writers working on a portion to create a script for each episode. Cogman, who wrote two episodes for the fifth season, took a month and a half to complete both scripts. They are then read by Benioff and Weiss, who make notes, and parts of the script are rewritten. All ten episodes are written before filming begins since they are filmed out of order with two units in different countries. Benioff and Weiss write each of their episodes together, with one of them writing the first half of the script and the other the second half. After that they begin with passing the drafts back and forth to make notes and rewrite parts of it. ===Adaptation schedule and episodes=== After ''Game of Thrones'' began outpacing the published novels in the sixth season, the series was based on a plot outline of the future novels provided by Martin and original content. In April 2016, the showrunners' plan was to shoot 13 more episodes after the sixth season: seven episodes in the seventh season and six episodes in the eighth. Later that month, the series was renewed for a seventh season with a seven-episode order. Eight seasons were ordered and filmed, adapting the novels at a rate of about 48 seconds per page for the first three seasons. Season Ordered Filming First aired Last aired Novel(s) adapted Refs Season 1 March 2, 2010 Second half of 2010 April 17, 2011 June 19, 2011 ''A Game of Thrones'' Season 2 April 19, 2011 Second half of 2011 April 1, 2012 June 3, 2012 ''A Clash of Kings'' and some early chapters from ''A Storm of Swords'' Season 3 April 10, 2012 July – November 2012 March 31, 2013 June 9, 2013 About the first two-thirds of ''A Storm of Swords'' Season 4 April 2, 2013 July – November 2013 April 6, 2014 June 15, 2014 The remaining one-third of ''A Storm of Swords'' and some elements from ''A Feast for Crows'' and ''A Dance with Dragons'' Season 5 April 8, 2014 July – December 2014 April 12, 2015 June 14, 2015 ''A Feast for Crows'', ''A Dance with Dragons'' and original content, with some late chapters from ''A Storm of Swords'' and elements from ''The Winds of Winter'' Season 6 April 8, 2014 July – December 2015 April 24, 2016 June 26, 2016 Original content and outline from ''The Winds of Winter'', with some late elements from ''A Feast for Crows'' and ''A Dance with Dragons'' Season 7 April 21, 2016 August 2016 – February 2017 July 16, 2017 August 27, 2017 Original content and outline from ''The Winds of Winter'' and ''A Dream of Spring'' Season 8 July 30, 2016 October 2017 – July 2018 April 14, 2019 May 19, 2019 Original content and outline from ''The Winds of Winter'' and ''A Dream of Spring'' The first two seasons adapted one novel each. For the later seasons, its creators see ''Game of Thrones'' as an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' as a whole rather than the individual novels; this enables them to move events across novels, according to screen-adaptation requirements. ===Filming=== The Azure Window at Ras-id-Dwerja, on Gozo, was the site of the Dothraki wedding in season one. Principal photography for the first season was scheduled to begin on July 26, 2010, and the primary location was the Paint Hall Studios in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Exterior scenes in Northern Ireland were filmed at Sandy Brae in the Mourne Mountains (standing in for Vaes Dothrak), Castle Ward (Winterfell), Saintfield Estates (the Winterfell godswood), Tollymore Forest (outdoor scenes), Cairncastle (the execution site), the Magheramorne quarry (Castle Black), and Shane's Castle (the tourney grounds). Doune Castle in Stirling, Scotland, was also used in the original pilot episode for scenes at Winterfell. The producers initially considered filming the whole series in Scotland, but decided on Northern Ireland because of the availability of studio space. The first season's southern scenes were filmed in Malta, a change in location from the pilot episode's Moroccan sets. The city of Mdina was used for King's Landing. Filming was also done at Fort Manoel (representing the Sept of Baelor), at the Azure Window on the island of Gozo (the Dothraki wedding site) and at San Anton Palace, Fort Ricasoli, Fort St. Angelo and St. Dominic monastery (all used for scenes in the Red Keep). The walled city of Dubrovnik became King's Landing in season two. Filming of the second season's southern scenes shifted from Malta to Croatia, where the city of Dubrovnik and nearby locations allowed exterior shots of a walled, coastal medieval city. The Walls of Dubrovnik and Fort Lovrijenac were used for scenes in King's Landing, though, exteriors of some local buildings, for example, the Red Keep and the Sept of Baelor, are computer-generated. The island of Lokrum, the St. Dominic monastery in the coastal town of Trogir, the Rector's Palace in Dubrovnik, and the Dubac quarry (a few kilometers east) were used for scenes set in Qarth. Scenes set north of the Wall, in the Frostfangs and at the Fist of the First Men, were filmed in November 2011 in Iceland: on the Vatnajökull glacier near Smyrlabjörg, the Svínafellsjökull glacier near Skaftafell and the Mýrdalsjökull glacier near Vik on Höfðabrekkuheiði. Third-season production returned to Dubrovnik, with the Walls of Dubrovnik, Fort Lovrijenac and nearby locations again used for scenes in King's Landing and the Red Keep. Trsteno Arboretum, a new location, is the garden of the Tyrells in King's Landing. The third season also returned to Morocco (including the city of Essaouira) to film Daenerys' scenes in Essos. Dimmuborgir and the Grjótagjá cave in Iceland were used as well. One scene, with a live bear, was filmed in Los Angeles. The production used three units (Dragon, Wolf and Raven) filming in parallel, six directing teams, 257 cast members and 703 crew members. Ballintoy Harbour was Lordsport on the Iron Islands. The fourth season returned to Dubrovnik and included new locations, including Diocletian's Palace in Split, Klis Fortress north of Split, Perun quarry east of Split, the Mosor mountain range, and Baška Voda further south. Thingvellir National Park in Iceland was used for the fight between Brienne and the Hound. Filming took 136 days and ended on November 21, 2013. The fifth season added Seville, Spain, used for scenes of Dorne, as well as Córdoba. The sixth season, which began filming in July 2015, returned to Spain and filmed in Navarra, Guadalajara, Seville, Almeria, Girona and Peniscola. Filming also returned to Dubrovnik, Croatia. Filming of the seven episodes of season 7 began on August 31, 2016, at Titanic Studios in Belfast, with other filming in Iceland, Northern Ireland and many locations in Spain, including Seville, Cáceres, Almodovar del Rio, Santiponce, Zumaia and Bermeo. The series also filmed in Dubrovnik, which is used for location of King's Landing. Filming continued until the end of February 2017 as necessary to ensure winter weather in some of the European locations. ===Directing=== Each ten-episode season of ''Game of Thrones'' has four to six directors, who usually direct back-to-back episodes. Alan Taylor has directed seven episodes, the most episodes of the series. Alex Graves, David Nutter, Mark Mylod, and Jeremy Podeswa have directed six each. Daniel Minahan directed five episodes, and Michelle MacLaren, Alik Sakharov, and Miguel Sapochnik directed four each; MacLaren is also the only female director in the entire series' run. Brian Kirk directed three episodes during the first season, and Tim Van Patten directed the series' first two episodes. Neil Marshall directed two episodes, both with large battle scenes: "Blackwater" and "The Watchers on the Wall". Other directors have been Jack Bender, David Petrarca, Daniel Sackheim, Michael Slovis and Matt Shakman. David Benioff and D. B. Weiss have directed two episodes together but only credited one each episode, which was determined after a coin toss. ===Technical aspects=== Alik Sakharov was the pilot's cinematographer. The series has had a number of cinematographers, and has received seven Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series nominations. Oral Norrey Ottey, Frances Parker, Martin Nicholson, Crispin Green, Tim Porter and Katie Weiland have edited the series for a varying number of episodes. Weiland received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series in 2015. ===Costumes=== The costumes of Ygritte, Jon Snow and Tormund Giantsbane reflect the harsh climate in which they are worn. Dresses worn at the royal court in King's Landing indicate their wearers' wealth and status. Functional weapons and armor, like Brienne of Tarth's (left), were manufactured for the series. Michele Clapton was costume designer for ''Game of Thrones'' first five seasons before she was replaced by April Ferry. Clapton returned to the series as costume designer for the seventh season. The costumes used in the series drew inspiration from a number of sources, such as Japanese and Persian armor. Dothraki dress resembles that of the Bedouin (one was made out of fish skins to resemble dragon scales), and the Wildlings wear animal skins like the Inuit. Wildling bone armor is made from molds of actual bones, and is assembled with string and latex resembling catgut. Although the extras who play Wildlings and the Night's Watch often wear hats (normal in a cold climate), members of the principal cast usually do not so viewers can recognize the main characters. Björk's Alexander McQueen high-neckline dresses inspired Margaery Tyrell's funnel-neck outfit, and prostitutes' dresses are designed for easy removal. All clothing used is aged for two weeks so it appears realistic on high-definition television. About two dozen wigs are used for the actresses. Made of human hair and up to in length, they cost up to $7,000 each and are washed and styled like real hair. Applying the wigs is time-consuming; Emilia Clarke, for example, requires about two hours to style her brunette hair with a platinum-blonde wig and braids. Other actors, such as Jack Gleeson and Sophie Turner, receive frequent hair coloring. For characters such as Daenerys (Clarke) and her Dothraki, their hair, wigs and costumes are processed to appear as if they have not been washed for weeks. ===Makeup=== For the first three seasons, Paul Engelen was ''Game of Thrones'' main makeup designer and prosthetic makeup artist with Melissa Lackersteen, Conor O'Sullivan, and Rob Trenton. At the beginning of the fourth season Engelen's team was replaced by Jane Walker and her crew, composed of Ann McEwan and Barrie and Sarah Gower. ===Visual effects=== For the series' large number of visual effects, HBO hired British-based BlueBolt and Irish-based Screen Scene for season one. Most of the environment builds were done as 2.5D projections, giving viewers perspective while keeping the programming from being overwhelming. In 2011, the season-one finale, "Fire and Blood", was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects. Because the effects became more complex in subsequent seasons (including CGI creatures, fire, and water), German-based Pixomondo became the lead visual-effects producer; nine of its twelve facilities contributed to the project for season two, with Stuttgart the lead. Scenes were also produced by British-based Peanut FX, Canadian-based Spin VFX, and US-based Gradient Effects. "Valar Morghulis" and "Valar Dohaeris" earned Pixomondo Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Special Visual Effects in 2012 and 2013, respectively. For season four, HBO added German-based Mackevision to the project. The season-four finale, "The Children", won the 2014 Emmy Award for Visual Effects. Additional producers for season four included Canadian-based Rodeo FX, German-based Scanline VFX and US-based BAKED FX. The muscle and wing movements of the adolescent dragons in seasons four and five were based largely on those of a chicken. Pixomondo retained a team of 22 to 30 people which focused solely on visualizing Daenerys Targaryen's dragons, with the average production time per season of 20 to 22 weeks. For the fifth season, HBO added Canadian-based Image Engine and US-based Crazy Horse Effects to its list of main visual-effects producers. ===Sound=== Unusual for a television series, the sound team receives a rough cut of a full season and approaches it as a ten-hour feature film. Although seasons one and two had different sound teams, one team has been in charge of sound since then. For the series' blood-and-gore sounds, the team often uses a chamois. For dragon screams, mating tortoises, dolphin, seal, lion and bird sounds have been used. ===Title sequence=== The series' title sequence was created by production studio Elastic for HBO. Creative director Angus Wall and his collaborators received the 2011 Primetime Emmy Award for Main Title Design for the sequence, which depicts a three-dimensional map of the series' fictional world. The map is projected on the inside of a sphere which is centrally lit by a small sun in an armillary sphere. As the camera moves across the map, focusing on the locations of the episode's events, clockwork mechanisms intertwine and allow buildings and other structures to emerge from the map. Accompanied by the title music, the names of the principal cast and creative staff appear. The sequence concludes after about 90 seconds with the title card and brief opening credits indicating the episode's writer(s) and director. Its composition changes as the story progresses, with new locations replacing those featuring less prominently or not at all. ===Music=== Ramin Djawadi composed the ''Game of Thrones'' score. The music for the series was composed by Ramin Djawadi. The first season's soundtrack, written in about ten weeks before the premiere, was published by Varèse Sarabande in June 2011. Soundtrack albums for subsequent seasons have been released, with tracks by the National, the Hold Steady, and Sigur Rós. Djawadi has composed themes for each of the major houses and also for some of the main characters. The themes may evolve over time, as Daenerys Targaryen's theme started small and then became more powerful after each season. Her theme started first with a single instrument, a cello, and Djawadi later incorporated more instruments for it. ===Language=== The Westerosi characters of ''Game of Thrones'' speak British-accented English, often (but not consistently) with the accent of the English region corresponding to the character's Westerosi region. The Northerner Eddard Stark speaks in actor Sean Bean's native northern accent, and the southern lord Tywin Lannister speaks with a southern accent, while characters from Dorne speak English with a Spanish accent. Characters foreign to Westeros often have a non-British accent. Although the common language of Westeros is represented as English, the producers charged linguist David J. Peterson with constructing Dothraki and Valyrian languages based on the few words in the novels; Dothraki and Valyrian dialogue is often subtitled in English. It has been reported that during the series these fictional languages have been heard by more people than the Welsh, Irish, and Scots Gaelic languages combined. ===Effect on location=== ''Game of Thrones'' is funded by Northern Ireland Screen, a UK government agency financed by Invest NI and the European Regional Development Fund. , Northern Ireland Screen gave the series £9.25million ($14.37million); according to government estimates, this has benefited the Northern Ireland economy by £65million ($100.95million). Tourism Ireland has a ''Game of Thrones''-themed marketing campaign similar to New Zealand's Tolkien-related advertising. Invest NI and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board also expect the series to generate tourism revenue. According to Arlene Foster, the series has given Northern Ireland the most non-political publicity in its history. The production of ''Game of Thrones'' and other TV series also boosted Northern Ireland's creative industries, contributing to an estimated 12.4-percent growth in arts, entertainment, and recreation jobs between 2008 and 2013 (compared with 4.3percent in the rest of the UK during the same period). In September 2018, after the filming had finished, HBO announced plans to convert its filming locations in Northern Ireland into tourist attractions to be opened in 2019. Tourism organizations elsewhere reported increases in bookings after their locations appeared in ''Game of Thrones''. In 2012, bookings through LateRooms.com increased by 28 percent in Dubrovnik and 13 percent in Iceland. The following year, bookings doubled in Ouarzazate, Morocco (the location of Daenerys' season-three scenes). ''Game of Thrones'' has been attributed as a significant factor in the boom of tourism in Iceland that had a strong impact on its economy. Tourist numbers increased by 30% in 2015, followed by another 40% in 2016, with a final figure of 2.4million visitors expected for 2016, which is around seven times the population of the country. However, the increase in tourism to Dubrovnik, with ''Game of Thrones'' estimated to be responsible for half of its annual increase over many years, had led to concerns on "over-tourism" and its mayor to impose limits on tourist number in the city. ==Availability== ===Broadcast=== ''Game of Thrones'' is broadcast by HBO in the United States and by its local subsidiaries or other pay television services in other countries, at the same time as in the US or weeks (or months) later. The series' broadcast in China on CCTV, begun in 2014, was heavily edited to remove scenes of sex and violence, in accordance with a Chinese practice of censoring Western television series to prevent what the ''People's Daily'' called "negative effects and hidden security dangers". This resulted in viewer complaints about the incoherence of what remained. Broadcasters carrying ''Game of Thrones'' include Showcase in Australia; HBO Canada, Super Écran, and Showcase in Canada; HBO Latin America in Latin America; SoHo and Prime in New Zealand, and Sky Atlantic in the United Kingdom and Ireland. ===Home media=== The ten episodes of the first season of ''Game of Thrones'' were released as a DVD and Blu-ray box set on March 6, 2012. The box set includes extra background and behind-the-scenes material but no deleted scenes, since nearly all the footage shot for the first season was used. The box set sold over 350,000 copies in the first week after release, the largest first-week DVD sales ever for an HBO series, and the series set an HBO-series record for digital-download sales. A collector's-edition box set was released in November 2012, combining the DVD and Blu-ray versions of the first season with the first episode of season two. A paperweight in the shape of a dragon egg is included in the set. DVD-Blu-ray box sets and digital downloads of the second season became available on February 19, 2013. First-day sales broke HBO records, with 241,000 box sets sold and 355,000 episodes downloaded. The third season was made available for purchase as a digital download on the Australian iTunes Store, parallel to the US premiere, and was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on February 18, 2014. The fourth season was released on DVD and Blu-ray on February 17, 2015, and the fifth season on March 15, 2016. The sixth season was released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 15, 2016. The seventh season was released on Blu-ray and DVD on December 12, 2017. Beginning in 2016, HBO began issuing Steelbook Blu-ray sets which include both Dolby TrueHD 7.1 and Dolby Atmos audio options. In 2018, the first season was released in 4K HDR on Ultra HD Blu-ray. ===Copyright infringement=== ''Game of Thrones'' has been widely pirated, primarily outside the US. According to the file-sharing news website TorrentFreak, ''Game of Thrones'' has been the most pirated television series since 2012, which means it has held the record for six years in a row. Illegal downloads increased to about seven million in the first quarter of 2015, up 45 percent from 2014. An unnamed episode was downloaded about 4,280,000 times through public BitTorrent trackers in 2012, roughly equal to its number of broadcast viewers. Piracy rates were particularly high in Australia, and US Ambassador to Australia Jeff Bleich issued a statement condemning Australian piracy of the series in 2013. Delays in availability apart from HBO and its affiliates before 2015 and the cost of subscriptions to these services have been cited as causes of the series' illegal distribution. According to ''TorrentFreak'', a subscription to a service for ''Game of Thrones'' would cost up to $25 per month in the United States, up to £26 per episode in the UK and up to $52 per episode in Australia. For "combating piracy", HBO said in 2013 that it intended to make its content more widely available within a week of the US premiere (including HBO Go). In 2015, the fifth season was simulcast to 170 countries and to HBO Now users. On April 11, the day before the season premiere, screener copies of the first four episodes of the fifth season leaked to a number of file-sharing websites. Within a day of the leak, the files were downloaded over 800,000 times; in one week the illegal downloads reached 32million, with the season-five premiere alone ("The Wars to Come") pirated 13million times. The season-five finale ("Mother's Mercy") was the most simultaneously shared file in the history of the BitTorrent filesharing protocol, with over 250,000 simultaneous sharers and over 1.5million downloads in eight hours. For the sixth season, HBO did not send screeners to the press, to prevent the spread of unlicensed copies and spoilers. Observers, including series director David Petrarca and Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, said that illegal downloads did not hurt the series' prospects; it benefited from "buzz" and social commentary, and the high piracy rate did not significantly translate to lost subscriptions. According to ''Polygon'', HBO's relaxed attitude towards piracy and the sharing of login credentials amounted to a premium-television "free-to-play" model. At a 2015 Oxford Union debate, series co-creator David Benioff said that he was just glad that people watched the series; illegally downloaded episodes sometimes interested viewers enough to buy a copy, especially in countries where ''Game of Thrones'' was not televised. Co-creator D. B. Weiss had mixed feelings, saying that the series was expensive to produce and "if it doesn't make the money back, then it ceases to exist". However, he was pleased that so many people "enjoy the show so much they can't wait to get their hands on it." In 2015, ''Guinness World Records'' called ''Game of Thrones'' the most pirated television program. ===IMAX=== Beginning on January 23, 2015, the last two episodes of season four were shown in 205 IMAX theaters across the United States; ''Game of Thrones'' is the first television series shown in this format. The show earned $686,000 at the box office on its opening day and $1.5million during its opening weekend; the week-long release grossed $1,896,092. ==Reception and achievements== ''Game of Thrones'' was highly anticipated by fans before its premiere, and has become a critical and commercial success. According to ''The Guardian'', by 2014 it was "the biggest drama" and "the most talked about show" on television. A 2015 ''The Hollywood Reporter'' survey of 2,800 actors, producers, directors, and other industry people named ''Game of Thrones'' as their #4 favorite show. ===Cultural influence=== Although ''Game of Thrones'' was dismissed by some critics, its success has been credited with an increase in the popularity of the fantasy genre. On the eve of the second season's premiere, according to CNN, "after this weekend, you may be hard pressed to find someone who isn't a fan of some form of epic fantasy" and cited Ian Bogost as saying that the series continues a trend of successful screen adaptations beginning with Peter Jackson's 2001 ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy and the ''Harry Potter'' films establishing fantasy as a mass-market genre; they are "gateway drugs to fantasy fan culture". The success of the show led to a number of fantasy series being commissioned on television, including a retelling of the ''Lord of the Rings'' by Amazon Studios. According to Neil Gaiman, whose works ''Good Omens'' and ''American Gods'' were adapted for TV, ''Game of Thrones'' did help change attitudes towards fantasy on television, but mainly it made big budgets for fantasy series more acceptable. The success of the genre had been attributed by writers to a longing for escapism in popular culture, frequent female nudity and a skill in balancing lighthearted and serious topics (dragons and politics, for example) which provided it with a prestige enjoyed by conventional, top-tier drama series. The series' popularity increased sales of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels (republished in tie-in editions), which remained at the top of bestseller lists for months. According to ''The Daily Beast'', ''Game of Thrones'' was a favorite of sitcom writers and the series has been referred to in other TV series. With other fantasy series, it has been cited as a reason for an increase in the purchase (and abandonment) of huskies and other wolf-like dogs. ''Game of Thrones'' has added to the popular vocabulary. A first season scene in which Petyr Baelish explains his motives (or background) while prostitutes have sex in the background gave rise to the word "sexposition" for providing exposition with sex and nudity. "Dothraki", the series' nomadic horsemen, was ranked fourth in a September 2012 Global Language Monitor list of words from television most used on the Internet. In 2012, the media used "Game of Thrones" as a figure of speech or comparison for situations of intense conflict and deceit, such as US healthcare politics, the Syrian Civil War and the ousting of Bo Xilai from the Chinese government. In 2019, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift told ''Entertainment Weekly'' that several songs on her 2017 album ''Reputation'' were inspired by characters and plots of ''Game of Thrones''. "Khaleesi" became more popular as a name for baby girls in the United States. In the novels and the TV series, "khaleesi" is not a name, but the title of the wife of a khal (warlord) in the Dothraki language, held by Daenerys Targaryen. ''Game of Thrones'' has also become a subject of scientific inquiry. In 2016, researchers published a paper analyzing emotional sentiment in online public discourse associated with the unfolding storyline during the fourth season. The analysis purported to be able to distinguish discussions about the storyline of an episode from media critiques or assessments of a specific actor's performance. In 2018, Australian scientists conducted a survival analysis and examined the mortality among 330 important characters during the first seven seasons of ''Game of Thrones''. In 2019, the Australian branch of the Red Cross conducted a study using international human rights laws to determine which of the ''Game of Thrones'' characters had committed the most war crimes during the first seven seasons of the show. ===Critical response=== ====General==== Season Critical response Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic 1 90% (40 reviews) 80 (28 reviews) 2 96% (37 reviews) 90 (26 reviews) 3 96% (45 reviews) 91 (25 reviews) 4 97% (44 reviews) 94 (29 reviews) 5 93% (50 reviews) 91 (29 reviews) 6 94% (34 reviews) 73 (9 reviews) 7 93% (51 reviews) 77 (12 reviews) 8 56% (13 reviews) 74 (12 reviews) ''Game of Thrones'', particularly the first seven seasons, received critical acclaim, although the series' frequent use of nudity and violence has been criticized. Its seasons have appeared on annual "best of" lists published by ''The Washington Post'' (2011), ''Time'' (2011 and 2012) and ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (2012). The performances of the cast were praised. Peter Dinklage's "charming, morally ambiguous, and self-aware" Tyrion, who earned him Emmy and Golden Globe awards, was particularly noted. "In many ways, ''Game of Thrones'' belongs to Dinklage", wrote Mary McNamara of the ''Los Angeles Times'' before Tyrion became the series' central figure in season two. Several critics highlighted performances by actresses and children. Fourteen-year-old Maisie Williams, noted in the first season for her debut as Arya Stark, was singled out for her season-two work with veteran actor Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister). Stephen Dillane has received positive reviews for his performance as Stannis Baratheon, especially in the fifth season, with one critic noting "Whether you like Stannis or not, you have to admit that Stephen Dillane delivered a monumental performance this season." The series has a rating of 89 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. First-season reviewers said the series had high production values, a fully realized world and compelling characters. According to ''Variety'', "There may be no show more profitable to its network than 'Game of Thrones' is to HBO. Fully produced by the pay cabler and already a global phenomenon after only one season, the fantasy skein was a gamble that has paid off handsomely". The second season was also well received. ''Entertainment Weekly'' praised its "vivid, vital, and just plain fun" storytelling and, according to ''The Hollywood Reporter'', the series made a "strong case for being one of TV's best series"; its seriousness made it the only drama comparable to ''Mad Men'' or ''Breaking Bad''. ''The New York Times'' gave the series a mixed review, criticizing its number of characters, their lack of complexity and a meandering plot. The third season was extremely well received by critics, with Metacritic giving it a score of 91 out of 100 (indicating "universal acclaim"). The fourth season was similarly praised; Metacritic gave it a score of 94 out of 100 based on 29 reviews, again indicating "universal acclaim". The fifth season was also well received by critics and has a score of 91 out of 100 (based on 29 reviews) on Metacritic. The sixth season was praised by critics, though not as highly as its predecessors. It has a score of 73 on Metacritic (based on nine reviews), indicating "generally favorable reviews". The seventh season scored 77 out of 100 (based on twelve reviews) and was praised for its action sequences and focused central characters, but received criticism for its breakneck pace and plot developments that "defied logic." Darren Franich of ''Entertainment Weekly'' gave the series a 'B' rating, stating that it was ultimately "okay", with both "transcendent moments" and "miserable phases", it was "beloved enough to be criticized by everyone for something". Franich described seasons 3 and 4 as "relentless", seasons 6's ending having a "killer one-two punch", while seasons 7 and 8 were "indifferent". ====Sex and violence==== Despite its otherwise enthusiastic reception by critics, some have criticized the show for the amount of female nudity, violence, and sexual violence it depicts, and for the manner in which it depicts these themes. ''The Atlantic'' called the series' "tendency to ramp up the sex, violence, and—especially—sexual violence" of the source material "the defining weakness" of the adaptation. George R. R. Martin responded that he feels obliged to be truthful about history and human nature, and that rape and sexual violence are common in war; and that omitting them from the narrative would have rung false and undermined one of his novels' themes, its historical realism. HBO said that they "fully support the vision and artistry of Dan and David's exceptional work and we feel this work speaks for itself." The amount of sex and nudity in the series, especially in scenes that are incidental to the plot, was the focus of much of the criticism aimed at the series in its first and second seasons. Stephen Dillane, who portrays Stannis Baratheon, likened the series' frequent explicit scenes to "German porn from the 1970s". Charlie Jane Anders wrote in io9 that while the first season was replete with light-hearted "sexposition", the second season appeared to focus on distasteful, exploitative, and dehumanizing sex with little informational content. According to ''The Washington Post''s Anna Holmes, the nude scenes appeared to be aimed mainly at titillating heterosexual men, right down to the Brazilian waxes sported by the women in the series' faux-medieval setting, which made these scenes alienating to other viewers. ''The Huffington Post''s Maureen Ryan likewise noted that ''Game of Thrones'' mostly presented women naked, rather than men, and that the excess of "random boobage" undercut any aspirations the series might have to address the oppression of women in a feudal society. ''Saturday Night Live'' parodied this aspect of the adaptation in a sketch that portrayed the series as retaining a 13-year-old boy as a consultant whose main concern was showing as many breasts as possible. In the third season, which saw Theon Greyjoy lengthily tortured and eventually emasculated, the series was also criticized for its use of torture. ''New York'' magazine called the scene "torture porn." Madeleine Davies of ''Jezebel'' agreed, saying, "it's not uncommon that ''Game of Thrones'' gets accused of being torture porn—senseless, objectifying violence combined with senseless, objectifying sexual imagery." According to Davies, although the series' violence tended to serve a narrative purpose, Theon's torture in "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" was excessive. A scene in the fourth season's episode "Breaker of Chains", in which Jaime Lannister rapes his sister and lover Cersei, triggered a broad public discussion about the series' depiction of sexual violence against women. According to Dave Itzkoff of ''The New York Times'', the scene caused outrage, in part because of comments by director Alex Graves that the scene became "consensual by the end". Itzkoff also wrote that critics fear that "rape has become so pervasive in the drama that it is almost background noise: a routine and unshocking occurrence". Sonia Saraiya of ''The A.V. Club'' wrote that the series' choice to portray this sexual act, and a similar one between Daenerys Targaryen and Khal Drogo in the first season—both described as consensual in the source novels—as a rape appeared to be an act of "exploitation for shock value". In the fifth season's episode "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken", Sansa Stark is raped by Ramsay Bolton. Most reviewers, including those from ''Vanity Fair'', ''Salon'', ''The Atlantic'', and ''The Daily Beast'', found the scene gratuitous and artistically unnecessary. For example, Joanna Robinson, writing for ''Vanity Fair'', said that the scene "undercuts all the agency that's been growing in Sansa since the end of last season." In contrast, Sara Stewart of the ''New York Post'' wondered why viewers were not similarly upset about the many background and minor characters who'd undergone similar or worse treatment. In response to the scene, pop culture website ''The Mary Sue'' announced that it would cease coverage of the series because of the repeated use of rape as a plot device, and US Senator Claire McCaskill said that she would no longer watch it. As the sixth and seventh seasons saw Daenerys, Sansa, and Cersei assume ruling positions, Alyssa Rosenberg of ''The Washington Post'' noted that the series could be seen as a "long-arc revenge fantasy about what happens when women who have been brutalized and raped gain power"—namely, that their past leaves them too broken to do anything but commit brutal acts in their own turn, and that their personal liberation does not effect the social change needed to protect others from suffering. ''Time'' reported before the seventh season that "Even if Benioff and Weiss don't always admit it, the show has changed. Scenes in which exposition is delivered in one brothel or another, for example, have been pared back". ====Lighting issues==== The lighting, or lack of light, in darker scenes has been a recurring point of criticism since season 6 of the series. In 2016, ''Bustle''s Caitlyn Callegari listed 31 examples of scenes where the lighting caused viewers problems ranging from not being able to tell a character's hair color to not being able to see what was going on. Some reviewers have noted this is part of a wider trend among shows that are made by people who have experience working primarily on films, suggesting they "haven't grasped the nuances (or lack thereof)" of television as a medium, especially the differences between watching a scene on a television screen versus watching it on the big screen in a movie theater. In a 2017 interview, Robert McLachlan, a cinematographer working on the show, explained the lack of lighting as an artistic choice: "we're trying to be as naturalistic as possible". The criticism reached a high point during "The Long Night", the third episode of season 8. Barely minutes into the episode, viewers took to social media sites such as Twitter to express their discontent about the fact that they were having severe difficulties watching the battle and trying to figure out what was going on. ===Fandom=== In this manipulated image published by the White House in 2014, US president Barack Obama (a fan of the series) sits on the Iron Throne in the Oval Office with the king's crown on his lap. The popularity of the show in the country, coupled with its filming locations in Northern Ireland, led to the creation of a show-specific exhibit in the National Wax Museum Plus in Dublin. ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' and ''Game of Thrones'' have a broad, active international fan base. In 2012 ''Vulture.com'' ranked the series' fans as the most devoted in popular culture, more so than Lady Gaga's, Justin Bieber's, ''Harry Potter''s or ''Star Wars''. Fans include political leaders such as former US president Barack Obama, former British prime minister David Cameron, former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard and Dutch foreign minister Frans Timmermans, who framed European politics in quotes from Martin's novels in a 2013 speech. BBC News said in 2013 that "the passion and the extreme devotion of fans" had created a phenomenon unlike anything related to other popular TV series, manifesting itself in fan fiction, ''Game of Thrones''-themed burlesque routines and parents naming their children after series characters; writers quoted attributed this success to the rich detail, moral ambiguity, sexual explicitness and epic scale of the series and novels. The previous year, "Arya" was the fastest-rising girl's name in the US after it jumped in popularity from 711th to 413th place. , about 58 percent of series viewers were male and 42 percent female, and the average male viewer was 41 years old. According to SBS Broadcasting Group marketing director Helen Kellie, ''Game of Thrones'' has a high fan-engagement rate; 5.5 percent of the series' 2.9million Facebook fans talked online about the series in 2012, compared to 1.8percent of the more than ten million fans of ''True Blood'' (HBO's other fantasy series). Vulture.com cited Westeros.org and WinterIsComing.net (news and discussion forums), ToweroftheHand.com (which organizes communal readings of the novels) and Podcastoficeandfire.com as fan sites dedicated to the TV and novel series; and podcasts cover ''Game of Thrones''. ===Awards and accolades=== ''Game of Thrones'' has won numerous of awards since it debuted as a series, including 58 Primetime Emmy Awards, 5 Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Peabody Award; it holds the Emmy-award records for both most wins for a scripted television series, surpassing the record of 37 wins held by ''Frasier'' since 2004, and for most nominations for a drama with 161. In 2013 the Writers Guild of America listed ''Game of Thrones'' as the 40th "best written" series in television history. In 2015 ''The Hollywood Reporter'' placed it at number four on their "best TV shows ever" list, while in 2016 the series was placed seventh on ''Empire'' "The 50 best TV shows ever". The same year ''Rolling Stone'' named it the twelfth "greatest TV Show of all time". The 2011 first season received 13 Emmy nominations (including Outstanding Drama Series), and won for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (given to Peter Dinklage for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister) and Outstanding Main Title Design. Other nominations included Outstanding Directing ("Winter Is Coming") and Outstanding Writing ("Baelor"). Dinklage was also named Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globe, Satellite and Scream Awards. In 2012, the second season received six Emmy Awards from 11 nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Dinklage). The 2013 third season received 16 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Dinklage), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Emilia Clarke), Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (Diana Rigg) and Outstanding Writing ("The Rains of Castamere"), winning two Creative Arts Emmys. In 2014, the fourth season received four Emmys from 19 nominations, which included Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Dinklage), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Lena Headey), Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (Rigg), Outstanding Directing ("The Watchers on the Wall") and Outstanding Writing ("The Children"). The 2015 fifth season won the most Primetime Emmy Awards for a series in a year (12 awards from 24 nominations), including Outstanding Drama Series; other wins included Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Dinklage), Outstanding Directing ("Mother's Mercy") and Outstanding Writing ("Mother's Mercy"), and eight were Creative Arts Emmy Awards. In 2016, the sixth season received the most nominations for the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards (23). It won for Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Directing ("Battle of the Bastards"), Outstanding Writing ("Battle of the Bastards"), and nine Creative Arts Emmys. Nominations included Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Dinklage and Kit Harington), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Clarke, Headey and Maisie Williams), Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Max von Sydow) and Outstanding Directing ("The Door"). In 2018, the seventh season received the most nominations at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards (22). It won for Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Peter Dinklage), and seven Creative Arts Emmys. Nominations included Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Lena Headey), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (Diana Rigg), Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for "The Dragon and the Wolf"), and Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Jeremy Podeswa for "The Dragon and the Wolf" and Alan Taylor for "Beyond the Wall"). In 2019, the final season established a new record for most Emmy nominations received in the same year by any regular series with 32, breaking the 25 years long record previously held by ''NYPD Blue'', which had scored 26 nominations for its first season in 1994. Those nominations included Outstanding Drama Series, three nominations for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series and ten nominations for acting. Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington in the lead acting categories: Alfie Allen, Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Gwendoline Christie, Lena Headey, Sophie Turner, and Maisie Williams in the supporting acting categories; and Carice van Houten in the guest acting category. The series eventually won twelve awards, becoming the first series to win Outstanding Drama Series for an eighth season and tying its own record (previously achieved for season five) for most Emmys won by a series in a single season. It also tied the record for most Outstanding Drama Series wins, becoming the fifth series to reach four wins after ''Hill Street Blues'', ''L.A. Law'', ''The West Wing'', and ''Mad Men''; unlike all the other record holders, which had won for their first four seasons, ''Game of Thrones'' achieved the record with its final four seasons. Peter Dinklage broke the record for most wins in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category with his fourth win for the series; his nomination had also extended his record for most nominations in the category to eight (one for every season of the show). ===Viewer numbers=== The first season averaged 2.5million viewers for its first Sunday-night screenings and a gross audience (including repeats and on-demand viewings) of 9.3million viewers per episode. For its second season, the series had an average gross audience of 11.6million viewers. The third season was seen by 14.2million viewers, making ''Game of Thrones'' the second-most-viewed HBO series (after ''The Sopranos''). For the fourth season, HBO said that its average gross audience of 18.4million viewers (later adjusted to 18.6million) had passed ''The Sopranos'' for the record. By the sixth season the average per-episode gross viewing figure had increased to over 25million, with nearly 40 percent of viewers watching on HBO digital platforms. In 2016, a ''New York Times'' study of the 50 TV shows with the most Facebook likes found that ''Game of Thrones'' was "much more popular in cities than in the countryside, probably the only show involving zombies that is". By season seven, average viewer numbers had increased to 32.8million per episode across all platforms. The series set records on pay-television channels in the United Kingdom (with a 2016 average audience of more than five million on all platforms) and Australia (with a cumulative average audience of 1.2million). ==Other media and products== ===Video games=== The series has inspired several video games based on the TV series and novels. The strategy game ''Game of Thrones Ascent'' ties into the HBO series, making characters and settings available to players as they appear on television. Behaviour Interactive is developing a free-to-play strategy game based on the series for mobile devices. ''Reigns: Game of Thrones'', a spin-off of the ''Reigns'' strategy video game series, is in development by Nerial, published by Devolver Digital, and set to release in October 2018. ===Merchandise and exhibition=== ''Game of Thrones'' merchandise in HBO's New York City store HBO has licensed a variety of merchandise based on ''Game of Thrones'', including games, replica weapons and armor, jewelry, bobblehead dolls by Funko, beer by Ommegang and apparel. High-end merchandise includes a $10,500 Ulysse Nardin wristwatch and a $30,000 resin replica of the Iron Throne. In 2013 and 2014, a traveling exhibition of costumes, props, armor and weapons from the series visited major cities in Europe and the Americas. ===Accompanying material=== ''Thronecast: The Official Guide to Game of Thrones'', a series of podcasts presented by Geoff Lloyd and produced by Koink, has been released on the Sky Atlantic website and the UK iTunes store during the series' run; a new podcast, with analysis and cast interviews, is released after each episode. In 2014 and 2015 HBO commissioned ''Catch the Throne'', two rap albums about the series. A companion book, ''Inside HBO's Game of Thrones'' () by series writer Bryan Cogman, was published on September 27, 2012. The 192-page book, illustrated with concept art and behind-the-scenes photographs, covers the creation of the series' first two seasons and its principal characters and families. ''After the Thrones'' is a live aftershow in which hosts Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan discuss episodes of the series. It airs on HBO Now the Monday after each sixth-season episode. The Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience, a North American 28-city orchestral tour which performed the series' soundtrack with composer Ramin Djawadi, began February 2017 and concluded in April 2017. A second tour occurred in 2018 across cities in Europe and North America. Each season's Blu-ray and DVD set contains several short animated sequences narrated by the cast as their characters as they detail events in the history of Westeros. For the seventh season, this is to include the animated prequel series ''Game of Thrones: Conquest & Rebellion'', illustrated in a different animation style than previous videos. The series focuses on Aegon Targaryen's conquest of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. ===Successor series=== In May 2017, after years of speculation about possible successor series, HBO commissioned Max Borenstein, Jane Goldman, Brian Helgeland, Carly Wray, and Bryan Cogman to develop individual ''Game of Thrones'' successor series; all of the writers were to be working individually with George R. R. Martin, who also co-wrote two of the scripts. D. B. Weiss and David Benioff said that they would not be involved with any of the projects. Martin said that all the concepts under discussion were prequels, although he believes the term "successor show" applies better to these projects, as they are not ''Game of Thrones'' spin-offs in the traditional sense. He ruled out Robert's Rebellion (the overthrow of Daenerys' father by Robert Baratheon) as a possible idea and revealed that some may be set outside Westeros. Later, he stated: "at least two of them are solidly based on material in ''Fire and Blood''." In September 2018, regarding the other four projects, HBO president of programming Casey Bloys said that some of them have been abandoned completely, while others remain as possibilities for the future. In May 2019, Martin stated that two other projects were still in the script stage, but are "edging closer". In April 2019, Cogman confirmed his prequel would not be moving forward. ==== ''Bloodmoon'' ==== On June 8, 2018, HBO commissioned a pilot to a ''Game of Thrones'' prequel series from Goldman as showrunner and Martin as co-creator. The prequel was to take place in the Age of Heroes, a period that begins roughly 10,000 years before the events of ''Game of Thrones''. Notable events of that period include the foundation of powerful Houses, the Long Night when the White Walkers first descended upon Westeros, and the Andal Invasion when the Andals invaded from Essos and conquered most of Westeros. Martin suggested ''The Long Night'' as a title for the series. On May 13, 2019, it was reported that the show had already begun filming in Belfast, under the working title ''Bloodmoon''. S. J. Clarkson was announced to direct and executive produce the pilot, while Naomi Watts was cast as the female lead playing "a charismatic socialite hiding a dark secret." Other series regulars were to include: Josh Whitehouse, Toby Regbo, Ivanno Jeremiah, Georgie Henley, Naomi Ackie, Denise Gough, Jamie Campbell Bower, Sheila Atim, Alex Sharp, Miranda Richardson, Marquis Rodriguez, John Simm, Richard McCabe, John Heffernan, and Dixie Egerickx. In September 2019, Martin claimed the pilot was in post-production but in October 2019, it was announced that HBO had decided to not move forward with Goldman's prequel series. ==== ''House of the Dragon'' ==== In September 2019, Nellie Andreeva of ''Deadline Hollywood'' reported that a second prequel from Martin and Ryan Condal that "tracks the beginning of the end for House Targaryen" was close to receiving a pilot order from HBO; the project is not considered an original sixth script, as it builds upon Cogman's idea from 2017. This prequel, titled ''House of the Dragon'', was picked up straight to series on October 29, 2019. The 10-episode series is to be based on material from ''Fire and Blood'', executive produced by Martin, Vince Gerardis, Condal, and Miguel Sapochnik; the latter two are to be its showrunners as well. ==References== ==External links== * * * *

"'''The Rains of Castamere'''" is a song appearing in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels and in the television series adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. The song's lyrics were written by George R. R. Martin in the original novel, and the tune was composed by Ramin Djawadi in 2011, upon request from the series creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The song appears multiple times throughout the books and show. ==Uses== The song's lyrics first appear in the novel ''A Storm of Swords'', in which "The Rains of Castamere" is sung or mentioned several times. It remembers Tywin Lannister's victory over House Lannister's rebellious vassals of Reyne ("the Reynes of Castamere") and Tarbeck, about 40 years before the events of the novels. The stanza of the song that is reproduced in the novels and adapted for the television series tells of the vassals' defiance – "And who are you, the proud lord said / That I must bow so low?" – and the subsequent obliteration of their houses: "But now the rains weep o'er his hall / With no one there to hear." Late in the novel, the song is performed at the Red Wedding, another massacre of Tywin Lannister's enemies. In the TV series, the tune is first heard when Tyrion Lannister whistles a small part in season 2 episode 1 ("The North Remembers"). In season 2 episode 9, Bronn sings "The Rains of Castamere" with the Lannisters' soldiers. When one of the soldiers asks, "Where'd you learn the Lannister song?", Bronn replies, "Drunk Lannisters." An instrumental version can be heard during Tyrion's speech right after King Joffrey abandons the battlefield in the same episode. The season 2 soundtrack contains a rendition of the song "The Rains of Castamere" by the indie rock band The National, sung by their vocalist Matt Berninger. On the published track list, the title is spelled "The Rains of Castomere" rather than "Castamere" as in the novels. The spelling is corrected on the printed listing on the liner notes that come with the disc. The song is also played over the end credits of the season 2 episode 9, "Blackwater". In season 3, an instrumental version of "The Rains of Castamere" plays over the end credits in episode 7, "The Bear and the Maiden Fair". In episode 9 of season 3, also titled "The Rains of Castamere", an instrumental version of the song is played by the musicians at the Red Wedding. In episode 2 of season 4 ("The Lion and the Rose"), the Icelandic band Sigur Rós makes a cameo appearance as musicians performing their rendition of "The Rains of Castamere" at Joffrey and Margaery's wedding. Joffrey stops them midway by throwing coins at them. Their version also plays over the closing credits of this episode. An orchestral rendition of the tune appears as House Lannister's theme throughout seasons 3 and 4, available in the soundtrack as "A Lannister Always Pays His Debts". ==Credits and personnel== Personnel adapted from the album liner notes. * The National – band, primary artist * Ramin Djawadi – composer, primary artist, producer * David Benioff – liner notes * D.B. Weiss – liner notes * George R.R. Martin – lyricist == Chart positions == Chart (2014) Peak position French Singles Sales Chart (SNEP) ''Sigur Rós version'' 132 ==See also== *''Game of Thrones'' Theme *Music of ''Game of Thrones'' ==References==

'''Tommen Baratheon''' 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'', Tommen Baratheon is the youngest son of Cersei Lannister from the kingdom of Westeros. He subsequently appeared in Martin's ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998), ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005) and ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011). After the unexpected death of his brother Joffrey Baratheon, he is crowned King of the Seven Kingdoms, although he soon falls under the warring influences of his mother Cersei and wife Margaery. Tommen Baratheon is portrayed by Callum Wharry and Dean-Charles Chapman in the HBO television adaptation. == Character description == Prince Tommen Baratheon is the younger brother of Joffrey and Princess Myrcella and is second in line for the throne. Tommen is Queen Cersei Lannister's youngest son and, like his siblings, he is also the son of Cersei's brother Jaime Lannister, but he is unaware of this, as he believes Robert Baratheon to be his father. Tommen is described as handsome and sweet-natured but weak-willed. Many characters in the narrative believe he would make a better, and more pliant, king than his brother Joffrey. He loves his kittens, and keeps several in both the novels and television show. Tommen is seven years old at the beginning of ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996). Tommen Baratheon is not a point of view character in the novels, so his actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other people, such as his mother Cersei Lannister, his uncle Tyrion Lannister, and Sansa Stark. Tommen is mostly a background character in the novels. ==Storylines== After King Joffrey's death in ''A Storm of Swords'', Tommen is crowned and marries Joffrey's young widow, Margaery Tyrell. Tommen is a submissive child and, as a result, does everything that is asked of him. Thus, Cersei uses him to rule as she likes, though Margaery also begins to manipulate him into resisting his mother. ==TV adaptation== second season. Young actor Callum Wharry portrayed Tommen in the first and second season and was then recast with Dean-Charles Chapman from the fourth season onwards. ===Season 2=== When Myrcella was shipped off to Dorne as part of a marriage alliance with the Lannisters, Tommen wept when his sister left, for which Joffrey chastised him. During the battle of the Blackwater, Cersei was prepared to give him nightshade drops for a quick painless death rather than brutality, until Tywin announced that they won the battle. ===Season 4=== Tommen is present at Joffrey and Margaery's wedding. He also attended Joffrey's funeral, after which Tywin uses a rhetorical dialectic to counsel Tommen on wisdom, the duties of a king and his marriage, ignoring Cersei's angry glares. Margaery visits Tommen (and his pet cat, Ser Pounce) one night. Discussing Joffrey's cruelties to them, helps he and Margaery to bond. Tommen agrees that he'd like Margaery to secretly visit him again. The older and much less naive Margaery departs, kissing his forehead. A ceremony is held in the Red Keep where the high septon officially crowns Tommen as king. At Tyrion's trial Tommen recuses himself from the trial, possibly on Tywin's advice. ===Season 5=== During the wake of his deceased grandfather, Tommen is approached by Margaery, who shares a few close words with him and holds his hand briefly. All of this is observed by Cersei from afar. Tommen and Margaery later marry and consummate that same night, whereupon Margaery begins to manipulate Tommen to send Cersei back to Casterly Rock. When he does, Cersei immediately begins scheming to get rid of the Tyrells through the High Sparrow and Faith Militant by arranging them to arrest Loras Tyrell for his homosexuality and Margaery for her knowledge of this. However, Cersei's plan backfires and she is also arrested. Tommen falls into a depression, refusing to eat. ===Season 6=== Tommen confines Cersei to the Red Keep after her release, in order to protect her from the Faith Militant. However, Tommen is eventually manipulated by the High Sparrow to forge an alliance with the Faith. He also abolishes trial by combat, replacing it with trial by seven septons. Rather than attend her trial, Cersei detonates a cache of wildfire beneath the Sept of Baelor, killing the High Sparrow and Margaery in the explosion. Tommen is barred in his quarters by Ser Gregor Clegane and witnesses the explosion from his window. After a servant informs him of Margaery's death, he commits suicide by jumping from the Red Keep. Cersei orders him cremated and assumes his title as ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. == Family tree == ==References==

'''Myrcella Baratheon''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. Myrcella's character, development and her interactions and impact differ greatly between the two genres. Introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', Myrcella is the only daughter of Cersei Lannister from the kingdom of Westeros. She subsequently appeared in Martin's ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998) and ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005). Myrcella is portrayed by Irish actress Aimee Richardson in the first two seasons of the HBO television adaptation, while English actress Nell Tiger Free portrays her in the show's fifth and sixth seasons. ==Character== Since Myrcella Baratheon is not a point of view character in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', the reader learns about her through other characters' perspectives, such as her uncle Tyrion Lannister. She is a background character in the books. ==Storylines== ===''A Game of Thrones''=== Coat of arms of House BaratheonMyrcella is introduced in ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996) as the only daughter of Queen Cersei Lannister and King Robert Baratheon. In her first appearance, she accompanies her parents, her two brothers (Joffrey and Tommen Baratheon), and her two "uncles" (Tyrion and Jaime Lannister) to Winterfell where Robert asks Eddard Stark to be appointed as Hand of the King. She is later shown attending the tournament to celebrate Eddard's inauguration into his position. While investigating Jon Arryn's death, Eddard discovers that Myrcella and her brothers are the products of an incestuous affair between Cersei and Jaime. ===A Clash of Kings=== In 1998's ''A Clash of Kings'', Myrcella attends Joffrey's nameday as King. She greets her uncle Tyrion and tells him that she is glad that the rumors of his death were false. During the War of the Five Kings, Tyrion makes plans to forge an alliance with House Martell of Dorne by having Myrcella wed to Trystane Martell, the son of the current ruler of Dorne, but part of the arrangement involved sending her to Dorne to live in the Martell household. ===A Feast for Crows=== During ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), Trystane's sister Arianne Martell plans to crown Myrcella as Robert's heir instead of Tommen, hoping to incite the Dornishmen to rebel against the Lannisters to seat her on the Iron Throne. However, Doran Martell has been tipped off to the conspiracy and his men ambush Arianne's party as they attempt to sail up the Greenblood. In the ensuing confrontation, one of Arianne's co-conspirators, Ser Gerold "Darkstar" Dayne, attempts to kill Myrcella; although unsuccessful, he cuts off one of her ears and leaves her scarred. ===A Dance with Dragons=== In ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011), Myrcella travels back to King's Landing with Nymeria Sand. ==TV adaptation== === Overview === In the HBO television adaptation, Aimee Richardson portrayed Myrcella for the first two seasons. Initially cast as a stand-in, Richardson impressed the crew enough to be kept as a full cast member; she appeared in eight episodes. Nell Tiger Free played Myrcella for the seasons five and six. Prior to her audition, Free had never seen the show; when talking about the role, she said: "I mean, it’s every kids dream to play a princess and the dresses were fantastic." Richardson learned about the recasting at the San Diego Comic-Con; in response, she posted a Vine video in which she wore a crown and held a sign saying "Princess for Hire". An explanation was not given for the change in actors. Mycella's fate was one of several differences between how the television show and the novels represented the Sand Snakes and Dorne. Her death scene was originally longer with parallels to Joffrey's death; it would have involved her head exploding and gore splattered throughout the set. Discussing these changes, Free said: "David Benioff and D. B. Weiss wanted Myrcella’s death to reflect her life, and wanted it to be sweet – which is rare for Game of Thrones." ''Esquire'''s Matt Miller wrote that the final version was tamer in comparison to other characters' deaths. Free appeared in six episodes of the show. ===Storylines=== ==== Season 1 and 2 ==== Myrcella's storyline in the first two seasons follows the books. Myrcellla makes her debut, looking "like a Disney Princess" as she arrives with the Lanisters at Winterfell in the series premiere. She is later seen along with her brother Tommen at Joffrey's nameday. Tyrion later sends her off to Dorne to marry into House Martell, so that House Lannister can gain an alliance with them. ====Season 5 and 6==== Myrcella (now much older) is seen walking through the Water Gardens with Trystane, with whom she has fallen in love, while being watched by Ellaria Sand and Prince Doran Martell. Ellaria, furious about Oberyn's death, offers to torture Myrcella and send pieces of her back to take revenge on Cersei, whom she feels is responsible for orchestrating Tyrion's show trial which led to the trial by combat that took Oberyn's life, but Doran refuses to harm her. Myrcella is surprised when her "uncle" Jaime Lannister and Bronn finally meet her as she is with Trystane in the gardens. She is upset after Bronn is forced to knock Trystane unconscious, and resists Jaime's urging to leave with him. The Sand Snakes make a sudden ambush in order to kidnap her. She is nearly taken hostage by Nymeria, but the conflict is interrupted after Areo Hotah arrives with a dozen Dornish guards, imprisoning Jaime, Bronn, the Sand Snakes and Ellaria. Myrcella visits Jaime while he is in custody. Jaime tells her that about the situation with Ellaria. He tells her that he needs to take her home to King's Landing. Myrcella, failing to understand, assures him that Dorne is her home now, and that she will stay and marry Trystane. However, her marriage to Trystane never happens as she is poisoned by Ellaria and the Sand Snakes just before she leaves Dorne with Jamie and Bronn. As she's sailing away towards Kings Landing, she dies in Jaime's arms moments after acknowledging him as her father. In Season 6, Episode 2, her body returns home to King's Landing shortly after her death, and her corpse. complete with stones over her eyes, is later seen in the Great Sept of Baelor. == Family tree == ==References== ===Notes=== ===Citations===

'''''Game of Thrones'' Live Concert Experience''' is the concert tour by the HBO epic fantasy series ''Game of Thrones'' featuring composer Ramin Djawadi. The all-arena tour was announced on August 8, 2016 at an intimate concert in Los Angeles, California. The tour consists of 24 dates in cities across the United States and Canada. The tour's title, "Music Is Coming" is in reference to House Stark motto, "Winter is Coming." The concert started on February 20, 2017 in Saint Paul, Minnesota and ended April 2 in Portland, Oregon. A world tour was announced in September 2017. It started in May 2018 in Madrid and ended in October in Toronto. A third tour in North America started on September 5, 2019 finishing on October 5, 2019. ==Background== On August 8, 2016, composer Ramin Djawadi announced the ''Game of Thrones'' Live Concert Experience Tour at an event at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles with Isaac Hempstead Wright, who plays Bran Stark in the series. The tour started in Saint Paul, Minnesota and concluded in Portland, Oregon. The tour consisted of 24 cities across the United States, with additional stops in Toronto, Ontario and Montreal, Quebec in Canada. The tour featured the show's composer, Ramin Djawadi, conducting an 80-piece orchestra and choir, which performed highlights from the series' musical score, on a 360-degree stage. In addition, LED telescoping and wall screens, and special 3D designs, rose from the stage floor. Instruments were specially created for the tour, such as a 14-foot Wildling horn played during the Wildling attack on the Wall section. We really want to summarize the show the best we can, There's a lot of different locations and events to cover. If you come and watch this concert, you really get a nice summary and a nice look back on the past seasons. The one I'm really excited about is 'Light of the Seven,' which was such a great surprise to the viewers, because it's the first time we're using piano, Besides the orchestra and the choir, we will have the piano and that piece to play. That'll be really great live. - Ramin Djawadi In an interview, Djawadi talked about the tour, saying, "I'm going through the music to adapt it more for a live performance, and I might have a vocalist on a piece that didn't have one before, or lengthen another piece, I'm not bound to the picture anymore, so I can let the music tell its own story, and be creative about it." ==Stage== A weirwood tree is formed on the stage during the concert The concert contained multiple stages and the main stage (King's Landing stage), and featured Djawadi as conductor with the orchestra and choir. On the other side of the stage (Winterfell stage) were another choir and more soloists. In between those stages were four smaller stages, with each being named after different locations from the world of ''Game of Thrones''. There was also a runway between the two main stages, that was also a location. == Setlist == This setlist was performed at the 6 October 2018 concert held at Allstate Arena in Rosemont. It does not represent all shows throughout the tour. '''First Set''' # Game of Thrones Theme # House Themes: Medley # Goodbye Brother # Love in the Eyes # Finale # The Red Woman # Wildfire # The Rains of Castamere # The Lannisters Send Their Regards # Whitewalkers # You Know Nothing # Needle # Dracarys # Mhysa '''Second Set''' # The Children # High Sparrow # Atonement # Reign # My Watch Has Ended # Hold the Door # Let's Play a Game # Bastard # Trust Each Other # Light of the Seven # The Winds of Winter # Home # I Am the Storm # The Queen's Justice # The Spoils of War # Truth # Winter is Here # The Army of the Dead '''Encore''' # Game of Thrones Theme ==Shows== Ramin Djawadi is the composer of the ''Game of Thrones'' score ===Dates performed=== + List of concerts, showing date, city, country, venue, tickets sold, amount of available tickets, and gross revenue Date City Country Venue Attendance/Capacity Revenue Leg 1 – North America February 20, 2017 Saint Paul United States Xcel Energy Center — — February 22, 2017 Chicago United Center 7,470 / 11,427 $528,197 February 23, 2017 Columbus Nationwide Arena — — February 25, 2017 Uncasville Mohegan Sun Arena 7,430 / 7,463 $484,925 February 26, 2017 Philadelphia Wells Fargo Center 9,967 / 18,126 $596,907 March 1, 2017 Washington, D.C. Verizon Center — — March 3, 2017 Montreal Canada Bell Centre 8,374 / 10,166 $548,767 March 4, 2017 Toronto Air Canada Centre — — March 6, 2017 Boston United States TD Garden 8,851 / 15,308 $591,156 March 7, 2017 New York City Madison Square Garden 14,633 / 17,046 $1,237,251 March 9, 2017 Charlotte Spectrum Center 4,290 / 6,953 $268,614 March 11, 2017 Sunrise BB&T Center 6,582 / 10,911 $420,052 March 12, 2017 Tampa Amalie Arena 5,856 / 9,559 $370,569 March 14, 2017 Atlanta Philips Arena — — March 16, 2017 San Antonio AT&T Center 4,350 / 7,647 $293,448 March 17, 2017 Houston Toyota Center 7,084 / 9,573 $488,091 March 19, 2017 Denver Pepsi Center 6,158 / 10,608 $401,350 March 23, 2017 Inglewood The Forum 13,529 / 15,782 $1,058,872 March 25, 2017 Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena 4,783 / 7,321 $328,286 March 26, 2017 Phoenix Talking Stick Resort Arena 5,670 / 14,782 $341,607 March 29, 2017 San Jose SAP Center 11,249 / 16,492 $910,206 March 31, 2017 Seattle KeyArena 9,014 / 14,092 $579,469 April 1, 2017 Vancouver Canada Rogers Arena — — April 2, 2017 Portland United States Moda Center — — Leg 2 – Europe May 8, 2018 Madrid Spain WiZink Center — — May 10, 2018 Barcelona Palau Sant Jordi — — May 12, 2018 Paris France AccorHotels Arena — — May 14, 2018 Berlin Germany Mercedes-Benz Arena — — May 15, 2018 Łódź Poland Atlas Arena — — May 16, 2018 Prague Czech Republic O2 Arena — — May 18, 2018 Budapest Hungary Budapest Sports Arena — — May 19, 2018 Vienna Austria Wiener Stadthalle — — May 21, 2018 Amsterdam Netherlands Ziggo Dome — — May 22, 2018 Antwerp Belgium Sportpaleis — — May 24, 2018 Dublin Ireland 3Arena — — May 25, 2018 Belfast Northern Ireland The SSE Arena — — May 27, 2018 London England Wembley Arena — — May 29, 2018 Hamburg Germany Barclaycard Arena — — May 31, 2018 Stockholm Sweden Ericsson Globe — — June 1, 2018 Copenhagen Denmark Royal Arena — — June 4, 2018 Munich Germany Olympiahalle — — June 5, 2018 Zürich Switzerland Hallenstadion 6,557 / 9,500 $615,854 June 7, 2018 Frankfurt Germany Festhalle Frankfurt — — June 8, 2018 Cologne Lanxess Arena — — June 11, 2018 Glasgow Scotland SSE Hydro June 12, 2018 Manchester England Manchester Arena June 14, 2018 London Wembley Arena Leg 3 – North America September 6, 2018 Seattle United States KeyArena — — September 8, 2018 San Jose SAP Center — — September 9, 2018 Inglewood The Forum — — September 11, 2018 San Diego Viejas Arena — — September 12, 2018 Glendale Gila River Arena — — September 14, 2018 Denver Pepsi Center — — September 16, 2018 Dallas American Airlines Center — — September 17, 2018 Houston Toyota Center — — September 18, 2018 Austin Frank Erwin Center — — September 21, 2018 Tampa Amalie Arena — — September 22, 2018 Sunrise BB&T Center — — September 25, 2018 Washington, D.C. Capital One Arena — — September 26, 2018 Newark Prudential Center — — September 28, 2018 Uncasville Mohegan Sun Arena — — September 29, 2018 Worcester DCU Center — — October 2, 2018 Philadelphia Wells Fargo Center — — October 3, 2018 New York City Madison Square Garden — — October 5, 2018 St. Louis Enterprise Center — — October 6, 2018 Rosemont Allstate Arena — — October 9, 2018 Detroit Little Caesars Arena — — October 10, 2018 Columbus Scottenstein Center — — October 12, 2018 Montreal Canada Bell Centre — — October 14, 2018 Toronto Scotiabank Arena — — '''Total''' — — ===Dates cancelled=== + List of cancelled concerts, showing date, city, country, venue and reason for cancellation Date City Country Venue Reason February 15, 2017 Kansas City United States Sprint Center Unknown reason February 20, 2017 Auburn Hills Palace of Auburn Hills February 23, 2017 Buffalo KeyBank Center March 21, 2017 West Valley City Maverik Center September 5, 2018 Vancouver Canada Rogers Arena September 30, 2018 University Park United States Bryce Jordan Center == Reception == The concert has received positive reviews. ==See also== * Music of ''Game of Thrones'' ==References== ==External links== * – official Live Nation tour site * - official concert site

'''''Game of Thrones: Season 1''''' is the soundtrack album for the first season of HBO series ''Game of Thrones''. Composed by Ramin Djawadi, it was released on June 14, 2011 for digital download and on CD. Djawadi accepted the task 10 weeks before the show premiered, after Stephen Warbeck left the project. The soundtrack has received neutral to favorable reviews and peaked at #17 on the U.S. Soundtrack Albums chart. It was nominated for International Film Music Critics Association for "Best Original Score for a Television Series". ==Production and release== The soundtrack to ''Game of Thrones'' was originally to be composed by Stephen Warbeck. On February 2, 2011, only ten weeks prior to the show's premiere, it was reported that Warbeck had left the project and Ramin Djawadi had been commissioned to write the music instead. The music supervisor of Game Of Thrones Evyen Klean first suggested Djawadi to showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss as the replacement for Warbeck, and although Djawadi was reluctant as he had other commitments at that time, they managed to persuade him to accept the project. The producers asked Djawadi to give the series its own distinctive musical identity by avoiding certain musical elements such as flutes or solo vocals previously used successfully by other major fantasy productions. He mentioned that a challenge in scoring the series was its reliance on dialogue and its sprawling cast: on several occasions already-scored music had to be omitted so as not to get in the way of dialogue. Djawadi also evolved the themes with the characters, noting in a 2017 interview that Daenerys' theme "initially plays on a couple of instruments on top of the Dothraki music. It’s almost like it doesn’t have its own identity yet. It sets itself apart during the finale of Season 1 when the dragon eggs hatch." Djawadi said that he was inspired to write the main title music by an early version of the series's computer-animated title sequence. The theme would be repeated all through the series, particularly at important scenes. Many of the recordings were done by solo musicians, while the larger pieces are recorded with a full orchestra and a choir in Prague. The recordings were done with Djawadi communicating with the musicians in Prague over the internet. The album was made available for download on iTunes on June 14, 2011, together with a "digital booklet". It was released on CD on June 28, 2011, 41 days after the show's premiere. It was later released as a 2 LP double album, and in 2016 re-released in picture disc format by Newbury Comics. ==Reception== Richard Buxton of ''Tracksounds'' wrote an ambivalent review, calling the album a "valiant effort" and Djawadi's "most consistently satisfying work to date". The soundtrack also received a score of 4.5/5 from Heather Phares of AllMusic. Jørn Tillnes, writing for Soundtrack Geek, highlighted the opening theme as "one of the better main themes for any television series out there. It is epic and massive, and that theme is just something you give yourself up to. It’s that good and can’t be missed." Jonathan Weilbaecher praises the soundtrack as doing "a supreme job mixing emotion with epic, a trick that even the very best have a hard time with." ==Track listing== ==Credits and personnel== Personnel adapted from the album liner notes. * David Benioff – liner notes * Brandon Campbell – technical score advisor * Ramin Djawadi – composer, primary artist, producer * Patricia Sullivan Fourstar – mastering * Evyen J. Klean – music supervisor * Dave Klotz – music editor * Robin Quinn – music editor * Bobby Tahouri – additional music * Robert Townson – executive producer * D.B. Weiss – liner notes ==Charts== Chart (2011) Peak position US Soundtrack Albums (''Billboard'') 17 ==Awards and nominations== Year Award Category Result 2011 International Film Music Critics Association Best Original Score for a Television Series ==References==

The soundtrack album for the second season of HBO series ''Game of Thrones'', titled '''''Game of Thrones: Season 2''''', was published on June 19, 2012. The instrumental music by Ramin Djawadi was performed by the Czech Film Orchestra and Choir and recorded at the Rudolfinum concert hall in Prague. ==Reception== The soundtrack received mostly positive reviews. ''Tracksounds''s review was again mixed, describing the score as little more than adequate. Noting a lack of thematic development or dramatic momentum, the reviewer nonetheless appreciated the score's more subdued moments, which he considered less forced than the rest of the track. ==Track listing== ==Credits and personnel== Personnel adapted from the album liner notes. * David Benioff – liner notes * Brandon Campbell – technical score advisor * Ramin Djawadi – composer, primary artist, producer * Dave Klotz – music editor * Matt Berninger – producer * Pavel Ciboch – copyist * Stephen Coleman – orchestration * Czech Film Chorus – choir/chorus * Czech Film Orchestra – orchestra * Aaron Dessner – producer * Patricia Sullivan Fourstar – mastering * Evyen J. Klean – music supervisor, producer * D.B. Weiss – liner notes * Janet Lopez – music coordinator * George R.R. Martin – lyricist * The National – band, primary artist * Zdenka Pelikanova – music contractor * Robert Townson – executive producer * Catherine Wilson – technical score advisor ==Awards and nominations== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2012 ASCAP Awards Top Television Series ==References==

'''Gilly''' 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 1998's ''A Clash of Kings'', she is a wildling from the wild lands north of the Wall who is befriended by Samwell Tarly and Jon Snow. She subsequently appeared in Martin's ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005), ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011), and will appear in the upcoming novel ''The Winds of Winter''. Gilly is portrayed by Hannah Murray in the HBO television adaptation. ==Character description== Gilly is a wildling girl, daughter and wife of Craster. She is in her late teens, has brown eyes and is estimated to be around 15 or 16 years old when she first appears in the novel. Gilly is not a point of view character in the novels, so her actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other people, such as Samwell Tarly and Jon Snow. ==Storylines== On Jeor Mormont's ranging, the Night's Watch stops at Craster's Keep, where Gilly encounters and befriends Samwell Tarly. After the Night's Watch regroups at Craster's Keep, Gilly gives birth to a son. Craster is killed before he can sacrifice the child, and in the confusion Gilly flees south with Samwell. In ''A Feast for Crows'', she is sent South aboard a ship to Oldtown with Samwell, ostensibly with her child; in truth Jon Snow swapped her child with that of Mance Rayder, to spare the innocent child from Melisandre's flames on account of his king's blood. ==TV adaptation== Hannah Murray plays the role of Gilly in the television series. Gilly is played by English actress Hannah Murray in the television adaption of the series of books. In an interview, Murray spoke about Gilly's relationship with Sam. Murray stated, "A big thing that connects them is having horrible fathers. We haven't seen Sam's father, but we know about that in a different way from Gilly, Sam was abused as well." She continued, "She knows that he loves her and she definitely loves him, but she's not someone who can process her emotions very well or has a sophisticated language for them. I've thought for a long time that they are like this little, unconventional family. He loves the baby as much as she does. John has said, 'Sam couldn't love it any more if it was his own.'" In another interview, Murray spoke about her fellow castmember John Bradley, who plays her lover Sam and also about other castmembers on the show, saying "I’m really good friends with John, and I also have friends who I was friends with before we started the show. I did Skins with Joe Dempsie. My friend Jacob Anderson plays Grey Worm — we used to live together. We shared a flat with another actor. I think we were still living together when Jacob got the part, and I was so happy he was going to join." ====Season 2==== A young wildling girl who lives north of the Wall, Gilly is one of many daughters of Craster, a wildling who takes all his daughters as wives once they grow up into women. She has a son with her father Craster. Samwell falls for her and becomes protective of her. ====Season 3==== After Craster is killed and Commander Mormont's rangers turn on each other, Samwell runs with Gilly and her son to Castle Black. Along their journey, Gilly becomes fascinated with Samwell over his knowledge and his bravery of defending her son from a White Walker. After the three of them manage to reach Castle Black, Maester Aemon allows Gilly and her son to stay with them. In gratitude for Samwell helping them, Gilly names her son after Sam. ====Season 4==== Gilly settles in a nearby inn close to Castle Black, with Sam's assistance. The Inn is later attacked by wildlings, but Gilly hides with her son. They are found by Ygritte, who spares them. They make it back to Castle Black safely, where Sam hides them in the food storage, and kisses Gilly for the first time in case he dies. She is also visibly surprised when Janos Slynt hides in the food storage as well. Gilly remains unharmed throughout the battle, and reunites with Sam in the aftermath. ====Season 5==== She expresses concern of being sent away or executed if Ser Alliser Thorne becomes the new Lord Commander. She is later present at Mance Rayder's execution. Gilly has begun to learn letters from Princess Shireen Baratheon, with Samwell watching over the two. Gilly also reveals to Shireen that she had sisters that also had Greyscale, but they were quarantined away from the other women at Craster's Keep and eventually succumbed to the disease. After Maester Aemon's death, during Jon's absence in Hardhome, she is almost sexually assaulted by two members of the Watch, but is saved by Sam and Ghost, after which she willingly makes love to him. She and her baby later leave Castle Black for Oldtown with Sam on Jon Snow's orders. ====Season 6==== Along the way, they stop at Horn Hill, where Sam initially intends to leave Gilly and the baby with his family, but despite Randyll Tarly allowing them to stay, Sam decides to take them with him to the Citadel in Oldtown. In the sixth-season finale, they arrive. ====Season 7==== While Sam is in the Citadel in Oldtown, trying to know more about how to defeat the White Walkers, she stays with him. While he is transcribing papers in his quarters, Gilly discovers that Rhaegar Targaryen (which she mispronounced as "Ragger") had his marriage to Elia Martell annulled and married another woman in secret, but Sam does not realize the significance of this information due to the mispronounciation. Later, because Gilly is tired of not being taken seriously, she and her baby leave Oldtown with Sam. ====Season 8==== When Sam and Gilly arrive at Winterfell in the season finale, Sam reveals the information to Bran Stark, allowing the latter to piece together the truth that Jon Snow (the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna) is not a bastard, but a legitimate heir to the Iron Throne. Gilly works with Davos Seaworth to prepare Winterfell's women and children to shelter in the crypts during the battle against the Army of the Dead. Gilly survives the battle. When Gilly and Sam leave Winterfell, Gilly is pregnant. ===Recognition and awards=== Year Award Category Result 2014 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 2016 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series == References ==

'''Tormund Giantsbane''' 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 2000's ''A Storm of Swords'', he is a renowned wildling leader and chief lieutenant of Mance Rayder, the King-Beyond-The-Wall. He subsequently appeared in Martin's ''A Dance with Dragons''. Although initially antagonistic towards Jon Snow and the Night's Watch, he later proves to be a crucial ally in their fight against the White Walkers. Tormund Giantsbane is portrayed by Norwegian actor Kristofer Hivju in the HBO television adaptation, for which he has received positive reviews. == Character == Tormund, better known as Tormund Giantsbane or Tormund Thunderfist, is a famous wildling raider. On his massive arms he wears golden bands engraved with runes of the First Men, which have been passed down by his forefathers. Tormund is armored with heavy ringmail taken from a dead Night's Watch ranger. Like most of the wildlings, he is illiterate. He has four sons: Toregg, Torwynd, Dryn and Dormund; and one daughter, Munda. The often jovial Tormund enjoys food and drink, especially ale and mead, and likes cracking dick jokes. He is styled Tall-talker, Horn-blower and Breaker of Ice, Husband to Bears, the Mead-king of Ruddy Hall, Speaker to Gods and Father of Hosts. Mance Rayder named him Horn-blower for the power of Tormund's lungs, as it is said that Tormund can laugh the snow off mountaintops. Although Tormund is said to have slain a giant, he claims to have actually cut open the belly of a sleeping giantess and slept in her for warmth during a winter storm. Tormund claims the giantess, thinking he was a babe, then suckled him for three months in the spring. Tormund also claims to once have drunkenly slept with a bear. Tormund once thought to make himself King-Beyond-the-Wall, but he was defeated by Mance Rayder. He distrusts the men of the Frozen Shore. == Storylines == ===In the books=== Tormund is not a point of view character in the novels, so his actions are witnessed and interpreted exclusively through the eyes of Jon Snow. ==== ''A Storm of Swords'' ==== When Jon Snow gets captured, Tormund is among those gathered in Mance Rayder's tent when Jon is presented to Mance. Jon is later attached to Tormund's war party, with Ygritte and Longspear Ryk joining as well. Tormund is friendly towards Jon, and Jon grows quite fond of him despite the distrust. Tormund joins in the singing of "The Last of the Giants", and advises Jon to sleep with Ygritte. During the battle beneath the Wall, Jon sees Tormund and two of his sons near a siege turtle. When Jon goes to treat with Mance for the Night's Watch, Tormund is the first to greet him. He brings Jon to Mance's tent and defends Jon's right to speak, and during the negotiation Mance threatens to have Tormund blow the Horn of Winter to bring down the Wall. When Stannis Baratheon attacks the wildlings, Tormund leads a triple line of spearmen but are flanked and routed by Stannis's knights. Tormund escapes capture but his son Dormund is killed by Ser Richard Horpe. ==== ''A Dance with Dragons'' ==== With Mance a captive at Castle Black, Tormund becomes the leader of many free folk beyond the Wall. He is forced to kill one of his sons, Torwynd, who dies from a chill and later rises as a wight. Tormund's daughter Munda marries Longspear Ryk, much to his chagrin. Jon Snow, now Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, and other officers expect that Tormund will besiege the undermanned Wall again. Jon sends Mance Rayder's sister-in-law Val to find Tormund and bring an offer of peace to him, who agrees to the terms and goes to the Wall. The free folk do not like the terms offered by the Night's Watch, but with attacks of the Others constantly decimating their numbers and their people's suffering only increasing, they consent to the terms. Tormund claims there are four thousand who follow him. Tormund has the free folk hand over their wealth and belonging to the Watch, along with a son as a hostage from their chiefs, which Tormund calls as Jon's "blood price". He is the first of the free folks to hand over his wealth, giving over his gold wristbands. Jon states he may keep them if he wishes, but Tormund refuses; he will not let it be said he made the rest of his people give up their wealth while he kept his. The peace means free folk warriors will garrison the abandoned castles along the Wall to help the Night's Watch defend it from the Others, while the non-martial free folk will be settled on the Gift and the New Gift. Jon re-garrisons Oakenshield as Tormund's seat, and takes Tormund's son Dryn as his page. Another son, Toregg, burns the dead to prevent them from becoming wights. When Cotter Pyke' Eastwatch fleet report back desperate situations at Hardhome, Jon asks Tormund to march with him on land to rescue the stranded people. However, Jon changes his plans when he receives a threatening letter from Ramsay Bolton, and calls for volunteers to march with him to Winterfell and confront Ramsay. After hearing the letter's contents, Tormund agrees to lead the ranging to Hardhome in Jon's stead. However, after the meeting, Jon is attacked and stabbed by mutineers led by Bowen Marsh. ===In the show=== Tormund is played by Kristofer Hivju in the television adaption of the series of books. He is one of Mance's top generals, fierce and terrifying in combat. ====Season 3==== When Jon Snow first arrives in the Wildling camp, he initially mistakes Tormund for Mance Rayder, much to Tormund's amusement. Mance directs Tormund to lead a group of Wildlings including Jon Snow and his captor, Ygritte, south of the Wall to await the signal of Mance Rayder to attack the Night's Watch. ====Season 4==== After joining up with a clan of the cannibalistic Thenns, Tormund leads the Wildlings in a rampage through the lands south of the Wall, including a sack of Mole's Town. During the Battle of Castle Black, he duels and severely wounds Ser Alliser Thorne, but is brought down by several arrows and taken prisoner. After his wounds are healed by Maester Aemon, Jon briefly approaches him, and he tells Jon that Ygritte loved him, citing Ygritte's apparent desire to kill him as proof. He asks Jon to burn Ygritte north of the Wall. ====Season 5==== Tormund is later present at Mance's execution, and is visibly saddened at his friend's death. He is eventually freed by Jon, whom he accompanies to Hardhome, where he attempts to convince the local wildlings to join the Night's Watch in the battle against their common enemy. As Hardhome is overrun by wights, Tormund ferociously fights them off and escapes to the boats with Jon. He later passes through the Wall and into the Seven Kingdoms along with the remaining wildlings. ====Season 6==== After Jon's assassination by Ser Alliser and his mutineers, Tormund and the Wildlings are summoned by Edd Tollett to help capture them. Jon is later resurrected by the red priestess Melisandre, and Tormund tells him that some of the Wildlings believe him to be a god. Several days later, Jon's half-sister Sansa Stark arrives at the Wall fleeing her abusive husband Ramsay Bolton. Tormund becomes quickly attracted to Brienne of Tarth and attempts to court her, although she doesn't seem interested by his advances. After Ramsay sends a letter to Jon threatening to exterminate the Starks and the Wildlings if Sansa is not returned, Tormund accompanies Jon and Sansa in gathering men to fight the Boltons, persuading the Wildlings to fight for Jon in return for his assistance. Tormund later participates in the Battle of the Bastards, killing Lord Smalljon Umber, biting off his ear in the process. Following the battle, he is amongst those who declare Jon King in the North. ====Season 7==== Jon sends Tormund and the wildlings to reinforce Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, the Night Watch's fortress closest to Hardhome. Some time later, scouts find the Brotherhood Without Banners and Sandor Clegane attempting to pass through the Wall, and interns them in Eastwatch's ice cells. Soon after, Jon, Davos, Jorah Mormont and Gendry arrive, declaring that they need to capture a wight in order to convince Daenerys Targaryen and Cersei Lannister of the White Walkers' existence. Although displeased at having to ally with Jeor Mormont's son, Tormund, the Brotherhood, and the Hound join Jon's allies beyond the Wall. The expedition is successful in capturing a wight, but are soon surrounded by the White Walkers and their army of wights. The group is on the verge of being overwhelmed by wights when Daenerys arrives with her dragons to take them to safety, but one of the dragons, Viserion, is killed by the Night King in the battle. Tormund remains at Eastwatch while Jon, Daenerys, the Hound, and Jorah travel to King's Landing. Soon after, the White Walkers and their army finally march on the Wall. The Night King, which has reanimated Viserion, uses the dragon to destroy Eastwatch and the section of the Wall behind the castle, allowing the army of the dead to march on the Seven Kingdoms and seemingly trapping Tormund and Beric Dondarrion on top of the remaining part of the Wall. ====Season 8==== Tormund and Beric are able to escape the Wall and retreat to Winterfell. Along the way they stop at Last Hearth, which they find has already been overwhelmed by the White Walkers, and encounter Dolorous Edd and the Night's Watch. Tormund realises that they must reach Winterfell to warn its defenders of the dead's proximity, and arrive on the eve of the White Walkers' arrival. Tormund participates in the ensuing battle, and is amongst the survivors when the Night King is finally defeated. He then tells Jon that he is returning his people north of the wall after the worst of winter has passed. Jon asks him to take his direwolf, Ghost, with him, saying he belongs in the North. Jon is exiled to the Night's Watch again after killing Daenerys, and is reunited with Tormund. Jon, Tormund, Ghost, and the wildings depart Castle Black to return beyond the Wall. ==TV adaptation== Kristofer Hivju plays the role of Tormund Giantsbane in the television series ===Recognition and awards=== Norwegian actor Kristofer Hivju has received positive reviews for his performance as Tormund Giantsbane in the television series. He and the rest of the cast were nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2014. ==References==

The soundtrack album of the third season of HBO series ''Game of Thrones'', titled '''''Game of Thrones: Season 3''''', was released digitally on June 4, 2013, and on CD on July 2, 2013. The album was composed by Ramin Djawadi. ==Reception== The soundtrack received positive reviews from critics. ==Track listing== ==Credits and personnel== Personnel adapted from the album liner notes. * David Benioff – liner notes * Ramin Djawadi – composer, primary artist, producer * The Hold Steady – band, primary artist * George R.R. Martin – lyricist * Kerry Ingram – primary artist * D.B. Weiss – liner notes ==Charts== Chart (2013) Peak position ==Awards and nominations== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2013 ASCAP Awards Top Television Series International Film Music Critics Association Best Original Score for a Television Series ==References==

'''The High Sparrow''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of high fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. The High Sparrow first appears in ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005) and subsequently appeared in Martin's ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011). He is the de facto leader of the protest 'sparrow' movement that arises from the Faith of the Seven as a result of the carnage inflicted by the War of Five Kings. Although he appears to be humble and compassionate, his demeanor belies his shrewd and unrelenting fanaticism, which often borders on dangerous zealotry. He becomes of central importance to the shadow conflicts at court between Houses Lannister and Tyrell, and is open about his disgust with the corruption and impiety in the capital. His true name is unknown; his title was given mockingly by political opponents as a comparison to the formal leader of the Faith, the High Septon. The character is portrayed by Welsh actor Jonathan Pryce in the HBO television adaptation. ==Character profile== The High Sparrow is a prominent member of the "sparrows", a religious movement formed during the War of the Five Kings, and a septon (priest) in the Faith of the Seven. He is a small, thin, hard-eyed, grey-haired old man with a heavily lined face. He does not wear rich robes or any gold; instead, he wears a simple white wool tunic. The High Sparrow is not a point of view character in the novels, so his actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other people, such as Cersei Lannister. The High Sparrow is mostly a background character in the novels. ==Storylines== ==== ''A Feast for Crows'' ==== In the aftermath of the War of Five Kings, "Sparrows", religious folk seeking the protection of King Tommen Baratheon following a spate of atrocities committed against members of the Faith of the Seven, converge on King's Landing. When the Most Devout convene to elect the new High Septon, the sparrows hijack the selection process and force the selection of their leader, who is dubbed the "High Sparrow" by the royal fool Moon Boy. Cersei Lannister permits the High Sparrow to re-establish the Faith Militant, the military arm of the Faith, in return for the Faith forgiving the Crown's debt to it and blessing Tommen. The Faith Militant subsequently arrest Margaery Tyrell and several of her cousins when Cersei's confidante Osney Kettleblack claims to having slept with the women. The High Sparrow is suspicious of Osney's testimony (not unfairly, as Osney had been persuaded to perjure Margaery by Cersei to shore up her own power) and has him tortured until he confesses not only that Cersei arranged for his false testimony, but also that she ordered him to kill the previous High Septon. When Cersei visits the Great Sept of Baelor, the High Sparrow has her arrested and imprisoned. ==== ''A Dance with Dragons'' ==== The High Sparrow releases Margaery and her cousins into Randyll Tarly's custody due to the weakness of the evidence against them, but continues to hold Cersei prisoner. In order to obtain visitors, Cersei confesses to bedding the Kettleblack brothers as well as her cousin Lancel. The High Sparrow agrees to release her on condition of performing a walk of penance, naked, through the streets of King's Landing. ==TV adaptation== Jonathan Pryce plays the role of The High Sparrow in the television series. The High Sparrow is played by the Welsh actor Jonathan Pryce in the television adaption of the series of books. Pryce admitted that one of the main reasons he took the role was because of how influential the character is plot-wise. While at first being quite sceptical about "sword and sorcery" shows, he later had a change of heart after his positive experiences on the ''Game of Thrones'' sets. Remarking on the character: I quite like the fact that people are going, "Oh, he's a horrible character!" And I'm going, "No! He's one of the good people in Game of Thrones! He's clearing out all the bad people! ====Season 5==== The High Sparrow arrives in King's Landing after Tywin Lannister's death to serve the poor, downtrodden, and infirm. He quickly amasses a large following, including Cersei Lannister's cousin and former lover Lancel, who are dubbed the "sparrows". He comes to the attention of Cersei after Lancel and the other sparrows force the High Septon to walk naked through the streets as punishment for soliciting prostitutes. The High Septon demands the High Sparrow's execution, but Cersei instead has the High Septon imprisoned and the High Sparrow appointed as his successor. To further gain his support, Cersei also reinstates the Faith Militant. Hoping to destabilise House Tyrell, Cersei arranges for the Faith Militant to arrest Loras Tyrell for being homosexual, with Margaery also arrested when she lies in an attempt to exonerate him. However, Lancel confesses to his affair with Cersei, as well as their role in Robert Baratheon's death. Cersei is subsequently arrested when she visits the Great Sept of Baelor. She eventually confesses to her adultery with Lancel to secure her release, and is ordered to walk naked through the streets of King's Landing as punishment. ====Season 6==== The High Sparrow is confronted by Jaime Lannister, who is furious at Cersei's treatment at his hands, though Jaime is forced to stand down when the Faith Militant surround him. When Tommen begins visiting the High Sparrow to negotiate visits with Margaery, he begins to fall under the High Sparrow's influence. Jaime marches on the Great Sept with the Tyrell army to secure Margaery and Loras' release, but is thwarted when Tommen reveals that he has formed an alliance between the Crown and the Faith. The High Sparrow's thrall over Tommen leads him to abolish trial by combat, thwarting Cersei's hopes of being absolved by that means. Tommen announces that Loras and Cersei's trials will be held on the same day, but on the day of the trial both Cersei and Tommen fail to appear. Margaery realises that Cersei has set a trap and tries to persuade the High Sparrow to evacuate the Great Sept, but he refuses and orders the Faith Militant to restrain the crowd. Moments later, wildfire primed by Cersei's subordinate Qyburn detonates beneath the Sept, with the High Sparrow instantly vaporised in the resulting explosion. ==References==

The soundtrack album of the fourth season of HBO series ''Game of Thrones'', titled '''''Game of Thrones: Season 4''''' was released digitally on June 10, 2014, and on CD on July 1, 2014. Season 4 of ''Game of Thrones'' saw the Icelandic band Sigur Rós perform their rendition of "The Rains of Castamere" in a cameo appearance at King Joffrey's wedding in the second episode, "The Lion and the Rose". ==Reception== The soundtrack received mostly positive reviews from critics. The soundtrack was awarded a score of 4/5 by Heather Phares of AllMusic. ==Track listing== ==Credits and personnel== Personnel adapted from the album liner notes. * David Benioff – liner notes * Ramin Djawadi – composer, primary artist, producer * Sigur Rós – primary artist * George R.R. Martin – lyricist * D.B. Weiss – liner notes ==Charts== Chart (2014) Peak position ==Awards and nominations== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2014 66th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Original Dramatic Score) Episode: "The Mountain and the Viper" Hollywood Music in Media Awards Best Original Score - TV Show/Digital Streaming Series ==References==

'''Jorah Mormont''' 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 ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996), Jorah is a knight in exile, the disgraced former lord of Bear Island and the only son of Jeor Mormont, the honorable lord commander of the Night's Watch. Jorah subsequently appeared in Martin's ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998), ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000) and ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011). After fleeing Westeros, Jorah pledges fealty to Daenerys Targaryen and over the course of both the novels and the television show becomes her closest and most loyal companion; Jorah's passionate yet unrequited love of Daenerys is central to the character's arc in both the novels and television show. He is portrayed as a skilled warrior whose knowledge of the peoples and customs of Essos proves invaluable to Daenerys' journeys. Jorah is portrayed by the Scottish actor Iain Glen in the HBO television adaptation. ==Character== ===Background=== Ser Jorah Mormont is the only child of the Night's Watch's Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, who abdicated shortly before Robert's Rebellion to join the Night's Watch and let Jorah assume the lordship of Bear Island. At some point Jorah married a lady of House Glover, who died from miscarriage after ten years of marriage. Jorah fought in Greyjoy's Rebellion, distinguishing himself by being one of the first to enter the fray during the siege of Pyke and was knighted by King Robert Baratheon. At a tourney at Lannisport celebrating the Baratheon victory, Jorah fell in love with the beautiful Lynesse Hightower (aunt of Margaery Tyrell). He named her Queen of Love and Beauty after winning the tourney and asked her father for her hand in marriage, which he accepted. However, Lynesse found herself ill-suited to the rough life on Bear Island, having grown up as a member of the wealthy House Hightower. Jorah bankrupted himself trying to provide her with luxuries and eventually sold poachers found on his lands to a Tyroshi slaver to fund her lifestyle. His liege lord, Eddard Stark, condemned Jorah to death, but he and Lynesse fled to Lys. Jorah then made his living as a sellsword, but was still unable to provide enough to satisfy Lynesse, and eventually returned from a campaign to find that Lynesse had become a concubine of a wealthy Lysene merchant. The merchant warned Jorah that he would be enslaved to settle his debts if he remained in Lys and Jorah was forced to flee again. Afterwards he drifted among the Free Cities and the Dothraki, before becoming a spy for Varys. Jorah Mormont is not a point of view character in the novels, so his actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister. Jorah mostly serves to provide Daenerys with background information such as Westerosi history and the various cultures of Essos. ==Storylines== Coat of arms of House Mormont ===''A Game of Thrones''=== In Pentos, Jorah enters the service of House Targaryen during Daenerys Targaryen's wedding to Khal Drogo, although he is actually spying on behalf of Robert's Master of Whisperers Varys in hopes of earning a royal pardon. Although Jorah holds Daenerys' brother Viserys in contempt, he comes to admire Daenerys for her bravery and strength of character, and eventually falls in love with her. In Vaes Dothrak, Jorah is warned by Illyrio Mopatis that Robert has ordered Daenerys' assassination and saves her from being poisoned. After Drogo's death, Jorah is the first to pledge fealty to Daenerys and is astounded when she emerges from Drogo's funeral pyre with three dragon hatchlings. ===''A Clash of Kings''=== Jorah accompanies Daenerys and the remnants of her khalasar to Qarth. There, Jorah stops sending reports to Varys, having truly fallen in love with Daenerys. Daenerys discovers his love after Jorah notes her physical similarity to Lynesse, but does not tell Jorah that she knows. At Qarth's docks, Jorah and Daenerys encounter the former pit fighter Strong Belwas and his squire Arstan Whitebeard. Arstan claims to know Jorah; Jorah finds him familiar, but does not recognise him. Despite Jorah's mistrust, Daenerys accepts the duo into her service. ===''A Storm of Swords''=== Jorah confesses his love to Daenerys, who rejects his advances. Jorah recommends that they sail to Astapor to buy an army of Unsullied, and commands the army when they overthrow the masters of Yunkai. As they arrive at Meereen, Arstan is revealed to be Ser Barristan Selmy, former Kingsguard to Aerys II Targaryen and Robert, and he announces Jorah's former status as a spy. Daenerys orders Jorah and Selmy to infiltrate Meereen and release slaves. Upon their return, Jorah refuses to beg forgiveness, insisting that Daenerys owes him forgiveness as reward for his service. Daenerys agrees but notes that she cannot grant it without undermining her authority, and banishes Jorah. ===''A Dance With Dragons''=== Jorah encounters the exiled Tyrion Lannister in a brothel in Selhorys and abducts him, hoping to return to Daenerys' graces by presenting a Lannister captive as a gift. In Volantis they encounter the dwarf Penny, whom Tyrion takes pity on and is allowed by Jorah to accompany them. During their voyage to Meereen, their ship is disabled by a storm and later seized by slavers, and Jorah is badly beaten and branded trying to fend them off. In Meereen the trio are sold to the Yunkish master Yezzan zo Qaggaz. Jorah becomes despondent after learning that Daenerys has taken the Meereenese nobleman Hizdhar zo Loraq as her husband. When Yezzan dies from dysentery, Jorah and Tyrion escape to the camp of the sellsword company Second Sons, formerly in service to Daenerys before defecting to the slavers, and Jorah rejoins the company along with Tyrion. Jorah realises that the Yunkai'i will lose the coming battle with Meereen and tells Tyrion that they need to convince the company to defect again. ===Family tree of House Mormont=== ;Notes ==TV adaptation== Iain Glen plays the role of Jorah Mormont in the television series. Jorah Mormont is portrayed by Scottish actor Iain Glen in the television adaption of the series of books. ====Season 1==== Ser Jorah Mormont is an exiled knight in the service of Daenerys Targaryen and the son of Jeor Mormont of the Night's Watch. To fund his wife's extravagant lifestyle, he sold poachers on his land to slave traders, which is illegal in the Seven Kingdoms. Rather than face punishment by Lord Stark, he fled to Essos and learned the lifestyle of the Dothraki, who embrace him as one of their own and know him as "Jorah the Andal". Jorah serves as an adviser to the Targaryens on both political and cultural matters regarding the Seven Kingdoms and Essos. Jorah is actually spying on the Targaryens for Lord Varys in exchange for a pardon from Robert, but after learning more about Daenerys, it appears that Jorah is falling for her; even preventing her poisoning, when Robert & Varys so order it. ====Season 2==== After Daenerys is widowed, Jorah travels with her to Qarth and becomes the first knight of her Queensguard. He serves Daenerys as an adviser and protector throughout Season 2. When a mysterious, masked, female seuthsayer (privately) questions his fealty, he affirms that he will no longer help (Varys or) anyone betray (Daenerys). He explains to Daenerys that he respects her birthright claim to the Seven Kingdoms, as she "has a kind heart", the key to being a just Queen. ====Season 3==== In Season 3, Jorah plays an important part in the capture of Yunkai, together with Unsullied commander Grey Worm and Daario Naharis, Lieutenant and leader of the Second Sons. Led by Daario, the trio infiltrates the city and kills a number of Yunkish guards to open a gate, ensuring the capture of Yunkai. Jorah later assists Daenerys and her army in conquering Meereen, and later informs her of Joffrey's death, but at the same time dissuades her from invading King's Landing, since she is not strong enough to take all of Westeros yet. When Daenerys appears to begin a romantic relationship with Daario, Jorah voices his disapproval. ====Season 4==== In Season 4, following the Conquering of Meereen, Daenerys discovers that Jorah's original mission was to spy on her for the "usurper" Robert Baratheon, which almost led to her poisoning by the wine merchant in Vaes Dothrak. She exiles Jorah from Meereen on the threat of death. Jorah subsequently departs alone. ====Season 5==== Jorah encounters Tyrion Lannister in Volantis and kidnaps him with the intention of delivering him to Daenerys. Sailing through the ruins of Valyria, the duo is assaulted by "stone men" – humans turned insane by the disease greyscale – and Jorah is infected in the struggle. As they make their way to Meereen on foot, Jorah learns from Tyrion that Jeor was killed in a mutiny beyond the Wall. Jorah and Tyrion are captured by slavers, who are convinced by Tyrion to sell them to the fighting pits in Meereen. At a demonstration of pit fighters, Jorah encounters Daenerys, who orders him freed but refuses to let him return to her service. With nowhere else left to go, Jorah returns to the fighting pits. At the reopening of the fighting pits, Jorah foils an assassination attempt on Daenerys and protects her from the insurgent Sons of the Harpy in the resulting confrontation. After Daenerys flies away on Drogon, Jorah and Daario Naharis leave Meereen to look for her. ====Season 6==== Jorah and Daario discover Daenerys' intentionally discarded ring in a grass plain, and Jorah deduces that she has been captured by a Dothraki horde and taken to Vaes Dothrak. Upon arriving there, they are reunited with Daenerys, who rejects their offer to flee the city and instead asks them to help her with her own plan, to which they reluctantly agree. The next evening, Jorah and Daario watch as Daenerys, after trapping and burning all the Khals alive in the temple building, emerges from it completely unharmed, and they join the rest of the Dothraki in kneeling before her in awe. As Daenerys and her entourage prepare to leave Vaes Dothrak, Jorah reveals his greyscale to Daenerys and his intention to end his life before his illness overtakes him. Daenerys instead orders him to find a cure for his condition and return to her, declaring that she will need his counsel after conquering Westeros. Jorah then departs alone. ====Season 7==== Jorah returns to Westeros, seeking aid at the Citadel in Oldtown. By this time his greyscale has drastically progressed, consuming his entire arm and part of his torso. Archmaester Ebrose diagnoses Jorah's greyscale as untreatably advanced, and informs Jorah that he has six months of sanity left and will be exiled from the Citadel the next day. Samwell Tarly, who formerly served under Jeor in the Night's Watch, rediscovers a cure for greyscale. Despite being forbidden to administer it, because whoever treats the patient could become infected, he treats Jorah in secret and successfully heals Jorah's greyscale. Ebrose, although unimpressed by Jorah's attempts to conceal Sam's treatment, discharges Jorah. Jorah then returns to Daenerys, who is happy to see him and accepts him into her service once again. He then joins the expedition led by Jon Snow beyond the Wall to capture a wight and prove its existence to Cersei Lannister. He and Jon talk about their respective fathers, and Jon expresses his relief that Jorah was not executed. Jon attempts to return Longclaw to Jorah, on the basis that it is still the family sword of House Mormont, but Jorah refuses, claiming that he forfeited his right to claim the sword and that Jeor ''gave'' the weapon to Jon, making it his. Jorah survives the expedition and returns to Dragonstone. ====Season 8==== Jorah travels with Jon, Daenerys, and her forces to Winterfell to make a stand against the White Walkers. Daenerys is displeased with Tyrion when she learns that his sister Cersei Lannister is not sending her army, but she is mollified after Jorah speaks up in support of him. Samwell grants Jorah House Tarly's ancestral sword Heartsbane out of gratitude for Jeor's formative influence on him. During the Battle of Winterfell, Jorah is mortally wounded defending Daenerys from certain death at the hands of the undead, though he does survive long enough to see the army felled. Jorah dies in the arms of a sobbing Daenerys, encircled by the wings of her dragon, Drogon. ==References==

'''''Rani Mahal''''' is an upcoming Indian television series, which will air on Sony Entertainment Television (India) and Sony Entertainment Television Asia. Many news sources claimed that this show is an Indian adaptation of American fantasy drama series ''Game of Thrones'' which based on best-selling novel ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', which has been denied by Sony Entertainment Television (India) and Lost Boy Productions. == Cast == *Yuvraj Thakur *Anita Hassanandani *Ankita Lokhande *VJ Bani *Reena Roy as Raj Mata ==References== ==External links== * Official website

"'''Stormborn'''" is the second episode of the seventh season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 62nd overall. The episode was written by Bryan Cogman, and directed by Mark Mylod. The title of the episode refers to both Daenerys Targaryen, who was born during a terrible storm, and Euron Greyjoy, who declares himself to be "the storm". The episode's main plot focuses on Daenerys planning her conquest of Westeros; at the behest of Melisandre, she orders Tyrion to summon Jon Snow, who agrees to meet with her despite the objections of Sansa and several other supporters. In King's Landing, Cersei Lannister warns her bannermen about Daenerys's impending invasion. Meanwhile, in the Narrow Sea, the Greyjoys and Sand Snakes are attacked by Euron Greyjoy's Iron Fleet, with Yara Greyjoy and Ellaria Sand being taken as hostages. "Stormborn" received praise from critics, who considered Euron Greyjoy's raid on Yara's Iron Fleet, the assembly of Daenerys' allies at Dragonstone, and Arya's reunion with her direwolf Nymeria as highlights of the episode. In the United States, it achieved a viewership of 9.27 million in its initial broadcast. This episode marks the final appearance of Keisha Castle-Hughes (Obara Sand) and Jessica Henwick (Nymeria Sand). ==Plot== ===On Dragonstone=== Daenerys confronts Varys over his previously shifting allegiances. Varys declares he is loyal to the people, and Daenerys secures his oath to tell her directly if she fails the people, threatening to execute him if he betrays her. Daenerys grants an audience to Melisandre, who urges her to meet Jon Snow. Tyrion vouches for Jon and recommends the Starks as allies. Daenerys instructs Tyrion to summon Jon to bend the knee. Yara Greyjoy and Ellaria Sand support an overwhelming offensive on King's Landing. Daenerys doesn't wish to destroy the territory she plans on ruling, but instead adopts Tyrion's plan to have her Westerosi armies besiege King's Landing, while the Unsullied will take Casterly Rock. Before departing to lead his army, Grey Worm reveals to Missandei he never feared before loving her. Missandei is moved by his words and they make love. ===In Oldtown=== Archmaester Ebrose tells Sam that Jorah's greyscale is now untreatable, Jorah has about six months of sanity left, and suicide is his only alternative to exile among the Stone Men of Valyria. Sam discovers a treatment; Ebrose tells him it is forbidden because it risks transmission, but Sam performs the agonizing procedure in secret. ===At Winterfell=== Jon receives Daenerys' message. Sansa and Davos advocate refusal, but the latter notes that dragonfire can stop the undead. After receiving Sam's information about dragonglass on Dragonstone, Jon decides to go, despite uniform opposition from his loyalists. Jon names Sansa as regent, surprising her, and threatens Littlefinger to stop pursuing Sansa when he tries to ingratiate himself with Jon. ===In the Riverlands=== Arya encounters Hot Pie in an inn and learns that Jon has retaken Winterfell; she turns north. She's beset by a wolfpack, the alpha being her direwolf Nymeria, having driven her off years earlier ("The Kingsroad") Arya invites her north but Nymeria instead leaves her. ===In King's Landing=== Cersei appeals to lords, including House Tyrell's bannermen, for support against Daenerys, portraying her as a dangerous foreign invader. Jaime offers to make Randyll Tarly Warden of the South if he becomes Jaime's second-in-command. Qyburn demonstrates a scorpion, a projectile weapon able to pierce dragon skulls. ===In the Narrow Sea=== Euron's fleet attacks Yara's navy. Euron kills Obara and Nymeria Sand; his men abduct Ellaria and Tyene Sand, while he takes Yara prisoner. Theon, triggered by the violence, jumps overboard, abandoning Yara. ==Production== ===Writing=== Bryan Cogman wrote the episode. "Stormborn" was written by Bryan Cogman. Cogman has been a writer for the series since its beginning, previously writing nine other episodes. The title of the episode, "Stormborn", is a reference to Daenerys Targaryen, who was born in the midst of a great storm, earning her that nickname. In the "Inside the Episode" segment published by HBO following the initial airing of the episode, co-creators and executive producers of the series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss were interviewed, saying "We last saw Nymeria when Arya made her run away because she wanted to save Nymeria's life, - She knew Cersei was going to kill her if she found her, and when she finally finds Nymeria again — or Nymeria finds her — she of course wants Nymeria to come back home with her and be her loyal companion again. But Nymeria's found her own life." They continued noting that the line "That's not you" was a direct reference to what she said to Ned Stark back in the first season, when he was telling her that she will be a "lady of a castle and marrying some lord and wearing a nice frilly dress", which Arya responded by saying "That's not me". Weiss continued, "Arya's not domesticated. It makes total sense the wolf wouldn't be either. Once the wolf walks away, at first she's heartbroken to have come this close, but then she realizes the wolf is doing exactly what she would do if she was that wolf." ===Casting=== The episode featured the return of Ben Hawkey as Hot Pie, who was last seen in season 4's "Mockingbird". Hawkey spoke about his return to ''Entertainment Weekly'', saying that he did not expect to ever come back. Prior to getting the script and to avoid the return of character to be leaked, the producers gave Hawkey a code name when communicating by email. He continued by saying that the scene was "really nice" and was a "perfect little Hot Pie scene". "Stormborn" was also the last episode for Keisha Castle-Hughes and Jessica Henwick, as Obara and Nymeria Sand were killed. The episode introduced new recurring cast member Tom Hopper as Dickon Tarly, replacing Freddie Stroma, who briefly portrayed the character in Season 6. ===Filming=== "Stormborn" was directed by Mark Mylod, his first of two episodes for this season. He joined the series as a director in the fifth season, his first episode being "High Sparrow", which was followed by "Sons of the Harpy". John Bradley spoke about what went into shooting the Jorah Mormont greyscale scene with actor Iain Glen. Before filming Iain had to sit on the prosthetics trailer for around five hours while the make up department "applied these really detailed and intricate greyscale prosthetics, piece by piece." He continued "I was basically peeling the plastic latex prosthetic off of Iain's actual body. He was kind of in a suit - It was the same as pulling away a prosthetic. It was a very, very big technical job for the prosthetics department. There were about five or six guys on set that day that you can't see but were just out of the camera line, there with pumps and buckets of pus." Nathalie Emmanuel discussed her character's love scene with Grey Worm, saying that the characters have shown "interest in each other", we have seen them "express it for each other, but not really say it - This point is the climax and they physically act upon it", much due to them facing "the prospect of never seeing each other again". Emmanuel went on to praise the relationship that has developed between these two characters, stating that it's "something sweet and pure and beautiful". Gemma Whelan said in an interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'' that the kissing scene by Yara Greyjoy and Ellaria Sand before the battle sequence at the end was improvised. She stated that "It wasn’t directed that we would kiss, - It just seemed like something we should do". The scenes with the Sand Snakes was originally planned to be a more "drawn out storyline", but due to Jessica Henwick's schedule filming her scenes as Colleen Wing in ''Iron Fist'' and ''The Defenders'', she would have had to go back and forth to shoot both shows. Speaking about the battle sequence, Henwick said "normally there’s a lot of CG and you watch it on screen and you see a massive epic battle, but when you’re filming it’s all quite tame by comparison. For this, the audience can’t feel the heat on their face from the pyrotechnics going off or feel the wave machine trying to knock us off our feet, or the sweat dripping off our faces." Mylod also discussed his direction for the battle sequence, saying that "We agreed that the violence should be brutal and feel un-choreographed, that it shouldn't feel structured". Stunt coordinator Rowley Irlam also stated that they were inspired by riots when it was being choreographed. Mylod decided to put much more of the focus to Theon, Yara and Euron Greyjoy, rather than people around them. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "Stormborn" was viewed by 9.27 million total viewers on its initial viewing on HBO. The episode also acquired a 4.33 rating in the 18–49 demographic, making it the highest rated show on cable television of the night. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 2.770 million viewers on Sky Atlantic during its Simulcast, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. ===Critical reception=== "Stormborn" has received high praise from critics. It has a 96% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes from 38 reviews with an average score of 8.2 out of 10. The site's consensus reads "While necessarily setting up the events for the season, "Stormborn" features compelling strategic discussion, and a cracking action sequence to end the episode with a bang." Ed Power of ''The Daily Telegraph'' said "It's been a cautious start to 'Game of Thrones' season seven. But, following further, patience-testing re-arranging of the chess pieces, episode two went out in a literal blaze of glory." Matt Fowler of IGN described the episode as "amazing", saying "With Daenerys now in Westeros, war is imminent and worlds were colliding in this week's big episode." He gave the episode a 9 out of 10. Ben Philippe of ''New York Observer'' also gave a positive review, saying "'Stormborn,' proves that the table setting always pays off in Game of Thrones by giving us a sample platter of everything that the show does best." Nina Shen Rastogi of ''New York Magazine'' similarly gave praise to the episode, writing "All of this prologue is what made the final scene land so hard, and so well. The shipboard battle between the Greyjoys was very good GOT, in my mind: dramatic, unexpected, and authentic on a character level." Sean T. Collins of ''Rolling Stone'' praised the battle sequence at the end, writing "It ends with a naval battle as grandiose as any we've seen in the series. But the strong second chapter of Game of Thrones' seventh season - 'Stormborn' - navigates even more treacherous waters." Erik Kain of ''Forbes'' gave a mixed review, writing that he enjoyed Arya's scenes but criticizing the Dragonstone scenes. Kain also criticized the plot hole of Ellaria Sand being in control of Dorne. ===Accolades=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2017 Hollywood Post Alliance Outstanding Editing Tim Porter ==References== ==External links== * "Stormborn" at HBO.com * *

"'''Hardhome'''" is the eighth episode of the fifth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 48th overall. The episode was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik. The episode features a climactic battle sequence at the episode's eponymous Wildling village, a battle mentioned but not seen in the original source material. It has since been hailed by many reviewers and fans as one of the series' best episodes. Filming of the episode's eponymous battle required nearly a month of shooting. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 7.01 million in its initial broadcast. The episode earned ''Game of Thrones'' several nominations at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards and was also Dinklage's pick to support his nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor. This episode marks the only appearance for Birgitte Hjort Sørensen. ==Plot== ===In King's Landing=== Septa Unella visits Cersei in her cell and offers her water if she confesses her crimes, but Cersei refuses to confess. Qyburn visits her and informs her that she is being charged for incest and Robert's murder and that Kevan returned from Casterly Rock and serves as Hand, at Pycelle's order. ===In Braavos=== Arya takes the identity of Lanna. Jaqen tells her that the family of one of the insurance salesman's clients hired the Faceless Men to kill him after he refused to pay when the client drowned at sea. He tells her to learn everything about the insurer and poison him. ===At the Wall=== Sam tells Olly that they have no chance of defeating the White Walkers without wildlings. ===In Winterfell=== Reek tells Sansa that there is no escape from Ramsay and admits that he didn't kill Bran and Rickon. Roose and Ramsay plan for battle with Stannis' army. Ramsay asks Roose for 20 men. ===In Meereen=== Tyrion convinces Daenerys to allow him to advise her. Tyrion convinces her to spare Jorah's life and exile him. Tyrion tells her that she will not succeed in taking the Iron Throne without a powerful Westerosi house. Jorah returns to Yezzan and asks to fight in the fighting pits. ===At Hardhome=== Jon and Tormund arrive at Hardhome and meet the Lord of Bones, who is killed by Tormund after a tense standoff. Jon shares dragonglass with the wildlings and offers them to settle south of the Wall if they help the Night's Watch against the White Walkers. Jon and Tormund convince 5,000 wildlings to join them, but Thenns, led by Loboda, refuse. They are attacked by wights. A White Walker kills Loboda and forces Jon to flee without the dragonglass. Jon kills the White Walker with his Valyrian steel sword. Hardhome walls fall to the wights and Jon and his remaining allies are forced to flee. The Night King revives the dead as wights. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. This episode was written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, the series' creators. It contains content from George Martin's novels ''A Feast for Crows'', chapters Cersei X and Cat of the Canals and ''A Dance with Dragons'', chapter The Ugly Little Girl. Like other episodes this season, "Hardhome" contained a large amount of original material that does not appear in Martin's novels. This includes the battle scene in which the Wildlings and Night's Watch are ambushed by the White Walkers and army of the undead, as well as the meeting of Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister. According to Erik Kain of ''Forbes,'' "We have now fully parted ways with the books. If the rest of Season 5 hadn't convinced you that the show was forging its own path, this episode is the final nail in the coffin." ===Casting=== Birgitte Hjort Sørensen was cast as Karsi, a wildling chieftain originally written as a male character. Zachary Baharov appeared as Loboda, a Thenn leader, and Ross O'Hennessy replaced Edward Dogliani as the Lord Of Bones in this episode. Ian Whyte, who had previously been cast as a White Walker, played the giant. Members of the metal band Mastodon acted as wildlings at Hardhome in a cameo appearance. ===Filming=== Miguel Sapochnik served as director for the episode, his second episode for the series. "Hardhome" was directed by Miguel Sapochnik. He joined the series as a director in the fifth season. He also directed the previous episode, "The Gift". The sequence at Hardhome was filmed at the Magheramorne quarry and took nearly a month to film. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "Hardhome" was watched by an estimated 7.01 million American viewers during its first airing. With Live+7 DVR viewing factored in, the episode had an overall rating of 9.94 million viewers, and a 5.1 in the 18–49 demographic. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 2.383 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.211 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reception=== The episode received universal acclaim from both critics and viewers, with critics calling it the best episode of the series. It received a 100% rating on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes from 35 reviews with an overall rating of 9.7 out of 10 and the critics' consensus reading "Following several episodes of setup, 'Hardhome' blends a sharp script with spectacular blockbuster action to offer viewers a powerful, game-changing payoff." ''The Atlantic'' named "Hardhome" one of the best television episodes of 2015. Erik Kain of ''Forbes'' called this "one of the best, most exciting episodes I've seen in the entire show's run, let alone this season," citing "High action and a series of pretty crazy revelations." Matt Fowler of IGN gave the episode 10/10, labeling it a "masterpiece". He praised the Tyrion/Daenerys scenes but predominantly the final sequence, which he described as "edge-of-your-seat exciting" and also "quite terrifying". This made "Hardhome" the first episode in season 5 to receive a 10/10 rating from IGN. Matt Fowler also named it the best episode of the entire series. Both Myles McNutt and Erik Adams of ''The A.V. Club'' gave the episode the website's highest grade, "A". They called it "a welcome reminder that the show is still unpredictable," with McNutt citing it as his favorite episode of the series thus far. Bridle Roman of SFX gave the episode a perfect five stars, and highlighted the character of Karsi, played by Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, as a great addition and "her death hits hard" even if "we have only seen her for a few scenes". The episode received praise even from some of its usual critics: Madeline Davies of ''Jezebel'' wrote, "I feel like I haven't said this in a long time, but last night's ''Game of Thrones'' was ...cool?" Davies cited the quality of the battle scene and unifying theme of hope in desperate situations as the episode's key strengths, specifically that the abused and tormented Sansa learns that her brothers may still be alive and that though Jon faces "the seemingly impossible task of defeating a constantly growing army of White Walkers, he at least possesses a sword that can kill them." Kirsten Acuna of ''Business Insider'' reports that this is the single most popular episode to date as rated by fans, noting that the "tremendous reaction is in complete juxtaposition with reactions to an episode that aired two weeks ago," which received one of the series' lowest fan ratings. Acuna credits this response to the quality of the battle scene, which featured "a fighting army of the walking dead which would easily give the AMC series of the same name a run for its money." ===Awards and nominations=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2015 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series Fabian Wagner Outstanding Production Design for a Fantasy Program Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, Rob Cameron Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series Jane Walker, Barrie Gower, and Sarah Gower Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series Tim Porter Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series Tim Kimmel, Paula Fairfield, Bradley C. Katona, Peter Bercovitch, David Klotz, Jeffrey Wilhoit, Dylan T. Wilhoit Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Series Ronan Hill, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters British Society of Cinematographers Best Cinematography in a Television Drama Fabian Wagner ACO/BSC/GBCT Operators TV Drama Award David Morgan, Sean Savage, Ben Wilson, David Worley Gold Derby TV Awards 2015 Best Drama Episode Hollywood Professional Alliance Outstanding Sound Tim Kimmel, Paula Fairfield, Bradley Katona, Paul Bercovitch, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters Outstanding Color Grading Joe Finley Outstanding Editing Tim Porter IGN Awards Best TV Episode IGN People's Choice Awards Best TV Episode 2016 ADG Excellence in Production Design Award One-Hour Single Camera Fantasy Television Series Deborah Riley Shorty Awards GIF of The Year Come At Me Bro Cinema Audio Society Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing - Television Series – One Hour Ronan Hill, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Brett Voss American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series Fabian Wagner American Cinema Editors Awards Best Edited One-Hour Series For Non-Commercial Television Tim Porter Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: FX/Foley Tim Kimmel Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Dialogue / ADR Tim Kimmel Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Music David Klotz USC Scripter Award Best Adapted Screenplay David Benioff and D.B. Weiss Visual Effects Society Awards Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project David Ramos, Antonio Lado, Piotr Weiss, Félix Bergés Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Episode Eduardo Díaz, Guillermo Orbe, Oscar Perea, Inmaculada Nadela ==References== ==External links== * at HBO.com * *

"'''The Dance of Dragons'''" is the ninth and penultimate episode of the fifth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 49th overall. The episode was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss based on material primarily found on George R.R. Martin's novel ''A Dance with Dragons'', from which the title of the episode is derived. It was directed by David Nutter, who also directed the season finale. In the episode, Jon Snow retreats from Hardhome to the Wall defeated, accompanied by the surviving wildlings, much to the chagrin of some of the Night's Watch. In the North, Stannis Baratheon reluctantly allows Melisandre to sacrifice his daughter Shireen after Ramsay Bolton sabotages his resources, damaging his army's morale in the process. In Braavos, Arya Stark detours from her mission given by Jaqen H'ghar to reconnoiter Meryn Trant instead. In Dorne, Jaime Lannister secures Myrcella Baratheon's release from Doran Martell's court against an indignant Ellaria Sand. In Meereen, the Sons of the Harpy attack the stadium of Daznak's Pit in an attempt to assassinate Daenerys Targaryen, who is rescued by Jorah Mormont and her firstborn dragon, Drogon. Leaving Tyrion Lannister and her retainers behind with awe, Daenerys rides the dragon for the first time and flees the city. "The Dance of Dragons" received a positive response from critics, who lauded its conclusion on Daznak's Pit but was polarized by the characterization of Stannis Baratheon. In the United States, it received a viewership of 7.14 million in its initial broadcast. It won two Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series and Outstanding Special Visual Effects, and was submitted by actress Emilia Clarke (who portrayed Daenerys Targaryen) for her nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. This episode marks the final appearance of Joel Fry (Hizdahr Zo Loraq). ==Plot== ===In Braavos=== Arya, still in the disguise of an oyster vendor, continues her mission to poison and kill the Thin Man. However, as she is on the way to her target, she sees Mace Tyrell and Meryn Trant arrive to negotiate with the Iron Bank. Arya, recognising Trant, ignores her mission and follows Mace and Trant into the city. She eventually tracks Trant to a brothel, where she learns that he is sexually attracted to pubescent girls. Upon returning to Jaqen, Arya lies that the Thin Man was not hungry and did not buy her oysters, and asks to try again the next day. Jaqen allows this, though it is unclear whether he believes Arya or not. ===At the Wall=== Jon and Tormund return to Castle Black, accompanied by the surviving Night's Watch and wildlings from Hardhome. Thorne, despite his disagreements with Jon, ultimately orders the gate to be opened to let them pass. Jon believes that his mission was a failure, though Sam points out that he still saved thousands of wildlings that would have been killed by the White Walkers. Jon is also aware that many of his Night's Watch brothers are unhappy with wildlings being let past the Wall, and Thorne warns him that his compassion will get them all killed. ===In Dorne=== Jaime is brought before Doran to explain his actions. Jaime reveals that he was sent to rescue Myrcella due to a threatening message sent to them from Dorne. Doran quickly realizes that Ellaria was behind the threat, and apologizes. In order to avoid an escalation of hostilities, Doran grants Jaime's freedom and Myrcella's return to King's Landing in exchange for Trystane assuming Oberyn's position on the Small Council. Trystane also allows Bronn to go free under the condition that he allow Hotah to strike him in the face in revenge for being struck by Bronn earlier. After the meeting, Doran privately confronts Ellaria and presents her with an ultimatum: pledge loyalty to him or be executed. Ellaria tearfully pledges her loyalty in front of the Sand Snakes, and Doran warns her that this is the last chance he will ever give her. Ellaria then meets with Jaime and makes amends with him, conceding that it is neither his nor Myrcella's fault that Oberyn was killed. ===In the North=== Ramsay and his group of 20 men infiltrate Stannis's camp and burn his army's supplies. With his supplies gone, Stannis realizes that his army will not survive the winter. Stannis refuses to retreat to Castle Black as Davos suggests, and points out that they lack the supplies to make it back regardless. He orders Davos to return to Castle Black to request more supplies and reinforcements in return for Stannis fully manning the Wall with troops when he takes the Iron Throne. When Davos leaves, Stannis reluctantly allows Melisandre to burn Shireen at the stake as a sacrifice, believing that the "king's blood" in her veins will grant them the Lord of Light's favor. As Shireen screams for her parents, Selyse, initially supportive of Stannis's decision, has a change of heart and attempts to stop the ceremony, but is restrained while her child is burned alive in front of Stannis's horrified troops. ===In Meereen=== Daenerys, accompanied by Tyrion, Missandei, Daario and Hizdahr, oversees the beginning of the fighting season in Daznak's Pit. One of the fighters reveals himself to be Jorah. After successfully defeating the other combatants, Jorah suddenly picks up a spear and throws it towards the royal stage, killing an assassin sneaking up on Daenerys. Immediately, the Sons of the Harpy emerge from the crowd and begin killing guards and spectators, including Hizdahr. Daenerys and her retinue attempt to escape, but the Sons of the Harpy seal the exits, leaving the survivors surrounded in the center of the fighting ring. Daenerys seemingly accepts her fate, when Drogon suddenly appears, setting ablaze and killing many Sons of the Harpy and causing many others to flee. While a group of the Sons attack Drogon by throwing spears at it, Daenerys climbs on to Drogon's back, ordering the dragon to fly. The Unsullied drive the Sons of the Harpy away, while Drogon takes to the sky with Daenerys, with her allies left awe-struck as they watch her fly away. ==Production== ===Writing=== The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. This episode was written for television by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, the series' creators. It contains content from George Martin's novel ''A Dance with Dragons'', chapter "The Sacrifice", "The Watcher", and "Daenerys IX". It also contains material from the preview chapter "Mercy" from the forthcoming ''The Winds of Winter''. Like other episodes this season, "The Dance of Dragons" contains original content not found in Martin's novels, but it is in this case notable for containing content that had not ''yet'' appeared in the novels: Executive Producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss confirmed that George R.R. Martin told them that Shireen would be burned to death as a sacrifice in an unpublished future novel. Benioff said: "When George first told us about this, it was one of those moments where I remember looking at Dan, it was just, like, god it's so, so horrible, and it's so good in a story sense, because it all comes together." Weiss says he believes the decision to kill Shireen in this way is, "entirely narratively justified," questioning why "we're all highly selective about which characters deserve our empathy. Stannis has been burning people alive for seemingly trivial reasons since season 2." ===Filming=== "The Dance of Dragons" was directed by David Nutter, he also directed the subsequent episode, "Mother's Mercy". ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "The Dance of Dragons" was watched by an estimated 7.14 million American viewers during its first airing. With Live+7 DVR viewing factored in, the episode had an overall rating of 9.92 million viewers, and a 5.2 in the 18–49 demographic. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 2.473 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.141 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reception=== "The Dance of Dragons" received highly positive reviews, with many critics praising the episode's conclusion in Daznak's Pit. The showrunners's decision to have Stannis sacrifice Shireen, however, polarized critics, with some praising it as strong character development and others feeling it betrayed Stannis's character. The episode received a rating of 88% on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes from 33 reviews with an average rating of 8.9 out of 10 and the critics consensus reading "Underscored by an especially heartwrenching moment and a spectacular display of power, ''The Dance of Dragons'' successfully delivers the shock and awe audiences have come to expect from the series' penultimate episodes." Matt Fowler of IGN heavily praised the episode, awarding it 9.3/10, an "amazing" score. He especially praised the episode's final act, stating "And just the spectacle of Dany climbing on top of Drogon, with care, and then soaring up and off into the sky was remarkable. It's funny that a huge moment for her as a Targaryen and the possible future leader of Westeros came right during one of her most bloody and spectacular failures as a Queen." He summarized his review by saying "GoT delivered another exciting (and unsettling) episode as Stannis made a big decision & Daenerys attended a tournament" and labelled Stannis's decision a strong point of the episode. Charlotte Runcie of ''The Daily Telegraph'' also reviewed the episode favorably: "Hurling Hollywood-level budgets behind a multi-season TV show paid rich rewards this week, from the enormous ''Gladiator''-style sweep of the crowded coliseum arena to thrillingly choreographed fights to the death before a huge, baying audience." Runcie was also impressed with the Shireen sacrifice scene, calling it "one of the most upsetting scenes" in season 5. Writing for ''The A.V. Club'', both writers responded positively to the episode. Writing for people who have not read the novels, Brandon Nowalk awarded the episode an A-, praising Stannis's sacrifice of Shireen. He said "Stannis burning his daughter Shireen at the stake is the hardest ''Game of Thrones'' has hit since the Red Wedding, only this violence is completely drained of excitement. It’s not a shock moment, and there’s no gross-out gore as in Oberyn’s death. Instead it’s a long, cold death march. What’s most impressive is the pacing, which is not the season’s strongest suit." He also praised the episode's conclusion in Meereen by saying "The close-up of Dany taking Missandei’s hand is so vivid I’m practically getting misty now", and further stated "The CGI could use some polish, but nothing short of Shireen can turn my smile upside down." Writing for people who have read the novels, Myles McNutt awarded the episode a B+, praising the Meereen story by saying "It’s a powerful image, rendered as effectively as it could be given the budgetary limitations of the series. Watching Dany soar about the stadium on Drogon is an iconic image, but it’s not one that any other characters could really experience, which is meaningful in and of itself." Erik Kain of ''Forbes'' was more critical of the sacrifice scene. While he praised the episode overall as "thrilling and tragic and intense," he called the sacrifice scene "a horrible, no-good, very bad, infuriating way to ruin Stannis as a character" and "a monstrosity of a writing decision." He also said the scene was "one of the most disturbing, baffling, and unnecessary departures from the books" that the show has so far presented, though he noted that the sacrifice scene had actually been George R. R. Martin's idea and that (with two installments of ''The Song of Ice and Fire'' still unpublished) it was unclear exactly how much Shireen's death in the show would deviate from her story arc in the books. Finding a middle ground, Alyssa Rosenberg of ''The Washington Post'' agreed that the sacrifice scene was disturbing, but she found that David Nutter "did a beautiful job" directing it and believed that the scene wondrously developed Stannis as a character who is so fixated on "his own chosenness" that he will do anything to fulfill his claim to the throne. She also noted that the scene departed from the books so far, but would possibly be reconciled in one of the future installments. ===Accolades=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2015 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series Rob McLachlan Outstanding Costumes for a Fantasy Series Michele Clapton, Sheena Wichary, Nina Ayres, Alex Fordham Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama series Katie Weiland Outstanding Special Visual Effects Steve Kullback, Joe Bauer, Adam Chazen, Jabbar Raisani, Eric Carney, Stuart Brisdon, Derek Spears, James Kinnings, Matthew Rouleau Hollywood Professional Alliance Outstanding Visual Effects Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Derek Spears, Eric Carney, Jabbar Raisani 2016 American Cinema Editors Awards 2016 Best Edited One-Hour Series For Non-Commercial Television Katie Weiland Visual Effects Society Awards 2015 Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Eric Carney, Derek Spears, Stuart Brisdon for "The Dance of Dragons" Outstanding Animated Performance in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project James Kinnings, Michael Holzl, Joseph Hoback, Matt Derksen for "Dance of Dragons" - Drogon Arena Rescue Outstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project Rajeev B R., Loganathan Perumal, Ramesh Shankers, Anders Ericson for "Drogon Arena" Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Episode Dan Breckwoldt, Martin Furman, Sophie Marfleet, Eric Andrusyszyn for "Drogon Arena" Canadian Society of Cinematographers TV Series Cinematography Robert McLachlan ==References== ==External links== * at HBO.com * *

George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels feature a sizable cast of characters. The series follows three interwoven plotlines: a dynastic war for control of Westeros by several families; the rising threat of the superhuman Others beyond Westeros' northern border; and the ambition of Daenerys Targaryen, the exiled heir of the previous ruling dynasty. The Great Houses of Westeros represent the Seven Kingdoms forged across the continent: the North, the Iron Islands, the Vale of Arryn, the Westerlands, the Stormlands, the Reach, and Dorne. A massive Wall of ice and old magic separates the Seven Kingdoms from the largely unmapped area in the most northern portion of the continent. Each chapter is narrated in the third-person limited point of view through the eyes of a single character. Beginning with nine POV characters in ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996), a total of 31 such characters have narrated over the course of the first five volumes of the series. == House Stark == Coat of arms of House Stark House Stark is one of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms and the principal house of the North. Its seat is at Winterfell, one of the oldest castles in the Seven Kingdoms. Its coat of arms displays a grey direwolf running on a white field, and its words are ''Winter is Coming''. Bastards born in the North are given the surname Snow. House Stark had ruled as the Kings in the North for thousands of years until House Targaryen conquered Westeros, whereafter the Starks are the Lords of Winterfell and Wardens of the North. For prizing honor and devotion to duty, House Stark is the closest of the noble houses to heroism. Over the course of the novels, the Starks are scattered by the War of the Five Kings, and the fate of the House remains uncertain, as most characters believe that all the legitimate Stark sons are dead. === Eddard Stark === Eddard "Ned" Stark is the Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, and briefly serves as Hand of the King to Robert Baratheon. He is executed, by Joffrey's order, on the steps of the Great Sept of Baelor. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Sean Bean. Robert Aramayo and Sebastian Croft have both played younger versions of the character in flashbacks. === Catelyn Stark === Catelyn Stark is the Lady of Winterfell, wife of Lord Eddard Stark, and mother to his children Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon. She is the daughter of Lord Hoster Tully of Riverrun; niece to Ser Brynden Tully (also known as the legendary "Blackfish") and sister to Lysa Arryn of the Vale and to Edmure Tully. In the HBO television adaptation, she is portrayed by Michelle Fairley. === Robb Stark === Robb Stark is the oldest child of Eddard and Catelyn Stark, and the heir to Winterfell. He is not a POV character, but features in the POV chapters of his family members in the first three novels in the series. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Richard Madden. === Sansa Stark === Sansa Stark is the second child and elder daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark. She serves as a POV character for 24 chapters throughout ''A Game of Thrones'', ''A Clash of Kings'', ''A Storm of Swords'', and ''A Feast for Crows''. Sansa is introduced as beautiful and demure. In the HBO television adaptation, she is portrayed by Sophie Turner. === Arya Stark === Arya Stark is the third child and younger daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark. She serves as a POV character for 33 chapters throughout ''A Game of Thrones'', ''A Clash of Kings'', ''A Storm of Swords'', ''A Feast for Crows'', and ''A Dance with Dragons''. So far she is the only character to appear in all 5 books as a POV character. In the HBO television adaptation, she is portrayed by Maisie Williams. === Bran Stark === Brandon "Bran" Stark is the second son and fourth child of Eddard and Catelyn Stark. He serves as the third-person narrator of twenty-one chapters throughout ''A Game of Thrones'', ''A Clash of Kings'', ''A Storm of Swords'', and ''A Dance with Dragons''. In ''A Game of Thrones'', he sees Queen Cersei and her brother Jaime Lannister committing incest, and Jaime pushes Bran from the window to keep the relationship secret. Bran survives, but loses the use of his legs. While comatose, Bran dreams of a three-eyed raven. Slowly, he develops the ability to assume his wolf Summer's consciousness, making him a warg or ''skinchanger''. After his older brother Robb is crowned King in the North, Bran becomes Robb's heir and the acting Lord of Winterfell. In ''A Clash of Kings'', Jojen Reed teaches Bran how to correctly use his telepathy, and directs him beyond the Wall. In ''A Dance with Dragons'', Bran meets the Three-Eyed-Raven: an alias of the last trained clairvoyant. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Isaac Hempstead Wright. === Rickon Stark === Rickon Stark is Ned Stark's youngest child and is three years old in ''A Game of Thrones''. When Theon Greyjoy captures Winterfell in ''A Clash of Kings'', Rickon hides in the crypts. After Winterfell is sacked, he and the wildling woman Osha travel through the North. In ''A Dance with Dragons'', he is said to be on an island of cannibals, presumably Skagos. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Art Parkinson. === Jon Snow === Jon Snow was raised as Ned Stark's illegitimate son and serves as the point of view character in 42 chapters throughout ''A Game of Thrones'', ''A Clash of Kings'', ''A Storm of Swords'', and ''A Dance with Dragons''. He shares the Stark family values of honour, and tries to stay morally correct and honest, even when forced to act otherwise. He is theorized to be the son of Lyanna Stark, Ned Stark's sister, and Rhaegar Targaryen. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Kit Harington. === Benjen Stark === Benjen Stark is Ned Stark's younger brother and a First Ranger in the Night's Watch. He appears briefly at the start of ''A Game of Thrones'', first in Winterfell and then later on the Wall at Castle Black, where he travels with his bastard nephew Jon Snow. Benjen is sent on a mission into the lands beyond the Wall to search for a missing ranging party, but he and his men also disappear. The bodies of two of his men are later found and brought back to Castle Black; they reanimate as undead wights and kill several men before they are destroyed, but no trace of Benjen has yet been found. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Joseph Mawle. === Lyanna Stark === Lyanna Stark was Eddard Stark's younger and only sister, and has been deceased for 14 years at the beginning of ''A Game of Thrones'', but is mentioned in every published book in the series. She died at the young age of 16, was said to have been beautiful by all who knew her as "a child-woman of surpassing loveliness", headstrong and "had a touch of" the fabled Starks' "wolf blood", and was one of the best horse-riders in the North. She was betrothed to Robert Baratheon, who was deeply in love with her, although she was unimpressed by Robert's reputation for infidelity. Her life's tales are mainly told through the words of Eddard Stark and Meera Reed (via Bran Stark's viewpoint chapter), with some passing commentaries from other people such as Barristan Selmy, Cersei Lannister, Roose Bolton, and Kevan Lannister. During the Tourney at Harrenhal, the greatest tourney in Westerosi history, Lyanna was chosen by the eventual jousting champion, Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, as the tourney's "Queen of Love and Beauty". Because Rhaegar was already married, and Lyanna was a maiden betrothed to Robert Baratheon, Rhaegar wooing's of Lyanna was considered an outrageous scandal at the time. One year later, she was said to have been abducted and raped by Rhaegar, triggering a civil war that resulted in the overthrow of House Targaryen. At the end of the war, Eddard and six of his companions ventured to the Tower of Joy within Dorne, where Lyanna was located and guarded by three of the most prominent Kingsguard knights — the "Sword of the Morning" Ser Arthur Dayne, Ser Oswell Whent, and the "White Bull" Ser Gerold Hightower (lord commander of the Kingsguard). After a fierce skirmish that killed everyone except Eddard and his close friend Howland Reed, Eddard entered the tower and found Lyanna dying in a bed of blood. Before she died, she asked her brother Eddard to make a promise, something that Eddard regarded as a price he paid that haunted him days and nights for 14 years. Eddard later takes her body home, to be entombed in Winterfell's crypt, and installs a stone statue in her likeness in front of her sarcophagus. When he returns, he also brings back a newborn boy named Jon Snow, whom he claims is his own bastard by a tavern wench named Wylla. Although Jon Arryn persuaded Robert to marry Cersei Lannister, Robert greatly mourns Lyanna for over a decade, causing great strain in his marriage with Cersei. In the HBO television adaptation, Lyanna is portrayed by Cordelia Hill in childhood and Aisling Franciosi during her late teens. === Roose Bolton === Lord Roose Bolton is a significant vassal of Lord Eddard Stark. His seat is the Dreadfort and his sigil is a flayed human, a homage to the ancient Bolton tradition of flaying enemies. He is nicknamed "the Leech Lord" for regular leechings meant to improve his health. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Michael McElhatton. === Ramsay Bolton === Ramsay Snow is the bastard son of Lord Roose Bolton, later legitimized as Ramsay Bolton. He is known as the Bastard of Bolton or the Bastard of the Dreadfort. Ramsay is vicious, ruthless, psychopathic, sadistic, opportunistic, unpredictable, and fearless. He takes great pleasure and pride in torturing others and enthusiastically practices the Bolton custom of flaying their enemies. Roose suspects that Ramsay murdered Roose's legitimate heir and expects that Ramsay will kill all of Roose's future children. He is described as ugly, with blotchy skin and dry, dark hair. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Iwan Rheon. === Rickard Karstark === Banner of arms of House Karstark Rickard Karstark is the Lord of Karhold and one of the main Stark vassals. During the Battle of the Whispering Wood Jaime Lannister kills two of his sons, who were guarding Robb Stark. Rickard's surviving son Harrion Karstark is later killed by the Lannisters. When Catelyn helps Jaime escape in an attempt to recover her daughters, Rickard murders two of Jaime's cousins and has his army desert Robb to search the Riverlands for Jaime, offering his daughter Alys Karstark to whoever brings him the Kingslayer. Due to this Robb executes Rickard personally. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by John Stahl. === Alys Karstark === Alys Karstark is the only daughter and youngest child of Lord Rickard Karstark. She is betrothed to Daryn Hornwood, heir to the Hornwood, but Jaime Lannister kills him alongside two of her brothers. Her father offers her to whomever captures Jaime Lannister, so the sadistic sellsword Vargo Hoat captures Jaime in the hope of becoming Lord of Karhold. However, after Rickard's death his uncle Arnolf Karstark plots to take control of Karhold. He declares for Stannis when he comes North in the hope this will mean the Lannisters execute his great-nephew Harrion Karstark, so Karhold will pass to Alys, whom Arnolf intends to force into marriage with his son Cregan Karstark. Arnolf also intends to betray Stannis when the Boltons attack. However, Alys (pursued by Cregan) flees to the Wall seeking Jon Snow's help and reveals her uncles' plans. To protect her Jon imprisons Cregan and arranges for Alys to marry the Wildling leader Sigorn, Magnar of Thenn, in a ceremony performed by Melisandre, which will aid Wildling integration into the North. If Harrion dies childless, Karhold will pass to the newly formed House Thenn. In the HBO television adaptation, she is portrayed by Megan Parkinson. === Wyman Manderly === Wyman Manderly is the Lord of White Harbor, the only city in the North, and the wealthiest of the Stark vassals. He is an enormously fat man, with two sons, Ser Wylis and Ser Wendel Manderly. During the War of the Five Kings the Manderlys and Boltons begin a private war over the Hornwood lands after Ramsay kidnaps the widowed Lady Donella Hornwood, Wyman's cousin, forces her to marry him and then starves her to death. Wyman's heir Wylis is captured when Roose Bolton treacherously sends a large Northern force to be wiped out by Randyll Tarly. Wyman's younger son Wendel is murdered at the Red Wedding by the Freys. Due to his heir being held captive Wyman cannot openly defy the Lannisters. Three Freys come to his city with Wendel's bones and a peace is apparently made, in which Wyman's granddaughters Wynafryd and Wylla will marry one of these Freys, Rhaegar Frey, and another of Walder Frey's grandsons, "Little" Walder Frey. When Davos Seaworth arrives in White Harbor to treat with Wyman to support Stannis, Davos denounces the Freys present for their treachery. Wyman apparently has him executed but secretly executes a criminal in his place, leading to Cersei returning his heir. Wyman reveals to Davos he knows where Rickon Stark is hiding and will support Stannis if Davos returns him. Wyman is implied to have murdered the White Harbor Freys when their stay was over (thus keeping to guest right), then put them in pies which he serves to the Freys and Boltons when he attends Ramsay's wedding, even eating some himself. The Freys suspect him of murdering their kin, and when Little Walder is murdered (possibly by his cousin Big Walder Frey) their uncle Hosteen Frey attacks Wyman. It is unclear if he survives. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Sean Blowers. === Hodor === Hodor is a simple-minded stable-boy at Winterfell. He is popularly known as Hodor because that is the only word he is capable of saying. He is over seven feet tall, and it is hinted that he may have giant ancestry. He has a friendly, childlike disposition and possesses great strength, though he is reluctant to use it against others. After Bran Stark is crippled in ''A Game of Thrones'', Hodor is employed to carry him in a sling on his back. Old Nan (Hodor's great-grandmother) reveals to Bran that Hodor's real name is Walder. When Winterfell is destroyed, Hodor escapes to the north with Bran, Jojen, Meera, Rickon, and Osha. In the HBO television adaptation (in which Hodor's real name has been changed to Wylis, ostensibly to avoid confusion with another character, Walder Frey), he is portrayed by Kristian Nairn as an adult and Sam Coleman as a child. === Osha === Osha () is a wildling woman who sneaks south of the Wall to escape the Others. When she and her fellow refugees try to kidnap Bran Stark in ''A Game of Thrones'', she is captured by Robb Stark and taken back to Winterfell and eventually employed as a scullery maid and is given limited freedom for her good behavior. She becomes close to Bran Stark and often gives him advice about the oncoming winter. When Theon Greyjoy captures Winterfell, Osha chose to protect Bran and Rickon over her freedom. She joins Bran and Rickon hiding in Winterfell's crypt after faking escape. She later parts ways with Bran and is entrusted to take care of Rickon through the North in their escape, and by ''A Dance with Dragons'', they are reported to have landed on the island of Skagos, supposedly inhabited by cannibals. In the HBO television adaptation, Osha is portrayed by Natalia Tena. === Jeyne Poole === Jeyne Poole is the daughter of Vayon Poole, the steward of Winterfell, and Sansa Stark's best friend. She has brown eyes and dark hair and is described as being very pretty. Following the arrest of Eddard Stark in ''A Game of Thrones'', the members and servants of his household are killed. Jeyne reappears in ''A Dance with Dragons'', having survived the massacre but being sent to Petyr Baelish's brothels. The Lannisters use her as a stand-in for Sansa's younger sister Arya and send her north to marry Ramsay Bolton at Winterfell. Theon Greyjoy recognizes that she is a fake, and that the Boltons are aware of the ruse. It is implied that Ramsay Bolton tortures her and forces her to perform sexual acts on dogs. Jon Snow, Arya's half-brother, believes Jeyne to be the real Arya and sends Mance Rayder to rescue her. The group enlists Theon's help, but their cover is blown and Theon and Jeyne barely escape. In the first season of the television adaptation, an unidentified extra appeared briefly as Jeyne in the pilot episode. In season five, her storyline was partially blended into Sansa Stark's. === Jojen and Meera Reed === Jojen and Meera are the children of Howland Reed, the Lord of Greywater Watch and a loyal Stark bannerman. They first appear in ''A Clash of Kings'', where they are sent to attend the harvest festival in place of their father to renew House Reed's pledge to House Stark and support the children of the late Eddard Stark. They become fast friends with Bran Stark and his baby brother Rickon, and are narrated completely through Bran's point of view chapters. The older sister Meera is sixteen years old when introduced in ''A Clash of Kings''. As typical of crannogmen, Meera is short, slim and flat-chested, has long brown hair and green eyes, and is described as having a cheerful disposition. She is intensely loyal and protective of her "prince" as well as her own brother, with Bran commenting that the only thing that ever makes her angry or upset is her brother Jojen. Although she is never described as being particularly beautiful, both Theon Greyjoy and Bran Stark seem to consider her attractive. She is a skilled huntress, and fights with a small fishing net and a three-pronged frog spear (similar in style to a retiarius), able to defeat Bran's direwolf Summer in mock combat by entangling the direwolf with her net. The legacy of Bran's late aunt Lyanna Stark is also largely narrated through her story-telling. The younger brother Jojen is thirteen when he first appears, but his sullen seriousness and maturity make him seem older. He is short and slim with unusually deep green eyes, wearing green-colored clothing. He claims to have "greensight" and the power of prophetic "green dreams", from where he knows a number of arcane things, including the day of his death. In Winterfell, Jojen recognizes Bran Stark as a skinchanger who is able to enter the mind of an animal and control it, and mentors Bran to gain control of his abilities. When Theon Greyjoy captures Winterfell, Jojen and Meera accompany Bran and Rickon in hiding inside Winterfell's crypt after faking escape, and later escort Bran's journey north in search of the three-eyed raven after Ramsay Snow sacks and burns Winterfell. At the end of ''A Storm of Swords'', they travel beyond the Wall and Jojen becomes very weak. In ''A Dance with Dragons'', Meera struggles to keep the group's spirits up, but implies that Jojen's future is bleak. In the HBO television adaptation, Jojen and Meera Reed are portrayed by English actors Thomas Sangster and Ellie Kendrick respectively. === Jeyne Westerling === Jeyne Westerling is the daughter of a family sworn to House Lannister. She meets Robb Stark when he is wounded, and falls in love with him during his convalescence. He marries her the next day to preserve her honour, in doing so breaking a marriage contract with House Frey. After Robb's departure for the Twins, Jeyne remains in Riverrun and does not witness the massacre. After the Red Wedding, she is granted a royal pardon. In ''A Feast for Crows'', she is openly mourning and last appears riding to Casterly Rock as a political prisoner. During the 2014 San Diego Comic Con, George R. R. Martin stated that Jeyne Westerling will appear in the prologue of the sixth book, ''The Winds of Winter'', but did not reveal whether she would be the prologue POV character. In the television adaptation, the character was adapted into Talisa Maegyr, a highborn healer from Volantis who falls in love with Robb. The two marry and she becomes pregnant with his child; unlike in the books, she is present at the Red Wedding and is killed alongside Robb. She is played by Oona Chaplin. == House Targaryen == Coat of arms of House Targaryen House Targaryen was the ruling house of the Seven Kingdoms for nearly 300 years, holding royal court in King's Landing. Its coat of arms shows a red, three-headed dragon breathing fire on a black field, and its words are ''Fire and Blood''. The Targaryens originally came from Valyria on the continent of Essos. Before Valyria was destroyed, the Targaryens left for Dragonstone. A century after the Valyrian "Doom", Aegon I Targaryen conquered six of the Seven Kingdoms with his dragons, and his descendants won the seventh through a political marriage. The Targaryen dragons were the last known to exist and died out long before the events of ''A Game of Thrones''. People of Targaryen ancestry, referred to as "blood of the dragon", tend to have silvery-gold or platinum hair and purple eyes ranging from lilac to violet. Fifteen years before the events of the series, the Targaryens were deposed in Robert's Rebellion, with the children Viserys and Daenerys fleeing to Essos. === Aegon V Targaryen === Aegon Targaryen, nicknamed "Egg" in his youth, is one of the two main characters in the ''Tales of Dunk and Egg'' novellas. As a child, his father Prince Maekar reluctantly permitted him to serve as squire to the knight errant Ser Duncan the Tall, in the hopes that the lessons learned through humble service and hard experience would help him avoid the excesses and shortcomings of his royal brothers. He was later crowned as King Aegon V when a Great Council bypassed those before him in the line of succession and his older brother Aemon chose to abdicate by joining the Night's Watch. He was called "Aegon the Unlikely" because he was previously way down the line of succession and therefore considered unlikely to inherit the Iron Throne. Aegon V's reign lasted more than twenty-five years, during which he tried to push policies more favorable to the interests of common people, and frequently clashed with noble lords as a result. He later perished in the 'Tragedy of Summerhall', a huge fire at the Targaryen summer palace, along with his son Prince Duncan and close friend Ser Duncan the Tall. After he died, his son Jaehaerys inherited the throne. When Jaehaerys died three years later, the Iron Throne was passed to his son Aerys. In the television adaptation ''Game of Thrones'', Aegon is the father of Aerys the Mad King, rather than his grandfather. === Aerys II Targaryen === Aerys Targaryen, also called The Mad King, ruled the Seven Kingdoms as the last Targaryen king. While his rule started out well, he slowly descended into madness. He was married to his sister Rhaella, who bore him eight children, but only three survived into adulthood: sons Rhaegar and Viserys, and daughter Daenerys. After Rhaegar absconded with Lyanna Stark, Aerys had Ned Stark's father and brother executed, beginning Robert's Rebellion. When Aerys planned to burn King's Landing rather than let Robert rule, he was assassinated by a member of his own Kingsguard, Jaime Lannister. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by David Rintoul. === Rhaegar Targaryen === Rhaegar Targaryen, the 'Last Dragon', was the eldest son of King Aerys II and the heir apparent to the Iron Throne, and the older brother to Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen. He died 14 years before the events of ''A Game of Thrones'', and his life's tales are mainly narrated through the words of Jaime Lannister, Cersei Lannister, Barristan Selmy and Daenerys (via visions of sorcery), as well as commentaries by Eddard Stark, Aemon Targaryen, Jorah Mormont, Meera Reed, Jon Connington and Gilly. Rhaegar married the Dornish princess Elia Martell of Sunspear, and fathered with her a daughter named Rhaenys and son named Aegon (Aegon VI). After winning the Tourney at Harrenhal, the greatest tourney in Westerosi history, he surprised everyone by passing over his wife Elia and crowning Lyanna Stark as the tourney's "Queen of Love and Beauty". One year later, he and Lyanna both disappeared, with rumors that he abducted and raped Lyanna. Enraged, Lyanna's oldest brother Brandon went to King's Landing to confront Rhaegar, which resulted in both him and his father Lord Rickard being brutally executed by King Aerys. Lyanna's other older brother Eddard, her betrothed Robert Baratheon, their foster father Jon Arryn and Brandon's father-in-law-to-be Hoster Tully then started a rebellion against Aerys, with Robert personally killing Rhaegar in single combat at the Battle of the Trident, and ultimately overthrowing House Targaryen. Though Robert continues to vilify Rhaegar throughout ''A Game of Thrones'', many other characters express admiration for him. Daenerys's stillborn son Rhaego and her dragon Rhaegal are named after Rhaegar. In the HBO television adaption, he is portrayed by Wilf Scolding. Appearing in flashbacks, he is depicted as Jon Snow's biological father. === Viserys Targaryen === Viserys Targaryen is the second-born son of Aerys II Targaryen. Thirteen years before the events of the series, he and his sister Daenerys fled Westeros to escape death at the hands of rebel Robert Baratheon. Viserys is an arrogant, cruel and ambitious man given to violent mood swings. Daenerys named one of her dragons Viserion after her brother. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Harry Lloyd. === Daenerys Targaryen === Daenerys Targaryen, referred to sometimes as 'Daenerys Stormborn', 'Khaleesi', the 'Mother of Dragons', is the daughter and youngest child of King Aerys II Targaryen and is one of the last surviving members of House Targaryen. She serves as the point of view character in thirty-one chapters throughout ''A Game of Thrones'', ''A Clash of Kings'', ''A Storm of Swords'', and ''A Dance with Dragons''. In the HBO television adaptation, she is portrayed by Emilia Clarke. === Young Griff/Aegon VI Targaryen === Aegon Targaryen is the only known son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell. Fifteen years before the events of the series, the infant Aegon was reported to have been killed along with his mother and sister by Gregor Clegane. In ''A Dance with Dragons'', Varys claims to have switched Aegon with another, lowborn infant (known as the "Pisswater prince") and smuggled Aegon out of King's Landing prior to the capital's fall. During his exile in Essos, Tyrion Lannister (under the alias Hugor Hill) meets Young Griff, a well-trained teenage boy endorsed by Varys's associate Illyrio Mopatis, who claims to be the surviving Aegon and is under the guardianship of Rhaegar's close friend Jon Connington (under alias of Griff). He is to be used by Varys and Illyrio as a puppet king. Young Griff intends to travel to Slaver's Bay to visit Daenerys Targaryen and propose marriages, but Tyrion provokes him during a cyvasse game and convinces him to abandon the proposal and independently attack Westeros. Revealing himself Aegon, Griff persuades the Golden Company into supporting his invasion, landing his army in the Stormlands and capture several castles, and plans to lay siege to the Baratheon seat of Storm's End. In the upcoming sixth book,''The Winds of Winter'', according to news received by Arianne Martell, Aegon's forces have successfully captured Storm's End. Many fans believe that Young Griff is not actually Aegon, but rather a Blackfyre or Illyrio's illegitimate son or just a boy of the right age. === Jon Connington === Lord Jon Connington is the exiled Lord of Griffin's Roost and was a close friend of Rhaegar Targaryen. Jon serves as a third-person narrator for two chapters in ''A Dance with Dragons''. Fifteen years before the events of the series, King Aerys II made Jon his Hand of the King. However, Jon also failed to contain the rebellion. Aerys stripped him of his lands and titles, giving them to Jon's cousin Ronald Connington, and exiled him. Biding his time in Essos, he raises Young Griff, supposedly Rhaegar's son Aegon. Jon and Aegon eventually decide to attack Westeros while it is embroiled in civil war. During the return trip, Connington contracts Greyscale Plague when saving Tyrion. The group lands in the Stormlands and captures several castles, including Griffin's Roost. Aegon plans to lead the attack on Storm's End, the next target. === Jorah Mormont === Coat of arms of House Mormont Ser Jorah Mormont is the exiled Lord of Bear Island in the North, which he inherited after his father Jeor Mormont joined the Night's Watch. His wife's lavish lifestyle led to debts, which led Jorah to engage in selling slaves. Escaping justice, he fled to Essos and eventually joined the service of Daenerys Targaryen, becoming one of her chief advisors. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Iain Glen. === Brynden Rivers === Brynden Rivers, better known as "Lord Bloodraven", is a legitimized bastard son of King Aegon IV Targaryen (called Aegon the Unworthy) and Melissa Blackwood. He is one of only three characters (the others being Aemon Targaryen and Walder Frey) to have appeared in both the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels and the ''Tales of Dunk and Egg'' novellas. He is an albino, with white skin, long white hair, and red eyes. He has a red birthmark on his left cheek, said to be in the shape of a raven, and thus the source of his nickname "Bloodraven". Bloodraven remained loyal to his half-brother King Daeron II Targaryen (called Daeron the Good) throughout the Blackfyre Rebellions against another of Aegon's legitimized bastards, Daemon Blackfyre, and their descendants, but was later thrown in prison by his great-nephew King Aegon V Targaryen (called Aegon the Unlikely) for ordering the execution of Aenys Blackfyre despite promising safe passage. He was sent to the Wall as the punishment and later elected the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, and served in that capacity for many years before disappearing during a ranging beyond the Wall. In ''A Dance with Dragons'', Bloodraven is shown to have become the last greenseer and is fused to the root of a weirwood tree. He begins training Bran Stark in clairvoyance. In the HBO television adaptation, the character is only known as "The Three-eyed Raven", and his backstory regarding the Targaryens and the Night Watch is never mentioned. He was briefly portrayed by Struan Rodger in the fourth season finale "The Children", and more extensively by Max von Sydow in the sixth season. In a 2017 interview, Isaac Hempstead Wright (who portrays Bran) hinted that in the television series the Three-Eyed Raven had been "sitting in a cave looking through time" for "thousands of years". === Missandei === Missandei is a slave interpreter for Kraznys mo Nakloz when Daenerys Targaryen comes to inspect the Unsullied in Astapor. After Daenerys strikes a bargain with the Good Masters of Astapor concerning payment for the Unsullied, Kraznys gives Missandei to Daenerys as an interpreter to give them commands. Afterwards, she becomes a trusted confidante and handmaiden to Daenerys. In the HBO television adaptation, she is portrayed by Nathalie Emmanuel. === Daario Naharis === Daario Naharis is a leader in the Stormcrows mercenary company. Daario is won over by Daenerys and brings the Stormcrows over to her side. He becomes romantically involved with her, eventually becoming one of her advisors. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Ed Skrein in season three, and by Michiel Huisman from season four to season six. === Grey Worm === Grey Worm, born Torgo Nudho, is an Unsullied purchased by and sworn to Daenerys Targaryen. He is the commander of Daenerys's Unsullied and one of her trusted advisors. After Daenerys flees Mereen, Grey Worm becomes a member of the ruling council of the city. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Jacob Anderson. === Maekar I Targaryen === Maekar is a character in ''The Tales of Dunk and Egg''. He is the fourth and youngest son of Daeron II Targaryen. Maekar married Dyanna Dayne and had six children, four sons, Daeron, Aerion, Aemon and Aegon, and two daughters. He was made Prince of Summerhall, a summer castle built in the Stormlands by his father. Maekar is resentful that his achievements are often overlooked, especially in favor of his eldest brother Baelor "Breakspear". He was angry when his father Daeron ordered that his third son Aemon be sent to the Citadel. At the Tourney at Ashford, Maekar sends his other three sons, and is angered when Dunk attacks the cruel Aerion to defend Tanselle, a Puppeteer. When Aerion asks for a Trial by Seven, Maekar takes his son's side, however, Baelor takes Dunk's side. In the fight, Dunk forces Aerion to withdraw his accusation, but Maekar while trying to reach his son is stopped by Baelor and accidentally strikes him a blow to the head that kills him. He allows Dunk to take Aegon as his squire when Dunk points out how Daeron and Aerion turned out. Maekar would eventually become King but died 12 years later at the Peake Uprising, when a stone thrown from the Peake's castle Starpike crushed his head. === House Blackfyre === House Blackfyre is a semi-extinct cadet house of House Targaryen. Their sigil is a three-headed black dragon on a red field, the reverse of House Targaryen. House Blackfyre was founded when Aegon IV "the Unworthy" (reigned AL 172–184) legitimized all his bastard children on his deathbed. Aegon gave "Blackfyre", the sword of the first Targaryen king, to his bastard Daemon, seeming to signify his favour for Daemon over the heir apparent: his true-born son Daeron. When Aegon IV died, Daemon I Blackfyre contested Daeron II Targaryen's right to the Iron Throne. This challenge set off conflicts between AL 184–260 where a series of Blackfyre pretenders vied for the Iron Throne. == House Lannister == lion rampant coat of arms of House Lannister House Lannister is one of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms and the principal house of the Westerlands. Its seat is at Casterly Rock and they are also given the title Wardens of the West. Its coat of arms displays a golden lion rampant on a crimson field, and its words are ''Hear Me Roar!'' More famous than its official motto is the House's unofficial one: ''A Lannister always pays his debts.'' Bastards born in The Westerlands are given the surname "Hill". The Lannisters ruled as Kings of the Rock until House Targaryen invaded Westeros. They are the richest family in the Seven Kingdoms because of the gold mines located in their lands. === Tywin Lannister === Tywin Lannister is Lord of Casterly Rock, Shield of Lannisport, and Warden of the West. He is a calculating, ruthless, and controlling man. In his youth, he witnessed his father grow old and weak. Eventually several nobles revolted against Lannister rule. Disgusted with his father's inaction, Tywin personally led the Lannister army and utterly destroyed the rebellious vassals, placing the bodies of their entire families on display at Casterly Rock. Impressed with his decisive actions in putting down the rebellion, Aerys II Targaryen appointed the young Tywin Hand of the King. Tywin proved himself a ruthless but capable leader and his tenure was marked by peace and prosperity. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Charles Dance. === Cersei Lannister === Cersei Lannister is the twin sister of Jaime, (the elder of the two), and the only daughter of Tywin Lannister. She serves as the third-person narrator of twelve chapters in ''A Feast for Crows'' and ''A Dance with Dragons''. She became queen by marrying Robert Baratheon. She has three children (all of whom are in actuality fathered by her twin brother) and two of whom eventually become king after Robert's death. In the HBO television adaptation, she is portrayed by Lena Headey. === Jaime Lannister === Jaime Lannister is the twin brother of Cersei and the first son of Tywin Lannister. He serves as the third-person narrator of seventeen chapters throughout ''A Storm of Swords'', ''A Feast for Crows'', and ''A Dance with Dragons''. He was widely considered one of the best swordsmen in all the Seven Kingdoms before having his right hand chopped off by Vargo Hoat. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. === Tyrion Lannister === Tyrion Lannister is the younger brother of Cersei and Jaime Lannister, and serves as a third-person narrator for 47 chapters in ''A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords'' and ''A Dance With Dragons''. He is the narrator with the most chapters in the books. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Peter Dinklage. === Joffrey Baratheon === Joffrey Baratheon's personal coat of arms Joffrey is the eldest of Queen Cersei Lannister's children. Though a Baratheon in name, Joffrey is actually a product of incest between Cersei and Jaime Lannister, but unaware of his true parentage. He is described as a strong-willed child with a vicious temper and a sadistic streak. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Jack Gleeson. === Myrcella Baratheon === Princess Myrcella Baratheon is the second oldest child and only daughter of Queen Cersei Lannister. Like her brothers, she was fathered by Cersei's brother Jaime Lannister, but she is ostensibly unaware of this. She is described as delicate, beautiful and courteous, and is said to have all her mother's beauty but none of her cruel nature. To ensure that House Martell will support Joffrey, Myrcella is betrothed to marry Prince Trystane Martell when they come of age and is sent to Dorne in ''A Clash of Kings''. After Joffrey's death in ''A Storm of Swords'', Princess Arianne Martell schemes to kidnap Myrcella and crown her queen of Westeros. The plan goes awry, however, and Myrcella is severely injured in the kidnapping. In the HBO television adaptation, she is portrayed by Aimee Richardson in seasons one and two, and Nell Tiger Free in seasons five and six. Her fate is changed from that in the novels—in the television version, Myrcella is poisoned by Ellaria Sand as revenge against the Lannisters for the death of Oberyn Martell. Myrcella dies in Jaime's arms moments after acknowledging him as her father. === Tommen Baratheon === Prince Tommen Baratheon is the younger brother of Prince Joffrey and Princess Myrcella and is second in line for the throne. Tommen is Queen Cersei Lannister's youngest child and, like his siblings, he is also the son of Cersei's brother Jaime Lannister, but he is unaware of this, as he believes Robert Baratheon to be his father. Like his sister, he shares none of his mother's ruthlessness, and is in fact, mild-mannered, courteous, and kind-hearted. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Callum Wharry in seasons one and two, and Dean-Charles Chapman from season four onwards. === Kevan Lannister === Ser Kevan Lannister is Tywin Lannister's younger brother and most trusted captain, known for his reliability and loyalty. He serves as the third-person narrator for the epilogue of ''A Dance with Dragons''. He is comfortable with carrying out Tywin's wishes and resigned himself to perpetually living in his brother's shadow. In ''A Storm of Swords'', he is appointed Master of Laws to his great-nephew King Joffrey Baratheon, and after Tywin's death, he is offered the position Hand of the King in ''A Feast for Crows'' but refuses to serve under Cersei. After Cersei's imprisonment, the council appoints him Lord Regent to King Tommen Baratheon, and he tries to solve the problems Cersei created. Because his efforts to stabilize the kingdom threaten Aegon VI Targaryen's plans to take the throne, Varys murders Kevan. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Ian Gelder. === Lancel Lannister === Lancel Lannister is the oldest son of Kevan Lannister and serves as squire to King Robert Baratheon at King's Landing, in ''A Game of Thrones''. He helps Queen Cersei kill Robert. In ''A Clash of Kings'', Cersei knights him for his part in Robert's death. After Cersei takes Lancel as a lover, Tyrion discovers the affair and blackmails Lancel into spying for him. During an attack on King's Landing, Lancel guards Cersei's son King Joffrey Baratheon and is seriously wounded in the fighting. During his recovery in ''A Storm of Swords'', he experiences a spiritual awakening and spends much of his time atoning for his sins. When the Faith Militant, the military order of the Faith, is reinstated, Lancel renounces his wife and lands, and joins the organization. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Eugene Simon. === Bronn === Bronn is a skilled sellsword of low birth. He is described as having a sardonic sense of humor and a pragmatic, amoral philosophy. He helps Catelyn take Tyrion to the Eyrie, where he befriends Tyrion. Bronn offers to champion for Tyrion in a trial by combat, and wins the duel. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Jerome Flynn. === Gregor Clegane === Coat of arms of House Clegane Ser Gregor Clegane, known as the Mountain That Rides, or simply the Mountain, is the older brother of Sandor Clegane and is a vassal to Tywin Lannister. His size and strength make him a fearsome warrior, and he has earned a reputation for brutality. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Conan Stevens in season one, by Ian Whyte in season two, and by Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson in season four onwards. === Sandor Clegane === Sandor Clegane, known as the Hound, is a retainer to House Lannister and the younger brother of Gregor Clegane. He is regarded as one of the most dangerous and skilled fighters in Westeros. His face is distinguished by gruesome burn scars, which he received as a child when his brother pushed his head into a brazier. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Rory McCann. === Podrick Payne === Coat of arms of House Payne Podrick Payne, Pod for short, is a squire to Tyrion Lannister toward the end of ''A Game of Thrones''. Despite being painfully shy and insecure, he proves himself to be a loyal and capable squire. In ''A Clash of Kings'', he rescues Tyrion from an assassination attempt. He continues his duties through ''A Storm of Swords'' until Tyrion vanishes in ''A Feast for Crows''. He follows Brienne of Tarth, knowing that she was searching for Tyrion's wife Sansa Stark. He becomes Brienne's squire and serves her as faithfully as he did Tyrion. He and Brienne are captured by the Brotherhood Without Banners, and Podrick is sentenced to be hanged for serving as Tyrion's squire. His fate is currently unknown. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Daniel Portman. == House Baratheon == Coat of arms of House Baratheon House Baratheon is the youngest of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms and the principal house of the Stormlands. It was founded by the bastard half-brother of the first Targaryen King, Orys Baratheon. The main seat of House Baratheon is at Storm's End under Renly, with a royal branch at King's Landing under Robert, and a cadet branch at Dragonstone under Stannis. The Baratheon coat of arms displays a black stag on a field of gold; a crown was added after Robert Baratheon took the Iron Throne. The house motto is ''Ours is the Fury''. Bastards born in the Stormlands are generally given the surname "Storm". === Robert Baratheon === Robert Baratheon is King of the Seven Kingdoms at the beginning of ''A Game of Thrones''. He was the ward of Jon Arryn and was raised at the Eyrie alongside Eddard Stark. Fifteen years before the novels, Robert was betrothed to Ned's sister Lyanna, and after Lyanna and Rhaegar Targaryen disappeared, Robert killed Rhaegar and seized the throne. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Mark Addy. === Stannis Baratheon === Personal coat of arms of Stannis Baratheon Stannis Baratheon is the younger brother of King Robert and older brother of Renly. He is portrayed as a brooding and humorless man with a harsh sense of justice and an obsession with slights both real and imagined. He is regarded as a skilled but overcautious military commander. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Stephen Dillane. === Selyse Florent === Selyse Baratheon is the wife of Stannis, and was a Florent before her marriage. She is described as being fairly unattractive with extremely prominent ears and a hint of a mustache on her upper lip. Selyse has a cold relationship with her husband. She is the first of her family to be converted to the religion of the Red God by Melisandre. In the HBO television adaptation, she is portrayed by Tara Fitzgerald. === Renly Baratheon === Renly Baratheon is the youngest of the Baratheon brothers and Lord of Storm's End. He is described as handsome and charismatic, winning friends easily. Renly serves on Robert's council as Master of Laws. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Gethin Anthony. The adaptation openly depicts Renly and Ser Loras Tyrell as lovers, an interaction obliquely addressed in the novels. === Shireen Baratheon === Shireen Baratheon is the only living child of Stannis Baratheon and Selyse Florent. She contracted the lethal greyscale disease as a child, disfiguring her by leaving the left side of her cheek and most of her neck covered by grey, cracked, and stone-like skin. In the HBO television adaptation, she is portrayed by Kerry Ingram. === Melisandre === Melisandre of Asshai is a priestess of R'hllor in service to Stannis Baratheon. She is introduced in ''A Clash of Kings'' and serves as the third-person narrator for one chapter of ''A Dance with Dragons''. She is described as a beautiful woman with red eyes, always dressing in red and rarely sleeping or eating. In the HBO television adaptation, she is portrayed by Carice van Houten. === Davos Seaworth === Coat of arms of Davos Seaworth Ser Davos Seaworth, called the Onion Knight, is the common-born head of the newly founded House Seaworth and was formerly known as an elusive smuggler. He is introduced in ''A Clash of Kings'' and is the third-person narrator for thirteen chapters throughout ''A Clash of Kings'', ''A Storm of Swords'', and ''A Dance with Dragons''. During the Siege of Storm's End, Davos smuggled food to the starving Stannis Baratheon, earning him a knighthood and choice lands. Before knighting him, Stannis removed the last joints from four fingers on Davos' left hand as punishment for years of smuggling. In ''A Clash of Kings'', he supports Stannis' claim to the throne, making him Stannis' most trusted adviser, but Davos is a follower of the Faith of the Seven and opposes Melisandre. During the Battle of the Blackwater, his ship is destroyed but Davos survives while losing four sons. He blames Melisandre for the deaths of his sons and plans to kill her, but she receives word of the plot and he is jailed. Stannis eventually pardons Davos and names him his Hand of the King. As Hand, Davos convinces Stannis to help the Watch against the wildling army. After Stannis sails to the Wall, he tasks Davos with enlisting the support of House Manderly, but Davos is taken prisoner. After staging Davos' death, Manderly asks Davos to rescue Rickon Stark from Skagos. His fate is unknown. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Liam Cunningham. === Brienne of Tarth === Brienne, the Maid of Tarth, serves as a POV narrator for eight chapters in the fourth book of the series, ''A Feast for Crows.'' A tall and imposing but extremely plain woman, she is mocked by many as "Brienne the Beauty". She is a maiden on a quest. In the HBO television adaptation, she is portrayed by Gwendoline Christie. === Beric Dondarrion === Beric Dondarrion is a gallant knight with great fighting skill. In ''A Game of Thrones'', Eddard Stark sends him to arrest Gregor Clegane and bring peace to the Riverlands. He is ambushed and killed by Lannister forces. Thoros of Myr accidentally revives him with magic during the funeral service. By ''A Storm of Swords'', he and his men have formed an outlaw band called the Brotherhood Without Banners. The Brotherhood starts a guerrilla war against raiders in the Riverlands. The success of these ambushes earns him the nickname the Lightning Lord, also reference to his coat of arms. He will be killed several other times, only to be repeatedly brought back to life. These continuous resurrections lead him to lose part of the memories related to his previous life every time. In the third book, he and his men find the corpse of Catelyn Stark. He resurrects her with the last of his life force and dies for the final time. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by David Michael Scott in season one, and by Richard Dormer in seasons three, six, seven and eight. === Gendry === Gendry is one of Robert Baratheon's many bastard children. He lives in King's Landing as an armorer's apprentice and is unaware of his true parentage. Gendry later joins the Brotherhood without Banners. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Joe Dempsie. === Edric Storm === Edric Storm is Robert Baratheon's only acknowledged bastard. He was conceived on Stannis and Selyse's wedding night, when Robert seduced one of Selyse's cousins, Delena Florent, in Stannis' marriage bed. Edric was sent by Stannis to be fostered by his other uncle Renly Baratheon. Edric was raised under the guardianship of Storm's End Castellan Ser Cortnay Penrose. After Renly dies, Cortnay refuses to surrender Storm's End, fearing Stannis' intentions for Edric; as a result, he is assassinated by Melisandre. Stannis then sends Edric to Dragonstone. Melisandre and Selyse tell Stannis to sacrifice Edric, claiming his king's blood will enable them to raise a dragon. To prevent this, Davos sends Edric to Lys under the guardianship of one of Robert's cousins, Andrew Estermont. In the HBO television adaptation Edric's storyline is combined with Gendry's. == House Arryn == Coat of arms of House Arryn House Arryn is one of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms and is the principal house in the Vale. It is descended from Kings of Mountain and Vale. Its main seat is at the Eyrie, a small castle located at the top of a mountain and reputed to be impregnable, where they are the Wardens of the East. Its coat of arms displays a white moon-and-falcon on a sky blue field, and its words are ''As High as Honor''. Bastards born in the Vale are generally given the surname "Stone". Jon Arryn was the head of the Arryn family until he was poisoned shortly before ''A Game of Thrones''. His only child, Robert "Robin" Arryn, became Lord of the Vale with Lysa Tully acting as regent. === Jon Arryn === Jon Arryn was the Lord of the Eyrie, Defender of the Vale, Warden of the East, and Hand to King Robert Baratheon before the events of ''A Game of Thrones''. He took Robert and Eddard Stark as wards and became a father figure to both. When King Aerys II Targaryen commanded him to hand over his wards for execution, Jon rose up in rebellion. To earn the support of House Tully in the rebellion, Jon married the much younger Lysa Tully. Throughout Robert's reign, Jon was left with most of the responsibility of the Seven Kingdoms. When Stannis Baratheon had doubts about the parentage of Queen Cersei Lannister's children, he brought his suspicions to Jon, who confirmed that Cersei's children were not fathered by Robert, but by her brother Jaime. Before he could reveal this publicly, Lysa poisoned him on Littlefinger's orders to stop him from sending their son Robin Arryn away as a ward. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by John Standing. === Lysa Arryn === Lysa Arryn, formerly of House Tully, is the second child and youngest daughter of Lord Hoster Tully. Enamored of Petyr Baelish, Lysa resented her older sister Catelyn Tully when he fell in love with her. Prior to the series, while Baelish was her father's ward, Lysa was impregnated by him after Catelyn spurned him. Learning of this, Hoster sent Baelish home and tricked Lysa into drinking an abortifacient potion, using her unborn child as proof of her fertility while marrying her off to Jon Arryn. Lysa has become a paranoid and an unstable, mercurial woman. Shortly before ''A Game of Thrones'', Baelish convinced Lysa to poison her husband and write a letter to Catelyn to name House Lannister responsible for the act. Fearing for herself and her son, Lysa returns to the Eyrie and becomes Lady Regent of the Vale. At the Eyrie, Lysa refuses House Stark's plea for assistance and commits the Vale to a strict policy of neutrality in the war. Lysa later accepts a marriage proposal from Baelish in ''A Storm of Swords''. After finding Baelish kissing Sansa Stark, Lysa attempts to throw her to her death, but Baelish saves Sansa by murdering Lysa. In the HBO television adaptation, she is portrayed by Kate Dickie. === Robert Arryn === Robert Arryn, sometimes called 'Sweetrobin', is the only child of Jon Arryn and Lysa Tully. He suffers from frequent seizure-like episodes called a 'shaking illness', and is depicted as intellectually and physically stunted. At the start of the series, he is Lord of the Eyrie and Defender of the Vale though his mother rules as regent. After Lysa's marriage to Petyr Baelish and her subsequent death in ''A Storm of Swords'', Baelish claims the rule of the Vale and guardianship of Robert. In the absence of his mother, he becomes attached to his cousin Sansa Stark in her disguise of Alayne Stone. In the television adaptation of the novels, the character is renamed 'Robin Arryn' to prevent confusion with Robert Baratheon. He is portrayed by Lino Facioli. === Yohn Royce === Yohn Royce (sometimes called 'Bronze Yohn') is Lord of Runestone and head of House Royce. After the death of Lysa Arryn, Lord Yohn forms the Lords Declarant in opposition to Petyr Baelish's rule of the Vale. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Rupert Vansittart. === Anya Waynwood === Lady Waynwood is the lady of Ironoaks, and the head of House Waynwood, a powerful vassal to House Arryn of the Vale. Lady Anya is part of the Lords Declarant, who oppose Baelish's rule of the Vale. In the HBO television adaptation, she is portrayed by Paola Dionisotti === Nestor Royce === Nestor is a cousin of Yohn Royce, from a lesser branch of House Royce. He ruled the Eyrie as High Steward of the Vale during Jon Arryn's absence and acted as Keeper of the Gates of the Moon and feels he is owed for his years of service. Littlefinger later makes him the hereditary Lord of the Gates of the Moon to keep him loyal, signing the paper declaring this so Nestor holding the Gates depends on Baelish' power. == House Greyjoy == Coat of arms of House Greyjoy House Greyjoy is one of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms and is the principal noble house on the Iron Islands, home to the Ironborn. Its seat is on Pyke. Its coat of arms displays a golden kraken on a black field, and its words are ''We Do Not Sow''. Bastards born in the Iron Islands are given the surname "Pyke". The Greyjoys became Lords Paramount of the Iron Islands after House Targaryen conquered the Seven Kingdoms and allowed the Ironborn to choose who would have primacy over them. Balon Greyjoy is the current Lord of the Iron Islands. He has two surviving children, his only daughter, Asha, and Theon. === Balon Greyjoy === Balon Greyjoy is the Lord of the Iron Islands, King of Salt and Rock, Son of the Sea Wind, and Lord Reaper of Pyke. He is a harsh and fierce man. Ten years before ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', he led a rebellion against King Robert Baratheon. The rebellion failed and his youngest son Theon Greyjoy was taken as a hostage and raised in Winterfell by Lord Eddard Stark. After Robert's death, Balon spurns Robb Stark's offer of an alliance in ''A Clash of Kings'' and declares himself King of the Iron Islands and the North. He captures the Neck and ravages the coastline of the Stark-held North. He dies in ''A Storm of Swords'' after falling off a bridge during a storm. The timely return of Balon's banished brother Euron leads many characters to believe that Euron played a part in Balon's death. Euron later admits to Aeron he was responsible for Balon's death, though not in person. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Patrick Malahide. === Asha Greyjoy === Asha Greyjoy is Balon Greyjoy's only daughter and oldest living child. She serves as the third-person narrator for four chapters throughout ''A Feast for Crows'' and ''A Dance with Dragons''. Asha was raised as Balon's heir despite a custom forbidding female rule, and has otherwise defied traditional gender roles by captaining her own ship and leading men into battle. When Balon orders an invasion of the North in ''A Clash of Kings'', she captures Deepwood Motte. She returns to the Islands in ''A Feast For Crows'' after her father's death and claims her father's throne, which she loses in favor of her uncle Euron. In ''A Dance with Dragons'', she returns to Deepwood Motte and learns that Euron has married her off by proxy. She is eventually captured by Stannis Baratheon and travels with his army toward Winterfell, where she is reunited with her brother Theon. In the HBO television adaptation, the character is renamed Yara Greyjoy to avoid confusion with the character Osha. Yara is portrayed by Gemma Whelan. Whelan speculated in an interview that in the TV series Yara is bisexual, though Martin confirmed that she is not in the novels. === Theon Greyjoy === Theon Greyjoy is the only living son, and heir apparent of Balon Greyjoy. He is the third-person narrator for thirteen chapters throughout ''A Clash of Kings'' and ''A Dance with Dragons''. He is arrogant, cocky, and proud. Ten years before the events of the series, he was taken hostage by Ned Stark to be executed if Balon displeased the king. Theon was raised at Winterfell with the Stark children and became a close friend to Robb Stark in particular. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Alfie Allen. === Euron Greyjoy === Euron Greyjoy is the younger brother of Balon and is hated by all his brothers. He wears a patch over his left eye, for which he is nicknamed "Crow's Eye", and is more ruthless and sadistic than his brothers. Before the events of the series, he was banished from the Iron Islands. During his exile, he lived as a pirate and became extremely wealthy and became involved in dark magic, culminating in his gaining ownership of a horn that can control dragons. In ''A Feast for Crows'', Euron's return from exile coincides with Balon's death, encouraging speculation that he played a role in his brother's demise. After becoming King of the Iron Islands at a Kingsmoot by telling the Ironborn he knows where there are dragons and that he intends to conquer Westeros, he begins successful raids along the Reach. He sends his brother Victarion away to court Daenerys Targaryen in his name and bring her and her dragons to Westeros. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Pilou Asbæk. === Victarion Greyjoy === Victarion Greyjoy is the second youngest of Balon's surviving brothers and is Lord Commander of the Iron Fleet. He first appears in ''A Clash of Kings'' and is present as his brother, King Balon Greyjoy, reveals his plans to invade the north; Victarion is given overall command of the invasion. He appears next in ''A Feast for Crows'' and serves as the third-person narrator for four chapters throughout ''A Feast for Crows'' and ''A Dance with Dragons''. Victarion is a devout follower of the Drowned God. Years before the events of the series, he killed his wife after he learned of her affair with Euron and has not remarried. After failing to become King of the Iron Islands, he is sent away to court Daenerys Targaryen in Euron's name, but he plans to marry her himself to spite Euron for earlier betrayals. After weathering a savage storm, the remains of his fleet reach Meereen. Victarion orders his fleet to assault the forces besieging the city. His fate is unknown. === Aeron Greyjoy === Aeron Greyjoy is the youngest of Balon's surviving brothers. He is introduced in ''A Clash of Kings'' and serves as a third-person narrator for two chapters of ''A Feast for Crows''. In his youth, he was a drunk and was scorned by Balon, thus later known as ''Aeron Damphair''. After nearly drowning, he dedicated himself to the Drowned God, and became a high priest. After Balon's mysterious death, and crowning of his brother Euron, he becomes a bitter opponent of Euron and his schemes, calling a Kingsmoot to make Victarion King instead of Euron. This fails, and Aeron goes into hiding. A preview chapter from ''The Winds of Winter'' reveals that Euron had his men capture Aeron, leaving him imprisoned in Euron's ship for several months before being tied to the ship's prow. It is also revealed that Euron had repeatedly molested Aeron in their youth, leading to Aeron's hatred of Euron. In the HBO television adaption, he is portrayed by Michael Feast. === Rodrik Harlaw === Rodrik Harlaw is the Lord of Harlaw, the most populated of the Iron Islands. He is the richest man in the Iron Islands and the maternal uncle of Asha Greyjoy, one of his sisters being Balon's wife. Rodrik is known as "The Reader" because of his love of reading. He has so many books that they have filled one of the Towers in his castle of Ten Towers. As both Rodrik's sons died in the First Greyjoy Rebellion his various relatives are vying to become his heir. Rodrik has nominated his cousin Ser Harras Harlaw as heir to Harlaw. After Balon's death Rodrik agrees to support Asha at the Kingsmoot, but worries she won't get enough support and offers to make her heir to the Ten Towers. After Euron wins the Kingsmoot, Rodrik advises Asha to flee the Iron Islands, fearing Euron will kill her to prevent his rule being challenged. After capturing the Shield Islands, Euron makes Harras Lord of Greyshield to weaken Rodrik's power. Rodrik questions Euron's intent to conquer Westeros and claim to have sailed to Valyria, infuriating Euron. == House Martell == Coat of arms of House Martell House Martell is one of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms and is the ruling house of the kingdom of Dorne. Its seat is the castle of Sunspear. Its coat of arms displays a gold spear piercing a red sun on an orange field, and its words are ''Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken''. Bastards born in Dorne are generally given the surname "Sand". Dorne, along with House Martell, is culturally, ethnically, and politically distinct from the rest of the kingdoms. The rulers of Dorne are styled Prince or Princess because Dorne resisted direct conquest and joined the rest of the Seven Kingdoms through marriage. === Doran Martell === Doran Martell is the Prince of Dorne and the Lord of Sunspear. He is the father of Arianne, Quentyn, and Trystane. By ''A Game of Thrones'', he is in his fifties, and his gout leaves him barely able to walk and dependent on a wheeled chair. He is a cautious, pensive man who does not display his emotions. He swears loyalty to Joffrey only after Myrcella Baratheon is betrothed to Trystane by Tyrion Lannister, sending her off to Dorne. Tyrion also gives him a position on Joffrey's council. In ''A Storm of Swords'', Doran sends his brother Oberyn to claim the position. After Oberyn's death, Doran refuses to start a war and returns to Sunspear to reassume control of his principality. He imprisons Oberyn's vengeful daughters, called the Sand Snakes (who have been calling for war for the death of their father), to maintain peace. After foiling his daughter Arianne's attempt to crown Myrcella the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, he reveals that he has long been planning the downfall of Tywin Lannister to avenge Elia and intends to ally Dorne with House Targaryen. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Alexander Siddig. === Arianne Martell === Arianne Martell is the eldest child of Prince Doran Martell of Dorne and heir to the Sunspear. She serves as the third-person narrator for two chapters in ''A Feast for Crows'', and will be the narrator for at least two chapters in ''The Winds of Winter''. She is cunning and beautiful and is also close with her cousins, the Sand Snakes. By ''A Feast for Crows'', she is dissatisfied with her father, believing him to be weak. She plans to name Myrcella Baratheon the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, as by Dornish law Myrcella inherits the title over her brother. Arianne seduces Arys Oakheart to win his support of Myrcella's claim. The plot is foiled and Myrcella is wounded in the kidnapping attempt. As Arianne confronts Doran after he foils her plans, her father reveals that he has been plotting revenge on Tywin Lannister for many years and was waiting for the perfect time to strike. After the Golden Company invades Westeros, Doran sends Arianne to find out the truth about Aegon Targaryen. Her fate is unknown. === Quentyn Martell === Ser Quentyn Martell is the second child and oldest son of Doran Martell. He serves as the third-person narrator for four chapters in ''A Dance with Dragons''. He is described as intelligent, serious, and dutiful, though not particularly handsome. In ''A Dance with Dragons'' it is revealed that Doran Martell sent Quentyn to marry Daenerys Targaryen and bring her to Dorne. On the way most of Quentyn's companions die. He and his remaining two friends, Archibald Yronwood and Gerris Drinkwater, are forced to become sellswords to reach Slaver's Bay. Daenerys politely refuses the offer. Not wanting to leave empty-handed, Quentyn tries to take one of Daenerys's dragons as a mount to impress her, but is killed by her dragons in front of his guards. === Trystane Martell === Trystane Martell is the youngest child of Doran Martell. To ensure House Martell loyalty to the throne it is arranged that he will marry Myrcella Baratheon when they come of age. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Toby Sebastian. === Elia Martell === Elia Martell was the younger sister of Prince Doran Martell of Dorne and was very close to her younger brother Oberyn. She married Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, and bore him two children: a daughter Rhaenys and a son Aegon. Fifteen years before the events of the series, Rhaegar was killed in battle during Robert's rebellion. When the capital city was sacked by House Lannister, she was raped and murdered by Gregor Clegane. Elia's brother Oberyn, however, believed Tywin had Elia murdered to avenge the slight to his honor when Aerys had his son and heir married to Elia instead of Tywin's daughter, Cersei. === Oberyn Martell === Oberyn Martell is the younger brother of Doran Martell. He is a hot-headed, forceful, and lustful man with a quick wit and a barbed tongue. He is a formidable fighter and is called the Red Viper because it is rumored he poisons his weapons. In ''A Storm of Swords'', he leads a Dornish envoy to King's Landing to claim the seat on the small council on his brother, Prince Doran Martell's, behalf and obtain justice for his sister Elia Martell's murder. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Pedro Pascal. === Ellaria Sand === Ellaria Sand is the paramour of Prince Oberyn Martell, and the mother of the four youngest "Sand Snakes". She accompanies Oberyn to King's Landing when Oberyn takes the seat on the small council. After returning to Dorne, she is distraught when she hears Obara's statement on how the Mountain's death "is a start", as she sees the futility of it, and is worried about her own daughters' safety. In the HBO television adaptation, she is portrayed by Indira Varma. === The Sand Snakes === The Sand Snakes are Prince Oberyn Martell's eight illegitimate daughters: Obara, Nymeria, Tyene, Sarella, Elia, Obella, Dorea and Loreza, the latter youngest four were born to Oberyn's paramour Ellaria Sand. The older four however were born to different women: Obara from an Oldtown prostitute; Nymeria (also known as Lady Nym) from a noblewoman in Volantis; Tyene from a septa serving the Faith of the Seven; and Sarella from the female captain of the Summer Isles trading ship ''Feathered Kiss''. They are collectively called "Sand Snakes" in reference to their father's nickname "Red Viper" and the regional norm of giving Dornish highborn illegitimate children the bastard surname "Sand". In ''A Feast for Crows'', Obara, Nymeria and Tyene Sand wish revenge for their father's death and pressure their uncle Prince Doran Martell to declare war. When they are implicated in various plots to agitate the Dornish populace, Prince Doran catches hold of their plans and orders Areo Hotah to imprison the Sand Snakes to prevent them from drawing Dorne into war. In ''A Dance with Dragons'', Doran releases the Sand Snakes and sends them on individual missions in his covert plot to bring down House Lannister in revenge for the murder of Elia Martell and her children during the Sack of King's Landing. Obara is sent to accompany the visiting Kingsguard knight Ser Balon Swann to High Hermitage so he can hunt down and kill the rogue knight Gerold Dayne for the mutilating attack on Princess Myrcella. Nymeria is sent to King's Landing to take the vacant Dornish seat on the small council in her late father's place (and serve as an agent from the inside). Tyene is sent to accompany her sister Nymeria to King's Landing disguised as a septa and gain the confidence of the High Sparrow. The status of the fourth Sand Snake, Sarella Sand, is unknown, though according to Prince Doran she is said to be playing some sort of "game" in Oldtown. Sarella is famous for her insatiable academic curiosities, and there are fan speculations that she is actually disguised as a male Citadel acolyte named Alleras ("Sarella" spelt backwards) with the nickname "the Sphinx", who debuts in the prologue of ''A Feast for Crows'' and helps Samwell Tarly when he arrives at the Citadel. In the ending chapter of ''A Feast for Crows'', Alleras is tasked by the departing Archmaester Marvyn to take good care of Samwell as the latter starts his maester training. In two of pre-released chapters from the yet unfinished ''The Winds of Winter'', the fifth Sand Snake, Elia Sand, nicknamed "Lady Lance", accompanies her cousin, Princess Arianne Martell, on the diplomatic journey to meet with Jon Connington and the allegedly survived Aegon VI Targaryen. In the HBO television adaptation, only the oldest three Sand Snakes exist. Obara Sand is portrayed by New Zealand actress Keisha Castle-Hughes, Nymeria Sand by English actress Jessica Henwick, and Tyene Sand by Italian-American actress Rosabell Laurenti Sellers; the other Sand Snakes do not appear in the series. === Areo Hotah === Areo Hotah is the captain of Prince Doran Martell's guards. He serves as the third-person narrator for two chapters throughout ''A Feast for Crows'' and ''A Dance with Dragons''. He was born as the youngest of a large family in Norvos. Areo is steadfastly loyal to Doran. He helps foil Arianne Martell's plot to name Myrcella Baratheon the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, killing Arys Oakheart in the process. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by DeObia Oparei. == House Tully == Coat of arms of House Tully House Tully is one of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms and is the principal house in the Riverlands. Its seat is at Riverrun. Its coat of arms displays a leaping silver trout on a field of rippling blue and red stripes, and its words are ''Family, Duty, Honor''. Bastards born in the Riverlands are generally given the surname "Rivers". When House Targaryen invaded Westeros, Lord Tully was among the first to welcome the invaders. In return, the Targaryens made House Tully the principal House of the Riverlands. === Hoster Tully === Hoster Tully is the Lord of Riverrun and Lord Paramount of the Trident. He is the father of Catelyn Stark, Lysa Arryn, and Edmure Tully. He often quarrels with his brother Brynden because Brynden refuses to be married. Years before the events of the series, he agreed to foster Petyr Baelish at Riverrun as a ward. When he discovered that Lysa was pregnant with Petyr's child, he sent Petyr away and tricked Lysa into drinking an abortifacient potion. Hoster supported Robert Baratheon, House Stark, and House Arryn in rebellion against House Targaryen on the condition that Catelyn and Lysa be wed into the Stark and Arryn families, respectively. His health deteriorates rapidly over the novels; he eventually dies and is laid to rest in the river following the Tully tradition. In the HBO television adaption, he is portrayed by Chris Newman. === Edmure Tully === Edmure Tully is the third child, only son, and heir of Lord Hoster Tully. He is dutiful and wishes to earn his father's respect and protect the common people of the Riverlands. However, he is also said to have a large heart and his decisions are often rash and emotional. He takes command of the Riverlands in ''A Game of Thrones'' because of his father's illness and is taken captive by Jaime Lannister. He is rescued by his nephew Robb Stark, and upon hearing of Eddard Stark's death he leads the Riverland lords in proclaiming Robb the King in the North. He defeats Tywin in battle and unwittingly ruins Robb's plan to destroy Tywin's army. As amends for thwarting Robb's plan, he agrees to marry Roslin Frey and repair the alliance with House Frey. However, the wedding is a trap and the Stark-Tully army is massacred, breaching ancient guest right customs. Edmure is taken to Casterly Rock, where he and the remaining members of House Tully are to spend the rest of their lives as prisoners to House Lannister. Roslin is to remain at the Twins, and the pair is promised to be reunited after the birth of their child. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Tobias Menzies. === Brynden Tully === Personal coat of arms of Brynden Tully Ser Brynden Tully, called the Blackfish, is the younger brother of Hoster Tully and the uncle of Catelyn Stark, Lysa Arryn, and Edmure Tully. He constantly quarreled with his brother, usually over Brynden's refusal to marry. During one encounter Hoster called him the black goat of House Tully. Brynden mused that since their sigil was fish, he was the "Blackfish" of the family. He accompanied Lysa to the Vale. In ''A Game of Thrones'', he is upset over the Vale's neutrality in the ongoing war. He resigns from his position and joins Robb Stark and his bannermen. He is appointed head of Robb's outriders and is a crucial member of the war council. His efforts win Robb several battles throughout ''A Clash of Kings''. He is named Warden of the Southern Marches in ''A Storm of Swords'' and remains at Riverrun while Robb goes to the Twins to attend Edmure's wedding. After Robb's death, Brynden holds Riverrun in Robb's name, but he is besieged by House Lannister and House Frey. In ''A Feast for Crows'', Brynden surrenders the Tully seat of Riverrun to spare further bloodshed, but he himself escapes capture. His whereabouts are unknown. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Clive Russell. === Walder Frey === Coat of arms of House Frey Walder Frey is Lord of the Twins, and a vassal to House Tully. He is called the Lord of the Crossing as the placement of his castle allows him to control who crosses the river, giving Walder Frey considerable strategic importance. He is known for having over a hundred descendants and taking eight total wives. He emphasizes family loyalty and believes in taking care of relations, including those who disappoint him. Although he is a bannerman of House Tully, he does not immediately go to Riverrun when Edmure Tully summons his vassals to support Robb Stark in ''A Game of Thrones''. Since crossing the Twins is a necessity for Robb, Walder is able to negotiate marriage contracts between his house and House Stark. But when Robb marries Jeyne Westerling in ''A Clash of Kings'', Frey is outraged and withdraws his support from Robb to conspire with Tywin Lannister and Roose Bolton to enact his revenge. In ''A Storm of Swords'', Walder pretends to make amends with Robb and agrees to marry his daughter Roslin to Edmure. The wedding is a trap, with Robb, his key supporters, and most of his army massacred during the feast, a direct violation of ancient guest right customs. He then openly swears loyalty to House Lannister and his second son Emmon Frey receives Riverrun, the seat of House Tully, as a reward, with advantageous marriages for other descendants of his. However, the people of the Riverlands refuse to support his rule, and a shadowy guerrilla war erupts that Walder Frey struggles to control. House Frey is so large and factional that many of the Freys hate each other, aspiring to become Lord of the Crossing themselves. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by David Bradley. == House Tyrell == Coat of arms of House Tyrell House Tyrell is one of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms and is the principal noble house in the Reach. Its seat is at Highgarden where they reside as the Wardens of the South. Its coat of arms displays a golden rose on a green field, and its words are ''Growing Strong''. Bastards born in the Reach are generally given the surname "Flowers". When the former rulers of the Reach, House Gardener, were killed in battle against House Targaryen, the Targaryens raised the Tyrells from stewards of Highgarden to Lords of Highgarden. Because House Florent had a better claim to Highgarden, the Tyrells are often seen as "upjumped stewards" by the lords of the Reach and other Great Houses; however, the women of the Tyrell household are noted for being shrewd and clever leaders. === Mace Tyrell === Lord Mace Tyrell is the Lord of Highgarden, Defender of the Marches, High Marshal of the Reach, and Warden of the South. He has three sons—Willas, Garlan, and Loras—and one daughter, Margaery. He is described as a prematurely old and tedious man who lacks in political savvy and is thought to serve as the figurehead to his mother, Olenna Redwyne. In ''A Clash of Kings'', he supports the marriage between Margaery and Renly Baratheon, who plans to usurp the throne of the Seven Kingdoms. When Renly dies, Mace accepts an offer to marry Margaery to Joffrey Baratheon, the current king. After his and Tywin's armies defeat Stannis Baratheon, Mace is given a seat on the King's council. After Cersei's downfall, Kevan Lannister, Regent of the Seven Kingdoms, names Mace his Hand, mostly to repair the relationship between their houses. Mace then tries to fill the Small Council with his vassals, greedy for more power. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Roger Ashton-Griffiths. === Loras Tyrell === Ser Loras Tyrell, nicknamed the Knight of Flowers, is the third son of Mace Tyrell. He is a young, but highly skilled knight and jouster. He is beloved by the crowds, and many young girls are infatuated with him. When Renly Baratheon, Loras' lover, claims himself king of the Seven Kingdoms in ''A Clash of Kings'', Loras supports him and is made head of Renly's personal guard. After Renly's assassination, Loras is enraged with grief, blaming Brienne of Tarth and Catelyn Stark for Renly's death. In ''A Storm of Swords'', he questions Brienne and finally decides that she is not the killer. When his sister Margaery is married to Joffrey Baratheon, he joins the Kingsguard. He volunteers to lead the assault on Dragonstone in ''A Feast for Crows'' so Cersei Lannister will send military assistance to defend his native Highgarden from the Greyjoys. He successfully captures Dragonstone but is badly wounded and near death. By the end of ''A Dance with Dragons'', he barely clings to life. His fate is unknown. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Finn Jones. The character is a composite of the three Tyrell sons. The adaptation openly depicts Loras and Renly Baratheon as lovers, an interaction only obliquely addressed within the novels. === Margaery Tyrell === Margaery Tyrell is the youngest child and only daughter of Mace Tyrell. She is an intelligent, beautiful, and shrewd young woman, and despite being only sixteen, she is manipulative and adept at political intrigue. In the HBO television adaptation, she is portrayed by Natalie Dormer. === Olenna Tyrell === Olenna Tyrell, also known as the Queen of Thorns, was born into House Redwyne and is the mother of Mace Tyrell and widow of the late Luthor Tyrell. She is described as a wizened and cunning old woman with a wicked wit and a sharp tongue, and is known for openly stating her opinion. In the HBO television adaptation, she is portrayed by Diana Rigg. === Randyll Tarly === Randyll Tarly is the head of House Tarly, bannerman of House Tyrell, and considered to be one of the finest military commanders in Westeros. He is also the father of Samwell Tarly. When word of the imprisonment of Margaery Tyrell reaches Randyll, he marches his army to King's Landing where Kevan Lannister makes him the new master of laws. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by James Faulkner. == Night's Watch and Free Folk == Coat of arms of the Night's Watch The Night's Watch is a sworn brotherhood of men who patrol the Wall. The individual members or "Brothers of the Watch" (called "Crows" by the Wildlings) reject land and titles, practice celibacy, cut ties to their families, assume neutrality in politics, and never desert their assignments, on pain of death. Joining the Watch is still considered an honor because any man can rise through the ranks regardless of illegitimacy or criminal past, but in the first book, the Watch is severely undermanned. The Watch is based at Castle Black, where the Lord Commander of the Watch resides and new recruits are trained. Wildlings, also called Free Folk, are people who live beyond the Wall. They live in independent villages and have no central government. Bands of wildlings often cross the Wall for plunder. In ''A Storm of Swords'', the wildlings unite under Mance Rayder, the self-styled 'King-beyond-the-Wall', and invade the Seven Kingdoms to escape the return of The Others. With the help of Jon and Stannis Baratheon, they settle in the North. Many move into the abandoned castles to defend the Wall. === Jeor Mormont === Jeor Mormont, called the Old Bear, is the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. He was the Lord of Bear Island in the North but joined the Watch to pass the title to his son Jorah Mormont. Mormont is considered a strong, resolute leader and commands respect. He keeps a raven capable of speaking simple phrases as a pet. In ''A Game of Thrones'', he chooses Jon Snow as his personal steward and potential successor. Soon afterward, a wight (a dead body reanimated by the Others) attempts to kill him, but Jon kills the wight. In gratitude, Mormont gives Jon his ancestral sword, Longclaw, and changes its pommel to a wolf's head, in accordance with the House Stark sigil. To investigate the return of wights, the disappearance of several Rangers, and rumors of a wildling army, Jeor leads an expedition beyond the Wall in ''A Clash of Kings'', but his force is annihilated by Others and an army of wights in ''A Storm of Swords''. He leads the survivors to Craster's Keep, where he is killed in a mutiny. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by James Cosmo. === Maester Aemon === Aemon Targaryen is the older brother of Aegon V Targaryen, the third son of Maekar I Targaryen, and a member of the Night's Watch. Decades before the events of ''A Game of Thrones'', he was sent to the Citadel in Oldtown on the orders of his grandfather Daeron II, who felt there were too many Targaryens, and became a Maester (one of an order of scholars and healers). He was later offered the throne of the Seven Kingdoms after the death of his father Maekar, but ceded the rule to Aegon and joined the Night's Watch. By ''A Game of Thrones'', he is elderly and blind, but provides guidance to the men of the Watch. In ''A Feast for Crows'', Jon Snow sends him to the Citadel by sea, but Maester Aemon dies on the voyage between Braavos and Oldtown. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Peter Vaughan. === Yoren === Yoren is a recruiter of the Night's Watch. In ''A Game of Thrones'' Yoren travels with Tyrion Lannister from the Wall to King's Landing, and is present when Tyrion is arrested by Catelyn Stark. He then races to King's Landing to inform Eddard Stark. During Lord Eddard's execution, he finds Arya Stark and shields her from seeing her father's death. In ''A Clash of Kings'' he disguises Arya as a boy recruit to smuggle her to Winterfell, but is killed by Lannister soldiers. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Francis Magee. === Samwell Tarly === Samwell Tarly, called 'Sam', is the elder son of Lord Randyll Tarly of Horn Hill. Ten chapters throughout ''A Storm of Swords'' and ''A Feast for Crows'' are told from his point of view. In spite of his self-professed cowardice, Sam is highly intelligent, resourceful, and loyal. Sam's complete lack of martial abilities and his interest in scholarly pursuits convinces his father that he is not a worthy heir and he is forced to join the Night's Watch. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by John Bradley. === Janos Slynt === Janos Slynt was a former Commander of the City Watch in King's Landing and a brother in the Night's Watch. He first appears in ''A Game of Thrones'' as commander of the City Watch. Slynt is known for his corruption, but Robert was persuaded not to remove him on the grounds the next commander might be worse. After Robert's death, when Ned intends to depose Joffrey, Slynt orders his men to arrest Ned. For this, Janos Slynt was made a lord and given Harrenhal. In ''A Clash of Kings'', Tyrion Lannister exiles Slynt to the Night's Watch as he cannot be trusted. In ''A Storm of Swords'', Slynt attempts to be elected as Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, but loses to Jon Snow. After Slynt repeatedly refuses Jon's orders, Jon publicly executes him. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Dominic Carter. === Alliser Thorne === Alliser Thorne is the Master of Arms at Castle Black, a warrior charged with training the Watch's recruits. Thorne was originally a Targaryen loyalist who, after the fall of House Targaryen at the hands of Ned and Robert, was forced to join the Night's Watch. He harbors deep resentment at House Stark for this fate. When Jon arrives at Castle Black, Thorne personally torments, humiliates, and provokes Jon whenever possible. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Owen Teale. === Mance Rayder === Mance Rayder is a former member of the Night's Watch who later deserted. Since then, he has become known as "King-beyond-the-Wall". In ''A Storm of Swords'', he unites all the wildlings under his command and leads them to attack the Wall from the south trying to guide his people to safety from the advancing White Walkers. His vanguard is defeated by Jon Snow at the Wall. During a parlay with Jon, Stannis Baratheon and his army rout the wildlings, and Mance is taken prisoner. Stannis orders Mance to be burned alive in ''A Dance with Dragons'', but Jon later discovers that the priestess Melisandre used magic to disguise Rayder as the wildling who was burned in his place, escaping execution. Jon orders Mance to rescue Arya Stark, not knowing the girl is actually Jeyne Poole. In Winterfell, the party secretly kills off several of Roose Bolton's men, creating tension in Winterfell, and enlists the help of Theon Greyjoy to smuggle Jeyne out of the castle, but Mance is forced to stay behind. Ramsay Bolton later sends a letter to Jon claiming that he has captured Mance and is holding him prisoner. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Ciarán Hinds. In the show, Mance Rayder is not saved by Melisandre and his execution is genuine. === Ygritte === Ygritte is a wildling woman known for her red hair. She is fierce and headstrong. In wildling culture she is known as a spearwife: a woman who is also a warrior. In the HBO television adaptation, she is portrayed by Rose Leslie. ===Craster=== Craster is a wildling who lives north of the Wall in a fortified homestead called Craster's Keep. A regrettable ally of the Night's Watch, he has nineteen wives, and when his daughters are old enough, he marries them, incestuously fathering new children. He is slain by a young ranger, Karl Tanner, in "And Now His Watch Is Ended", which sparks the Mutiny at Craster's Keep. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Robert Pugh. === Gilly === Gilly is a wildling girl, daughter and wife of Craster. After the Night's Watch regroups at Craster's Keep, Gilly gives birth to a son. Craster is killed before he can sacrifice the child, and in the confusion Gilly flees south with Samwell. In the HBO television adaptation, she is portrayed by Hannah Murray. === Val === Val is the sister of Mance Rayder's wife, Dalla. After the failed Wildling incursion, she is kept prisoner at the wall. She is described as an attractive woman. In ''A Dance with Dragons'', Jon Snow sends her alone to bring a Wildling warlord, Tormund, and his people to the Wall. The mission is successful. === Lord of Bones === The Lord of Bones (also mocked as "Rattleshirt") is a wildling leader under Mance Rayder, known for his vileness and cowardice. In ''A Dance with Dragons'', he is executed, believed to be Mance since Melisandre glamoured him to take the appearance of the condemned. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Edward Dogliani in seasons two and three, and Ross O'Hennessy in season five. === Bowen Marsh === Bowen Marsh is the First Steward of the Night's Watch, based at Castle Black. He is in charge of the day-to-day running of the Night's Watch, dealing with issues of supplies, funding, logistics and communications. During ''A Dance with Dragons'', Bowen becomes disillusioned by the decisions made by Jon Snow as Lord Commander. Fearing for the future safety of the Night's Watch, Bowen and several of his followers stab Jon. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Michael Condron. === Eddison Tollett === Eddison Tollett, also known as "Dolorous Edd" for his melancholy temperament, sarcastic wit and pessimistic dry humor, is a squire from House Tollett and a steward of the Night's Watch. He is one of Jon Snow's closest friends at Castle Black. Edd survives the battle with the wights at the Fist of the First Men, and is among the survivors to make it back to Craster's Keep. In ''A Dance with Dragons'' Edd carries on his duties as the Lord Commander's steward. He is one of the men brought along as muscle to assist Lord Commander Jon Snow in escorting Janos Slynt for his execution. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Ben Crompton. === Tormund Giantsbane === Tormund, better known as "Tormund Giantsbane" or "Tormund Thunderfist", is a famous wildling raider. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Kristofer Hivju. ===Waymar Royce=== Waymar Royce is a young Night's Watch ranger who leads two other rangers, the equally young Will and Gared, a man in his 50s, after a group of wildings in the prologue scene of the first novel, ''A Game of Thrones''. Although Will, the scout, reports that he discovered the wildings lying dead near a stream past a ridge, Royce refuses to return to Castle Black, despite Gared's concerns about the worsening weather and Will's intuition that sinister is occurring around them, because he wants to confirm that the wildings were not merely sleeping. He is killed by a White Walker, and turned into a wight, after which he kills Will, making him the first character whose death is explicitly depicted in the series. He is played in the television adaptation by Rob Ostlere, giving Ostlere the distinction of being the first actor to be killed off on the show. On this, Ostlere comments, "To be honest, when you do those smaller parts, you're just happy to see yourself up there because sometimes those things can get cut". === Varamyr Sixskins === Varamyr is an infamous Wildling skinchanger, nicknamed due to his controlling of five other animals (three wolves, a shadowcat and a snow bear). He is the POV character of the prologue chapter of ''A Dance With Dragons''. Due to his skinchanging power, he maintains control over multiple Wildling villages via terror, and even aspired to be King-Beyond-the-Wall before joining Mance Rayder. After another skinchanger, Orell, is killed, he also assumes control of the eagle Orell leaves behind. When Stannis attacks the Wildlings army, Melisandre uses her magic to burn Varamyr's eagle, causing him to lose control of his remaining animals. When the Wildling army is routed, Varamyr flees north together with a small group, hiding his real identity from them. The group eventually deserts until only the spearwife named Thistle stays. Varamyr is stabbed by a boy when he attempts to take a squirrel-skin cloak off the dead body of the boy's mother. While Thistle treats his wound, knowing himself is dying, he attempts to take over her body. However, her mind fights back hard against him, and subsequent hysteria inflicted on Thistle's body attracts wights to their position to kill them both. Before Varamyr dies, his mind wargs into his wolf One Eye. == Royal court and officials == The Royal Court at King's Landing is mostly composed of the King's small Council and his Kingsguard, the seven knights sworn to protect the king and his family. All members of the small council, except for the Grand Maester, are appointed and dismissed by the king or The Hand. === Petyr Baelish === Lord Petyr Baelish, called Littlefinger, held power as the Master of Coin, the Treasurer of the Seven Kingdoms. Petyr names himself Lord Protector of the Vale following the death of his wife, Lysa Arryn. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Aidan Gillen. === Varys === Varys, called the Spider, is a eunuch who serves as Master of Whisperers, the spymaster for the king of the Seven Kingdoms. He is feared by nobles and common people alike. He is described as bald and fat, and he usually affects a fawning, effeminate manner. He knows all of the secret passages in the royal castle and his spies are found everywhere. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Conleth Hill. === Pycelle === Pycelle is an elderly Maester, who for decades has served many kings as Grand Maester, the personal healer and scholar of the king. Although he is intelligent and highly educated, his effectiveness as an officer of the court has been dulled by his age. He is secretly an agent of influence for House Lannister: he convinced King Aerys II Targaryen to open the gates for Tywin Lannister during Robert's rebellion, he allowed Jon Arryn to die to keep the true parentage of Cersei Lannister's children secret, and would have killed King Robert Baratheon upon Cersei's command. Upon learning this, Tyrion Lannister has Pycelle removed from office and imprisoned. In ''A Storm of Swords'', he is restored to his position. He objects to Queen Regent Cersei's decisions throughout ''A Feast for Crows'', and she considers replacing him. When Cersei is arrested, Pycelle seizes control of the king's council and offers Kevan Lannister the regency. Together, they begin restoring order to the Seven Kingdoms. Pycelle is killed by Varys, who believes that he and Kevan's competent leadership threaten a Targaryen restoration. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Julian Glover. === Barristan Selmy === Ser Barristan Selmy, called Barristan the Bold, is hailed as a hero throughout Westeros and is the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. He serves as the third-person narrator for four chapters in ''A Dance with Dragons''. Although he is over sixty at the start of the series, he remains a remarkable fighter and is the most celebrated and respected living knight. He has been a member of the Kingsguard for most of his life and served three kings. He remained loyal to House Targaryen during Robert Baratheon's rebellion, but he later accepted Robert's pardon and held his position as commander. He is dismissed by Cersei upon Joffrey's succession to the throne. In ''A Clash of Kings'', he begins serving the exiled princess Daenerys Targaryen. He exposes Ser Jorah Mormont, Daenerys's most trusted adviser, as a former spy for Robert. When Daenerys disappears in ''A Dance with Dragons'', he becomes a POV narrator and launches a coup against her husband. He then reluctantly rules Meereen in her stead under the title the Queen's Hand until she returns. In the HBO television adaptation, in which he is portrayed by Ian McElhinney, he is mortally wounded in a battle with the Sons of the Harpy in the fifth-season episode "Sons of the Harpy". When asked about the manner in which he was notified of his character's death, McElhinney commented, "It proves you should probably not read the books." === Arys Oakheart === Coat of arms of House Oakheart Ser Arys Oakheart is a knight of King Robert Baratheon's Kingsguard, and for Robert's subsequent heirs. He serves as the third-person narrator for one chapter in ''A Feast for Crows''. Arys accompanies Myrcella Baratheon to Dorne, where he is seduced by Arianne Martell. Together, they plot to place Myrcella on the throne. After the plot is foiled, Arys is killed. === Ilyn Payne === Ser Ilyn Payne is the King's Justice, the royal executioner. Before the events of the series, King Aerys II Targaryen ordered his tongue cut out. He is a skilled headsman, seldom requiring a second stroke to finish his charges. Ilyn executes Lord Stark after his downfall. He serves as Jaime's sparring partner in ''A Feast for Crows''. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Wilko Johnson. === Qyburn === Qyburn is a former Maester who lost his chain for unethical experiments. He is also rumored to dabble in necromancy. In ''A Clash of Kings'', he is a member of the Brave Companions mercenary company. He later leaves the company in ''A Feast for Crows'' and joins the court at King's Landing. Queen Cersei Lannister allows him to experiment on the mortally wounded Gregor Clegane, presumably transforming Clegane into the monstrous Kingsguard knight, Ser Robert Strong. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Anton Lesser. He improves Cersei's military capabilities via highly explosive 'wildfire' (deployed to destroy the Great Sept of Bealor), and anti-dragon scorpio ballistas, which are deployed around the walls of King's Landing, and on the bows of Euron Greyjoy's Iron Fleet. He is killed by Gregor Clegane as they attempt to flee the Red Keep. === The High Sparrow === The High Sparrow is a prominent member of the "sparrows", a religious movement formed during the War of the Five Kings and is a member of the Faith of the Seven. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Jonathan Pryce. === Meryn Trant === Ser Meryn Trant is a member of the kingsguard under King Robert Baratheon, King Joffrey Baratheon and King Tommen Baratheon. When Joffrey tells Sansa of his plan to behead Robb Stark, she defies him by wishing to see his own head mounted there, for which Joffrey has Trant slap her. Along with the City Watch he also murders King Robert's illegitimate children. When the Lannisters send their guards to capture Arya Stark, Trant kills Syrio Forel, her fencing Instructor, who protects Arya despite only being armed with a wooden training sword, as a result Trant is one of the names on Arya Stark's "list". In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Ian Beattie. === Balon Swann === Ser Balon Swann is the second son of Lord Gulian Swann. He is said to be skilled with the lance, morningstar, and bow and arrow. He is made a Kingsguard after the death of Ser Preston Greenfield, which Tyrion Lannister approves of. During the Battle of the Blackwater, he fights valiantly against the forces of Stannis Baratheon. In ''A Feast For Crows'', Cersei Lannister sends him to Dorne with the skull of Gregor Clegane, which he gives to Doran Martell. Doran later informs the Sand Snakes and Arianne Martell of Balon's involvement in a plan by Cersei to kill Trystane Martell and frame Tyrion. After learning of the attempted murder of Princess Myrcella Baratheon, Balon leaves to chase Darkstar, the man who made the attempt on Myrcella's life. Ser Balon does not appear in the HBO television adaptation. == Other characters == === Khal Drogo === Drogo is a powerful khal, or warlord, of the Dothraki people, a tribal nation of horse riders in the steppes beyond the Free Cities. He is an accomplished warrior and has never been defeated in battle. He is Daenerys Targaryen's first husband. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Jason Momoa. === Syrio Forel === Syrio Forel is the bald, former First Sword of Braavos and a master of the Braavosi fighting style known as Water Dancing. He instructs Arya in the ways of fencing. When the Lannisters send their guards to capture Arya, Syrio is killed by Meryn Trant, but not before Syrio dispatches all of the Lannister soldiers with no more than a wooden teaching sword, shattering knee caps and stabbing out eyes, so that Arya can escape. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Miltos Yerolemou. === Jaqen H'ghar === Jaqen H'ghar is an alias used by a member of the Faceless Men, a society of assassins who follow a personification of death known as the Many-Faced God. In ''A Clash of Kings'', this Faceless Man is posing as a Lorathi criminal from the black cells of the Red Keep given to Yoren's convoy to join the Night's Watch. During the journey, he was locked in a wagon cage along with two other criminals, called Rorge and Biter. He later meets Arya Stark, who frees him and the two others when the group is attacked by Lannister forces commanded by Amory Lorch. In gratitude, he promises to kill for Arya any three people she names. After Arya extorts him by naming him as the third name, Jaqen reluctantly agrees to help her stage a prison riot in Harrenhal that overwhelms the Lannister garrison and frees the northern prisoners. After that, Jaqen magically changes his face in front of Arya and offers to take her with him to Braavos. When she demurs, he gives her a Braavosi iron coin and instructs her to say "''valar morghulis''" to any Braavosi people should she need help finding him. Later in ''A Feast for Crows'', an alchemist with features identical to Jaqen's after the face change appears in Oldtown and bribes a Citadel novice named Pate to steal Archmaester Walgrave's keys (which can gain access to any door in Citadel). After Pate completes the trade, he dies of poison. Pate (with a completely different personality) later appears to greet Samwell Tarly when he meets Archmaester Marvyn. In the HBO television adaptation, Jaqen is portrayed by German actor Tom Wlaschiha. === Illyrio Mopatis === Illyrio Mopatis is a wealthy and powerful Magister in Pentos. He is overweight, although in his youth he was a strong mercenary. He is a close friend of Varys', and the pair engineer a plot to place House Targaryen back on the throne of the Seven Kingdoms. Before the events of the series, he welcomed the exiled Viserys Targaryen and his sister Daenerys into his home as guests. In ''A Game of Thrones'', Illyrio brokers a marriage between Daenerys and Khal Drogo to buy Drogo's army of warriors. His plan to create an army to invade Westeros is ruined upon the deaths of Drogo and Viserys. He aids Daenerys in ''A Clash of Kings'' by sending her three ships and a disguised Barristan Selmy. He also smuggles Tyrion Lannister out of Westeros in ''A Dance with Dragons'' and sends him to accompany Aegon on his journey to aid Daenerys. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Roger Allam. === Thoros of Myr === Thoros is a red priest of R'hllor from the city of Myr. Before the events of the series, he was sent to King's Landing to convert King Aerys II Targaryen into a follower of R'hllor. He was unsuccessful and began to question his faith. When Robert Baratheon became king, Thoros became a frequent drinking companion of Robert's. He is a formidable fighter known for using a flaming sword. In ''A Game of Thrones'', he is sent with Beric Dondarrion to arrest Gregor Clegane. When Dondarrion is killed, Thoros inadvertently resurrects him during the funeral service. By ''A Storm of Swords'', the two founded a band of outlaws called the Brotherhood Without Banners to stop the raiders ravaging the Riverlands. Thoros is continually able to resurrect Dondarrion whenever he is killed. When Lady Stoneheart takes leadership of the Brotherhood in ''A Feast for Crows'', he does not dispute her, although he disapproves of her motives and methods. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Paul Kaye. === Ser Duncan the Tall === Ser Duncan the Tall is a legendary knight and the subject of several popular songs and stories. He is one of the main characters of the ''Tales of Dunk and Egg'' novellas. Originally the squire of an itinerant 'hedge knight', he later befriended Prince Maekar Targaryen's son Aegon (nicknamed 'Egg'), with whom he traveled before Aegon ascended to the Iron Throne as King Aegon V Targaryen. Ser Duncan was appointed to his Kingsguard, and eventually became its Lord Commander. He perished alongside his king in 'The Tragedy of Summerhall', a huge fire at the Targaryen summer home, in which it is suggested he selflessly fought to save as many of the King's family as possible. === Hizdahr zo Loraq === Hizdahr zo Loraq is a Ghiscari noble of the city of Meereen. With the Sons of the Harpy continuing to cause trouble in the streets, the Green Grace advises Daenerys to take a husband of Ghiscari blood to placate the Meereenese and recommends Hizdahr. After keeping the peace, Hizdahr marries Daenerys as her second husband. Hizdahr tries to gain control of Meereen after the disappearance of Daenerys, but Grey Worm and his Unsullied refuse to obey him. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Joel Fry. === Yezzan zo Qaggaz === Yezzan zo Qaggaz is a slave-trader from the city of Yunkai, on the coast of Slaver's Bay, and one of the Wise Masters, the ruling elite of the city. He bought Tyrion Lannister, Penny, and Jorah Mormont from the slavers, and gives them to the charge of his henchman, Nurse. Yezzan was one of the few Yunkai lords who wished to honor the peace between Yunkai and Meereen. He later died of the pale mare that was spreading throughout the Yunkish siege lines, and several of his slaves used the opportunity to escape. In the HBO television adaptation, a character named Yezzan, who takes on aspects of Yezzan zo Qaggaz, is portrayed by Enzo Cilenti. === Tycho Nestoris === Tycho Nestoris is a representative of the Iron Bank of Braavos. Tycho is sent to the Wall to negotiate payment of the debt of the Iron Throne with King Stannis Baratheon. Jon Snow negotiates with him for the use of his ships for a voyage and a loan to purchase food for the winter while the Night's Watch provides him guides to reach Stannis, who has left Castle Black. In the HBO television adaptation, he is portrayed by Mark Gatiss. === The Waif === The Waif is a priestess of the Many-Faced God in the House of Black and White in Braavos. The waif is assigned to teach Arya the tongue of Braavos and then how to detect lies. In the HBO television adaptation, she is portrayed by Faye Marsay. === Meribald === Meribald is a septon of the Riverlands. He guides Brienne of Tarth to the Quiet Isle to meet the Elder Brother. In the HBO television adaptation, the character is renamed Brother Ray and is portrayed by Ian McShane. === Septa Unella === Septa Unella is a member of the Most Devout, the ruling council of the Faith of the Seven. Unella is the septa who forces Cersei Lannister to admit her crimes to her in ''A Feast for Crows''. In the HBO television adaptation, she is portrayed by Hannah Waddingham. == References == === Secondary sources === === Primary sources === === Bibliography === * * * * * == External links == * A sourced list of GRRM's pronunciations, hosted at Westeros.org * HBO's official pronunciation guide for ''Game of Thrones'' characters

"'''Mother's Mercy'''" is the fifth season finale episode of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 50th overall. The tenth and final episode of the fifth season, the episode was written by the series creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss and directed by David Nutter. "Mother's Mercy" garnered critical acclaim, with critics lauding Lena Headey's performance, David Nutter's direction and the writing of Benioff and Weiss. Particular praise was directed to Cersei Lannister's walk of atonement, which involved a body double and the use of CGI. In the United States, the episode premiere achieved a viewership of 8.11 million, making it the show's most watched episode, until it was surpassed by the season six finale, "The Winds of Winter". The episode won Emmy Awards for Writing in a Drama Series and Directing in a Drama Series for Benioff, Weiss, and Nutter. This episode marks the final appearance for Stephen Dillane (Stannis Baratheon), Tara Fitzgerald (Selyse Baratheon), and Ian Beattie (Ser Meryn Trant). ==Plot== ===In the North=== The weather conditions at Stannis' camp drastically improve, clearing the route towards Winterfell. Melisandre takes credit, claiming that the Lord of Light is rewarding Stannis for sacrificing Shireen. However, Stannis' officers inform him that Shireen's sacrifice has also prompted a mass desertion of his troops, leaving him with only half his army and no cavalry, and driven Selyse to hang herself. Melisandre immediately flees to Castle Black. Despite all of these setbacks, Stannis orders his remaining troops to march forward towards Winterfell. As Stannis' army marches through the Wolfswood, Podrick sees them and warns Brienne, who leaves to take revenge on Stannis. As Stannis prepares to besiege the castle, the Bolton cavalry, led by Ramsay, suddenly emerges. It becomes clear they greatly outnumber Stannis's army; nonetheless, Stannis leads his men into battle. After a quick yet fierce battle, the Boltons emerge as the victors. Stannis survives the destruction of his army, but is severely wounded after fighting several Bolton soldiers. Brienne then arrives and announces her intentions to execute Stannis for the murder of Renly ("The Ghost of Harrenhal"). Stannis accepts his fate, and Brienne executes him. Meanwhile, in Winterfell, Sansa escapes her room using the corkscrew she stole and lights a candle in the ruined tower to signal for help, but Brienne has already left. After witnessing the defeat of the Baratheon army, she tries to return to her room but is confronted by Myranda, who threatens to mutilate Sansa. Theon finally finds his inner strength and throws Myranda from the castle ramparts to her death, just as the victorious Bolton army returns to Winterfell. Theon and Sansa realize they have to escape at once, and jump from the castle walls into the deep snow below. ===In Dorne=== Jaime, Myrcella, Bronn and Trystane leave for King's Landing. On the ship, Myrcella reveals that she knows Jaime is her real father and that she is glad that he is her father. However, Myrcella suddenly collapses, and it is revealed that Ellaria had secretly poisoned Myrcella by kissing her with poisoned lipstick. ===In Braavos=== Arya infiltrates the brothel patronized by Trant by taking one of the faces from the House of Black and White. She stabs Trant multiple times, revealing her true identity and confronting him for the murder of Syrio Forel before cutting his throat. When she returns to the House of Black and White, she is confronted by Jaqen and the Waif. Jaqen berates Arya for taking a life not meant for her to take, and that another life must be taken in order to appease the Many Faced God. Jaqen then proceeds to drink from a vial and collapses, much to Arya's shock. However, the Waif changes her face to that of Jaqen and points out to Arya that "Jaqen" never existed, and that she had been talking to "No One" the entire time. The Waif also warns Arya that putting on a new face if one is not "No One" is like poison. Because of this, Arya is struck blind as punishment. ===In Meereen=== Daario and Jorah decide to leave Meereen to search for Daenerys. Tyrion wishes to join them, but Daario points out that he is better suited to govern Meereen in Daenerys' absence, assisted by Missandei and the still-recovering Grey Worm. As Tyrion watches Jorah and Daario leave and ponders his next move, Varys suddenly appears. Varys compares Meereen's current state to that of King's Landing when it was threatened by Stannis, and offers use of his spy network to aid Tyrion. ===In the Dothraki Sea=== Drogon brings Daenerys back to his lair. Daenerys orders Drogon to take her back to Meereen, but Drogon, still exhausted and wounded, ignores her and goes to sleep. Daenerys wanders off on her own in search of food, eventually spotting a Dothraki horde advancing in the distance. Daenerys drops a ring to the ground before being surrounded. ===In King's Landing=== Cersei confesses to committing adultery with Lancel to the High Sparrow, but denies having slept with Jaime or conspiring to have Robert Baratheon killed. The High Sparrow decides to grant the "Mother's Mercy" and let Cersei return to the Red Keep, but says she must return to face trial for the other sins she has not confessed to, and must undergo an "atonement". Cersei is stripped, her hair cut short, and she is forced to walk naked the entire way from the Great Sept of Baelor to the Red Keep. As she walks, she is relentlessly harassed, jeered and pelted with garbage by the angry populace, ultimately breaking down in tears when she finally returns to the Red Keep. She is covered up by Qyburn, who reveals to her the newest member of the Kingsguard, a re-animated Gregor "the Mountain" Clegane. ===At the Wall=== Jon sends Samwell with Gilly and her baby to Oldtown to become a maester, acknowledging (and even somewhat endorsing) the romantic relationship blossoming between Samwell and Gilly. Davos arrives shortly after to ask for supplies and Wildling reinforcements, but Jon refuses, reminding Davos that the Wildlings will never fight for Stannis. Melisandre arrives soon after; her demeanour leads Jon and Davos to realize that Stannis has been defeated and that Shireen and Selyse are dead. At night, Olly tells Jon that a wildling had recently seen his uncle Benjen Stark, and takes him to speak to him. Led outside to the courtyard, he only finds Thorne, Bowen Marsh, Othell Yarwyck and several other men, along with a grave-marker that reads "Traitor". As Jon realizes that he has been betrayed, Thorne, Marsh, Yarwyck, Olly, and the others take turns stabbing Jon, each uttering "For the Watch". The men leave Jon as he dies alone in the snow. ==Production== ===Writing=== "Mother's Mercy" was written by the series' creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. It primarily covers elements from George Martin's novels ''A Feast for Crows'', chapters "Samwell I" and "Cat of the Canals" and ''A Dance with Dragons'', chapters "Jon II", "Theon I", "Daenerys X", "Cersei I", "Cersei II" and "Jon XIII". It also contains material from Martin's upcoming sixth novel in the series, ''The Winds of Winter'', chapter "Mercy". ===Filming=== "Mother's Mercy" was directed by David Nutter, He also directed the previous episode, "The Dance of Dragons". It was photographed by Robert McLachlan and was edited by Tim Porter, one of the show's main editors, under the supervision of Nutter. ===Cersei's walk of atonement=== Actress Lena Headey portrays Cersei Lannister in the series. For Cersei Lannister's nude "walk of atonement" through King's Landing, HBO employed actress Rebecca Van Cleave as a body double for Lena Headey. While filming the scene in Dubrovnik, Croatia in October 2014, Van Cleave performed fully nude while Headey wore a simple beige shift. Both performances were then merged by the show's editing team, combining close-ups of Headey's facial expressions and long shots of Van Cleave's nude walk through the city. In some instances CGI was used to put Headey's face on Van Cleave's body. Headey says that the showrunners decided to cast a body double for "several reasons." Headey says she was glad to use a body double for the scene because she wanted to focus on the character's emotions. Another actor noted that Headey's "extensive tattoos" may have been another reason. Months later, Headey announced that she was pregnant with her second child, though it is unclear if she was pregnant when this scene had to be filmed. Sarah Buchanan of ''Express'' notes the strangeness of casting a much younger actress to play the middle-aged Cersei when the key outcome of the walk of atonement in ''A Dance with Dragons'' is that when the people see that Cersei's body is not beautiful, she loses a large part of her mystique. The 27-year-old Van Cleave did not show any of the specific signs of aging or past pregnancy for which the Cersei of the books was mocked by the crowd. When casting for the role, HBO received applications from more than actresses to act as Headey's body double for the scene. A selection of seven finalists, including Van Cleave, was then flown to Belfast, Northern Ireland to audition before the show's producers. Headey also opted out of the casting process, but director David Nutter said finding the right double was one of the most important parts of making the finale. "We needed somebody who could do The Walk of Shame physically, somebody who could match Lena's integrity, intensity, and sensibility. We found a tremendous actress in Rebecca; she was a godsend. The courage of this girl, who's never done anything like this in her life, who understood what was important about this...once I had her I felt like I could accomplish anything." Van Cleave herself described the scene as "one of the scariest, most wonderful, most gratifying experiences I could have imagined ... I never in a million years would have thought I would be in Dubrovnik surrounded by hundreds of extras and crew members throwing food at me, but it was amazing" and "I hope the next thing I do will have my head in it." She also praised Headey's willingness to help her, describing the two of them as a "tag-team"; Headey would walk behind Van Cleave during the shoot, coaching her on the character's responses. When the showrunners first announced the plans of shooting a nude scene in Dubrovnik, the city's Catholic Church of St. Nicholas strongly opposed the idea, due to it being immoral to walk their sacred grounds in the nude. Eventually, both parties came to the agreement that the shooting could commence, provided no nude scenes would be filmed in a place of worship. During the three-day shoot, Headey walked Van Cleave through each shot, giving insight into all the emotions Cersei was feeling. The six-minute scene was filmed using 500 extras. ===Fate of Jon Snow=== D.B. Weiss discussed the decision to kill Jon Snow by saying that he felt the visual medium did not give him the freedom to leave Jon's fate open: "In a book, you can present that kind of ambiguity. In a show, everybody sees it for what it is. It’s that rule: 'If we don't see the body then they’re not really dead.' Like when we cut Ned’s head off, we didn’t want a gory Monty Python geyser of blood, but we needed to see the blade enter his neck and cut out on the frame where the blade was mid-neck. ... we needed Ned's death to be totally unambiguous." Actor Kit Harington said of the scene, "I loved it. I loved how they brought Olly in to be the person who kills me. I love how the storyline with Thorne was wrapped up." Although Weiss meant the scene to be unambiguous, the episode left many viewers uncertain as to whether Jon Snow had been killed or merely injured (his fate in the novels is left unconfirmed as of ''A Dance with Dragons'', with much debate about Martin's future intentions). Some of the confusion may be because, as reviewers have noted, Jon was killed in what can be seen as the middle of his story arc and his death does not have an obvious narrative purpose. For example, Nate Jones of ''Vulture'' notes, "It's easy to see what other characters' deaths meant for the series' sprawling narrative: Ned's execution sent the Stark kids adrift in a universe where there was nobody looking out for them, while Robb's murder was the final death knell for the hopes that the saga would ever have a traditional 'happy' ending. What would be accomplished, narratively, by getting rid of Jon permanently right now?" Both before and after these announcements, viewers have speculated that Jon Snow might have survived his stabbing and there are many fan theories on how he might have accomplished this, including spiritually possessing his direwolf's body or being brought back to life by Melisandre. When jokingly asked during a panel if Kit Harington would ever get to play a warg (human who has possessed the body of an animal), Weiss replied with, "Two words for you: Season 6." In July 2015, photos of Kit Harington arriving in Belfast—where the series is primarily filmed and where other actors are arriving for the Season 6 script read-throughs—surfaced, fueling speculation of his survival. However, Joanna Robinson of ''Vanity Fair'' pointed out that Charles Dance was seen at Belfast the previous year, and his character Tywin Lannister only appeared in the first episode of the subsequent season and only as a corpse, although Dance himself confirmed the nature of his role shortly after the announcement. Another photo that showed Harington on set in Belfast in a costume that varied from the Night's Watch outfit was published on September 25, 2015. ===Fates of other characters=== Various interviews with the producers, director and writers have indicated that it is a "safe bet" that Sansa Stark and Theon Greyjoy survive their fall, while Stannis and Myrcella Baratheon were definitively killed after being beheaded and poisoned, respectively. ==Reception== D. B. Weiss and David Benioff received an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for this episode. ===Ratings=== "Mother's Mercy" was seen by an estimated 8.1 million viewers on its first airing. This is higher than any previous episode, exceeding the 8 million for "The Wars to Come." With Live+7 DVR viewing factored in, the episode had an overall rating of 10.43 million viewers, and a 5.4 in the 18-49 demographic, which was a series high in both viewership and 18-49 rating. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 2.437 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.121 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reception=== "Mother's Mercy" received critical acclaim. Review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes assembled 31 reviews and gave "Mother's Mercy" a 97% score and an average rating of 9.1 out of 10. The site's consensus reads that the episode "wraps up a particularly dark ''Game of Thrones'' season with a finale that delivers strong character work and a handful of appropriately bleak cliffhangers." In his 9.0/10 review, Matt Fowler of IGN praised Jon Snow's death and Cersei's atonement, as well as Arya's and Dorne's storylines, but felt Sansa's storyline was too hurried. Sean T. Collins of ''Rolling Stone'' was positive too, writing, "Slaughter and shame made this the show’s most upsetting season-ender yet." ===Accolades=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2015 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series David Nutter Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks, Rosalia Culora, Gary Machin, Laura Pollock, Nicola Mount Outstanding Make-up for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Jane Walker and Nicola Matthews Gold Derby TV Awards 2015 Best Drama Episode 2016 Directors Guild of America Award Dramatic Series David Nutter Visual Effects Society Awards Outstanding Animated Performance in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project Florian Friedmann, Jonathan Symmonds, Sven Skoczylas, Sebastian Lauer' for "Mother's Mercy" - Wounded Drogon Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Episode Travis Nobles, Mark Spindler, Max Riess, Nadja Ding for "Drogon Lair" Writers Guild of America Awards Episodic Drama David Benioff and D.B. Weiss ==References== ==External links== * "Mother's Mercy" at HBO.com * *

The seventh and penultimate season of the fantasy drama television series ''Game of Thrones'' premiered on HBO on July 16, 2017, and concluded on August 27, 2017. Unlike previous seasons, which consisted of ten episodes each, the seventh season consisted of only seven episodes. Like the previous season, it largely consisted of original content not found in George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, while also incorporating material that Martin revealed to showrunners about the upcoming novels in the series. The series was adapted for television by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The penultimate season focuses primarily on the convergence of the show's main plotlines in preparation for the final season. Daenerys Targaryen arrives in Westeros with her army and three dragons and begins to wage war against the Lannisters while Jon Snow continues his efforts to find ways to defeat the Army of the Dead. He forges an alliance with Daenerys in an attempt to unite their forces against the White Walker army. HBO ordered the seventh season on April 21, 2016, three days before the premiere of the show's sixth season, and began filming on August 31, 2016. The season was filmed primarily in Northern Ireland, Spain, Croatia and Iceland. ''Game of Thrones'' features a large ensemble cast, including Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, and Kit Harington. The season introduces several new cast members, including Jim Broadbent and Tom Hopper. The series received 22 nominations for the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards, and won for Outstanding Drama Series and Dinklage won for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. ==Episodes== ==Cast== ===Main cast=== ===Guest cast=== The recurring actors listed here are those who appeared in season 7. They are listed by the region in which they first appear. ====In the North, including the Wall==== * Richard Dormer as Beric Dondarrion * Paul Kaye as Thoros of Myr * Ben Crompton as Eddison Tollett * Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed * Bella Ramsey as Lyanna Mormont * Tim McInnerny as Robett Glover * Megan Parkinson as Alys Karstark * Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne * Richard Rycroft as Maester Wolkan * Rupert Vansittart as Yohn Royce ====Beyond the Wall==== * Vladimir Furdik as the Night King * Joseph Mawle as Benjen Stark * Neil Fingleton as giant wight * Ian Whyte as giant wight ====In the Riverlands==== * David Bradley as Walder Frey * Ben Hawkey as Hot Pie ====In King's Landing==== * Pilou Asbæk as Euron Greyjoy * Anton Lesser as Qyburn * Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Gregor Clegane * James Faulkner as Randyll Tarly * Tom Hopper as Dickon Tarly * Mark Gatiss as Tycho Nestoris ====In Oldtown==== * Jim Broadbent as Archmaester Ebrose ====At Dragonstone==== * Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm * Diana Rigg as Olenna Tyrell * Gemma Whelan as Yara Greyjoy * Jessica Henwick as Nymeria Sand * Rosabell Laurenti Sellers as Tyene Sand * Keisha Castle-Hughes as Obara Sand * Brendan Cowell as Harrag * Staz Nair as Qhono ====In flashbacks==== * Aisling Franciosi as Lyanna Stark * Wilf Scolding as Rhaegar Targaryen * Robert Aramayo as Eddard Stark ==Production== ===Crew=== Series creators and executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss serve as showrunners for the seventh season. The directors for the seventh season are Jeremy Podeswa (episodes 1 and 7), Mark Mylod (episodes 2 and 3), Matt Shakman (episodes 4 and 5) and Alan Taylor (episode 6). This marks Taylor's return to the series after an absence since the second season. Shakman is a first-time ''Game of Thrones'' director, with the rest each having directed multiple episodes in previous seasons. Michele Clapton returned to the show as costume designer, after spending some time away from the show in the sixth season. She previously worked on the show for the first five seasons, as well as the end of the sixth season. ===Writing=== The seventh season contains original material not found in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series. Some of the show's sixth season also consists of material revealed to the writers of the television series during discussions with Martin. ===Filming=== The shores of Gaztelugatxe were used as a location for filming Season 7. Filming began on August 31, 2016, at Titanic Studios in Belfast, and ended in February 2017. In an interview with the showrunners, it was announced that the filming of the seventh season would be delayed until later in the year due to necessary weather conditions for filming. The showrunners stated "We're starting a bit later because, you know, at the end of this season, winter is here, and that means that sunny weather doesn't really serve our purposes any more. We kind of pushed everything down the line so we could get some grim, gray weather even in the sunnier places that we shoot." Girona, Spain, did not return as one of the filming locations. Girona stood in for Braavos and parts of King's Landing. It was later announced that the seventh season would film in Northern Ireland, Spain and Iceland, with filming in Northern Ireland beginning in August 2016. The series filmed in the Spanish cities Seville, Cáceres, Almodóvar del Río, Santiponce, Zumaia and Bermeo. Spanish sources announced that the series would be filming the seventh season on Muriola Beach in Barrika, Las Atarazanas, the Royal Dockyards of Seville and at the shores of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, an islet belonging to the city of Bermeo. The series returned to film at The Dark Hedges in Stranocum, which was previously used as the Kingsroad in the second season. Some scenes were filmed in Iceland. Filming also occurred in Dubrovnik, Croatia, which is used for location of King's Landing. The scene where Arya was reunited with Nymeria was filmed in Alberta, Canada. === Casting === ''Deadline'' reported on June 21, 2016, that the five main cast members, Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, and Kit Harington had been in contract negotiations for the final two seasons. It was reported that the cast members have increased their salary to $500,000 per episode for the seventh and eighth season. It was later reported that the actors had gone through a renegotiation, for which they had increased their salary to $1.1 million per episode for the last two seasons. On August 31, 2016, ''Entertainment Weekly'' reported that Jim Broadbent had been cast for the seventh season in a "significant" role. It was announced that the role of Dickon Tarly has been recast, with Tom Hopper replacing Freddie Stroma, who had previously played the role in "Blood of My Blood". The seventh season sees the return of Mark Gatiss as Tycho Nestoris, who did not appear in the sixth season, Ben Hawkey as Hot Pie, who last appeared in the fourth season, and Joe Dempsie as Gendry, who last appeared in the third season and maintains his status as starring cast member. Members of the British indie pop band Bastille were reported to have filmed cameo appearances. British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran also makes a cameo appearance in the season. Frontman of American heavy metal band Mastodon, Brent Hinds, has also revealed he would have a cameo appearance. This is Hinds' second cameo in the series, following his appearance (along with bandmates Brann Dailor and Bill Kelliher) in the fifth season. New York Mets baseball pitcher Noah Syndergaard made a background cameo as a javelin-throwing Lannister soldier in "The Spoils of War." ===Episodes=== On April 21, 2016, HBO officially ordered the seventh season of ''Game of Thrones'', just three days prior to the premiere of the show's sixth season. In a June 2016 interview with ''Variety'', co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss revealed the seventh season would likely consist of fewer episodes, stating at the time of the interview that they were "down to our final 13 episodes after this season. We're heading into the final lap." Director Jack Bender, who worked on the show's sixth season, said that the seventh season would consist of seven episodes. Benioff and Weiss stated that they were unable to produce 10 episodes in the show's usual 12 to 14 month time frame, as Weiss said "It's crossing out of a television schedule into more of a mid-range movie schedule." HBO confirmed on July 18, 2016, that the seventh season would consist of seven episodes, and would premiere later than usual in mid-2017 because of the later filming schedule. Later it was confirmed that the season would debut on July 16. The seventh season includes an 81-minute finale; this was the series' longest episode until it was surpassed by the Season 8 episode "The Long Night", which is 82 minutes. Season 7's penultimate episode also runs for 71 minutes – around 16 minutes longer than an average ''Game of Thrones'' episode. The first five episodes mostly run longer than average (55 minutes), at 59, 59, 63, 50, and 59 minutes respectively. The previous longest episode in the series was the sixth-season finale, "The Winds of Winter", which ran for 69 minutes. ===Music=== Ramin Djawadi returned as the composer of the show for the seventh season. ==Reception== ===Critical response=== On Metacritic, the season (based on the first episode) has a score of 77 out of 100 based on 12 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". On Rotten Tomatoes, the seventh season has a 93% approval rating from 51 critics with an average rating of 8.22 out of 10, with the site's consensus reading, "After a year-long wait, ''Game of Thrones'' roars back with powerful storytelling and a focused interest in its central characters—particularly the female ones." ===Ratings=== The series premiere surpassed 30 million viewers across all of the network's domestic platforms weeks after its release. The show's numbers continued to climb in other countries as well. In the UK, the premiere got up to 4.7 million viewers after seven days, setting a new record for Sky Atlantic. Compared to the previous season, HBO Asia saw an increases of between 24 percent to 50 percent. HBO Latin America saw a record viewership in the region, with a 29 percent climb. In Germany, the show went up 210 percent, in Russia it climbed 40 percent and in Italy it saw a 61 percent increase. In the United States, the finale was watched by 12.1 million viewers on its first airing on television, and 16.5 million when viewings on HBO Now and HBO Go apps are included. Over the season, the viewer numbers averaged at over 30 million per episode across all platforms. Live +7 ratings were not available, so Live +3 ratings have been used instead. ===Accolades=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2017 American Film Institute Awards 2017 AFI TV Award ''Game of Thrones'' 2017 American Society of Cinematographers Awards Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series for Non-Commercial Television Robert McLachlan (for "The Spoils of War") Gregory Middleton (for "Dragonstone") IGN Awards Best Action Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Episode "The Spoils of War" IGN People's Choice Award Best Action Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Episode "The Spoils of War" Humanitas Prize 60 Minute Network or Syndicated Television David Benioff, D. B. Weiss (for "The Dragon and the Wolf") Hollywood Post Alliance Outstanding Color Grading Joe Finley (for "Dragonstone") Outstanding Editing Tim Porter (for "Stormborn") Jesse Parker (for "The Queen's Justice") Crispin Green (for "Dragonstone") Outstanding Sound Tim Kimmel, Paula Fairfield, Mathew Waters, Onnalee Blank, Bradley C. Katona, Paul Bercovitch (for "The Spoils of War") 2018 22nd Satellite Awards Best Genre Series ''Game of Thrones'' 23rd National Television Awards Best Drama ''Game of Thrones'' 8th Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Emilia Clarke 75th Golden Globe Awards Best Television Series – Drama ''Game of Thrones'' 24th Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series ''Game of Thrones'' Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage 60th Annual Grammy Awards Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media Ramin Djawadi American Cinema Editors Awards 2018 Best Edited Drama Series for Non-Commercial Television Tim Porter (for "Beyond the Wall") 45th Annie Awards Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Live Action Production Paul Story, Todd Labonte, Matthew Muntean, Cajun Hylton, Georgy Arevshatov (for "Beyond the Wall") Art Directors Guild Awards 2017 One-Hour Single Camera Period Or Fantasy Television Series Deborah Riley (for "Dragonstone", "The Queen's Justice", and "Eastwatch") Cinema Audio Society Awards 2017 Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Television Series – One Hour Ronan Hill, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Brett Voss (for "Beyond the Wall") Costume Designers Guild Awards 2017 Outstanding Fantasy Television Series Michele Clapton 70th Directors Guild of America Awards Dramatic Series Jeremy Podeswa (for "The Dragon and the Wolf") Matt Shakman (for "The Spoils of War") Alan Taylor (for "Beyond the Wall") Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Best Period and/or Character Makeup – Television Jane Walker, Nicola Matthews Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling – Television Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks Best Special Makeup Effects – Television Barrie Gower, Sarah Gower Producers Guild of America Awards 2017 "The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama" David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Carolyn Strauss, Bryan Cogman, Lisa McAtackney, Chris Newman, Greg Spence Writers Guild of America Awards 2017 Television Drama Series David Benioff, Bryan Cogman, Dave Hill, D. B. Weiss 16th Visual Effects Society Awards Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Chris Baird, David Ramos, Sam Conway (for "Beyond the Wall") Outstanding Animated Character in an Episode or Real-Time Project Paul Story, Todd Labonte, Matthew Muntean, Nicholas Wilson (for "Beyond the Wall" – "Zombie Polar Bear") Jonathan Symmonds, Thomas Kutschera, Philipp Winterstein, Andreas Krieg (for "Eastwatch" – "Drogon Meets Jon") Murray Stevenson, Jason Snyman, Jenn Taylor, Florian Friedmann (for "The Spoils of War" – "Drogon Loot Train Attack") Outstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project Daniel Villalba, Antonio Lado, José Luis Barreiro, Isaac de la Pompa (for "Beyond the Wall" – "Frozen Lake") Patrice Poissant, Deak Ferrand, Dominic Daigle, Gabriel Morin (for "Eastwatch") Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project Manuel Ramírez, Óscar Márquez, Pablo Hernández, David Gacituaga (for "Beyond the Wall" – "Frozen Lake") Thomas Hullin, Dominik Kirouac, Sylvain Nouveau, Nathan Arbuckle (for "The Dragon and the Wolf" – "Wall Destruction") Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Episode Óscar Perea, Santiago Martos, David Esteve, Michael Crane (for "Beyond the Wall" – "Frozen Lake") Thomas Montminy Brodeur, Xavier Fourmond, Reuben Barkataki, Sébastien Raets (for "Eastwatch") Dom Hellier, Thijs Noij, Edwin Holdsworth, Giacomo Matteucci (for "The Spoils of War" – "Loot Train Attack") Golden Reel Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing - Episodic Short Form – Effects/Foley Tim Kimmel, Paula Fairfield, Bradley Katona, Brett Voss and Jeffrey Wilhoit (for "The Spoils of War") Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing - Episodic Short Form – Dialogue/ADR Tim Kimmel, Paul Bercovitch and Tim Hands (for "The Spoils of War") Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing - Episodic Short Form – Music/Musical David Klotz (for "Beyond the Wall") 15th Irish Film & Television Awards Best Television Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Actor in a Supporting Role – Television Liam Cunningham Aidan Gillen Best Sound Ronan Hill, Onnalee Blank and Matthew Waters Best VFX Ed Bruce & Nicholas Murphy 5th Location Managers Guild Awards Outstanding Locations in a Period Television Series Robert Boake, Matt Jones, Tate Araez Guzman 44th Saturn Awards Best Fantasy Television Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Actress on a Television Series Lena Headey Best Supporting Actor on a Television Series Kit Harington Nikolaj Coster-Waldau 2018 British Academy Television Awards Must-See Moment "Viserion is Killed by the Night King" (for Beyond the Wall) 2018 British Academy Television Craft Awards Costume Design Michele Clapton Production Design Deborah Riley, Rob Cameron Special Award ''Game of Thrones'' Webby Award Best Overall Social Presence ''Game of Thrones'' Best Trailer ''Game of Thrones'' Best Digital Campaign ''Game of Thrones'' 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Show ''Game of Thrones'' Best Performance in a Show Maisie Williams Best Hero Emilia Clarke 2018 Gold Derby Awards Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Ensemble of the Year The cast of ''Game of Thrones'' Best Drama Supporting Actor Peter Dinklage Best Drama Supporting Actress Lena Headey Best Drama Guest Actress Diana Rigg Best Drama Episode "Beyond the Wall" "The Spoils of War" 70th Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Drama Series Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Peter Dinklage Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Lena Headey Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Alan Taylor (for "Beyond the Wall") Jeremy Podeswa (for "The Dragon and the Wolf") Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (for "The Dragon and the Wolf") 70th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Nina Gold, Robert Sterne, and Carla Stronge Outstanding Costumes for a Fantasy/Sci-Fi Series Michele Clapton, Alexander Fordham, Emma O'Loughlin, Kate O'Farrell, (for "Beyond the Wall") Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Diana Rigg Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks, Nicola Mount, Rosalia Culora (for "The Dragon and the Wolf") Outstanding Make-up for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Jane Walker, Kay Bilk, Marianna Kyriacou, Pamela Smyth, Kate Thompson, Nicola Mathews (for "The Dragon and the Wolf") Outstanding Production Design for a Fantasy Program Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, Rob Cameron (for "Dragonstone") Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series Jane Walker, Paul Spateri, Emma Sheffield, Barrie Gower (for "Beyond the Wall") Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series Tim Porter (for Beyond the Wall) Crispin Green (for "The Spoils of War") Katie Weiland (for "The Dragon and the Wolf") Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) Ramin Djawadi (for "The Dragon and the Wolf") Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama series Tim Kimmel, Paula Fairfield, Tim Hands, Paul Bercovitch, Bradley C. Katona, John Matter, Brett Voss, David Klotz, Jeffrey Wilhoit, Dylan T. Wilhoit (for "The Spoils of War") Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Series Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Richard Dyer, Ronan Hill (for "Beyond the Wall") Outstanding Special Visual Effects Steve Kullback, Joe Bauer, Adam Chazen, Michelle Blok, Sam Conway, Ted Rae, David Ramos, Wayne Stables, Derek Spears (for "Beyond the Wall") Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Series Rowley Irlam ==Release== ===Broadcast=== The season was simulcast around the world by HBO and its broadcast partners in 186 countries. In some countries, it aired the day after its first release. ===Marketing=== On July 23, 2016, a teaser production trailer was released by HBO at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con. The trailer mostly consisted of voice overs, and shots of crew members creating sets and props. The first footage from the season was revealed in a new promotional video released by HBO highlighting its new and returning original shows for the coming year on November 28, 2016, showcasing Jon Snow, Sansa Stark and Arya Stark. On March 1, 2017, HBO and ''Game of Thrones'' teamed up with Major League Baseball (MLB) for a cross-promotional partnership. At least 19 individual teams participated in this promotion. On March 8, 2017, HBO released the first promotional poster for the season ahead of the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, which teases the battle of "ice vs. fire". Showrunners Benioff and Weiss also spoke at the event, along with fellow cast members Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams. On March 9, 2017, HBO hosted a live stream on the ''Game of Thrones'' Facebook page that revealed the premiere date for the seventh season as being July 16, 2017. It was accompanied by a teaser trailer. On March 30, 2017, the first official promo for the show was released, highlighting the thrones of Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow, and Cersei Lannister. On April 20, 2017, HBO released 15 official photos shot during the season. On May 22, 2017, HBO released several new photos from the new season. On May 23, 2017, HBO released the official posters featuring the Night King. The first official trailer for season 7 was released on May 24, 2017. The trailer set a world record for being the most viewed show trailer ever, being viewed 61 million times across digital platforms, in the first 24 hours. The second official trailer was released on June 21, 2017. The season premiere was screened at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles on July 12, 2017. ===Home media=== The season was released on Blu-ray and DVD in region 1 on December 12, 2017. ===Illegal distribution=== The season premiere was pirated 90 million times in the first three days after it aired. On August 4, 2017, it was reported that, two days before its original broadcast, the fourth episode of the season was leaked online from Star India, one of HBO's international network partners. The leaked copy has the "for internal viewing only" watermark. On July 31, 2017, due to a security breach, HBO was the victim of 1.5 terabytes of stolen data. However, "this was not related to this episode leak", according to ''The Verge''. On August 16, 2017, four days before its intended release, it was reported that HBO Spain and HBO Nordic accidentally allowed the sixth episode of the series on-demand viewing for one hour before being removed. Data from piracy monitoring firm MUSO indicates that season seven was pirated more than one billion times mostly by unauthorized streaming, with torrent and direct downloads accounting for about 15 percent of this piracy. On average, each episode is estimated to have been pirated 140 million times, making ''Game of Thrones'' the most-pirated television series in 2017. ==References== ==External links== * – (U.S.) * – (U.K.) * ''Game of Thrones'' – The Viewers Guide on HBO.com * Making ''Game of Thrones'' on HBO.com * *

"'''The Broken Man'''" is the seventh episode of the sixth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 57th overall. The episode was written by Bryan Cogman, and directed by Mark Mylod. Sandor "the Hound" Clegane lives a peaceful life with the pacifist community of Brother Ray; Jon Snow, Sansa Stark and Davos Seaworth attempt to build an army; Margaery Tyrell convinces her grandmother to leave the capital despite Cersei's appeal to stay; Jaime Lannister attempts to negotiate with the Blackfish; and Arya Stark is ambushed in Braavos. "The Broken Man" garnered high praise from critics, who noted the long-awaited return of Sandor Clegane, the introduction of new characters such as Lyanna Mormont, and the siege of Riverrun as highlights of the episode. The title of the episode is a reference to a speech given by Septon Meribald, a character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, who was also used to create the character of Ray. In the United States, the episode achieved a viewership of 7.80 million in its initial broadcast. The episode earned a nomination at the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Production Design for a Fantasy Program. This episode marks the first appearance for Rory McCann since the Season 4 finale and the only appearance of Ian McShane. ==Plot== ===In the North=== Jon, Sansa, and Davos begin searching for allies to retake Winterfell from the Boltons. First, they secure the allegiance of the Wildlings, after Tormund reminds them of their debt to Jon for saving them at Hardhome, and that the Boltons will wipe them out if they do nothing. They also manage to secure the allegiance of House Mormont when Davos warns the young Lady Lyanna Mormont of the dangers the White Walkers pose. However, they are unable to secure the allegiance of House Glover, with Lord Robett Glover pointing out how Robb Stark failed to protect his home from the Ironborn. In the end, Jon and Sansa are only able to recruit a small number of minor houses, adding only a few hundred extra soldiers to their army. Despite being heavily outnumbered, Jon is adamant that they attack Winterfell as soon as possible before the Boltons rally more forces and the weather turns on them. Sansa disagrees, insisting that they try to recruit more houses. When Jon refuses to change his mind, Sansa begins writing a letter to be sent by raven to an unknown party. ===In King's Landing=== The High Sparrow chides Margaery that she needs to provide Tommen with an heir, and that she should try to convert Olenna to the Faith, subtly remarking that Olenna's safety cannot be guaranteed otherwise. Margaery meets with Olenna, who attempts to convince her to leave King's Landing and return to Highgarden. Margaery refuses, stating that as Queen, her place is supposed to be at Tommen's side. Margaery discreetly slips Olenna a piece of paper with the sigil of House Tyrell drawn on it, indicating that she is still loyal to her family, and Olenna agrees to leave. Cersei confronts Olenna and tries to convince her to stay and fight the Sparrows. Olenna points out that they have already lost and blames the Sparrows' rise to power on Cersei's lack of foresight. Despite having no allies in King's Landing, Cersei decides to stay and fight. ===In Volantis=== Theon and Yara take the Iron Fleet to Volantis to take on supplies. Yara, who is enjoying a female Volantene prostitute, encourages Theon to regain his former identity and confidence, as she will need his assistance in retaking the Iron Islands. Yara then reveals to Theon that she plans to take the Iron Fleet to Meereen and forge an alliance with Daenerys before Euron reaches her. ===In Braavos=== Arya Stark secures passage back to Westeros by bribing a Westerosi trader. However, she is subsequently attacked and repeatedly stabbed in the abdomen by the Waif, in the guise of an elderly woman. Arya pushes the Waif away and escapes by jumping off a bridge and swimming away underwater. After surfacing, she is then left stumbling through the streets, critically wounded. ===In the Riverlands=== Jaime and Bronn lead the Lannister army to Riverrun, where Lothar Frey and Walder Rivers attempt to coerce the Blackfish into surrendering the castle by threatening to hang Edmure. The Blackfish calls their bluff and refuses to surrender, and the Freys take Edmure down from the gallows. Disgusted with the Freys' incompetence, Jaime takes charge of the siege, orders Edmure to be bathed and fed, and attempts to parley with the Blackfish, warning him that the Lannisters will show no mercy to the Tullys if they do not surrender the castle. The Blackfish is unintimidated and dares Jaime to try and seize the castle, declaring that the Tullys have enough provisions stockpiled to outlast a Lannister siege. Sandor Clegane, otherwise known as the Hound, is revealed to have survived his wounds, and is now living among a small band of villagers. Their leader, a warrior turned septon named Ray, talks with Sandor, and recounts how he found Sandor on the verge of death and nursed him back to health. Sandor still feels guilt over his past sins, feeling he has not been punished for them. During a sermon, a trio of men from the Brotherhood without Banners arrives and attempts to extort the villagers, but leave upon finding out that they have no worthwhile possessions. Sandor warns Ray that the Brotherhood will return, but Ray refuses to prepare for a confrontation with them. After Sandor goes out to the forest to gather some wood, he returns to find the villagers slaughtered and Ray hanged. Enraged, Sandor picks up an axe and marches off. ==Production== ===Writing=== Series veteran Bryan Cogman wrote the episode, his second of two episodes of the season. "The Broken Man" was written by Bryan Cogman. his second of two episodes for the season, the first being the previous episode, "Blood of My Blood". It also adapts the chapter "Jaime VI" from ''A Feast for Crows''. The title of the episode is in reference to a speech given by Septon Meribald, a character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, who was also used to create the character of Ray. In an interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'', Cogman stated, "The speech itself didn't make it into the episode, but it inspired the character and some of his dialogue. So the title of the episode is a nod to that speech." He compared it to the second season episode "The Ghost of Harrenhal", whose title was also a reference to the books, but was not specifically stated in the episode. Ian McShane, who portrayed Ray, spoke about the writing in the episode in regards to his participation in the series, noting, "they wrote a two-page speech – so that's why they invited me. It’s a big soliloquy, like in ''Deadwood'', and they needed to get somebody who could do that. It was really well written." In the "Inside the Episode" featurette published by HBO shortly after the airing of "The Broken Man", series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss spoke about some of the thought process behind the motivations of the characters that were featured prominently in the episode. David Benioff began by speaking about Sandor "the Hound" Clegane, saying "I think suffering a near death experience probably changes anyone, and that certainly has changed Sandor Clegane. He's a more thoughtful person than he was when we last saw him, he's probably more aware of his vulnerabilities, he knows how close he came to dying, and he's really thinking about his past in a way that he never had before." Weiss continued, "The unfortunate, ugly reality of the kind of pacifism that Ray is preaching is often suicidal when you're in the middle of the kind of world that they're all in. Something sad about the fact that this person who tried desperately to walk away from what he was is being given no real choice but to go full throttle back in the direction of what he really is, which is a killer." Weiss additionally spoke about the introduction of Lyanna Mormont in the series, with Weiss saying, "We were excited about the prospect of the character because she's mentioned in passing in the previous season," referring to her letter to Stannis denying him men, and swearing fealty to House Stark. Weiss added, "The more we thought about it, Jon is going to come up against so many old guys with beards in the North that like 'What if she was a tougher audience?' It seemed like an inherently fun scene to watch, it also is terrifying because it's putting a lot of dramatic weight on the shoulders of somebody who needs to be very young." David Benioff concluded the featurette speaking about the Ironborn story, noting "Yara's not a therapist, in our kind of sense of the word, she's not there to tell him to 'buck up' and 'everything's going to be okay,' it's a pretty brutal kind of therapy, but that's who they are, I mean they're essentially a Viking people. There's not a lot of room for sort of soft, and gentle psychology. I think it's the kind of tough love Theon needed at this point, and when he finally raises his eyes, and looks into her eyes, we see a glimpse of the old Theon that had been lost for so long." In regards to the various stories throughout the episode, and the amount of time passing in each one of them, Cogman stated, "The timelines between the various storylines don’t necessarily line up within a given episode. For instance, the “Northern Tour” Jon and Sansa embark on would probably take a couple weeks, but Arya's storyline over the past few episodes only spans a few days. We realized a while ago that if we tied ourselves in knots trying to make all the “story days” line up between all the characters the momentum would suffer." The episode is only the fourth in the series with a cold open. The first three being the series premiere, "Winter Is Coming", the third season premiere "Valar Dohaeris", and the fourth season premiere, "Two Swords". Bryan Cogman stated that they felt it was necessary to utilize a pre-credits sequence due to the reintroduction of Rory McCann, saying "We figured it would make his reveal more impactful if the audience hadn't seen McCann's name in the opening credits first." ===Casting=== Actor Rory McCann returned as a series regular in his role as Sandor "the Hound" Clegane, last appearing in the season four finale. The episode featured the return of several characters from previous seasons, as well as the introduction of new characters, who were either mentioned previously within the show, or had some connection to an established character. Rory McCann, who portrayed Sandor "the Hound" Clegane from the beginning of the series through the fourth-season finale episode "The Children", returned as a series regular. McCann had previously speculated about the return of the Hound, saying in an interview with ''Access Hollywood'' in 2014, "There's always hope." Bryan Cogman revealed in an interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'' that there was always a plan to bring back the Hound, but the manner in which he was reintroduced was not always entirely known. Another re-introduction involved the storyline surrounding the Siege of Riverrun, with actor Clive Russell returning to the show as Brynden "the Blackfish" Tully, who last appeared in the third-season episode "The Rains of Castamere", in which the Red Wedding took place, and the Blackfish successfully evaded. In an interview with IGN, Clive Russell stated he was hopeful to return to the role saying "I'd hoped that he'd come back because he comes back in the books again. But they're not doing the books -- there is no book to do it from. I'd hoped that would happen. I don't think I was surprised it would happen because they bring back all kinds of people at all kinds of times. But it was good to go back there, I must say." Ian McShane, who previously starred in the HBO television series ''Deadwood'', guest starred in the episode as Ray. His casting for the series was announced in August 2015. At the time, McShane described his role in the show as the leader of a peace cult, who was also a former warrior that has since renounced violence, also noting that it was a "complete one-off." McShane also revealed that his character would "bring back a much-loved character everybody thinks is dead," leading many to speculate prior to the season that he would either play a role in bringing back Jon Snow, or the Hound, whose fate had also been called into question since his disappearance. McShane was asked about whether there was pressure involved with joining a show that has become an "international hit," with McShane responding "No pressure! It's the most popular TV show in the world, isn't it? I enjoyed meeting showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss – nobody ever expects the kind of reaction this has gotten. It's kind of like ''Deadwood'' when we started off, but they've managed to go another three seasons. It's interesting because you're a part of the show, but you're not part of the show. I only needed Rory for my scenes, so I didn't meet anybody else in it." Bryan Cogman stated that the character of Ray was a combination of several different characters from the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, most evidently the Elder Brother, and Septon Meribald. With Jon Snow, Sansa Stark, and Davos Seaworth's attempt to unite the North against the Boltons, two different House leaders were cast to portray Lyanna Mormont and Robett Glover, with Bella Ramsey and Tim McInnerny portraying each character, respectively. Cogman noted about Bella Ramsey, "Bella is a terrific young actress – the whole cast and crew were very impressed. I think, much like the character does with Jon, Sansa, and Davos, Bella kept Kit, Sophie, and Liam on their toes!" Jerome Flynn, who portrays Bronn in the series, made his first appearance in the season, last appearing in the season five finale episode "Mother's Mercy". ===Filming=== The sequences at Riverrun were filmed in Corbet, County Down, Northern Ireland. "The Broken Man" was directed by Mark Mylod. Mylod previously directed the fifth season episodes "High Sparrow" and "Sons of the Harpy". Mylod also directed the subsequent episode, "No One", for the sixth season. Filming of the Riverrun sequence began in October 2015, and led to some complaints by locals living in the area following the construction of a portion of the Tully castle. The shooting of the scenes took place in Corbet, County Down, Northern Ireland. Due to some concerns over the size of the structure, filming was unable to take place until local inspectors were able to determine if the production unit followed what had been agreed upon in the "planning application." Construction of a portion of the castle began in September, with tents and wooden additions being added shortly after. In an interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'', Ian McShane was asked about the process of shooting his final scene where he is shown hanging after being killed by the Brotherhood, with McShane saying that the filming of the scene was "very easy. You just have to hold your breath for 10 seconds and look sufficiently dead for them to get it." He also noted in the interview, "Rory was a delight to work with, and so was the director. The whole experience was five days in Belfast, and I enjoyed it a lot." Prior to the season, in August 2015, reports emerged about the spotting of Rory McCann at a hotel frequented by actors during filming of the series, in Belfast. McCann, whose character is frequently shown chopping wood in the episode, previously spoke in interviews about his prior career with chopping down trees, revealing "I was a lumberjack for years, and I even trained myself to be a tree surgeon." Maisie Williams also spoke with ''Entertainment Weekly'' and described the process behind Arya's scenes, saying "We wanted people to think this could be the end, or the start of the end. Like maybe her wound is going to fester – like The Hound. We did so many different takes of emerging out of the water the first time she's stabbed and sliced. I had been to a music festival so I hadn't slept the whole weekend. Then I was jumping in the Irish sea. It was a totally manic day. We did a million different takes. We wanted it to be real frantic and panicked. Arya hasn't been emotional in a long time and we wanted to bring that emotion." ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "The Broken Man" was viewed by 7.80 million American households on its initial viewing on HBO, which was a significant increase from the previous week's rating of 6.71 million viewers for the episode "Blood of My Blood", a low that was attributed to the Memorial Day weekend in the United States. The episode also acquired a 3.95 rating in the 18–49 demographic, making it the highest rated show on cable television of the night. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 2.720 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week on its channel. It also received 0.133 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reception=== "The Broken Man" was positively received by critics, who listed the return of Sandor Clegane, the introduction of Lyanna Mormont, and the siege of Riverrun as high points for the episode. It has received a 98% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes from 46 reviews with an average score of 7.8/10. The site's consensus reads "The return of long-lost characters and the introduction of some sharply-drawn newcomers keep "The Broken Man" from feeling like mere setup for the season finale." Matt Fowler of IGN wrote in his review for the episode, ""The Broken Man" gave us back The Hound, but his return felt a little diminished, given the parade of returns we've already seen this year, and there weren't as many notable moments in this chapter as other Game of Thrones episodes. There were some fine scenes, but nothing on par with the show's usual goods, though Lady Mormont was a highlight and Jaime and the Blackfish's standoff is an interesting scenario, not to mention the questions raised by Sansa's letter. Arya getting her guts punctured was a shocker, but it didn't feel right that she couldn't see her attacker coming." He gave the episode an 8 out of 10. Alan Sepinwall of HitFix praised the episode structure, writing "The quick transitions and constant back-and-forth movement among subplots generated more energy that, when combined with several characters we either didn't know before or hadn't seen in a long time, made "The Broken Man" feel livelier." Similarly, Ed Power of ''The Daily Telegraph'' also praised the episode, noting, "Once again there was a sense ''Game of Thrones'' was steeling itself for battles - and expensive set-pieces - chugging down the track. A storm is brewing - for now, we were invited to enjoy what remains of the calm." Jen Chaney of Vulture also felt the episode was more of a set up episode for storylines to be resolved in the close of the season, writing "Although two bombs get dropped in this week's episode of ''Game of Thrones'', it's an hour focused on putting the narrative chess pieces into place. "The Broken Man" doesn't finish off any of its major moves. Those bold turns are yet to come." ===Accolades=== Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2016 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Production Design for a Fantasy Program Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, Rob Cameron 2017 ADG Excellence in Production Design Award One-Hour Single Camera Period Or Fantasy Television Series Deborah Riley ==References== ==External links== * "The Broken Man" at HBO.com * *

'''Robert Baratheon''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. Introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', Robert Baratheon is the eldest son and heir of Lord Steffon Baratheon and Lady Cassana Estermont of Storm's End, the lord paramount of the Stormlands, one of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, and brother to Stannis and Renly. After his betrothed Lyanna Stark was kidnapped by Rhaegar Targaryen, Robert, along with the aid of her brother and his close friend, Eddard Stark, and their foster guardian Jon Arryn, initiated a bloody rebellion against the "Mad King" Aerys II Targaryen. After crushing the Targaryen dynasty and winning the war, Robert took the Iron Throne and established the Baratheon dynasty as its first king. However, due to Lyanna's untimely death during the war, Robert instead married Tywin Lannister's daughter Cersei to ensure political stability. Although Robert's rule has been relatively peaceful, he proves to be an ineffective ruler and is unhappy in both his marriage to Cersei and his responsibilities as king, instead living a life of infidelity and wanton excess. He has fathered many bastards, unaware that his three children by Cersei were in fact fathered by her twin brother Jaime Lannister as products of incest. Although Robert is killed in the first novel, the legacy of his rebellion and rule continues to have great impact on the contemporary events of Westeros. His death creates a power vacuum in which both of his brothers, Cersei's eldest son Joffrey, and several other claimants fight for control of the Seven Kingdoms, known as the War of Five Kings. Robert is portrayed by English actor Mark Addy in the HBO television adaptation. == Character == Robert Baratheon is not a point of view character in the novels, so his actions are mainly witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of Ned Stark. He only appears in the first book of the series ''A Game of Thrones'', though is mentioned numerous times in the later books by characters such as Cersei Lannister. ===Background=== Before he became king, Robert Baratheon was the ward of Jon Arryn and was raised at the Eyrie alongside Eddard Stark. Fifteen years before the novels, Robert was betrothed to Ned's younger sister Lyanna, with whom he was madly (and unrequitedly) in love. After Lyanna disappeared with Rhaegar Targaryen, Robert led a rebellion to overthrow the Targaryen dynasty and later killed Rhaegar in single combat. He then married Cersei Lannister to ensure House Lannister's support for his rule, but remained attached to the memory of Lyanna, resulting in an estranged marriage with Cersei. ===Personality and description=== Robert is in his mid-thirties when the events of the books begin. He has the classical Baratheon look: black hair and bright blue eyes, and is a very tall man, with Eddard Stark estimating him to be six and a half feet. As a young adult, Robert was handsome, clean-shaven and muscled "like a maiden's fantasy". However, after he won the Iron Throne, Robert becomes very obese due to excessive feasting and drinking, gaining weight, and turns into an often red-faced man with dark circles underneath his eyes and appears half-drunk and sweating when walking, with a wild, thick, fierce beard that hides his double chin. In his youth, Robert is as strong as a bull and fearless in battle with a powerful voice, wielding a large spiked iron war hammer too heavy for Eddard Stark to lift, and was a formidable warrior well loved by soldiers. Though headstrong, rash and impatient, Robert can be merciful towards his enemies as long as they are honest and brave, and can inspire loyalty and friendship in even enemies via charisma alone. Although deconditioned after becoming king due to weight gain and frequent drinking, Jaime Lannister still believes that Robert is stronger than him. Robert is a jovial man of huge appetites and knows to indulge in pleasures. He is quite promiscuous, having fathered multiple bastard children (17 according to the prophecy by Lannisport fortuneteller Maggy the Frog) with whores or any women he encounters, and his lusts are the subject of ribald drinking songs throughout the realms. As king, Robert is known to impose upon the hospitality (voluntarily or not) of his subjects, but at the same time also possesses a rather careless generosity. A proud man, Robert rarely back down on words spoken in a drunken bravado. As king, Robert is no longer used to someone disagreeing with him, which makes him vulnerable to manipulation by others. Robert loathes his responsibilities as king and frequently expresses his preference to winning the throne in battle rather than sitting on it. He has never truly loved his wife and is unaware that none of his three children with her are his, but instead Jaime Lannister's. Under his reign, the realm has been bankrupted, and Robert is deeply in debt to his wife's family. Tyrion Lannister considers Robert to be "a great blustering oaf", while Varys describes him as a fool. His queen wife Cersei Lannister considers him to be an ignorant, dumb, slow-witted, drunken brute who does not have the ruthless streak she believes a king requires. According to Petyr Baelish, Robert is practised at closing his eyes to things he would rather not see. == Storylines == Coat of arms of House Baratheon ====''A Game of Thrones''==== King Robert has come to Winterfell to appoint his close friend Eddard Stark the Hand of The King, after the untimely death of Jon Arryn. He was unaware that Cersei's three children were in fact fathered by her twin brother Jaime. More interested in food, drink, and tourneys than in governance, Robert has squandered the royal treasury, leaving the crown heavily in debt. After a hunting accident orchestrated by Cersei, Robert is mortally wounded and appoints Eddard as the regent for his son Joffrey. After Robert's death, Eddard loses the political struggle against the Lannisters and is later publicly executed by beheading, and the kingdoms plunge into civil war known as the War of the Five Kings (which encompasses the entirety of the following two books) in which Robert's two brothers Renly and Stannis Baratheon both declare themselves the rightful kings. Eddard's vengeful son Robb and later Balon Greyjoy also secede and declare kingships. ====''A Clash of Kings''==== Robert briefly appears in ''A Clash of Kings'' in a flashback sequence. === Family tree of House Baratheon === ==TV adaptation== Robert Baratheon is played by Mark Addy in the television adaption of the series of books. Addy's audition for the role was according to showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss the best they saw, him being the easiest actor to cast for the show. ==== Season 1 ==== Robert's storyline is the same in the show as it is in the novels, however, his wife Cersei reveals that she had one stillborn son by him, which is not the case in the novels, where Cersei uses guile and trickery to prevent him from ever actually engaging in sexual intercourse with her while drunk. ==== Season 2 ==== After his death, Robert's bastards are ordered to be killed by Joffrey Baratheon, Robert's supposed legal heir and the new king. Gendry is subsequently forced to flee the capital. ==== Seasons 6 & 7 ==== In seasons six and seven, Bran Stark's gift of vision as the Three-Eyed Raven revealed to him the truth of Rhaegar and Lyanna's relationship and states that 'Robert's Rebellion was built on a lie'. ==== Season 8 ==== Daenerys Targaryen legitimizes Gendry, naming him Robert's lawful son and Lord of Storm's End. == References ==

'''Oberyn Nymeros Martell''', nicknamed '''the Red Viper''', is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. Introduced in 2000's ''A Storm of Swords'', Oberyn is the younger brother of Doran Martell, from the desert kingdom of Dorne. Unlike his sickly and pensive brother, Oberyn is notorious both for his dangerous and unpredictable nature as well as his affinity for poisons, for which he earned his nickname. He is subsequently sporadically mentioned in ''A Feast for Crows'' and ''A Dance with Dragons''. As his brother is sickly, he travels to King's Landing in order to claim the Dornish seat on the small council, as well as to seek vengeance for his sister Elia Martell's death at the hands of Ser Gregor Clegane, whom he suspects acted directly on orders from Tywin Lannister. Oberyn is portrayed by Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal in the HBO television adaptation. == Character description == Oberyn Martell is the youngest brother of Prince Doran Martell, the ruler of the southern principality of Dorne. He is a hot-headed, forceful, and lustful man with a quick wit and a barbed tongue. He is a formidable fighter, and is nicknamed "the Red Viper" due to his preference for red clothing, as well as the rumor of him using poisoned weapons in duels. He has travelled the world, served in the famous mercenary company Second Sons before founding a company of his own, and briefly studied poisons and dark arts as a novice at the Citadel, managing to obtain six links of the maester's chain before quitting due to boredom. He is bisexual and has eight illegitimate daughters, collectively known as the "Sand Snakes". He was very close to his older sister Elia, and seeks revenge for her death. Oberyn Martell is not a point of view character in the novels. His actions are directly witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of Tyrion Lannister, and is later mentioned via the chapters of his niece Arianne Martell and Areo Hotah, the bodyguard of his brother Doran. == Storylines == Coat of arms of House Martell In ''A Storm of Swords'', Oberyn leads a Dornish envoy to King's Landing to claim the seat on the small council on Prince Doran Martell's behalf and obtain justice for his sister Elia Martell's murderer, as was agreed with the acting Hand of the King, Tyrion Lannister. When Tyrion is accused of murdering King Joffrey Baratheon, Oberyn volunteers to champion for Tyrion in the trial by combat, so he can fight and seek revenge from the rival champion, Ser Gregor Clegane, who is Elia's murderer. Though Oberyn manages to gain the upper hand in the duel and impale Clegane to the ground with his spear, Clegane manages to surprise him by foot sweeping him to the ground and bear-hugging him, then gouging his eyes, and finally killing him by repeatedly smashing his face with a mailed fist. However, it is later revealed that Oberyn has coated his spear in manticore venom to ensure that Clegane will die a slow and agonizing death. In ''A Feast for Crows'', Doran Martell reveals to his daughter Arianne that Oberyn has actually been acting as Doran's enforcer to carry out his secret plan for House Lannister's downfall. Three of Oberyn's bastard daughters, known as the Sand Snakes, are assigned missions to infiltrate the Iron Throne as sleeper agents. == TV adaptation == Pedro Pascal plays the role of Oberyn Martell in the television series. Oberyn Martell is played by Pedro Pascal in the television adaption of the series of books. === Season 4 === Oberyn arrives in King's Landing with his paramour, Ellaria Sand, to attend Joffrey's wedding in his brother's stead, and his meeting with Tyrion makes it clear that he has actually come to take revenge against the Lannisters for their role in the deaths of his sister, nephew and niece. At the wedding, Joffrey dies after being poisoned, and Tywin initially suspects Oberyn of having a hand in the murder since Oberyn has a past with poison chemistry, while Oberyn denies involvement and accuses Tywin of ordering Gregor Clegane to rape and murder Elia. The two reach a settlement when Tywin promises Oberyn a meeting with Clegane in exchange for Oberyn serving as one of the three judges at Tyrion's trial. At the trial, Oberyn implies that he is not convinced of Tyrion's guilt, and openly questions Cersei's testimony and asks Shae why Tyrion would tell her about all of his plans to murder Joffrey if he was the perpetrator. When Tyrion demands a trial by combat and Gregor Clegane is chosen as Cersei's champion, Oberyn volunteers to fight for Tyrion, proclaiming that he will exact his vengeance, starting with Ser Gregor. Martell valiantly fights Clegane, his superior speed making up for Clegane's size, and manages to wound him in the shoulder and the leg, flooring him. Refusing to kill him immediately, Oberyn furiously demands that Clegane admit to raping and killing Elia and her children, and that the order came from Tywin himself. Distracted for a moment, Oberyn is floored by Clegane, who – in a manner self-admittedly paraphrasing the murder of Elia – knocks out his teeth, straddles him and slowly gouges out his eyes, admitting to the rape and murder of Elia before crushing his skull. Tyrion is subsequently sentenced to death, but Oberyn's objective of vengeance was not in vain, since his spear is revealed to have been laced with the deadly venom of the manticore, which is slowly killing Clegane. === Reception === The Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal has garnered positive reviews for his role as Oberyn Martell in the television show. For his performance, Pascal was awarded the Ewwy Award for Best Guest Actor – Drama, and was nominated for the NewNowNext Award for Best New Television Actor, and, as part of the ensemble cast, the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. == Family tree of House Martell == == References ==

'''Brandon Stark''', typically called '''Bran''', is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. Introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', Bran is the second son and fourth child of Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn Stark of Winterfell, the ancient capital of the North of the fictional kingdom of Westeros. He subsequently appeared in ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998) and ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), was one of a few prominent characters that were not included in the fourth novel ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005), but returned in the fifth novel ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011). Bran dreams of becoming a knight since childhood, but is rendered paraplegic by Jaime Lannister early into the first novel after stumbling upon the latter's incestuous affair with twin sister Cersei Lannister. Awaking from a months-long coma, he is subsequently plagued by dreams of a mysterious figure beckoning him to travel north beyond the Wall. Bran's journey alongside a variety companions lead him deeper into the lore and magic of the North, where he begins to discover various mysterious powers and abilities. Martin told ''Rolling Stone'' in 2014 that Bran's momentous chapter with Jaime and Cersei is what "hooked" many readers early in the first novel. Bran is portrayed by English actor Isaac Hempstead Wright in the HBO television adaptation. Bran's characterization in later seasons of the show, including his relationship to the White Walkers and the Night King, have generated many theories in the fandom, as well as significant critical interest. == Character overview == The youngest point of view character in the novels, Bran is very first chapter character and was set up by Martin as a young hero of the series. Mikal Gilmore of ''Rolling Stone'' noted in 2014 that the moment in ''A Game of Thrones'' in which Jaime Lannister pushes Bran to his likely death "grabs you by the throat". Martin commented in the interview: In 2000, Martin called Bran the hardest character to write: ''Booklist'' cited Bran as a notable character in 1999, and the ''Publishers Weekly'' review of ''A Game of Thrones'' noted, "It is fascinating to watch Martin's characters mature and grow, particularly Stark's children, who stand at the center of the book." Noting Bran's absence in 2005's ''A Feast for Crows'', James Poniewozik of ''Time'' wrote in his review of ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011): ===Description=== Bran is seven years old at the beginning of ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996). He is the fourth child and second son of Eddard "Ned" Stark and his wife Lady Catelyn, and has five siblings: an older brother Robb, two older sisters Sansa and Arya, a younger brother Rickon, and an older illegitimate half-brother Jon Snow. Bran is constantly accompanied by his direwolf Summer, the simpleton stableboy Hodor (who carries him around after his crippling), and the Reed siblings Meera and Jojen. Martin describes Bran as favoring his mother in appearance, having the thick auburn hair and deep blue eyes of the Tullys. According to Martin, Bran is a strong willed, but sweet and thoughtful boy, well-loved by everyone at Winterfell. He enjoys climbing and exploring the walls and ramparts of the castle; he is also dutiful and tough-minded. With his dreams of being a knight dashed by the crippling attempt on his life in ''A Game of Thrones'', duty forces Bran to overcome his new limitations and embrace his new abilities. His gradual acceptance of his seemingly-prophetic visions (called the "greensight") and his ability to psychically inhabit his direwolf Summer (which marks him as a type of skinchanger known as a warg) show his growing maturity and his worth beyond the loss of his legs. He also manages to enter Hodor's mind, and later skinchanges into crows and even weirwood trees under the mentorship of the Three-Eyed Crow. == Storylines == Coat of arms of House Stark === ''A Game of Thrones'' === In ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996), Bran accidentally sees Queen Cersei Lannister and her brother Ser Jaime having sex; whereupon he is pushed from the window by Jaime to keep the incest a secret, but he survives in a coma. While Bran remains unconscious, an attempt is made on his life, and Catelyn delays the assassin long enough for Bran’s direwolf, Summer, to kill him. Senseless, Bran dreams of his falling from the tower and of a three-eyed crow that offers to teach him to fly. With the crow's guidance, Bran wakes; but having been crippled by the fall, he is unable to walk. Thereafter he relies on the giant simpleton Hodor, and a harness designed by Tyrion Lannister, to move. When Robb rides south to relieve Ned's arrest in King's Landing, Bran becomes the acting Lord of Winterfell. === ''A Clash of Kings'' === 1998's ''A Clash of Kings'' finds Robb named King in the North, and Bran, as Robb's heir, rules the castle in his brother's absence. When Theon Greyjoy betrays the Starks and captures Winterfell, Bran and Rickon escape, aided by the wildling Osha. To hide his failure, Theon has two other children murdered and proclaims them to be Bran and Rickon. Theon himself is betrayed by Ramsay Snow, the bastard son of Roose Bolton. Having been hiding in the crypts of Winterfell, Bran and his companions emerge to find the castle in ruins. They come upon a mortally wounded Maester Luwin, who advises their traveling party to split. Osha takes Rickon in the direction of White Harbor, while Bran, Hodor, Meera, and Jojen Reed set off north to seek the three-eyed raven. Meanwhile, Bran has slowly accepted the veracity of his dreams, and his ability to psychically inhabit Summer, which makes him a type of skin-changer known as a warg. === ''A Storm of Swords'' === Bran, Hodor, Meera and Jojen travel north to the Wall in search of the three-eyed crow in ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000). === ''A Dance with Dragons'' === In ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011), Bran, Hodor, Meera and Jojen are joined by the mysterious Coldhands, and a Child of the Forest named Leaf takes them to the three-eyed crow (actually a human telepath), who in turn offers to train Bran in clairvoyance. === Family tree of House Stark === == TV adaptation == Isaac Hempstead Wright plays the role of Bran Stark in the television series. Bran Stark is played by Isaac Hempstead Wright in the television adaption of the series of books. ===Storylines=== Brandon "Bran" Stark is the second son and fourth child of Eddard and Catelyn Stark. He was named after his deceased uncle, Brandon. ====Season 1==== Bran receives one of a litter of recovered direwolves given to the Stark children and names him Summer. During the King's visit to Winterfell, Bran accidentally interrupts the Queen, Cersei, having sex with her brother, Jaime, who shoves him from the window. While he is unconscious and recovering from his injuries, Summer kills an assassin sent to murder Bran. When he awakens Bran cannot recall the events before his fall and finds that he is crippled from the waist down, forced to be carried everywhere by the stableboy Hodor. Slowly, he realizes that he has gained the ability to assume Summer's consciousness, making him a warg or a skinchanger. After his older brother, Robb, is crowned King in the North, Bran becomes Robb's heir and the Lord of Winterfell. ====Season 2==== After Theon Greyjoy captures Winterfell, Osha helps Bran and his younger brother Rickon go into hiding. To cement his claim on Winterfell, Theon has two orphan boys killed and their bodies burned, and passes their charred bodies corpses off as Bran and Rickon. After Theon's men betray him and Winterfell is sacked, Bran, Rickon, Hodor, Osha and their direwolves head north to find his older brother Jon Snow for safety. ====Season 3==== Bran and his group encounter Jojen and Meera Reed, two siblings who aid them in their quest. Jojen shares Bran's "greensight" and tutors him in his prophetic visions. After coming close to the Wall, Osha departs with Rickon for Last Hearth (to keep him safe) while Bran insists on following his visions beyond the Wall. Bran and his group encounter Sam and Gilly, who try to persuade Bran not to venture beyond the Wall, but Bran claims it is his destiny and leaves through the gate with Hodor and the Reeds. ====Season 4==== During their travels beyond the Wall, Bran and his group stumble across Craster's Keep, where they are captured and held by Night's Watch mutineers, led by Karl Tanner. Night's Watchmen led by Jon eventually converge on Craster's Keep, but Locke, an agent of Roose Bolton, pretending to be a new Watch recruit, finds Bran first and takes him hostage. Bran wargs into Hodor and snaps Locke's neck. The group then continues on without telling Jon, who Jojen claims would stop them. Bran eventually reaches the heart tree but are set upon by wights outside the entrance. Jojen is killed in the attack, but the Children of the Forest lead Bran and his company safely into a magic cave, to meet the Three-Eyed Raven. The Three-Eyed Raven declares that Bran will not walk again but will fly, instead. ====Season 6==== As part of his training, Bran is shown several visions of the past, including Ned Stark and Howland Reed confronting Ser Arthur Dayne and Ser Gerold Hightower at the Tower of Joy, and sees how the Children of the Forest injected one of the First Men with dragonglass in a ritual to create the Night King, the first White Walker, as a defense against the other First Men. However, the Three-Eyed Raven is always quick to withdraw Bran from the visions, warning that he may become trapped in them if he stays too long. Growing bored with his slow progress, Bran enters a vision on his own and witnesses the Night King in the present day, who sees Bran and marks him, making the Three-Eyed Raven's cave vulnerable to the White Walkers' magic. The Three-Eyed Raven enters Bran into another vision of Winterfell's past to impart all his knowledge, but before the transfer is completed the White Walkers attack the cave, killing the Three-Eyed Raven, Summer, and the Children of the Forest. Bran, still caught in the vision, wargs into Hodor through the latter's younger self (named Wylis), and he and Meera flee as Hodor carries Bran's unconscious body out of the cave. Meera carries Bran into the forest, while Hodor gives his life to hold back the cave door against the army of wights until they overwhelm him. Bran witnesses how his warging accidentally linked Hodor's past and present mind, inducing a brain damaging seizure in young Wylis and causing him to repeat Meera's command to "hold the door" over and over, until he can only slur the word "Hodor". After the wight army catches up to them again, Bran and Meera are rescued by Bran's uncle Benjen Stark, who had been killed by the White Walkers several years prior but was revived by the Children. Benjen whisks the duo to safety and advises that Bran is now the '''Three-Eyed Raven''' and must learn to control his powers before the Night King attacks the Seven Kingdoms. Benjen leaves Bran and Meera at the weirwood in the Haunted Forest, as the Wall's magic prevents the dead (and therefore, Benjen) from passing it. Bran touches the weirwood and witnesses the rest of the vision of Ned Stark at the Tower of Joy. He discovers that Lyanna Stark died giving birth to Rhaegar Targaryen's son Aegon, whom Ned found and raised as Jon Snow at Lyanna's dying request. ====Season 7==== Bran returns to Winterfell, which has been rebuilt and reoccupied by the remaining Starks. Jon Snow has traveled to Dragonstone to meet with Daenerys Targaryen, after which he is finally reunited at Winterfell with Sansa and Arya, who are both concerned by Bran's knowledge about their tribulations following Ned's execution. Littlefinger gives Bran a Valyrian steel dagger (the one used by Bran's would-be assassin in season one), which Bran passes to Arya. Meera leaves Winterfell to return to Greywater Watch; Bran's indifference to her departure makes her realize that Bran "died" in the Three-Eyed Raven's cave. For that reason, Bran remains aloof to his siblings as well. He uses his greenseeing abilities to discover Littlefinger's betrayal of Ned. When Sansa confronts Littlefinger about his treason towards House Stark, Bran corroborates the accusations leveled against him, and Arya executes Littlefinger at Sansa's command. Samwell Tarly arrives in Winterfell and comes to visit Bran. Bran tells Sam his discovery that Jon is the bastard son of Rhaegar and Lyanna, but Sam mentions a former High Septon's record of annulling Rhaegar's marriage to Elia Martell so that he could marry Lyanna. Bran uses greenseeing to confirm that the marriage took place, and then revisits the vision of the Tower of Joy, discovering that's Jon's real name is Aegon Targaryen. Bran declares that Jon is therefore the heir to the Iron Throne. ====Season 8==== Bran is reunited with Jon when he returns to Winterfell with Daenerys Targaryen and her forces. Bran reveals to them that the Night King has reanimated Daenerys' dragon Viserion and used it to breach the Wall. Bran urges Sam to tell Jon the truth of his parentage, upon which Jon abdicates his claim in favour of Daenerys'. Jaime later arrives at Winterfell to aid in the fight against the dead, but Bran does not reveal Jaime's role in crippling him. At the war council before the battle against the dead, Bran explains that the Night King desires to create an endless winter and will try to kill him during the battle, due to his ability to hold humanity's collective memories. He convinces the council to let him wait in the Godswood as bait for the Night King. Theon, who has returned to Winterfell to fight the dead with his men, offers to defend Bran, and Jon and Daenerys plan to hide in wait to attack the Night King when he emerges. The Night King eventually breaches the castle and approaches Bran, killing Theon in the process. He is about to kill Bran, but Arya intervenes and manages to stab the Night King with the Valyrian steel dagger, eliminating the Night King as well as all the other White Walkers and undead he resurrected. Westeros is left without a ruler when, after Daenerys successfully wrests King's Landing from Cersei Lannister, she proceeds to burn the surrendered populace of the city, during which Cersei is also killed. Jon fails to dissuade Daenerys from further destruction and ultimately assassinates her. He is arrested. Weeks later, Tyrion Lannister proposes choosing Bran as the new king before a council of the lords and ladies of Westeros. He reasons that it would make a good story to unite the people, suggesting that future kings be elected by the lords of Westeros rather than inheriting the crown. When Tyrion asks Bran if he is willing to be king, Bran replies, "Why do you think I came all this way?" The council holds a vote and all agree except for Sansa, who instead requests the North's independence. Bran agrees, being stylized as Bran the Broken, King of the Six Kingdoms. He appoints Tyrion as his Hand of the King. Later, Brienne, Bronn, Davos, and Sam form Bran's Small Council. It is revealed Bran has decided to exile Jon to the Night's Watch for killing Daenerys as a compromise. As Jon leaves, he apologizes to Bran for not being there for him, but Bran responds, "You were exactly where you were supposed to be." Bran tasks himself with finding Drogon. == References ==

'''Sansa Stark''' is a fictional character created by American author George R. R. Martin. She is a prominent character in Martin's award-winning ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series. Introduced in ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996), Sansa is the elder daughter and second child of Lord Eddard Stark and his wife Lady Catelyn Stark. She subsequently appeared in the following three novels: ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998), ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), and ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005). While absent from the fifth novel ''A Dance with Dragons'', as the books are separated geographically, Sansa is confirmed to return in the forthcoming next book in the series, ''The Winds of Winter''. In HBO's adaptation of the series, ''Game of Thrones'', Sansa is portrayed by English actress Sophie Turner. The character has received critical acclaim, including praise as the 4th greatest character in the series by ''Rolling Stone''. She and the rest of the cast were nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016. Furthermore, Turner received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2019. ==Character and appearances== Sansa Stark is the second child and elder daughter of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Stark. She was born and raised in Winterfell, until leaving with her father and sister at the beginning of the series. She was raised with a younger sister Arya Stark, two younger brothers Rickon Stark and Bran Stark, as well as an older brother Robb Stark, and an older illegitimate half-brother, Jon Snow. Raised as a lady, Sansa is traditionally feminine. Sansa's interests are music, poetry, and singing. She strives to become like the heroines of romantic tales by attempting to find a prince, knight, or gentleman to fall in love with. For a companion animal, she owned a direwolf named Lady. However, Lady was killed in place of Arya's direwolf, Nymeria, after Nymeria attacked the Crown Prince, Joffrey Baratheon, and later fled. Sansa has been described as tall, slim, womanly, and beautiful, destined to be a lady or a queen. She has blue eyes and thick auburn hair that she inherits from her mother, who came from House Tully in the Riverlands region prior to her marriage to Eddard Stark. She has her hair dyed dark brown later on while in the Vale, disguised as Alayne Stone, the bastard daughter of Petyr Baelish. Sansa is 11 years old in ''A Game of Thrones'' and nearly 14 in ''A Feast for Crows''. Arguably the most naive of the Stark children at the start of the series, Sansa often finds herself used as a pawn in the machinations of the other characters. However, as the story progresses, she matures and becomes more of a player of the game rather than a pawn for other characters. She is the most beautiful woman in Westeros at the time of the events of "A Song of Ice and Fire". ==Storylines== Coat of arms of House Stark ===''A Game of Thrones''=== Sansa Stark begins the novel by being betrothed to Crown Prince Joffrey Baratheon, believing Joffrey to be a gallant prince. While Joffrey and Sansa are walking through the woods, Joffrey notices Arya sparring with the butcher's boy, Mycah. A fight breaks out and Joffrey is attacked by Nymeria (Arya's direwolf) after Joffrey threatens to hurt Arya. Sansa lies to King Robert about the circumstances of the fight in order to protect both Joffrey and her sister Arya. Since Arya ran off with her wolf to save it, Sansa's wolf is killed instead, estranging the Stark daughters. During the Tourney of the Hand to honour her father Lord Eddard Stark, Sansa Stark is enchanted by the knights performing in the event. At the request of his mother, Queen Cersei Lannister, Joffrey spends a portion of the tourney with Sansa, but near the end he commands his guard Sandor Clegane, better known as The Hound, to take her back to her quarters. Sandor explains how his older brother, Gregor, aka "Mountain that Rides" pushed his face into a brazier of hot coals, for playing with one of his wooden toys. After Eddard discovers the truth of Joffrey's paternity, he tells Sansa that they will be heading back to Winterfell. Sansa is devastated and wishes to stay in King's Landing, so she runs off to inform Queen Cersei of her father's plans, unwittingly providing Cersei with the information needed to arrest her father. After Robert dies, Sansa begs Joffrey to show mercy on her father and he agrees, if Ned will swear an oath of loyalty, but executes him anyway, in front of Sansa. Sansa is now effectively a hostage in King's Landing and finally sees Joffrey's true nature, after he forces her to look at the tarred head of her now-deceased father. ===''A Clash of Kings''=== Sansa is a hostage in King's Landing, and has learned to be outwardly loyal to King Joffrey to avoid severe physical abuse. At the celebration for Joffrey's name day, she ostensibly saves the life of Ser Dontos Hollard, when he shows up late and inebriated, begging Joffrey to spare him, in turn winning Dontos' loyalty. Sansa is routinely beaten by Joffrey's guards. After her brother has won a battle against Joffrey's maternal family, she is publicly beaten and has her clothes torn. Tyrion Lannister intervenes on her behalf, and Sandor Clegane gives her his cloak to cover herself. Later, Sandor Clegane saves Sansa from a riot in King's Landing. During the Battle of Blackwater Bay, all of the highborn ladies in King's Landing seek refuge within a doubly secure, moated chamber within the Red Keep. There, Queen Cersei drunkenly mocks and berates Sansa, then flees when the tide of the battle falls, while Sansa stays to give comfort to the ladies before retreating to her own quarters. There she finds a drunken Sandor Clegane, who offers to take her away from any imminent danger and the Lannisters themselves. She declines, but he insists she sing for him, at dagger point, then rips his cloak off and gives it to her a second time before fleeing the city. When Sansa awakens, the battle is over. House Lannister has won, but her betrothal to Joffrey is soon ended, so as he may marry Margaery Tyrell whose family just helped turn the tide of battle. However, Joffrey informs Sansa that he still has use for her when married, and to "expect a nightly visitor for a long while". ===''A Storm of Swords''=== In the third book, Sansa is invited to dine with Margaery and her grandmother, Olenna Redwyne. The two women seek to learn the true nature of Joffrey Baratheon now that he and Margaery are betrothed. In turn, Olenna suggests that Sansa should marry her grandson Willas Tyrell. Sansa reveals the marriage plan to Ser Dontos, who warns her of the Tyrells; however, Sansa develops a close friendship with Margaery and is excited about becoming a part of her family. However, when Tywin learns of the marriage plot he schemes to have Sansa's brother Robb Stark killed, knowing that would leave Sansa to inherit Winterfell and the North. He then commands his son Tyrion Lannister to marry Sansa. Tyrion is initially opposed to the marriage, but is eventually enticed by the prospect of becoming Lord of Winterfell, and so agrees to marry her. Sansa is shocked one morning to learn that she is being fitted for a gown to marry Tyrion that day. Joffrey taunts Sansa and acts on behalf of her father to give her away during the ceremony to add further insult. Sansa ignores Tyrion and refuses to bend as he attempts to put his cloak around her, a marriage ceremony custom in Westeros. In turn, Joffrey commands Ser Dontos to act as a stool so that Tyrion can cloak his bride in spite of his short stature. At the banquet, Sansa dances with many lords, who offer words of comfort; however, Joffrey merely threatens to rape her. Tyrion intervenes and states a desire to castrate Joffrey. After the wedding ceremony, Tyrion chooses not to consummate the marriage due to Sansa's lack of desire in him. It is not long before many in King's Landing come to know that the marriage was never consummated. Not long after Sansa's marriage, Joffrey and Margaery are wed and afterward a grand feast. At Joffrey's wedding, Joffrey is poisoned, and Cersei orders both Tyrion and Sansa arrested. As Joffrey begins to choke to death, Sansa manages to flee during the chaos. Once in her room, she gathers her belongings and notices that one of the amethysts from her hairnet, a gift from Ser Dontos, is missing. Sansa immediately realizes that the prince had been poisoned and starts to doubt Ser Dontos' rescue plan. Understanding that she will be implicated in the murder of Joffrey, she chooses to flee King's Landing with the knight anyway. Ser Dontos is later killed by Petyr Baelish, who reveals that he is the mastermind behind nearly all of the capital intrigue. He reveals that he was the one who sent Dontos to her and that Olenna took the amethyst from Sansa's hairnet. Baelish smuggles Sansa to safety in the Vale of Arryn, where she poses as his bastard daughter Alayne Stone. She is taken to her aunt Lysa Arryn, now married to Baelish. Lysa declares that Sansa must marry her sickly boy Robert, heir to the Vale. Petyr Baelish and Lysa are wed; however, Lysa becomes jealous when she witnesses Littlefinger kissing her niece. Lysa later attempts to murder Sansa, but she is saved once again by Baelish, who kills Lysa. ===''A Feast for Crows''=== After Lysa's death, Sansa becomes mistress of the Eyrie and still pretends to be Baelish's illegitimate daughter, Alayne Stone. Baelish successfully pacifies the lords of the Vale, who suspected Baelish's hand in Lysa's death. Afterwards, Baelish reveals to Sansa his plans to eventually marry her to the heir to the Vale, Harrold Hardyng, and his long-range plans to reveal her true identity and reclaim the North. Sansa acts as a mother figure to Robert Arryn, caring for him after the death of Lysa. By now she has lost much of her naivety, as well as trust for Baelish. ===Family tree of House Stark=== ==TV adaptation== ===Storylines=== ====Season 1==== Sansa is first seen with Arya at Winterfell, during their embroidery lesson with Septa Mordane. Following the arrival of Robert Baratheon and his escort at Winterfell, he insists to Ned that Joffrey and Sansa should be married in order to join their houses. Sansa, who is desperate to leave Winterfell, begs Catelyn to make Ned agree to the engagement. Joffrey is bitten by Arya's direwolf Nymeria while bullying Mycah the butcher's boy and Arya. Sansa, an eyewitness, claims to be ignorant of the event at the inquest. As retribution for Joffrey's injury, Cersei convinces Robert to have Sansa's direwolf, Lady, killed in place of the now-missing Nymeria. After arriving at King's Landing, Sansa attends the Hand's Tourney where Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish tells Sansa and Arya the story behind Sandor "The Hound" Clegane's gruesome facial burns. As time passes, Sansa wears her hair like a southerner and is more flippant with Mordane, expressing fears she will fail to give Joffrey a male heir. Following Ned's initial resignation as Hand of the King, Sansa is devastated to hear she must return to Winterfell. She likens Joffrey to a lion and says he is nothing like Robert Baratheon. This statement inspires Ned to investigate the Baratheon family line, prompting him to realise that Cersei's children are bastards fathered by her twin brother Jaime Lannister, not Robert Baratheon. Following Robert's death and Ned's arrest for treason, all Stark servants in King's Landing are executed. Cersei exhorts Sansa to write Robb and Catelyn, imploring them to swear fealty to Joffrey. At court, Sansa pleads for her father's life; all agree on the condition Ned confesses his treason and swears fealty. Sansa is present at the Great Sept of Baelor and is horrified when Joffrey orders Ned's execution, fainting as Ned is beheaded. Grieving the death of her father, Sansa is forced by Joffrey to look upon the spiked heads of both Ned and Septa Mordane. She begs to return home, but he informs Sansa that they are still to be married, and she will stay and obey. Joffrey promises to present Robb's head also, to which she retorts that Robb may give her Joffrey's head, instead. While on the catwalk, Sansa moves to push Joffrey to his death but is stopped by Sandor Clegane, who offers practical consoling advice. ====Season 2==== As the War of the Five Kings progresses, Sansa's position in King's Landing becomes increasingly perilous. On Joffrey's name day celebration, Sansa saves an inebriated Ser Dontos Hollard from execution, by convincing Joffrey to instead make Dontos his fool. While at the celebration, Tyrion offers his condolences for Ned's death, in response to which Sansa insists her family are all traitors, and she is loyal to Joffrey. Later on, when her eldest brother Robb wins a battle against the Lannisters, Sansa is publicly beaten and humiliated in front of the court by Joffrey and Ser Meryn (on Joffrey's orders), as payment for her brother's crimes. Tyrion Lannister enters the court and rescues Sansa. Despite being a dwarf, Tyrion takes pity on Sansa's situation and offers to have the engagement called off. Sansa maintains her facade that she is loyal to Joffrey, which impresses Tyrion to the point he believes Sansa might just survive King's Landing. Tyrion has his lover, Shae, positioned as Sansa's handmaiden. Sansa and Shae form a friendship in which Sansa is able to vent about her hatred of the Lannisters without fear of being betrayed. Sansa is present when the royal family bids farewell to Joffrey's sister, Myrcella, on her departure to Dorne to form an alliance between the Lannisters and the Martells. While returning to the Red Keep, a riot breaks out in the streets of King's Landing, amidst which Sansa finds herself caught in the fray. Three peasant men chase Sansa and attempt to rape her before she is rescued and returned to the castle by Sandor Clegane. The following morning, Sansa has a nightmare of the incident and wakes up in a bloodstained bed. Sansa has her first period, thus meaning she can now bear Joffrey's children. Sansa and Shae attempt to conceal this, which involves Shae's threatening to kill a witness handmaiden if she tells anyone. However, Sandor Clegane sees the blood, and both Cersei and Joffrey are informed. Cersei invites Sansa to her chambers to share some of her wisdom and experience as a wife and a mother. Cersei reminisces that her husband Robert was not interested in her childbirth. Cersei explains to Sansa that while Sansa may never love Joffrey (and vice versa), she will love his children. Cersei warns Sansa that the more people she loves, the weaker she will be. Therefore, Sansa should only love her children, as it is the only love she has no choice in. Before the Battle of the Blackwater, Joffrey forces Sansa to kiss the blade of his sword, while bragging he will kill Stannis himself. Sansa taunts Joffrey by remarking he must be battling in the vanguard, which he would not be. Joffrey promises that she will lick Stannis's blood, and later her brother Robb's blood off his sword. During the battle, Sansa takes refuge with Cersei, Shae, and the other women and children of King's Landing. A drunk Cersei declares to Sansa and the women that if the city falls, they will all be raped while the city is sacked. Cersei continues her taunting by also telling Sansa that tears are not the only weapons women have; the greatest weapon they own is between their legs. Following Cersei's departure from the refuge with Tommen, Sansa leaves to hide in her bedchamber, where she finds Sandor Clegane. Sandor, about to leave King's Landing, offers to take Sansa home. Sansa declines, insisting Stannis would not harm her. After the battle is won by the Lannister-Tyrell forces, Loras Tyrell asks Joffrey to take his sister, Margaery, as his bride. Joffrey accepts the proposal, which annuls his marriage with Sansa. Sansa, while pretending to be devastated, is secretly delighted she no longer has to marry Joffrey. However, Petyr Baelish warns that while Sansa is no longer engaged, Joffrey would have greater rein to abuse Sansa, especially now she is a woman. Petyr assures Sansa he will help get her home, in which Sansa once again displays a facade, asserting King's Landing is her home. Petyr advises Sansa that everyone in King's Landing is a liar and that they are much more cunning than her. ====Season 3==== With her engagement to Joffrey annulled, Sansa does not have to worry about spending the rest of her life with him, but is with lesser protection from tormentors. Petyr Baelish, an old friend of her mother's with a reputation for being sadistic and cunning, tells her that he can smuggle her out of the city, but she is reluctant. Sansa finds a friend in Loras Tyrell, who is kind to her and whom she hopes will ask for her hand. His sister, Joffrey's new fiancé, Margaery, is also kind to her and takes her to dine with her grandmother, Olenna Tyrell, who asks her for her opinion of Joffrey. Sansa reveals Joffrey's true, cruel personality, but Margaery and Lady Olenna merely pass it by as a trivial matter, saying there is nothing to be done to change a man's character, especially a king's. Sansa's affection for Loras grows; she is unaware that Loras is gay and, while he likes her and enjoys spending time with her, he can never love her. Margaery proposes the idea that Loras will marry Sansa, meaning Sansa can leave King's Landing, which delights Sansa. However, when this plan is reported to the Lannisters, they fear that the Tyrells will pose an even greater threat with a member of House Stark as one of their allies and quickly end the idea of the engagement, by betrothing Loras to Cersei and engaging Sansa to Tyrion, which both Sansa and Shae are against. However, the day of the wedding, Tyrion promises not to harm her and, as she prepares to consummate the marriage, Tyrion realizes how unhappy Sansa is and tells her that she doesn't have to consummate it unless she wants to. When Sansa asks Tyrion what would happen if she never wants him in her bed, he quips, "And so my watch begins." Sansa and Tyrion do form a somewhat friendly relationship, as he is kind to her and treats her well, and she soon realizes there are worse Lannisters to be wed to. However, their cordial relationship suffers a crushing blow when Sansa receives news of Robb and Catelyn's deaths at the Red Wedding, an event orchestrated by Tywin Lannister, Tyrion's father. ====Season 4==== Sansa, still distraught over the death of Robb and Catelyn, is approached by Dontos Hollard, a former knight whom Sansa had convinced Joffrey to make his fool instead of executing him. Dontos gives her a necklace, claiming it was his mother's. However, the necklace turns out to be a fake; one of the gems contains the poison which Lady Olenna Tyrell uses to poison Joffrey at his wedding to Margaery Tyrell. In the commotion, Sansa is taken by Dontos, to Baelish's boat in Blackwater Bay. Baelish smuggles Sansa from King's Landing after revealing the nature of the necklace and has Dontos killed with a crossbow. Lord Baelish, with Sansa posing as his niece Alayne Stone, pass through the Blood Gates to the Eyrie and to the keep of Lysa Arryn. Lysa initially invites them with open arms, revealing she knows exactly who her niece is, and they are welcome to be housed. It is soon revealed however, Lysa mistrusts the relationship between Sansa and Baelish accusing Baelish of violating Sansa and accusing him of never loving her. Later in the keep, Sansa strikes Lysa's son Robin and Baelish appears. Baelish then proclaims his undying love for her deceased mother, Catelyn, and he shares a kiss with a stunned Sansa, with Lysa watching from above. Sansa is immediately summoned to Lysa's throne room, where she believes she had been summoned for striking her son. Lysa reveals she had observed the kiss, and though defending herself and Baelish's actions against her, Lysa holds her to the Moon Door, a trap door that leads hundreds of feet down into the mountains below. Baelish intervenes before she gets the chance to execute Sansa and pushes Lysa to her death instead as he proclaimed his love for her sister. Then Baelish later claimed to the lords of the Vale that she committed suicide. Sansa is called to give testimony, and although she reveals her true identity, she supports Baelish's story. She then joins Baelish and her cousin Robin Arryn on a tour of the Vale. ====Season 5==== Baelish brokers a marriage between Sansa and Ramsay Bolton, now the heir to the North after the death of Robb Stark. Though Sansa is reluctant to marry Ramsay, as his father Roose had personally murdered Robb, Baelish persuades her by claiming that the marriage will give her the opportunity to avenge her family. On the way to Winterfell, they encounter Brienne of Tarth, who had sworn to Catelyn Stark to take Sansa to safety and tries to convince Sansa to come with her; Baelish has her chased off by his men, but Brienne follows Sansa to Winterfell regardless. Though initially charming, Ramsay's sadistic nature becomes apparent when Sansa discovers that he has captured and enslaved Ned's former ward Theon Greyjoy, and forced him to assume the identity of his serving man, Reek. Sansa and Ramsay wed in front of the Godswood. That night, Ramsay rapes Sansa, and forces Reek to watch. Over the next few days, Ramsay continues to rape and beat Sansa every night, and keeps her locked in her bedchamber. Sansa begs Reek to help her signal her northern allies by lighting a candle in the broken tower. Reek, wishing to spare Sansa from Bolton's wrath, instead tells Ramsay. He proceeds to flay the maid who had told Sansa of the signal, and forces Sansa to look at her corpse. Furious, Sansa confronts Reek, who admits that he had failed to capture Sansa's brothers Bran and Rickon, and killed two farm boys in their place. While the Boltons prepare to battle Stannis Baratheon's advancing forces, Sansa signals to Brienne, unaware that she has left to kill Stannis. When help does not come, Sansa attempts to return to her room but is caught by Ramsay's paramour Myranda, who threatens to mutilate Sansa. Finally snapping, Theon throws Myranda to her death, just as the Bolton forces return. Fearful of Ramsay's reaction, Theon and Sansa jump from Winterfell's battlements into the snow. ====Season 6==== Sansa and Theon are captured by Bolton soldiers in the forest outside Winterfell, but Brienne and her squire Podrick Payne arrive in time to rescue them and kill the Bolton soldiers. This time, Sansa accepts Brienne's loyalty. While Theon returns to the Iron Islands, Sansa, Brienne, and Podrick journey on to Castle Black, where she reunites with her half-brother Jon Snow, who has just resigned as Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. Sansa tries to persuade Jon to help her drive the Boltons out of Winterfell; although Jon initially refuses, he changes his mind after Ramsay sends a letter to Jon in which he gloats that he holds Rickon Stark captive and threatens to kill the Starks and the Wildlings Jon has let through the Wall if Sansa is not returned. Before Jon and Sansa leave Castle Black, Baelish arranges a meeting with Sansa in Mole's Town. He insists that he was unaware of Ramsay's nature and offers the support of the Knights of the Vale, also mentioning that her great-uncle Brynden "Blackfish" Tully has captured Riverrun from House Frey. Sansa sends Baelish away, declaring that she never wants to see him again, but sends Brienne to the Riverlands to convince the Blackfish to aid the Starks. Although Jon and Sansa are only able to win over a handful of Northern lords, Jon insists that they must march on Winterfell, despite Sansa's objections. Sansa sends a letter to Baelish asking for his aid, and the Vale forces arrive at Winterfell in time to defeat the Boltons. Ramsay is captured and Sansa has Ramsay fed to his hounds. In the aftermath of the battle, Sansa apologizes for not telling Jon about Baelish and the Knights of the Vale. Jon forgives her and asks that they trust each other completely from now on. They remember their father when Sansa says she received a white raven informing them that Winter is here. While in the godswood, Baelish tells Sansa the North will rally behind her and confesses his ambition to rule Westeros with Sansa at his side, but Sansa rebuffs his advances. Later, the Northmen and Valemen declare Jon the new King in the North. Sansa's smile dies when she notices Littlefinger watching her. ====Season 7==== Jon travels to Dragonstone to negotiate with Daenerys Targaryen for her support against the White Walkers, leaving Sansa as regent in his absence. Soon after, Bran and Arya return to Winterfell. Littlefinger seeks to drive a wedge between Sansa and Arya by letting Arya find Sansa's letter to Robb asking him to bend the knee to Joffrey, causing Arya to confront Sansa. Sansa sneaks into Arya's quarters and comes across the "faces" Arya has taken from the various people she has killed on her travels; Arya catches Sansa and tells Sansa of her ability to assume people's identities with the faces before she threatens her. Sansa later receives an invitation to King's Landing, where Jon intends to present Cersei, who is now Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, with proof of the White Walkers' existence. Refusing to return to King's Landing, she sends Brienne as her representative. Sansa shows Littlefinger the letter she received from Jon following the meeting in King's Landing, in which Jon states that he had pledged his support to Daenerys Targaryen. Littlefinger continues his manipulation of Sansa by claiming that Jon has betrayed the North, Sansa should seize power from Jon, and suggests Arya intends to murder her to become Lady of Winterfell. Sansa summons Arya to the great hall and begins an accusation of treason and murder, before directing the accusation towards Littlefinger. With help from their brother Bran (now known as Three-Eyed Raven), Sansa and Arya reveal that they are aware of Baelish's numerous crimes, including the murder of Lysa Arryn, orchestrating the murders of both Jon Arryn and Eddard Stark, and manipulating the Starks and Lannisters to war. Baelish tries to plead for his life, but Sansa refuses and sentences Littlefinger to death. Arya executes him. The Stark sisters later resolve their differences and acknowledge that the Starks must stand together to survive the winter. They remember their father telling them, "The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives." ====Season 8==== Sansa welcomes Daenerys and her court, including Tyrion, to Winterfell. Tyrion declares that the Lannister troops will be marching north as well to defend against the dead, but Sansa is skeptical; her fears are confirmed when Jaime Lannister arrives in Winterfell and he reveals Cersei's treachery. Sansa wishes Jaime dead for attacking Ned in King's Landing, but spares him when Brienne vouches for him. Sansa suspects that Jon's decision to pledge to Daenerys as queen is due to his love for Daenerys. Sansa is wary of Daenerys but when speaking with her in private, Daenerys assures Sansa that her love for Jon is also genuine and they reach common ground. However, the situation becomes tense when Sansa asks of the North's independence after Daenerys has conquered Westeros. They are interrupted by Theon's arrival, who has come to help defend Winterfell. Sansa watches the battle against the dead from Winterfell's battlements, but when the Dothraki are easily overrun, Arya orders Sansa to seek refuge in the crypts with the other non-combatants. The Night King reanimates the dead around Winterfell, including the Starks buried in the crypts, but the undead fall when Arya kills the Night King, allowing Sansa, Tyrion, and the others in the crypts to survive. Sansa is present for the funeral for those fallen in battle, including Theon, who was killed defending Bran. She places a Stark pin in Theon's armor before he is cremated to honor him as an ally of the Starks. Sansa is reunited with the Hound at the victory feast. The Hound declares that Sansa would not have experienced the horrors she faced had she fled King's Landing with him, but Sansa acknowledges that her experiences made her wiser. At the war council, Sansa and Daenerys disagree over giving the Northern army time to recover before marching on King's Landing. After the council, Sansa and Arya tell Jon they don't trust Daenerys but Jon defends Daenerys. Jon confides he is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark after swearing Sansa and Arya to secrecy. Sansa reveals this to Tyrion. Daenerys takes King's Landing, but lays waste to the surrendered populace during which Cersei is also killed. Jon tries but fails to dissuade Daenerys from further destruction and ultimately assassinates her. When Jon is arrested by the Unsullied, Sansa camps the Northern army outside the city and travels to King's Landing to convene a council to determine the fates of Jon, Tyrion, and Westeros. Tyrion suggests Bran be crowned king, to near-unanimous approval. Arya and Sansa abstain, and Sansa asserts to Bran that the North has sacrificed too much to remain part of the Seven Kingdoms, declaring the North's independence. Sansa, Arya, and Bran bid farewell to Jon, who is exiled. Sansa returns to Winterfell and is crowned Queen in the North. ===Reception=== Sophie Turner plays the role of Sansa Stark in the television series As her storyline has progressed, Sansa has received critical acclaim for the development of her character and her emergence from a naive young girl to a strong young woman. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked Sansa as No. 4 on a list of the "Top 40 ''Game of Thrones'' Characters", saying that Sansa is "often overlooked in favor of her killer kid sister", but that her "quiet, innate political shrewedness and emotional strength have enabled her to survive", and calling her "the show's best-kept secret". In a ranking of the 48 best ''Game of Thrones'' characters listed in the main credits in the first five seasons on the website ''The Wrap'', Sansa was ranked at No. 4, ahead of the more popular Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow, and Tyrion Lannister, saying that "Sansa has been kind of great in Season 6, turning into the sort of badass we always hoped but never thought she actually could become". In an article published on ''Mic.''com, Julianne Ross says that "the elder Stark daughter is often cited as one of the most reviled characters on ''Game of Thrones''", while also saying that "not coincidentally, Sansa Stark is also one of the most classically feminine characters on the show." Ross criticized the heavy hatred for Sansa, particularly in contrast to "her universally (and rightly) adored tomboy little sister Arya", stating that Sansa "arguably gets a disproportionate amount of fan hate because she doesn't fit the narrow 'strong female character' mold we're used to rooting for." Blogger Rhiannon Thomas of ''Feminist Fiction'' wrote in 2012 that "the focus on this sort of female character - the oft-cited 'strong female character' - seems to suggest that femininity is still ''bad,'' and that women can only be strong by adopting stereotypically male roles and attitudes". Thomas went on to say that "in an abusive situation that would break so many people, Sansa survives" and that she has a "woman's courage" that "keeps her alive and in the game where characters like Arya would not last five minutes". In an article published on MTV.com by Crystal Bell titled "Sansa Stark is the Only ''Game of Thrones'' Hero Worth Rooting For", Bell writes: "Sansa is the most relatable character in George R.R. Martin's canon. She's often despised for having no agency, but the way I see it, Sansa is hated for being a woman. Unlike Brienne, Arya, Cersei, and Margaery -- models of the "strong female character" archetype—Sansa's passivity denotes weakness. She doesn't have cool swordplay skills like her sister Arya; she isn't a smart seductress like Margaery Tyrell or a fierce queen like Cersei. She is the epitome of femininity on ''Game of Thrones'', and therefore, she is dismissed." Bell went on to say: "However, Sansa's greatest strength as a character has been her unwavering resilience. She was tortured and humiliated for seasons by the unhinged man-boys around her. She's been the subject of everyday sexism and misogyny since day one. And yet, she survives, even as armor-clad heroes fall before her. She is the show's survivor. She continuously ''endures'' the pain and humiliation of being a woman in Westeros. Just because Sansa doesn't wield a sword as fiercely as Arya and Brienne, or command a horde of dragons like Daenerys Targaryen, doesn't make her any less of a hero." Sansa received particular acclaim in Season 6 of the show, during which she began her quest to retake her family home and exact revenge on those who wronged her. In an interview with ''The New York Times'', actress Sophie Turner said that "she's Sansa no longer a pawn in anyone's game; she's no longer a prisoner...she's the one taking charge and doing her own thing, which is very exciting". Megan Garber of ''The Atlantic'' praised the show's decision to have Sansa be the one orchestrating Ramsay's death in Battle of the Bastards, saying that "In the end, it was Sansa and her abuser, alone again in a darkened chamber; in the end though, it was Sansa making the decisions about who would be the victim." On the scene, Turner said: "It's amazing. It's Sansa's first kill and it's such a strong moment for her because all her life she's been affected by these men who have just done such terrible things to her...." Following the penultimate Season 6 episode, Bennett Madison of ''Vanity Fair'' wrote "When Sansa icily reminds her dopey brother that 'No one can protect you', it's because she's always been on her own. As far back as King's Landing, Sansa's between quietly protecting herself, working on her stitchery while taking cool measure of everything going on around her, learning how to game the system, and slithering through situations that would have gotten the best of the show's more flashy or impulsive characters. In 'Battle of the Bastards', she got to show a little flash of her own; by being defiantly, gloriously correct in her convictions, by saving the day with her foresight and savvy, and by feeding Ramsay to the dogs." Turner later told ''Time'' magazine about how gratifying it was to watch Sansa's development during Season 6 and defended the show on its cruel treatment of women: "In my opinion, ''Game of Thrones'' is not sexist, and it's accurate to medieval time. The show puts social boundaries on the women, and they break out of these boundaries." ====Controversy==== In the episode "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken", Sansa's rape was the main subject of controversy for the season's deviations from the books. The majority of professional criticism concerned the decision to have Ramsay rape Sansa on their wedding night, with most critics describing the scene as gratuitous and artistically unnecessary. "This grim scene was difficult for the show to justify," said Charlotte Runcie of ''The Daily Telegraph''. Joanna Robinson of ''Vanity Fair'' added, "this rape scene undercuts all the agency that’s been growing in Sansa since the end of last season. ... I’d never advocate that ''Game of Thrones'' (or any work of fiction) shy away from edgy plots out of fear of pushback or controversy. But edgy plots should always accomplish something above pure titillation or shock value and what, ''exactly'', was accomplished here?" Christopher Orr wrote in ''The Atlantic'', "I continue to be astonished that showrunners Benioff and Weiss still apparently believe that their tendency to ramp up the sex, violence, and—especially—sexual violence of George R.R. Martin’s source material is a strength rather than the defining weakness of their adaptation." Myles McNutt of ''The A.V. Club'' wrote, "The issue with the show returning to rape as a trope is not simply because there have been thinkpieces speaking out against it, and is not solely driven by the rational concerns lying at the heart of those thinkpieces. It’s also that the show has lost my faith as a viewer." Writers from ''Vanity Fair'', ''The Mary Sue'' and ''The Daily Beast'' all disapproved of the decision to use Sansa's victimization as a motivating agent for Theon, saying that the scene undermined Sansa's character development: "Was it really important to make that scene about Theon's pain?" wrote Joanna Robinson of ''Vanity Fair''. Other critics responded positively to the scene. Sean T. Collins of ''Rolling Stone'' wrote: "By involving a multidimensional main character instead of one introduced primarily to suffer, the series has a chance to grant this story the gravity and seriousness it deserves. Sarah Hughes of ''The Guardian'' wrote: "I have repeatedly made clear that I’m not a fan of rape as a plot device – but the story of Ramsay and Sansa’s wedding was more than that. ... The writers are walking a very fine line here. They handled it well tonight, telling a gothic tale of innocence sacrificed". Alyssa Rosenberg of ''The Washington Post'' wrote that the scene "managed to maintain a fine balance, employing a dignity and care for the experiences of victims that ''Game of Thrones'' has not always demonstrated." Some critics questioned why this scene in particular should generate outrage when similar scenes have not. Sara Stewart of the ''New York Post'' pointed out that the rape and sexual abuse of both female and male characters is typical for ''Game of Thrones'': "Why are we suddenly so outraged about the rape of Sansa Stark, when this show has served up a steady diet of sexual assault and violence against women since its first season began?" Cathy Young of ''Reason'' magazine, writing in ''Time'' noted what she calls a lack of complaint in response to the sexual mistreatment of male characters in earlier seasons, specifically the literal emasculation of Theon Greyjoy and the sexual assault of Gendry. Criticism of the scene has not extended to the quality of the acting. Joanna Robinson of ''Vanity Fair'' wrote, "And if we can say one positive thing about that scene it's that Allen nailed his performance. Theon's horror mirrored our own and the camera—focusing on his reaction—let our minds fill in the blanks." Sophie Turner defended the scene as an artistic challenge for herself as an actor, saying, "When I read that scene, I kinda loved it. I love the way Ramsay had Theon watching. It was all so messed up. It's also so daunting for me to do it. ... I think it's going to be the most challenging season for me so far, just because it's so emotional for her. It's not just crying all the time, like seasons 2 or 3, it's super messed up." Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Bolton) agreed, referring to Turner's performances this season as "absolutely amazing." Some viewers, including U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, announced that they would stop watching the show because of this scene. According to ''Business Insider'', this scene and increased use of streaming services are likely reasons why ratings dropped from 6.2 million viewers for this episode to 5.4 million for the next episode, "The Gift." ===Recognition and awards=== Sophie Turner has received several award nominations for her portrayal of Sansa including an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2019. For her performance in the series she earned the Glamour Award for Best UK TV Actress in 2016 and 2017, and an EWwy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2016. Other nominations include the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Series by a Supporting Young Actress in 2012, and the EWwy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2015. ==References== ===Inline citations=== ===General references=== * * * *

'''Rickon Stark''' 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'', Rickon is the youngest child of Eddard Stark, the honorable lord of Winterfell, an ancient fortress in the North of the fictional kingdom of Westeros. He subsequently appeared in Martin's ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998). The ''Publishers Weekly'' review of ''A Game of Thrones'' noted, "It is fascinating to watch Martin's characters mature and grow, particularly Stark's children, who stand at the center of the book." Rickon is portrayed by Irish actor Art Parkinson in the HBO television adaptation. == Character description == Rickon is the fifth and youngest child of Eddard "Ned" Stark and his wife Catelyn, and has five siblings—Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and his illegitimate half-brother Jon Snow. Like his brothers and sisters, Rickon is constantly accompanied by his direwolf, Shaggydog, with whom he shares a strong connection. Martin describes Rickon as favoring his mother in appearance. He is naturally aggressive, strong-willed, and violent: traits reflected in his direwolf companion 'Shaggydog'. == Overview == Rickon Stark is not a point of view character in the novels and is mostly a background character. His actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of his older brother Bran. == Storylines == Coat of arms of House Stark === ''A Game of Thrones'' === In ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996), Ned Stark departs Winterfell with his daughters to serve King Robert Baratheon in King's Landing, while his wife Catelyn remains behind with their sons, grief-stricken over their comatose son Bran. An overwhelmed young Rickon can only follow around his oldest brother Robb, crying. Upset when Robb prepares to leave himself, Rickon hides in the crypts of Winterfell. Shortly after Ned's death in King's Landing, both Bran and Rickon share a vision of their father's spirit in the crypts. === ''A Clash of Kings'' === Following Ned's death, Rickon is largely unsupervised as Robb and Catelyn leave for war and his sisters are held captive at King's Landing in 1998's ''A Clash of Kings''. Alone with his crippled brother Bran, Rickon develops an unruly, often violent temper. His fear and rage are reflected in Shaggydog, who turns largely feral and attacks several people before being restrained. Several times, Bran's direwolf Summer is forced to fight Shaggydog into submission. Bran and Rickon become Theon Greyjoy's hostages when Theon takes Winterfell by force. He later manages to escape and hide in the crypts below the castle with Bran, Hodor, the Reed siblings Meera and Jojen, and the wildling woman Osha. After Winterfell is sacked and burned by Ramsay Bolton, the group emerges to find Winterfell in ruins, and a mortally wounded Maester Luwin tells them that Bran and Rickon need to be separated and taken into hiding. Osha flees with Rickon in her care, and the others accompany Bran. === ''A Dance with Dragons'' === In ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011), most of Westeros believes Rickon is dead, but Lord Wyman Manderly hears from a survivor of the sack of Winterfell that Rickon is allegedly alive and has fled with a woman to the island of Skagos. Skagos is a large, northern island in the mouth of the Bay of Seals and is subject to the rule of House Stark. In return for pledging his loyalty to Stannis Baratheon instead of the Lannisters, Manderly tasks Ser Davos Seaworth with retrieving Rickon from Skagos so that they may reveal him to the Northern lords and inspire them to rally against Roose Bolton, Ramsay Bolton, and Walder Frey for betraying the Starks. === Family tree of House Stark === == TV adaptation == Rickon Stark is played by Art Parkinson in the television adaption of the book series. During an interview with Flicks and the City in 2014, Parkinson mentioned that he was not allowed by his parents to watch ''Game of Thrones'' due to its adult content, apart from a few scenes that were related to him. In a later interview published in the ''New Zealand Herald'' on 7 April 2015, Parkinson admitted that he was put off watching ''Game of Thrones'' after seeing a 3-year-old child getting his throat slit in one episode. In a later interview with IGN, he admitted that he had begun watching the series. In an interview with IGN, Parkinson spoke about his return and death, saying: "Whenever I was told that I was coming back for Season 6, before they sent me through the scripts and stuff, they sent me through a ring just to say, 'Listen, so that you don't get a shock whenever you read the scripts, just know that you die this season.'" He continued, "Whenever I came back, I was excited to come back, and the scenes all seemed pretty amazing. I was so happy to re-embrace the character." Parkinson has said that his fellow castmember Natalia Tena, who played Rickon's travelling companion Osha, helped him with his acting. He also shared what he believes Rickon went through after the death of his father Ned Stark, saying "After the death of his father, I think he became very independent and very angry, I think Rickon is a little bit more mature now. He's been away for quite a long time at this point. I think he's a bit more independent and stronger-willed. Remarking on the character's exit and death: It was sad at first, but once I realized how I was going to die in it, then it was cool. It was a cool death, and it was always going to be a good death, so at the same time, I was pretty happy. === Storylines === Rickon Stark is Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn's youngest child, naturally aggressive, and strong-willed. His black direwolf Shaggydog shares these qualities. When Theon Greyjoy captures Winterfell in Season 2, Rickon hides in the crypts with Bran, Hodor, and the Wildling woman Osha. After Theon can't seem to find where Rickon and Bran are, he has two farm boys killed and burned, to pass their charred bodies off as the Stark boys'. After Winterfell is sacked and burned, Rickon, Bran, Hodor, Osha, and the direwolves travel through the North. In Season 3 before they reach the Wall, Rickon, Osha, and Shaggydog split up from the rest of the group and head to Last Hearth, the seat house of the Umbers. ====Season 6==== Following Lord Greatjon Umber's death, Rickon and Osha are betrayed by Greatjon's heir Smalljon and handed over to the new Warden of the North, Ramsay Bolton, in order to secure an alliance with the Boltons against the wildlings Jon Snow has let through the Wall. To prove Rickon's identity, Smalljon kills Shaggydog and presents his head to Ramsay. Ramsay kills Osha, locks Rickon in the dungeons, and sends a letter to Jon at Castle Black demanding the return of Sansa Stark (his wife) and threatening to kill Rickon if Jon does not comply. In retaliation, Jon gathers an army of Stark loyalists and marches on Winterfell, now occupied by House Bolton. As the armies prepare for battle outside Winterfell, Ramsay brings out Rickon and orders him to run to Jon in one of his sadistic "games", shooting arrows at Rickon in order to lure Jon into the open. Jon charges out to save Rickon, but Rickon is shot through the heart and dies almost instantly. In the aftermath of the ensuing battle, Rickon's body is recovered, and Jon buries him in the crypt, alongside Ned's remains. Because many Northern noble houses were plotting against the Boltons in the books, the show's decision to have them betray Rickon led to fan theories that the direwolf head Smalljon Umber showed to Ramsay was fake and the Umbers would turn on the Boltons. Parkinson dispelled the rumours, confirming the direwolf head was intended to be real. Rickon's death scene referenced his first appearance in the series pilot, where he laughs at Bran's poor archery shot before handing off arrows to the archer and running to stand by the target. == References ==

'''David Benioff''' (; né '''Friedman''' ; September 25, 1970) is an American screenwriter and television producer, writer, and director. Along with his collaborator D. B. Weiss, he is best known as co-creator, showrunner, and writer of ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), the HBO adaptation of George R. R. Martin's series of books ''A Song of Ice and Fire''. He is also known for writing ''Troy'' (2004) and co-writing ''X-Men Origins: Wolverine'' (2009). ==Early life== Benioff was born David Friedman in New York City, to a Jewish family who emigrated from Austria, Romania, Germany, Poland and Russia. He is the son of Barbara (Benioff) and Stephen Friedman, who is a former head of Goldman Sachs. He is a distant cousin of Salesforce founder Marc Benioff. As an adult, he uses the last name Benioff, his mother's maiden name, to avoid confusion with other writers named David Friedman. He is the youngest of three children (Suzy, Caroline, and David) and grew up in Manhattan, first in Peter Cooper Village, then on 86th Street where he spent most of his childhood, before eventually moving near the U.N. headquarters when he was 16. Benioff is an alumnus of The Collegiate School and of Dartmouth College. While at Dartmouth he was a member of Phi Delta Alpha Fraternity and the Sphinx Senior Society. After graduating in 1992, he worked in a number of jobs: for a time as a club bouncer in San Francisco, and as a high school English teacher at Poly Prep in Brooklyn, New York City for two years, where he served as the school's wrestling coach. Benioff became interested in pursuing an academic career and went to Trinity College Dublin in 1995, for a one-year program to study Irish literature. While in Dublin he met D. B. Weiss, who would later become his collaborator. Benioff wrote a thesis on Samuel Beckett while at Trinity College, but decided against a career in academia after writing the thesis. He worked as a radio DJ in Moose, Wyoming for a year—mostly as a side job, which he mainly accepted to take a year in the countryside at a writer's retreat. He then applied to join the Creative Writing Program at the University of California, Irvine after reading ''The Mysteries of Pittsburgh'' by Michael Chabon (an alumnus there), and received a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing there in 1999. In 2001, ''People'' magazine included Benioff on its list of America's Top 50 Most Eligible Bachelors. ==Career== ===Writing career=== Benioff spent two years writing his first published novel ''The 25th Hour'', originally titled ''Fireman Down'', and completed the book as his thesis for his master's degree at Irvine. He was asked to adapt the book into a screenplay after Tobey Maguire read a preliminary trade copy and became interested in making a film of the book. The film adaptation, titled ''25th Hour'' and starring Edward Norton, was directed by Spike Lee. Benioff then wrote a collection of short stories titled ''When the Nines Roll Over (And Other Stories)'' (2004). He drafted a screenplay of the mythological epic ''Troy'' (2004), for which Warner Bros. pictures paid him $2.5 million. He also wrote the script for the psychological thriller ''Stay'' (2005), which was directed by Marc Forster, and stars Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts. His screenplay for ''The Kite Runner'' (2007), adapted from the novel of the same name, marked his second collaboration with director Marc Forster. Benioff was hired in 2004 to write the screenplay for the ''X-Men'' spin-off ''X-Men Origins: Wolverine'' (2009). He based his script on Barry Windsor-Smith's "Weapon X" story, Chris Claremont and Frank Miller's 1982 limited series on the character, as well as the 2001 limited series ''Origin''. Hugh Jackman collaborated on the script, which he wanted to be more of a character piece compared with the previous ''X-Men'' films. Skip Woods was later hired by Fox to revise and rewrite Benioff's script. Benioff had aimed for a "darker and a bit more brutal" story, writing it with an R rating in mind, although he acknowledged the film's final tone would rest with the producers and director. In 2006, Benioff became interested in adapting George R.R. Martin's novel series, ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', and began working with D. B. Weiss on a proposed television series, ''Game of Thrones''. The pilot, "Winter Is Coming", was put into development by HBO in 2007 and the series greenlit in 2010. Benioff and Weiss acted as the executive producers, showrunners, and writers of the show, which began airing on HBO in 2011. Benioff and Weiss had previously worked together on a script for a horror film titled ''The Headmaster'', but it was never made. In October 2007, Universal Pictures hired Benioff to write an adapted screenplay of the Charles R. Cross biography of Kurt Cobain, but the screenplay was not used. In 2008, Benioff's second novel, ''City of Thieves'', was published. On April 10, 2014, Benioff announced he and Weiss had taken on their first feature film project to write, produce, and direct ''Dirty White Boys'', a novel by the Pulitzer prize-winning author Stephen Hunter. On July 19, 2017, Benioff announced that he and Weiss would produce another HBO series, titled ''Confederate'', after the final season of ''Game of Thrones''. Benioff and Weiss said, "We have discussed ''Confederate'' for years, originally as a concept for a feature film, but our experience on ''Thrones'' has convinced us that no one provides a bigger, better storytelling canvas than HBO." The announcement of ''Confederate'' was met with public animosity, and as of August 2019 (when Benioff and Weiss' deal with Netflix deal was announced) would not be moving forward. On February 6, 2018, Disney announced that both Benioff and Weiss would write and produce a new series of ''Star Wars'' films after the final season of ''Game of Thrones'' is completed in 2019. Towards the end of the final season of ''Game of Thrones'', a petition to HBO was started on Change.org. It described showrunners Benioff and Weiss as "woefully incompetent writers", and thus demanded "competent writers" to remake the eighth season of ''Game of Thrones'' in a manner "that makes sense". The petition eventually amassed over 1.5 million signatures. Richard Roeper, writing for the ''Chicago Sun Times'', described that the backlash to the eighth season was so great that in his 25+ years of reviewing movies and television, he doubts that he has "ever seen the level of fan (and to a lesser degree, critical) vitriol leveled at" ''Game of Thrones''. In early August 2019, Benioff and Weiss negotiated an exclusive multi-year film and television deal with Netflix worth US$200 million. Due to their commitments to Netflix, Benioff and Weiss exited their contract to produce ''Star Wars'' films for Disney and Lucasfilm. ===Directing career=== Benioff and Weiss together directed two episodes of ''Game of Thrones'', but used a coin-flip to decide who would get the credit on the show. Benioff was given the credit for season 3 episode 3, "Walk of Punishment", while Weiss was credited with season 4 episode 1, "Two Swords". Benioff and Weiss co-directed the series finale, which was widely panned. ==Personal life== On September 30, 2006, Benioff married actress Amanda Peet in New York City. Together they have three children. The family lives in Manhattan and Beverly Hills. ==Bibliography== ===Author=== Title Year Type Note ''The 25th Hour'' 2001 Novel Paperback: 224 pagesPublisher: Plume; Reissue edition (January 29, 2002)Language: English ''When the Nines Roll Over (and Other Stories)'' 2004 Short Story Collection Hardcover: 223 pagesPublisher: Viking Books (August 19, 2004)Language: English ''City of Thieves'' 2008 Novel Hardcover: 281 pagesPublisher: Viking Books (May 15, 2008)Language: English ==Filmography== ===Film=== Year Title Writer Producer Director Notes 2002 ''25th Hour'' Spike Lee Nominated—Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay (2002) 2004 ''Troy'' Wolfgang Petersen 2005 ''Stay'' Marc Forster ''When the Nines Roll Over'' Himself Short film based on a story from ''When the Nines Roll Over'' 2007 ''The Kite Runner'' Marc Forster Christopher Award for Best Feature Film (2007)Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film (2008)Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (2008)Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (2007) 2009 ''X-Men Origins: Wolverine'' Gavin Hood Co-wrote with Skip Woods ''Brothers'' Jim Sheridan 2019 ''Gemini Man'' Ang Lee Co-wrote with Billy Ray and Darren Lemke ===Television=== Year Title Writer Producer Director Notes 2011–2019 ''Game of Thrones'' Co-creatorExecutive producerDirected and wrote episode: "Walk of Punishment"Directed and wrote episode (with D. B. Weiss):"The Iron Throne"Wrote: 45 episodesPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series (2015-2016, 2018)Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (2015-2016)Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form (2012)Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form (2013-2014)Producers Guild of America Award for Best Episodic Drama (2015)Golden Nymph Awards for Outstanding International Producer (2012)Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series (2011-2014)Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (2011-2014)Nominated—Producers Guild of America Award for Best Episodic Drama (2011-2014, 2016, 2018)Nominated—BAFTA for Best International Programme (2013)Nominated—Writers Guild of America Award for Dramatic Series (2011-2012, 2014-2016, 2018)Nominated—Writers Guild of America Award for Episodic Drama (2015-2016)Nominated—Writers Guild of America Award for New Series (2011)Nominated—Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form (2015, 2017)Nominated—USC Scripter Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (2016-2017)Nominated—Humanitas Prize for 60 Minute Network or Syndicated Television (2017) 2013 ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' Wrote episode: "Flowers for Charlie"Bored Lifeguard #1 (cameo in "The Gang Goes to a Water Park") ==See also== * List of awards and nominations received by ''Game of Thrones'' ==References== ==External links== * * * *

'''Roose Bolton''' 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'', Roose, a Northern lord with his seat at the Dreadfort, is a retainer of Lord Eddard Stark. His family is notorious for their cruelty and custom of flaying their enemies; he frequently has himself leeched, leading him to be known as '''the Leech Lord''' across Westeros. He later appears in ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998), ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), and ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011). Roose joins Robb Stark's rebellion as one of his chief lieutenants. With the help of the Brave Companions, he takes and holds Harrenhal until rejoining Robb Stark to help retake the Neck occupied by the Greyjoys. In truth he is a chief orchestrator of the Red Wedding alongside Tywin Lannister and Lord Walder Frey, receiving the title of Warden of the North from the former after personally slaying Robb. His rule as Warden in the North is punctuated by unrest, and several forces conspire to unseat him and House Frey and restore the Starks to power. Roose is portrayed by Irish actor Michael McElhatton in the HBO television adaptation. ==Character description== Lord Roose Bolton is a significant vassal of Lord Eddard Stark. His seat is the Dreadfort and his sigil is a flayed man, an homage to the ancient Bolton tradition of flaying enemies. He is nicknamed '''the Leech Lord''' for regular leechings meant to improve his health. Roose Bolton is not a point of view character in the novels, so his actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other people, such as Catelyn Stark, Arya Stark and Theon Greyjoy/Reek. ===Background=== Roose practiced an ancient and illicitly banned tradition called the first night, in which a lord had the right to bed a commoner's wife. One day, prior to Robert's Rebellion, Roose was fox hunting along the Weeping Water when he came across a young woman washing clothes in the stream, whom was married to the old miller without Roose's knowledge. Desiring the woman, and angered for not being informed of the marriage, Roose had the miller hanged and violently raped the woman beneath the tree where her husband still hung. A year later, the woman came to the Dreadfort with a newborn boy whom she claimed was Roose's bastard, named Ramsay. Roose considered having the woman whipped and the baby killed before realizing that the baby is indeed his, owing to its pale, cold eyes. He gave the woman money and annual supplies as payment to raise Ramsay, and had the tongue of the miller's brother cut out to prevent Lord Rickard Stark from being informed of his illegal activities. He sends his odious and depraved servant Reek to the young Ramsay and his mother after the latter demands a servant to help raise the boy, an act he considers to be highly amusing. Roose later participates in Robert's Rebellion and (according to a semi-canonical source) the Greyjoy Rebellion. Despite Roose's orders, Roose's only trueborn son, Domeric, seeks out Ramsay. Domeric dies soon after, and Roose suspects that Ramsay poisoned Domeric to become his heir. Roose, left without a trueborn heir, brings Ramsay to the Dreadfort, where he later serves as the fortress's castellan and has thus far refused to legitimize or otherwise acknowledge him as his true heir. He considers his bastard son foolhardy and tactless, with 'tainted blood that would poison even the leeches'. ===Appearance and personality=== Roose is most often described as an oddly average and unassuming-looking man, clean-shaven with pallid skin. He is often described as ageless, with an apathetic demeanor that betrays nothing. His most prominent feature are his strangely pale and cold eyes, so light as to almost blend with the sclera. Roose appears to be unassuming and mild-mannered, although in truth he is remorseless and unforgiving, possessed of the same cruelty and ruthlessness his house is notorious for. Theon Greyjoy believes that he is even more cruel and menacing than his bastard son, despite Ramsay's more evident depravity. While his voice is small and soft, he does not need to raise it in order to inspire silence and attention – Jaime Lannister and Robb Stark both remark that even just his silence is threatening. His personal motto is "A peaceful land, a quiet people", a lesson he has thus far failed to instill into his bastard son. He often dresses in a pale pink fur cloak embroidered in blood red to symbolize his family's custom of flaying. == Storylines == ====''A Game of Thrones''==== Roose is amongst the lords who travel to Winterfell to aid Robb Stark in his campaign against the Lannisters. His intelligence and caution sees him given command of part of the Northern host when the army splits up at the Twins, and he leads the attack on Tywin Lannister's army in the Battle of the Green Fork. The battle ends in a Lannister victory and Roose retreats with the survivors to the causeway of Moat Cailin. ====''A Clash of Kings''==== To form an alliance with House Frey, Roose is offered by Lord Walder Frey one of his female family members hand in marriage, as well as offering the prospective bride's weight in silver for her dowry. Roose chooses "Fat" Walda Frey, the fattest female member of House Frey. He also makes an alliance with the Brave Companions, Essosi sellswords employed by Tywin, to help the Northerners capture Harrenhal from the Lannister force occupying it. After capturing Harrenhal Roose takes Arya Stark as a servant, mistaking her for a commoner. ====''A Storm of Swords''==== Hoat brings Jaime Lannister to Harrenhal, having cut off Jaime's hand in hope of blaming Roose and preventing the Boltons allying with the Lannisters. Roose has Jaime sent back to King's Landing after Jaime assures Roose that he will not blame him. Roose then travels to the Twins for Edmure Tully's wedding to Roslin Frey, but at the wedding the Freys turn on the Starks and Roose personally kills Robb Stark. It is revealed that Roose had conspired with the Freys and Tywin Lannister to betray the Starks. As reward for his service, Tywin names Roose the new Warden of the North ====''A Feast for Crows'' and ''A Dance With Dragons''==== Roose returns North with his forces, joined by two thousand Frey men. Meeting with Ramsay (now legitimised as a Bolton) and a captive Theon Greyjoy, the Boltons travel to Barrowton for Ramsay's wedding to Jeyne Poole, forced to assume the identity of Arya Stark. After hearing that Stannis Baratheon has captured Deepwood Motte, Roose decides to move the wedding to Winterfell to bait Stannis out. The Boltons and their Northern allies (many of whom are only grudgingly pledging fealty to the Boltons, or plan to betray them) remain at Winterfell after the wedding in anticipation of Stannis' attack. Tensions are high during the wedding due to the anger of the Northmen at the Freys. Three of the Freys who had been travelling with Lord Wyman Manderly of White Harbor, who lost his younger son Ser Wendel Manderly at the Red Wedding, have disappeared, and are heavily implied to have been put in pies which Wyman gives to the Freys and Boltons, eating some himself. Lady Barbrey Dustin of Barrowton, the younger sister of Bethany Ryswell, tells Theon that Roose has no feelings and plays with people for amusement. When one of Walder Frey's grandsons, Little Walder Frey, is found murdered (possibly by his cousin Big Walder Frey), their uncle Ser Hosteen Frey attacks Wyman, leading to a fight in which White Harbor and Frey men are killed. Roose is forced to send them both out of Winterfell to encounter Stannis. === Family tree of House Bolton === ;Notes == TV adaptation == Roose Bolton is played by Michael McElhatton in the HBO television adaption of the series of books. He and the rest of the cast were nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2014. ====Second season==== Roose declares for King in the North Robb Stark and serves as a chief member of his war council, although Robb sternly admonishes Roose when he advocates flaying Lannister prisoners to obtain information. After Theon Greyjoy betrays the Starks and seizes Winterfell, Roose brings the news to Robb and offers to send his bastard son Ramsay Snow with a force of Dreadfort men to oust Theon and the Ironborn from Winterfell. ====Third season==== The dagger with which Roose Bolton kills Robb Stark, and the knife with which Catelyn Stark kills Walder Frey's wife. Following the Northern army's arrival at Harrenhal, Roose presents a letter from Ramsay claiming that the Ironborn sacked Winterfell before fleeing. Robb orders Roose and the Bolton forces to hold Harrenhal while the rest of his army rides to Riverrun. One of Roose's man-at-arms, Locke, captures the escaped Jaime Lannister and his escort Brienne of Tarth, cutting off Jaime's swordhand in the process, before bringing the two to Harrenhal. Roose agrees to let Jaime go, but keeps Brienne as a hostage, though Jaime later returns to secure her release. He then meets up with the Stark army at the Twins for the wedding of Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey. However, it is revealed that Roose has conspired with Lord Walder Frey to betray the Starks, and after the wedding the Freys and Bolton slaughter the Stark forces, with Roose personally killing Robb. As part of the Bolton-Frey alliance, Roose agrees to marry Walder's daughter Walda - Walder offers him the bride's weight in silver as dowry, so Roose decides to marry the fattest of Walder's daughters. In the aftermath of the massacre, Roose hints to Walder that his betrayal of Robb was motivated by resentment at having his advice ignored by Robb. Roose also reveals that Winterfell was actually sacked by his bastard Ramsay, who subsequently flayed the Ironborn garrison there and took Theon prisoner, for his own amusement. As reward for his defection, Tywin Lannister names Roose the Warden of the North. ====Fourth season==== With the Ironborn holding Moat Cailin - the fortification barring passage between the North and the rest of Westeros - Roose is forced to smuggle himself back into the North. Upon his return to the Dreadfort, he chastises Ramsay for having gelded Theon and sending terms of surrender to the Greyjoys without his approval, while reminding Ramsay of his bastard parentage. Insulted, Ramsay demonstrates how effectively he has broken Theon (whom he has since renamed "Reek") by having Reek shave him, even after revealing Roose's murder of Robb, while also coaxing Reek into revealing he faked the deaths of Bran and Rickon Stark. After Ramsay points out that the other Northerners will turn on the Boltons if it is revealed that there is a living male Stark, Roose tasks Locke with hunting down Bran and Rickon and killing Jon Snow, Robb's bastard half-brother. Roose also sends Ramsay and Reek to lift the siege of Moat Cailin; when Ramsay is successful, Roose presents him with a royal decree of legitimisation as a trueborn Bolton. Roose subsequently moves to rebuild and occupy Winterfell. ====Fifth season==== In the aftermath of Tywin Lannister's death and Ramsay's murder of a disobedient vassal and his family, Roose seeks to secure House Bolton's position by arranging to have Ramsay marry Sansa Stark, supposedly the last trueborn Stark alive. In doing so, Roose seemingly secures an alliance with the forces of the Vale and its Lord Protector Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish (unaware that Baelish intends on having the Bolton army decimated by the approaching Baratheon army before defeating the victor with the Vale's army). After Ramsay torments Sansa by having Reek serve them at dinner, Roose announces that he and Walda are expecting a son. However, later Roose privately reassures Ramsay of his position as his heir, and asks him to assist in defeating Stannis Baratheon's army. To this end, Roose permits Ramsay and his men to launch a sneak attack on Stannis' camp, destroying the army's supplies. With the supplies destroyed and most of Stannis' army subsequently deserting him, the Boltons easily defeat the Baratheons when they attempt to lay siege to Winterfell, but in the aftermath of the battle Reek and Sansa manage to escape, severely jeopardizing House Bolton's rule in the North. ====Sixth season==== Despite their victory over Stannis, Roose warns Ramsay that the North will someday have to face the Lannisters, and chastises him for allowing Sansa and Theon to escape, as Sansa was crucial to unifying the North. He implies that if Sansa is not recovered, Ramsay's position as heir may be usurped by Walda's baby. Soon afterwards, it is announced that Walda has given birth to a boy; Ramsay immediately kills Roose by stabbing him in the stomach, before setting his dogs upon Walda and the baby, severely jeopardizing House Bolton and leaving Ramsay as the last remaining Bolton. Ramsay is ultimately killed when Jon Snow retakes Winterfell in the Battle of the Bastards, leaving House Bolton extinct. == References ==

'''Eddard''' "'''Ned'''" '''Stark''' is a fictional character in the 1996 fantasy novel ''A Game of Thrones'' by George R. R. Martin, and ''Game of Thrones'', HBO's adaptation of Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series. In the storyline, Ned is the lord of Winterfell, an ancient fortress in the North of the fictional continent of Westeros. Though the character is established as the main character in the novel and the first season of the TV adaptation, a plot twist involving Ned at the end of the novel and the end of the first season shocked both readers of the book and viewers of the TV series. Ned is portrayed by Sean Bean in the first season of ''Game of Thrones'', as a child by Sebastian Croft in the sixth season and as a young adult by Robert Aramayo in the sixth and seventh seasons. Bean was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television and a Scream Award for Best Fantasy Actor for the role. He and the rest of the cast were nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2011. == Character == === Description === In ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996), Ned Stark is introduced as the virtuous and honorable patriarch of House Stark and the father of six children. The moral compass of the story, he is content to remain far from courtly intrigues and is unwavering in his view of loyalty and honor. His family name, Stark, serves as an indication of his resistance to moral compromise, but his boundaries are increasingly tested over the course of the novel. Finding himself a key player in the escalating political intrigue of King's Landing, Ned struggles as his own sense of honor draws him into corrupt goings-on at court. As the story progresses, he begins to see the importance of moral and practical compromises to achieve a just end, and is ultimately forced to choose between the safety of his family and doing what is right. Sean Bean said of the character, "he’s a good man trying to do his best in the middle of this corruption, he’s a fish out of water, he’s used to being up north in Winterfell where people are pretty straight and pragmatic, and he comes down to a place where people are playing games and backstabbing … he’s a principled man who tries to hold things together. This is a journey that he makes where ultimately his loyalty causes his downfall." === Development and overview === ''Publishers Weekly'' noted in 1996 that, despite the honest Ned Stark's intervention in court politics, "no amount of heroism or good intentions can keep the realm under control." From his very first introduction, Ned is portrayed as a noble hero and set up to be the heart of the story. With fifteen chapters devoted to his point of view, more than any single character in the novel, he is presented as a primary character in the series, and the main storyline of ''A Game of Thrones'', the drama in King's Landing, is told entirely from his perspective. In the ''London Review of Books'', John Lanchester writes that everything about Ned is designed to gain audience sympathy, from his strong sense of honor and moral compass to his compassion towards his wife and children. Readers are led to believe that Ned will be the main character of the series, but ultimately he is, from a literary perspective, a classic decoy protagonist. After struggling to keep himself and the kingdom on a moral path for the entire novel, the only option that remains to save his family is to put aside his honor; he does so, but is betrayed anyway. Calling Ned's execution "shocking", ''The New York Times'' noted in 2011 that the novel was "famous for dispatching a thoroughly admirable major character with whom readers have been identifying for most of the book". In an interview for ''Entertainment Weekly'', author George R. R. Martin commented on this misdirection: David Benioff, executive producer and writer of the HBO adaptation, told ''Entertainment Weekly'' that when he read the novel: In a review of the ''Game of Thrones'' TV episode "Baelor", James Poniewozik wrote in ''Time'' that "the execution of Eddard Stark is crucial to the story and its themes and everything that follows, but it's also a meta-message to the reader: don't take anything for granted here". James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated that tricking the audience into thinking Ned is the hero and then killing him makes the series' story better. Writing that "the big twist here isn't that Ned Stark dies, but who the true protagonists of ''Game of Thrones'' are", Hibberd pointed out that the series' focus proves to be the "new generation" of leaders, in particular the Stark children but also Daenerys and even Tyrion. He noted: == Storylines == Coat of arms of House Stark === Background === As established in ''A Game of Thrones'', Eddard "Ned" Stark is the second son of Rickard Stark, the Lord of Winterfell. Years before the events of the novel, the quiet and shy young Ned is fostered in the Vale by Jon Arryn. During this time Ned becomes close friends with Robert Baratheon, heir to the Stormlands and another ward of Arryn's. Robert is eventually betrothed to Ned's sister Lyanna, but before he can marry her, Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen absconds with Lyanna. Ned's father and older brother Brandon go to King Aerys II Targaryen and demand that Lyanna be freed; the so-called "Mad King" executes both Rickard and Brandon, convinced that the Starks seek to usurp him. Ned, Robert, and Arryn then rise in revolt, securing the support of House Tully with Ned marrying Catelyn Tully. Ned leaves for war the next morning. At the decisive Battle of the Trident, Robert manages to kill Prince Rhaegar and scatter the Targaryen army. Robert is injured in the battle, so Ned takes command and marches on the capital. In King's Landing, Ned finds that House Lannister has — through treachery — already sacked the city, and murdered Aerys and the royal family. Disgusted by the dishonorable massacre, Ned departs to lift the siege of the Baratheon stronghold Storm's End, and later attempts to rescue Lyanna but finds his sister dying; her last words are "Promise me Ned." Ned returns to Winterfell with his bastard son Jon Snow in tow; meanwhile Catelyn has delivered their son and Ned's heir, Robb, conceived on their wedding night. Six years after the end of Robert's Rebellion, Balon Greyjoy, the Lord of the Iron Islands, declares independence from the Iron Throne. Ned aids King Robert in putting down "Greyjoy's Rebellion". Balon surrenders, and his sole surviving heir, Theon, is taken back to Winterfell as Stark's ward and hostage. Ned rules the North for nine more years before the events of the novel. === ''A Game of Thrones'' === As ''A Game of Thrones'' begins, Catelyn informs Ned that his mentor Jon Arryn has died, and that King Robert intends to offer Ned Jon's old position as Hand of the King. Content to be far from court intrigue, Ned is reluctant to accept the offer until he receives a letter from Arryn's widow, who believes that her husband had been poisoned by the Lannisters. Ned subsequently agrees to the appointment to protect Robert. He then travels south to King's Landing with his daughters Sansa and Arya. Catelyn later comes to the capital in secret, under the protection of her childhood friend Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish, to tell Ned of an assassination attempt on their young son Bran. Ned's longstanding mistrust of the Lannisters is further fueled by Littlefinger's confirmation that the dagger used by the would-be assassin once belonged to Tyrion Lannister. Increasingly disgusted by the political intrigues at court, Ned finally resigns his position when Robert insists on having Aerys' only surviving child, the young Daenerys Targaryen, assassinated in exile. Meanwhile, Catelyn has taken Tyrion hostage at the Eyrie, and in retaliation Jaime Lannister attacks and seriously injures Ned in the street before he and his daughters can depart King's Landing. Visiting a wounded Ned, Robert reappoints him as Hand. Ned eventually concludes that all of Robert's heirs with his wife Cersei are illegitimate, the product of her incest with her twin brother Jaime. Further, Ned suspects that Arryn had been poisoned to conceal the truth. Ned confronts Cersei with his discovery and gives her the chance to escape with her children into exile. Before Ned can tell the king, Robert is fatally wounded while hunting and names Ned Protector of the Realm, to function as regent until his "son" Joffrey comes of age. Ned alters Robert's will, replacing Joffrey's name with "my rightful heir" to make the succession ambiguous. With the palace in chaos, Ned rebuffs multiple offers to increase his own power, instead opting to crown Robert's brother, Stannis Baratheon, as king. Cersei, however, outmaneuvers Ned, and the duplicitous Littlefinger has the city watch arrest Ned instead of Cersei. With all of his entourage slaughtered, Sansa a hostage and Arya escaped but alone, Ned is charged with treason. A deal is struck in which Ned will be spared and sent into exile if he declares Joffrey the rightful king. Fearing for his daughters, Ned makes a public confession of his "treason". The sadistic Joffrey, however, has Ned executed anyway for his own amusement. === Later novels === Ned's arrest pits the Stark and Lannister forces against each other, and his execution causes a civil war later called the War of Five Kings. Tyrion Lannister eventually returns Ned's bones to Catelyn, but it is not confirmed whether they ever arrived at Winterfell. He is mentioned in a flashback along with Robert Baratheon in ''A Clash of Kings''. === Family tree of House Stark === == TV adaptation == Sean Bean plays the role of Ned Stark in the television series. In January 2007 HBO secured the rights to adapt Martin's series for television. When the pilot went into production in 2009, one of the first casting announcements was Sean Bean as the "lead" Eddard Stark. As the show premiered in 2011, the ''Los Angeles Times'' called Bean's Ned "the strong and brooding headliner of the series". As in the source novel, Ned is beheaded in the ninth episode of season 1, "Baelor". Though praising the character's demise for its role in propelling the story, James Hibberd of ''Entertainment Weekly'' later noted that: Hibberd echoed the show's producers' statement that "the move lays down a dramatic precedent for the show: Nobody is safe". He called it a "risky" move that would probably lose the show viewers who had tuned in for Bean, but would hopefully attract others impressed by the boldness of it. Executive producer and writer D. B. Weiss told ''Entertainment Weekly'' in 2011 that when he and Benioff pitched the series to HBO, the fact that "main character" Ned was slated to die "was a selling point for them". Noting that the network has killed off characters in other successful series, he said that this sense of jeopardy "completely ups the ante for any moment when a character is in a dire situation if you know another character didn't survive a similar situation". HBO programming president Sue Naegle concurred, saying that Ned's death made the show creatively more attractive, adding that "The book series was filled with unexpected twists and turns. I loved this idea we'd bring together the group of characters, then once you started to believe all the tropes of heroes, you pull the rug out from under them. It's the opposite of feeling manipulated". Noting that the story and world of the series is bigger than any one character, Naegle said, "Sean brings a giant following, but ''Thrones'' is not just about the promise you're going to see one of your favorite actors week in and week out. The star is the story". Bean noted that Ned's death "was as much a surprise to me as anyone" and called it "a very courageous move for a television company". The image of Bean as Ned Stark sitting in the Iron Throne is featured on the covers of the 2011 Season 1 DVD and Blu-ray Disc sets, released in March 2012. The character makes a return in the sixth season, under a recurring capacity, via flashback visions of his youth and childhood seen by Bran and the Three-Eyed Raven using Greensight. ===Storylines=== ====Season 1==== In season 1, King Robert Baratheon asks his old friend Eddard "Ned" Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, to assume the position of Hand of the King after the sudden death of their mentor, Jon Arryn. Not interested in politics or the intrigues of the court, Ned accepts out of duty, as well as to discover how Arryn died. Robert is killed just as Ned discovers that his three children by Cersei were actually fathered by the queen's twin, Jaime. Before Ned is able to neutralize Cersei and place Robert's brother Stannis on the throne, he is betrayed by Littlefinger, and the queen has him imprisoned for treason. Ned makes a public confession to save his daughters from Cersei's wrath, but Joffrey has Ned beheaded anyway. ====Seasons 6 and 7==== In the season 6 episode "Home", Bran sees a vision of Ned (Sebastian Croft) as a child with his sister and brother, Lyanna and Benjen. In the following episode, "Oathbreaker", Bran witnesses the battle between a young Ned (Robert Aramayo) and the knight Ser Arthur Dayne at the Tower of Joy. In the episode "The Door", Bran watches Ned bid Benjen and his father, Rickard, farewell as he departs for his fosterage at the Vale. In the following episode, "Blood of My Blood", Bran briefly glimpses Ned's hand amongst someone's blood, revealed in the season finale, "The Winds of Winter", as belonging to Lyanna (Aisling Franciosi), dying of childbirth in the tower. She makes him swear to protect her son - Jon Snow. Bran revisits this moment in the season 7 finale, "The Dragon and the Wolf", where Lyanna whispers Jon's true name to Ned - Aegon Targaryen. ===Recognition and awards=== Bean was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television, a Scream Award for Best Fantasy Actor, and an EWwy Award for Best Actor, Drama for the role. IGN named Ned its Best TV Hero of 2011, and Bean won the Portal Award for Best Actor. == References ==

'''Theon Greyjoy''' 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''. Theon is the youngest son and presumptive heir of Balon Greyjoy, taken as a ward by Lord Eddard Stark following Balon's failed rebellion. Theon's complex and often troubled relationship with both his birth and adoptive family are central to the character's arc throughout the novels and its television adaptation. Introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', Theon subsequently appeared in ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998) and ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011), after a 13-year gap in which he is reintroduced as '''Reek''', the tortured vassal of Ramsay Bolton. He is one of the major third person points-of-view through which Martin narrates both books. Theon is portrayed by English actor Alfie Allen in the HBO television adaptation. ==Character description== Theon Greyjoy is the heir apparent and only living son of Balon Greyjoy. Theon is the narrator for a total of thirteen chapters in the second and fifth novels, ''A Clash of Kings'' and ''A Dance with Dragons''. Ten years before the events of the series, Theon was taken hostage by Eddard Stark. He would have been executed had his father Balon displeased King Robert Baratheon. Theon was raised at Winterfell with the Stark children and developed a close friendship with Robb Stark. As an adult, Theon was arrogant, cocky, and proud until being imprisoned by Ramsay Snow, who is the eldest and bastard son of Roose Bolton. During the imprisonment, Ramsay severely tortured Theon physically and psychologically before emasculating him and mockingly changing his name to "Reek". == Storylines == Coat of arms of House Greyjoy ==== ''A Game of Thrones'' ==== Theon Greyjoy becomes a trusted companion of Robb Stark on the battlefield, participating in the North's victories at Riverrun and the Whispering Wood. ==== ''A Clash of Kings'' ==== Robb sends Theon as an envoy to Pyke, seeking Balon Greyjoy's aid in his rebellion against House Lannister. Theon arrives to find Balon instead intends to seize the North while Robb is fighting in the Riverlands. Theon is charged to reave on the Stony Shore, but is jealous when he learns that his sister Asha has captured Deepwood Motte. After sending some of his men to besiege Torrhen's Square and lure Winterfell's garrison away from the castle, Theon and his party invade and capture Winterfell. He releases the prisoner Reek, formerly a servant of House Bolton. When Bran and Rickon Stark apparently escape Winterfell, Reek advises Theon to kill two young boys and pass their bodies off as those of the Stark children. Winterfell's garrison soon repels the ironborn at Torrhen's Square and besieges Winterfell. When Asha refuses to give Theon men to hold the castle, he allows Reek to seek reinforcements from the Dreadfort. Reek returns with several hundred Bolton men and defeats the Stark soldiers, but then reveals his true identity as Roose Bolton's bastard Ramsay Snow and takes Theon prisoner. ==== ''A Storm of Swords'' and ''A Feast for Crows''==== Ramsay imprisons Theon in the Dreadfort's dungeons and tortures him for his own amusement, though most of the Ironborn believe that Theon is dead. At some point, Theon manages to escape with his former bedwarmer, Kyra, though this turns out to be a trick of Ramsay's and the two are soon recaptured. ==== ''A Dance with Dragons'' ==== Ramsay's torture leaves Theon with many of his toes, fingers and teeth missing; it is implied that Ramsay also removes his penis. The trauma of this torture causes Theon to lose much of his body weight, turns his hair white, and leaves him resembling an old man. Psychologically broken, he is forced to assume the identity of Reek. When Roose Bolton begins to lead his forces back to the North, Ramsay (who has since been legitimised as a Bolton) has Theon convince the Ironborn garrison holding Moat Cailin to surrender, but flays them regardless. Theon is ordered to give away Jeyne Poole (who is posing as Arya Stark) at her wedding to Ramsay, who later forces Theon to participate in his sexual abuse of Jeyne. Theon later encounters Mance Rayder (disguised as Abel the bard) and his spearwives, who enlist his help in freeing Jeyne, having been sent by Jon Snow. When the alarm is raised, Theon jumps from Winterfell's battlements with Jeyne and is rescued by Mors Umber, who sends him to Stannis Baratheon's camp several days' ride away. There he is reunited with Asha, who initially does not recognise him. ==== ''The Winds of Winter'' ==== Theon is kept prisoner by Stannis, who notes that he may have useful information about the Boltons but means to execute him for the supposed murders of Bran and Rickon. Asha unsuccessfully tries to ransom Theon before convincing Stannis to behead him rather than burn him alive. === Family tree of House Greyjoy === ==TV adaptation== Alfie Allen plays the role of Theon Greyjoy in the television series Theon Greyjoy is played by Alfie Allen in the television adaptation of the series of books. ====Season 1==== Theon is introduced as the hostage and ward of Lord Eddard Stark, stemming from the failed Greyjoy Rebellion. Despite his position, he remains loyal to Eddard and is good friends with his sons Robb and Jon. While he has never questioned his position, he soon begins to have doubts after Tyrion Lannister tells him he is nothing more than a servant to the Starks and that not everyone respects him. Nevertheless, Theon initially remains loyal to Robb after he goes to war with the Lannisters and supports his decision to have the North secede from the Seven Kingdoms and form their own kingdom. ====Season 2==== Theon is sent to the Iron Islands to persuade Balon to ally with the Starks against the Lannisters, but Balon instead intends to conquer the North while its army is fighting in the Westerlands. Theon is insulted when he is given command of a single ship to raid the Stony Shore and contemplates sending a warning to Robb, but ultimately decides to remain loyal to his family. When his crew proves to be disrespectful of Theon's station, his first mate Dagmer Cleftjaw suggests that Theon prove himself by capturing Winterfell. Theon lures the Stark garrison away from Winterfell and easily captures the castle, but is forced to execute his old mentor Ser Rodrik Cassel when he refuses to yield. Theon is seduced by the wildling servant Osha, who later frees Bran and Rickon Stark. Theon's men are unable to recapture the two and Theon kills two farm boys to pass their bodies off as those of the Stark boys, an act he soon feels guilty for. Theon asks his sister Yara to bring reinforcements, but instead she arrives with a paltry force to warn Theon of his unstable position and to return to the Iron Islands. Theon refuses, and soon afterwards Winterfell is besieged by men of House Bolton commanded by (the then unnamed) Ramsay Snow, the sadistic bastard son of Lord Roose Bolton. Theon attempts to rally his men to fight to the death, but they knock him out and hand him over to Ramsay, hoping for amnesty. Unknown to the viewer, Ramsay disobeys his orders to free the Ironborn and instead flays them all and sacks Winterfell, before taking Theon back to the Dreadfort as prisoner. ====Season 3==== Theon is taken captive and tortured in an unknown castle, but later manages to escape with the help of a serving boy who claims to work for Yara. He is brought back to the very castle he escaped from, the serving boy proving to actually be his captor, Ramsay Snow. Theon is subsequently brutally tortured, flayed and castrated by Ramsay, who forces him to rename himself Reek, and beats him until he submits to his new name. Theon's penis is sent in a box to Balon, with Ramsay threatening to mutilate Theon further unless the Ironmen retreat from the North. Balon refuses, as Theon defied him and is now unable to further the Greyjoy line. Outraged, Yara responds that she intends to save her brother on her own accord. ====Season 4==== Theon, submitting to his identity as Reek, remains a prisoner, locked in the kennels with Ramsay's hounds. Yara infiltrates the Dreadfort, but he refuses to go with her, and Yara is forced to flee when Ramsay releases his hounds. Impressed with Theon's loyalty, Ramsay has him resume his identity as Theon Greyjoy to gain entry to Moat Cailin, a fortress occupied by Ironborn that is preventing Roose Bolton's forces from returning North. Theon promises Ramsay will give the Ironborn amnesty if they surrender, but Ramsay goes back on his word and has the garrison flayed. Afterwards, Theon accompanies Ramsay (now legitimized as a Bolton) and the rest of House Bolton as they move to occupy Winterfell. ====Season 5==== Theon is stunned to find that Ramsay has been betrothed to Sansa Stark. He tries to avoid her until Ramsay's psychotic paramour Myranda leads Sansa to Theon's sleeping quarters, a cage in the kennels. After learning of their reunion, Ramsay involves Theon in his torment of Sansa by having him give her away at the wedding and then forces him to watch as he rapes her on their wedding night. Sansa asks for Theon's assistance to escape from Ramsay, but Theon, wishing to spare her Ramsay's wrath, instead warns Ramsay, causing him to flay the maid who had tried to help Sansa escape. When Sansa confronts Theon, he confesses that he did not kill her brothers, but is too scared to give more information. While Ramsay and the Bolton army attack Stannis Baratheon's forces, Sansa makes another escape attempt, but is caught and threatened by Myranda. Finally snapping, Theon pushes Myranda over a walkway to her death, just as the victorious Boltons return. Rather than face Ramsay's anger, Theon and Sansa jump from the Winterfell battlements into the snow and flee. ====Season 6==== Theon and Sansa are caught by Bolton hunters in the woods surrounding Winterfell, but are saved by the arrival of Brienne of Tarth and Podrick Payne, who kill the hunters. Although Sansa and Brienne decide to make for Castle Black, where Jon Snow is Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, Theon tells her that he does not deserve the Starks' forgiveness and instead decides to return to the Iron Islands. Theon returns to the Iron Islands to discover that Balon is dead, and offers to support Yara at the Kingsmoot, a ceremony where the Ironborn elect their new leader. However, the Kingsmoot is won by Theon's uncle Euron Greyjoy, who admits to killing Balon but wins over the Ironborn by promising to conquer Westeros through marriage to Daenerys Targaryen, who possesses the only living dragons in the world. Correctly surmising that Euron will have them put to death, Theon, Yara, and their loyalists flee the Iron Islands with the best ships of the Iron Fleet. Theon remains psychologically traumatized by Ramsay's torture, but is urged by Yara to find courage. They travel to Meereen, which Daenerys has taken as her seat, and form an alliance with her. Theon and Yara then join Daenerys as she sets sail for Westeros. ====Season 7==== After Daenerys seizes Dragonstone as her base for the invasion of Westeros, Theon and Yara are sent with Ellaria Sand and the Sand Snakes to Dorne to transport the Dornish army to besiege King's Landing. However, Yara's fleet is attacked by Euron in the Narrow Sea, with Euron personally taking Yara captive. Theon is triggered after watching the carnage and jumps overboard, being rescued some time later by survivors of the battle unimpressed by his cowardice. Theon returns to Dragonstone, seeking Daenerys' aid in freeing Yara, but discovers that Daenerys has left to confront the Lannister army on the Roseroad. He is confronted by Jon Snow, now King of the North after defeating Ramsay. Jon reassures Theon that Sansa is safe, but furiously tells him that his life is only being spared since he helped save Sansa. After Jon captures a wight beyond the Wall, Theon joins Daenerys, Jon, and their retinues as they present the wight to Queen Cersei Lannister as evidence of the White Walkers' threat. During the meeting, Theon is confronted by Euron, who threatens to execute Yara if Theon does not bend the knee to him. Returning to Dragonstone, Theon speaks to Jon, who reassures him that Theon is both a Stark and a Greyjoy and forgives him, urging him to find and rescue Yara. Inspired by this, and remembering that Yara was the only one who tried to free him from Ramsay, Theon orders the Ironborn survivors to aid him in freeing Yara. Their leader, Harrag, defies Theon and nearly beats him to death, but Theon eventually gains the upper hand and beats Harrag senseless. Having regained the respect of the Ironborn, Theon leads his men to find Yara. ====Season 8==== Theon and his men infiltrate Euron's ship and rescue Yara. Yara decides to retake the Iron Islands while Euron is preoccupied in King's Landing, but gives Theon her blessing to travel to Winterfell with his men to stand with the Starks against the White Walkers. He reunites with Sansa and pledges fealty to House Stark for the impending battle. At the war council before battle, Bran (who has since developed his greenseeing abilities to become the Three-Eyed Raven) declares that he will wait in the Godswood to lure out the Night King, commander of the White Walkers. Theon volunteers to defend him with the Ironborn. While preparing for battle, Theon attempts to apologize to Bran for his misdeeds, but Bran reassures him that his actions ultimately brought him back "home" to Winterfell. Theon defends Bran against the undead until he is the last survivor, but the Night King arrives. Bran thanks Theon, and Theon charges at the Night King, but is killed after the Night King impales him with his own spear. In the aftermath of the Long Night, Theon is cremated along with those slain in battle. == Reception == Originally auditioning for the role of Jon Snow, English actor Alfie Allen has received positive reviews for his role as Theon Greyjoy in the TV series, and was nominated for the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the 2019 Primetime Emmy Awards. == References ==

'''Catelyn Stark''' (née '''Tully''') 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''. She is a prominent point of view character in the first three novels. Introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', Catelyn is the wife of Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell, the Warden of the North, and is mother to five of his children, but resents his bastard son Jon Snow. She was born into House Tully of Riverrun, the lord paramount clan of the Riverlands, another one of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, and has two younger siblings, sister Lysa and brother Edmure. Catelyn was originally betrothed to Eddard's older brother Brandon Stark, the heir to Winterfell at the time, and married Eddard instead after the former's death leading up to Robert Baratheon's rebellion against House Targaryen. Catelyn is portrayed by Northern Irish actress Michelle Fairley on the HBO series ''Game of Thrones''. American actress Jennifer Ehle was originally cast as Catelyn Stark and appeared in the unaired pilot, but left the series for family reasons before the first season began. Fairley's portrayal of Catelyn has garnered critical acclaim, with many in particular praising her performance during the episode "The Rains of Castamere". Due to this popularity, many fans were disappointed she did not appear in the series' fourth season, despite the character's resurrection in the novels. ==Character description== Catelyn Stark is described as beautiful, with fair skin, long auburn hair, blue eyes, long fingers, high cheekbones and full breasts, and dressed simply in the grey color of House Stark or the blue and red of her father’s House Tully. She is proud, strong, kind and generous, has a strong grasp of politics, and is often governed by the desire to protect her children. Catelyn is usually in accord with her husband Eddard Stark, but resents his admission of his illegitimate son Jon Snow into their household. ==Storylines== ===Book series=== ====''A Game of Thrones''==== After the royal party arrives at Winterfell, Catelyn receives a letter from her sister Lysa Arryn stating that the Lannisters had killed her husband Jon Arryn, the king's 'Hand' (second-in-command). King Robert Baratheon persuades Eddard to take his place. When her son Bran is injured and goes into a coma, she sits by his bed until they are attacked by an assassin who has come to kill Bran. Catelyn is wounded in the attack, and travels to King's Landing to warn Eddard after recovering. There, her childhood companion Petyr Baelish tells her that the dagger used in the attack belongs to Tyrion Lannister. On her way back to Winterfell, she takes Tyrion to her sister at the Eyrie for trial, where Tyrion escapes execution by demanding and winning a trial by combat. After the news of Eddard's execution by order of King Joffrey reaches Catelyn, she argues for peace, but is overruled by the newly crowned King Robb and his bannermen. ====''A Clash of Kings''==== Catelyn advises against Robb's plan to send Eddard's former ward, Theon Greyjoy, to forge an alliance with Balon Greyjoy. Catelyn is sent by Robb to attempt an alliance with Renly Baratheon and his massive Reach-Stormlands host. Catelyn meets Renly at Bitterbridge and follows his host to the ancestral Baratheon seat of Storm's End, where she witnesses first the unsuccessful parley between Renly and his older brother and rival claimant Stannis, and then Renly's subsequent murder later that night by a shadow creature. Afterwards, Catelyn flees with Brienne of Tarth, one of Renly's kingsguard, to Riverrun. Upon hearing of her younger sons' supposed murder at the hands of Theon Greyjoy, Catelyn goes to confront the captive Jaime Lannister. Although the novel ends her storyline ambiguously, it is revealed at the beginning of the third novel that Catelyn set him free and asked Brienne to escort him to King's Landing in an attempt to exchange him for her daughters, who were still captives of Joffrey. This, however, causes problems for Robb and costs him an ally, House Karstark, which had held grudges against the Lannisters. ====''A Storm of Swords''==== Catelyn's brother Edmure Tully places Catelyn under house arrest at Riverrun, but Robb pardons her after he announces his wedding to Jeyne Westerling, invalidating his marriage proposal to House Frey. Lord Walder Frey agrees to forgive Robb if Edmure marries his daughter Roslin, and Catelyn travels to the Frey seat of the Twins to attend the wedding with Robb and other northern lords. However, Walder Frey and his men take revenge on Robb for his slight on their house by slaughtering the northern host, an act of treachery that became known as the "Red Wedding". In an attempt to save her son's life, Catelyn takes Aegon Frey hostage and kills him when Roose Bolton kills Robb regardless, but she still has her throat slashed by Raymund Frey. Three days later, Catelyn is resurrected by Lord Beric Dondarrion, who sacrifices his life force to revive her. However, the period of time she spent deceased has caused Catelyn's body to decay; furthermore, upon her reanimation, she loses most of her previous personality, except for her hatred of House Frey. Catelyn then assumes command of Dondarrion's outlaw band, the Brotherhood Without Banners, and changes their aim to exterminating House Frey. Her uncompromising brutality earns her the moniker "Lady Stoneheart". ====''A Feast for Crows''==== Stoneheart and the Brotherhood come across a small party led by Brienne, who informs Stoneheart that she is searching for Sansa at Jaime Lannister's request. Stoneheart names Brienne a traitor because she carries Oathkeeper, a Lannister sword that was forged from Ned Stark's Valyrian steel blade, Ice. Brienne swears that she is still faithful, but Stoneheart insists she must prove it by killing Jaime, whom she believes played a role in the Red Wedding. Brienne refuses, even when threatened with a hanging. Just before Brienne is to be hanged, she shouts out a word. ===Family tree of House Stark=== ===Television series=== In January 2007 HBO secured the rights to adapt Martin's series for television. Jennifer Ehle was originally cast as Catelyn Stark and filmed her scenes in the unaired pilot until she eventually left for family reasons. Michelle Fairley was then cast in the role, which she played for three seasons. Catelyn's storyline diverges from the book following the Red Wedding in that she never reappears as Lady Stoneheart. Fairley's performance has received critical acclaim. ''Time'' wrote about "The Rains of Castamere": "Michelle Fairley’s fantastic performance captures the horror, with the edge of desperation, anguish, and madness of a woman who has lost her sons (she believes all of them), lost her grandchild, may have lost her daughters, and for all she knows, is witnessing the extinction of the house she belongs to...". The closing scene of "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things" was praised by HitFix's Alan Sepinwall, highlighting Michelle Fairley's acting as Catelyn gathers allies to arrest Tyrion. == References ==

'''''A Game of Thrones''''' is the comic book adaptation of George R. R. Martin's fantasy novel ''A Game of Thrones'', the first in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series. A sequel, ''A Clash of Kings'', was announced in March 2017, based on the book of the same name. ==Production== The comic book series was scripted by fantasy author Daniel Abraham and drawn by Tommy Patterson. It is intended to follow the story and atmosphere of the novel closely, at a rate of about a page of art for each page of text, and was projected to cover 24 issues of 29 pages each. George R.R. Martin advised Daniel Abraham on aspects of the adaptation. In an ''Ignite'' presentation of the series' development process, Abraham said that the major challenges in creating the adaptation were: * how to convey the novel's substantial amount of exposition and dialogue in a manner appropriate to the medium, * how to represent the novel's sex scenes involving 13-year-old Daenerys Targaryen in such a manner as not to risk being accused of child pornography under the U.S. PROTECT Act, *producing the series in parallel to HBO's TV series, which visualizes the novel and its characters in a different manner *not knowing what might become significant in the as-yet unwritten sixth and seventh novels in the ''Song of Ice and Fire'' series. ==Publication history== The initial issue was published by Dynamite Entertainment in September 2011. New issues are published at a rate of one per month. The first six issues were published as a trade paperback, marketed as a graphic novel, on 27 March 2012. It took first place on the ''New York Times'' best-seller list for graphic books the day after its publication. ;Hardcover collections: Title ISBN Date of publication Contains ''A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume One'' March 27, 2012 ''A Game of Thrones'' #1–6The Making of ''A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume One'' ''A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume Two'' June 11, 2013 ''A Game of Thrones'' #7–12 The Making of ''A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume Two'' ''A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume Three'' March 11, 2014 ''A Game of Thrones'' #13-18 The Making of ''A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume Three'' ''A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume Four'' May 5, 2015 ''A Game of Thrones'' #19-24 The Making of ''A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume Four'' ''A Clash of Kings: The Graphic Novel: Volume One'' October 17, 2018 ''A Clash of Kings'' #1-6 The Making of ''A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume One'' ''A Clash of Kings: The Graphic Novel: Volume Two'' October 1, 2019 ''A Clash of Kings'' #7-12 The Making of ''A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume Two'' ==Reception== The series currently holds a score of 6.4 out of 10 on the review aggregator website Comic Book Roundup, based on 26 total reviews for the series' 24 published issues. The highest-rated issue was #4, with a score of 9.6 derived from one review, while the lowest is issue #23, with a score of 2.0, also based on one review. Initial reviews of the adaptation were mixed. IGN rated the first issue as "passable", acknowledging the writing and art as competent, but considered the character design to be "overly pretty and slightly exaggerated" and the series as a whole to lack added value with respect to either the original novel or the HBO series. ''Weekly Comic Book Review'' gave the first issue a "B-", appreciating Patterson's art but finding the colors to be inappropriately bright and shiny. ''Broken Frontier'' reviewed the "enjoyable adaption" favorably, but asked for "a tighter focus on characters over plot points, and a more serious take on the art". While they appreciated Patterson's settings, they considered that his art dipped in quality when it came to facial expressions, making characters appear distracting and misshapen. Comic bloggers ''Geek of Doom'' praised the comic, concluding that it communicated the book's depth better than the TV series did. The ''Courier News'''s reviewer, on the other hand, dismissed the adaptation as presenting "a world filled with fantasy cliches, void of style and indistinguishable from any other mediocre book dubiously depicting the middle ages". == Sequel == On March 2017, a comic book adaptation of ''A Clash of Kings'' has been announced and was available June of the same year. ==References== ==External links== * ''George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones'' at Dynamite Entertainment

'''Ygritte''' 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 1998's ''A Clash of Kings'', she subsequently appeared in Martin's ''A Storm of Swords''. She is a wildling from the lands beyond the great Wall on the continent Westeros. Her kind are called "Wildlings" because they are outside the feudal order of the Seven Kingdoms south of the Wall; she calls them "Free Folk". Ygritte is portrayed by the Scottish actress Rose Leslie in the HBO television adaptation. == Character description == Ygritte is a wildling woman known for her red hair. She is fierce and headstrong. In wildling culture she is known as a spearwife: a woman who is also a warrior. Ygritte is not a point of view character in the novels, so her actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other people, such as Jon Snow. == Novel storylines == Ygritte first encounters Jon in ''A Clash of Kings'', when she and her band of wildlings are surprised by a group of rangers led by Qhorin Halfhand. Most of her band is killed, but Jon refrains from killing Ygritte because of her gender and later lets her go free. She rejoins the wildlings, and is present when Rattleshirt traps Qhorin and Jon. Ygritte speaks up for Jon when he, following Qhorin's orders, changes sides, and again when Mance Rayder doubts Jon's loyalty since he did not inform the wildlings of Lord Commander Mormont's ranging. Jon and Ygritte begin a sexual relationship and cross the Wall with Styr together, on Mance's orders to attack Castle Black from the rear. Ygritte continues to defend Jon, but when Jon changes sides again to return to the Night's Watch, she shoots Jon in the calf with an arrow. Ygritte later attacks Castle Black together with Styr's band, and is killed in the ensuing battle. == TV adaptation == Jon Snow, and Tormund Giantsbane in the show Ygritte is portrayed by Scottish actress Rose Leslie in the television adaption of the book series. Leslie said about her final scene as Ygritte, "I feel like she could have killed him – she could have shot Jon in the heart in one fell swoop. But when it finally came to that moment, she couldn't actually kill him. Even when she's expected to. Even when she wants to." She is a wildling girl with red hair ("kissed by fire", a sign of luck among the wildlings) and a follower of Mance Rayder's. ===Season 2=== Ygritte first appears when she is captured in the Skirling Pass by Jon Snow and Qhorin Halfhand during a skirmish, when her fellow wildings are killed by the Night's Watch. She manages to escape but is recaptured by Jon, whose pursuit of her separates him from his brothers. Later she leads him into Rattleshirt's ambush, and Jon is captured by the wildings. ===Season 3=== The wildings lead Jon to Mance Rayder's wildling camp, where Jon pretends to defect to the wildlings to discover their plans. Ygritte seduces him and later travels with Jon and the wildings to the Wall. However, when confronted with killing an innocent horse farmer, Jon escapes the angry wildlings' clutches and rides towards the Wall on horseback. Ygritte manages to catch up with Jon at his first rest stop. He confesses his love for her and points out she loves him, too, but he must leave her, so, although blinded by tears, Ygritte shoots Jon with three arrows as he, bound by duty, gallops away back to the Wall. ===Season 4=== Ygritte starts raiding villages south of the wall with her group, clearly thirsting for vengeance against Jon, although Tormund, who knows Ygritte is an expert archer, suspects she let Jon go. When the wildlings attack Mole's Town, Ygritte slaughters all the women present, but notices Gilly hiding with her baby son and spares their lives. When the wildlings finally reach Castle Black and attack, Ygritte kills many Night's Watch brothers with her archery skills, among them Pyp. When she encounters Jon, however, she hesitates to shoot him and is shot in the back by Olly, a boy whose father Ygritte previously killed. Ygritte subsequently dies in Jon's arms, and he later burns her body himself, north of the Wall. == References ==

The second season of the fantasy drama television series ''Game of Thrones'' premiered in the United States on HBO on April 1, 2012, and concluded on June 3, 2012. It was broadcast on Sunday at 9:00 pm in the United States, consisting of 10 episodes, each running approximately 50–60 minutes. The season mostly covers the events of ''A Clash of Kings'', the second novel of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series by George R. R. Martin, adapted for television by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. HBO ordered the second season on April 19, 2011, which began filming in July 2011, primarily in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Croatia and Iceland. The story takes place in a fictional world, primarily on a continent called Westeros, with one storyline occurring on another continent to the east known as Essos. Like the novel, the season follows the dramatic death of Lord Eddard "Ned" Stark, with all of the Starks being separated across Westeros. Season two mainly centers around the War of the Five Kings, fought between the leaders of Westerosi factions who are either staking a claim on the Iron Throne, or seeking independence from it. Meanwhile, in Essos, with three newborn dragons by her side, Daenerys Targaryen struggles to find allies to help her on her way to take back the Iron Throne. ''Game of Thrones'' features a large ensemble cast, including Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Michelle Fairley and Emilia Clarke. The season introduced a number of new cast members, including Stephen Dillane, Natalie Dormer, Carice van Houten and Liam Cunningham. Critics praised the show's production values and cast. Viewership rose compared to the previous season. The second season won six of the twelve Emmy Awards for which it was nominated. It received a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Peter Dinklage) and Outstanding Drama Series. U.S. viewership rose by approximately 8% over the course of the season, from 3.9 million to 4.2 million by the season finale. ==Episodes== ==Cast== === Main cast === ====Starring==== * Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister * Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister * Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister * Michelle Fairley as Catelyn Stark * Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen * Aidan Gillen as Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish * Iain Glen as Jorah Mormont * Kit Harington as Jon Snow * Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth * Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark * Richard Madden as Robb Stark * Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark * Maisie Williams as Arya Stark * Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy * John Bradley as Samwell Tarly * Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon * Rory McCann as Sandor "The Hound" Clegane * Stephen Dillane as Stannis Baratheon * Carice van Houten as Melisandre * James Cosmo as Jeor Mormont * Jerome Flynn as Bronn * Conleth Hill as Varys * Sibel Kekilli as Shae * Natalie Dormer as Margaery Tyrell * Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister ====Also starring==== * Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo ===Guest cast=== The recurring actors listed here are those who appeared in season 2. They are listed by the region in which they first appear: ====At and beyond the Wall==== * Simon Armstrong as Qhorin Halfhand * Ben Crompton as Eddison Tollett * Mark Stanley as Grenn * Edward Dogliani as the Lord of Bones * Rose Leslie as Ygritte * Robert Pugh as Craster * Hannah Murray as Gilly * Ian Whyte & Ross Mullan as White Walkers ====In King's Landing==== * Callum Wharry as Tommen Baratheon * Aimee Richardson as Myrcella Baratheon * Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle * Dominic Carter as Janos Slynt * Ian Beattie as Meryn Trant * Eugene Simon as Lancel Lannister * Wilko Johnson as Ilyn Payne * Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne * Tony Way as Dontos Hollard * Roy Dotrice as Wisdom Hallyne * Andrew Wilde as Tobho Mott * Esmé Bianco as Ros * Antonia Christophers as Mhaegen * Sahara Knite as Armeca * Maisie Dee as Daisy * Josephine Gillan as Marei ====In the Stormlands==== * Gethin Anthony as Renly Baratheon * Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth * Finn Jones as Loras Tyrell ====On Dragonstone==== * Kerr Logan as Matthos Seaworth * Lucian Msamati as Salladhor Saan * Oliver Ford Davies as Maester Cressen ====On the Iron Islands==== * Patrick Malahide as Balon Greyjoy * Gemma Whelan as Yara Greyjoy * Ralph Ineson as Dagmer Cleftjaw * Forbes KB as Black Lorren * David Coakley as Drennan ====In the North==== * Art Parkinson as Rickon Stark * Donald Sumpter as Maester Luwin * Ron Donachie as Rodrik Cassel * Peter Ballance as Farlen * Kristian Nairn as Hodor * Natalia Tena as Osha ====In the Riverlands==== * Oona Chaplin as Talisa Maegyr * Michael McElhatton as Roose Bolton * John Stahl as Rickard Karstark * Paul Caddell as Jacks * Aidan Crowe as Quent * Tyrone McElhennon as Torrhen Karstark * Fintan McKeown as Amory Lorch * Ian Gelder as Kevan Lannister * Ian Whyte as Gregor Clegane * Karl Davies as Alton Lannister * Anthony Morris as the Tickler * Andy Kellegher as Polliver * David Fynn as Rennick * Francis Magee as Yoren * Joe Dempsie as Gendry * Ben Hawkey as Hot Pie * Eros Vlahos as Lommy Greenhands * Tom Wlaschiha as Jaqen H'ghar * Andy Beckwith as Rorge * Gerard Jordan as Biter ====In Essos==== * Nonso Anozie as Xaro Xhoan Daxos * Ian Hanmore as Pyat Pree * Nicholas Blane as the Spice King * Slavko Juraga as the Silk King * Laura Pradelska as Quaithe * Steven Cole as Kovarro * Elyes Gabel as Rakharo * Roxanne McKee as Doreah * Amrita Acharia as Irri ==Production== HBO ordered a second season of ''Game of Thrones'' on April 19, 2011, two days after the series premiere. The second season obtained a 15% increase in budget in order to be able to stage the war's most important battle, the Battle of the Blackwater, in episode nine. Filming took place during 106 shooting days. During three-quarters of those, two crews ("Dragon" and "Wolf") were working simultaneously in different locations. ===Crew=== David Benioff and D. B. Weiss serve as main writers and showrunners for the second season. They co-wrote six out of ten episodes. The remaining four episodes were written by story editor Bryan Cogman, ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' author George R. R. Martin, and new series writer and co-executive producer Vanessa Taylor, who wrote two episodes. Alan Taylor was promoted to co-executive producer and directed four episodes, including the season premiere and finale. David Petrarca and David Nutter each directed two episodes, while series cinematographer Alik Sakharov and filmmaker Neil Marshall directed the remaining two. ===Casting=== The casting for the second season began in May 2011. Although a large portion of the first-season cast were returning, the producers were still faced with a huge number of new characters to be cast. The producers decided that several characters from ''A Clash of Kings'', including the Freys and Crannogmen Reeds at Winterfell, Frey bannermen of the Starks, the Tullys, Stannis' wife and daughter, Theon's uncle Aeron Greyjoy and the bastard Ramsay Snow would not be cast despite appearing in the novel. Showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss commented on this saying that certain character introductions taking place in ''A Clash of Kings'' would be delayed until the third season. This was done due to the large number of characters already introduced in season two, and because they couldn't afford to have people "waiting around" for their characters to become central to the plot. Having to fill so many speaking roles, the showrunners not only "postponed" the introduction of several key characters, but they also merged some into one, or certain plot-functions were given to different characters. Many physical traits were also altered, such as the ethnicity or age of characters. The cast was estimated to be the largest on television. Scattered around two fictional continents characters include, by order of importance: Stephen Dillane (Stannis Baratheon) Carice van Houten (Melisandre) Emerging as the fourth claimant to the throne is the estranged brother of the late king Robert, Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane). The foreign priestess Melisandre, portrayed by Carice van Houten poses as an influential, yet manipulative advisor to Stannis. Van Houten was previously asked (but unable) to audition for the role of Cersei in season one. While her character retains her signature red robes and hair, unlike in the novels Melisandre is not portrayed as having red eyes, making her appear somewhat more human. Liam Cunningham stars as Ser Davos Seaworth, the "Onion Knight", a bannerman of Stannis and a former smuggler. Cunningham had already been in talks for a role in the first season. As he is left-handed, his Davos has the fingers of the right hand shortened, unlike in the novels where his left hand is crippled. In an interview, Cunningham said that a lot of new dialogue had to be written for his character, because in the novels Davos, a point-of-view character, is portrayed more through his thoughts than through his actions. These three characters headed a new storyline set on a different location, that by the end of the season merged with the main plot. Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen), a main cast member from the first season, but with lesser importance than the others, came to prominence during the second season, as his story unfolded and his character became more central. Gemma Whelan appeared as his sister, Yara Greyjoy. Named "Asha" in the novels, the character's name was changed to avoid confusion with the Wildling Osha, Bran Stark's companion. "Asha" is portrayed as a fairly provocative and independent woman, a captain of thirty ships, as opposed to her television counterpart Yara, who did not retain "Asha's" traits, although her rivalry with Theon remained intact. Their father Balon Greyjoy was played by Patrick Malahide. Many of the characters involved in the Greyjoys' storyline weren't introduced, most notably Balon's brother Aeron Greyjoy. Nonetheless, the storyline received enormous praise, with the alteration of Yara's name and persona being the only criticism. Tom Wlaschiha is cast as Jaqen H'ghar, a mysterious prisoner who develops a murderous relationship with young Arya Stark (Maisie Williams). Wlaschiha's pronunciation of his character's name, ''Jack-in'', was adopted for use in the show. Natalie Dormer, best known for her portrayal as seductive Anne Boleyn in Showtime's ''The Tudors'', was cast in a similar role as Margaery Tyrell, a noblewoman and the wife of the third claimant to the throne, Renly Baratheon. Gwendoline Christie played, to much praise, Brienne of Tarth, a female warrior who joins Renly Baratheon's guard, but later becomes a follower of Catelyn Stark. To prepare for the role, Christie took up an intense training regimen, adding over a stone (6.4 kg) of muscle mass. So that she could be mistaken for a man, her armor was decorated with lines that slant away from her hips. On the other side of the fictional world, two female roles with rising prominence were added to the cast: ''Skins'' star Hannah Murray filled the role of Craster's daughter Gilly, a love interest to Samwell Tarly; while the second role, the one of Ygritte, Jon Snow's love interest among the Wildlings, was played by Rose Leslie. Daenerys Targaryen's (Emilia Clarke) stay at Qarth, opened the way for several recurring characters. Nonso Anozie played Daenerys's host at Qarth, Xaro Xhoan Daxos. The character differed a lot from his novel counterpart. Xaro's homosexuality, femininity and caucasian origin were overshadowed by dark skinned Anozie's masculinity and heterosexuality. Acting as one of her suitors is the treacherous warlock Pyat Pree portrayed by Ian Hanmore. Her third and final suitor was the masked priestess Quaithe (Laura Pradelska). Specially created for the television series was the so-called "Spice King", a rich merchant from Qarth, played by Nicholas Blane. Also an original creation of the show is the character of Talisa (Oona Chaplin), a healer from Volantis and a romantic interest for Robb. She fills the role of another female interest of Robb's, called Jeyne Westerling, who has no similarities with Talisa whatsoever. In addition to Talisa, Michael McElhatton joins the cast in the role of Roose Bolton, an important character in Robb Stark's storyline. Lastly, Simon Armstrong plays the legendary Night's Watch ranger Qhorin Halfhand. Others were also added to the cast, either in a small recurring role or with reduced prominence. The most notable example is Tony Way's Ser Dontos Hollard, a drunkard knight, who had a pivotal role in Sansa Stark's storyline that ran in the course of two novels, while in the series the role was reduced to a small scene in the opening episode. Others include: Ben Crompton as "Dolorous Edd" Tollet, a man of the Night's Watch. Robert Pugh as the Wildling Craster, father and husband to Gilly. Kerr Logan as Davos Seaworth's pious son Matthos. Karl Davies as Ser Alton Lannister, a character created for the series who replaces Cleos Frey as envoy from the Starks to the Lannisters. Daniel Portman took the role of Podrick Payne, the squire to Tyrion Lannister. The 19-year-old Portman plays Podrick as about 16 years old, instead of about 12 as in the novels. To be able to portray Podrick as awkward, shy and weak, Portman, previously a sportsman, stopped his fitness regimen and gained some weight to appear more endearing. Lucian Msamati played Salladhor Saan, a Lysene pirate and friend of Davos Seaworth. Finally, Edward Dogliani appeared briefly as the "Lord of Bones" (or "Rattleshirt" in the novels), a Wildling leader and Oliver Ford Davies as Stannis's maester Cressen. All of the recurring characters from the first season returned, with one notable exception: Conan Stevens, whose role of Gregor Clegane was recast with Ian Whyte, did not return. Roy Dotrice, a friend of George R. R. Martin, known for reading the audio versions of the novels and having previously rejected a role due to health reasons, appears this season as Pyromancer Hallyne, an elderly alchemist at King's Landing. ===Locations=== walled city of Dubrovnik stands in for King's Landing in season 2 For the second season, the city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, was used instead of Malta for scenes in King's Landing and Daenerys' scenes in Qarth. For example, the Minčeta Tower in Dubrovnik was used as the House of the Undying. Scenes set north of the Wall were filmed in Iceland in November 2011. The main locations are the Vatnajökull glacier, the Svínafellsjökull glacier near Skaftafell, and the Mýrdalsjökull glacier near Vik used as the location for the Fist of the First Men with Höfðabrekka as the Frostfang Mountains. New shooting locations in Northern Ireland include The Linen Mill Film & Television Studios in Banbridge, Ballintoy Harbour and Downhill Strand. As the story in the second season required that the Winterfell set be expanded, a new set for Winterfell was built at the Moneyglass Estate near Toome village. ===Music=== The music for the second season was again composed by Ramin Djawadi. It contains a rendition of a song often mentioned or sung in the novels, ''The Rains of Castamere'', by the indie rock band ''The National''. The soundtrack for the season was released on June 19, 2012. ===Promotion=== HBO released numerous teaser trailers for the second season, beginning on December 11, 2011. The second trailer, published on January 29, 2012, was viewed 3.5 million times in the first three days after publication, a record for HBO promotional content. Other trailers were released on February 24, March 3 (set to Florence and the Machine's ''Seven Devils'') as well as subsequently. HBO also published other promotional material, such as cast photographs and teaser posters, prior to the airing of the first episode. The second issue of ''Entertainment Weekly'' in March 2012 had four alternative covers dedicated to in-costume photographs of Peter Dinklage (Tyrion), Emilia Clarke (Daenerys), Kit Harington (Jon Snow) or Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Lena Headey (Jaime and Cersei Lannister). ==Reception== Thanks to the critical and commercial success of the first season, as well as HBO's marketing efforts, the second season received intensive media coverage well before it started airing. ''Sunday is Coming'', a two-minute short film for ''Funny or Die'', satirized viewers' excitement about the return of ''Game of Thrones''. ===Critical response=== Several media outlets reviewed the season's first four episodes before they were broadcast, and rendered almost uniformly positive verdicts. The season holds a Metacritic score of 90 out of 100 based on 26 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has a 96% approval rating from 37 critics with an average rating of 8.82 out of 10. The site's critical consensus reads, "''Game of Thrones'' follows up a strong debut with an even better second season, combining elegant storytelling and vivid characters to create a rich fantasy world." ''Entertainment Weekly'' rated the new season "A-" and praised the "vivid, vital, and just plain fun" storytelling. In the reviewer's opinion, the greatly enlarged cast did not feel like bloat and the show remained accessible to those who had not read the novel. ''The Huffington Post'' called the start of the second season "far more elegant and engaging" than that of the first, and appreciated the show's maturation, increased assurance and momentum as well as the visually improved settings and the new actors' performance. ''Newsday''s review gave it an "A+", calling it the "best show on television" and warranting the preparation required by viewers. ''The Hollywood Reporter'' also wrote that ''Game of Thrones'' made a "strong case for being one of TV's best series". Impressed that the series continued to improve in quality as it breathed life into its vast web of interconnected storylines, the reviewer considered that, unlike other genre shows, ''Game of Thrones'' had gravitas such that it should not be considered dramatically inferior to shows like ''Mad Men'' or ''Breaking Bad''. ''HitFix''s Alan Sepinwall gave the new, "bigger and better" season an "A", praising its increased confidence and smoothness despite its even greater use of "sexposition". New to the series, the ''Chicago Sun-Times''s reviewer found the season premiere "engrossing" and praised the "top-notch" acting, writing, sets and storytelling. The ''New York Times'' was the only major publication to publish a mixed review. It criticized the lack of complexity in the characters apart from Dinklage's, the confusing multitude of characters and the meandering plot. ===Ratings=== ===Accolades=== The second season was nominated for 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, which included Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Peter Dinklage. It won six awards, for, Outstanding Costumes for a Series, Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series, Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic), Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One-Hour), and Outstanding Special Visual Effects. Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2012 AFI Awards AFI TV Award ''Game of Thrones'' Artios Awards Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Series Drama Nina Gold ASCAP Awards Top Television Series Ramin Djawadi Portal Award Best Actor Peter Dinklage Best Actress Lena Headey Best Supporting Actor Aidan Gillen Best Supporting Actress Michelle Fairley Maisie Williams Best Episode Ghost of Harrenhal Best Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Young Actor Jack Gleeson Maisie Williams EWwy Award Best Supporting Actress, Drama Lena Headey 64th Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Drama Series David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Frank Doelger, Carolyn Strauss, George R. R. Martin, Vanessa Taylor, Alan Taylor, Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis and Bernadette Caulfield Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage 64th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series Gemma Jackson, Frank Walsh, and Tina Jones for "Garden of Bones", "The Ghost of Harrenhal" and "A Man Without Honor" Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Nina Gold and Robert Sterne Outstanding Costumes for a Series Michele Clapton, Alexander Fordham, and Chloe Aubry for "The Prince of Winterfell" Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media HBO Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks, Rosalia Culora, and Gary Machin for "The Old Gods and the New" Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Paul Engelen and Melissa Lackersteen for "The Old Gods and the New" Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special Paul Engelen, Conor O'Sullivan, and Rob Trenton for "Valar Morghulis" Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series Peter Brown, Kira Roessler, Tim Hands, Paul Aulicino, Stephen P. Robinson, Vanessa Lapato, Brett Voss, James Moriana, Jeffrey Wilhoit, and David Klotz for "Blackwater" Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series (1 hour) Matthew Waters, Onnalee Blank, Ronan Hill, and Mervyn Moore for "Blackwater" Outstanding Special Visual Effects Rainer Gombos, Juri Stanossek, Sven Martin, Steve Kullback, Jan Fiedler, Chris Stenner, Tobias Mannewitz, Thilo Ewers, and Adam Chazen for "Valar Morghulis" 2nd Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage Hollywood Post Alliance Awards Outstanding Visual Effects – Television "The Prince of Winterfell" Golden Nymph awards Outstanding International Producer David Benioff, Frank Doelger, Carolyn Strauss and D. B. Weiss Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series Emilia Clarke Lena Headey Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage Kit Harington British Society of Cinematographers Best Cinematography in a Television Drama Sam McCurdy for "Blackwater" 17th Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Peter Dinklage Best Television Series – Drama ''Game of Thrones'' IGN Awards Best TV Episode Blackwater Best TV DVD or Blu-ray For the complete first season on Blu-ray Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Villain Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon IGN People's Choice Award Best TV Episode Blackwater Best TV Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best TV Villain Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon Best TV DVD or Blu-ray For the complete first season on Blu-ray Best TV Series ''Game of Thrones'' 28th TCA Awards Program of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' Individual Achievement in Drama Peter Dinklage Outstanding Achievement in Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Gold Derby TV Awards 2012 Best Drama Series ''Game of Thrones'' Best Drama Supporting Actor Peter Dinklage Best Drama Supporting Actress Lena Headey Breakthrough Performer of the Year Maisie Williams Ensemble of the Year The cast of ''Game of Thrones'' 2013 People's Choice Awards Favorite Thriller Show ''Game of Thrones'' ADG Excellence in Production Design Award One-Hour Single Camera Television Series Gemma Jackson for "The Ghost of Harrenhal" American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in One-Hour Episodic Television Series Kramer Morgenthau for "The North Remembers" SFX Awards Best Actress Emilia Clarke Best Actress Lena Headey Best Actor Peter Dinklage NewNowNext Awards Cause You're Hot Richard Madden British Academy Television Awards International ''Game of Thrones'' Radio Times Audience Award ''Game of Thrones'' Costume Designers Guild Awards Outstanding Period/Fantasy Television Series ''Game of Thrones'' Cinema Audio Society Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Television Series – One Hour Ronan Hill, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, and Brett Voss for "Blackwater" Dorian Awards TV Drama of the Year ''Game of Thrones'' 10th Irish Film & Television Awards Best Television Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Best Director of Photography P.J. Dillon Best Sound Ronan Hill, Mervyn Moore Astra Awards Favourite Program – International Drama ''Game of Thrones'' Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing – Long Form Dialogue and ADR in Television ''Game of Thrones'' for "Valar Morghulis" Best Sound Editing – Long Form Sound Effects and Foley in Television ''Game of Thrones'' for "Valar Morghulis" Best Sound Editing — Short Form Dialogue and ADR in Television ''Game of Thrones'' for "Blackwater" Best Sound Editing – Short Form Music in Television ''Game of Thrones'' for "Blackwater" Best Sound Editing – Short Form Sound Effects and Foley in Television ''Game of Thrones'' for "Blackwater" Hugo Awards Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form Neil Marshall (director) and George R. R. Martin (writer) for "Blackwater" Producers Guild Awards "The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama" David Benioff, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Carolyn Strauss, D. B. Weiss Saturn Award Best Television Presentation ''Game of Thrones'' 19th Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series Rob Cooper, Jamie Edgell, Dave Fisher, Dave Forman, Paul Herbert, Michelle McKeown, Sian Miline, Jimmy O’Dee, Domonkos Pardanyi, Marcus Shakesheff, CC Smiff, and Mark Southworth Visual Effects Society Outstanding Animated Character in a Commercial or Broadcast Program Irfan Celik, Florian Friedmann, Ingo Schachner, Chris Stenner for "Training the Dragons" Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program Falk Boje, Esther Engel, Alexey Kuchinsky, Klaus Wuchta for "White Walker Army" Outstanding Created Environment in a Commercial or Broadcast Program Rene Borst, Thilo Ewers, Adam Figielski, Jonas Stuckenbrock for "Pyke" Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program Rainer Gombos, Steve Kullback, Sven Martin, Juri Stanossek for "Valar Morghulis" Writers Guild of America Awards Television Drama Series David Benioff, Bryan Cogman, George R. R. Martin, Vanessa Taylor, D. B. Weiss Young Artist Award Best Performance in a TV Series – Supporting Young Actor Isaac Hempstead-Wright Best Performance in a TV Series – Supporting Young Actress Sophie Turner Best Performance in a TV Series – Supporting Young Actress Maisie Williams IGN Awards Best TV DVD or Blu-ray For the complete second season on Blu-ray ==Release== ===Broadcast=== The second season of ''Game of Thrones'' was broadcast on HBO in the United States from April 1, 2012 to June 3, 2012. ===Home media=== DVD/Blu-ray box sets and digital downloads of the second season were released in North America on February 19, 2013. The DVD set contains a 30-minute feature covering the production of the episode "Blackwater", actor interviews, character profiles, twelve audio commentaries by cast and crew, and a discussion about Westerosi religions by the showrunners and George R. R. Martin. The Blu-ray set additionally contains a feature about the "War of the Five Kings" that breaks out in season two, as well as 19 animated histories of the mythology of Westeros and Essos. ===Copyright infringement=== The second season of ''Game of Thrones'' was the most-pirated TV series in 2012. ==References== == External links == * – official US site * – official UK site * ''Game of Thrones'' – The Viewers Guide on HBO.com * Making ''Game of Thrones'' on HBO.com * * *

'''''The Winds of Winter''''' is the planned sixth novel in the epic fantasy series ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' by American writer George R. R. Martin. Martin believes the last two volumes of the series will total over 3,000 manuscript pages. They will take readers farther north than any of the previous books, and the first of the two will feature the Others. Martin has refrained from making hard estimates for the final release date of the novel. == Plot == ''The Winds of Winter'' will take readers farther north than any of the previous books, and the Others will appear in the book. The previous installment, ''A Dance with Dragons'', covered less story than Martin intended, excluding at least one planned large battle sequence and leaving several character threads ending in cliffhangers. Martin intends to resolve these storylines "very early" in ''The Winds of Winter'', saying "I'm going to open with the two big battles that I was building up to, the battle in the ice and the battle at Meereen — the battle of Slaver's Bay. And then take it from there." A Victarion Greyjoy chapter will begin five minutes after the end of ''A Dance with Dragons'', taking place on the eve of the Ironborn's arrival in Slaver's Bay. Arianne Martell sample chapters that Martin released on his Web site showed her heading for Griffin's Roost to see the young man who is calling himself Aegon VI Targaryen. At Guadalajara International Book Fair 2016, Martin gave some clues about the dark nature of ''The Winds of Winter'': ... "I've been telling you for 20 years that winter was coming. Winter is the time when things die, and cold and ice and darkness fill the world, so this is not going to be the happy feel-good that people may be hoping for. Some of the characters are in very dark places. .... Things get worse before they get better, so things are getting worse for a lot of people." == Viewpoint characters == Martin has confirmed that the following characters have point-of-view chapters in ''The Winds of Winter'': * Sansa Stark: One chapter was removed from ''A Dance with Dragons'' in June 2010, and one sample chapter titled ''Alayne'' appeared on Martin's website in April 2015. * Arya Stark: One chapter was removed from ''A Dance with Dragons'' in June 2010, and one sample chapter titled ''Mercy'' appeared on Martin's website in March 2014. * Arianne Martell: Two chapters were removed from ''A Dance with Dragons'' in June 2010. One sample chapter appeared on Martin's website in January 2013, and was read at Harbour Front Literaturfestival in June 2015. Martin read from both chapters at MystiCon in February 2016. In May 2016, Martin replaced the sample Sansa Stark chapter titled ''Alayne'' on his website from 2015 with the first Arianne Martell chapter he has read from at MystiCon. * Aeron Greyjoy: One chapter was removed from ''A Dance with Dragons'' in July 2010. A chapter titled ''The Forsaken'' was read in May 2016 at Balticon. It was written in, or before, 2011 but there was no confirmation that this was the chapter removed from ''A Dance with Dragons''. * Theon Greyjoy: One sample chapter appeared on Martin's website in December 2011. It also appears as a teaser chapter at the end of the UK paperback edition of ''A Dance with Dragons'' (part two). * Victarion Greyjoy: Portions of one chapter were first read at TIFF Bell Lightbox in March 2012. * Tyrion Lannister: One chapter was read at Eastercon in April 2012, and another one at Worldcon in August 2013, the second of which was later published in the official iOS app on March 20, 2014. * Barristan Selmy: One chapter was released as a teaser at the end of the 2013 U.S. paperback edition of ''A Dance with Dragons''. In 2013 Martin read from a second chapter at Boskone. Martin confirmed that there are no new viewpoint characters intended for ''The Winds of Winter''. Martin confirmed that Areo Hotah and Melisandre will return as viewpoints but did not state which novel their chapters will appear in, and that Bran Stark will appear in the novel, but did not elaborate if as a viewpoint. In addition, he teased at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con that Jeyne Westerling, Robb Stark's widow, will appear in the prologue chapter, but did not reveal who will be the POV character. == Background and publication == === Chapters === ''The Winds of Winter'' was originally intended, in the very early stages of the series, to be the final installment of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' (then conceived as a trilogy). Following his expansion of the series, Martin eventually concluded it would be succeeded by one final novel, ''A Dream of Spring''. By June 2010, Martin had finished four chapters for ''The Winds of Winter'' from the viewpoints of Sansa Stark, Arya Stark, and Arianne Martell. In July 2010, he added an Aeron Greyjoy chapter that had been moved from ''A Dance with Dragons'' to ''The Winds of Winter'', accumulating around 100 completed manuscript pages. Following the publication of ''A Dance with Dragons'' in the summer of 2011, Martin announced his return to writing the series in January 2012, having spent the intervening time on his U.S. and overseas book publicity tours and attending various conventions. He continued to work, with his two co-authors Elio García and Linda Antonsson, on the illustrated series companion guide ''The World of Ice & Fire'' concordance and Westeros history. He also worked on a Westeros story, the fourth ''Tales of Dunk and Egg'' novella. In December 2011, Martin posted a Theon Greyjoy viewpoint chapter from ''The Winds of Winter''; he also announced that another sample chapter would be included at the end of the North American paperback version of ''A Dance with Dragons'', which was originally expected to be released in summer 2012, but was released on October 29, 2013. (International paperback editions of ''A Dance with Dragons'' published a year earlier did not include a new, as yet unpublished sample chapter.) In the first quarter of 2012, Martin read new chapters of other characters at public events, including the chapters of Victarion Greyjoy and Tyrion Lannister. Martin continued work editing anthologies and completing a large, highly detailed series atlas ''The Lands of Ice and Fire'', which was published in October 2012. Martin published another sample chapter from Arianne Martell's POV on his website in January 2013. On March 27, ten days before the ''Game of Thrones'' season four premiere, Martin posted a chapter on his website, titled ''Mercy''. Martin said the new chapter is actually an old one, though never published nor publicly read. In April 2015, Martin posted a Sansa Stark viewpoint chapter from ''The Winds of Winter'' titled ''Alayne''. In May 2016, Martin replaced this chapter with an Arianne Martell chapter he had read from at Mysticon, and an Aeron Greyjoy chapter that was removed from ''A Dance with Dragons'' was read at Balticon. As of June 2016, a total of 11 chapters from ''The Winds of Winter'' have been either read publicly or published as a sample chapter. The point of view characters with released material are Victarion, Aeron, Tyrion, Barristan, Arianne, Theon, Mercy (Arya), and Alayne (Sansa). Several websites, including Goodreads, have dedicated entire discussion panels to any material that has been released from ''The Winds of Winter'', including plot twists, theories, and speculations. In 2018, Martin indicated he would not release any more sample chapters. === Publication history === Martin believes the last two volumes of the series will be massive works of 1,500+ manuscript pages each. He does not intend to separate characters by geography again, as he was forced to do because of the unpublishable length of ''A Feast for Crows'' original manuscript. But, as Martin stated in a 2011 interview, "Three years from now when I'm sitting on 1,800 pages of manuscript with no end in sight, who the hell knows". In 2018, he revealed that some of his publishers had suggested splitting ''The Winds of Winter'' into two books but that he was against it. In April 2011, shortly before the publication of ''A Dance with Dragons'' which took him six years to write, Martin hoped that "the last two books will go a little quicker than this one has" and estimated that it would take "three years to finish the next one at a good pace". By October 2012, 400 pages of the sixth novel had been written, although Martin considered only the first 200 as "really finished", the rest still needing revisions. In April 2013, Martin estimated that he had a quarter of the book. In the past, Martin has angered some of his fan base for repeatedly estimating his publication dates too optimistically; therefore, he has refrained from making hard estimates for ''The Winds of Winter'' final release date. In 2014, Martin's UK publisher, Jane Johnson, stated that the book would not be published before, or in, 2015. In April 2015, Martin commented along the same lines but he also said he would like to have it published before the sixth season of the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'' (which would cover material from the book) aired in 2016. In Autumn 2015, statements made by the Spanish editor and the Polish translator of the novel indicated that it was expected to be published in 2016. In early January 2016, Martin confirmed that he had not met an end-of-year deadline that he had established with his publisher for release of the book before the sixth season of the HBO show. He added that there was "a lot still left to write" and that completion of the book was "months away still... if the writing goes well". Martin also revealed there had been a previous deadline of October 2015 that he had considered achievable in May 2015, and that in September 2015 he had still considered the end-of-year deadline achievable. He further confirmed that some of the plot of the book might be revealed in the upcoming season of ''Game of Thrones'' but one of the showrunners, David Benioff, claimed that while certain key elements would be the same, the show would diverge from the book in many respects. In February 2016, Martin stated that he had dropped all his editing projects except for ''Wild Cards'', and that he would not be writing any teleplays, screenplays, short stories, introductions or forewords before delivering ''The Winds of Winter''. In 2017, Martin believed that ''The Winds of Winter'' would be released that same year. However, he also noted that he had believed the same thing would occur the previous year, and later that year he confirmed he was "still months away" from finishing the book, indicating it may not be published until 2018 or later, with ''Fire & Blood'', the book on the history of House Targaryen, possibly preceding it. In April 2018, Martin confirmed that ''Fire & Blood'' would be published November 20, 2018, and ''The Winds of Winter'' would not be published in 2018; he indicated that ''Fire & Blood'' was the book his publisher wanted next. Since then, he has confirmed at least four times that he is continuing work on ''The Winds of Winter''. In April 2019, Martin commented in an interview that the writing "has been going very well lately", and in May he told his blog readers that if he did not have a copy of ''The Winds of Winter'' in hand for 2020 Worldcon New Zealand, Air New Zealand has his permission to imprison him on New Zealand's White Island until he finishes it, which some media interpreted as a joke. In October 2019, after a ''Game of Thrones'' prequel, ''House of the Dragon'', of which Martin is one of the executive producers, was announced, Martin stated that there was a lot of work to be done on the series but that he would not write any scripts for the series before finishing ''The Winds of Winter''. == References == == External links == * of author George R. R. Martin

frameless The characters from the medieval fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'' are based on their respective counterparts from author George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of novels. Set in a fictional universe that has been referred to so far as "The Known World", the series follows a civil war for the Iron Throne of the continent of Westeros, fought between the rival royal and noble families and their respective supporters. ==Cast== ===Main cast=== The following cast members have been credited as main cast in the opening credits: Actor/Actress Character Appearances 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sean Bean Eddard "Ned" Stark Mark Addy Robert Baratheon Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Jaime Lannister Michelle Fairley Catelyn Stark Lena Headey Cersei Lannister Emilia Clarke Daenerys Targaryen Iain Glen Jorah Mormont Harry Lloyd Viserys Targaryen Kit Harington Jon Snow Sophie Turner Sansa Stark Maisie Williams Arya Stark Richard Madden Robb Stark Alfie Allen Theon Greyjoy Isaac Hempstead Wright Bran Stark Jack Gleeson Joffrey Baratheon Rory McCann Sandor "The Hound" Clegane Peter Dinklage Tyrion Lannister Jason Momoa Khal Drogo Aidan Gillen Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish Liam Cunningham Davos Seaworth John Bradley Samwell Tarly Stephen Dillane Stannis Baratheon Carice van Houten Melisandre James Cosmo Jeor Mormont Jerome Flynn Bronn Conleth Hill Varys Sibel Kekilli Shae Natalie Dormer Margaery Tyrell Charles Dance Tywin Lannister Oona Chaplin Talisa Maegyr Rose Leslie Ygritte Joe Dempsie Gendry Kristofer Hivju Tormund Giantsbane Gwendoline Christie Brienne of Tarth Iwan Rheon Ramsay Bolton Hannah Murray Gilly Michiel Huisman Daario Naharis Nathalie Emmanuel Missandei Indira Varma Ellaria Sand Dean-Charles Chapman Tommen Baratheon Tom Wlaschiha Jaqen H'ghar Michael McElhatton Roose Bolton Jonathan Pryce The High Sparrow Jacob Anderson Grey Worm ;Notes * In seasons 6–7, Ned Stark is portrayed by Sebastian Croft and Robert Aramayo in flashback scenes. * In season 5, Cersei Lannister is portrayed by Nell Williams in a flashback scene. * In season 3, Daario Naharis is portrayed by Ed Skrein. * In seasons 1–2, Tommen Baratheon is portrayed by Callum Wharry. * In season 1, Jaqen H'ghar is portrayed by an uncredited extra. ===Recurring / Guest cast=== Additionally the following cast members have appeared in 3 or more episodes within a season while maintaining a "recurring" status: Actor/Actress Character Appearances 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Julian Glover Grand Maester Pycelle Ian Beattie Meryn Trant Kristian Nairn Hodor Mark Stanley Grenn Natalia Tena Osha Art Parkinson Rickon Stark Esmé Bianco Ros Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson Gregor Clegane Dominic Carter Janos Slynt Eugene Simon Lancel Lannister Nell Tiger Free Myrcella Baratheon Ron Donachie Rodrik Cassel Donald Sumpter Maester Luwin Amrita Acharia Irri Roxanne McKee Doreah Gethin Anthony Renly Baratheon Francis Magee Yoren Ian Gelder Kevan Lannister Elyes Gabel Rakharo Wilko Johnson Ilyn Payne Ian McElhinney Barristan Selmy Luke Barnes Rast Peter Vaughan Maester Aemon Josef Altin Pypar Owen Teale Alliser Thorne Brian Fortune Othell Yarwyck Lino Facioli Robin Arryn Joseph Mawle Benjen Stark Kate Dickie Lysa Arryn Susan Brown Septa Mordane Dar Salim Qotho Jamie Sives Jory Cassel Emun Elliott Marillion Clive Mantle Greatjon Umber Mia Soteriou Mirri Maz Duur Miltos Yerolemou Syrio Forel Finn Jones Loras Tyrell Ben Hawkey Hot Pie Gerard Jordan Biter Andy Beckwith Rorge Eros Vlahos Lommy Greenhands John Stahl Rickard Karstark Richard Dormer Beric Dondarrion Daniel Portman Podrick Payne Ben Crompton Eddison Tollett Gemma Whelan Yara Greyjoy Robert Pugh Craster Tony Way Dontos Hollard Steven Cole Kovarro Ralph Ineson Dagmer Nonso Anozie Xaro Xhoan Daxos Ian Hanmore Pyat Pree Fintan McKeown Amory Lorch Forbes KB Black Lorren Simon Armstrong Qhorin Halfhand Nicholas Blane Spice King Slavko Juraga Silk King Karl Davies Alton Lannister Tara Fitzgerald Selyse Florent William & James Wilson Little Sam Anton Lesser Qyburn Diana Rigg Olenna Tyrell Kerry Ingram Shireen Baratheon Ellie Kendrick Meera Reed Thomas Brodie-Sangster Jojen Reed Noah Taylor Locke Ciarán Hinds Mance Rayder Tobias Menzies Edmure Tully Paul Kaye Thoros of Myr Clive Russell Brynden Tully Mackenzie Crook Orell Philip McGinley Anguy Dan Hildebrand Kraznys mo Nakloz Paul Bentley High Septon Charlotte Hope Myranda Will Tudor Olyvar Daniel Tuite Lothar Frey Tim Plester Black Walder Rivers Brenock O'Connor Olly Roger Ashton-Griffiths Mace Tyrell Pedro Pascal Oberyn Martell Yuri Kolokolnikov Styr Joseph Gatt Thenn warg Elizabeth Webster Walda Bolton Joel Fry Hizdahr zo Loraq Rupert Vansittart Yohn Royce Max von Sydow Three-Eyed Raven Kae Alexander Leaf Vladimir Furdik Night King Faye Marsay The Waif Michael Condron Bowen Marsh Hannah Waddingham Septa Unella Rosabell Laurenti Sellers Tyene Sand Jessica Henwick Nymeria Sand Keisha Castle-Hughes Obara Sand DeObia Oparei Areo Hotah Alexander Siddig Doran Martell Toby Sebastian Trystane Martell Ian Whyte Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun Richard Rycroft Maester Wolkan Staz Nair Qhono Bella Ramsey Lyanna Mormont Paul Rattray Harald Karstark Richard E. Grant Izembaro Joe Naufahu Khal Moro Essie Davis Lady Crane Leigh Gill Bobono Rob Callender Clarenzo Pilou Asbæk Euron Greyjoy Tim McInnerny Robett Glover James Faulkner Randyll Tarly Tom Hopper Dickon Tarly Jim Broadbent Archmaester Ebrose Brendan Cowell Harrag Megan Parkinson Alys Karstark ;Notes * In season 6, Hodor is portrayed by Sam Coleman (originally named Wylis) in flashback scenes. * In season 1, Gregor Clegane is portrayed by Conan Stevens and by Ian Whyte in season 2. * In seasons 1–2, Myrcella Baratheon is portrayed by Aimee Richardson. * In season 6, Rodrik Cassel is portrayed by Fergus Leathem in flashback scenes. * In season 6, Benjen Stark is portrayed by Matteo Elezi in flashback scenes. * In season 1, Rickard Karstark is portrayed by Steven Blount. * In season 1, Beric Dondarrion is portrayed by David Michael Scott. * In season 2, Selyse Florent is portrayed by uncredited extra Sarah MacKeever. * In seasons 3–5, Little Sam is portrayed by uncredited infant extras. * In season 3, Lothar Frey is portrayed by Tom Brooke. * In season 4, the Three-Eyed Raven is portrayed by Struan Rodger. * In season 4, Leaf is portrayed by Octavia Alexandru. * In seasons 4–5, the Night King is portrayed by Richard Brake. * In season 6, Dickon Tarly is portrayed by Freddie Stroma. ====Other characters==== ;Introduced in Season 1 * Dennis McKeever as an officer of the Night's Watch * David Bradley as Walder Frey * Andrew Wilde as Tobho Mott * Roger Allam as Illyrio Mopatis * Jefferson Hall as Hugh of the Vale * Margaret John as Old Nan * Mark Lewis Jones as Shagga * Bronson Webb as Will * Rob Ostlere as Waymar Royce * Dermot Keaney as Gared * John Standing as Jon Arryn * Rhodri Hosking as Mycah * Antonia Christophers as Mhaegen * Sahara Knite as Armeca Sahara Knite ;Introduced in Season 2 * Josephine Gillan as Marei * Sara Dylan as a handmaid * Patrick Malahide as Balon Greyjoy * Edward Dogliani and Ross O'Hennessy as the Lord of Bones * Lucian Msamati as Salladhor Saan * Andy Kellegher as Polliver * Roy Dotrice as Hallyne * Oliver Ford Davies as Maester Cressen * Maisie Dee as Daisy * David Coakley as Drennan * Peter Ballance as Farlen * Paul Caddell as Jacks * Aidan Crowe as Quent * Tyrone McElhennon as Torrhen Karstark * Anthony Morris as the Tickler * Slavko Juraga as the Silk King * Laura Pradelska as Quaithe * David Fynn as Rennick ;Introduced in Season 3 * Burn Gorman as Karl Tanner * Dean-Charles Chapman as Martyn Lannister * Timothy Gibbons as Willem Lannister * Alexandra Dowling as Roslin Tully * Mark Killeen as Mero * Ramon Tikaram as Prendahl na Ghezn * Will O'Connell as Todder * Pixie Le Knot as Kayla * Jamie Michie as Steelshanks Walton * Clifford Barry as Greizhen mo Ullhor * George Georgiou as Razdal mo Eraz ;Introduced in Season 4 * Mark Gatiss as Tycho Nestoris * Reece Noi as Mossador * Gary Oliver as Ternesio Terys * Lu Corfield as the Mole's Town madam * Lois Winstone as a Mole's Town prostitute * Alisdair Simpson as Donnel Waynwood * Paola Dionisotti as Anya Waynwood * Deirdre Monaghan as Morag * Jane McGrath as Sissy * Sarine Sofair as Lhara ;Introduced in Season 5 * Enzo Cilenti as Yezzan zo Qaggaz * Murray McArthur as Dim Dalba * Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Malko * Birgitte Hjort Sørensen as Karsi * Zahary Baharov as Loboda * J. J. Murphy as Denys Mallister * Ali Lyons as Johnna * Oengus MacNamara as the thin man * Hattie Gotobed as Ghita * Meena Rayann as Vala ;Introduced in Season 6 * Lucy Hayes as Kitty Frey * Dean S. Jagger as Smalljon Umber * Michael Feast as Aeron Greyjoy * Kevin Eldon as Camello * Eline Powell as Bianca * Gerald Lepkowski as Zanrush * Souad Faress as High Priestess of the Dosh Khaleen * Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Lem Lemoncloak * Sean Blowers as Wyman Manderly * Tom Varey as Cley Cerwyn * Samantha Spiro as Melessa Tarly * Rebecca Benson as Talla Tarly * Ania Bukstein as Kinvara * Ian McShane as Brother Ray * Ricky Champ as Gatins * Ian Davies as Morgan * Nathanael Saleh as Arthur * Annette Hannah as Frances * Eddie Jackson as Belicho Paenymion * Andrei Claude as Khal Rhalko * Tamer Hassan as Khal Forzho * Chuku Modu as Aggo * Deon Lee-Williams as Iggo * Hannah John-Kamen as Ornela ;Introduced in Season 7 * Harry Grasby as Ned Umber ;Introduced in Season 8 * Marc Rissmann as Harry Strickland * Bea Glancy as Teela ;Non-human characters cast * Ian Whyte as the giant Dongo the Doomed and various White Walkers * Ross Mullan as various White Walkers * Tim Loane as a White Walker * Neil Fingleton as the giant Mag Mar Tun Doh Weg * Spencer Wilding as a White Walker ;Flashbacks cast * Jodhi May as Maggy the Frog * Nell Williams as young Cersei Lannister * Isabella Steinbarth as Melara Hetherspoon * Sebastian Croft as child Eddard Stark * Matteo Elezi as child Benjen Stark * Cordelia Hill as child Lyanna Stark * Sam Coleman as young Wylis / Hodor * Annette Tierney as young Old Nan * Fergus Leathem as young Rodrik Cassel * Robert Aramayo as young Eddard Stark * Luke Roberts as Arthur Dayne * Eddie Eyre as Gerold Hightower * Leo Woodruff as young Howland Reed * Wayne Foskett as Rickard Stark * David Rintoul as Aerys 'The Mad King' Targaryen * Aisling Franciosi as Lyanna Stark * Wilf Scolding as Rhaegar Targaryen * Tom Chadbon as High Septon Maynard ==Main characters== ===Eddard "Ned" Stark=== Sean Bean '''Ned Stark''' (seasons 1, 6–7) portrayed by Sean Bean as an adult, Sebastian Croft as a child, and Robert Aramayo as a young adult. Eddard "Ned" Stark of House Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, becomes the Hand of the King after Lord Jon Arryn's death. He is known for his sense of honor and justice. He took part in Robert's Rebellion after his sister Lyanna was kidnapped by Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. When Ned's father and brother went south to reclaim her, the "Mad King" Aerys Targaryen burned both of them alive. Ned and Robert Baratheon led the rebellion to unseat him from the throne. As the show opens, Ned has been content to remain in the north, but after the death of Lord Jon Arryn, he is convinced that it is his duty to accept the position of Hand of the King. Ned is not interested in politics, and prefers to rule with honor and follow the law. While investigating the reason for the death of Jon Arryn, he discovers that all three of Robert's children with Queen Cersei were fathered by Cersei's twin brother Jaime. When Ned confronts Cersei about the truth, she has him imprisoned for treason after he publicly denounces Joffrey. Ned is convinced by Varys that if he goes to his death honorably, as he is prepared to do, his daughters will not suffer for it. To protect them, he sacrifices his honor and publicly declares that he was plotting to steal the throne and that Joffrey is the true king. Despite Cersei's promise that Ned would be allowed to join the Night's Watch in exile, Joffrey orders Ned's execution for his own amusement and later torments Sansa by forcing her to look at her father's head. His bones are later returned to Catelyn in the Stormlands by Petyr Baelish, who laments Ned's downfall and that he was too honorable to seize power through force, rather insisting the throne pass to Lord Stannis Baratheon, Robert's younger brother. Baelish's preferred course of action, revealed only to Ned, had been to seize Cersei and her children first and rule in Joffrey's name as Regent and Lord Protector. Ned's execution, however, is not in vain, since he notifies Stannis of the truth of Joffrey's parentage, and Stannis informs all of Westeros, which sets into motion the War of Five Kings against House Lannister. ===Robert Baratheon=== Mark Addy '''Robert Baratheon''' (season 1) portrayed by Mark Addy. Robert Baratheon of House Baratheon, formerly a fierce warrior, became King of the Seven Kingdoms after leading a rebellion against Aerys II Targaryen. He was betrothed to Ned Stark's sister Lyanna and loved her deeply, but she was kidnapped by Rhaegar Targaryen. Her father and another brother were killed when they went to King's Landing to reclaim her, which resulted in Robert and Ned Stark's revolt known as Robert's Rebellion, whereupon the Targaryens were all slaughtered or routed from the Kingdoms. Since Robert's family had closer ties to the former Royal family, he was put Robert on the Iron Throne. Now, Robert has grown fat and miserable; he has no more wars to fight, is surrounded by plotters and sycophants, hates and is bored by the constant work needed to manage the Kingdoms properly, and is trapped in a political marriage to the scheming Cersei Lannister, whom he has never loved. He is unaware that none of his three children are his, but instead Jaime Lannister's. Under his reign, the realm has been bankrupted and Robert is deeply in debt to his wife's family. Killed while hunting, he unknowingly leaves no rightful heir behind. His bastards are ordered dead by Joffrey, many of whom are killed, and Gendry is subsequently forced to flee the capital. ===Jaime Lannister=== Nikolaj Coster-Waldau '''Jaime Lannister''' portrayed by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Ser Jaime Lannister of House Lannister is a member of the Kingsguard and an exceptionally skilled swordsman. He is the Queen's twin brother and has carried on an incestuous love affair with her all his life, fathering all three of her living children. He truly does love his sister and will do anything, no matter how rash, to stay close to her. He is nicknamed "Kingslayer" for killing the previous King, Aerys II, whom he was sworn to protect. He was allowed to keep his post in the current Kingsguard as he and his influential father helped Robert win the war, but no one feels he deserves this post, which frustrates Jaime. Despite Eddard Stark's animosity against him for forsaking his oath to protect the King during Robert's Rebellion, Jaime has great respect for Eddard, whom he considers a great warrior and his equal. Unlike his father and sister, Jaime cares deeply about his younger brother Tyrion. ===Catelyn Stark=== Michelle Fairley '''Catelyn Stark''' (seasons 1–3) portrayed by Michelle Fairley. Catelyn Stark of House Stark and House Tully (née Tully), Lady of Winterfell, is the wife of Lord Eddard Stark. Born to the Lord and Lady of the Riverlands, she is the elder sister of Lysa Arryn, Lady of the Vale and Mistress of the Eyrie, and Lord Edmure Tully, Lord of Riverrun. ===Cersei Lannister=== Lena Headey '''Cersei Lannister''' portrayed by Lena Headey as an adult and Nell Williams as a child. Cersei Lannister of House Lannister and House Baratheon, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, is the wife of King Robert Baratheon. Her father arranged the marriage when she was a teenager, initiating himself as a political counselor for King Robert. The Lannisters are the richest family in Westeros, which is why Robert was interested in a marriage between them. Cersei has a twin brother, Jaime, with whom she has been involved in an incestuous affair from early childhood. All three of Cersei's children are Jaime's. Cersei's main character attribute is her desire for power and her deep loyalty to her father, children, and brother Jaime. Cersei learns that her husband Robert is in danger of finding out that the children he sees as his heirs to the throne are not his. Robert meets his end as the result of a boar attack on a hunting trip, before Ned Stark tells him of the truth about his children. Cersei works quickly to instate her oldest son, Joffrey, on the throne, with her as his chief political advisor and Queen Regent. ===Daenerys Targaryen=== Emilia Clarke '''Daenerys Targaryen''' portrayed by Emilia Clarke. Daenerys Targaryen is the exiled princess of the Targaryen dynasty. Also called "the Stormborn", she and her brother Viserys were smuggled to Essos during the end of Robert's Rebellion. For seventeen years, she has been under the care of Viserys, whom she fears, as he is abusive to her whenever she displeases him. In exchange for an army, Viserys marries her to the powerful Dothraki warlord Khal Drogo, making her a Khaleesi, a queen of the Dothraki. ===Jorah Mormont=== Iain Glen '''Jorah Mormont''' portrayed by Iain Glen. Ser Jorah Mormont of House Mormont is an exiled knight in the service of Daenerys Targaryen and the son of Jeor Mormont of the Night's Watch. To fund his wife's extravagant lifestyle, he sold poachers on his land to slave traders, which is illegal in the Seven Kingdoms. Rather than face punishment by Lord Stark, he fled to Essos and learned the lifestyle of the Dothraki who embrace him as one of their own and know him as "Jorah The Andal". Jorah serves as an adviser to the Targaryens on both political and cultural matters of both the Seven Kingdoms and Essos. Jorah is actually spying on the Targaryens for Lord Varys in exchange for a pardon on his crimes. But after learning more about Daenerys, Jorah falls in love with her and decides to protect her and help her regain the Iron Throne. After she is widowed, he remains with her and becomes the first knight of her Queensguard. ===Viserys Targaryen=== Harry Lloyd '''Viserys Targaryen''' (season 1) portrayed by Harry Lloyd. Viserys Targaryen is the exiled prince and heir of the Targaryen dynasty. Known as "the Beggar King" for his search for an army to recapture his throne. A narcissist, he is arrogant and self-centered, caring only about himself and looking down on others, especially his sister Daenerys. In exchange for an army to help regain the Iron Throne, Viserys marries off his sister to the powerful Dothraki warlord Khal Drogo and follows his horde's journey to the Dothraki capital to ensure Drogo will keep his end of the bargain. But as they journey, it becomes evident that Viserys does not have leadership skills to reclaim the throne and his arrogance and disrespect for the Dothraki does not win him any hearts. Furthermore, Daenerys, who he has always threatened throughout his life, starts to stand up to him. Realizing that Daenerys is loved by the Dothraki and her and Drogo's unborn son is prophesized to unite the world, Viserys realizes that it is not he, but Daenerys who will reclaim the Iron Throne. In a fit of drunken rage, he threatens Drogo to give him his army now or he will kill his unborn son. Having enough of his behavior, Drogo kills Viserys by giving him a "Golden Crown"; molten gold poured over his head. Daenerys later names one of her dragons Viserion, as a tribute to Viserys. ===Jon Snow=== '''Jon Snow''' portrayed by Kit Harington. Kit Harington Jon Snow of House Stark and the Night's Watch is the secret son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, though raised as the bastard son of Lyanna's brother, Ned Stark. In the first season, Jon joins the Night's Watch. Jon is a talented fighter, but his sense of compassion and justice brings him into conflict with his harsh surroundings. Ned claims that Jon's mother was a wet nurse named Wylla. His dire wolf is called Ghost due to his albinism and quiet nature. Jon soon learns that the Watch is no longer a glorious order, but is now composed mostly of society's rejects, including criminals and exiles. Initially, he has only contempt for his low-born brothers of the Watch, but he puts aside his prejudices and befriends his fellow recruits, especially Samwell Tarly, after they unite against the cruel master-at-arms, Ser Alliser Thorne. ===Sansa Stark=== Sophie Turner '''Sansa Stark''' portrayed by Sophie Turner. Sansa Stark of House Stark is the first daughter and second child of Eddard and Catelyn Stark. She was also the future bride of Prince Joffrey, and thus the future Queen of the Seven Kingdoms as well. She names her direwolf Lady; she is the smallest of the pack and the first to die, sentenced to death by Cersei after Arya's direwolf, Nymeria, bit a violent Joffrey. ===Arya Stark=== Maisie Williams '''Arya Stark''' portrayed by Maisie Williams. Arya Stark of House Stark is the younger daughter and third child of Lord Eddard and Catelyn Stark of Winterfell. Ever the tomboy, Arya would rather be training to use weapons than sewing with a needle. She names her direwolf Nymeria, after a legendary warrior queen. ===Robb Stark=== Richard Madden '''Robb Stark''' (seasons 1–3) portrayed by Richard Madden. Robb Stark of House Stark is the eldest son of Eddard and Catelyn Stark and the heir to Winterfell. His dire wolf is called Grey Wind. Robb becomes involved in the war against the Lannisters after his father, Ned Stark, is arrested for treason. Robb summons his bannermen for war against House Lannister and marches to the Riverlands. Eventually, crossing the river at the Twins becomes strategically necessary. To win permission to cross, Robb agrees to marry a daughter of Walder Frey, Lord of the Twins. Robb leads the war effort against the Lannisters and successfully captures Jaime. After Ned is executed, the North and the Riverlands declare their independence from the Seven Kingdoms and proclaim Robb as their new King, "the King in the North". He wins a succession of battles in Season 2, earning him the nickname the Young Wolf. However, he feels that he botched the political aspects of war. He sends Theon to the Iron Islands hoping that he can broker an alliance with Balon Greyjoy, Theon's father. In exchange for Greyjoy support, Robb as King in the North will recognize the Iron Islands' independence. He also sends his mother Catelyn to deal with Stannis Baratheon and Renly Baratheon, both of whom are fighting to be the rightful king. Theon and Catelyn fail in their missions, and Balon launches an invasion of the North. Robb falls in love with Talisa Maegyr, a healer from Volantis due to her kindness and spirit. Despite his mother's protest, Robb breaks his engagement with the Freys and marries Talisa in the 2nd-season finale. On news of his grandfather, Lord Hoster Tully's, death, Robb and his party travel north to Riverrun for the funeral, where the young king is reunited with his great-uncle, Ser Brynden "Blackfish" Tully, and his uncle, Edmure Tully, the new lord of Riverrun. While at Riverrun, Robb makes the decision to execute Lord Rickard Karstark for the murders of two teenage squires related to the Lannisters, a decision that loses the support of the Karstarks and leads Robb to make the ultimately fatal decision to ask the Freys for their alliance. He is killed in the Red Wedding Massacre, after witnessing the murder of his pregnant wife and their child. Lord Bolton personally executes Robb, stabbing him through the heart while taunting that "the Lannisters send their regards", in fact a promise made to Jaime (who had no knowledge of Bolton's impending treason) when leaving for the Twins. His corpse is later decapitated and Grey Wind's head is sewn on and paraded around as the Stark forces are slaughtered by the Boltons and Freys ===Theon Greyjoy=== Alfie Allen '''Theon Greyjoy''' portrayed by Alfie Allen. Theon Greyjoy of House Greyjoy is the youngest son of Lord Balon Greyjoy of the Iron Islands. He is the hostage and ward of Lord Eddard Stark, stemming from the failed Greyjoy Rebellion. Despite his position, he remains loyal to Eddard and is good friends with his sons Robb and Jon. In Season 8, he dies protecting Bran Stark, now the Three-Eyed Raven, from the Night King. ===Brandon "Bran" Stark=== Isaac Hempstead Wright '''Bran Stark''' (seasons 1–4, 6–8) portrayed by Isaac Hempstead Wright. Brandon "Bran" Stark of House Stark is the second son and fourth child of Eddard and Catelyn Stark. He was named after his deceased uncle, Brandon. His dire wolf is called Summer. During the King's visit to Winterfell, he accidentally came across Cersei and Jaime Lannister engaging in sex, following which Bran is shoved from the window by Jaime, permanently crippling his legs. ===Joffrey Baratheon=== Jack Gleeson '''Joffrey Baratheon''' (seasons 1–4) portrayed by Jack Gleeson. Joffrey Baratheon of House Baratheon is the Crown Prince of the Seven Kingdoms. He is the eldest of Cersei Lannister's children and heir to the Iron Throne. Vicious and cruel, he has a short temper and believes he can do anything he wants. He is also a coward when confronted by those who aren't afraid of him. Joffrey is also unaware that King Robert is not his real father – who, in reality, is Jaime Lannister. After Robert's death, the Lannisters make Joffrey the King against his father's will, and Joffrey becomes a cruel ruler and a Puppet King used by his mother. ===Sandor Clegane=== Rory McCann '''Sandor Clegane''' (seasons 1–4, 6–8) portrayed by Rory McCann. Sandor Clegane, nicknamed "the Hound", for his savage nature, is the younger brother of Ser Gregor Clegane and a retainer to House Lannister. He is also Joffrey Baratheon's personal bodyguard. The right side of his face was grievously burned when he was only a boy after his brother accused him of stealing one of his toys and pushed Sandor's face into a brazier, leaving the right side of his face hideously scarred, and a lifelong fear of fire. He is taciturn and brutal, but not without compassion. He is protective towards Sansa after she is captured by the Lannisters. After Joffrey becomes King, Sandor is made a member of the Kingsguard. Although he is still faithful to Joffrey, he frequently defends Sansa from Joffrey's attempts to shame and physically abuse her. ===Tyrion Lannister=== Peter Dinklage '''Tyrion Lannister''' portrayed by Peter Dinklage. Nicknamed "the Imp" or "Halfman", Tyrion Lannister of House Lannister is the younger brother of Cersei and Jaime Lannister. He is a dwarf; and his mother died during his birth, for which his father, Tywin Lannister, blames him. While not physically powerful, Tyrion has a cunning mind and often uses to his advantage the fact that others constantly underestimate him. ===Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish=== Aidan Gillen '''Petyr Baelish''' (seasons 1–7) portrayed by Aidan Gillen. Lord Petyr Baelish, nicknamed "Littlefinger", is the Master of Coin in King Robert Baratheon's Small Council. He grew up with Catelyn Tully and fought Ned's brother Brandon for her hand. Petyr is a master manipulator who knows the ongoing affairs within the Seven Kingdoms thanks to his spies. While Petyr at first is assumed to be an ally of Ned, he secretly resents him for marrying Catelyn and so he betrayed him when he tried to arrest Joffrey and Cersei. Despite that, Petyr aims to take the Iron Throne to punish the powerful nobles who used to look down on him. ===Davos Seaworth=== Liam Cunningham '''Davos Seaworth''' (seasons 2–8) portrayed by Liam Cunningham. Ser Davos Seaworth, also known as "the Onion Knight", is a former smuggler and knight in the service of Stannis Baratheon; he serves as one of Stannis's most trusted advisers. In his smuggling days, he was said to handle a ship at night better than anyone. Before the events of the series, he earned his knighthood by smuggling fish and onions to the besieged Stannis Baratheon and his army during Robert Baratheon's rebellion. Before knighting him, Stannis removed the last joints from four fingers on his right hand as punishment for his years of smuggling; believing these joints bought his family a better future, Davos keeps them in a pouch around his neck for luck. ===Samwell Tarly=== John Bradley '''Samwell Tarly''' portrayed by John Bradley. Samwell Tarly of House Tarly and the Night's Watch is the eldest son and former heir of Lord Randyll Tarly, is a new recruit to the Night's Watch. He was sent to the Wall by his father, who disowned him for his cowardice. He becomes Jon's best friend after Jon conspires with the others in their trainee class to go easy on him. While not a warrior, he is very smart and insightful. He is inducted into the Stewards and assigned to Maester Aemon. ===Stannis Baratheon=== Stephen Dillane '''Stannis Baratheon''' (seasons 2–5) portrayed by Stephen Dillane. Stannis Baratheon of House Baratheon, Lord of Dragonstone, is the elder of Robert Baratheon's younger brothers. A brooding, humorless man known for a hard and unyielding sense of justice, he is obsessed with slights real and imagined. With Robert dying, Ned sends him a letter appointing him as the legitimate heir and becomes another challenger for the Iron Throne after his alleged nephew Joffrey becomes King. ===Melisandre=== Carice van Houten '''Melisandre''' (seasons 2–8) portrayed by Carice van Houten. Also known as "the Red Woman", a priestess of R'hllor in service to Stannis Baratheon. Melisandre has prophetic powers that give her partial knowledge of future events. Unlike many other people in Westeros with access to prophecy, Melisandre has absolute faith in her own interpretation, even though she is sometimes wrong. Melisandre believes Stannis is the chosen one who will convert the people of Westeros into followers of R'hllor. ===Jeor Mormont=== James Cosmo '''Jeor Mormont''' (seasons 1–3) portrayed by James Cosmo. Jeor Mormont, the 997th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, is the estranged father of Ser Jorah. He gave up his lands to serve the Night's Watch. His son's shaming of their house weighs heavily on him. He personally requests that Jon Snow be made his personal steward, and gives him the Hand-and-a-Half sword (also known as a bastard sword) of their house, Longclaw. He has the pommel reshaped into a wolf's head. To investigate the return of wights, the disappearance of several Rangers, and rumors of a wildling army, Jeor leads an expeditionary force beyond the Wall in Season 2. In Season 3, after returning to Craster's Keep, he is slain by Rast in the ensuing mutiny, but manages to strangle him before succumbing to his wounds. His death ignites Maester Aemon's call for the lords of Westeros to aid the Night's Watch, which convinces Stannis Baratheon the time is ripe to fight the onslaught of the White Walkers. His corpse is apparently desecrated afterwards, as in season 4, Karl Tanner is shown drinking wine from a skull he claims is Jeor's. ===Bronn=== Jerome Flynn '''Bronn''' portrayed by Jerome Flynn. Bronn is a sellsword with a sardonic sense of humor. He initially serves under Catelyn Stark and aids her in arresting Tyrion Lannister and taking him to the Vale to stand trial for the murder of Jon Arryn and attempted murder of Bran Stark. During the trial, Bronn realises that Tyrion will most likely be executed by the insane Lysa Arryn despite the impossibility of his guilt, and volunteers to fight for Tyrion when he demands a trial by combat. Bronn defeats Lysa Arryn's champion and becomes Tyrion's companion and protector, accompanying him back to King's Landing. ===Varys=== Conleth Hill '''Varys''' portrayed by Conleth Hill. Varys, sometimes called The Spider, is a major character in the second, third, fourth and fifth seasons. He initially appeared as a recurring character in the first season and debuted in "Lord Snow". Varys is bald and tends towards fat, due to his castration. He is the Master of Whisperers, the King's foremost spymaster and intelligence agent. He holds no inherited title, castle or lands in Westeros, but is called "Lord" as a courtesy due to his position on the council, which traditionally is made up of high lords. He is a skilled manipulator and commands a network of informants across two continents. He often puts on the public persona of being nothing more than a pudgy man well suited to the pleasantries of court life; humble, obsequious, fawning, and a little effeminate. This is simply a facade that Varys has developed, which often leads those who do not know him well to underestimate him as a cheerful and vapid flatterer. In reality he is a cunning and ruthless manipulator of court politics, on-par with Master of Coin Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish, with whom he frequently spars. ===Shae=== Sibel Kekilli '''Shae''' (seasons 1–4) portrayed by Sibel Kekilli. Shae is a young camp follower in whom Tyrion Lannister takes particular interest. She is from Lorath, one of the Free Cities across the Narrow Sea. Tyrion falls in love with her and in order to hide her from his father, Tyrion appoints Shae to be Sansa's handmaiden. As her handmaiden, Shae is the only person Sansa trusts and confides to her about her problems and what she really thinks about the Lannisters. In turn, Shae becomes protective of Sansa and attempts to help her in any way she can. In Season 3, she becomes jealous of Tyrion after his marriage to Sansa and is confronted by Varys, who urges her to leave the Seven Kingdoms, which she refuses to do, thinking that Tyrion has something to do with Varys talking to her. In Season 4, Tyrion is forced to send Shae away from King's Landing on a ship after her presence is discovered by Cersei and his father is told, insulting her in the process. Shae, however, does not leave King's Landing, and resurfaces at Tyrion's trial for murdering Joffrey, where she falsely claims that both Tyrion and Sansa were responsible for Joffrey's death. It is revealed, however, that Shae was having an affair with Tywin. After Tyrion is freed by Jaime, he finds Shae sleeping in Tywin's bed, making him realise the horrible truth. Shae attempts to kill Tyrion with a knife, but he strangles her to death both in self-defense and out of anger for her betrayal. ===Margaery Tyrell=== Natalie Dormer '''Margaery Tyrell''' (seasons 2–6) portrayed by Natalie Dormer. Margaery of House Tyrell is the only daughter of Lord Mace Tyrell, and has recently married the late King Robert's brother, Renly Baratheon, as part of House Tyrell's support for his bid to seize the Iron Throne from King Joffrey. Somewhere in her mid to late twenties, she is surprisingly canny and cunning. She is aware of her husband's homosexual orientation and inclinations towards her brother. Despite her knowledge of this, she actively attempts to become pregnant as to secure the alliance between their families. When Renly is killed, the Tyrells ally with House Lannister and she is planned to marry to King Joffrey. In a departure from her characterization in the novels, where her personal motivations are unclear, Margaery's naked ambition is made obvious. ===Tywin Lannister=== Charles Dance '''Tywin Lannister''' (seasons 1–5) portrayed by Charles Dance. Lord of Casterly Rock, Shield of Lannisport and Warden of the West, Tywin of House Lannister is a calculating, ruthless, and controlling man. He is also the former Hand of King Aerys II. He is the father of Cersei, Jaime, and Tyrion. After Eddard Stark's arrest, Joffrey names him Hand of the King once more, but after Jaime is taken captive by the Starks, Eddard is unexpectedly executed by Joffrey, and Renly and Stannis Baratheon challenge Joffrey's claim to the throne; Tywin elects to remain in the field commanding his forces until he wins his war, and in the meantime gives the position of Hand of the King to Tyrion. ===Talisa Maegyr=== Oona Chaplin '''Talisa Stark''' (seasons 2–3) portrayed by Oona Chaplin. Talisa Maegyr is a healer working on the battlefields of the War of the Five Kings. She claims to be from the Free City of Volantis. No character named Talisa appears in the books. Oona Chaplin was originally announced to play a character called Jeyne, which many thought to mean she would play Jeyne Westerling, a character from the books. Talisa follows Robb Stark's army camp as it moves. One day as they talk they are interrupted by news that Catelyn has released Robb's key prisoner Jaime Lannister. Talisa later goes to comfort Robb. After she reveals more of her past to him, they admit their shared feelings for one another and sleep together. Talisa and Robb marry in secret before a septon and she becomes a Stark. In season 3, Talisa reveals that she is pregnant, although she and her unborn child are stabbed to death by Lothar Frey in the Red Wedding Massacre, the first in the hall to be attacked. ===Ygritte=== Rose Leslie '''Ygritte''' (seasons 2–4) portrayed by Rose Leslie. A Wildling girl with red hair ("kissed by fire", a sign of luck among the Wildlings) and a follower of Mance Rayder. In Season 2, she is captured in the Skirling Pass by Jon Snow and Qhorin Halfhand. She manages to escape, but is recaptured by Jon, separating him from his brothers in the process. Later she leads him into Rattleshirt's ambush. After this they lead Jon to Mance Rayder's wildling camp, where he pretends to defect to the Wildlings to discover their plans. She then travels with him to the wall, and during this journey she seduces him. However, when confronted with killing an innocent horse farmer for the watch who scaled the wall, Jon escapes the wildling's clutches on horseback. But while resting, Ygritte manages to catch up with Jon at which point she confesses her love for him and then, blinded by tears, shoots him multiple times while he escapes towards the wall. In Season 4, Ygritte starts raiding villages south of the wall with her group, clearly thirsting for vengeance against Jon, although Tormund suspects she let him go. When the wildlings attack Mole's Town, Ygritte slaughters all the women present, but notices Gilly hiding with her baby son, and spares her life. When the wildlings finally reach Castle Black and attack, Ygritte kills many Night's Watch brothers with her archery skills, among them Pyp. When confronted by Jon, however, she cannot bring herself to shoot him, and is shot in the back by Olly, a boy whose father Ygritte previously killed. Ygritte subsequently dies in Jon's arms, and her body is later burned by Jon himself, separately from the other soldiers, in her homeland, north of the Wall. ===Gendry=== Joe Dempsie '''Gendry''' (seasons 1–3, 7–8) portrayed by Joe Dempsie. Gendry is an apprentice blacksmith in King's Landing and an unacknowledged bastard of King Robert. Gendry shows promise as a smith and makes a helmet in the shape of a bull's head; Eddard compliments the helmet, offering to purchase it. Gendry refuses, to the shame of the master smith. After Eddard Stark's fall and eventual execution, arrangements are made for Yoren of the Night's Watch to take Gendry to the Wall with him; he travels North with Yoren and other recruits, including Arry, Lommy Greenhands, Hot Pie and Jaqen H'ghar. During their journey, they are stopped by the Goldcloaks, who demand that Yoren give up Gendry as King Joffrey wants all of his father's bastards killed but are forced to leave by Yoren. Later, Gendry reveals to Arry that he knows she is a girl disguised as a boy all along and is surprised to learn she is Arya, Ned Stark's daughter. After the Goldcloaks get help from Ser Amory Lorch and his men who kill Yoren, Gendry's life is saved by Arya when she lies to the Goldcloaks that Lommy, who was killed during the attack, was Gendry. Gendry and the rest of recruits are sent to Harrenhal where Ser Gregor Clegane arbitrarily has many of the prisoners tortured and killed. Gendry was about to suffer this fate but is saved by the arrival of Lord Tywin Lannister, who chides Clegane's men for their reckless behavior. Thanks to Jaqen, Arya, Gendry and Hot Pie are able to escape Harrenhal. As they head towards the Riverlands, the group encounters the Brotherhood Without Banners, a group of Outlaws that defend the weak. Inspired, he decides to join the Brotherhood but is betrayed by them when they sell him to Lady Melisandre as ordered by the Lord of Light. Melisandre later reveals to Gendry that King Robert was his father and she is bringing him to meet his uncle, King Stannis. But in truth, Melisandre and Stannis planned to use him for her blood magic where Stannis uses his nephew's blood to make a death curse on the usurpers to his throne, Joffrey, Robb, and Balon Greyjoy. Before they can use him as a sacrifice, Davos Seaworth helps Gendry escape and puts him on a boat to King's Landing. Unable to swim or row, Gendry is nevertheless convinced that the Red Woman has a surer death in store for him, and Davos asks him to "have a bowl'o brown for me" when returning to Flea Bottom. In Season 7 Davos, on a clandestine visit to King's Landing, seeks out Gendry and finds him working as a smith. Gendry needs no persuading to go with Davos to Dragonstone. There he meets Jon Snow and volunteers to go with Jon on a mission north of the Wall to capture a wight. During the mission, he is sent back to the Wall to summon help. He gets word to Daenerys and later leaves with the others on the Targaryen ship. ===Tormund Giantsbane=== Kristofer Hivju '''Tormund Giantsbane''' (seasons 3–8) portrayed by Kristofer Hivju. A wildling raider known for his many titles, "Giantsbane" being foremost. Loud and gregarious, he is one of Mance's top generals, fierce and terrible in combat. Tormund takes a liking to Jon after he joins them and even gives him advice over his relationship with Ygritte. ===Brienne of Tarth=== Gwendoline Christie '''Brienne of Tarth''' (seasons 2–8) portrayed by Gwendoline Christie. A former member of Renly Baratheon's Kingsguard. She is a highly trained and skilled warrior made dangerous by the fact that men underestimate her. She is considered ugly because she is abnormally large in height and build, androgynous, and stronger than most men. She wishes to prove her valor in a worthy cause to win respect and acceptance. She becomes infatuated with Renly after he shows her kindness and courtesy, and she wins a place in his Kingsguard after winning a tournament melee against Ser Loras. Renly trusts Brienne because of her loyalty and her willingness to die for him. She is present at Renly's death and is falsely accused of his murder. ===Ramsay Bolton=== Iwan Rheon '''Ramsay Bolton''' (seasons 3–6) portrayed by Iwan Rheon. The illegitimate son of Roose Bolton, Ramsay Snow of House Bolton is cruel, sadistic and very cunning. After the Ironborn captures Winterfell, he marches on the castle's token garrison and offers it safe passage for surrender; after the gates are opened, he captures Theon and flays the other defenders. ===Gilly=== Hannah Murray '''Gilly''' (seasons 2–8) portrayed by Hannah Murray. A young wildling girl who lives north of the Wall, Gilly is one of many daughters of Craster, a wildling who takes all his daughters as wives once they grow up into women. She has a son with her father Craster. Samwell falls for her and becomes protective of her. ===Daario Naharis=== Michiel Huisman '''Daario Naharis''' (seasons 3–6) portrayed by Ed Skrein in season 3, and by Michiel Huisman from season 4 onwards. Daario is a confident and seductive warrior who is a lieutenant in the Second Sons, a group of 2000 mercenaries. Daario has an unusual code of honor: he won't sleep with sex workers or kill innocents as he believes in making love with women who want to make love with him and killing those who want to kill him. Under the leadership of his Captain Mero and second in command Prendhal na Ghezn, the Second Sons were hired by the Slaver city Yunkai to fight against Daenerys' army. ===Missandei=== Nathalie Emmanuel '''Missandei''' (seasons 3–8) portrayed by Nathalie Emmanuel Personal servant to Daenerys Targaryen. She was freed from being a slave working as translator for Kraznys mo Nakloz when Daenerys insisted during negotiations with Kraznys mo Nakloz that Missandei be given to her as a gift. She effectively serves as the replacement of Doreah after she betrayed Daenerys in Qarth. She later begins to teach Grey Worm how to speak the common tongue, and they develop romantic feelings for each other, despite Grey Worm being an Unsullied who was castrated at youth. She is visibly saddened when another Unsullied, White Rat, is killed in a brothel by the Sons of the Harpy. After Grey Worm is almost killed in an attack, Missandei kisses him after he reveals that for the first time, he felt fear, since he thought he would never see her again. On the opening day of the fighting games, the Sons of the Harpy launch another attack. Missandei is narrowly saved by Tyrion Lannister, and watches as Daenerys flies away on Drogon. She later remains in Meereen with Tyrion and Grey Worm to help keep the city together. Despite an attack by the slaver masters' fleet, Meereen is saved when Daenerys returns with the Dothraki and unleashes her dragons on the fleet, which Missandei witnesses. She later accompanies Daenerys on her voyage back to Westeros. She makes love with Grey Worm and worries for him when he is sent to attack Casterly Rock. In season 8, she is beheaded by the Mountain under Cersei's orders. ===Ellaria Sand=== Indira Varma '''Ellaria Sand''' (seasons 4–7) portrayed by Indira Varma. The sexually promiscuous paramour of Oberyn Martell, she is the mother of the four youngest Sand Snakes. She is later present at Tyrion's trial by combat, where Oberyn fights Gregor Clegane in Tyrion's name, and is horrified when Oberyn is killed. ===Tommen Baratheon=== Dean-Charles Chapman '''Tommen Baratheon''' (seasons 1–2, 4–6) portrayed by Callum Whaary in seasons 1 and 2, and by Dean-Charles Chapman from season 4 onwards. Tommen Baratheon of House Baratheon is the prince presented as the youngest son of King Robert Baratheon and Queen Cersei Lannister. Like his older siblings Joffrey and Myrcella his actual father is his uncle Ser Jaime Lannister. Like his sister he is good-natured and passive in contrast to his brother Joffrey and is fond of his uncle Tyrion. ===Jaqen H'ghar=== Tom Wlaschiha '''"Jaqen H'ghar"''' (seasons 2, 5–6) portrayed by Tom Wlaschiha. Sly, enigmatic, and a dangerous criminal, Jaqen is part of Yoren's group of recruits taken from King's Landing to join the Night's Watch. A foreigner from Braavos, though he originally claims Lorath, he speaks in third person, referring to himself as "a man". ===Roose Bolton=== '''Roose Bolton''' (seasons 2–6) portrayed by Michael McElhatton. A Bannerman of the North and Lord of the Dreadfort. The Bolton family have a nasty history of keeping to very old, and barbaric ways, including flaying their enemies alive, and Roose is no exception, being suspected of not feeling any emotion. His cunning makes him a valuable ally, but his unpredictable nature makes him a dangerous one. ===The High Sparrow=== Jonathan Pryce '''The High Sparrow''' (seasons 5–6) portrayed by Jonathan Pryce. A devout and pious man, the High Sparrow came to King's Landing after Tywin Lannister's death to serve the poor, downtrodden and infirm. He quickly amasses a large following, including Cersei's cousin and former lover Lancel, who swarm over the city, ministering to the needy and denouncing corruption. He is first noticed by Cersei Lannister when his followers assault and humiliate the High Septon at a brothel. ===Grey Worm=== Jacob Anderson '''Grey Worm''' (seasons 3–8) portrayed by Jacob Anderson. A captain of the Unsullied, a group of eunuch slave soldiers. His name is pronounced in Valyrian and was chosen by his Astapor slave masters, who choose new names for the Unsullied which are designed to humiliate them and make them think they are not human. Despite this, Grey Worm chose to keep his current name because it was his name on the day Daenerys freed the Unsullied, so he considers it to be a lucky name. He is loyal to Daenerys and doesn't like those who insult her. He develops feelings for Missandei, which appear to be reciprocated, and has a friendly rivalry with Daario Naharis. He is gravely injured in Meereen in an attack by the Sons of the Harpy, but ultimately survives. After Daenerys's disappearance, Grey Worm partially recovers from his injuries and remains in Meereen to help Tyrion Lannister govern the city and maintain peace with the slave masters. When the slave masters go back on the deal and attack Meereen with ships, only to be countered by Daenerys's dragons, Grey Worm kills Razdal mo Eraz and Belicho Paenymion, and later accompanies Daenerys and her retinue on their voyage to Westeros. From her stronghold on Dragonstone, Daenerys sends Grey Worm and his army to take Casterly Rock. The night before Grey Worm admits to Missandei that now he has her to love, he has begun to know what fear is. They make love. Grey Worm expects Casterly Rock to be hard to win and is surprised to find it barely manned: the capture is effected with ease. He then takes his army east and is outside King's Landing when Daenerys and Cersei meet in the Dragonpit. ==Recurring characters== ===House Arryn=== * '''Robin Arryn''' (seasons 1, 4–6, 8) portrayed by Lino Facioli. Lino Facioli Robin Arryn, Lord of the Eyrie and Defender of the Vale, is the only child of Jon and Lysa Arryn and a sickly boy doted on by his mother. He is still breastfed despite being well into pre-adolescence, and is mentally and socially maladjusted. He enjoys seeing people executed by defenestration, whether they are guilty or not (of note, Robin seems to enjoy seeing ''anything'' fall through the moon door, since the first thing he does when Petyr Baelish brings him a toy is to gleefully throw it through the moon door). In Season 1, he is present at Tyrion Lannister's trial, but shows little to no interest in the details and continuously begs his mother to make the "little Lannister baby-man" fly, which would mean Tyrion being executed, although Tyrion is acquitted. In Season 4, he greets Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish as "Uncle Petyr" and meets his cousin, Sansa Stark, for the first time. Lysa later mentions in conversation that Robin and Sansa are to be betrothed. However, tensions arise between them when Robin ruins Sansa's snow castle of Winterfell and Sansa slaps Robin in retaliation. After Lysa is killed, Petyr proposes that Robin be taken on several tours of the Vale so as to prepare him for ruling it one day as its new Lord, though Petyr implies that his intention is for Robin to be killed in the process. In season 5, Robin is being trained in the art of fighting, but lacks the skill and determination due to his upbringing. Petyr leaves him in the care of Yohn Royce. In season 6, Robin is informed of Sansa's escape from House Bolton, and through Petyr's manipulations, Robin gives the order for the Knights of the Vale to aid her and Jon Snow against Ramsay Bolton. * '''Yohn Royce''' (season 4–8) portrayed by Rupert Vansittart.Rupert Vansittart Yohn Royce, known as "Bronze Yohn", is the head of House Royce of Runestone, a powerful vassal house of House Arryn. Like Lady Waynwood, he suspects Petyr Baelish of having murdered Lysa Arryn, but her death is eventually ruled a suicide. In season 5, he takes Robin Arryn in as his ward. In the sixth season, he is summoned by Baelish to lead the Knights of the Vale to aid Sansa Stark and Jon Snow against the Boltons. In the aftermath, after voicing his disapproval of the wildlings, Yohn joins the Northern Lords in proclaiming Jon the new King in the North. When Baelish is accused by Sansa of Lysa's murder, Yohn supports Sansa's decision to try Baelish. * '''Anya Waynwood''' (season 4) portrayed by Paola Dionisotti. Lady Anya Waynwood is the head of House Waynwood, a powerful vassal house of House Arryn. She suspects Petyr Baelish of murdering Lysa Arryn, but the death is ruled a suicide. * '''Lysa Arryn''' (seasons 1, 4) portrayed by Kate Dickie. Kate Dickie Lysa Arryn (née Tully), currently Mistress of the Eyrie, is the widow of Lord Jon Arryn. Born to the Lord and Lady of the Riverlands, she is the younger sister of Catelyn Stark, Lady of Winterfell, and the older sister of Lord Edmure Tully, Lord of Riverrun. She has grown mentally unstable since the death of her husband, and is convinced that as long as she stays boarded up in the Eyrie she will be safe. Justice for her husband rarely crosses her mind, unless exacting it doesn't mean bestirring herself or her guards from her castle. She is also overly protective of her son, Robin Arryn, which has made him a weak and spoiled child. In season 1, Lysa sends Catelyn a letter suggesting that the Lannisters were responsible for the death of Jon Arryn, which prompts Catelyn to investigate. Tyrion Lannister is later taken before Lysa to face justice for attempting to murder Bran Stark. Though Tyrion is innocent, Lysa appears uninterested in the details and even accuses him of murdering Jon. Lysa loses when Tyrion demands a trial by combat and Tyrion's champion, Bronn, wins. She later receives word that Robb Stark is marching on King's Landing to rescue Ned Stark, who has been wrongfully imprisoned, but fails to tell Catelyn. Catelyn confronts her and pleads for help, but Lysa refuses to provide Catelyn with more men, since her only concern is Robin's safety. By season 3, the Vale has remained untouched by the war, and she is betrothed to Littlefinger, who travels to the Vale to marry her. In season 4, it is revealed that Lysa and Littlefinger have been having an affair for quite some time, and are the ones responsible for poisoning Jon Arryn and (though indirectly) Joffrey Baratheon. When Littlefinger returns from King's Landing with Sansa Stark, Lysa greets her niece warmly and insists on marrying Littlefinger that same day. Later, however, Lysa accuses Sansa of seducing Littlefinger, but when Sansa insists that she did not, Lysa immediately calms down and tells Sansa that she is to marry Robin. However, Lysa catches Petyr kissing Sansa and angrily confronts Sansa about it, threatening to push her through the moon door, but Petyr intervenes and pacifies Lysa, before telling her that the one woman he only truly ever loved was Catelyn, and pushing her through the moon door to her death. Her death is ruled a suicide thanks to lies by Petyr and Sansa. ===House Baratheon=== * '''Myrcella Baratheon''' (seasons 1–2, 5–6) portrayed by Aimee Richardson on season 1 and 2, and by Nell Tiger Free on seasons 5 and 6. Aimee Richardson The Royal Princess, Myrcella is the younger sister of Prince Joffrey and only daughter of Cersei Lannister. She, like her brothers, is also the child of her mother's brother, Jaime, though she remains unaware of this. Unlike her older brother Joffrey, Myrcella is a kind and good person and enjoys being with her uncle Tyrion who in turn dotes on his niece. As part of an alliance between House Lannisters and Martell, Myrcella is betrothed to Trystane Martell, son of Prince Doran Martell of Dorne, and sent to Dorne as a ward of House Martell. For over two years, she has been a guest and ward of Prince Doran, betrothed to his son, but her position has become tenuous with the death of Oberyn Martell, the Prince's brother. In season 5, Myrcella is shown at the Water Gardens with her betrothed, with whom she seems to have a good relationship. Unbeknownst to her, she has become a part of Ellaria Sand's plans for revenge although Prince Doran refuses that the young princess be hurt as part of their revenge against the Lannisters. Myrcella is nearly taken by the Sand Snakes but is rescued by the Prince's Guard. She later tells her uncle that she now considers Dorne her home and wants to marry Trystane. A while later, Prince Doran allows her to return to the capital with Jaime on the condition that Trystane accompany them, where he will become a member of the Small Council. On the jetty, about to board the ship, she forgives Ellaria Sand, who unexpectedly gives her a kiss on the mouth. On board the ship, Jaime awkwardly attempts to explain the true nature of his relationship with her mother, to which Myrcella responds that she already knows, having "felt" it for a long time. Jaime embraces his daughter, only to discover in horror that she is bleeding from a poison imbued orally by Ellaria. She collapses and dies in his arms. In season 6, her body is returned to King's Landing and laid to rest in the Great Sept of Baelor. Her funeral is attended only by Jaime and Tommen. * '''Selyse Florent''' (seasons 2–5) portrayed by Tara Fitzgerald.Tara Fitzgerald Selyse Baratheon (née Florent) is the wife of Stannis Baratheon who is kept locked in a tower on Dragonstone. She married Stannis sometime before the events of Robert's Rebellion. Selyse is a fervent worshiper of R'hllor and a supporter of Melisandre. She keeps the preserved corpses of her stillborn sons in jars in her chambers, seemingly even to Stannis's disgust, but expresses resentment over their daughter, Shireen, who suffers from greyscale and who Selyse sees as a demon, though she is only stopped from abusing her by Stannis. She later accompanies her husband to the Wall, and is present at the funeral of the Night's Watch brothers who died in the Battle of Castle Black. She witnesses Mance Rayder's execution and accompanies her husband on the march to Winterfell. After their army becomes trapped in a blizzard, she accepts Melisandre's advice to have Shireen sacrificed as a gift to the Lord of Light, only to recant in the last moments, refusing to stand by as her daughter burns to death. Restrained by Baratheon soldiers, she collapses in screams of agony. The next morning, Selyse hangs herself out of grief. * '''Shireen Baratheon''' (seasons 3–5) portrayed by Kerry Ingram.Kerry Ingram Shireen is the young daughter of Stannis Baratheon and Selyse Florent. Her face is disfigured by the disease Greyscale, but she is not yet crippled by it. She is a friend of Davos Seaworth and visits him during his captivity at Dragonstone with books, convincing him to teach himself to read, which he does. Though she does not get on well with Melisandre and has a bleak relationship with her mother, she shares a strong bond with her father, who loves her dearly. She later accompanies her father to the Wall, where she witnesses the funeral of the Night's Watch brothers who died in the Battle of Castle Black, as well as the execution of Mance Rayder, and also becomes friends with Gilly and Samwell Tarly. She is sacrificed to the Red God, when Stannis' army is stuck in a snow storm on the way to Winterfell, crying out for her parents who witness her death in tears. This leads to the departure of half of Stannis's army and Stannis losing the battle against the Boltons. * '''Renly Baratheon''' (seasons 1–2) portrayed by Gethin Anthony. Renly Baratheon, Lord of Storm's End, is the youngest brother of King Robert and Master of Laws in the Small Council. He is popular with the people because he is handsome, jovial, and throws extravagant balls and masquerades. He is not fond of fighting or bloodshed, and would rather make friends than kill enemies. He is secretly the lover of Ser Loras Tyrell, the Knight of the Flowers, who convinces him that those qualities make him better ruling material than either of his older brothers. While Robert lies dying, Renly attempts to convince Ned of this, and that the two of them should kidnap Joffrey and rule the realm themselves. However, Ned refuses, so Renly, Loras, and their followers flee south. Once Joffrey becomes King and has Ned executed, Renly challenges his alleged nephew's claim to the throne. Renly declares himself King of the Seven Kingdoms during Season 2 and wins the support of the Baratheon bannermen and the support of other houses, despite Stannis' better claim. He also seals an alliance with the powerful House Tyrell and its bannermen (including Randyll Tarly, father of Samwell Tarly) by marrying Margaery Tyrell. He leads his massive army slowly through southern Westeros, biding his time. Catelyn Stark tries to convince Renly and Stannis to put aside their differences and unite against the Lannisters but it fails as both brothers refuses to give up their claim for the throne. On the night before a battle between his and Stannis' forces, Renly agrees to Catelyn to allow the North and Riverlands be an independent kingdom if they allied with him, but on the condition that Robb Stark swear fealty to him. However, Renly is assassinated by Melisandre, who gives birth to a shadow demon and sends it to kill Renly in order to remove him from Stannis' path. Stannis is initially unaware of the nature of Melisandre's crime, and is later visibly shocked and saddened of the role he played in his brother's death, which he visibly regrets. * '''Salladhor Saan''' (seasons 2–4) portrayed by Lucian Msamati. |Lucian Msamati The Prince of the Narrow Sea, Salladhor is a notorious pirate, trader, and smuggler from Lys. An old friend of Davos, he now sails for Stannis Baratheon on his ship, the ''Valyrian'' and his fleet of thirty ships. He has little patience for those that worship R'hollor – Melisandre's God – since he has traveled the world and seen many gods and has come to the conclusion the only true god is between a woman's legs. He agrees to work with Stannis after Davos promises him and his pirates they will be paid in gold and plunder from King's Landing. Salladhor even goes as far as to request the chance to bed Cersei Lannister after the battle, but Davos refuses, unsure if Cersei will be alive at the time. After the Battle of the Blackwater, he finds Davos stranded on a rock and rescues him, but considers his allegiance broken and departs from Stannis' cause after dropping Davos off at Dragonstone, warning him that the Red Woman will pose a threat to him. In season 4, Davos tracks him in Braavos, and offers him gold in exchange for his help in gathering a new army to help them aid the Night's Watch. * '''Matthos Seaworth''' (season 2) portrayed by Kerr Logan. Davos' son and second-in-command on his father's ship, ''Black Betha''. Matthos is a devout follower of the Lord of Light and continually tries to convince his father to convert. During the Battle of Blackwater, the ''Black Betha'' is caught in a wildfire explosion, killing Matthos. * '''Maester Cressen''' (season 2) portrayed by Oliver Ford-Davies. Oliver Ford Davies Cressen is the aged Maester of Dragonstone, and skeptical of Melisandre's predictions and the ambitions she has instilled in Lord Stannis to proclaim himself king, claiming "since that boar killed his brother, every lord wants a coronation". He is disgusted when Melisandre sets idols of the Seven gods on fire in the name of her god – R'hollor. He dies in a suicidal attempt to kill Melisandre, offering to share a poisoned cup of wine that didn't affect her, but killed the aged Cressen almost instantly. ===House Bolton=== * '''"Fat" Walda Bolton''' (seasons 4–6) portrayed by Elizabeth Webster. Walda Bolton (née Frey) is a granddaughter of Lord Walder Frey. She is the new wife of Roose Bolton, the Lord of the Dreadfort. During the wedding feast of Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey, Lord Bolton recounts to Catelyn Stark and Ser Brynden "Blackfish" Tully how Lord Walder Frey proposed him to marry one of his granddaughters and offered her weight in silver as dowry. Lord Bolton then adds he chose the fattest bride available and she has made him very rich. In Season 4, she arrives at the Dreadfort with her new husband and his men (having been smuggled back into the North to avoid the Ironborn) and is greeted warmly by Ramsay Snow as "mother". She accompanies the Boltons to Winterfell, and receives Sansa Stark and Petyr Baelish along with her husband and stepson. In season 5 it is revealed that she is pregnant, which makes Ramsay feel threatened for his position as Roose's heir. In season 6, after she gives birth to a boy, she and her baby are mauled to death by Ramsay's hounds, shortly after Ramsay kills his father. * '''Harald Karstark''' (season 6) portrayed by Paul Rattray. The lord of Karhold and the son of Rickard Karstark, who was executed by Robb Stark. He declares for House Bolton in order to counter any Stark force that Sansa may muster after escaping Winterfell, and witnesses Ramsay kill Roose. In the subsequent battle between the Bolton forces and Jon Snow's army, Harald leads the Karstark men into battle, but he disappears in the ensuing conflict. Although his death is not shown, Jon Snow confirms it in the season 7 premiere. * '''Jon Umber''' (season 6) portrayed by Dean S. Jagger. "Smalljon" Umber is the son of Greatjon Umber, one of House Stark's most powerful banner men. "Smalljon" became Lord of Last Hearth, the northernmost of the castles in the North, after his father's death. Smalljon, however, chooses to side with the Boltons by handing his father's wards, Rickon Stark and Osha, to Ramsay Snow as an alliance gift, to gain Ramsay's help in countering Jon Snow and his wildling army. In the subsequent battle between Ramsay's forces and Jon Snow's army, he leads the Umber forces into battle and fights Tormund Giantsbane. Though it seems as if he will win, Smalljon is momentarily distracted by the arrival of the Knights of the Vale, long enough for Tormund to bite his throat out and stab him to death. * '''Myranda''' (seasons 3–6) portrayed by Charlotte Hope. Myranda is a servant of House Bolton. She is one of Ramsay Snow's bedwarmers and assists in his sadistic schemes, such as seducing Theon Greyjoy in order to give him an erection so Ramsay can castrate him, and helping Ramsay hunt a peasant girl with Ramsay's hounds solely because she was more attractive than her. She later accompanies the Boltons to Winterfell, and is present when Sansa Stark arrives with Petyr Baelish, eyeing Sansa with jealousy and anger. During Sansa's stay at Winterfell, Myranda encounters her again with Theon and torments her with stories of Ramsay's sadism. When Sansa refuses to be bullied, Myranda points an arrow to her, preparing to injure her while leaving her usable for Ramsay to father a child. However, this tips Theon into finally rebelling against the Boltons and he saves Sansa by disarming Myranda and pushing her off the castle wall to her death. Her body is found shortly afterwards by Ramsay, who pays his respects to her before having her fed to the hounds. * '''Locke''' (seasons 3–4) portrayed by Noah Taylor. Noah Taylor A man-at-arms sworn to House Bolton, and acts as Roose Bolton's personal bounty hunter. He captures Brienne of Tarth and Jaime Lannister who were on their way to King's Landing, Locke later cuts off Jaime's sword-hand on route to Harrenhal and tries to feed Brienne to a bear rather than hold her ransom, further demonstrating his contempt for wealth and nobility. He holds Harrenhal in Roose Bolton's name until former Master of Coin Lord Petyr Baelish is been proclaimed Lord of Harrenhal and the Riverlands. In Season 4, Locke has followed Lord Bolton in pledging loyalty to the Lannisters, and arrives at the Dreadfort with Roose and his men (having been smuggled back into the North to avoid the Ironborn). Locke warmly greets Roose's bastard Ramsay – the two are friends and share mutual interests in flaying and mutilation of their enemies. When Roose learns Bran and Rickon Stark are alive, and may pose a threat to his new title as Warden of the North, he commands Locke to go on a hunt to find the boys, in exchange for a thousand acres of land and a holdfast of his own. Locke eventually arrives at the Wall and becomes acquainted with Jon Snow, Bran and Rickon's half-brother, who he apparently plans to kill as per Ramsay's suggestion. Locke is one of the few who join Jon on his mission to kill the Night's Watch mutineers at Craster's Keep, and in the ensuing battle, he escapes the fray and locates Bran Stark held captive with Jojen Reed, Meera Reed and Hodor. Locke attempts to kidnap Bran and kill him unseen, but Bran uses his warg abilities to enter Hodor's mind, and kills Locke by snapping his neck. His body is brought back to Craster's Keep by Eddison Tollett, and burned along with the rest of the slain. ===House Frey=== * '''Walder Frey''' (seasons 1, 3, 6–7) portrayed by David Bradley. David Bradley Lord Walder Frey, nicknamed the "Late Lord Frey", is the head of House Frey, Lord of the Crossing and bannerman to House Tully. He is known for outliving his many wives (now on his 8th) and siring over 100 children (both bastard and trueborn). Because the use of the Twins became a strategic necessity for Robb's host, Walder was able to negotiate marriage contracts for his children to Robb and Arya Stark. But during Season 2 Robb broke his word and married Lady Talisa. For this slight, and willing to take advantage of the war's changing fortunes, he conspires with Tywin Lannister and Roose Bolton to betray Robb Stark at the wedding of his liege Edmure Tully, which he insists in return for support of his men. Frey hosts the infamous "Red Wedding" at which Robb Stark, his wife and mother are all murdered, refusing to spare Robb even as Catelyn holds Lady Frey hostage and threatens to slit her throat, which she does. He is subsequently granted Riverrun and its lands (though the title Lord Paramount of the Riverlands passes to Harrenhal and House Baelish) and expresses delight to take another young wife, but his house is irredeemably tarnished by the betrayal and House Tully's vassals refuse to submit to his rule. In Season 6, he is outraged when he hears of the Blackfish recapture' of Riverrun and blames his sons Lothar and Black Walder for allowing him to escape. He then orders them to retake the castle using Edmure Tully as a hostage. Though they successfully retake Riverrun with the help of a Lannister host led by Jaime Lannister, Walder is ambushed shortly afterwards by Arya Stark, who slits his throat in revenge for the Red Wedding. In Season 7, Arya uses Walder's face to deceive and poison the rest of his family. * '''Lothar Frey''' (seasons 3, 6) portrayed by Tom Brooke in season 3, and by Daniel Tuite in season 6. One of Lord Walder Frey's many sons, nicknamed “Lame Lothar” because of his twisted leg. He and his half-brother Black Walder are sent by their father to Riverrun to propose a marriage between Lord Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey as terms for House Frey rejoining Robb Stark's campaign against the Lannisters. He is one of the first to commence the "Red Wedding", stabbing Talisa Stark in the womb several times and killing her and her unborn child. In the sixth season, he is ordered by Walder to retake Riverrun from Brynden Tully. Though they succeed with Lannister help, he is killed by Arya Stark, who subsequently bakes him into a pie. * '''Black Walder Rivers''' (seasons 3, 6) portrayed by Tim Plester. One of Lord Walder Frey's many bastard sons, nicknamed “Black Walder” for his dark demeanor. He and his half-brother Lame Lothar are sent by their father to Riverrun to propose a marriage between Lord Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey as terms for House Frey rejoining Robb Stark's campaign against the Lannister. He kills Catelyn Stark at the Red Wedding, after she slits Lady Frey's throat in retaliation for her son's death. In the sixth season, he takes part in the siege of Riverrun. Though the Freys reclaim the castle with the help of a Lannister host, Black Walder is killed shortly afterwards along with Lothar by Arya Stark, who bakes them both into a pie. ===House Greyjoy=== * '''''' (seasons 2–4, 6–8) portrayed by Gemma Whelan. Gemma Whelan The daughter of Balon Greyjoy and his wife Alannys Harlaw, and elder sister of Theon. She is fierce and proud, and defies traditional ironborn gender roles by commanding her own ship, the ''Black Wind''. She has earned her father's respect by commanding men, and killing men. When her brother Theon takes Winterfell, Yara tries to convince him to go back with her to the Iron Islands, but Theon refuses. Theon is betrayed by his own men and given to Ramsay Snow, lord Bolton's sadistic bastard son, who brutally tortures and eventually castrates him. Ramsay sends Theon's penis in a box to Balon, with Ramsay threatening to mutilate Theon more unless the Ironmen leave the North, whom Ramsay also threatens to flay living. Balon refuses this, but Yara intends to save her brother of her own accord, taking one ship and fifty of the best killers on the Iron islands with her. In season 4, Yara and her men attack the Dreadfort, but find that Ramsay has broken Theon so badly that he refuses to leave with her and even insists that his name is Reek. Ramsay and his men confront Yara in the dungeon and a battle ensues in which Ramsay frees the hounds and sets them on Yara, who is forced to flee the Dreadfort without Theon, telling her men that Theon is dead. In season 6, Yara contests the Kingsmoot to decide Balon's successor and appears to sway the Ironborn by declaring that she will build the world's largest fleet, but is defeated by Euron, who plans to forge an alliance with Daenerys Targaryen to conquer Westeros. Correctly suspecting that Euron will have them killed, Yara and Theon flee the Iron Islands with their loyalists and the bulk of the Iron Fleet, and head to Meereen to forge an alliance with Daenerys first. After explaining the situation, Yara pledges her forces to Daenerys in return for the Iron Islands' independence. Yara is ordered to sail to attack King's Landing. While below decks enjoying the company of Ellaria Sand, her fleet is set upon by ships under Euron's command and they are captured. Shortly before the Battle of Winterfell, Theon leads a raiding party and frees his sister. Yara sails to the Iron Isles, to retake them in the name of Daenerys, in case the Queen and her people need a fallback position after the battle. * '''Euron Greyjoy''' (seasons 6–8) portrayed by Pilou Asbæk. Pilou Asbæk A brother of King Balon Greyjoy, and the uncle of Theon and Yara Greyjoy. Euron is an infamous pirate who has terrorized seas all around the world. He is cunning, ruthless, with a touch of madness. He kills Balon Greyjoy by throwing him off a rope bridge, declaring that Balon's time is past and that it is time for a new king. At the Kingsmoot he confesses to killing Balon, but convinces the Ironborn that Balon was a poor military commander and declares that he will seduce Daenerys Targaryen and give her the Iron Fleet to conquer Westeros. The Ironborn declare Euron as their king, but before Euron can put Theon and Yara to death he discovers they have fled with the best ships of the Iron Fleet. Undeterred, he orders the Ironborn to begin constructing a new fleet. He uses this fleet to attack Yara's fleet with fire. He kills two Sand Snakes and captures Yara, Ellaria Sand and Tyene Sand. He gives the Sands to Cersei and keeps Yara prisoner. When he meets Theon he taunts him over his captive sister. * '''Aeron Greyjoy''' (seasons 2, 6) portrayed by Michael Feast. Michael Feast A brother of King Balon Greyjoy, and an uncle of Theon and Yara Greyjoy. Aeron is a Drowned Priest in service to the Drowned God. When Theon returned to the Iron Islands, Aeron reinitiated him into the faith of the Drowned God. After Balon's death, Aeron held a Kingsmoot to determine Balon's successor. Euron Greyjoy wins the election and is baptized by Aeron. * '''Balon Greyjoy''' (seasons 2–3, 6) portrayed by Patrick Malahide. The Lord of the Iron Islands and the father of Theon and Yara. Balon wished to continue the conquering ways of his people, which led him to rebel against the Iron Throne 9 years prior to the start of the series. He lost, with two of his three sons killed in the war; his youngest, Theon, was taken as a ward at Winterfell as a way to keep him from attempting another rebellion. After Theon returns to the Iron Islands with an offer from King Robb Stark for an alliance against the Lannisters, Balon refuses and instead launches beach raids against the North, proclaiming himself King of the Iron islands and the North. Theon, however, is captured and brutally tortured by the sadistic Ramsay Snow, lord Bolton's bastard, who eventually castrates him. Ramsay sends Theon's penis in a box to Balon, with Ramsay threatening to mutilate Theon further unless the Ironmen retreat from the North, whom Ramsay also threatens to flay living. Balon refuses, stating that as Theon defied him by attacking Winterfell, claiming him a "fool" and "not a man anymore", to which Yara responds she intends to save her little brother of her own accord. In Season 6, he is confronted by his younger brother, Euron, who declares that Balon has ruled for too long and throws him from a rope bridge to his death. * '''Dagmer Cleftjaw''' (season 2) portrayed by Ralph Ineson.Ralph Ineson Dagmer is an Ironborn Raider and Theon Greyjoy's first mate on the ''Sea Bitch''. He suggests that Theon prove himself by taking Winterfell, and persuades him to commit further atrocities to shore up his rule, such as executing Ser Rodrik Cassel for defying Theon and killing two children to pass off as Bran and Rickon Stark. However, when Robb Stark sends Ramsay Snow with an offer to spare the Ironborn if they surrender Winterfell and Theon, he knocks Theon out to hand him over and fatally wounds Maester Luwin. It is revealed in the season three finale that Dagmer and the other ironborn were instead flayed alive by Ramsay Snow and his men. * '''Black Lorren''' (season 2) portrayed by Forbes KB. Lorren is an infamous Ironborn raider better known as "Black Lorren". He is considered among the fiercest Ironborn warriors. He is under Theon's command while taking Winterfell. He is ultimately flayed alive by Ramsay Snow, along with the other Ironborn at Winterfell. ===House Lannister=== * '''Gregor Clegane''' (seasons 1–2, 4–8) portrayed by Conan Stevens in season 1, by Ian Whyte in season 2, and by Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson from season 4 onwards.Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, the third and latest actor to portray Ser Gregor Clegane Ser Gregor Clegane is a huge knight and the elder brother of Sandor Clegane. Called "the Mountain That Rides", he is known for his incredibly cruel nature and uncontrollable temper. His size and strength make him a fearsome warrior, and he has earned a reputation for cruelty and brutality. He is able to wield a two-handed sword one handed. When they were children, Gregor shoved Sandor's face into a brazier, gruesomely scarring him. In Season 1, Tywin Lannister sends him to raid the Riverlands. Beric Dondarrion is sent to arrest Gregor. When war breaks out, Gregor is given command of Tywin's vanguard and left flank and leads his men through intimidation. In Season 2 he is left to command Harrenhal in Tywin's absence and to find and destroy "the Brotherhood Without Banners", invoking the escape of Arya, Gendry and Hot Pie from Harrenhal. He later abandons the castle after slaughtering the prisoners and is defeated by Edmure Tully at the Stone Mill, but manages to escape back to the Westerlands. Robb chides his uncle, having planned to draw the Mountain into a trap of his own making to be captured or killed. In season 4, Gregor is chosen as Cersei's champion for Tyrion's trial by combat, and fights Oberyn Martell, Tyrion's champion who wants to kill Clegane as revenge for the needless murder of his sister, Elia Martell Targaryen. Oberyn sustains several serious injuries to Clegane with a weapon that is laced with poison, but Clegane kills Oberyn by crushing his skull, while admitting that he did rape Elia, killed her children and enjoyed it, before collapsing from his own injuries. It is later revealed that Clegane has been poisoned with manticore venom, a poison that Oberyn had laced his weapon with, and that he is slowly dying. Cersei enlists ex-maester Qyburn to save him, though Qyburn claims that the procedure will "change" Clegane. The procedure is a seemingly a success, as Gregor has become active again and joins the Kingsguard as a personal knight for Cersei, though the procedure has changed his physical appearance and his behavior. In the sixth season, he continues to act as Cersei's bodyguard to intimidate all those who may bother or mock her. After Cersei destroys the Great Sept of Baelor and retakes power, she has Gregor torture Septa Unella in revenge for Unella torturing her during her time in prison. * '''Kevan Lannister''' (seasons 1–2, 5–6) portrayed by Ian Gelder. Lord Tywin's younger brother, Captain of his Guard, Ser Kevan Lannister is a skilled warrior but overshadowed by his brother Tywin to whom he is deeply loyal and obedient. Unlike his older brother, Kevan is very amiable and cares more about the safety of his family members even if it will humiliate the family's honour. In Season 1, he is present when Tyrion returns from the Vale and informs him on Jaime's military victories against Tully bannermen. After Jaime's capture, he suggests to his brother that they "should sue for peace" which is immediately refuted by Tyrion who reminds that Ned Stark's beheading prevents it. In Season 2, he sits on a war council in Harrenhal, surmising (correctly) that Robb Stark would not march on Casterly Rock until "at full force" and also suggests that Cersei and her children leave King's Landing before Stannis Baratheon sacks the city but the proposition is countered by Tywin, refusing to surrender the Iron Throne. In season 5, he returns to King's Landing to attend Tywin's funeral alongside his only surviving son, Lancel, who has joined the Sparrows movement, which Kevan disapproves. He later refuses to serve on Cersei's Small Council, in spite her offering him the position of "Master of War", questioning her authority, and returning to Casterly Rock until the King himself calls for him. When his niece is arrested by the Faith Militant for sleeping with his son among other sins, Grand Maester Pycelle summons him back to offer him the position of Hand of the King. He later is present at Cersei's return to the Red Keep, immediately after her enduring Walk of Atonement. In the sixth season, Kevan continues to serve as Tommen's Hand while attempting to deal with the High Sparrow without bloodshed and spurning Cersei's attempts to regain influence in the royal court. On the day of Cersei's trial, Kevan is killed when Cersei has the Great Sept of Baelor destroyed with wildfire. * '''Lancel Lannister''' (seasons 1–2, 5–6) portrayed by Eugene Simon. Eugene Simon Lancel Lannister is the eldest son of Kevan Lannister and cousin of Cersei, Jaime, and Tyrion Lannister. He served as King Robert's squire; in which he is clumsy and incompetent in his duties leading Robert to dislike him intensely. In Season 2, Cersei knights him for his part in Robert's death. When Jaime goes to war, Cersei takes Lancel as a lover because he resembles her brother. Tyrion eventually discovers the affair and blackmails Lancel into spying for him. During an attack on King's Landing, Lancel guards Cersei's son King Joffrey Baratheon and takes a serious wound in the fighting, causing him to retreat. When Joffrey later abandons the battle out of cowardice, Lancel pleads with Cersei to let him take Joffrey back to the battle in order to inspire the troops, but Cersei, clearly more concerned for Joffrey than the city, refuses to listen. In season 5, he and his father return to King's Landing to attend Tywin's funeral. Lancel joins the sparrows, a devout religious movement, and apologises to Cersei for the sins they committed together, such as their affair and conspiracy to murder Robert Baratheon. With the re-establishment of the Faith Militant, Lancel abandons his family name and leads the sparrows on a rampage throughout King's Landing, arresting Ser Loras Tyrell in the process. Later, on Littlefinger and Olenna Tyrell's urging, he confesses his own sins to the High Sparrow, which leads to Cersei's arrest. In the sixth season, Lancel continues to serve in the Faith Militant. On the day of Cersei and Loras's trial, he is lured by one of Qyburn's little birds to the catacombs underneath the Great Sept of Baelor, where he is stabbed in the spine, rendering him unable to use his legs. He spots a cache of wildfire rigged to explode and crawls towards it, but is too late to stop the detonation and is the first to die. * '''Polliver''' (seasons 2, 4) portrayed by Andy Kellegher. A Lannister man-at-arms who comes into possession of Arya Stark's sword; Needle. He captures Arya – believing her to be a recruit of the Night's Watch called "Arry" and takes her sword which he then uses to kill a crippled Lommy after he asks Polliver to carry him. In Season 4, he inadvertently crosses paths with Arya and Sandor Clegane in an inn in the north. After a brief exchange of insults, a fight breaks out and Polliver's comrades are slain by Clegane. Arya wounds Polliver from behind, retrieves Needle and kills him in exactly the same manner that he killed Lommy. * '''Alton Lannister''' (season 2) portrayed by Karl Davies. A cousin of Cersei, Jaime and Tyrion Lannister, and a captive of Robb Stark. In the books there is no character by this name. Here the character Cleos Frey, also a cousin to the Lannisters, has the role of being a captive of House Stark and delivering terms to House Lannister. While held prisoner in the same cell he talks with his cousin Jaime at Stark's camp, he talks about the time he was allowed to prove himself by squiring for Jaime in a tourney, however during this encounter he is killed by Jaime in an attempt to escape. * '''Amory Lorch''' (season 2) portrayed by Fintan McKeown. Ser Amory Lorch is a knight and loyal but brutal bannerman of House Lannister. He catches Arya in stealing a parchment containing war orders concerning her brother Robb Stark. She manages to escape him, then finds and hurries the assassin Jaqen H'ghar, to kill Ser Amory to repay the second of the three "lives" he owes her. Before Ser Amory can denounce Arya, he drops dead on the doorstep of Tywin's chambers with a poisoned dart lodged in his neck, as Tywin (who comes to believe the attempt was on his life) raises the alarm. The Mountain subsequently kills a number of Lannister soldiers in his hunt for the culprit, but Jaqen leaves Harrenhal without being captured. * '''Lord Leo Lefford''' (season 2) portrayed by Vinnie McCabe. Lord Lefford is a powerful Bannerman to Lord Tywin, who fought for him against House Stark. He is Head of House Lefford and Lord of The Golden Tooth. ===House Martell=== * '''Tyene Sand''' (seasons 5–7) portrayed by Rosabell Laurenti Sellers. Rosabell Laurenti Sellers Tyene Sand is the daughter of Prince Oberyn Martell by Ellaria Sand. Tyene is fiercer than she looks, especially with her twin daggers. She assists her mother in her plot to assassinate Myrcella Baratheon as revenge against Cersei, whose actions led to Oberyn's death. In the ensuing fight with Jaime Lannister and Bronn, she poisons Bronn by striking him with a poison-coated dagger before they are all arrested. In the cells, she strips in front of Bronn to hasten his heartbeat as well as the poison's effects, though she shows him mercy and gives him the cure. She later synthesises a similar poison for Ellaria, who uses it to poison Myrcella. She gives Ellaria the antidote before she too is killed. When Doran finds out, Tyene kills Areo Hotah while Ellaria stabs Doran in the chest. Tyene subsequently watches her own uncle die without remorse. She is later present when Ellaria meets with Olenna Tyrell to discuss an alliance with Daenerys Targaryen, where she is silenced by Olenna before she can speak. While journeying to Sunspear with her sisters and Ellaria aboard Yara Greyjoy's ship, Tyene is captured by Euron Greyjoy while defending her mother and taken as a captive aboard his flagship, ''Silence''. Given as a gift to Cersei, Tyene is chained with her mother in a dungeon. Cersei uses a version of the poison on Tyene and leaves her chained in front of her mother so that Ellaria can watch her daughter not just die but decompose. * '''Nymeria Sand''' (seasons 5–7) portrayed by Jessica Henwick. Jessica Henwick Nym Sand is the second eldest of Prince Oberyn's bastard daughters. Her mother was an Eastern noblewoman who brought Nym up to be cultured, graceful and deadly with a whip. She assists Ellaria Sand in her plot to assassinate Myrcella Baratheon as revenge against Cersei Lannister, whose actions led to Oberyn's death. Though she is briefly imprisoned by her uncle Doran for her treachery, Ellaria murders Myrcella, and Nym joins her in her coup by ambushing and murdering Trystane Martell. She is later present when Ellaria meets with Olenna Tyrell to discuss an alliance with Daenerys Targaryen, where she is silenced by Olenna. In Season 7, Nymeria accompanies Ellaria, Yara and Theon Greyjoy, and her sisters on the journey to Sunspear from Dragonstone. After they are ambushed by Euron Greyjoy and his fleet, both Nymeria and Obara confront Euron while Tyene protects Ellaria. After the Lord Reaper of the Iron Islands kills Obara, an enraged Nymeria attacks him with her whip, only to be choked to death and then hung from the prow of the ship with her weapon, next to her sister. * '''Obara Sand''' (seasons 5–7) portrayed by Keisha Castle-Hughes.Keisha Castle-Hughes A fearsome warrior, Obara Sand is the eldest bastard daughter of Prince Oberyn Martell. Her mother was a Dornish peasant girl who caught the eye of the Prince. She assists Ellaria Sand in her plot to kill Myrcella Baratheon as revenge against Cersei Lannister, whose actions led to Oberyn's death. Though she is briefly imprisoned by her uncle Doran for her treachery, Ellaria kills Myrcella, and Obara joins her in her coup by personally murdering Trystane Martell, her own cousin. She is later present when Ellaria meets with Olenna Tyrell to discuss an alliance with Daenerys Targaryen, where she is silenced by Olenna. In Season 7, Obaara accompanies Ellaria, Yara and Theon Greyjoy, and her sisters on the journey to Sunspear from Dragonstone. After they are ambushed by Euron Greyjoy and his fleet, both Nymeria and Obara confront Euron while Tyene protects Ellaria. Ultimately, Euron proves to be a more skillful fighter and ultimately stabs her in the stomach with her own spear. She is impaled at the front of the ship with her spear, next to her hanging sister, Nymeria. * '''Trystane Martell''' (seasons 5–6) portrayed by Toby Sebastian. Toby Sebastian Trystane Martell is Prince Doran's son and heir to Dorne. His father betrothed him to Myrcella Baratheon as part of the alliance offered by Tyrion Lannister, then acting as Hand of the King. He and Myrcella later grow to love each other and Trystane offers to ask his father if they can marry immediately. He is struck by Bronn when he and Jaime Lannister arrive to take Myrcella back, but Trystane later shows Bronn mercy and decides not to have him mutilated, satisfied with having Areo Hotah strike him in a similar manner instead. Doran allows Trystane to accompany Myrcella back to King's Landing to take his uncle Oberyn's place on the Small Council, but Trystane's life is put in danger when Ellaria Sand secretly poisons Myrcella just as their boat leaves Dorne. Though Jaime prepares to send him back to Dorne unharmed, Trystane refuses to leave, insisting on being present for Myrcella's funeral, so Jaime instructs him to stay on the boat for his own safety. However, as he is painting funeral stones for Myrcella, he is ambushed and killed by Obara and Nymeria Sand, his own cousins, sent by Ellaria Sand to kill him as part of her coup, though most believe his death was Cersei's doing. * '''Doran Martell''' (seasons 5–6) portrayed by Alexander Siddig. Alexander Siddig Doran Martell is the ruling lord of Dorne and older brother to the late Prince Oberyn Martell. Unlike his brother, Doran is even-tempered and deliberate. In season 4, he is invited to the wedding of Joffrey Baratheon and Margaery Tyrell, but due to suffering from gout, he is unable to attend and sends Oberyn in his stead. After Oberyn is slain by Gregor Clegane, Doran grieves but takes no action, claiming that Oberyn suffered a self-imposed death in a trial by combat, a legal act, and coldly rebutts Ellaria's proposal to harm Myrcella Baratheon to exact revenge on the Lannisters. However, after a skirmish in which Jaime Lannister and Bronn fight with the Sand Snakes over possession of Myrcella, Doran orders all locked up, including Ellaria. He later grants Jaime an audience and agrees to allow Myrcella to return to King's Landing along with his son, Trystane Martell, Myrcella's betrothed, while threatening Ellaria and the Sand Snakes with severe consequences should they defy him again. However, Ellaria later secretly poisons Myrcella despite Doran's warning. In the sixth season, Doran finds out about Myrcella's assassination, but he is immediately killed by Ellaria, while his men stand and watch as he dies. * '''Areo Hotah''' (seasons 5–6) portrayed by DeObia Oparei. Areo Hotah is the long-serving captain of Doran Martell's palace guard, renowned for his loyalty and his longaxe. He arrests Jaime Lannister, Bronn, Ellaria Sand and the Sand Snakes following their battle over Myrcella Baratheon, but releases them all on Doran's request. As retribution for striking Trystane Martell, Areo strikes Bronn across the face. In the sixth season, after Doran finds out about Myrcella's death at Ellaria's hands, he is stabbed and poisoned by Tyene Sand, and dies immediately. * '''Oberyn Martell''' (season 4) portrayed by Pedro Pascal.Pedro Pascal Prince of Dorne, known as the Red Viper. He is the hot-headed younger brother of Doran Martell, Prince of Dorne and Lord of Sunspear. A renowned warrior and traveler, Oberyn has eight bastard daughters, called the Sand Snakes. His sister, Elia Targaryen, was raped and killed during the Sack of King's Landing by Ser Gregor Clegane. In season 4, Oberyn arrives in King's Landing with his paramour, Ellaria Sand, to attend Joffrey's wedding in his brother's stead, and his meeting with Tyrion makes it clear that he has actually come to take revenge against the Lannisters for their role in the deaths of his sister, nephew and niece. At the wedding, Joffrey dies after being poisoned, and Tywin initially suspects Oberyn of having a hand in the murder since Oberyn has a past with poison chemistry, while Oberyn denies involvement and accuses Tywin of ordering Gregor Clegane to rape and murder Elia. The two reach a settlement when Tywin promises Oberyn a meeting with Clegane in exchange for Oberyn serving as one of the three judges at Tyrion's trial. At the trial, Oberyn implies that he is not convinced of Tyrion's guilt, and openly questions Cersei's testimony and asks Shae why Tyrion would tell her about all of his plans to murder Joffrey if he was the perpetrator. When Tyrion demands a trial by combat and Gregor Clegane is chosen as Cersei's champion, Oberyn volunteers to fight for Tyrion, proclaiming that he will exact his vengeance, starting with Ser Gregor. Martell valiantly fights Clegane, his superior speed making up for Clegane's size, and manages to wound him in the shoulder and the leg, flooring him. Refusing to kill him immediately, Oberyn furiously demands that Clegane admit to raping and killing Elia and her children, and that the order came from Tywin himself. Distracted for a moment, Oberyn is floored by Clegane, who – in a manner self-admittedly paraphrasing the murder of Elia – knocks out his teeth, straddles him and slowly gouges out his eyes, admitting to the rape and murder of Elia before crushing his skull. Tyrion is subsequently sentenced to death, but Oberyn's objective of vengeance was not in vain, since his spear is revealed to have been laced with the deadly venom of the manticore, which is slowly killing Clegane. Oberyn's death, however, throws House Martell into chaos, since Ellaria is driven insane to the point that she kills Myrcella Baratheon, Doran Martell and Trystane Martell (Oberyn's own brother and nephew, respectively) to get revenge against the Lannisters. ===House Stark=== * '''Robett Glover''' (seasons 6–7) portrayed by Tim McInnerny.Tim McInnerny Robett is the brother of Galbart Glover, the Master of Deepwood Motte. He succeeded him after Galbart's death in the War of the Five Kings. House Glover were bannermen of House Stark but this changed after the Boltons helped him take Deepwood Motte back from the Ironborn who had captured it. He refuses Jon and Sansa's request for aid against the Boltons, citing his brother's death fighting for Robb, the fact that Robb marching to war in the south provided an opportunity for the Ironborn to capture his castle, in the process killing his subjects and imprisoning his family, and finally the fact that Jon's army is composed primarily of Wildings, who the Northern houses have been fighting for generations. However, after Jon Snow and Sansa Stark successfully recapture Winterfell from the Boltons, with help from Littlefinger and the Knights of the Vale, House Glover becomes sworn to House Stark once more, with Lord Glover apologizing for his previous refusal of aid and crowning Jon the King in the North. Despite this, when Jon Snow swears fealty to Daenerys Targaryen, Lord Glover and his men return to Deepwood Motte and do not aid House Stark during the Battle of Winterfell. * '''Meera Reed''' (seasons 3–4, 6–7) portrayed by Ellie Kendrick.Ellie Kendrick Jojen's elder sister and daughter of Lord Howland Reed, Eddard Stark's old friend from Robert's Rebellion. In season 3 Meera and her brother join Bran in his journey to the Wall and beyond in order to help him to find the Three-Eyed Raven. In season 4, they stumble across Craster's Keep and are captured by the Night's Watch mutineers led by Karl. Meera is almost raped by Karl, but is saved when Bran reveals his identity in order to protect her. Karl later tries again to rape her, but an attack by Night's Watch rangers saves her, and they manage to escape during the fray. They eventually reach the Three-Eyed Raven in a cave, but are attacked by reanimated skeletons outside it. Jojen is fatally stabbed, and Meera performs a mercy killing on him. In season 6, she continues to mourn for Jojen. After the cave is attacked by White Walkers, she pulls Bran to safety until the wights catch up. They are rescued by Bran's uncle, Benjen Stark, who ultimately takes them back to the Wall. When she leaves Bran to go back south to her home, she is devastated that he gives no acknowledgement of her sacrifices or her brother's. * '''''' (seasons 6–8) portrayed by Bella Ramsey. Lyanna Mormont is the fierce and outspoken, 10-year-old head of House Mormont of Bear Island. She is the niece of Lord Commander Jeor Mormont of the Night's Watch and cousin of Ser Jorah Mormont. In the fifth season, she refuses Stannis Baratheon's request to aid him in his campaign to overthrow the Boltons and rally the North to help him retake the Iron Throne, asserting her loyalty to House Stark. In the sixth season, she is approached by Jon Snow, Sansa Stark and Davos Seaworth for help in retaking Winterfell from Ramsay Bolton. Though Lyanna is ready to refuse, citing Jon as a bastard and Sansa as a Lannister/Bolton wife, she is persuaded to offer help when Davos informs her of the coming battle against the Night King. She accompanies the Mormont forces and witnesses the subsequent battle between Jon and Ramsay's armies. After the castle is retaken, Lyanna admonishes Wyman Manderly and Robett Glover for refusing Jon's calls for help, and is the first to proclaim Jon the new King in the North. As Jon and the Northern Lords plan for the coming war she insists that girls as well as boys should be taught military skills. She dies heroically in the Battle of Winterfell, sacrificing herself to singlehandedly slay an undead ice giant. * '''''' (season 6–8) portrayed by Richard Rycroft. Richard Rycroft A member of the Order of Masters who is in service to House Bolton at Winterfell. He witnesses Ramsay kill Roose and reluctantly summons Walda and the baby for Ramsay to murder as well. After the Boltons' defeat, he serves the Starks. He unwillingly helps Petyr Baelish cause friction between Sansa and Arya Stark. He builds a wheelchair for Bran. * '''Lyanna Stark''' (seasons 6–7) portrayed by Cordelia Hill as a child, and by Aisling Franciosi as an adult.Aisling Franciosi Lyanna is the sister of Ned Stark, she was promised to wed Robert Baratheon, but she was supposedly kidnapped and raped by Rhaegar Targaryen. During the tourney at Harrenhal, Rhaegar rode past his wife, Elia Martell, and placed a crown of winter roses in Lyanna's lap. Lyanna in fact loved Rhaegar, and was married to him in secret. At the Tower of Joy, Lyanna is being protected by several members of the Kingsguard when Ned arrives to try to find her. Defeating Ser Arthur Dayne of the Kingsguard, Ned enters the Tower of Joy where he finds Lyanna in a bed of blood, but still alive. Lyanna asks Ned to promise to protect her son, who is revealed to be Jon Snow, and prevent Robert from killing him by hiding his Targaryen lineage. * '''Rickon Stark''' (seasons 1–3, 6) portrayed by Art Parkinson. Rickon Stark is Lord Eddard & Lady Catelyn's youngest child, naturally aggressive and strong-willed. His black dire wolf Shaggydog shares these qualities also. When Theon Greyjoy captures Winterfell in Season 2, Rickon hides in the crypts. After Winterfell is sacked and burned, he, Bran, Hodor, the Wildling woman Osha and the direwolves travel through the North. In Season 3 before they reach the Wall, Rickon, his direwolf and Osha split up from the rest of the group heading to Last Hearth, the seathouse of the Umbers. In Season 6, Rickon and Osha are betrayed by the Umbers to the Boltons following Greatjon Umber's death, and become hostages of Ramsay Bolton. At the beginning of a grand showdown between the Boltons and the Northern rebels led by Jon Snow, Rickon is released by Ramsay and told to run towards Jon, unaware that it is merely a trap to lure Jon into the open. Just before he can reach Jon, Rickon is shot and killed by Ramsay. Following Ramsay's defeat, Jon orders Rickon's body buried in the Winterfell crypt. * '''Hodor''' (seasons 1–4, 6) portrayed by Kristian Nairn.Kristian Nairn Hodor is a huge, physically strong and intellectually disabled stablehand at Winterfell who can only say the word "Hodor". He hides in the crypts along with Osha, Bran and Rickon, faking their escape out of the castle. They eventually leave the crypts only to find the castle destroyed. After speaking to the dying Maester Luwin, it is decided that they must go to the Wall. In Season 3 Bran decides to go beyond the Wall to find the Three-Eyed Raven and Hodor helps him alongside with Meera and Jojen Reed after the departure of Rickon and Osha. In season 4, they stumble across Craster's Keep, where they are captured by the Night's Watch mutineers led by Karl. Hodor is chained to a post and abused by some mutineers, who poke him with spears and eventually stab him in the leg to stop him intervening on Bran's behalf. Hodor is later chained in a hut with the other prisoners, and when Bran is abducted by Locke, Bran wargs into Hodor and uses him to kill Locke by snapping his neck. Hodor frees the others and they escape, eventually reaching the Three-Eyed Raven in his cave. During Season 6, Bran learns through visions of the past that, as a boy, Hodor was named Wyllis and possessed normal abilities of speech. When the cave is overrun by White Walkers and wights while Bran is viewing the past, Bran simultaneously wargs into Hodor to induce him to carry Bran to safety. Once they exit through a passageway, Meera orders Hodor to "hold the door" against the wights; in the past, Wyllis collapses and repeats this phrase until it slurs into "Hodor". In the present, Hodor is killed as the wights eventually tear through the door, but Meera escapes with Bran. Hodor only ever says one word: "Hodor". However, according to Kristian Nairn's interview to Vulture, he has developed 70 ways to say it. * '''Osha''' (seasons 1–3, 6) portrayed by Natalia Tena. Natalia Tena Osha is a Wildling woman captured by Robb and held captive at Winterfell. Osha works in the kitchens, often giving Bran advice when she bathes in the godswood. After Winterfell is taken by the turncloak Theon Greyjoy, Osha bends the knee to Theon. After the Sack of Winterfell, Osha helps Bran and Rickon escape, along with their direwolves and Hodor. She gives a mercy kill to wounded Maester Luwin. Later, she and her companions travel to the Wall to seek help. In Season 3 before they reach the Wall, Osha, Rickon and his direwolf split up from the rest of the group heading to Last Hearth, the seathouse of the Umbers. In Season 6, they are betrayed by the Umbers to the Boltons after Greatjon Umber dies, and become hostages of Ramsay Bolton. Osha later attempts to kill Ramsay, but is instead killed herself. * '''Jojen Reed''' (seasons 3–4) portrayed by Thomas Brodie-Sangster. Thomas Sangster A boy with special insights and son of Lord Howland Reed, Eddard Stark's old friend from Robert's Rebellion. In season 3 Jojen and his sister join Bran in his journey to the Wall and beyond in order to help him to find the Three-Eyed Raven. In season 4, they stumble across Craster's Keep and are captured by the Night's Watch mutineers led by Karl, during which time Jojen suffers from a seizure. Jojen and the others are freed when Bran wargs into Hodor and has him kill Locke and cut them all loose, but Jojen stops Bran from reuniting with his brother, Jon Snow, since he knows Jon would try and stop their journey. Once they reach their destination, however, they are attacked by reanimated skeletons, and Jojen is stabbed in the ensuing fight. Meera finishes him out of mercy. * '''Rickard Karstark''' (seasons 1–3) portrayed by Steven Blount in season 1, and by John Stahl from season 2 onwards. Rickard Karstark is a Bannerman of the North, Lord of Karhold and he is a chief member of Robb Stark's war council. The Karstarks are distant cousins of the Starks of Winterfell. Karstark's sons Harrion and Torrhen was killed by Jaime Lannister and Karstark vows retribution. He is enraged when Catelyn Stark decides to free Jaime in an attempt to secure the safety of her daughters. When Karstark discovers that Edmure Tully has defeated the Lannisters in battle near Riverrun and taken two of his young relatives hostage, Karstark orders his men to kill them. Karstark is subsequently sentenced to death by Robb, and he cryptically warns Robb that his actions will eventually lead to his own demise, just before he is executed. * ''' Maester Luwin''' (seasons 1–2) portrayed by Donald Sumpter.Donald Sumpter Luwin, Maester of Winterfell, is a chief advisor to Lord Stark. He is one of the few Maesters to have studied magic and the occult. With Robb Stark's departure, the day-to-day rule of the North falls to Ser Rodrik Cassel and Maester Luwin, acting with Bran's voice. After Winterfell is taken by Theon, Luwin must advise him because of his valour to serve to the ruler of Winterfell. When Ramsay Snow launches an attack on Winterfell to drive the Ironborn away, Luwin advises Theon to flee to the Wall and join the Night's Watch, where his crimes will be pardoned, but Theon instead rallies his few remaining men to face Ramsay, and betrayed by his own men. Luwin, in an attempt to save Theon, is stabbed by Dagmer. Bran Stark and his party emerge from hiding to find Winterfell sacked by Ramsay and his men and Luwin dying in the Godswood, where he declares his loyalty and love for the Starks before having Osha perform a mercy killing on him, out of sight of Bran and Rickon. * '''Rodrik Cassel''' (seasons 1–2) portrayed by Ron Donachie.Ron Donachie Ser Rodrik Cassel is the Master-at-Arms at Winterfell. After the discovery of the origin of the knife from the attempted assassination of Bran Stark, he accompanies Lady Catelyn Tully to King's Landing. Later Lady Catelyn decides to join Robb at Moat Cailin, and names Ser Rodrik castellan of Winterfell. When the Ironmen attack Torrhen's Square, Ser Rodrik gathers a force to expel them, including most of the Winterfell garrison. The Ironborn under Theon Greyjoy then attack and take Winterfell, and Ser Rodrik is captured while defending himself. Ser Rodrik refuses to swear allegiance to Theon, and spits in his face. Theon orders him thrown into the dungeons, but Dagmer insists that Theon execute him in order to gain respect. Theon executes Ser Rodrik himself, but it takes several blows of the sword to behead him and only gains more contempt and hatred from the Northerners. * '''Jory Cassel''' (season 1) portrayed by Jamie Sives. Jory Cassel was Captain of the Guard at Winterfell and the nephew of Ser Rodrik. Killed by Jaime Lannister during a fight between Jaime's men and Eddard Stark over Tyrion Lannister's abduction by Eddard's wife. * '''Septa Mordane''' (season 1) portrayed by Susan Brown. Septa Mordane was a priestess of the Faith of the Seven Gods (of which Catelyn Stark is an observer) and governess to the young ladies of Winterfell. She was killed by the Lannisters after Eddard Stark's failed attempt to arrest King Joffrey and Queen Regent Cersei. * '''Old Nan''' (season 1) portrayed by Margaret John. Old Nan was an old serving woman at Winterfell who tells the Stark children stories from beyond the Wall. She is the great-grandmother of Hodor. Margaret John died before the filming of Season 2 and the writers decided that Old Nan died between seasons instead of recasting the role. * '''Jon Umber''' (season 1) portrayed by Clive Mantle. Clive Mantle Called "the Greatjon", Lord Umber is the Lord of Last Hearth and a Bannerman of the North. In Season 1 he joins Robb Stark in the war and is the first one calling him The King in the North. In Season 3, the North loses the war after the death of King Robb, but his youngest brother Rickon heads to the seat of House Umber to seek refuge. In between the third and sixth seasons, Rickon and Osha arrive at Last Hearth, but at some point, Greatjon dies under unknown circumstances and his lands pass to his son, Smalljon Umber, who betrays Rickon and Osha to Ramsay Snow. ===House Targaryen=== * '''Barristan Selmy''' (seasons 1, 3–5) portrayed by Ian McElhinney.Ian McElhinney Ser Barristan Selmy is the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and a member of the Small Council. Known as "Barristan the Bold", he is considered one of the most famous knights of the Seven Kingdoms. Ned has a tremendous respect for Barristan as he remained loyal to protect the Mad King, Aerys II. He sustained injuries at the Trident which prevented Selmy from taking place in the final battles of the war which ultimately lead to his survival and pardon. When Ned attempts to arrest Cersei and Joffrey, he informs Ser Barristan of Robert's will and tells his men not to harm him. After Joffrey becomes King and has Ned arrested, Cersei and Joffrey force Ser Barristan into retirement despite the Kingsguard being meant to serve for life, and much to his anger, his position of Commander is to be given to Jaime. His honor insulted, Ser Barristan refuses their offer of a castle and servants in recognition of his service and leaves King's Landing. Ser Barristan returns in season 3 where he offers his service to Daenerys as a member of her Queensguard to redeem himself for failing her family. He and Ser Jorah Mormont tend to conflict over what actions Daenerys should use with the former preferring honorable choices while the latter preferring pragmatic choices. Barristan later discovers that Jorah's original purpose was to spy on Daenerys for Robert and Lord Varys, and informs Daenerys, fearing for her safety and leading her to exile Jorah from Meereen on threat of execution. When a resistance movement, the Sons of the Harpy, openly hostile to Daenerys's conquest and politics, arise, Barristan advises the Queen to remain just with her enemies and tells of her own father's crimes and cruel attitude which led to his downfall. He eventually sustains mortal injuries in a fight with a group of Sons of the Harpy alongside Grey Worm even though he managed to slay most of them with prowess. He is mourned by Daenerys as she considered him a loyal friend and his death causes her to retaliate on the Great Masters. * '''Hizdahr zo Loraq''' (seasons 4–5) portrayed by Joel Fry.Joel Fry Hizdahr is a slave-trader from the city of Meereen, on the coast of Slaver's Bay, and a scion of the House of Loraq, an ancient and proud line of slavers. He claims to Daenerys Targaryen that his father, who Daenerys ordered crucified, was actually against the crucifixion of children, and requests permission to give his father a proper funeral, which she accepts. Daenerys later has Hizdahr sent to Yunkai along with Daario Naharis as her ambassador to persuade the wise masters there to submit to her rule. In season 5, he returns with Daario claiming to have succeeded, although the masters want Daenerys to reopen the fighting pits in return, which she refuses, though she grants him a position on her Small Council. After Barristan Selmy is killed and Grey Worm seriously injured in an attack by the Sons of the Harpy, Daenerys agrees to reopen the pits and marry Hizdahr to bring about peace, though Daario insinuates that Hizdahr is working with the Sons of the Harpy. On the opening day of the Great Games, however, the Sons of the Harpy attack again and Hizdahr is killed, revealing that he was loyal to Daenerys the entire time. * '''Mossador''' (seasons 4–5) portrayed by Reece Noi. Mossador is a former slave who joined the rebellion against the masters of Meereen. In season 5, after the Sons of the Harpy rise and kill and Unsullied, Mossador advocates hunting them down and killing them without mercy, arguing that Meereen is not like Westeros and the only language the Meereenese understand is blood and violence. He is executed by Daario Naharis after murdering a captive Son without Daenerys's consent. * '''Kovarro''' (season 2) portrayed by Steven Cole. Kovarro is a Dothraki Bloodrider sworn to Daenerys Targaryen. His character does not appear in the books because Kovarro is created for the TV series. He finds Qarth and leads Daenerys there, following the betrayal of Pyat Pree he goes into hiding alongside Jorah Mormont and Daenerys until Daenerys reclaims her dragons. The only thing that interests him in Qarth is stealing all the gold and jewels from Xaro Xoan Daxos. * '''Doreah''' (seasons 1–2) portrayed by Roxanne McKee. Roxanne McKee Doreah is a slave bought in order to school Daenerys in the art of love. She was sold to a brothel when she was nine, by her mother. She is bought by Viserys Targaryen and is shown to pleasure him as he tells her stories about the dragons of Westeros. In Season 2 after arriving in Qarth, Doreah is convinced by Xaro Xoan Daxos that Daenerys wouldn't leave the city and she steals Daenerys dragons and becomes Xaro's lover. After revealing the plans of Xaro, Daenerys locks him and Doreah alive in a vault. * '''Irri''' (seasons 1–2) portrayed by Amrita Acharya. Irri is a slave, bought in order to school Daenerys in Dothraki riding. She's in love with Rakharo and is deeply distressed by his death and the desecration of his corpse. She and Doreah are shown to be at odds, due to Irri valuing tradition and mythical beliefs of the Dothraki over Doreah's foreign ideals. In Season 2 she is killed in Qarth during the stealing of the dragons. In a deleted scene it is shown she is strangled to death by Doreah. * '''Rakharo''' (seasons 1–2) portrayed by Elyes Gabel. Elyes Gabel Rakharo is a young Bloodrider, favored by, and sworn to Khal Drogo and later Daenerys Targaryen. Deep into the Red Waste while facing starvation Daenerys sends Rakharo, Aggo, and Kovarro to scout in three different directions, using the last remaining horses. Later Rakharo's horse comes back with his head. It is assumed that Rakharo is killed by some other Khal. Irri fears that without his head, Rakharo's soul will become lost and will not find its way to the Night Lands. * '''Rhaegar Targaryen''' (season 7) portrayed by Wilf Scolding. Prince Rhaegar Targaryen was the eldest son and heir of King Aerys II Targaryen, and was the Prince of Dragonstone. He was the elder brother of Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen, and the husband of Elia Martell, a distant cousin with whom he had two children, Rhaenys and Aegon Targaryen. However, he annulled his marriage to Elia, and he secretly married Lyanna Stark with whom he has a child, Jon Snow. The parentage of Jon is kept a secret, and he is raised by Lyanna's brother, Eddard Stark as his bastard to protect him from the enemies of House Targaryen. Rhaegar was the assumed instigator of Robert's Rebellion after allegedly kidnapping Lyanna, Lord Robert Baratheon's betrothed. ===House Tully=== * '''Edmure Tully''' (seasons 3, 6, 8) portrayed by Tobias Menzies. Tobias Menzies Catelyn and Lysa's younger brother and the Lord of Riverrun after their father Hoster dies during Season 3. A brash but good-hearted man, Edmure is not a good tactician but a skilled politician. To restore the alliance with Walder Frey, and to make amends with Robb Stark for unwittingly curtailing his plan to draw Tywin Lannister into battle, Edmure is promised to one of Frey's daughters, Roslin. Edmure and Roslin are wed and carried off for a "bedding ceremony", after which the Freys slaughter the Stark family in the "Red Wedding". He becomes a prisoner of the Freys after the death of his sister Catelyn and nephew Robb. When his uncle Brynden retakes Riverrun from the Freys, Edmure is used as a hostage to coerce Brynden into surrendering, but he refuses, while the Freys also refuse to kill Edmure. Jaime Lannister later meets with Edmure and falsely threatens his wife and baby child with death if he does not persuade Brynden to stand down. He is subsequently released and allowed into Riverrun, where he gives the order to surrender. The Lannisters and Freys retake the castle and Edmure is taken captive once more to ensure the Tullys' loyalty. He reappears in the series finale alongside the other lords and ladies of Westeros as they decide on their new king. * '''Brynden Tully''' (seasons 3, 6) portrayed by Clive Russell. Clive Russell Commonly known as "the Blackfish", Ser Brynden is the uncle of Catelyn, Lysa, and Edmure, and a seasoned war veteran. He returns to Riverrun during season 3 before his older brother's death to make amends. He serves as both an adviser and confidant for both his niece Catelyn and grandnephew King Robb Stark. At Edmure's wedding to Roslin Frey at the Twins, Brynden excuses himself from the feast to "find a tree to piss on", and by so doing narrowly escapes the ensuing Red Wedding massacre when the Freys and Boltons betray the Starks. Lord Frey is visibly untouched by the man's absence, while Roose Bolton appears disturbed, aware that Brynden is capable of holding Riverrun (which has been granted to Lord Frey as payment) against the Iron Throne even with its technical lord, Edmure, in captivity. Brynden indeed retakes Riverrun from the Freys and holds it in Robb's name, refusing to surrender even when Edmure's life is threatened. The castle eventually falls when Edmure is allowed inside and gives the order to stand down. Brynden, however, refuses to surrender and chooses to fight to the death. He is later reported dead. * '''Roslin Frey''' (season 3) portrayed by Alexandra Dowling. Roslin Tully (née Frey) is Lord Walder Frey's daughter and considered the most beautiful one. She was previously the intended bride for Robb Stark, who was unaware of her beauty and went on to marry Talisa Maegyr instead. She is married to Lord Edmure Tully as compensation at what becomes known as the Red Wedding. In the sixth season, it is mentioned that Roslin has given birth to Edmure's child. ===House Tyrell=== * '''Olenna Tyrell''' (seasons 3–7) portrayed by Diana Rigg.Diana Rigg Lady Olenna, better known as "the Queen of Thorns", is the sharp-witted grandmother of Loras and Margaery. Considered Tywin Lannister's female counterpart, Olenna is a matriarch and the real power behind House Tyrell. She has very progressive views where she feels women should be more involved in politics and is accepting of Loras' homosexuality where the people of Reach have no problems with it. After asking Sansa directly what Joffrey is like, and believing Sansa that Joffrey is an abusive "monster", Olenna decides to protect both Margaery and Sansa. To prevent the other nobles from using her as heir of the North, Olenna secretly plots to have Sansa marry Loras. But her plan is foiled by Loras himself, who accidentally reveals it to Littlefinger's male spy in the brothel, who reports to Tywin Lannister. Tywin forces Sansa marry his son Tyrion and, to secure the Reach, orders Cersei to marry Loras. Lady Olenna is at first against Loras marrying Cersei because she says Cersei is too old, and because of the scandal of Cersei's incestuous affair with her twin brother, Jaime. Tywin threatens to make Loras join the celibate Kingsguard, which would make Joffrey and Margaery's children the heirs of the Reach. Olenna admits defeat and praises Tywin for outwitting her. In season 4, Olenna conspires with Petyr Baelish to have Joffrey poisoned, to protect Margaery from Joffrey's beastly nature, and advises Margaery to become acquainted with her new match, Tommen Baratheon, Joffrey's malleable, much younger brother and heir. She returns to Highgarden shortly afterwards. When Loras is arrested by the recently reinstated Faith Militant for his homosexuality, Margaery writes to her grandmother who returns to the capital in order to protect her grandchildren from Cersei's schemes. But, mistakenly believing Loras's arrest was simply meant to humiliate House Tyrell, she helplessly assists Olyvar's testimony which incriminates her grandson, as well as to Margaery's incarceration for perjuring herself in front of the gods (in an effort to protect her brother). Olenna later confronts the High Sparrow without results and has a secret meeting with Littlefinger who, blackmailed by Olenna for his part in Joffrey's death, and in order to placate his role in her grandchildren's imprisonment in providing Olyvar to Cersei, gives valuable information about Lancel and Cersei's adulterous relationship. This results in the arrest of Cersei by the Faith Militant. In the sixth season, Olenna takes steps to free Margaery from the High Sparrow and retake power from the Faith Militant, but the plan is thwarted when Tommen forges an alliance with the Faith and becomes the High Sparrow's new puppet. Margaery feigns loyalty to the Faith and manages to instruct Olenna to leave the city when the High Sparrow threatens her life. After hearing of the Great Sept of Baelor's destruction, which killed Mace, Loras and Margaery, Olenna vows revenge. She accepts an invitation to Dorne by Ellaria Sand, who reveals that she has followed Yara Greyjoy in declaring for Daenerys Targaryen. Seeking vengeance against Cersei for her slain family, Olenna pledges the Tyrell forces to Daenerys as well. When the Lannisters, supported by the turncoat Tarly forces formerly loyal to the Tyrells, attack Highgarden, they win with ease. Jamie Lannister finds Olenna in her tower, ready to be taken captive or killed. Jamie tells Olenna that Cersei had dreamed up horrible deaths for her but that he had persuaded his sister to let him offer Olenna poison instead. After drinking the poison Olenna confesses proudly to Joffrey's murder. * '''Mace Tyrell''' (seasons 4–6) portrayed by Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Roger Ashton-Griffiths is the Lord of Highgarden, Defender of the Marches, High Marshal of the Reach, and Warden of the South, he is the buffoonish father of Loras and Margaery, and Lady Olenna's son. Lady Olenna has a low opinion of Mace, whom she calls "Lord Oaf". Originally Hand of the King to Renly Baratheon before the latter's death during the War of the Five Kings, Mace agrees to a Lannister-Tyrell alliance as proposed by Petyr Baelish. He is named Master of Ships on Joffrey's Small Council, and attends Joffrey and Margaery's wedding. After Joffrey's death, Mace serves as one of the judges at the trial of his accused murderer, Tyrion Lannister. He is later present at Tywin Lannister's funeral and at Tommen and Margaery's wedding, and, in spite of offering himself as Hand of the King to Tommen, he is instead named Master of Coin by Cersei who, in the aim of keeping him away from the capital while she schemes against his daughter, sends him to renegotiate the royal debt with the Iron Bank of Braavos. He later arrives in Braavos, and is unsuccessful in his attempt to win over Tycho Nestoris, who is unimpressed with his buffoonish ways. In the sixth season, he returns to King's Landing with the Tyrell army to free Margaery from the Faith Militant alongside Jaime Lannister, but is foiled when Tommen forges an alliance with the High Sparrow. He is later killed in the destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor after being horrified, but unable to protect his son as he was mutilated by the Faith Militant. * '''Loras Tyrell''' (seasons 1–6) portrayed by Finn Jones. Finn Jones Ser Loras Tyrell, known as the "Knight of Flowers", is a highly skilled knight and jouster. Known across Westeros for his beauty, he is Renly Baratheon's former squire and secretly his lover. He is widely known throughout Westeros for defeating Jaime Lannister in a jousting match. In Season 1, he charms Sansa Stark before his jousting match with Ser Gregor Clegane, but even though he wins, Clegane attacks him in a blind rage and he is only saved by Clegane's brother, Sandor, who Loras names as the champion in gratitude. In private, while shaving Renly, Loras makes it clear that he disapproves of both Joffrey and Stannis as Robert's closest heirs, and tells Renly that he would make a great king. In Season 2 when Renly makes his claim for the Iron Throne, Loras and the rest of House Tyrell back his claim and cement their support by marrying Loras's sister Margaery to Renly. Loras and Renly remain inseparable even after Renly's wedding. After Renly's assassination, Loras goes berserk and vows vengeance against Stannis, but secretly blames himself for having pushed Renly to make his claim even though he was lawfully behind Stannis. When the Tyrells join the Lannister cause against Stannis, Loras fights wearing Renly's armor in honour of the fallen king at the Battle of the Blackwater. During season 3, his family plots to have him marry Sansa for Sansa and his family's benefit. However, he accidentally reveals this plot to his new lover and squire, Olyvar, who is actually a spy for Lord Baelish. Tywin stops the Tyrell plot by having Sansa marry his son Tyrion and engages Loras to his daughter Cersei. In season 4, at Joffrey and Margaery's wedding, Loras exchanges banter with Jaime, who warns Loras that if he marries Cersei, she will likely kill him in his sleep, and that he will never marry her. Loras counters that Jaime will not marry Cersei either, implying that he knows of his incestuous relationship with Cersei. He is later present at Tyrion's trial for murdering Joffrey, though he is apparently unaware that his grandmother, Olenna Tyrell, is the true killer. In season 5, he attends Tywin's funeral and offers his condolences to Cersei. He continues his sexual relationship with Olyvar, flirtatiously suggesting that they should move to Dorne, where homosexuality is more tolerated, and expresses doubt that to Margaery that he is still obliged to marry Cersei with Tywin gone. He is later present at Tommen and Margaery's wedding and, during a training session, is suddenly arrested for his homosexuality by the recently reinstated Faith Militant. He denies all of the Faith's allegations against him, including his affair with Renly, during an inquest presided by the High Sparrow, but eventually loses his temper when Olyvar testifies against him, citing his birthmark "in the shape of Dorne" he has on his thigh as proof. This prompts the Faith to incarcerate both him and his sister, the latter for perjuring herself in front of the gods in an effort to protect him, and to open formal trials for them. In the sixth season, after being tortured for almost a year, Loras admits to his "crimes" on the day of his trial and joins the Faith Militant in order to survive and a seven-pointed star is carved on his forehead. Though he is accepted into their ranks, he is killed when the Great Sept of Baelor is destroyed by wildfire on Cersei's orders. * '''Randyll Tarly''' (seasons 6–7) portrayed by James Faulkner, is the Lord of Horn Hill and the head of House Tarly, a vassal family of House Tyrell of Highgarden. Randyll is the father of Samwell Tarly, and one of the greatest soldiers in Westeros. He has a humorless martinet, is severe and intimidating. He demands martial discipline in the field and in his home. He forces Sam to join the Night's Watch on threat of death. In the sixth season, he is not pleased when Sam returns to Horn Hill with Gilly and his supposed son with her, and enraged when he realizes Gilly is a wildling. Despite his hatred for the wildlings, Randyll agrees to let Gilly work in the kitchens and raise the baby as a bastard of House Tarly, on the condition that Sam never again set foot in Horn Hill when he leaves for Oldtown. Sam ultimately takes Gilly and the baby with him, and takes House Tarly's ancestral Valyrian steel sword, Heartsbane. In the seventh season Jamie Lannister persuades Lord Randyll to side with the Lannisters against the Tyrells. This goes well initially as the Tarlys help capture Highgarden, but when Daenerys ambushes the Tarly and Lannister forces they are soundly defeated. Daenerys demands that the Tarlys and their few surviving soldiers, now captives, bend the knee. Randyll refuses and is executed by dragonfire. * '''Melessa Tarly''' (season 6) portrayed by Samantha Spiro. Lady Melessa of House Florent is the wife Lord Randyll Tarly of Horn Hill and mother of Samwell Tarly of the Night's Watch. She is a sweet, plump, and adoring mother, and has a soft spot for Samwell. When Sam returns to Horn Hill with Gilly and her baby on the way to Oldtown, she greets him warmly, and becomes infuriated when Randyll insults Sam and Gilly during dinner. * '''Talla Tarly''' (season 6) portrayed by Rebecca Benson. Lady Talla is a kind, friendly and unpretentious woman, and is the sister of Samwell Tarly. She greets Sam warmly when he returns to Horn Hill with Gilly and her baby on his way to Oldtown. * '''Dickon Tarly''' (seasons 6–7) portrayed by Freddie Stroma in season 6, and by Tom Hopper in season 7. Tom Hopper Dickon is athletic, a good hunter, an excellent swordsman, manly, not particularly bright but the favorite child of his father, Lord Randyll. He is the younger brother of Samwell Tarly, but was pronounced heir when Samwell was sent to the Night's Watch. He greets Sam warmly when he returns to Horn Hill with Gilly and her baby on their way to Oldtown, but his dismissal of Sam's claims that he killed a White Walker is what leads Randyll to realize Gilly is a wildling. Dickon acquits himself well enough in his first real battle, but his second - against Daenerys, her Dothraki and her dragon - ends in defeat. Captured, he is urged by his father to bend the knee to Daenerys and save himself, but instead he stands with his father in refusing. He is executed by dragonfire. ===People of Essos=== * '''Khal Drogo''' (seasons 1–2) portrayed by Jason Momoa. Jason Momoa Khal Drogo is a warlord of the Dothraki people. He is to marry Daenerys Targaryen, as arranged by her brother Viserys. He is undefeated in battle. Viserys Targaryen conspired with Magister Illyrio to marry Daenerys to Drogo in order to get his support in an invasion of Westeros. Though Daenerys was initially unhappy with the arrangement, Drogo proves to be a sensitive husband and lover despite his fearsome behavior with his men. After a failed poisoning attempt on Daenerys' life, he promises to invade Westeros to reclaim the Seven Kingdoms for the Targaryens, but Viserys's impertinence ultimately causes Drogo to kill him. Drogo maintains his promise for the benefit of his wife, but is wounded by an enemy khal before he could begin the invasion. The wound festers and Drogo becomes so sick that he is unable to ride his horse, a sign of weakness to the Dothraki. Most of his khalasar abandons him, but Daenerys unknowingly sacrifices their unborn child for a spell to revive him. The spell works, but leaves him a brain-dead husk of his former self. Daenerys smothers him out of pity, and the flames of his funeral pyre ultimately hatch her dragon eggs. * '''Tycho Nestoris''' (seasons 4–5, 7) portrayed by Mark Gatiss. Mark Gatiss Tycho Nestoris is a representative of the Iron Bank of Braavos. He initially refuses to loan Stannis Baratheon money to help him hire mercenaries, but Davos Seaworth changes his mind. In season 5, Tycho greets Mace Tyrell, who has been sent to renegotiate the royal debt. In season 7 he arrives in King's Landing to collect the debt, expecting to be met with a default. He is impressed when Cersei, newly enriched by the captured Tyrell treasury, pays the debt in full and he agrees to Cersei's request for further funding. * '''Izembaro''' (season 6) portrayed by Richard E. Grant. Richard E. Grant Izembaro is the manager of a Braavosi troupe of actors, in which he also acts. He portrays King Robert Baratheon and Lord Tywin Lannister in the production of ''The Bloody Hand''. He is outwardly dismissive to his actors, and witnesses Arya Stark foil an assassination attempt on one of his actresses, Lady Crane. He subsequently kicks Bianca, the actress who ordered Crane's death, out of the troupe. * '''Lady Crane''' (season 6) portrayed by Essie Davis. Lady Crane is the leading actress in Izembaro's Braavosi theater troupe. She portrays Queen Cersei Lannister in the production of ''The Bloody Hand''. She becomes a target of the Faceless Men on the request of her jealous co-star, Bianca. She is almost killed by Arya Stark, who poisons her rum but briefly speaks with her, realizing she is an innocent women who is a mere victim of someone else's selfishness, and thwarts the assassination, warning her about Bianca. Crane subsequently mutilates Bianca's face and has her expelled from the troupe. Shortly after, she finds Arya severely wounded as retribution for the assassination and cares for her, but is herself killed by the Waif, who was sent to kill Arya. * '''The Waif''' (seasons 5–6) portrayed by Faye Marsay. The Waif is a sadistic young woman who lives in the House of Black and White, a temple to the Many-faced God, in Braavos. She participates in Arya's training but repeatedly deems her unfit to become a Faceless Man (assassin). After Arya is struck blind for her unsanctioned killing of Ser Meryn Trant, the Waif repeatedly beats and abuses Arya, though Arya learns how to fight without her eyesight and her vision is soon returned to her. When Arya refuses to kill an innocent target, Lady Crane, the Waif is sent to kill her. Though she stabs Arya multiple times, Arya survives. The Waif then kills Lady Crane and pursues the wounded Arya all over Braavos before cornering her in her hideout. Arya, however, extinguishes the room's only candle and manages to kill the Waif in the ensuing fight. Arya rips her face off and adds it to the Hall of Faces. * '''Yezzan zo Qaggaz''' (seasons 5–6) portrayed by Enzo Cilenti.Enzo Cilenti Yezzan zo Qaggaz is a slave-trader from the city of Meereen, on the coast of Slaver's Bay, and one of the Great Masters, the former ruling elite of the city. He buys Jorah Mormont and Tyrion Lannister after they are captured by Malko and takes them to a fighting pit to train as gladiators, though he loses both Tyrion and Jorah when they are accepted into Daenerys Targaryen's inner circle. He, along with Razdal mo Eraz and Belicho Paenymion, negotiates with Tyrion in Daenerys's absence and they reach an accord to end slavery throughout seven years in exchange for ordering the Sons of the Harpy to stand down, but they go back on their word and order a naval assault on Meereen. When Daenerys's dragons defeat the slaver fleet, Yezzan is betrayed by Razdal and Belicho and handed over to be killed by Grey Worm, who kills the other two instead. Tyrion instructs Yezzan to warn his friends about angering Daenerys further. * '''Razdal mo Eraz''' (seasons 3, 6) portrayed by George Georgiou, is a slave-trader from the city of Yunkai, on the coast of Slaver's Bay, and one of the Wise Masters, the ruling elite of the city. He attempts to parley with Daenerys for her to leave Yunkai, but she refuses and takes the city. Later, he helps fund the Sons of the Harpy to resist Daenerys's rule over Slaver's Bay and breaks a peace treaty with Tyrion Lannister. He is killed by Grey Worm when the slavers' attack on Meereen is thwarted. * '''Belicho Paenymion''' (season 6) portrayed by Eddie Jackson, is a prominent noble of the Free City of Volantis, and a member of the "Old Blood", descendants of the original Valyrian settlers of the city. Like most of the Volantene nobility, Belicho is involved in the slave trade and funds the Sons of the Harpy to resist Daenerys. After breaking a peace pact with Tyrion Lannister, his throat is slit by Grey Worm when their attack on Meereen fails. * '''Kinvara''' (season 6) portrayed by Ania Bukstein, is the High Priestess of the Red Temple of Volantis, one of the high-ranking leaders in the religion of R'hllor, the Lord of Light. Tyrion Lannister and Varys enlist her help in acquiring the common peoples' support for Daenerys, whom she believes to be the Prince that Was Promised, destined to defeat the Night King. * '''Vala''' (seasons 5–6) portrayed by Meena Rayann, is a prostitute in Meereen who is secretly in league with the Sons of the Harpy, a resistance movement against Daenerys Targaryen. Her actions cause the death of several Unsullied and Ser Barristan Selmy. She is later captured by Varys and forced reveal who are funding the Sons of the Harpy on pain of death and her son becoming an orphan. She cooperates and is sent to Pentos with her son to live peacefully. * '''Camello''' (season 6) portrayed by Kevin Eldon. Kevin Eldon Camello is a member of Izembaro's comedic theatre troupe in Braavos. He portrays Eddard Stark in the production of "the Bloody Hand". * '''Bobono''' (season 6) portrayed by Leigh Gill, is a member of Izembaro's comedic theatre troupe in Braavos. He portrays Tyrion Lannister in the production of "the Bloody Hand". * '''Bianca''' (season 6) portrayed by Eline Powell, is a member of Izembaro's comedic theatre troupe in Braavos. She portrays Sansa Stark in the production of "the Bloody Hand". Though she is far less skilled than the lead actress, Lady Crane, she is consumed by jealousy and desires to replace her. She contracts the Faceless Men to have her assassinated, but the assassin, Arya Stark, instead warns Lady Crane about Bianca's intentions. Lady Crane subsequently mutilates Bianca's face and Izembaro kicks her out of the troupe. * '''Clarenzo''' (season 6) portrayed by Rob Callender, is a member of Izembaro's comedic theatre troupe in Braavos. He portrays Joffrey Baratheon in the production of "the Bloody Hand". * '''Khal Moro''' (season 6) portrayed by Joe Naufahu. A Dothraki Khal. His khalasar finds Daenerys after she flees Meereen on Drogon's back. Out of respect for Khal Drogo, Moro takes Daenerys to the Temple of the Dosh Khaleen to live the rest of her life with the widows of former Khals. When Daenerys refuses to submit, Moro and the other Khals threaten her with being raped and killed. Daenerys responds by burning the temple down with the Khals inside and taking over the entire khalasar. * '''High Priestess of the Dosh Khaleen''' (season 6) portrayed by Souad Faress. The high priestess is the leader of the dosh khaleen, the widows of former Khals. * '''Ornella''' (season 6) portrayed by Hannah John-Kamen, is a young member of the Dosh khaleen who befriends Daenerys Targaryen. * '''Kraznys mo Nakloz''' (season 3) portrayed by Dan Hildebrand. A wealthy slaver from the Ghiscari city of Astapor. Sexist and rude, he repeatedly insults to Daenerys in Valyrian, not realizing she speaks the language. He agrees to sell Daenerys 8,000 slave-soldiers called the Unsullied in exchange for one of her dragons, throwing in his translator, Missandei, as a bonus. Daenerys reveals she speaks Valyrian and orders her new army to kill the Astapori slavers. Kraznys is killed by Drogon. * '''Quaithe''' (season 2) portrayed by Laura Pradelska. Quaithe of the Shadow is an enigmatic priestess of Asshai whom Daenerys meets in Qarth, where she warns Daenerys about the local warlocks. * '''Xaro Xhoan Daxos''' (season 2) portrayed by Nonso Anozie.Nonso Anozie A rich merchant "prince" of Qarth who vouches for Daenerys when she and her then-starving entourage wish to enter the city. He claims extremely humble background, having worked his way to wealth from nothing. He repeatedly asks Daenerys to marry him, but she refuses. Xaro eventually betrays Daenerys, allowing the warlocks to kidnap her dragons and kill several of her people, and crowns himself "King of Qarth" as part of a plan to render the city less isolationist. After Daenerys rescues her dragons and returns, she locks him alive in his own vault, finding it to have been empty the whole time. * '''Pyat Pree''' (season 2) portrayed by Ian Hanmore. Ian Hanmore Pyat Pree is a warlock from the city of Qarth. He tries to lure Daenerys to the House of the Undying, the warlocks' lair, by stealing her dragons but Daenerys defeats him, rescues her dragons and escapes. * '''The Spice King''' (season 2) portrayed by Nicholas Blane, is the leader of the Ancient Guild of Spicers, one of the merchant groups vying in Qarth. In the Song of Ice and Fire novels there is no character specifically called 'the Spice King'. However, there is an 'Ancient Guild of Spicers' in the city of Qarth. The Spice King is one of many powerful Qarthites whom Daenerys asks for ships and funding to mount a campaign in Westeros, but he is rude to Daenerys in a polite way by pointing out that without an army, she cannot regain the Iron Throne. He is killed by the warlock Pyat Pree as part of his coup with Xaro Xoan Daxos. * '''Illyrio Mopatis''' (season 1) portrayed by Roger Allam. Roger Allam Illyrio Mopatis is a wealthy magister of the free city of Pentos. Illiyrio hosts the Targaryens after their escape from Westeros. He arranges Daenerys' marriage to Khal Drogo and conspires with Lord Varys for the returning of the Targaryens to power. In season 5, Varys and Tyrion Lannister take shelter in his mansion when they flee Westeros after the murder of Tywin Lannister. * '''Mirri Maz Duur''' (season 1) portrayed by Mia Soteriou. Mirri Maz Duur was a "Maegi", or witch-woman, held captive by Khal Drogo's horde. Before her capture, she had been a godswife (priestess) in the Temple of the Great Shepherd. When Drogo and his men attack her town and take her prisoner, Daenerys gives Mirri and the other victims protection from further attacks. When Khal Drogo is wounded in a fight, Daenerys asks for Mirri's help to cure it, but Mirri betrays her in revenge for the attack on her village, leaving Drogo in a permanent vegetative state and causing the then-pregnant Daenerys to miscarry her son Rhaego. In revenge, Daenerys has Mirri burned to death on Drogo's funeral pyre. * '''Qotho''' (season 1) portrayed by Dar Salim. Qotho is a fierce and hot-tempered bloodrider under Khal Drogo. After Drogo's incapacitation, some of the bloodriders try to stop Daenerys from taking him to the witch Mirri Maz Duur. Qotho kills Quaro in the ensuing fight and is in turn killed by Ser Jorah Mormont. ===People of Westeros=== * '''Podrick Payne''' (seasons 2–8) portrayed by Daniel Portman, Daniel Portman is a young squire assigned to Tyrion Lannister. In Season 2, he fights alongside Tyrion at the Battle of the Blackwater and saves him from an assassination by Ser Mandon Moore. In Season 4, Podrick is anonymously offered a knighthood in exchange for testifying against Tyrion at his trial for the murder of King Joffrey, but he does not accept or reject the offer – Tyrion orders Podrick to leave King's Landing before he is killed. Tyrion makes his brother, Jaime, assure Podrick's safety, who assigns him to serve Brienne of Tarth. Podrick initially appears to be incompetent but slowly wins Brienne's trust. Podrick and Brienne eventually find Arya Stark and Sandor Clegane near the Vale. A brawl ensues between Brienne and Sandor, and Podrick loses sight of Arya, much to Brienne's annoyance. Podrick and Brienne then search for Sansa, finding her with Petyr Baelish and some Vale knights in an inn. A fight ensues, and Podrick is only barely rescued by Brienne. They decide to follow Sansa and Baelish north. During their journey, Brienne slowly opens up to Podrick, and offers to teach him how to use a sword and defend himself. Brienne and Podrick reach the North and take shelter in a nearby inn, sending Sansa a message to signal for help should she need it. Podrick later alerts Brienne when Stannis arrives with his army to retake Winterfell. Podrick and Brienne later save Sansa and Theon Greyjoy from pursuing Bolton soldiers and Podrick manages to slay one with his newfound skills. He and Brienne escort Sansa to find Jon Snow at Castle Black. Sansa sends Brienne and Podrick to the Riverlands to seek the aid of Brynden Tully, where Podrick briefly reunites with Bronn. When Riverrun falls to the Freys, Brynden apparently sacrifices himself to allow Brienne and Podrick to escape in a boat. Though they are seen by Jaime Lannister, he lets them go. At the parley in the Dragonpit, Pod meets Bronn and at Bronn's suggestion they go for a drink. * '''Beric Dondarrion''' (seasons 1, 3, 6–8) portrayed by David Scott in season 1 and by Richard Dormer from season 3 onwards. Richard Dormer Beric Dondarrion is also known as the Lord of Blackhaven and "the Lightning Lord". In season one, Eddard Stark sends him to arrest Gregor Clegane for terrorizing the Riverlands. After Ned's arrest, he becomes the leader of an outlaw group known as the "Brotherhood without Banners". In season three, it is revealed that Beric has been killed many times but has been resurrected by his friend Thoros of Myr, a red priest. Because of this miracle, Beric and the rest of the Brotherhood convert to the worship of Thoros's god, whom they call the Lord of Light. Beric and the Brotherhood harry the Lannister army, focusing on protecting commoners. They find Arya, Gendry, and Hot Pie and offer them shelter, and at the same time capture Sandor Clegane, who had deserted from the Lannister army during the Battle of the Blackwater. Clegane is sentenced to trial by combat, and Beric is his opponent. Despite setting his sword ablaze, Beric is slain by Clegane, but is resurrected by Thoros, and allows Clegane to go free. Beric later confides to Arya that it is the sixth time he has been revived from death, though he has slowly been losing his memories each time. He later meets Melisandre when she comes to fetch Gendry. Beric gives him away in return for gold, which prompts Arya to run away. Years later, the Brotherhood encounters Clegane again, after hanging three of their rogue members, and convince him to join their cause, since they are heading North in order to aid Jon Snow against the coming White Walker army. Trying to go around the end of the Wall at Eastwatch, the three are captured by a suspicious Tormund Giantsbane and imprisoned. They later join Jon Snow's raiding party on their mission to capture a wight. * '''Thoros of Myr''' (seasons 3, 6–7) portrayed by Paul Kaye,Paul Kaye is a red priest who follows the same religion as Melisandre. He later joins the "Brotherhood Without Banners". Thoros was a famous warrior who fought during the Greyjoy rebellion where he wielded a flaming sword in battle. Thoros was initially sent to Westeros as a missionary, to convince King Robert Baratheon to convert to the worship of the Lord of Light, but he became absorbed in the hedonism of Robert's court, which led him to lose his faith and become a drunkard. Thoros' faith was renewed during the War of Five Kings when he was able to resurrect his friend Beric using what he believed to be a mundane funeral rite. Since then, Thoros has stayed beside Beric, resurrecting him several more times, though at the cost of some of his memories each time. In the sixth season, he and Beric persuade Sandor Clegane to join their cause, since they are heading North to aid Jon Snow against the White Walkers. In the seventh season, trying to go around the end of the Wall at Eastwatch, the three are captured by a suspicious Tormund Giantsbane and imprisoned. They later join Jon Snow's raiding party on their mission to capture a wight. Thoros is mauled by an undead polar bear and takes fatal wounds. * '''Hot Pie''' (seasons 1–4, 7) portrayed by Ben Hawkey, is a baker's boy from King's Landing recruited by Yoren to join the Watch. He is shown to be a friend of Lommy and together they try to bully Arya, but, instead she beats him. Hot Pie and Arya survive the attack on Yoren's band by Ser Amory Lorch, along with Gendry and Lommy Greenhands. They are later captured by soldiers of Ser Gregor Clegane, who kill Lommy. Like Arya, Hot Pie is made a servant at Harrenhal, in the kitchens. He escapes Harrenhal with Arya and Gendry and head to Riverrun. On the way, they are captured by the Brotherhood Without Banners, Hot Pie decides to stay at a local Inn to become a cook. In season 4, Hot Pie meets Brienne of Tarth and Podrick Payne on their journey to find Sansa Stark and tells them that Arya is likely still alive. Then when Arya passes through in season 7 he is able to give her the news that Jon Snow has retaken Winterfell. * '''Septa Unella''' (seasons 5–6) portrayed by Hannah Waddingham, Hannah Waddingham Unella is a Septa of the Faith of the Seven and a devoted follower of the High Sparrow. She throws Cersei into a cell beneath the Sept of Baelor and repeatedly commands her to confess her sins. When Cersei finally does, Unella and some septas wash Cersei and cut off most of her hair. During Cersei's walk of atonement, Unella walks behind her, repeatedly ringing a bell and calling out "Shame!" to the crowd. She continues to abuse Margaery until an alliance is made between the Crown and the Faith, and follows Margaery around wherever she goes. On the day of Cersei and Loras's trial, however, Unella is captured by Cersei's forces before the Great Sept of Baelor is destroyed, taking the High Sparrow with it, and kept prisoner to be tortured by Gregor Clegane on Cersei's orders as revenge for the needless abuse Unella once inflicted on her. * '''Lem Lemoncloak''' (season 6) portrayed by Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, is a member of the Brotherhood without Banners. He leads an attack on Septon Ray's small community, without Beric Dondarrion's consent. He is subsequently sentenced to death, and is hanged by Sandor Clegane, the only survivor of the attack. * '''Brother Ray''' (season 6) portrayed by Ian McShane, Ian McShane is a former mercenary who now serves the Faith of the Seven. He tries to build a new community in the Riverlands and saves Sandor Clegane from death following his brutal fight with Brienne of Tarth. He and the rest of the community, however, are killed by rogue members of the Brotherhood Without Banners, and Ray is hanged from the unfinished sept, which drives Sandor to seek revenge, as Ray was his friend. * '''Olyvar''' (seasons 3–5) portrayed by Will Tudor, Will Tudor is a spy, sex worker, and brothel manager in the employ of Petyr Baelish. In season 3, he poses as Loras Tyrell's squire and has a one-night stand with him at Baelish's request in order to learn the Tyrells' true motivations for coming to King's Landing. In season 4, he becomes a lover of Oberyn Martell. In season 5, he continues his affair with Loras. His life is put in danger when the Faith Militant are re-established and they target the city's homosexuals. He escapes due to being fully clothed during the attack and goes into hiding, but he is approached by Cersei and offered immunity from prosecution if he testifies against Loras at his Holy Inquest. Olyvar does so, implicating both Loras and Margaery in the process. * '''Anguy''' (season 3) portrayed by Philip McGinley, is a commoner from the Dornish Marches, a member of the Brotherhood Without Banners. He is called "the Archer". * '''Rorge''' (seasons 2, 4) portrayed by Andy Beckwith, is a violent criminal from King's Landing, Rorge is taken from the Black Cells by Yoren to join the Night's Watch, which is customary for criminals. He, with the other criminals Jaqen H'Ghar and Biter, is kept caged in a cart for their journey north in order to keep from harming the other recruits. When Yoren's band is attacked by Ser Amory Lorch, Arya saves the three men by giving them an axe so that they can break out of their cage, which has been set on fire. The three join the Lannister soldiers for a time. In season 4, Rorge and Biter attack Arya and Sandor to collect the bounty on Sandor Clegane's head, but Biter is killed by Sandor and Rorge by Arya. * '''Biter''' (seasons 2, 4) portrayed by Gerard Jordan, is a violent criminal from King's Landing, Biter is a frightening man who hisses instead of speaking, and his teeth have been filed to points. Like Jaqen H'Ghar and Rorge, Biter was collected by Yoren for the Night's Watch. When Yoren's band is attacked by Ser Amory Lorch, Biter and his companions find themselves trapped in the wagon in the middle of a fire, but Arya Stark, throws an axe into the wagon so that they can break free and save themselves. They manage to escape and are later taken into Ser Amory's service, eventually arriving at Harrenhal. In season 4, Rorge and Biter attack Arya and Sandor to collect the bounty on Sandor Clegane's head, but Biter is killed by Sandor and Rorge by Arya. * '''Ros''' (seasons 1–3) portrayed by Esmé Bianco, Esmé Bianco is a red-haired sex worker. The Ros of the television adaptation is an amalgam of more than one character from the books, including the unnamed redheaded northern prostitute and Alayaya. She initially lives in a brothel outside the gates of Winterfell, where she is a favorite of Theon Greyjoy, though she has attracted the attention of several others such as Tyrion Lannister and Jon Snow. Later in the season, Ros moves to King's Landing and is given employment in a brothel owned by Littlefinger. At the start of season 2, Ros has been promoted, managing the brothel and interviewing new employees. She is later abused by King Joffrey and savagely beaten by Cersei's men who mistake her for Tyrion's lover. She later enters an alliance with Varys. Her primary function in season 1 appeared to be one of sexposition, as the backstories and motives of Theon, Littlefinger and Pycelle are all revealed during sexual encounters involving her. In season 2, she is used mostly as a familiar face for the audience in several key events. Midway through season 3 she is shot dead by King Joffrey after Littlefinger discovers that she has been spying for Varys. * '''Lommy Greenhands''' (seasons 1–2) portrayed by Eros Vlahos, Eros Vlahos was a dyer's apprentice before being caught stealing and sent with Yoren to join the watch. When Yoren's band is attacked by Ser Amory Lorch, Lommy is one of the survivors, though he is injured in the leg, slowing down Arya and the other escapees. They are later captured by soldiers under the command of Ser Gregor Clegane. Polliver kills Lommy when he learns that he cannot walk. When the soldiers ask where Gendry is, Arya tells them that Lommy was Gendry, saving the real Gendry's life. * '''Syrio Forel''' (season 1) portrayed by Miltos Yerolemou, Miltos Yerolemou is known as the former First Sword of the Sealord of Braavos, is hired by Lord Eddard to train Arya Stark at "Water Dancing", the Braavosi style of sword fighting. Syrio trained Arya using wooden swords filled with lead. He also mentored her on how to move and think like a warrior: to be perceptive, move with grace, and command her fear. After Eddard Stark's arrest, Cersei Lannister sends men to capture Arya. Syrio orders Arya to run while he holds them off with only a wooden practice sword. He defeats five guardsmen but cannot bring down the armored Meryn Trant, who cuts his practice sword in half. Arya escapes. The fate of Syrio after that is unknown. ===Royal court and officials=== * '''Qyburn''' (seasons 3–8) portrayed by Anton Lesser, Anton Lesser is an ex-maester who was found by Robb Stark at Harrenhal. He becomes a servant of Roose Bolton. Qyburn lost his title as a maester when he was caught performing human experiments on live patients. Qyburn justifies his actions for the sake of medical knowledge. He tends to Jaime after the latter loses his right hand and travels with him to King's Landing in the hope of having his title restored. In season 4, Qyburn cures Jaime of infection, allowing the skin to heal fully and has a solid gold hand forged for him, earning him Cersei's respect and gratitude. Cersei later enlists his help in curing Gregor Clegane of a deadly poison inflicted on him by Oberyn Martell in the trial by combat. Qyburn warns that his help may "change" Clegane, but when Cersei asks if it will make him weaker, he enthusiastically implies the opposite. After Tywin's death and Varys's treason and escape, Cersei appoints him the new Master of Whispers, much to Grand Maester Pycelle's disapproval. When the Queen mother is imprisoned by the Faith Militant, he is the only one to visit her and informs her of her uncle Kevan's appointment as the new Hand of the King. When Cersei returns to the Red Keep after her Walk of Atonement, Qyburn warmly greets her and presents her the newest member of the Kingsguard, an undead version of Ser Gregor, the results of his experiments. He sways most of Varys's little birds to his service and learns of the caches of wildfire that the Mad King had stored underneath King's Landing. After Cersei removes all of her enemies by destroying the Great Sept of Baelor with everyone inside and later crowning herself Queen, she names Qyburn as her Hand. At the parley in the Dragonpit, while everyone else is terrified by the wight and horrified when it continues to fight after being cut in half, Qyburn is instead fascinated, picking up the dismembered wight's hand and inspecting it as it twitches. * '''Grand Maester Pycelle''' (seasons 1–6) portrayed by Julian Glover, Julian Glover is a Grand Maester of the Seven Kingdoms, is an advisor and member of the Small Council. He had served the previous three kings as Grand Maester before Robert's reign. Pycelle is later revealed to be a spy for the Lannisters, Cersei specifically, and he who informed her of Jon Arryn's investigation of her affair with Jaime. To prevent himself from being undermined, Tyrion has Pycelle arrested and sent to the dungeons, but Cersei frees and Tywin Lannister reinstates him. A deleted scene from season 3 shows that Tywin is not fooled by Pycelle's frail old man guise. In season 4, Pycelle makes false accusations at Tyrion's trial, claiming that Tyrion had stolen poisons from his office to murder Joffrey. Later on, when he proves unable to save the poisoned Gregor Clegane and openly doubts Qyburn's abilities, Cersei orders him to leave, giving his position to Qyburn. He later attends Tywin's funeral and proposes himself as the next Hand of the King, Cersei ignores him and appoints Qyburn as the new Master of Whispers. When Cersei is incarcerated by the Faith Militant, Pycelle summons uncle Kevan from Casterly Rock and gives him the position of Hand of the King. He is present at Cersei's return to the Red Keep after her Walk of Atonement. He continues to be dismissive towards both Cersei and Jaime, acknowledging that Cersei no longer holds any power. On the day of Cersei and Loras's trial, however, he is lured to Qyburn's laboratory by the little birds and stabbed to death, orchestrated by Cersei and Qyburn. * '''Meryn Trant''' (seasons 1–5) portrayed by Ian Beattie, Ian Beattie Ser Meryn Trant is an obedient member of the Kingsguard. He seems perfectly willing to do whatever Joffrey commands, no matter how vile the order. In Season 1, as Eddard Stark is being arrested, he is ordered by Cersei to bring her Arya Stark. Arya's fencing instructor, Syrio Forel, defends Arya from Ser Meryn and is presumably killed. Meryn is present at Tyrion's trial for Joffrey's murder, where he recounts some veiled threats Tyrion had made against Joffrey in season 2, while conveniently omitting that he and Joffrey had been beating Sansa Stark at the time. In season 5, he attends Tywin Lannister's funeral, accompanying Cersei. He is later appointed by the latter to travel as a bodyguard to Mace Tyrell to his meeting with the managers of the Iron Bank of Braavos. In Braavos, he attends a brothel and asks for underage girls. He is ambushed there and killed by Arya. * '''The High Septon''' (seasons 3–5) portrayed by Paul Bentley, is the head the Faith of the Seven, the dominant organized religion of southern Westeros. This septon becomes High Septon in season three after the death of his predecessor by the hands of the rioting mob in King's Landing. He was the officiant at the wedding ceremony of Tyrion Lannister and Sansa Stark and later at the wedding ceremony of King Joffrey Baratheon and Margaery Tyrell. The High Septon also prepares the body of King Joffrey for his funeral and leads the coronation ceremony of King Tommen Baratheon. He is later present at Tywin's funeral. He is attacked and humiliated by the Sparrows after being found in a brothel. When he tries to make the Small Council help him get revenge against them, Cersei decides to remove him from his position and has him arrested, giving the position to the High Sparrow. * '''Dontos Hollard''' (seasons 2, 4) portrayed by Tony Way, Ser Dontos Hollard is a knight serving at the court of King's Landing. He shows up drunk at a tourney for Joffrey's birthday, so the young king threatens to execute him. Sansa saves his life by suggesting he be made a jester instead. In season 4, Dontos gives Sansa what he says is his mother's necklace as a gift and helps smuggle her out of King's Landing after Joffrey is killed, apparently by Tyrion. Dontos takes her to one of Stannis Baratheon's ships in Blackwater Bay, to Petyr Baelish. Rather than pay Dontos the promised gold, however, Baelish has his men kill Dontos for fear that he will be bribed into talking, and reveals that the whole time, Dontos was working for him, and leaves the necklace, which contained the poison used to kill Joffrey, with his corpse to implicate Tyrion. * '''Hallyne''' (season 2) portrayed by Roy Dotrice, Roy Dotrice is the chief "Wisdom" of the Order of Pyromancers in King's Landing. Pyromancers, whose magical skill is questioned by Bronn and Tyrion, are primarily used to produce wildfire, a very dangerous, highly combustible chemical weapon. Tyrion uses his help for the Battle of Blackwater. * '''Ilyn Payne''' (seasons 1–2) portrayed by Wilko Johnson, Wilko Johnson Ser Ilyn, also called "the King's Justice", is the mute royal executioner. He lost his tongue for speaking ill of Aerys II during the Mad King's reign. He carries out Joffrey's order to execute Eddard Stark and is temporarily given the Stark family sword, Ice. ===Night's Watch=== * Eddison Tollett (seasons 2–8) portrayed by Ben Crompton, is a steward of the Night's Watch, known to all as "Dolorous Edd" for his dour face and outlook. Despite his continual gloom and doom he is well-liked by the other Brothers in Black, and is one of few Night's Watchmen to have few if any enemies among his brothers. He is part of the expeditionary force beyond the Wall. In Season 3 he is one of the few remaining survivors from the battle at the Fist of the First men and they manage to retreat to Craster's Keep. He fights against the mutineers after the death of Lord Commander Mormont. In season 4, he and Grenn manage to return to Castle Black, but they join Jon Snow on his mission to kill the mutineers. He survives the ensuing battle and is seen dragging Locke's corpse back to Craster's Keep with the other slain Night's Watch brothers. In the wildling attack on Castle Black, Eddison remains atop the Wall on Jon's orders to stop the wildlings from breaching the gate. He sends down flaming oil barrels and ultimately delivers the blow that sends the wildlings retreating by swinging a huge scythe across the Wall, causing the ice to break and sending many falling to their deaths. He lives through the battle and personally burns Grenn's body at the funeral. In season 5, he witnesses Mance Rayder's execution, supports Jon in becoming the new Lord Commander, and drags Janos Slynt into the courtyard when Jon sentences him to die. He begrudgingly agrees to Jon's proposal to rescue the wildlings from Hardhome before the White Walkers can reach them. He accompanies Jon and the Night's Watch to Hardhome and is one of the few who escape the massacre alive. Following Jon's death in a mutiny, he is one of Jon's loyalists who find his body and barricade themselves inside his quarters, refusing to acknowledge Thorne's leadership. Davos Seaworth sends him to fetch Tormund and the wildlings for help, and he succeeds just in time, ordering the mutineers locked up. He witnesses Jon's resurrection by Melisandre, and the mutineers' execution. Jon relinquishes his command to Edd, naming him the new acting Lord Commander. When Jon leaves Castle Black to retake Winterfell from Ramsay Bolton, Edd shares a good-natured farewell with him. * '''Benjen Stark''' (seasons 1, 6–7) portrayed by Joseph Mawle, is First Ranger of the Night's Watch. He is the younger brother of Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell. Early in the series, he leads a group of Rangers beyond the wall to investigate increased wildling activity, but does not return and his fate is unknown. In the close of season 5, Alliser appears to Jon to deliver word of Benjen's whereabouts, though this seems to be a mere trick, used to lure Jon to an assassination. Benjen returns in the sixth season to save Bran Stark and Meera Reed from a pack of wights, and reveals that he was stabbed by a White Walker, but then stabbed by a Child of the Forest to stop him turning into a White Walker, a process which left him undead and unable to pass through the Wall. He later takes Bran and Meera back to the Wall and bids them farewell. When Jon Snow is stranded north of the Wall, half-frozen and under attack by wights, Benjen rides in and puts Jon on his horse. Before he is killed he holds off the wights for long enough that Jon can escape. * '''Alliser Thorne''' (seasons 1, 4–6) portrayed by Owen Teale, Owen Teale is a drill instructor at Castle Black. He fought for Aerys II during Robert's Rebellion and was sent to the Wall as punishment. He is a bitter, cruel, fanatical and hardened man but knows firsthand what it is like to serve in the Night's Watch during the winter. The previous winter, he was caught north of the Wall on a ranging mission and he and the other members of his party were forced to eat the rangers who died in order to survive. Thorne returns in Season 4, now the acting Lord Commander of the Night's Watch following the death of Jeor Mormont, and becomes friends with Janos Slynt. He advocates Jon's execution for his actions in season 3, but Jon is exonerated by Maester Aemon. Thorne later notices that the people like Jon better than him, and will most likely elect Jon as the new Lord Commander, which would make him Thorne's superior. To avoid this, Thorne, on Slynt's suggestion, allows Jon to lead a mission to kill the Night's Watch mutineers in the hopes that Jon will be killed in battle, though Jon survives. Out of spite, Thorne refuses Jon's proposal to seal off Castle Black to stop the wildlings from breaching. When the wildling army arrives, Alliser grudgingly admits to Jon that he should have listened to him, but valiantly leads his men into battle. Alliser personally duels Tormund Giantsbane, but is wounded. He is last seen being taken inside Castle Black for treatment while yelling for his men to continue fighting. In season 5, he has been healed but walks with a limp. He appears to be the leading contender for being voted the new official Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. Though he ultimately loses to Jon Snow by one vote in a three-way race, he is named First Ranger by Jon, which he appears to appreciate. When Jon sentences Slynt to execution for insubordination, Thorne briefly blocks Eddison Tollett's way, but quickly abandons Slynt to his fate. After Jon's return from Hardhome, he eventually opens the gate for the incoming wildling refugees, showing deep resentment for the new Lord Commander's ambition to forge an alliance with the wildling tribes. After Davos' return to the Wall, Alliser dispatches Olly with word of Benjen Stark's current state; the ploy is soon uncovered as a mutiny, wherein a disarmed Jon is trapped and stabbed to death. Alliser delivers the first blow, under the call "For the Watch!" and leaves the Lord Commander dying in the snow. Thorne assumes command once again, but only until Edd brings back the wildlings to save Jon's loyalists from death. Thorne is arrested for his treachery, and after Jon is resurrected, he is hanged for treason. * '''Olly''' (seasons 4–6) portrayed by Brenock O'Connor, Brenock O'Connor is a young boy who lived with his mother and father in a village in the Gift, the land given to the Night's Watch to support themselves. Their village is attacked by a group of wildlings. His father is killed by Ygritte and his mother by Styr. Styr tells Olly that he is going to eat his dead parents and orders him to tell the men of the Night's Watch at Castle Black in an attempt to draw them out into the open. He then releases Olly, who reaches Castle Black and informs the men of the approaching wildlings, in the process befriending Jon Snow. In the wildling attack on Castle Black, Olly shoots and kills Ygritte from behind in revenge for his father. In season 5, Jon takes Olly as an apprentice, mirroring his own father-son relationship with Jeor Mormont. When Jon is named the new Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, Olly is named Jon's personal steward. He is unhappy with Jon's efforts to help the wildlings and participates in Jon's assassination, stabbing Jon through the heart. When Jon's loyalists and the wildlings rebel, Olly is arrested along with the mutineers, and after Jon's resurrection, he is executed by hanging. * '''Othell Yarwyck''' (seasons 1, 4–6) portrayed by Brian Fortune, is First Builder of the Night's Watch. He is based at Castle Black and is tasked with organizing the builders in maintaining the Wall and the castles belonging to the Watch. He is one of the five black brothers who sit in judgment of Jon Snow for his actions during his time with the wildlings. Later, when Jon proposes that they barricade the gates to Castle Black to stop the wildlings from entering, Alliser Thorne coerces Yarwyck into disagreeing. Yarwyck survives the battle against the wildlings. In season 5, Jon sends him to rebuild a castle called Greyguard, but the order is annulled when Janos Slynt is executed. He staunchly opposes Jon's proposal to allow the wildlings to pass through the Wall before the White Walkers reach them and later participates in the mutiny against Jon, being the second to stab him. After Jon is resurrected, Yarwyck and the mutineers are hanged for their treason. * '''Bowen Marsh''' (seasons 5–6) portrayed by Michael Condron, is First Steward of the Night's Watch, one of the few authority figures left at Castle Black. He opposes Jon's proposal to allow the wildlings to pass through the Wall to escape the White Walkers, and later takes part in the mutiny against Jon, being the third to stab him. When Jon is revived by Melisandre, he is executed by hanging. * '''Maester Aemon''' (seasons 1, 3–5) portrayed by Peter Vaughan, Aemon Targaryen is the blind old Maester of the Night's Watch. He is the great-uncle of Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen. By the time of Robert's Rebellion, he was too old to travel alone and already blind, because of that and of his oaths, he remained at the Wall while all the members of his family, even his great grand-nephews and nieces, were killed by Lannister bannermen. He carries the anger of that incident with him into the events of ''Game of Thrones''. In Season 1, he names Samwell Tarly his personal steward because of his intellect and love for reading and tries to convince Jon Snow not to desert the Night's Watch after he hears of his father's arrest and his brother's campaign to save him. At the end of Season 3, when Sam and Gilly return after the mutiny at Craster's Keep, he sends all the ravens of the Night's Watch with messages to all the kings and lords of Westeros asking for help defending the Wall. In season 4, he is present at Jon Snow's trial. Aemon immediately ascertains that Jon is telling the truth and has him exonerated, claiming that he learned how to detect liars merely by growing up in King's Landing. Moments before the attack on Castle Black, Aemon speaks with Samwell Tarly about his feelings for Gilly. After the battle, he delivers a eulogy for the fallen before they are burned. In season 5, Aemon oversees the selection of a new Lord Commander. When Jon Snow and Alliser Thorne tie, Aemon breaks the tie by voting for Jon. He later falls ill, and Jon entrusts his care to Sam, who informs him on his great-niece's exploits in Slaver's Bay. Aemon later dies of natural causes after Jon's departure to Hardhome, spending his last moments with Gilly and Sam, the latter delivering a eulogy at his funeral pyre. * '''Janos Slynt''' (seasons 1–2, 4–5) portrayed by Dominic Carter, was the Commander of the King's Landing city watch. He was bribed by Littlefinger to conspire against Eddard Stark. He later follows Joffrey's orders to murder all of Robert's illegitimate children. Due to his untrustworthiness and brutality, Tyrion has Janos exiled to the Night's Watch. In season 4, he is shown to be at odds with Jon Snow and suggests that Alliser Thorne get rid of him before he can be elected as the new Lord Commander. During the wildling attack on Castle Black, Janos hides in the food storage closet. In season 5, Slynt appears to support Thorne as the new Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. When Jon is ultimately elected as the new Lord Commander, Janos refuses to obey Jon's orders and insults him. Jon responds by sentencing Janos to death. Janos ultimately breaks down, realising that Jon is not bluffing, and begs for mercy. Jon at first seems to relent, but ultimately delivers the blow, beheading Slynt. * '''Grenn''' (seasons 1–4) portrayed by Mark Stanley, is a brave but not very bright brother of the Night's Watch who joins at the same time as Jon. He was abandoned by his father when he was a child and had to steal to survive. In Season 1, he is initially at odds with Jon Snow, especially after Jon breaks his nose during a training session. Grenn, Pypar and Rast ambush Jon in a shed and threaten to harm him until Tyrion appears and tells them to back off, while advising Jon to sympathise with the other brothers. Jon makes amends by helping to train the others and becomes friends with Grenn. In Season 2, Grenn is part of Lord Commander Joer Mormont's ranging mission. Once they reach the Fist of the First Men, he is ordered to find firewood with Eddison Tollet and Samwell Tarly. In the process, they find a hidden stash of dragonglass (obsidian) daggers. When the White Walkers and wights approach, Grenn and Edd make a run for it, accidentally leaving Sam behind. In Season 3, he is one of the few remaining survivors of the battle at the Fist of the First men. On the way back to the Wall, Grenn makes amends with Sam by helping him walk along with Edd and Rast, and they manage to retreat to Craster's Keep. He fights against the mutineers after the death of Lord Commander Mormont, tackling Karl Tanner in the process, but he is subdued and chained up. In season 4, he and Edd manage to escape from the keep and make it back to Castle Black, but they later join Jon Snow on his mission to kill the mutineers. He survives the ensuing battle and expresses shock at the sight of Locke's badly snapped neck, wondering aloud what killed him. In the wildling attack on Castle Black, Grenn is ordered by Jon to take five men and hold the castle gates. A giant breaks his way in, and Grenn and the others manage to kill it at the cost of their own lives. His body is later burned by Edd at the funeral. * '''Pypar''' (seasons 1, 3–4) portrayed by Josef Altin, Josef Altin is a brother of the Night's Watch, informally called "Pyp". He joins at the same time as Jon. Initially, he said that his crime was stealing a wheel of cheese to feed his starving sister. Later, he admits to Jon and Sam that he were merely accused of stealing after refusing the sexual advances of his former lord. In the first season, he is at odds with Jon Snow, who does not hide his superior skills from the other brothers, but he becomes friends with him when Jon, on Tyrion Lannister's advice, helps to train the other brothers. He is later assigned to the stewards. In season 4, Pyp participates in the battle against the wildlings at Castle Black with both a sword and a crossbow. He manages to kill one wildling with a crossbow but is himself shot through the neck and killed seconds later by Ygritte and dies in Sam's arms. His body is later burned at the funeral. * '''Karl Tanner''' (seasons 3–4) portrayed by Burn Gorman, Burn Gorman was a steward of the Night's Watch. In season 3, Karl survives the Battle at the Fist of the First Men and accompanies the survivors back to the Wall, stopping by Craster's Keep along the way, where he eyes Craster's daughters. As tensions between Craster and the brothers of the Watch run higher, particularly after they accuse Craster of starving a fellow ranger to death, Karl challenges Craster and later provokes him into attacking, but he stabs Craster through the mouth and inadvertently triggers a mutiny against Lord Commander Mormont. He is tackled by Grenn, but he subdues him and orders him chained up. In season 4, Karl is still at Craster's Keep, lording over it and raping Craster's daughter-wives. His men eventually catch Bran Stark, Jojen and Meera Reed and Hodor on their quest to find the Three-Eyed Raven and hold them hostage when he learns Bran's identity. Karl later tries to rape Meera, but he is stopped when Jon Snow leads a band of Night's Watch brothers to kill the mutineers. Karl fights Jon alone inside Craster's hut and almost kills him by fighting dirty, but he is stabbed in the back by one of Craster's wives. Karl moves in to kill her, but Jon stabs him through the mouth from behind. * '''Rast''' (seasons 1, 3-4) portrayed by Luke McEwan, was a trainee to the Night's Watch with a particularly mean spirit. He was arrested for rape and chose the Wall as his punishment. In Season 1, he is at odds with Jon Snow, who does not hide his superior skills while training, and later threatens him in the armoury with Grenn and Pyp, but he backs off when Tyrion Lannister threatens him. Though Jon later trains him and the other recruits, he does not come to respect Jon and expresses jealousy when Jon is given the sword Longclaw by Lord Commander Jeor Mormont. He takes every opportunity he can to bully Samwell Tarly and only stops when Jon, Grenn and Pyp threaten him. In season 2, he is part of Mormont's expedition North of the Wall to find Benjen Stark, and fights in the Battle at the Fist of the First Men. In Season 3, he is one of the few remaining survivors of that battle and is shown to be visibly upset and angry at the loss of his comrades, taking it out on Sam until Mormont intervenes. They manage to retreat to Craster's Keep, but Rast grows increasingly angry and resentful of Craster for mistreating them and the others, particularly when a fellow ranger dies of starvation, which Rast attributes to Craster's stinginess. Rast and Karl Tanner stand up to Craster, resulting in a mutiny in which Karl kills Craster and Rast stabs Mormont in the back for threatening Karl with execution. He and the rest of the mutineers remain at the Keep with Craster's daughter-wives, although Sam manages to escape, to Rast's fury. In season 4, he is visibly uncomfortable with the abuse the mutineers are putting Craster's daughters through, and is himself being abused by Karl, who spitefully orders Rast to feed Jon's direwolf, Ghost, who they have caged outside the Keep. When the mutineers capture Bran Stark and his party, Rast recognises Bran as Jon's brother and taunts Hodor by stabbing him in the leg. Rast later flees from the Keep when Jon leads a band of brothers to kill the mutineers, but he is mauled to death by Ghost, whom Bran had freed. * '''Yoren''' (seasons 1–2) portrayed by Francis Magee, is a recruiter for the Night's Watch. He travels to King's Landing, where he witnesses Eddard Stark's execution. Discovering Arya Stark in the crowd, Yoren prevents her from seeing her father's beheading and disguises her as a boy to hide her among his Night's Watch recruits and transport her to Winterfell. In the caravan bound for the Wall, Lannister bannerman Ser Amory Lorch demands Yoren hand over a recruit named Gendry. When Yoren refuses, a battle ensues, and Yoren and his men are killed. When he is struck by a crossbow bolt he speaks his last words, "I've always hated crossbows. Take too long to re-load". Before he succumbs to his wound, Yoren kills the man who shot him. * '''Qhorin Halfhand''' (season 2) portrayed by Simon Armstrong, is an experienced ranger of the Night's Watch and second-in-command at the Shadow Tower. He is called Halfhand because he lost all the fingers on his right hand except his thumb and forefinger to a wildling axe. Because of this, he was forced to train himself how to fight left-handed. When Qhorin met up with Lord Commander Mormont at the Fist of the First Men, he advised sending three scouting parties into the mountains to determine what Mance had been looking for there, leading one party, including Jon Snow, personally. After becoming separated from Jon, Qhorin searches for him and is captured and his men are killed. While tied up, he discreetly orders Jon to infiltrate the wildlings as a double agent. Later, he sacrifices himself by provoking Jon into a fight, so Jon can gain the wildlings' trust by killing him. ===Beyond the Wall=== Richard Brake * '''Night King''' (seasons 4–8) portrayed by Richard Brake in seasons 4 and 5, and Vladimir "Furdo" Furdik from season 6, the Night King is the leader and first of the White Walkers. He converts Craster's baby sons into White Walkers for his army, and later leads an all-out assault on Hardhome, a wildling settlement. In the ensuing massacre, he witnesses Jon Snow slay one of his lieutenants. In the aftermath, the Night King revives all of the fallen as wights for his army, while sharing a long glance with Jon. The Night King first appeared in Oathkeeper but was not identified until Hardhome. In season 6, it is revealed through a vision by Bran Stark that the Night King was once of the First Men, the first humans to migrate to Westeros. However, during their wars with the Children of the Forest, the man was kidnapped and forcibly and painfully converted into the first White Walker. The Children intended to use them as weapons against the First Men; however, under the Night King's leadership, the White Walkers have since gone rogue. The Night King later leads an assault at the cave of the Three-Eyed Raven after breaking its magical seal, where he personally kills the Three-Eyed Raven. In season 7, the Night King throws a spear of ice which kills Daenerys' dragon Viserion. He touches the dragon and turns it into a wight. When his army reaches the Wall, he rides on Viserion's back as the dragon's blue fire destroys the Wall. He is killed by Arya with a Valyrian blade (the same blade originally owned by Littlefinger and previously used on the failed assassination attempt of Bran Stark's life) at the Battle of Winterfell. * '''Three-Eyed Raven''' (seasons 4, 6) portrayed by Struan Rodger in season 4, and Max von Sydow in season 6, Max von Sydowis a figure who appears in Bran Stark's dreams, following his fall and injury. In Bran's dreams, the raven appears to be trying to lead him into the Stark family crypt, predicting his father's death. In Season 3 he keeps appearing in Bran's dreams and wants him to follow him. In season 4, Bran finally finds him, in the form of a wise old man, who promises to help Bran learn to fly. In season 6, he trains Bran in greensight and shows him visions of the past. When the Night King marks Bran during a vision gone wrong, he sacrifices himself to allow Bran and Meera to escape. He is slain by the Night King when he attacks with his army. * '''Leaf''' (seasons 4, 6) portrayed by Octavia Alexandru in season 4, and Kae Alexander in season 6, appears to rescue Bran, Meera and Hodor from the reanimated skeletons outside the Three-Eyed Raven's cave and takes them to the Three-Eyed Raven herself. When the Night King attacks with his army, she is killed in the ensuing battle. * '''Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun''' (seasons 5–6) portrayed by Ian Whyte, Ian Whyte Wun Wun is a giant from Hardhome. He agrees to Jon's offer to allow the wildlings pass through the Wall to escape the coming White Walkers, and escapes the ensuing massacre. Upon being alerted of Jon's death, Wun Wun joins the wildlings in returning to Castle Black to overthrow Alliser Thorne. After Jon is revived from the dead, he pleads with the wildlings to help him retake Winterfell from Ramsay Bolton, and Wun Wun is the first to agree. During the Battle of the Bastards, Wun Wun brings down a number of men and manages to breach the gates to Winterfell, but is shot with enough arrows and spears to bring him to his knees, and ultimately shot dead by Ramsay with an arrow to the eye. * '''Dim Dalba''' (seasons 5–6) portrayed by Murray McArthur, Dim Dalba is an elderly warrior and raider and one of the prominent leaders in the Free Folk army gathered by Mance Rayder. Following the defeat of the wildling army in the Battle of Castle Black, he leads his followers to the relative safety of Hardhome. In season 6, he pledges his army to fight for Jon Snow at the battle against the Boltons. * '''Mance Rayder''' (seasons 3–5) portrayed by Ciarán Hinds, Ciarán Hinds Mance Rayder is a former ranger of the Night's Watch who became the "King-Beyond-the-Wall" and the new leader of the Wildlings. He was a wildling child who was raised by the Night's Watch, becoming one of their best rangers but eventually joining the wildlings. Using the training and tactics he learned from the watch, Mance became the seventh King Beyond the Wall, uniting disparate clans by reminding them that the white walkers and other monsters would kill them all. Mance's goal is to get his people to the safety of the other side of the wall before the White Walkers could reach it. He plans a two-pronged attack on Castle Black, sending Tormund and Jon across the wall with a small party and preparing an army on the other side. After the advance attack on Castle Black fails, Jon leaves Castle Black to hunt Mance down on pretence of parleying with him. Mance realises Jon's true intentions and is about to kill him when he and his men are ambushed and defeated by Stannis Baratheon and his army. Mance and Stannis briefly exchange insults when Mance refuses to acknowledge him as the King. Mance is taken prisoner by Stannis. In season 5, Stannis offers to show Mance mercy if he will bend the knee and pledge allegiance to him, but Mance still refuses, fearing that he will lose his people's respect in the process. On Stannis's orders, Mance is burned at the stake by Melisandre, although Jon shoots Mance to cut short his suffering. * The '''Lord of Bones''' (seasons 2–3, 5) portrayed by Edward Dogliani in seasons 2 and 3 and Ross O'Hennessy in season 5, Ross O'Hennessy is also called "Rattleshirt". His true name is unknown. The Lord of Bones is a ruthless wildling leader who uses a giant's skull as a helmet and the bones of his victims for armour. In Season 2, he captures Jon Snow and in Season 3 delivers him to Mance. In Season 5 he is beaten to death by Tormud Giantsbane at Hardhome, when he refuses to hear Tormund's proposal for an alliance with the Night's Watch. * '''Styr''' (season 4) portrayed by Yuri Kolokolnikov, Yuri Kolokolnikov was one of Mance Rayder's lieutenants and the Magnar — "Lord" in the Old Tongue of the First Men — of the Thenn people, a clan of cannibalistic wildlings. In the battle for Castle Black, he is killed by Jon Snow, who smashes his head in with a hammer. * '''Craster''' (seasons 2–3) portrayed by Robert Pugh, is a wildling who has an uneasy friendship with the Night's Watch. He is a short-tempered, incestuous polygamist who takes all his daughters as wives. Jon Snow wonders aloud why he has no sons, and it is later revealed that he sacrifices them to the White Walkers soon after birth. As their only ally beyond the Wall, Commander Mormont and the Night's Watch are forced to endure his insults and outrageous demands. Several members of the Night's Watch finally lose their patience with Craster after returning defeated from a battle with the White Walkers when he insults their dead and refuses to share more of his supplies with the hungry rangers. He is killed by Karl, who, with his men, proceeds to raid Craster's supplies and attack his wives and daughters. * '''Orell''' (season 3) portrayed by Mackenzie Crook, Mackenzie Crook is a wildling raider and warg, a human capable of entering the minds of animals. Orell doesn't trust Jon, as he suspects that Jon is still loyal to the Night's Watch; he is also jealous of Jon's relationship with Ygritte. Orell's suspicions are confirmed when, during a raid at the North, Jon refuses to kill an innocent horse breeder. Orell claims that Jon always was a "crow" and a battle ensues. After a few moments of sword fighting, Jon shoves his sword into Orell's chest and whispers "You were right the whole time", before pulling it out and leaving Orell to die. Orell wargs into the mind of his eagle with his dying breath and attacks Jon, but Jon is able to fight him off. ===Animals=== ====Direwolves==== A number of characters retain wolf-like pets called '''direwolves'''. In the book series, they are described as being as large as ponies. Thought to have gone extinct, they appear at the start of the series as a den of six orphaned pups found by Jon Snow. They are then distributed to the Stark family children. * '''Ghost''' (seasons 1–6, 8) is Jon Snow's direwolf. He is the albino runt of the litter of puppies, but nevertheless grows into a strong adult. He accompanies Jon to Castle Black. Following the Night's Watch mutiny, he is imprisoned by Karl and Rast. He is later freed by Bran Stark and mauls Rast to death before re-joining Jon and the loyal Night's Watch brothers. Though he is taken back to Castle Black, Alliser Thorne spitefully orders Jon to lock Ghost up. When the wildlings reach Castle Black, Jon orders Sam to free Ghost, and the direwolf subsequently helps the Night's Watch by mauling several wildlings to death. He survives the battle. After Jon departs for Hardhome, Ghost remains at Castle Black and scares off two Night's Watch bullies after they beat Sam and attempt to rape Gilly. After Jon is murdered Davos and the loyalists bring Ghost to help protect Jon's body. Once the mutineers, led by Alliser Thorne, are defeated and arrested thanks to the Wildlings, Ghost rests by Jon's body. Later, he is the first to witness Jon come back to life. Once Jon executes the mutineers and reunites with his sister Sansa, Ghost leaves Castle Black with Jon. Ghost doesn't participate in the battle against the Boltons. After the Starks win, Ghost returns to Winterfell with Jon. * '''Grey Wind''' (seasons 1–3) was Robb Stark's direwolf. He accompanies Robb on his campaign against the Lannisters and often fights alongside him in the War of the Five Kings. When Robb is betrayed by Walder Frey and Roose Bolton, Grey Wind is shot dead with crossbows. He and Robb are later decapitated, and Grey Wind's head is sewn onto Robb's corpse. * '''Lady''' (season 1) was Sansa Stark's direwolf. After an incident on the Kingsroad when Nymeria bites Joffrey, Cersei first demands that Nymeria be killed and, when Nymeria cannot be found, demands that ''a'' direwolf be killed. Despite his objections, Ned Stark obeys the king's order but kills Lady personally, though he sends her body north instead of allowing Cersei to have her skin. * '''Nymeria''' (seasons 1, 7) is Arya Stark's direwolf. On the way to King's Landing, Joffrey attacks Arya after she attempts to defend her friend, the butcher's son, from him. Nymeria bites Joffrey in the arm, and she and Arya run away. Knowing that Joffrey will lie to the court about what actually transpired, Arya forces Nymeria to flee to prevent her from being killed. A very long time afterward, Arya reunites with her while in the Riverlands on her way back home to Winterfell and learns that Nymeria has joined a pack of wild wolves. Arya attempts to urge Nymeria to return with her, but Nymeria refuses, likely due to how long she has been away from home, and remains with her new pack. * '''Shaggydog''' (seasons 1–3, 6) was Rickon Stark's direwolf. Following the sacking of Winterfell, Shaggydog and Summer join Rickon, Bran, and their group on their journey to the Wall to find Jon Snow. Shaggydog accompanies Rickon and Osha to the Great Umber when the journey beyond the wall is deemed too dangerous for Rickon. However, after Greatjon dies, his son Smalljon decides to ally with the Boltons and goes to Ramsay, to whom he gives Osha and Rickon as hostages, while presenting Shaggydog's severed head as proof of Rickon's identity. * '''Summer''' (seasons 1–4, 6) was Bran Stark's direwolf. When an assassin attempts to kill the comatose Bran, Summer tears out his throat with its teeth, saving both Bran and Bran's mother Catelyn. Summer and Shaggydog survive the sacking of Winterfell and join Bran, Rickon, and their group on their journey to the Wall to find Jon Snow. When they stumble across Craster's Keep, Bran mentally takes over Summer's body to scout the area, but Summer falls into a trap and is imprisoned. He is later freed and continues the journey north with Bran. During the battle with the skeletons outside the Three-Eyed Raven's cave, Summer mauls several and escapes with Bran into the caves. After the White Walkers and the Wights attack the tree, the group is forced to escape. Only Meera and Bran make it out alive as Hodor, Summer, the Children of the Forest, and the Three-Eyed Raven are all slain by the undead while giving Bran time to escape. ====Dragons ==== * '''''' is the black one of Daenerys' three dragons. Visibly the biggest and Daenerys' favourite dragon, Drogon is named after Khal Drogo, her late husband. Throughout seasons 2 and 3, Drogon is loyal to Daenerys, but in season 4, he roars in her face when she tries to stop him from harming the other dragons over food, which makes her realise that she may be losing control over her dragons. While in Meereen, Daenerys receives two complaints from the citizens of Slaver's Bay about Drogon's behaviour, one of them a shepherd whose flock of sheep Drogon torched, and the second a farmer whose three-year-old daughter Drogon killed. Though Drogon disappears before he can be captured, he saves Daenerys from an ambush in Daznak's Pit and flies off with her on his back, though he is wounded by the Sons of the Harpy in the process. He later lands in the Great Grass Sea, where Daenerys will be captured by Dothrakis. Drogon will finally join together with her and his brothers and they finally sail towards Westeros. When Drogon discovers Daenerys' lifeless body, he is overwhelmed with anger and grief, realizing how his mother's obsession for the Iron Throne brought her to her own death. Drogon then proceeds to burn the Iron Throne until it is nothing but a puddle of molten slag. He then grasps Daenerys in his talons and fly across the Narrow Sea, never to be seen again. * '''''' is the green one of Daenerys's three dragons. He is named after Daenerys's deceased brother, Rhaegar Targaryen. When Daenerys begins to lose control over them, she locks Rhaegal and Viserion in the catacombs beneath Meereen. She later goes to visit them, but they attempt to attack her, forcing her to flee. After being freed by Tyrion, Rhaegal flies to Westeros and is ridden by Jon Snow later on during the Battle of Winterfell. Rhaegal was eventually killed by Euron Greyjoy's fleet when Daenerys approached King's Landing to strike a final attack on Cersei's troops. * '''''' is the yellow one of Daenerys's three dragons. He is named after Daenerys's deceased brother, Viserys Targaryen. When Daenerys lost control over them, she locked Rhaegal and Viserion in the catacombs beneath Meereen. She later goes to visit them, but they attempt to attack her, forcing her to flee. Viserion was killed with an ice spear during a battle with the White Walkers beyond the Wall, only to be resurrected by the Night King. With the Night King riding on his back, Viserion breathes blue fire at the Wall, which then disintegrated. After the Battle of Winterfell, Viserion's body collapsed into its skeletal form after Arya killed the Night King. ==See also== * Characters in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' * List of ''Game of Thrones'' episodes ==Notes== ==References== ==External links== * Official website

'''''Tales of Dunk and Egg''''' is a series of fantasy novellas by George R. R. Martin, set in the world of his ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels. They follow the adventures of "Dunk" (the future Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Duncan the Tall) and "Egg" (the future king Aegon V Targaryen), some 90 years before the events of the novels. Three novellas have been published – '''''The Hedge Knight''''' (1998), '''''The Sworn Sword''''' (2003), and '''''The Mystery Knight''''' (2010) – and Martin has stated his intention to continue the series. A collection of the existing three novellas, with illustrations by Gary Gianni, was published as '''''A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms''''' on October 6, 2015. ==''The Hedge Knight''== The first novella was originally published August 25, 1998 in the ''Legends'' anthology, edited by Robert Silverberg. The story was later adapted into a six-issue comic book limited series by Ben Avery, drawn by Mike S. Miller, produced by Roaring Studios (now Dabel Brothers Productions) and published by Image Comics and Devil's Due between August 2003 and May 2004. Devil's Due published the complete limited series as a graphic novel in June 2004. Following the termination of the partnership between Dabel Brothers and Devil's Due, the graphic novel has been republished in various editions. ===Plot=== Upon the death of a nomadic 'hedge knight', Ser Arlan of Pennytree, his squire Dunk adopts Ser Arlan's armor as his own, as well as his equipment, three horses, and remaining money, in hope of winning more gold at the town of Ashford, under the name of 'Ser Duncan the Tall'. ''En route'', he gains his own squire in a boy nicknamed 'Egg'. At Ashford, Dunk sells one of his horses for a suit of armor by the smith Pate, and befriends Ser Steffon Fossoway's squire and cousin, Raymun Fossoway. Without proof of his knighthood, he is nearly barred from competition until Prince Baelor Targaryen vouches for him. Forbidden to use Ser Arlan's coat of arms, Dunk commissions an attractive young puppeteer named Tanselle to paint a new one. Dunk watches the first day of competition, with Egg on his shoulders. After several spectacular tilts, Baelor's nephew, Prince Aerion Targaryen, disgraces himself by killing Ser Humfrey Hardyng's horse. When Dunk retires into the Fossoways' tent to drink with Raymun, Egg reveals that Tanselle is being beaten by Prince Aerion, who is offended at the notion of the puppet knight defeating a dragon. Dunk rushes to defend Tanselle and attacks Aerion; when the royal guard arrests Dunk, Egg reveals that he is actually Prince Aegon Targaryen, Aerion's younger brother. After meeting Prince Baelor again, Dunk chooses trial by combat rather than mutilation for his attack on Aerion, who demands a 'Trial of Seven' (in which two parties of seven knights contend on horseback). Steffon and Raymun, and later Aegon, promise to acquire Duncan's partisans; and Aerion's other brother Prince Daeron, called the Drunken, warns Dunk that his father will have three knights of the Kingsguard fight in the trial. Dunk is met again by Pate, who presents him with a new shield, originally an old one that was re-rimmed in new steel by Pate and that Tanselle has painted in his chosen sigil - an elm tree silhouetted against the sunset with a shooting star - and left for him before departing. At the morning of the trial, Raymun brings Ser Humfrey Hardyng and Ser Humfrey Beesbury to Duncan's side; and Aegon brings Ser Robyn Rhysling and Ser Lyonel Baratheon (called the "Laughing Storm"). Steffon sides with the accusers for the reward of a lordship; and Raymun begs to be knighted and fight in Steffon's place. Dunk hesitates, because his own knighthood is dubious, and Lyonel grants Raymun his knighthood - however, Dunk is still one knight short. Finally, Prince Baelor announces that he will champion Dunk himself. In the resulting joust, Dunk is unhorsed by Aerion, but beats him into submission, and Aerion recants his accusation. The fighting costs the lives of both Humfreys; and Baelor himself is later revealed to have suffered a blow to the head, stuck by Maekar's mace, after removing his helm, perishing from the injury shortly afterwards to the lament of many present. Prince Maekar, Aegon's father, later offers Dunk a position in his household to train Aegon; but Dunk insists on permission to travel, and takes Aegon as his squire, under his former alias of 'Egg'. Thereafter Dunk and Egg set out to Dorne. ==''The Sworn Sword''== The second novella was published in 2003 in the ''Legends II'' anthology, also edited by Robert Silverberg. The story has been adapted into a graphic novel by Ben Avery and drawn by Mike S. Miller, in cooperation with publisher and distributor Marvel Comics. The first comic was released on June 20, 2007, and the graphic novel was released on June 18, 2008. ===Plot=== The story begins in the Reach with Duncan the Tall sworn to Ser Eustace Osgrey of Standfast, and illuminates several aspects of the feudal system of Westeros. A series of flashbacks narrated by Ser Eustace relate the events of the Blackfyre Rebellion and its conclusion at the Battle of the Redgrass Field. At the fort of Standfast, Dunk and Ser Eustace's other sworn sword, Ser Bennis the Brown, discover that a dam has been built across the local stream, by peasants in service to Lady Rohanne Webber of Coldmoat. Bennis reacts angrily, cutting the cheek of one of the peasants. Upon hearing the news, Ser Eustace realizes that Lady Webber will be angered by Bennis's actions against her servants, and orders Dunk and Bennis to train levies from his three villages. For a peaceful solution, Eustace sends Dunk to Coldmoat, where Dunk learns that Lady Rohanne stands to lose her lands to a male cousin if she does not take a fifth husband by the second anniversary of her father's death. Her castellan, the haughty Ser Lucas Inchfield (known as the "Long Inch" for his 6-foot 7-inch height), is her most insistent suitor, but she has already refused him. Dunk fails to change the Lady's mind on either the dam's construction or seeking justice for her servant, and Rohanne informs him that Ser Eustace is a former traitor, who supported the usurper Daemon Blackfyre, and has therefore been stripped of most of his lands. When Dunk attempts to appeal to Rohanne's fond memories of Eustace's youngest son, Addam, she angrily slaps him and demands he leave; as Dunk departs, he learns that she was once in love with Addam, who died at Redgrass Field. Shocked by the news of Ser Eustace's past treason, Dunk returns to Standfast to leave the old knight's service. That night, Ser Eustace's forest is burned, and Duncan recalls Lady Rohanne's threat of "fire and sword" to destroy Standfast. He therefore disperses the levies, and promises to oppose Lady Rohanne himself. At the river, Dunk rides into the ford to parley with Lady Rohanne where the noise of the water will prevent anyone on either bank from overhearing them. Before he enters the stream, Ser Eustace suggests that Dunk should kill Lady Rohanne at this meeting. Instead, Dunk offers his own blood to Lady Rohanne by slicing his cheek. This pays the debt for the wounded peasant; and for the claim that Lady Rohanne had the forest burned, she demands an apology or vindication, and all agree upon trial by combat between Dunk and Ser Lucas, to be fought in the stream as the only neutral ground present. In the fight, Dunk is nearly outfought by Ser Lucas, but drowns him and nearly drowns himself, but is resuscitated by Lady Rohanne's maester. When he awakens, Dunk learns that Ser Eustace and Lady Rohanne are now married, to reconcile their debts. Before Dunk leaves, Rohanne implies that she would have sooner married Dunk if he was not of low birth, but instead offers him her finest mare to make amends; and when he refuses, Lady Rohanne insists that he take something to remember her by, and he pulls her into a passionate kiss, and takes a length of her hair as a keepsake. Thereafter he and Egg ride with the intent to reach the Wall. ==''The Mystery Knight''== The third novella was published in 2010 in the anthology ''Warriors'', edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois. Like ''The Sworn Sword'', the book takes place during the reign of Aerys I and the aftermath of the Blackfyre Rebellion is examined in more detail. ===Plot=== The story begins with Dunk and Egg leaving Stoney Sept, to ask service with Lord Beron Stark against Greyjoy raids on the northern coast. On the way they encounter a septon beheaded for preaching treason; and later a group of knights and minor lords traveling to a tourney in honor of the wedding of Lord Butterwell of Whitewalls to a Frey of the Crossing, wherein the victor's prize is a dragon egg. Dunk takes a dislike to Gorman Peake, whom he believes the killer of his own mentor's former squire. Egg tells Dunk that Peake's arms of three castles on an orange field is because the Peake family owned three castles, but forfeited two to the Crown when Peake sided with Blackfyre. During the journey Dunk befriends three other itinerant knights: Ser Maynard Plumm, Ser Kyle the Cat of Misty Moor, and Ser Glendon Ball who claims to be the bastard son of the famous knight Quentyn "Fireball", who fought for Daemon Blackfyre. The wedding is set at Whitewalls and Lord Frey arrives with his four-year-old heir, Walder Frey, and his fifteen-year-old daughter, who weds Lord Butterwell (and is alleged to have been caught by Walder having lost her virginity to a servant). Egg becomes increasingly suspicious when he sees that most of the competitors belonged to the rebel party. During the wedding Dunk is drafted by John the Fiddler to carry the bride to the bedchamber. Dunk does so and later hears from John that the latter once saw Duncan himself, in a dream, in the armor of the royal guard. Dunk enters the first match of the joust under the name of 'Gallows Knight' (for a new shield acquired after the loss of his own); but is defeated in the first tilt by Ser Uthor Underleaf, known as the Snail Knight for his sigil. Duncan later gives Underleaf his armor and horse as forfeit, and Underleaf informs Dunk that someone bribed him to kill Dunk in the final tilt. Before the jousting continues, word spreads through the castle that the dragon egg is missing, and the blame is placed on Ser Glendon Ball, who is imprisoned by Peake. In search of the absent Egg, Duncan is wounded by Alyn Cockshaw, who claims to have bribed Uthor Underleaf, and throws him into a well. Maynard Plumm comes to Duncan's aid, and it is discovered that Plumm is one of Brynden "Bloodraven" Rivers' many spies (or possibly Bloodraven himself), and that John the Fiddler is the eponymous son of Daemon Blackfyre. Dunk finds Egg in the sept with the cowering Lord Butterwell, who on discovering Egg's true identity is terrified for his life. Lord Butterwell's son-in-law Black Tom Heddle tries to kill Egg to incite a war, and is killed by Duncan, who thereupon tells Egg to flee with Butterwell. To buy time for Egg's escape Dunk confronts the younger Daemon Blackfyre, and accuses Gorman Peake of falsely charging Ball with the theft of the dragon egg. Daemon allows Ball to prove his innocence in trial by combat, in which Ser Glendon soundly defeats Daemon. By this time a large army under Bloodraven, who is also the King's Hand, encircles Whitewalls, and Daemon is captured. Dunk and Egg meet Bloodraven, and Egg demands that Bloodraven reward Glendon, Duncan, and the other hedge knights. For surrendering to Bloodraven without a fight, Lord Butterwell is spared his life and allowed a tenth of his wealth; but his fortress is forfeit to the Iron Throne and torn down. Bloodraven, at Egg's request, gives Dunk the gold to ransom his armor. When Dunk asks Bloodraven what became of the dragon egg, Bloodraven tells Dunk it was taken by an agent of his (implied to be one of the performing dwarfs at the wedding). ==Planned installments== US edition front cover for the combined novellas: ''A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms'' Martin has said that he would like to write a number of these stories (varying from six to twelve from interview to interview) covering the entire lives of these two characters. In 2011 he talked about working on the fourth novella, which was originally to be included in the anthology ''Dangerous Women'', and a year after that it and the three previously published Dunk and Egg tales were to be collected and published in the U.S. by Bantam Spectra as a stand-alone fix-up novel. The working title of the fourth novella was ''The She-Wolves of Winterfell''. As of late 2013, work on the story has been postponed while Martin completes ''The Winds of Winter''. In April 2014, Martin also announced that he had roughed out another Dunk and Egg story with the working title ''The Village Hero'' which would be set in the Riverlands. He noted that he was not sure which of these two would be completed first. In 2015, Martin noted that in addition to ''She-Wolves'' and ''The Village Hero'' he had notes and fairly specific ideas for a number of further installments, including ''The Sellsword'', ''The Champion'', ''The Kingsguard'', and ''The Lord Commander'', taking the planned series total to as many as nine novellas. ==References in other ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels== Ser Duncan the Tall is listed among notable Commanders of the Kingsguard in ''A Storm of Swords'', chapter 67. In the same chapter it is mentioned that Barristan Selmy defeated Ser Duncan the Tall in the winter tourney of King's Landing. The genealogy chart of Targaryens in the reference section of ''A Game of Thrones'', shows that Egg became King Aegon V (the Unlikely) and ruled from 233-259. This was confirmed in ''A Clash of Kings'', wherein Maester Aemon is identified as his brother. In ''A Storm of Swords'', Prince Oberyn Martell remarks that "In the days of the Targaryens, a man who struck one of the blood royal would lose the hand he struck him with": a punishment evaded in ''The Hedge Knight''. In ''A Feast for Crows'', Brienne has her shield painted with arms that match Dunk's, copied from a shield in her father's armory. In the same novel, Brienne arrives at an inn owned by a possible descendant of Black Tom Heddle. In ''A Feast for Crows'', it is revealed that one of Egg's daughters married a son of House Baratheon and became the mother of Lord Steffon Baratheon, and thus the grandmother of Robert, Renly, and Stannis Baratheon. Aemon mentions that when he went to the wall, "He Egg sent me north aboard the Golden Dragon, and insisted that his friend Ser Duncan see me safe to Eastwatch". In the bonus features for Season One of ''Game of Thrones'' (on Blu-ray), Robert Baratheon states that this heritage allowed him to lay claim to the Iron Throne. In ''A Dance with Dragons'', the memories of Ser Barristan Selmy reveal that the sons of Aegon V, as well as Aegon himself, had chosen their own wives, rather than accept matches for political advantage. According to Ser Barristan Selmy, this stimulated resentment and treason amongst the lords, and ultimately caused the "tragedy of Summerhall". In the 2014 companion book ''The World of Ice & Fire'', mention is made of "Kingsguard knight Ser Duncan the Tall" during the reign of King Aegon V Targaryen (Aegon the Unlikely). In the Battle of Wendwater Bridge, during the Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion, Daemon III Blackfyre is slain by "Ser Duncan, the hedge knight for whom 'Egg' had served as a squire". During the rebellion of Lord Lyonel Baratheon (the Laughing Storm), it is noted that Ser Duncan had defeated Lord Lyonel in single combat. ==Adaptations== The novellas were adapted as graphic novels: * * * Martin wrote in 2014 that film or TV adaptations of the novellas are being discussed. He suggested that because HBO owns the TV rights to the setting of Westeros (if not to the characters of the novellas), it would be preferable to have HBO adapt the novellas as well. ==Family tree== ==References== ==External links== * * Review and interview on suvudu.com * *

'''''A Game of Thrones: Genesis''''' is a strategy video game developed by Cyanide and published by Focus Home Interactive released exclusively for Microsoft Windows on September 28, 2011 in North America (only on Steam), September 29, 2011 in Europe and October 13, 2011 in Australia. The game is an adaptation of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' book series by George R. R. Martin and is the first such video game adaptation. The game takes place over 1,000 years of the fictional history of Westeros, beginning with the arrival of the Rhoynar led by the warrior-queen Nymeria. ==Gameplay== Gameplay focuses on capturing nodes—castles, towns and goldmines—with characters. Emphasis is placed on the rock-paper-scissors mechanics of "underhanded" characters rather than the brute force combat strength of traditional realtime strategy games. The goal of the game is to win the Iron Throne and doing so can be done by amassing enough 'prestige' within the game. Each house has special units and abilities. House Stark has direwolves and House Baratheon has better archers for example. The game has two modes of play: Versus and Campaign. The game features four main facets: diplomacy, military, economic, and underhand. ==Reception== ''A Game of Thrones: Genesis'' received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. ==References== ==External links== * * Official website * Publisher game page * Developer game page

"'''Kill the Boy'''" is the fifth episode of the fifth season of HBO's fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones'', and the 45th overall. The episode was written by Bryan Cogman, and directed by Jeremy Podeswa, his directorial debut for the series. This episode marks the final appearance for Ian McElhinney (Ser Barristan Selmy). ==Plot== ===In the North=== Brienne and Podrick arrive at an inn close to Winterfell and arrange that a man still loyal to the Starks to deliver a message to Sansa that if she is ever in trouble, she should light a candle in Winterfell's highest tower. At Winterfell, Myranda shows Theon to Sansa. Ramsay forces Reek to apologize to Sansa for murdering Bran and Rickon, despite being aware that Theon didn't kill them. Roose tells Ramsay that he and Walda are expecting a boy. ===At the Wall=== Jon frees Tormund and offers to allow the wildlings to settle south of the Wall in return for an alliance with the Night's Watch. Tormund tells Jon that most wildlings are at Hardhome and that Jon must accompany him to speak with them himself. Stannis questions Sam about dragonglass, which can kill a White Walker and tells him that Dragonstone has large supplies of dragonglass. Stannis tells Davos that they will march toward Winterfell in the morning. ===In Meereen=== Badly wounded in the battle with the Sons of the Harpy, Grey Worm survives, but Barristan dies. Daenerys orders the leaders of the great families of Meereen to be brought before her, including Hizdahr. She orders her dragons to burn one. She visits Hizdahr in his cell and informs him that she will reopen the fighting pits, and that in order to make peace with the people of Meereen, she will marry him. ===In Valyria=== Tyrion deduces that Jorah is taking a shortcut through Valyria. They see Drogon and are attacked by stone men, people turned feral by the leprosy-like disease greyscale. Jorah saves Tyrion and finds the beginnings of a greyscale lesion on his wrist. ==Production== ===Writing=== Series veteran Bryan Cogman wrote this episode. This episode was written by the series producer Bryan Cogman, and contains content from two of George R. R. Martin's novels, ''A Feast for Crows'', Samwell I, and Samwell IV, and ''A Dance with Dragons'', chapters Jon II, Jon III, Jon XI, Jon XIII, Reek III, Daenerys V, and Tyrion V. ===Filming=== "Kill the Boy" was directed by Jeremy Podeswa. He also directed the subsequent episode, "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken", which received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. ==Reception== ===Ratings=== "Kill the Boy" was watched by an estimated 6.56 million American viewers during its first airing. With Live+7 DVR viewing factored in, the episode had an overall rating of 9.35 million viewers, and a 5.0 in the 18–49 demographic. In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 2.220 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.130 million timeshift viewers. ===Critical reviews=== "Kill the Boy" was received positively. Mike Hogan of ''Vanity Fair'' said that the creative team "just keeps cranking up the tension," while Joshua Yehl of ''IGN'' rated the episode 8.4/10 and wrote that the season "reaches its midway point with refreshed plot-lines and a rare moment of fantasy beauty." Christopher Orr of ''The Atlantic'' called the episode "superb" and described it as "crisply written, directed and performed." On Rotten Tomatoes, all 29 critic reviews collected were positive. The site gave the episode an average rating of 8.2 out of 10. ==References== ==External links== * at HBO.com * *

alt=Game of Thrones logo ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The series is based on George R. R. Martin's series of fantasy novels, ''A Song of Ice and Fire''. The series takes place on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, and chronicles the power struggles among noble families as they fight for control of the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms. The series starts when House Stark, led by Lord Eddard "Ned" Stark (Sean Bean), is drawn into schemes surrounding King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy). The series premiered on April 17, 2011, on HBO. David Benioff and D. B. Weiss both serve as executive producers, along with Carolyn Strauss, Frank Doelger, Bernadette Caulfield, and George R. R. Martin. Filming for the series has taken place in a number of locations, including Croatia, Ireland, Iceland, and Spain. Episodes were broadcast on Sunday at 9:00 pm Eastern Time, and the episodes are between 50 and 82 minutes in length. The first seven seasons are available on DVD and Blu-ray. The series concluded with its eighth season, which premiered on April 14, 2019, and consisted of six episodes. The show's episodes have won numerous awards including four Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series. == Series overview == == Episodes == === Season 1 (2011) === In the continent of Westeros, Warden of the North Eddard "Ned" Stark becomes "Hand of the King" (chief adviser) to King Robert Baratheon. When Ned's son Bran stumbles upon Queen Cersei having sex with her twin brother Jaime Lannister, Jaime cripples Bran. After moving to King's Landing, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms, Ned discovers that Prince Joffrey and his siblings were incestuously fathered by Jaime. When King Robert dies, Ned does not recognize Joffrey as the rightful heir and is executed. Ned's bastard son Jon Snow joins the Night's Watch, an ancient brotherhood sworn to watch over the massive Wall in the North, which separates the Seven Kingdoms from hostile tribes known as "Wildlings" and mythological humanoid creatures known as "White Walkers". In the continent of Essos, the exiled Viserys Targaryen, son of King Aerys who was deposed by King Robert, marries off his sister Daenerys to the Dothraki warlord Khal Drogo, in exchange for an army to return to and take over Westeros. Eventually Drogo kills Viserys and Drogo later dies himself. After Drogo dies, Daenerys manages to hatch three dragons. === Season 2 (2012) === Ned's oldest son Robb has declared war on the Lannisters and holds Jaime prisoner. However, his mother Catelyn secretly frees Jaime to ransom her daughters, Sansa and Arya, believed to be captives in King's Landing. Sansa is being regularly abused by her betrothed King Joffrey, while a disguised Arya escapes Lannister forces in Harrenhal. Ned's ward, Theon Greyjoy sides with his father and seizes Winterfell, the Starks' ancestral home, though Bran and his brother Rickon escape. Meanwhile, Stannis and Renly Baratheon, brothers of the deceased King Robert, claim the throne for themselves. Stannis has the support of Melisandre, a Red Priestess of the Lord of Light. Stannis kills Renly and attacks King's Landing, whose defense is successfully led by Tyrion Lannister, the acting Hand of the King and Queen Cersei's younger brother. On a ranging beyond the Wall, Jon Snow manages to gain the trust of Wildlings, while other members of the Watch come under attack by an army of White Walkers and their reanimated corpses. In Essos, Daenerys and her khalasar find refuge in Qarth. After foiling an attempt to steal her dragons, Daenerys leaves the city. === Season 3 (2013) === After Robb breaks his vow to marry one of Lord Walder Frey's daughters, Frey arranges the massacre of Robb, his mother, his wife, his unborn child and his bannermen, during a wedding feast. The northern House Bolton, which had liberated Winterfell from Theon at Robb's request, also betrays the Starks. After Robb's death, Lord Roose Bolton is appointed the new Warden of the North by Lord Tywin Lannister, the head of House Lannister and new Hand of the King. In Dreadfort, the Boltons' ancestral castle, Theon is tortured by Roose Bolton's bastard son Ramsay Snow. Further north, Jon Snow climbs the Wall with a Wildling party and ends up on its south side, but then betrays them. In the capital, King Joffrey has decided to marry Margaery of House Tyrell, setting Sansa aside. Lord Tywin, however, arranges Sansa's marriage with his son Tyrion. Jaime reaches King's Landing, having had his dominant hand cut off. In Essos, Daenerys acquires "The Unsullied", an army of eunuch slave soldiers. She also joins forces with the "Second Sons", a company of mercenaries, and takes over two cities. === Season 4 (2014) === In King's Landing, Lady Olenna secretly poisons King Joffrey at his wedding with her granddaughter Margaery, but Tyrion is falsely accused of the murder by his family, and is found guilty. However, Jaime and Varys conspire to smuggle Tyrion to Essos. Tyrion kills his father Tywin before leaving. Petyr Baelish smuggles Sansa into the Vale, ruled by her aunt and his lover, the widowed Lysa Arryn. Baelish marries Lysa but later kills her. After attempting to reunite with her family, Arya takes a ship bound for Braavos, in Essos. Having returned to the Night's Watch, Jon Snow defends Castle Black against an army of Wildlings, who are superior in strength. The Watch is rescued by the arrival of Stannis Baratheon and his forces. A crippled Bran with newfound powers travels north beyond the Wall with a few companions. Beneath a weirwood tree, he finds the Three-eyed Raven, an old man with the ability to perceive future and past. In Essos, Daenerys takes control of Meereen and abolishes slavery. When she discovers that her trusted advisor, Ser Jorah Mormont, had spied on her for Robert Baratheon, she exiles him. === Season 5 (2015) === In King's Landing, Margaery marries the new King Tommen Baratheon, Joffrey's younger brother. The Sparrows, a group of religious fanatics, impose their views upon the city, imprisoning Margaery, her brother Loras, and Cersei for committing various sins. Jaime travels to Dorne to take back Myrcella Baratheon. However, Oberyn Martell's lover, Ellaria and his bastard daughters kill Myrcella as revenge for Oberyn's death. In Winterfell, the new seat of House Bolton, Baelish arranges Sansa's marriage with the now-legitimized son of Roose Bolton, the sadist Ramsay. Stannis's unsuccessful march on Winterfell, which leads to his death, allows Sansa the opportunity to escape with Theon. At the Wall, as the newly elected Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, Jon Snow forms an alliance with the Wildlings to save them from the White Walkers and their army of reanimated corpses. However, Jon is stabbed to death by some brothers who see him as a traitor. Arya arrives in Braavos, where she finds Jaqen H'ghar whom she had previously helped escape, and begins training with the Faceless Men, a guild of assassins. In Essos, Tyrion becomes an advisor to Daenerys. Ser Jorah saves the life of Daenerys against a revolt of slavers, who flees Meereen on Drogon's back. === Season 6 (2016) === At the Wall, Melisandre resurrects Jon. Jon reunites with Sansa and leaves the Night's Watch. Aided by the Wildlings, loyalists and the Knights of the Vale, they defeat the Boltons and Jon is proclaimed the King in the North. Beyond the Wall, Bran trains with the Three-eyed Raven but they come under attack by the White Walkers. The Three-eyed Raven is killed and succeeded by Bran, who escapes with the help of Hodor, who dies in the process. Bran realizes Jon is in fact the son of his deceased aunt Lyanna Stark and Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. In King's Landing, Cersei kills the High Sparrow, Margaery, Loras and many others by blowing up the Great Sept with wildfire. Tommen kills himself after witnessing the events, and Cersei is crowned Queen. In the Iron Islands, Euron Greyjoy usurps leadership by killing his brother and Theon's father, Balon. Ellaria seizes control of Dorne, and joins Olenna Tyrell in an alliance with Daenerys, who forgives Ser Jorah, takes control of the Dothraki and defeats the slavers. Daenerys sails for Westeros, joined by Theon and his sister Yara. In Braavos, Arya continues her training with the Faceless Men, but eventually leaves them. === Season 7 (2017) === Daenerys arrives in Westeros and takes over Dragonstone. She plans to overthrow Cersei, but Jon arrives to instead save Westeros from the White Walkers. The Night King, leader of the White Walkers, kills and reanimates Daenerys' dragon Viserion. Jon and Daenerys attempt to persuade Cersei to join their cause by showing the existence of a wight they had captured, but she has her own plans to increase control over the continent. At Winterfell, Sansa is reunited with her siblings, Arya and Bran. When Lord Protector of the Vale Petyr Baelish begins to turn the Stark children against one another, they manage to have him executed. In a vision, Bran sees that his aunt, Lyanna, was, in fact, married to Prince Rhaegar, and that Jon's real name is Aegon Targaryen, making him the true heir to the Iron Throne. After his sister Yara is kidnapped by his uncle Euron, Theon sets out to save her. The Night King demolishes a section of The Wall with the help of the reanimated Viserion, allowing the White Walkers and Army of the Dead to pass into the Seven Kingdoms. === Season 8 (2019) === Jon and Daenerys learn the Army of the Dead has breached the Wall. Theon rescues Yara, then returns to Winterfell. Sam reveals to Jon that he is actually Aegon Targaryen. Jaime arrives at Winterfell, revealing Cersei won't help defeat the Army of the Dead. Jon reveals his Targaryen lineage to Daenerys, who wants it kept a secret. After a battle, Arya kills the Night King, destroying the Army of the Dead. Euron's navy kills Rhaegal and Cersei executes Missandei who had been captured, enraging Daenerys, who, after her army takes King's Landing, destroys much of the city indiscriminately. Cersei and Jaime, who returned to Cersei, are killed. Tyrion denounces Daenerys and is imprisoned for treason to await execution. Jon, unable to stop her, kills Daenerys. Bran Stark is proclaimed king, allowing the North to secede as an independent kingdom. Bran appoints Tyrion as his Hand. Jon is sentenced to the Night's Watch, Sansa is crowned Queen in the North, and Arya sets sail to explore west of Westeros. ==Specials== ==Home media release== Season Episodes DVD and Blu-ray release date Region 1 Region 2 Region 4 1 10 March 6, 2012 March 5, 2012 August 10, 2012 2 10 February 19, 2013 March 4, 2013 March 6, 2013 3 10 February 18, 2014 February 17, 2014 February 19, 2014 4 10 February 17, 2015 February 16, 2015 February 18, 2015 5 10 March 15, 2016 March 14, 2016 March 16, 2016 6 10 November 15, 2016 November 14, 2016 November 16, 2016 7 7 December 12, 2017 December 11, 2017 December 11, 2017 8 6 December 3, 2019 December 2, 2019 December 4, 2019 == Ratings == == References == == External links == * * ''Game of Thrones'' – The Viewers Guide on HBO.com * Making ''Game of Thrones'' on HBO.com * * *

"'''Winter Is Coming'''" is the series premiere episode of the HBO medieval fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones''. The first episode of the first season, it was written by the show creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, in a faithful adaptation of the first chapters of George R. R. Martin's book ''A Game of Thrones''. The episode was directed by Tim Van Patten, redoing the work done by director Tom McCarthy in an unaired pilot. As the first episode of the series, it introduces the setting and the main characters of the show. The episode centers on the Stark family, and how its lord, Eddard "Ned" Stark, gets involved in the court politics after the king chooses Eddard to replace his recently deceased chief administrator ("Hand of the King"). The episode received largely positive reviews, and was seen initially by 2.2 million viewers. A week before the episode first aired, HBO made the first 15 minutes available as an Internet preview. The title of the episode is the motto (referred to as "House Words" in-universe) of House Stark, which is spoken several times in the episode and in the series. ==Plot== ===Beyond the Wall=== On the continent of Westeros, rangers of the Night's Watch scout wildling movements beyond the Wall, the massive ice barrier to the north, and discover demonic White Walkers and wildlings turned to undead wights. Will, the sole surviving ranger, flees South. ===In King's Landing=== Watching as the corpse of Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, is tended to, Jaime Lannister assures his twin sister, Queen Cersei Lannister, that if Arryn had spoken to anyone about them, they would already have been executed. ===In Pentos=== Exiled prince Viserys Targaryen plots to reclaim his father's throne from King Robert Baratheon, and brokers a marriage between his sister Daenerys and Dothraki warlord Khal Drogo. As wedding gifts, Daenerys is given books of the Seven Kingdoms from Ser Jorah Mormont, an exiled knight loyal to the Targaryens, and three petrified dragon eggs from Magister Illyrio Mopatis, who helped arrange the marriage. ===In the North=== The Starks of Winterfell are introduced: Lord Eddard "Ned" Stark, his wife Lady Catelyn, their children – heir Robb, elder daughter Sansa, younger daughter Arya, ten-year-old son Bran, youngest son, Rickon, and Ned's bastard son Jon Snow and ward Theon Greyjoy. Ned takes his sons to witness Will's execution for desertion. Ignoring Will's warning of the White Walkers, Ned beheads him, insisting Walkers are long extinct. The Starks find a dead stag, sigil of House Baratheon, and a dead direwolf, sigil of the Starks, whose pups are taken in by the children. News arrives of the death of Lord Arryn, Eddard's friend and Catelyn's brother-in-law. Winterfell receives the royal court, including King Robert, his wife Queen Cersei, their children – heir Prince Joffrey, Princess Myrcella, and Prince Tommen – as well as Jaime, a member of the Kingsguard, and his and Cersei's younger brother Tyrion Lannister, a dwarf known as "The Imp". Robert pays respects to Lyanna Stark, his late fiancée and Ned's sister, appoints Ned the new Hand of the King, and suggests Sansa be betrothed to Joffrey. Catelyn receives a message from her sister Lysa, Arryn's widow, who suspects her husband was murdered by the Lannisters. Ned reluctantly accepts the position of Hand of the King. Bran climbs an abandoned tower and stumbles upon Cersei and Jaime having sex. To keep the incestuous relationship a secret, Jaime shoves Bran out of the window. ==Production== ===Conception and development=== A number of Hollywood studios had contacted George R. R. Martin about possibly adapting his book series ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' into a film. However, Martin expressed the opinion the books could not be made into a film as too much would have to be cut from the books, but thought it could be made into a television series. In January 2006, David Benioff happened to speak to Martin's literary agent, and the agent sent the first four books of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' to David Benioff. Benioff read a few hundred pages of the first book in the series, ''A Game of Thrones'', called D. B. Weiss and said: "Maybe I'm crazy, but I haven't had this much fun reading anything in about 20 years. So take a look because I think it might make a great HBO series." Weiss, who then read the first book in two days, was very enthusiastic about a possible television project based on the books. They arranged a meeting with Martin, who asked them if they knew who Jon Snow's real mother might be, and was satisfied with their answer. In March 2006, a few weeks after meeting Martin, Benioff and Weiss pitched the show to Showtime and then Carolyn Strauss of HBO, the latter of whom accepted their proposal. HBO acquired the rights to the novels to turn them into a television series, with Benioff and Weiss as writers and executive producers of the series. The series went into development in January 2007. The series would begin with the first book from 1996, "A Game of Thrones", with the intention that each novel in the series would form the basis for a season's worth of episodes. However, Benioff and Weiss had to resubmit a proposal after Carolyn Strauss stepped down as president of HBO in 2008. The first and second drafts of the pilot script, written by Benioff and Weiss, were submitted in August 2007 and June 2008 respectively. While HBO found both drafts to their liking, a pilot was not ordered until November 2008. ===Writing=== Series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss wrote the episode. Scripted by the show creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, the first episode includes the plot of the book's chapters 1–9 and 12 (Prologue, Bran I, Catelyn I, Daenerys I, Eddard I, Jon I, Catelyn II, partial Arya I, Bran II, Daenerys II). Changes in the adaptation include the sequence of events in the prologue (in the books it is Gared and not Will who survives and is beheaded by Eddard afterwards, and Arya's material is set before the arrival of the royal family), new scenes showing the Lannister twins' perspective, and Daenerys's wedding night showing Drogo not waiting for her to consent to sex. ===Filming=== Sean Bean portrays Ned Stark in the series. Tom McCarthy was chosen to direct the pilot episode, shot between October 24 and November 19, 2009 on location in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Morocco. However, the pilot was deemed unsatisfactory and had to be reshot. The new pilot episode was filmed in 2010 by new director Tim Van Patten, and several actors appearing in the original pilot did not return for the series. Tamzin Merchant was replaced as Daenerys Targaryen by Emilia Clarke, and Jennifer Ehle was replaced as Catelyn Stark by Michelle Fairley. Additionally, Ian McNeice was replaced as Magister Illyrio by Roger Allam, Richard Ridings as Gared by Dermot Keaney, and Jamie Campbell Bower as Ser Waymar Royce by Rob Ostlere. Another difference is that the original pilot featured scenes shot in Scotland and scenes in Pentos were shot in Morocco, but in the aired series, Winterfell was filmed in a combination of locations in Northern Ireland, while scenes from Pentos were from Malta. The Doune Castle in Scotland was originally used to recreate Winterfell, and its great hall was used for some interior shots. Some scenes survived, but as it was not practical to return to Scotland for the reshoot, an exact replica of Doune's great hall was recreated in the soundstage in Belfast for the series. Castle Ward in Northern Ireland was used in the reshoot to film King Robert's entourage entry into Winterfell castle. A car park stood in for the Winterfell castle's courtyard and a wine cellar for the Stark family crypt. The Tollymore Forest Park was used for the opening scene of the encounter with the White Walkers. All the scenes shot in Morocco were reshot in Malta. The original pilot reused the sets of ''Kingdom of Heaven'' in Morocco to stand in for Pentos and the site of Drogo and Daenerys's wedding. In Malta, the Verdala Palace, the 16th century summer palace of the president of Malta, was used for the exterior scenes at Illyrio's mansion. The Azure Window was used as the backdrop for the wedding. Filming at the Azure Window, however, caused some controversy when a protected ecosystem was damaged by a subcontractor. In the sex scene, the then-pregnant Lena Headey was substituted by a body double; the production hid her pregnancy for the rest of the season. In the scene in which the Starks encounter a stag killed by a dire wolf as they return from the execution, an actual animal was used rather than a prop. As the stag had been dead for two days, it stank so much that the actors had to take much care not to let it show on their faces. Some scenes filmed were never aired, for example a flashback to the death of Eddard Stark's brother, and the death of Jon Arryn. ===Original pilot=== The original pilot from 2009 was poorly received in a private viewing with friends, one of whom, Craig Mazin, said to Benioff and Weiss, "You guys have a massive problem", and said "change everything" when asked for ideas. It was so disliked that Kit Harington joked that when he annoys Benioff and Weiss, they threaten to release the episode on YouTube. Weiss said of the viewing: "Watching them watch the pilot was a deeply humiliating, painful experience, because these are very smart individuals, and it just clearly wasn’t working for any of them on a very basic level." For example, it was never established that the two major characters, Jaime and Cersei Lannister were in fact brother and sister, a major plot point. HBO did not make a decision for four months after the pilot was delivered. In March 2010, HBO's decision to greenlight the series including the pilot was announced, with the production of the series scheduled to start June 2010. HBO however demanded extensive reshoot of the pilot, and wanted all the scenes from Morocco scrapped. A cameo appearance by George RR Martin as a Pentoshi nobleman at Daenerys's wedding filmed in Morocco was therefore also cut. In all 90 percent of the pilot was re-shot in 2010, with some cast changes and a different director. ===Aired episode=== The original pilot remained unaired, although some footage from the original pilot was used in the first aired episode. This includes Sansa's scenes with Catelyn (Michelle Fairley's footage as Catelyn was inserted over Jennifer Ehle's performance), Will's ride through the woods (retained though also portrayed by a different actor), most of the feast at Winterfell, and Ned and Robert's scene in the crypt. That scene is one of a few to be filmed on 35 mm film, and consequently slight film grain can be seen in the HD version of the episode. ==Reception== ===Preview=== On April 3, 2011, two weeks before the series premiere aired, the first 15 minutes of "Winter Is Coming" were released as a preview on HBO's website. ''Wired'''s Dave Banks called the preview "much better than anticipated." Scott Stinson of Toronto's National Post noted that "you know you aren’t watching a network drama when there have been two beheadings in the first 15 minutes." ===Ratings=== The first episode of ''Game of Thrones'' obtained 2.2 million viewers in its premiere airing, with an additional 2 million viewers in the reruns aired during the same night. The day after the premiere HBO aired the episode six additional times, adding another 1.2 million to the viewer's figures. Reruns aired during the following week upped the total viewership to 6.8 million. ===International=== The show premiered on HBO Canada at the same time as its U.S. premiere. On April 18, 2011, the show premiered in United Kingdom and Ireland through Sky Atlantic, gathering 750,000 viewers, a ratings record for the network. The series was broadcast throughout Latin America beginning on May 8, 2011. New Zealand's ''Dominion Post'' noted in an article on copyright laws that the popular series was downloaded via file sharing service regularly before its release to that market. In Australia, the July 17 premiere of the series was largely overshadowed by the release of ''A Dance with Dragons'', but according to ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' was successful "especially with women, who aren't seen as a target market for sword-fighting sagas". ===Critical response=== The critical response to the first episode of the series was positive. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 10 reviews of the episode and judged 100% of them to be positive with an average score of 8.5 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, Winter is Coming' is an introduction to a wonderfully bleak journey that honors its source material with stellar execution and an impressive cast." James Poniewozik from ''Time'' considered it an "epic win", and Jace Lacob from ''The Daily Beast'' deemed it "unforgettable". HitFix's Alan Sepinwall wrote that while it was too early to say if ''Game of Thrones'' belonged to the HBO pantheon with shows like ''The Sopranos'' or ''The Wire'', it had many things in common with those shows. IGN's Matt Fowler wrote that the pilot "effortlessly takes us along, faithfully, through the book, but it also manages to capture the majestically morbid spirit of Martin's pages and turn them into thrilling television". Much praise was given to the production values and the acting: Scott Meslow from ''The Atlantic'' states that "the show's immense cast is almost universally strong, and the fantasy land of Westeros feels lived-in, and looks terrific". Alan Sepinwall also qualifies the casting as "really exceptional", and states that the show is "feast for the eyes", with all the different locations having their own memorable looks. The opening sequence, with an aerial view of the world where the series takes place with the different settings emerging from it, was also acclaimed. On April 19, less than two days after the initial airing, HBO announced that the series had been renewed for a second season. In a press teleconference, HBO executives announced their satisfaction with initial ratings, which they compared favorably to ''True Blood''. ===Awards and nominations=== Year Award Category Nominees Result 2011 Portal Award Best Episode Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Tim Van Patten Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Make-up for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Paul Engelen and Melissa Lackersteen 2012 Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing — Short Form Sound Effects and Foley in Television Directors Guild of America Awards Dramatic Series Tim Van Patten Visual Effects Society Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program Lucy Ainsworth-Taylor, Angela Barson, Ed Bruce and Adam McInnes ==References== ==External links== * "Winter Is Coming" at HBO * *

right '''''A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying''''' is a role-playing game published by Green Ronin Publishing in 2009. ==Description== ''A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying'' is an adaptation of the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novel series. The game uses Green Ronin's "Chronicle System". ==Publication history== On 24 April 2007, it was on George R.R. Martin's website that Green Ronin Publishing was producing a new line of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' RPG products, unrelated to the earlier Guardians of Order ''A Game of Thrones'' effort. Robert J. Schwalb designed the ''A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying'' game, which was previewed in 2008 and published in 2009; this was his last project for Green Ronin before he moved over to Wizards of the Coast. The Green Ronin game, titled ''A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying'' (''SIFRP''), went on sale on 10 March 2009: it uses a custom game system and does not contain rules from either the d20 or Tri-Stat dX systems. ==Reception== ''A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying'' won the 2009 Silver ENnie Award for Best Rules. ==References==

'''Gregor Clegane''', nicknamed "'''The Mountain That Rides'''" or simply "'''The Mountain'''", 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''. In the books, the character is initially introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones''. He subsequently appeared in ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998), ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000) and in ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011). A famous knight and retainer to House Lannister, he is well known for his enormous size, prowess in battle, extremely cruel nature, and uncontrollable temper. He is the older brother of Sandor "The Hound" Clegane; who has hated him ever since Gregor gruesomely scarred Sandor by shoving his face into a brazier when they were children. After being mortally wounded in a duel with Oberyn Martell, he is resuscitated by Qyburn via sinister means and becomes the personal bodyguard of Cersei Lannister under the name '''Robert Strong'''. In the HBO television adaptation, Clegane was originally portrayed by Australian actor Conan Stevens in season one, and by Welsh actor Ian Whyte in season two; Icelandic actor and strongman Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson took over the role from season four onwards. == Character description == Ser Gregor Clegane, known as the Mountain That Rides, or simply the Mountain, is the older brother of Sandor Clegane and is a vassal to Tywin Lannister. His size and strength make him a fearsome warrior (in the novels he is nearly 8 feet tall, and weighs over 400 lbs.), and he has earned a reputation for brutality. When they were children, Gregor shoved Sandor's face into a brazier for using his toy, gruesomely scarring him. Over the course of his service to House Lannister, he has committed numerous war crimes, but he is most infamous for the rape and murder of the Targaryen/Martell royal family. Clegane was one of the first Lannister soldiers to enter King's Landing during its sack at the end of Robert Baratheon's rebellion. He raped and murdered Princess Elia, and murdered her children Rhaenys and Aegon, a grudge House Martell still bears at the onset of ''A Game of Thrones''. Gregor Clegane is not a point of view character in the novels, so his actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other people, such as Arya Stark and Cersei Lannister. Gregor is mostly a background character in the novels. == Storylines == Coat of arms of House Clegane In ''A Game of Thrones'', Tywin Lannister sends him to raid the Riverlands in retaliation for Catelyn Stark's abduction of Tyrion. Beric Dondarrion is sent to arrest Gregor, but Gregor ambushes and kills him. He and his men continue raiding the Riverlands throughout ''A Clash of Kings''. When Tyrion Lannister demands a trial by combat, the accuser Cersei Lannister chooses Gregor as her champion. Elia's brother Oberyn Martell volunteers as Tyrion's champion to expose Gregor as a murderer. Oberyn wounds Gregor with a poisoned spear, but the Mountain is ultimately victorious, admitting to murdering Elia and Aegon before crushing Oberyn's skull. Gregor succumbs to the poison and his body is given to Qyburn for experimentation. Following Cersei's walk of atonement, she gains a bodyguard named Ser Robert Strong who is of similar enormous stature as Gregor, and whose body is completely covered in armor. === TV adaptation === ====Season 1==== Tywin Lannister sends him to raid the Riverlands. Beric Dondarrion is sent to arrest Gregor. When war breaks out, Gregor is given command of Tywin's vanguard and left flank and leads his men through intimidation. ====Season 2==== He is left to command Harrenhal in Tywin's absence and to find and destroy "The Brotherhood Without Banners", invoking the escape of Arya, Gendry and Hot Pie from Harrenhal. ====Season 3==== He later abandons Harrenhal after slaughtering the prisoners and is defeated by Edmure Tully at the Stone Mill, but manages to escape back to the Westerlands. Robb chides his uncle, having planned to draw the Mountain into a trap of his own making to be captured or killed. ====Season 4==== Ser Gregor is chosen as Cersei's champion for Tyrion's trial by combat, and fights Oberyn Martell, Tyrion's champion who wants to kill Gregor as revenge for the murder of his sister, Elia Martell. Oberyn inflicts several serious injuries on Clegane with his poisoned spear, but Gregor eventually kills Oberyn by crushing his skull, while admitting that he did rape Elia, killed her children and enjoyed it, before collapsing from his own injuries. It is later revealed that The Mountain has been poisoned with manticore venom, a poison with which Oberyn had laced his weapon, and that he is slowly dying. Cersei enlists ex-maester Qyburn to save him, though Qyburn claims that the procedure will "change" Clegane. ====Season 5==== The procedure is seemingly a success as Ser Gregor has become active again, though the procedure has changed his physical appearance and his behavior. Gregor has also sworn a vow of silence and vowed to serve as Cersei's personal bodyguard until all her enemies are destroyed. ====Season 6==== Ser Gregor continues to act as Cersei's bodyguard to intimidate all those who may bother or mock her. He also rips the head off of a Faith Militant with his bare hands when they try to take Cersei into their custody. After Cersei destroys the Great Sept of Baelor and retakes power, she has Gregor torture Septa Unella in revenge for torturing her during her time in prison. ====Season 7==== Ser Gregor is still with Cersei as a member of the Queensguard. He is confronted by his brother Sandor "The Hound" Clegane in the season finale, where Sandor conveys an ominous message that he (Gregor) already knows who is coming for him and that he has always known. ====Season 8==== Ser Gregor's face after going through the procedure Qyburn used to save him after the fight against Oberyn Martell Ser Gregor is present when Daenerys Targaryen arrives at King's Landing with all her forces, demanding the release of her advisor Missandei and Cersei's surrender. A defiant Cersei has Ser Gregor decapitate Missandei. Ser Gregor is killed in the penultimate episode of the series, in a sword duel with his brother, Sandor. Realizing that he can barely injure Gregor without also dying himself, Sandor tackles his brother off the Red Keep stairwell to both of their deaths in the raging inferno below. == References ==

'''Jaime Lannister''' 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''. He becomes a prominent point of view character in the novels beginning in ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000). Introduced in ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996), Jaime is a knight of the Kingsguard and a member of House Lannister, the wealthiest and one of the most powerful families in the kingdom of Westeros. He is the elder son of Tywin Lannister and the brother of both his twin sister, Cersei, with whom he has a longstanding incestuous relationship, and his brother Tyrion. Although Jaime first appears to be unscrupulous and immoral, he later proves to be far more complex, honorable, and sympathetic. His lengthy and complex character development has been lauded by fans and critics of both the novels and television show alike. Jaime is portrayed by the Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau on the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'', for which he has received critical acclaim. He was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television, a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and a People Choice Awards Favorite TV Anti-Hero for his performance in the show's third season, and for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his performance in the show's seventh season. He and the rest of the cast were nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. ==Character== ===Description=== In ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996), Jaime is introduced as one of the Kingsguard, the royal security detail, and the son of the wealthy and powerful Tywin Lannister, the former Hand of the King. Jaime's twin is Cersei, the Queen of Westeros by virtue of her marriage to King Robert Baratheon. Perhaps the greatest swordsman in the kingdom, Jaime is derisively referred to as "the Kingslayer" because he killed the "Mad King" Aerys Targaryen in the coup that put Robert on the Iron Throne. Eric Dodds of ''TIME'' described Jaime as "handsome, an incomparably skilled fighter and disarmingly witty". ''The New Yorker'' called the Lannisters "a crowd of high-cheekboned beauties ... who form a family constellation so twisted, charismatic, and cruel that it rivals ''Flowers in the Attic'' for blond dysfunction". Lev Grossman wrote for ''TIME'' that while Jaime and Cersei's younger brother Tyrion is a grotesque dwarf, "the rest of the Lannisters are stunted too, but on the inside." The ''Los Angeles Times'' called Jaime "handsome and unscrupulous", though Dodds noted in 2014: Jaime loses his sword hand in ''A Storm of Swords'', the third book in the series. He is depicted as having a prosthetic at times thereafter and learns to fight with his non-dominant hand. ===Development=== Darren Franich of ''Entertainment Weekly'' noted that in the novels, "Jaime is a vaguely villainous minor character in ''Game of Thrones'', then is basically absent from ''Clash of Kings'', and suddenly he becomes a tragic hero in ''Storm of Swords''." In ''A Game of Thrones'', Jaime is not only carrying on an incestuous affair with his twin sister, but he pushes a young Bran Stark out a high window to his likely death after the boy witnesses them in the act. Jaime admits these crimes to Catelyn Stark in ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998), and tells her a horrific story of Aerys Targaryen's cruelty. In ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), Jaime initially loathes the female warrior Brienne of Tarth, but both his honor and his reluctant respect for Brienne compel him to lie to their captors to prevent her from being raped. He later explains to Brienne that he killed Aerys because the king had planned to incinerate all of King's Landing and its inhabitants rather than let it fall into Robert's hands. When Jaime is released to be sent back to King's Landing in deference to his father, he first saves Brienne, who has been thrown into a bear pit for the mercenaries' amusement. Martin told ''Rolling Stone'' in 2014: Specifically addressing Jaime's attempted murder of Bran, Martin said: ==Storylines== Coat of arms of House Lannister ===''A Game of Thrones''=== Jaime Lannister accompanies the royal family to Winterfell, where King Robert Baratheon hopes to persuade his old friend Ned Stark to serve as Hand of the King. During the visit, Ned's young son Bran inadvertently spies Jaime and Cersei having sex in a remote tower, at which point Jaime pushes the boy out a window, intending to kill Bran to keep their relationship secret. Bran survives, though crippled and with no recollection of the incident. When an assassin later tries to kill Bran, his mother Catelyn Stark accuses and arrests Tyrion. In revenge, Jaime instigates a brawl with Ned and his men in the streets of King's Landing, killing many on both sides. Ned later discovers that Robert's three children are actually the products of Jaime and Cersei's affair, but is executed by the oldest child, Joffrey Baratheon, upon the latter's ascension as king. Jaime then rides for the Riverlands to aid Tywin in his campaign against the Riverlands, taking command of half the Lannister host. He besieges the Riverlands' capital of Riverrun, but his army is waylaid by Robb Stark's army in the Battle of the Whispering Wood. Jaime is taken prisoner and incarcerated in Riverrun. In the meantime, Joffrey has named Jaime as commander of his Kingsguard. Hillary Busis of ''Entertainment Weekly'' called the twist of Jaime and Cersei in the tower "lurid and shocking, exactly what I needed to jolt me awake and make me start paying closer attention ... By the end of the chapter — 'The things I do for love' — I was totally hooked on ''Thrones''". Mikal Gilmore of ''Rolling Stone'' noted in 2014 that the moment in which Jaime pushes Bran to his likely death "grabs you by the throat". Martin commented in the interview: ===''A Clash of Kings''=== Tyrion makes several attempts to free Jaime, first by having disguised Lannister guards attempt to break him out and then by offering to swap Arya and Sansa Stark for Jaime. After hearing of the supposed deaths of Bran and Rickon Stark, Catelyn interrogates Jaime. Jaime admits to pushing Bran out the tower window, to his incest with Cersei and to fathering her children. Jaime then mocks Ned for having tarnished his own honour by fathering a bastard, prompting Catelyn to call her bodyguard Brienne of Tarth for her sword. ===''A Storm of Swords''=== Jaime is freed by Catelyn and sent to King's Landing to exchange for Sansa and Arya, escorted by Brienne of Tarth and Jaime's cousin Ser Cleos Frey. Cleos is killed by bandits and Jaime and Brienne are captured by the Brave Companions, who were formerly in service to Tywin but have defected to Roose Bolton. Their leader, Vargo Hoat, cuts off Jaime's sword hand in the hope that Tywin will blame Roose and prevent the Boltons defecting to the Lannisters. While held captive at Harrenhal, Jaime reveals to Brienne the circumstances surrounding his murder of King Aerys. Roose Bolton releases Jaime but keeps Brienne hostage. While returning to King's Landing, Jaime has a dream about Brienne and decides to return to Harrenhal to rescue her from Hoat. Continuing on to King's Landing, Jaime and Brienne learn that Robb and Catelyn have been murdered at the Red Wedding, and that Joffrey has been poisoned, with Tyrion on trial for the murder; Jaime refuses to believe Tyrion is guilty. Tywin gifts Jaime with a Valyrian steel sword forged from House Stark's ancestral sword Ice and reveals that he plans to have Jaime released from his vows to the Kingsguard, disowning him when Jaime declines. Jaime passes the sword on to Brienne and tasks her with finding and protecting the fugitive Sansa Stark. He then forces Varys into helping Tyrion escape, confessing to Tyrion that he owed him a debt for his role in Tysha's fate. Outraged, Tyrion spitefully reveals to Jaime Cersei's affairs during his imprisonment, swears vengeance on Jaime and the rest of House Lannister, and lies that he did indeed kill Joffrey, before killing Tywin. ===''A Feast for Crows''=== Jaime and Cersei's relationship breaks down after he repeatedly declines her requests to become the new Hand of the King and he becomes more disturbed by Cersei's arrogance and impulsive leadership. Jaime tries to reconcile Kevan and Cersei, in hopes that Kevan will take the role of Hand. Kevan rebuffs Jaime's efforts, and implies that he knows of Jaime and Cersei's incestuous relationship. Cersei orders Jaime to go to Riverrun and dislodge Ser Brynden "Blackfish" Tully. Before his leaving, Jaime has an armorer forge him a prosthetic hand. He takes the tongueless Ser Ilyn Payne with him to teach him to fight with his left hand, using the lessons to confess to his numerous crimes. During the march, he encounters his cousin Lancel, who confesses to his affair with Cersei. Jaime persuades Edmure Tully to force the Blackfish's surrender by threatening to sack the castle and kill Edmure's child when it is born, though Edmure assists the Blackfish in escaping. Jaime later receives a letter from Cersei, who has been imprisoned by the High Sparrow and is awaiting trial and begs Jaime to be her champion in her trial by combat, but Jaime has the letter burned without reply. ===''A Dance with Dragons''=== Jaime travels to Raventree Hall and negotiates Lord Tytos Blackwood's surrender, officially ending House Stark's insurrection. In the aftermath, he is approached by Brienne, who claims that Sansa is in danger from Sandor "The Hound" Clegane. It is unknown how much of this is true, as Brienne was previously seen as a prisoner of a reanimated Catelyn Stark and the anti-Lannister Brotherhood Without Banners. ===Family tree of House Lannister=== ==TV adaptation== Nikolaj Coster-Waldau plays the role of Jaime Lannister in the television series. Jaime is portrayed by Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in the HBO adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. His casting was announced on August 20, 2009. In October 2014, Coster-Waldau and several other key cast members, all contracted for six seasons of the series, renegotiated their deals to include a potential seventh season and salary increases for seasons five, six, and seven. ''The Hollywood Reporter'' called the raises "huge", noting that the deal would make the performers "among the highest-paid actors on cable TV". ''Deadline Hollywood'' put the number for season five at "close to an episode" for each actor, and ''The Hollywood Reporter'' wrote in June 2016 that the performers would each be paid "upward of per episode" for seasons seven and the potential eight. In 2017, he became one of the highest paid actors on television and will earn £2million per episode for the show. Matt Fowler of IGN noted in 2013 that "the people who do seem to get redemption arcs on this show are the villains". Over the course of the first three seasons, the series has transitioned Jaime from an obvious villain to an antihero of sorts. Eric Dodds of ''Time'' wrote that Jaime had become "a complex, bizarrely likable character". Andrew Romano of ''The Daily Beast'' explained: Fowler wrote that Jaime's adventure with Brienne was "the best storyline of the season" in Season 3, aside from the Red Wedding. Jaime's apparent rape of Cersei in the fourth season episode "Breaker of Chains" created controversy among fans and journalists, who debated the show's depiction of sexual violence against women as well as Jaime's character development. The showrunners never commented on what their intention with the scene actually was. The cast members involved initially gave only vague comments, but after the fourth season was released on Blu-ray and the showrunners avoided making any comment about the scene in it (it is conspicuously the only episode which has no commentary track), both Coster-Waldau and Headey publicly stated that the scene was never intended to portray rape at all - they were given no instructions to this effect (such as in the script) nor did they play it that way, and apparently the scene was just edited very confusingly. In the source novel ''A Storm of Swords'', the sex between Jaime and Cersei in the equivalent scene is consensual. Several critics argued that the TV series' change damaged Jaime's redemption arc. Dodds noted that the episode "irreparably changes the way we see Jaime Lannister". Alyssa Rosenberg of ''The Washington Post'' wrote: Coster-Waldau said, "If you look closer there are those moments where she—well, I haven't seen the finished edit, of course—but we tried to have it where she goes into it then she pulls away, she goes in then she pulls away, but of course he is forcing himself." Later he and his co-star Lena Headey (Cersei) spoke with ''Entertainment Weekly'' during the filming of season 5, admitting that they were never directed or intended to film a rape scene. Headey stated: The Jaime-Cersei scene was subsequently ignored for the rest of Season 4 and the rest of the series. Writing on website TheMarySue.com, Rebecca Pahle claimed that not referring to the scene again, instead of as a long and developed subplot, trivialized rape—if, in fact, it was ever the actual intention to portray it as a rape scene. Pahle argued that in real life a woman would be traumatized by being raped, not act as if nothing had happened immediately afterwards. Pahle said that even if the show's creators did not intend it as a rape scene, ignoring questions about the scene and hoping they would go away over time was insensitive to the audience. In 2016, Christopher Hooton wrote for ''The Independent'': ===Storylines=== ====Season 1==== Jaime's storyline in the first season remains, for the most part, identical to his book storyline, with only minor details altered. In the aftermath of Jaime's capture, he confesses to Catelyn that he tried to kill Bran, but refuses to reveal why. ====Season 2==== Robb brings a captive Jaime with his camp as they march through the Westerlands, as Robb fears Tywin may coerce one of his bannerman into freeing Jaime. At one point Jaime attempts to escape by beating his cousin and fellow inmate Alton Lannister to death and strangling his guard Torrhen Karstark when he comes to investigate; though unsuccessfully, the anger of Torrhen's father Rickard proves fatal for Robb's campaign in the coming months. After Jaime goads Catelyn by mentioning Ned's infidelity, she releases him and has Brienne of Tarth escort him to King's Landing to trade for Sansa and Arya. ====Season 3==== Jaime and Brienne are captured by a squad of Bolton soldiers. Jaime manages to convince them not to rape Brienne, but their leader Locke takes umbrage when Jaime tries to use his status to secure his own release and chops off Jaime's sword hand. The two are taken to Harrenhal, where the former maester Qyburn treats Jaime's wound and Jaime reveals to Brienne why he killed Aerys. Roose Bolton lets Jaime return to King's Landing but insists on keeping Brienne prisoner for abetting treason, though Jaime ultimately returns to rescue Brienne from being killed by a bear for Locke's amusement. The two return to King's Landing and Jaime is reunited with Cersei. ====Season 4==== Tywin gifts Jaime a Valyrian steel sword forged from House Stark's ancestral sword, Ice, and asks him to resign from the Kingsguard and rule Casterly Rock, disowning him when he refuses. Qyburn fits Jaime with a gilded steel hand, a gift from Cersei and Tyrion arranges for Jaime to have sword lessons with his bodyguard Bronn. Cersei initially refuses to resume their relationship, and is then raped by Jaime in front of Joffrey's body. Jaime gifts Brienne Tywin's sword and the services of Tyrion's squire Podrick Payne, asking her to find Arya and Sansa and take them to safety. With Tyrion accused of Joffrey's murder, Jaime convinces Tywin to spare Tyrion in return for leaving the Kingsguard, though Tyrion later chooses trial by combat. Tyrion loses the trial and is sentenced to death, but Jaime releases him from his cell and helps him escape to Essos. ====Season 5==== Cersei guilts Jaime for releasing Tyrion, and Jaime later admits to Bronn that he will kill Tyrion the next time they meet. When a message arrives from the Martells subtly threatening Myrcella as revenge for Prince Oberyn Martell's death in Tyrion's trial by combat, Jaime and Bronn travel to Dorne in secret to retrieve her. As they make their escape they are accosted by Oberyn's bastard daughters, the Sand Snakes, and engage in a fight before all five are arrested by the Water Gardens' palace guards. Doran Martell realises that the message was sent by Oberyn's paramour Ellaria Sand and decides to send Myrcella and his own son Trystane back to King's Landing with Jaime. As the ship sets sail, Myrcella admits to Jaime that she knows and is happy that he is her father. The two share a brief embrace before Myrcella suddenly collapses and dies, having been poisoned by Ellaria. ====Season 6==== Jaime returns to King's Landing with Myrcella's corpse. He orders Trystane to stay on the boat outside the city to protect him from Cersei's wrath, and sends word to Doran naming Ellaria as Myrcella's killer, though Ellaria promptly kills Doran, has Obara and Nymeria kill Trystane and seizes control of Dorne. At Myrcella's funeral, Jaime confronts the religious leader, the High Sparrow, for having forced Cersei to walk naked through the streets of King's Landing as punishment for adultery, but is forced to stand down at the arrival of the Faith Militant. Jaime enlists the Tyrell army to march on the Sept of Baelor to secure the release of Margaery and Loras Tyrell. However, they find that Margaery has seemingly become a follower of the High Sparrow and that Tommen has forged an alliance with the Faith Militant. As punishment for taking up arms against the Faith, Jaime is removed from the Kingsguard. He is sent to Riverrun with Bronn to assist House Frey in ousting Brynden "Blackfish" Tully and the occupying Tully forces. After a failed parlay, Brienne arrives and beseeches Jaime to end the siege without bloodshed, so the Tully rebels can help Sansa Stark retake Winterfell. Brienne also fails, so Jaime manipulates the captured Edmure Tully into thinking his infant son will be killed if Edmure does not order a surrender. Edmure is released and promptly opens the gates to the Lannisters. Jaime sees Brienne and Podrick fleeing by boat from the castle walls, but only waves a discreet farewell and does not alert his men. After traveling to House Frey's fortress The Twins for a feast celebrating their victory, Jaime returns to King's Landing, and is horrified to discover that the Great Sept has been destroyed as a result of Cersei's plotting. He returns to the Red Keep in time to witness Cersei being crowned as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, immediately realizing that Cersei essentially murdered the Faith Militant, the Tyrells, Grand Maester Pycelle and their uncle Kevan to acquire her new power. ====Season 7==== Despite his discomfort at the circumstances leading to Cersei's coronation, Jaime remains loyal to his sister, with Daenerys Targaryen and her forces sailing on Westeros. Cersei agrees to marry Euron Greyjoy after the war against Daenerys is won, but continues her relationship with Jaime, no longer attempting to hide their intimacy from their servants. Jaime negotiates with Randyll Tarly to pledge allegiance to the Lannisters; with the help of House Tarly's forces he leads the Lannister army to defeat the Tyrell army at Highgarden, following Olenna Tyrell's defection to Daenerys, following Cersei's role in the death of the other Tyrells. In the aftermath of the battle, Jaime allows Olenna a painless suicide-via-poison, rather than the torturous death Cersei had ordered. Before dying, Olenna reveals she was responsible for poisoning Joffrey. As the Lannister forces return to King's Landing, they are attacked by Daenerys, with her horde of Dothraki and her dragon, Drogon. The Lannisters & Tarly army is nearly decimated by dragon-fire strafings, until Bronn wounds Drogon with a scorpion ballista. Jaime attempts a desperate, horseback lance charge on the dismounted Daenerys, escaping a fiery immolation only by Bronn's perfectly-timed intervention. The two men plunge into the Blackwater Rush, and are carried downstream, away from the carnage of Daenrys' victory. They return to King's Landing, where Jamie warns Cersei of certain doom, should Daenerys escalate the conflict. Cersei is not entirely convinced of that or Olenna's confession. Bronn takes Jaime to the Red Keep cellars under the pretense of more training; however, Tyrion (now Hand to Daenerys) is there for a parley. Tyrion wants a truce and alliance against the White Walkers, as well as a meeting between Daenerys and Cersei to present evidence of the danger. Jaime is convinced by Tyrion and relays the message to Cersei, who is skeptical, but remains adamant that the Lannisters will prevail against any foe. She also reveals that she is pregnant with Jaime's child. At the meeting, Jon and the Hound present an undead wight to Cersei's court, and Jamie realizes the impending doom. After some persuasion from Tyrion, Cersei relents to sending the Lannister forces north against the army of the dead. Ultimately however Jamie must go north alone, as Cersei had no intention of intervening until one army – dead or living – was defeated (both unaware or disregarding how the wights increase their numbers). Jamie's departure is contentious, as he ignores Cersei's hollow threat to have The Mountain stop him. ====Season 8==== Jaime arrives in Winterfell and encounters Bran, who has been waiting for him in the courtyard. He is visibly shocked to see the Stark boy again. Brought before Daenerys and the Northern lords, Jaime justifies his actions against the Starks and Targaryens as being in service to House Lannister. Brienne vouches for Jaime, citing his protection of her from Roose Bolton's soldiers, and Sansa and Jon Snow let him live. Afterwards, Jaime speaks to Bran alone in the Godswood and apologizes for trying to kill him; however, Bran holds no anger towards Jaime for his deeds. Jaime also speaks with Brienne and declares that he wishes to fight under her command in the upcoming battle against the White Walkers. Later, drinking with Brienne and others before battle, Jaime knights Brienne. Jaime fights the Army of the Dead in the Battle of Winterfell alongside Brienne and the others; both survive as the living win. After the battle, Jaime and Brienne become lovers. With Daenerys' army marching on King's Landing, Jaime ignores Brienne's pleas and leaves for King's Landing to aid Cersei. Daenerys' forces capture him, but Tyrion frees him so that he can surrender on Cersei's behalf and then take Cersei away from King's Landing and Westeros. Before Davos smuggles Jaime away, Jaime tells Tyrion he never actually cared about the common folk of King's Landing. Jaime enters King's Landing during the battle between Daenerys' and Cersei's forces. Euron attacks and grievously wounds Jaime, but Jaime kills him. Jaime reunites with Cersei and is killed when the dungeon vaults of the Red Keep collapse over them during the sacking of the city. In the series finale, titled "The Iron Throne", Tyrion discovers Jaime and Cersei's bodies buried under the rubble in the crypt under the Red Keep, and in his grief, he renounces his loyalty to Daenerys and persuades Jon Snow to kill her. ===Reception=== Matt Roush wrote for ''TV Guide'' that Coster-Waldau plays "dastardly" Jaime "with malevolent charisma", and Dodds noted that, despite the "despicable things" he has done, "the Kingslayer remains one of ''Game of Thrones'' most popular characters". Matthew Gilbert of ''The Boston Globe'' wrote: ===Recognition and awards=== Coster-Waldau has received several nominations for his portrayal of Jaime, including the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2013, the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film in 2013, the Gold Derby TV Award for Best Drama Supporting Actor in 2013, the People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Anti-Hero in 2014, the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television in 2014, the Zulu Award for Best Actor in 2017, and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2018. ==References==

'''Samwell Tarly''', or simply '''Sam''', 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'', Samwell is the eldest son of Lord Randyll Tarly of Horn Hill and his wife Lady Melessa Florent. A self-professed coward with a love for books and songs, Samwell was forced by his father to abandon his birthright and join the Night's Watch so that his younger brother could become heir to Horn Hill. While at the Wall, he meets Jon Snow and quickly becomes his closest friend and ally. He subsequently appeared in 1998's ''A Clash of Kings'' before becoming a point-of-view character in 2000's ''A Storm of Swords'' and 2005's ''A Feast for Crows''. Samwell is portrayed by English actor John Bradley in the HBO television adaptation. == Character == === Description === According to George R. R. Martin, the character Samwell Tarly, is the most relatable to him. When asked why, Martin said in a 2014 interview: because Sam's "the fat kid who likes to read books and doesn't like to go up a lot of stairs." Just like Tarly, George R. R. Martin both “had trouble relationship with their fathers and neither is a fighter at heart”(Brranes). George R. R. Martin refused to go to the Vietnam War, because he “believed it was stupid — a sentiment that is reflected throughout the entire Song of Ice and Fire oeuvre.”(Cian) Samwell Tarly would choose not to fight, just like George R.R, but in his case he had to, to survive. Samwell Tarly is the elder son of Lord Randyll Tarly of Horn Hill and his wife Lady Melessa Florent. Tarly has two siblings, Dickon Tarly and Talla Tarly. After refusing to fight in a war, his father sent him to join Night's Watch. In the beginning of the seasons, Samwell Tarly was bullied for being overweight and unskilled combat. He was often called “ser Piggy” and “prince Pork-chop”. As the story progress, his character started to unfold. The character Samwell Tarly is Jon Snow's sidekick; he is very bright and lacks Jon Snows fighting abilities. Samwell Tarly makes up for that with his bravery and knowledge. Throughout the books, Samwell Tarly was very loyal to the people he was closest to. Samwell is fond of music and songs, prefers books over weapons, and fears blood and violence. Despite his self-professed cowardice, Sam is highly intelligent, observant, resourceful, and loyal. == Storylines == Coat of arms of the Night's Watch ===In the books=== Samwell Tarly is a background character in the first two novels of the series, and his actions and thoughts are interpreted through the eyes of Jon Snow. He then becomes a point of view character in the third novel ''A Storm of Swords'' and the fourth novel ''A Feast for Crows'', with total of ten chapters told from his point of view. ====''A Game of Thrones''==== Upon arriving at the Wall, Sam is soon bullied by Ser Alliser Thorne and the fellow recruits for his weight, shyness and clumsiness in training. Jon Snow takes pity on Sam and defends him in arms training. Later on, Sam confesses his life story to Jon, who sympathizes with Sam and secretly uses his influence among the recruits (making violent threats when necessary) to protect Sam from harm. When Sam fails to progress in fight training and is not deemed worthy to join the Night's Watch, Jon persuades Maester Aemon take in Sam as a personal steward assigned to help Aemon in the rookery and library. Sam is the first person to notice something strange about the corpse of rangers Othor and Jafer Flowers (who are actually wights sent to assassinate Lord Commander Jeor Mormont). When Jon tries to abandon the Night's Watch to join Robb Stark's army and avenge the death of his father Eddard Stark, Sam alerts their fellow recruits, who catch up to Jon and convince him to not break his vows to the Night's Watch. ====''A Clash of Kings''==== Sam takes part in the Great Ranging beyond the Wall, to take care of the ravens as Lord Commander Jeor Mormont's aide. While stopping at Craster's Keep, Sam befriends one of Craster's daughter-wives, Gilly. Gilly is pregnant and fears that, if her child is a boy, Craster will sacrifice him to the Others. Sam is horrified, but unable to help. Later, at camp at the Fist of the First Men, Sam and Jon's direwolf Ghost discover a cache of dragonglass daggers buried underground. ====''A Storm of Swords''==== The Night's Watch's camp at the Fist of the First Men comes under attack and is overwhelmed by an army of wights sent by the Others, with Sam one of the survivors who manage to break out. The survivors then flee to Craster's Keep, but Sam and two other brothers, Small Paul and Grenn, become separated from the group. They are attacked by an Other that kills Paul before Sam stabs it with a dragonglass dagger in desperation, killing it instantly. Sam and Grenn then regroup with the other survivors at Craster's Keep, where Gilly gives birth to a son. Soon after, a mutiny breaks out, and Mormont and Craster are among those killed in the fight. Sam flees with Gilly and her son, and are accosted by wights before being rescued by a mysterious man, Coldhands, who looks like a wight but is friendly and supposedly a fellow Night's Watchman. Coldhands takes them to the Nightfort and asks them to escort Bran Stark and his party through the Wall. Sam and Gilly then encounter a group of Night's Watchmen led by Denys Mallister and Bowen Marsh and join them on the march to Castle Black. They arrive to find that Stannis Baratheon has defeated the Wildlings besieging Castle Black. Due to Lord Commander Mormont's death, the Night's Watch undergoes an election for a new leader. Mallister and Cotter Pyke are the leading candidates, but Janos Slynt, who Sam thinks will be a disastrous leader, is gaining popularity. When Stannis threatens to appoint a leader himself if the Watch cannot decide on a leader within a few days, Sam approaches Mallister and Pyke (who despise each other) independently, claiming that Stannis plans to name the other as Lord Commander, and suggesting that they both support Jon as middle-ground candidate instead. Thanks to Sam's machinations, Jon is elected Lord Commander with overwhelming majority vote. ====''A Feast for Crows''==== Jon sends Sam to Oldtown to become a Maester, accompanied by another brother, Dareon (who is appointed as a recruiter), Maester Aemon (who Jon fears will be sacrificed by Melisandre for his royal blood) and Gilly and her baby. During the voyage to Braavos, Gilly grows despondent, and Sam realises that Jon had swapped Gilly's baby with Mance Rayder's newborn son lest he be sacrificed as well. Aemon falls ill during the voyage and they are forced to spend their money on a healer and lodging in Braavos. In Braavos, Sam also encounters Arya Stark, though he does not realise her identity. Aemon hears of his great-grandniece Daenerys Targaryen and her dragons, and comes to believe that she fulfills the prophecy of a "prince that was promised", asking them to inform the Citadel. Dareon decides to desert and Sam fights him, before being thrown into a canal. He is rescued by a Summer Islander, Xhondo, who offers Sam and Gilly passage to Oldtown. Aemon ultimately passes away early in the journey, and Sam and Gilly briefly become lovers in their grief. Sam plans to have Gilly sent to Horn Hill, with the baby passed off as Sam's bastard. Meanwhile, Sam arrives at Oldtown to meet with Archmaester Marwyn, telling him of Aemon's request. Marwyn resolves to travel to Slaver's Bay to meet with Daenerys, ordering Sam to keep his story secret from the other maesters, and left Sam's care in the hand of acolyte Alleras. ===In the show=== ====Season 1==== Sam is quickly identified as being soft and weak by Castle Black's master-at-arms Ser Alliser Thorne, and suffers in sword-training until Jon Snow convinces the other new recruits to go easy on him. Sam is assigned to the order of stewards, to serve Maester Aemon. When Jon tries to abandon the Night's Watch, Sam follows with Pyp and Grenn, and convinces Jon to remain loyal to the Night's Watch. Tarly knows that if Jon Snow leaves, people will continue to pick on him. He didn't want Jon to leave after they became close friends. ====Season 2==== Sam joins the Night's Watch in the Great Ranging. Along the journey the party rests at Craster's Keep, where Sam encounters and falls in love with Craster's pregnant daughter-wife Gilly. While camping at the Fist of the First Men, Sam discovers a cache of weapons made from dragonglass. While Sam is out collecting dung for fires, the White Walkers march on the Fist of the First Men. Sam is unable to outrun the army of the dead, but for unknown reasons their leader spares Sam. ====Season 3==== Sam and the survivors of the resulting massacre flee back to Craster's Keep. Sam witnesses Gilly give birth to a baby boy, whose gender Sam and Gilly realize they must keep secret to prevent Craster from giving the baby to the White Walkers. A brawl later breaks out among Craster and the Night's Watch, and Sam flees with Gilly and the baby. They are followed by a White Walker who tries to take the baby, but Sam kills it by stabbing it with a dragonglass dagger. Sam and Gilly pass through the Wall at the Nightfort, where they discover Jon's half-brother Bran Stark and his party, headed beyond the Wall. Sam is unable to persuade them to instead come to Castle Black but promises not to tell Jon their destination. Arriving back at Castle Black, Sam warns Aemon of the advancing White Walkers, and Aemon has Sam send the warning throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Later, Jon returns to Castle Black, gravely wounded and disguised as a Wildling. Sam recognises Jon and orders him to be attended to. ====Season 4==== Sam reveals to Jon that Bran is alive and headed beyond the Wall. Sam decides to send Gilly to Mole's Town to work as a maid in the brothel, as he fears for her safety at Castle Black. Mole's Town is attacked by the Wildlings, who slaughter the entire populace of the town. Sam is distraught, unaware that Gilly and her baby had been spared by Ygritte. Gilly later makes it to Castle Black moments before the Wildlings attack. Sam participates in the battle and manages to kill the Thenn Warg. ====Season 5==== When the Night's Watch convenes to choose their new Lord Commander, Sam speaks up to nominate Jon, who is ultimately elected. Sam spends his time researching the White Walkers' weaknesses and tending to the dying Maester Aemon, and he comforts Aemon in his final moments as he dies of old age. Later, Sam is beaten while defending Gilly from two Night's Watchmen who attempt to rape her, but he and Gilly are saved by Jon's direwolf Ghost. Gilly tends to Sam's wounds, and the couple finally consummates their relationship. After Jon returns from Hardhome, Sam entreats him to send him to the Citadel in Oldtown in order to train as a Maester, while also taking Gilly and her baby to safety. ====Season 6==== As women are banned from the Citadel, Sam intends to leave Gilly and Little Sam at the Tarly seat, Horn Hill, although he warns Gilly to hide her Wildling heritage due to his father's bigotry towards the Wildlings. At dinner with Sam's family, Randyll insults Sam's lack of fighting prowess. Gilly defends Sam by revealing that he killed a White Walker while traveling south toward the Wall, in doing so accidentally revealing that she is a Wildling. Although disgusted, Randyll acquiesces to Sam and Lady Tarly's request to let Gilly and Little Sam stay at Horn Hill, but he says Gilly will be a servant, and he forbids Sam from ever returning to Horn Hill. Sam decides to take Gilly and Little Sam with him to the Citadel, and he steals House Tarly's Valyrian steel sword Heartsbane. They travel on to Oldtown, where Sam is scheduled to explain events at Castle Black to the Archmaester. While Sam waits, he is permitted to peruse the Citadel's library and is awestruck by the library's expanse. ====Season 7==== Sam's early days in Oldtown are frustrating, as he is assigned to menial tasks in the Citadel. The only person who believes his account of the White Walkers' return is Archmaester Ebrose; however, Ebrose refuses to let Sam access forbidden textbooks to learn more about the White Walkers, as Ebrose does not consider them a threat serious enough to break with protocol. Sam, therefore, steals a key to take the books back to his and Gilly's quarters. In reading the books, he discovers the location of a large deposit of dragonglass in a map of Dragonstone and sends word to Jon (now King in the North) of its existence. Sam encounters Jeor Mormont's son Jorah, who is infected by the terminal disease greyscale. Sam discovers a cure for greyscale in an old medical text. Although Ebrose forbids him from attempting it, Sam treats Jorah anyway, out of gratitude for Jeor's saving his life. Sam is successful in curing Jorah, who is discharged from the Citadel. Ebrose is grudgingly impressed, but as punishment for Sam's disobedience tasks him to transcribe papers in danger of decomposing. Sam overhears Ebrose and several other maesters discussing a warning sent by Bran about the White Walkers' march on the Wall, and is dismayed by the maesters' skepticism. While reading the papers in Sam's quarters, Gilly discovers from a recently-deceased High Septon's journal that Rhaegar Targaryen had his marriage to Elia Martell annulled and married Lyanna Stark in secret, but Sam does not realize the significance of this information due to Gilly's having mispronounced Rhaegar. Annoyed at being unable to help in the battle against the White Walkers from the Citadel, Sam steals scrolls pertaining to the White Walkers and leaves Oldtown with Gilly and Little Sam. Sam and his family arrive at Winterfell in the season finale, where Sam is reunited with Bran. When Bran tells Sam that Jon is actually the bastard son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, Sam is reminded of the record detailing Rhaegar's receiving an annulment in order to marry another woman and tells Bran of his discovery. Bran then uses his greenseeing abilities to witness the wedding, and deduces that Jon is a trueborn Targaryen and the actual heir to the Iron Throne. ====Season 8==== Sam is approached by Daenerys Targaryen, who thanks him for saving Jorah's life, but also reveals that she executed Randyll and Dickon for refusing to bend the knee to her; Samwell is grief-stricken. Bran tells Sam to reveal to Jon his true parentage. As the battle against the approaching army of White Walkers is being prepared for, Sam presents the Valyrian Steel sword of House Tarly, Heartsbane, to Jorah. Sam participates in the battle against the undead, but is scared after witnessing Edd being killed by a wight and flees back into Winterfell. He ultimately survives the Long Night, and participates in the funeral ceremony afterwards. When Jon travels south with Daenerys' army, Sam bids him farewell; it is revealed that Gilly is pregnant with Sam's son. Following Tyrion Lannister's arrest and Jon's murder of Daenerys, Sam journeys south to participate in the council to determine the future of the Seven Kingdoms. Sam suggests holding an election where all the people of Westeros are permitted to vote for the next ruler, but is roundly mocked. Tyrion suggests Bran as King and Sam is the first to agree to Bran's crowning. Sam is appointed as Grand Maester in Bran's Small Council. === Family tree of House Tarly === == TV adaptation == John Bradley plays the role of Samwell Tarly in the television series. Samwell Tarly is played by John Bradley in the television adaption of the book series. Samwell Tarly appeared for the first time in season 1 episode 4, as a new recruit of the Night's Watch and a self-described coward. It was Bradley's first professional appearance after graduating from The Manchester Metropolitan School of Theatre. The scene used in the auditions belonged to "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things," with Sam explaining to Jon how Sam's father forced him to "take the black" (meaning join the Night's Watch). According to author and executive producer George R. R. Martin, Bradley delivered "a heartbreaking performance." When asked which character he personally would be on the show, Martin said of Samwell Tarly, "I love Sam, too. He's a great character - Tyrion might be who I want to be, but Sam is probably closer to who I actually am. The fat kid who likes to read books and doesn't like to go up a lot of stairs." Remarking on the character's sex life with Gilly, Bradley said: I think Sam would just happily accept more of the same. He's not one of the people that tries to inject exotica into his sex life, - Sam thinks about sex the way that most people think about space. It goes on. He has nothing to do with it. He's fascinated by it in a childlike way. == References ==

'''Cersei Lannister''' 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'', where she is portrayed by English actress Lena Headey. In the later novels of the series, she is a point of view character. Introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', Cersei is a member of House Lannister, one of the wealthiest and most powerful families on the continent of Westeros. She subsequently appeared in ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998) and ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000). She becomes a prominent point of view character in the novels beginning in ''A Feast for Crows'' (2005) and ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011). The character will also appear in the forthcoming volume ''The Winds of Winter''. In the story, Cersei Lannister, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, is the wife of King Robert Baratheon. Her father arranged the marriage after his attempt to betroth her to Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, as she wanted, failed. The Targaryen dynasty lost the war, and her father schemed his way into the role of a political counselor for the newly crowned King Robert. The Lannisters are the richest family in Westeros and helped him to win the Throne, which is why Robert agreed to a marriage between them. Cersei has a twin brother, Jaime, with whom she has been involved in an incestuous affair. All three of Cersei's children are Jaime's, which is unbeknownst to the king and causes a power struggle in the wake of his death known as the 'War of Five Kings'. Cersei's main character attributes are her lust for power and love for her children, whom she seeks to protect. Headey has received critical acclaim for her portrayal of the character on the HBO series ''Game of Thrones''. She has been nominated for five Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. Headey and the rest of the cast were nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016. In season 5, a young version of the character is portrayed by Nell Williams in a flashback. == Character background == Cersei is the only daughter and first child of Tywin Lannister and his wife, Joanna; her twin brother, Jaime, was born soon after Cersei. Cersei and Jaime looked so similar as children that Cersei occasionally wore Jaime's clothes and was mistaken for him. The twins experimented sexually at an early age but were discovered by a servant, who informed their mother. Joanna tasked a guard to keep the twins separated and kept the matter a secret from their father, threatening the twins that she would inform him if they ever repeated it. Soon afterward, Joanna died giving birth to the twins' younger dwarf brother, Tyrion. Cersei blamed Tyrion for Joanna's death and started to abuse him as a baby. Martin said in ''Rolling Stone'': From the time she was very young, Tywin hoped his daughter would marry Rhaegar Targaryen, and he rejected the Princess of Dorne's proposal to betroth Oberyn Martell and Elia Martell to Cersei and Jaime, respectively. Cersei became infatuated with Rhaegar; feelings she hid from her brother as her father advised her. At the age of 11, Jaime was sent away to serve as a squire for Lord Sumner Crakehall. A year later, Aerys Targaryen rejected the proposal that Cersei marry his son, humiliating Tywin. Tywin took Cersei to King's Landing and, in the following years, refused every offer of marriage for her. In 281 AC, when Cersei and Jaime were 15, Jaime, newly knighted on the battlefield and on his way to Casterly Rock, came to King's Landing to visit his sister, from whom he had been separated for four years. She informed Jaime that their father planned to marry him to Lysa Tully and persuaded him to join the Kingsguard in order to be near her, after the twins had slept together for the first time. Thus started an affair that continued throughout Cersei's marriage to Robert Baratheon. While she was initially happy about marrying Robert, he didn't return Cersei's affections and repeatedly cheated on her. She then resumed her incestuous affair with Jaime, resulting in the births of Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen. During her teenage years, believing that her betrothal to Rhaegar would soon be announced, Cersei brought her companions Melara Hetherspoon and Jeyne Farman to a witch named Maggy the Frog. Jeyne was instantly frightened and left the tent. Cersei and Melara stayed and tried to get the witch to tell them a prophecy. In the face of Cersei's threats, Maggy agreed to answer three questions. In response to those questions, Maggy told Cersei she would marry the king and not the prince, that she would be overthrown by a younger and more beautiful queen, that Cersei's children would die during Cersei's lifetime, and that the ''valonqar'' (High Valyrian for "little brother") would come to end her life. Melara then asked if she would marry Jaime; Maggy answered that Melara wouldn't marry anyone and would die that night. It is implied that Cersei killed the girl to prevent her from speaking of the prophecies and for having ideas above her social status. Cersei spends her entire adult life attempting to subvert the prophecy and develops a strong paranoia, which eventually causes the prophecy to come to fruition. == Storylines == Coat of arms of House Lannister === ''A Game of Thrones'' === Robert, Cersei, and most of the court visit the North to appoint Eddard Stark as Hand of the King. During the royal visit to Winterfell, Eddard's son Bran finds Cersei and Jaime committing incest in a tower. To prevent their adultery and incest from being revealed, Jaime pushes Bran from the tower. Bran survives, but has no memory of the fall and is left paraplegic. Eddard eventually discovers the truth of Cersei's infidelity and confronts her, giving her the opportunity to flee into exile and thus spare her children certain execution. Cersei had already arranged Robert's death in a hunting "accident"; when he dies, Cersei seizes control as regent and has Eddard arrested for treason. Cersei intends for Eddard to publicly confess and join the Night's Watch as punishment, but instead Joffrey orders Ned executed. === ''A Clash of Kings'' === Frustrated with Cersei's many political blunders as well as her failure to control Joffrey, Tywin appoints Tyrion Hand of the King, with explicit instructions to control Cersei and Joffrey. Once at the capital, Tyrion enters into a bitter power struggle with Cersei, subverting her authority and removing her supporters from positions of power. In Jaime's absence, Cersei begins taking other lovers, including their cousin Lancel Lannister. When Stannis Baratheon sails on King's Landing, Cersei and Joffrey hide in a tower, leaving Tyrion to mastermind the defense of the city. Ultimately, Tywin arrives in time to force Stannis to retreat and save the city. === ''A Storm of Swords'' === After formally assuming his position as Hand of the King, Tywin makes it clear to Cersei that she is no longer welcome at Small Council meetings, ''de facto'' stripping her of political authority. Furthermore, Tywin intends to wed Cersei to Wilas Tyrell in order to form an alliance with House Tyrell. This state of affairs is shaken when Joffrey is poisoned at his wedding feast. Maddened with grief at the loss of her eldest child, Cersei lashes out against Tyrion, accusing him of poisoning the king out of revenge. Cersei manipulates Tyrion's trial to ensure a guilty verdict, by bribing and intimidating witnesses. When Tyrion demands a trial by combat, Cersei selects the imposing Gregor Clegane, "The Mountain," as the Crown's champion. The Mountain prevails, killing Tyrion's champion Oberyn Martell. Tywin then pronounces Tyrion guilty and sentences him to death, but Tyrion escapes prison and kills Tywin. Cersei is once again in complete control of the capital. === ''A Feast for Crows'' === With the deaths of her father and elder son, Cersei ''de facto'' rules the kingdom. Her youngest child, Tommen Baratheon, is crowned king but is widely considered weak, signing every decree that passes in front of him. He is leading a kingdom on the brink of ruin: the huge losses suffered by House Lannister in the war, combined with the wartime disruptions to trade and harvest, render the Lannisters dependent on resources from House Tyrell. The Tyrells leverage this position and begin to build power in the capital, much to Cersei's consternation. Furthermore, Cersei makes a series of political and economic blunders, alienating allies such as Pycelle and Kevan Lannister. In an attempt to undermine the Tyrells, as well as release her son from his marriage to Margaery Tyrell, Cersei attempts to frame Margaery for adultery and treason. However, this plot backfires as the investigation into Margaery reveals evidence of Cersei's own adultery and Cersei's complicity in Robert's death, resulting in her arrest by the Faith. Cersei sends a letter to Jaime, asking him for help, but he burns her note. === ''A Dance with Dragons'' === Cersei confesses her post-marital affairs (although not her relationship with Jaime), while the more serious charges of regicide and incest are to be settled in a trial by combat. Cersei is punished with a walk of shame, forced to strip and walk naked through the capital in full view of the public. She nearly breaks down in tears near the end. With Cersei confined to the Red Keep awaiting trial, the kingdom is run by Pycelle and Kevan. However, at the nadir of Cersei's fortunes, Varys returns to the capital and murders both Pycelle and Kevan. The book ends with Cersei's fate unknown. === Family tree of House Lannister === == TV adaptation == Lena Headey plays the role of Cersei Lannister in the television series. Cersei Lannister is played by Lena Headey in the television adaption of the book series. In October 2014, Headey and several other key cast members, all contracted for six seasons of the series, renegotiated their deals to include a potential seventh season and salary increases for seasons 5, 6, and 7. ''The Hollywood Reporter'' called the raises "huge", noting that the deal would make the performers "among the highest-paid actors on cable TV". ''Deadline Hollywood'' put the number for season 5 at "close to $300,000 an episode" for each actor, and ''The Hollywood Reporter'' wrote in June 2016 that the performers would each be paid "upward of $500,000 per episode" for season 7 and the potential season 8. In 2017, Headey became one of the highest paid actors on television and will earn £2 million per episode for the show. === Storylines === Much of Cersei's storyline from the first and second seasons in the television series is unchanged from the books. However, a notable change in the show is Joffrey's authorising the purge of Robert's bastards, rather than Cersei. ==== Season 1 ==== Cersei learns that her husband Robert is in danger of finding out that the children he sees as his heirs to the throne are not his. Robert meets his end as the result of a boar attack on a hunting trip, before Ned Stark tells him the truth about his children. Cersei works quickly to instate her oldest son, Joffrey, on the throne, with her as his chief political advisor and Queen Regent. Joffrey, however, quickly shows signs of independence. ==== Season 2 ==== Tywin decides that Cersei does not exercise enough control over her son and sends Tyrion as an additional political advisor. Cersei and Tyrion do not get along, and constantly try to undermine each other's authority over the crown. As of the end of season 2, Tyrion has accumulated more sway over the Iron Throne, has shipped Cersei's only daughter off against Cersei's will to be married to the Prince of Dorne, and is forcing their cousin Lancel, with whom Cersei is having an affair, to inform on her. Tywin's arrival with the Tyrell army robs both siblings of their influence at the last possible moment. ==== Season 3 ==== Cersei comes to fear that Margaery Tyrell intends to usurp her as queen and unsuccessfully tries to alienate Joffrey from her. Cersei is delighted when Tywin learns of the Tyrells' plan to wed Sansa Stark to Margaery's brother Loras, and he intervenes by having Tyrion marry Sansa instead, but is furious when Tywin also orders Cersei to marry Loras. When Jaime returns to King's Landing, he immediately seeks out Cersei, who is shocked to discover that his sword hand has been cut off. ==== Season 4 ==== Cersei has Tyrion arrested after Joffrey is fatally poisoned. Mourning and vindictive, it's implied that guilty or innocent, she wants Tyrion dead, while Jaime refuses to believe Tyrion is capable of familial regicide. Indeed, at Tyrion's trial, it is apparent Cersei has manipulated the proceedings so that the witnesses give either incomplete or entirely false testimonies to implicate Tyrion and Sansa further in the murder. When Tyrion demands a trial by combat, Cersei chooses Ser Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane as royal champion, to further diminish Tyrion's chances, and bribes Bronn via betrothal to a noblewoman, to secure his veto as Tyrion's champion. Cersei's wish comes true when Tyrion's champion, Oberyn Martell, is killed by Clegane. She still refuses to marry Loras, threatening even to reveal the truth of her incestuous relationship with Jaime and their three blond children. Tywin is killed by an escaping Tyrion soon afterward. ==== Season 5 ==== Cersei receives a threat from Dorne, where Myrcella is betrothed to Trystane Martell, and sends Jaime to Dorne to retrieve her. Tommen is married to Margaery, who tries to manipulate Tommen into sending Cersei to Casterly Rock. Fearful of losing her power, Cersei meets the religious leader, the High Sparrow, appoints him as the High Septon, and gives him authority to re-establish the Faith Militant. In order to destabilise House Tyrell, Cersei arranges for the High Sparrow to arrest Loras for his homosexuality, and have Margaery also arrested for perjury after lying to defend Loras. However, Cersei's plot backfires when Lancel, now a member of the Faith Militant, confesses to his affair with Cersei and his role in Robert's assassination, and accuses Cersei of incest, prompting the High Sparrow to arrest her. Cersei is eventually allowed to return to the Red Keep after confessing to having committed adultery with Lancel, but has her hair cut off and is forced to walk naked through the streets of King's Landing as atonement. Cersei returns, distraught from the abuse directed at her by the smallfolk of King's Landing, but is consoled by Qyburn's successful reanimation of Ser Gregor Clegane. ==== Season 6 ==== Cersei remains in the Red Keep, confined to her chambers and stripped of her authority. Although she accepts Tommen's apology for his lack of action in her arrest and walk of atonement, she remains looked down upon by other members of the court. Cersei learns from Tommen that the High Sparrow plans to have Margaery do a walk of atonement before Cersei's trial and conspires with the Small Council to have the Tyrell army march on the Sept of Baelor to secure Margaery's and Loras' release. Their plan backfires when it is revealed that Margaery has joined the Faith of the Seven and has convinced Tommen to merge the Faith and the Crown. Despite being stripped of her allies, Cersei opts to remain in King's Landing, having named Ser Gregor as her champion in her trial by combat. However, Tommen announces that trial by combat has been abolished and replaced by trial by the Seven. Cersei arranges for a cache of wildfire to be detonated beneath the Sept during Loras' trial, which kills the High Sparrow, Margaery, Loras, and the rest of the Small Council. As a result of Cersei's actions, Tommen commits suicide. In the power vacuum following Tommen's death, Cersei claims the Iron Throne as the first ever Queen Regnant of the Seven Kingdoms. ==== Season 7 ==== Despite nominally being ruler of Westeros, Cersei's grip on the throne is tenuous, with the Riverlands in upheaval following Arya Stark's massacre of House Frey, the Vale and the North's declaration of Ned Stark's bastard son Jon Snow King in the North, and Tyrion, Yara Greyjoy, Dorne, and the Reach all supporting Daenerys Targaryen, whose fleet has seized Dragonstone. Cersei remains cold and distant after Tommen's suicide, viewing it as a betrayal of their family. With no children left to protect, Cersei's malice and vindictiveness have grown, and she relentlessly seeks to expand her power and destroy her enemies. Cersei reaches out to the King of the Iron Islands, Euron Greyjoy, to form an alliance, but rejects Euron's marriage proposal as she considers him untrustworthy. Euron later ambushes Daenerys' fleet and captures Yara Greyjoy, Ellaria, and Tyene Sand, and presents them as a "gift" to Cersei. She agrees to marry Euron after the war is won; however, she continues her affair with Jaime, no longer attempting to hide their relationship from their servants. Cersei imprisons Ellaria and Tyene in the dungeons, kills Tyene with the same poison used to kill Myrcella, and keeps Ellaria alive to watch her daughter die. Tycho Nestoris of the Iron Bank arrives in King's Landing to request repayment of their debt. Cersei requests a fortnight in order to comply. She then has the Lannister and Tarly armies attack Highgarden, defeating the Tyrells. Olenna Tyrell commits suicide following the defeat and gloats to Jaime that she was responsible for poisoning Joffrey. The Tyrells' wealth is transported safely to King's Landing, but the food the Lannisters steal from the Reach is destroyed when Daenerys attacks the caravan with her Dothraki horde and dragon, Drogon. Jaime barely survives the battle and encourages Cersei to consider a ceasefire. Tyrion infiltrates the capital to meet with Jaime, and Jaime tells Cersei that Daenerys and Jon want to meet with Cersei to negotiate an armistice while mankind fights the threat of the White Walkers. Cersei is skeptical but agrees, and tells Jaime that she is pregnant. Daenerys and Jon meet with Cersei in the Dragonpit on the outskirts of King's Landing, and present to her a wight captured from the White Walkers as evidence of their threat. Although terrified, Cersei initially refuses to agree to an armistice, as Jon refuses to remain neutral in the war between the Lannisters and Targaryens. Tyrion speaks to Cersei in private, and apparently persuades her to ally with the rival monarchs. However, she later reveals to Jaime that she intends for her enemies to wipe each other out and then attack the victor, and has sent Euron to Essos to transport the Golden Company to Westeros. Disgusted by Cersei's selfishness and shortsightedness, Jaime finally abandons her side and goes north on his own, leaving Cersei alone. ==== Season 8 ==== Cersei is informed that the White Walkers have breached the Wall, to her delight. Euron Greyjoy returns to King's Landing with the Golden Company, and Cersei finally has sex with him. Cersei tasks Qyburn with hiring Bronn to kill Jaime and Tyrion, using the crossbow with which Tyrion had killed Tywin. Cersei permits civilians to seek refuge in the Red Keep – ostensibly to protect them from an invasion of King's Landing, but in reality she plans to use them as human shields to deter an attack. The Iron Fleet kills one of Daenerys' dragons, Rhaegal, and takes her advisor Missandei captive. When Euron returns to King's Landing, Cersei reveals that she is pregnant and lies that it is his. Daenerys, Tyrion, and her other advisors travel to King's Landing demanding Cersei's surrender, but Cersei is unmoved and has the Mountain behead Missandei in front of Daenerys. Daenerys subsequently launches an attack on the Iron Fleet, the Red Keep, and the anti-dragon defenses Cersei has had installed on King's Landing's walls, but then continues to burn the rest of the city. Cersei attempts to take shelter and is found by Jaime, who had infiltrated the Red Keep on Tyrion's orders to evacuate her. However, their passage is blocked by rubble. The Red Keep begins to collapse, and Jaime comforts Cersei in their final moments as they are crushed by falling debris. Their bodies are later found by Tyrion, whose subsequent grief leads him to renounce his loyalty to Daenerys and persuade Jon Snow to kill her. === Appearances in other media === In 2019, Lena Headey and Peter Dinklage appeared as Cersei and Tyrion Lannister alongside Elmo in a ''Sesame Street'' PSA on the importance of being respectful to one another, as part of Sesame Street's "''Respect Brings Us Together''" campaign. === Recognition and awards === Cersei has been continuously praised as one of the most complex and multi-faceted characters in either version of the story. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked her at No.5 on a list of the "Top 40 ''Game of Thrones'' Characters", describing Cersei as a character who'd "rather die than give you control". On a similar list made by ''Rolling Stone'' ranking the "30 Best ''Game of Thrones'' Villains", Cersei was ranked No.1 and described as the "most dangerous human being in Westeros" as well as "one of the most complex and fascinating characters on television.....she's also a strangely sympathetic figure, warped by being treated like an expensive brood mare by powerful men her entire life and genuine in her affections". Alyssa Rosenburg of ''The Washington Post'' wrote, "As the men....destroy themselves and each other, leaving a generation of women without husbands, sons, and marriage partners, Cersei may be the only person left to repair the shattered world". Lena Headey has received much critical praise and acclaim for her portrayal of Cersei, and has received multiple accolades including the Portal Award for Best Actress in 2012, the EWwy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama in 2012, the Women's Image Network Award for Actress Drama Series in 2014, and the Gold Derby TV Award for Best Drama Supporting Actress in 2015 and 2016. Headey has received several award nominations for her performance in the series, including five nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film in 2016. Other nominations include the Portal Award for Best Actress in 2011, the Women's Image Network Awards for Actress Drama Series in 2011, the Golden Nymph Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series in 2012, the Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television in 2012 and 2017, the Gold Derby TV Award Best Drama Supporting Actress in 2012 and 2014, the SFX Awards for Best Actress in 2013, the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television in 2016, the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2016, and the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film in 2017. == References ==

'''Tywin Lannister''' is a fictional character in the epic fantasy series ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' by American novelist George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. Introduced in ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996) and subsequently appeared in ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998) and ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000), Tywin Lannister is the ruthless patriarch of House Lannister of Casterly Rock, and father to Cersei, Jaime and Tyrion Lannister. He is the Warden of the West and the Lord Paramount of Westerlands, the wealthiest region of the Seven Kingdoms, and was twice the Hand of the King, making him one of the most powerful political figures in Westerosi history. Tywin's cruelty towards his youngest son Tyrion, whom he has despised since the latter's childhood for being a dwarf, is a primary influence on Tyrion's character arc in both the novels and television show. Tywin is portrayed by veteran English actor Charles Dance in the HBO television adaptation and has received acclaim from critics for his performance and characterization. == Character description == Tywin Lannister is Lord of Casterly Rock, Shield of Lannisport, and Warden of the West. When Lannister bannermen the Reynes and Tarbecks eventually revolted against the Lannisters' rule, Tywin personally led the Lannister army in exterminating the rebellious vassals, placing the bodies of their entire families on display at Casterly Rock. Tywin eventually married his first cousin Joanna. When she died giving birth to their dwarf son Tyrion, it is said that "the best part of Tywin died with her". He never remarried. There are rumors that Tyrion is not Tywin's son and Tywin holds Tyrion responsible for Joanna's death. When Tywin discovered that the young Tyrion had secretly eloped and married Tysha, a peasant's daughter, he had Tyrion's marriage forcefully annulled, telling him that the entire love affair was a plot by Jaime to get Tyrion to lose his virginity, his love being nothing more than a hired prostitute. Tywin then had his personal guards gang-rape Tysha in front of Tyrion and later forced Tyrion to rape her last. Aerys II Targaryen appointed Tywin Hand of the King. The relationship between Aerys and Tywin grew bitter and he resigned as Hand after Aerys appointed Tywin's first son Jaime to the Kingsguard, directly denying him as Tywin's heir. Aerys increasingly engaged in behavior for which he was known as the Mad King. During Robert Baratheon's rebellion, Tywin remained neutral until Robert had all but won the war. He then captured King's Landing through treachery and ordered the murder of the royal family before Ned could capture the city. The Mad King then ordered Jaime to kill his father. Instead, Jaime stuck his sword in his back betraying his vow to protect the king. Tywin's army sacked King's Landing. Following the war, Tywin returns to Casterly Rock to rule the Westerlands, and remains there until the beginning of the series. == Storylines == Coat of arms of House Lannister Tywin Lannister is not a point of view character in the novels, so his actions are witnessed and interpreted mainly through the eyes of his estranged dwarf son Tyrion Lannister. ==== ''A Game of Thrones'' ==== Tyrion is arrested by Catelyn Stark, who suspects him of attempting to assassinate her son Bran. Despite his contempt for Tyrion, Tywin views his kidnapping as a slight against his family and sends Gregor Clegane to raid Catelyn's homeland, the Riverlands. He raises a host of almost 40,000 men, half of whom are given to Jaime to besiege the Riverlands' capital Riverrun. Tywin's half of the force battle a Northern host led by Roose Bolton at the Battle of the Green Fork, but in the meantime Robb Stark's men rout Jaime's army and take him prisoner. Tywin is named Hand of the King by the new king, his grandson Joffrey Baratheon, but Tywin decides to remain in the Riverlands to continue the campaign against the Starks, sending Tyrion to King's Landing as acting Hand in his stead. ==== ''A Clash of Kings'' ==== Tywin retreats to Harrenhal, using it as a base for the war in the Riverlands. When Joffrey's uncle and rival claimant Renly Baratheon is killed and Joffrey's other uncle Stannis Baratheon besieges Storm's End, Tywin decides to use the distraction to march west in pursuit of Robb's army. Robb intends for Tywin's army to be gradually dismantled by the long march, but Robb's uncle Ser Edmure Tully, unaware of the plan, confronts Tywin's forces at the Battle of the Fords. Although Tywin suffers heavy losses, the delay in his march allows him to receive word that Stannis is now marching on King's Landing. Tywin quickly leads the army on King's Landing, joining forces with Renly's former bannermen House Tyrell along the way, and arrives at King's Landing in time to force Stannis to retreat. Joffrey subsequently declares Tywin the "Savior of the City". ==== ''A Storm of Swords'' ==== Tywin assumes his role as Hand of the King, demoting Tyrion to Master of Coin. He forces Tyrion to marry Sansa Stark, though his efforts to have Cersei wed to Willas Tyrell are rebuffed. Having learned that Robb has invalidated a marriage proposal to House Frey by marrying Jeyne Westerling, Tywin enters into communications with Lord Walder Frey and Roose Bolton (who has lost faith in Robb after Theon Greyjoy's capture of Robb's castle Winterfell). The three conspire to have Robb and his army slaughtered while camped at The Twins for Edmure Tully's wedding, and the War of Five Kings results in victory for House Lannister. However, Joffrey is poisoned soon after during his own wedding. Tyrion is accused of the murder, ultimately being found guilty and sentenced to death. Jaime and Varys release Tyrion from his cell, Jaime confessing that he felt compelled to do so for lying about Tysha, Tyrion's first wife, who had been wrongly stated by Tywin to be a prostitute and gang-raped by Tywin's guards. Enraged, Tyrion enters Tywin's quarters through a secret tunnel, only to find his former mistress Shae in Tywin's bed. He strangles her with the Hand's necklace, then confronts Tywin with a crossbow while he is on the privy, demanding to know what happened to Tysha. When Tywin repeatedly and scornfully dismisses Tysha as a "whore," Tyrion fatally shoots him with the crossbow. ==== ''A Feast for Crows'' ==== Tywin's corpse lies in state for seven days at the Great Sept of Baelor, before being returned to the Westerlands. === Family tree of House Lannister === == TV adaptation == Charles Dance plays the role of Tywin Lannister in the television series. Tywin Lannister is played by Charles Dance in the television adaption of the series of books. Dance has received positive reviews for his role as Tywin in the TV series. Clive James described his portrayal as "not only the best role of its kind that Dance has ever had; it is the best role of its kind that anyone has ever had". Dance was cast off of his performance in Alien 3. ====Season 1==== After Tyrion Lannister's arrest by Catelyn Stark, Tywin sends Gregor Clegane to raid Catelyn's homeland, the Riverlands. Later on, Jaime is seen in Tywin's camp reading a royal command issued by Eddard Stark on behalf of the crown summoning Tywin to appear before the court to answer for an attack on the Riverlands by his bannerman Gregor Clegane. Tywin chastises Jaime for openly attacking Eddard Stark, when Jaime states he did so on hearing of Tyrion's arrest. He gives half of his men (30,000) to Jaime Lannister to besiege House Tully's ancestral home of Riverrun. Jaime is surprised that Tywin places such a high value on Tyrions life, but Tywin states that he is merely doing this to protect his family's honor, as allowing an other house to keep a member of Lannister family prisoner would weaken their family's position. Tywin is tricked by Robb Stark into taking his men to the Trident where he believes Robb Stark intends to fight his army. Instead, Robb Stark leads his forces to Riverrun, where he defeats and captures Jaime Lannister. When Joffrey Baratheon ascends as king, he executes the former Hand, Eddard Stark and names Tywin as his Hand. Tywin who currently has only half of his army is now engaged in multiple conflicts, with Robb Stark in the North and Stannis & Renly Baratheon in the South. Tywin cannot make peace with the Baratheon brothers as they are staking for the claim of Kingship of the Seven Kingdoms. Eddard's execution by Joffery on the other hand has prevented Tywin from what would have been the best option of suing for peace with Northern Lord and Riverrun. Realizing this Tywin sends Tyrion to King's Landing as acting Hand, while he decides to regroup at Harrenhal with all his forces and continue the campaign in the Riverlands against Robb Stark who now hold his son captive. ====Season 2==== Tywin and the Westermen regroup at Harrenhal, he is disgusted with the lack of order and starts establishing order. Unaware of Arya Stark's true identity he takes her as his cupbearer and is impressed by her quick wit and sharp response. Arya Stark, on the other hand, is seen to be contemplating to kill Tywin but does not proceed due to lack of opportunity. She is, however, able gather's information on the plan of his council members on the next course of their action. On Petyr Baelish's suggestion, Tywin establishes an alliance with House Tyrell as they have the required army and the largest supply of grain and livestock. His council members advise that his grandson King Joffery and Joffrey's mother Cersei flee the capital as Stannis Baratheon and his forces will be attacking the capital, Tywin overrules his council members, stating that Joffery needs to hold his ground and no one will respect a king who runs away. Tywin leads his forces along with their new allies of House Tyrell on the city and arrives just in time to defeat Stannis' remaining forces. After the battle, Tywin is named "Savior of the City". ====Season 3==== Tywin harshly denies Tyrion his request to be named as heir to Casterly Rock, but does acquiesce to naming him Master of Coin. When he learns of Olenna Tyrell's plot to have Loras Tyrell wed Sansa Stark, he arranges to have Tyrion and Cersei marry Sansa and Loras respectively — though only succeeds with establishing Tyrion's marriage to Sansa. Later on, Tywin lectures Joffrey about how to rule as king when his grandson demands a report on his council meetings. Soon after Tyrion and Sansa's wedding, Tywin forms an alliance with Robb Starks' dissatisfied bannermen — Walder Frey and Roose Bolton — to successfully carry out the slaughtering of the Stark forces at "The Red Wedding"; in the ensuing massacre, Roose kills Robb while his mother Catelyn and wife Talisa are both killed as well. When news of Robb's death reaches the Lannisters, Tyrion quickly deduces that his father masterminded the event; Tywin confirms this and shrewdly observes that this means the Freys will get all the credit, but also all the blame — since the Northerners will never forget nor forgive such a terrible crime. Tywin senses that his son finds the action dishonorable, but insists it was done to protect the family and end the war. He then reminds Tyrion of his duty to impregnate Sansa, explaining that a man who puts family first will always triumph. When Tyrion asks his father whether he has ever put the family's interests ahead of his own, Tywin retorts to have done so from the day Tyrion was born: he wanted to throw his newborn son into the sea, out of rage and grief at the death of his wife, but instead let Tyrion live and ended up raising him as his son — because he is a Lannister. ====Season 4==== Tywin has the Stark ancestral sword Ice melted down into two swords, one of which he gives to Jaime, though he disowns him after Jaime refuses to resign from the Kingsguard to become Tywin's heir. When Tyrion is accused of poisoning Joffrey, Tywin asks Prince Oberyn Martell to serve as one of the judges in Tyrion's trial. Though Oberyn despises Tywin for ordering the death of his sister, niece and nephew during the sack of King's Landing, he agrees when Tywin offers him justice against their murderer, Ser Gregor Clegane. Tywin also presses Cersei to wed Loras in order to use House Tyrell's wealth to pay off the Crown's debts to the Iron Bank of Braavos, but is forced to back down when Cersei threatens to reveal her incestuous affair with Jaime. Tywin has an affair with the prostitute Shae, formerly Tyrion's mistress. Tyrion discovers this during his escape from King's Landing and strangles Shae before confronting Tywin on the privy. When Tyrion admits that he loved Shae, Tywin repeatedly dismisses her as a whore, prompting Tyrion to shoot him with a crossbow, killing him. ====Season 5==== Tywin's body lies in state in the Great Sept of Baelor before his burial, with Jaime and Cersei the first to pay their respects. Tywin's death upsets the balance of power in King's Landing, namely by allowing the rise to power of the High Sparrow and the Faith Militant. == References ==

'''''A Game of Thrones''''' is a strategy board game created by Christian T. Petersen and released by Fantasy Flight Games in 2003. The game is based on the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' fantasy series by George R. R. Martin. It was followed in 2004 by the expansion ''A Clash of Kings'', and in 2006 by the expansion ''A Storm of Swords''. ''A Game of Thrones'' allows the players to take on the roles of several of the Great Houses vying for control of the Seven Kingdoms, including House Stark, House Lannister, House Baratheon, House Greyjoy, House Tyrell, and as of the expansion ''A Clash of Kings'', House Martell. Players maneuver armies to secure support in the various regions that comprise the Seven Kingdoms, with the goal of capturing enough support to claim the Iron Throne. The basic gameplay mechanics are reminiscent of ''Diplomacy'', especially in the order-giving process, though ''A Game of Thrones'' is significantly more complicated overall. In 2004, ''A Game of Thrones'' won three Origins Awards for ''Best Traditional Board Game'', ''Best Board Game'', and ''Best Board Game Design'' for the year 2003. A second edition of the game was released in 2011. ==Playable Houses== *Arryn (included in A Feast for Crows expansion) *Baratheon *Greyjoy *Lannister *Martell (included in second edition) *Stark *Targaryen (included in Mother of Dragons expansion) *Tyrell ==Gameplay== ===Victory condition=== The goal of the game is to be the first to control a specific number of cities and strongholds, determined in advance by the number of players, or to control the most cities and strongholds at the end of ten turns, to take the Iron Throne. ===Setup=== The game is played on a board that divides the continent of Westeros into several regions. Most regions have at least one icon representing a city, a stronghold, a support barrel, or a power icon, and some key locations have multiples of such icons. Each player selects a starting House, places starting units on the board as indicated by the instructions, places House markers on the ''Supply'' and three ''Influence'' tracks, and takes the hand of seven House characters to be used in battles. At the beginning of the game, the players with House markers on the highest positions in the ''Iron Throne'', ''Fiefdoms'', and ''King's Court'' Influence tracks will start with the ''Iron Throne'', ''Valyrian Steel Blade'', and ''Messenger Raven'' special tokens respectively. The three ''Westeros'' decks are shuffled, and placed off to the side where all players can see. A deck of cards representing the actions of the Wildlings is placed on the board, along with a ''Wildling threat token'' indicating the strength of the Wildlings should they attack. ===Westeros decks=== Starting with the second turn, at the beginning of each round, the top card from each of the three Westeros decks are revealed, and their effects carried out. The Westeros decks can allow players to muster new forces, cause players to reevaluate their position on the Supply track, have all players bid for positions on the Influence tracks, provide restrictions on orders, or cause the Wildlings to attack. ===Placing orders=== The game in progress A distinctive feature of ''A Game of Thrones'' is that players place order tokens to every region with a unit that the player controls, outlining the basic actions units in that region can perform. All orders are revealed once all have been placed, requiring players to strategize and outthink their opponents. In addition, players only have a limited supply of each type of order token, limiting the number of various actions that can be planned. There are five types of orders. #''March'' orders are used to move units from one region to another and initiate battle if an enemy unit is in the new region. #''Defend'' orders provide bonuses to units that are attacked in the region. #''Support'' orders allow some of the units in a region to participate in battles that occur in neighbouring regions. #''Raid'' orders allow a player to remove certain opponent orders (''Support'' and ''Consolidate Power'') from neighboring regions. #''Consolidate Power'' orders allow a player to collect more power tokens, which can be used to later bid on positions on the Influence tracks. Each player receives three of each order each turn, however one of each type is marked by a star. In addition to the limit of three of each type of order, a player is limited to playing a maximum number of starred orders determined by his position on the King's Court Influence track. The Messenger Raven special token, held by the player in the highest position on the King's Court Influence track, allows a player to change one of his placed orders for an unused order after all orders have been revealed. ===Executing orders=== Orders are executed in a specific order, with each player alternating executing an order of a particular type. The order of play follows the order of House marks on the Iron Throne Influence track. First, players alternate executing any Raid orders in play, and then players alternate executing March orders. If a player uses a March order to move units into a region occupied by another player's units, a battle is initiated. During a battle, each player totals the strength of all of his non-routed units in the disputed region, which may be modified by values on an appropriate March or Defend orders. Players may then solicit help from any units in adjacent regions, controlled by any player including those involved in the battle, who have placed a Support order this round. Finally, players select an unused House card from their hand to represent their leader in the battle. House cards have various effects on the battle, which may include strength increases, extra damage, negation of damage, or other unique effects. The player with the highest total wins the battle, and the losing units must leave the region routed, or possibly be removed entirely if enough damage was inflicted. Ties are won by the player with a higher position on the Fiefdoms Influence track. Once per round, the player holding the Valyrian Steel Blade special token can add a +1 bonus to their side of a battle. Finally, players can claim more power tokens by executing any Consolidate Power orders remaining on the board. Other than during battles, if at any point a tie occurs, such as when bidding for positions on the Influence tracks, the player holding the Iron Throne special token determines who wins the tie. ==Expansions== ===''A Clash of Kings''=== The expansion ''A Clash of Kings'' was released in 2004, and added several variant rules that can be used with the base ''A Game of Thrones''. Additions include House Martell, a new unit type (Siege Engines), rules for ports, a second possible set of 7 House character cards for all six Houses with a wider variety of effects, and new unique special orders for each House. This expansion was integrated into the base game with the release of the second edition. ===''A Storm of Swords''=== The expansion ''A Storm of Swords'' was released in 2006, and adds more variant rules to be used with the original ''A Game of Thrones'', either with or without ''A Clash of Kings''. Additions include Tactics cards, Ally cards, new sets of House character cards, new Westeros cards, new units, and a new gameboard for a standalone game, representing a focused view of the Trident region of Westeros. ==Second edition== In October 2011, the revised second edition was released by Fantasy Flight Games, with some minor changes to gameplay as well as new updated board and House card graphics. The second edition includes the additions introduced in the ''A Clash of Kings'' expansion to the base game (House Martell, siege engines, and ports, which are printed on the board). The presence of House Martell has resulted in the redesigning of the southern part of the map to have more regions. Other changes to game play include alterations to the starting positions of units for some Houses (such as Greyjoy), the abilities of house cards, the effects of consolidate power and raid special orders, and the possibility to use Tides of Battle cards to affect battles. ==Expansions (Second edition)== ===''A Dance with Dragons''=== The expansion ''A Dance with Dragons'' was released in 2012, and adds 42 alternate House cards. Also included is a special scenario and alternate setup to reflect the current states of each of the six playable Houses and shorten the total turn length from ten down to six. Of special note, the ''A Dance with Dragons'' expansion was released prior to the ''A Feast for Crows'' expansion, deviating from the publication order of the books. This expansion is also "Print on Demand", meaning there is a slight variation in the physical look and feel of the cards compared to the cards that come with the second edition box. ===''A Feast for Crows''=== The expansion ''A Feast for Crows'' was released in 2013, and adds a new four-player scenario. An alternate victory condition, shortened play time, and a set of playable House cards for House Arryn are the main focus of this expansion. A total of 48 new cards are included. This expansion is also "Print on Demand", meaning there is a slight variation in the physical look and feel of the cards compared to the cards that come with the second edition box. ===''Mother of Dragons''=== Fantasy Flight Games released the third expansion of the series in 2018. The expansion introduces House Targaryen as a playable faction, complete with an Essos sideboard where they begin the game, as well as House Arryn, bringing the number of playable factions to eight. The expansion also introduces the Iron Bank of Braavos, which adds a loan system to the game. ==Reception== Jesse Scoble comments: "Like many of the best games, ''A Game of Thrones'' is fairly easy to learn, but has more than enough complexity and depth that it is challenging to master. Although there are a lot of components, both in pieces and in specific rules, playing through a few turns is all that most casual players will need in order to pick it up. The rulebook is short and well-illustrated with examples that cover most situations, and Fantasy Flight's website is updated with a current FAQ for more rare occurrences. The randomizing factors — from house selection to the Clash of Kings bidding event — ensure that the game has a lot of variety, and calls for players to think quickly to react to new and unexpected situations as they arise." Shannon Appelcline in his history of Fantasy Flight Games called ''A Game of Thrones'' board game "ground-breaking for its combination of euro and American mechanics" and credited it with influencing the later FFG board games that likewise profited from a "mixture of tight eurogame mechanics and deep American theming". ==See also== *''A Game of Thrones collectible card game'' *''A Game of Thrones Role-Playing Game'' ==References== ==External links== * * Second edition rules * Second Edition product site

'''Davos Seaworth''' is a fictional character from the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of epic fantasy novels by American writer George R. R. Martin and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. He is a prominent point of view character in the novels. Davos first appears in 1998's ''A Clash of Kings'', serving as Stannis Baratheon's most trusted counselor. He additionally appears in ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000) and ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011). Davos is a former smuggler who broke through enemy lines to bring food and supplies to Stannis and his forces while the latter held the castle Storm's End during Robert's Rebellion, earning him the nickname '''the Onion Knight'''. For the crime of smuggling, Stannis cut off the fingers of his left hand, but for saving him and his men, raised him up as a knight and lord. Davos is fiercely loyal to his king, but fears the growing influence of the red priestess Melisandre. He forms a close fatherly relationship with Stannis' daughter Shireen. Davos is portrayed by Irish actor Liam Cunningham in the HBO television adaptation. ==Character== ===Background=== Davos is a man of low birth, born in Flea Bottom of King's Landing to the life of a poor commoner. In his youth, he became one of the most infamous smugglers of the Seven Kingdoms, often piloting his black-sailed ship into harbors in the dead of night, and navigated treacherous shallows. He married a woman named Marya, with whom he had seven sons: Dale, Allard, Matthos, Maric, Devan, Stannis, and Steffon. At the time of Robert Baratheon's rebellion, Davos evaded the blockade of Shipbreaker Bay and smuggled a shipment of onions and salted fish into Storm's End to Stannis Baratheon and his men, who were starving under siege by Mace Tyrell and the Redwynes. The food allowed Stannis's men to hold on until Eddard Stark arrived to break the siege. As a reward for this service, Stannis knighted Davos, giving him choice lands on Cape Wrath and allowing him to choose Seaworth as the name of his new house. However, also as a punishment for his years of criminal activity as a smuggler, Stannis personally "shortened" Davos's left hand, cutting off the first joint from each finger. Despite this, Davos found Stannis's ruling fair and just, and kept the bones of his severed fingertips in a pouch around his neck as a lucky charm. ===Character=== Davos is loyal to Stannis, due to the life and opportunities that Stannis' knighting him presented to Davos and his family. However, he sometimes disagrees with Stannis's methods. Davos is a devout believer in the Faith of the Seven, which puts him at odds with the red priestess Melisandre and the Queen's Men, who worship R'hllor. Davos tries to always be honest to Stannis, speaking his mind instead of saying what Stannis wants to hear. ==Storylines== Coat of arms of Davos Seaworth ====''A Clash of Kings''==== Due to Joffrey Baratheon's illegitimacy, Stannis names himself heir to his brother King Robert Baratheon. Davos supports him, though he dislikes Stannis converting to R'hllor under the red priestess Melisandre. Davos is sent to deliver letters declaring Queen Cersei's children were born of incest, so they cannot claim the Iron Throne. However Stannis receives little assistance. Davos sails with Stannis to besiege Storm's End. Stannis's younger brother Renly has also declared himself king and tries to defeat and kill Stannis, but is killed by a "shadow" birthed by Melisandre. The castellan of Storm's End, Ser Cortnay Penrose, refuses to surrender Storm's End. Davos advises attacking King's Landing before taking Storm's End, but Stannis fears that the stormlords will not follow him if he appears defeated. Davos brings Melisandre, about whom he already has misgivings, to the caverns underneath Storm's End, where she births a "shadow" that kills Penrose and allows Stannis to claim Edric Storm, his illegitimate nephew via Robert. Davos is given command of a ship at the Battle of the Blackwater, though he disagrees with their commander, Stannis's brother-in-law Ser Imry Florent. Tyrion Lannister uses wildfire to destroy much of the Baratheon fleet and a chain to trap it. Davos's four oldest sons are killed by the wildfire. Davos is washed ashore on the Spears of the Merling King, losing his "luck", but is recovered by Stannis's men. ====''A Storm of Swords''==== Blaming Melisandre for the loss (due to the strategic import of Tyrion's wildfire and Melisandre's religious associations with fire), Davos plots to murder the priestess. However, her magic warns her and he is imprisoned by Stannis' uncle-in-law Ser Axell Florent, who also threatens to kill Davos if he does not help Axell become Stannis's Hand of the King. With Davos is imprisoned Stannis' Hand and uncle-in-law Lord Alester Florent, who was imprisoned for trying to make terms with the Lannisters behind Stannis' back. Stannis releases Davos to hear his counsel on attacking Claw Isle. Davos claims that it would be unjust to attack Claw Isle despite Lord Celtigar bending the knee to Joffrey, as its people are innocent and only following their Lord. Pleased by his honesty, Stannis names Davos Hand of the King. Davos then watches a ritual where Stannis uses blood leeched from Edric to curse the three rival kings. After two of these kings, Balon Greyjoy and Robb Stark, die, Stannis and Melisandre consider sacrificing Edric to raise a dragon sleeping under Dragonstone, despite Davos's counsel. On hearing of Joffrey's death, Davos sends Edric Storm east to the Free Cities. Learning to read, Davos comes across a plea for help from the Wall, and convinces Stannis to sail north and aid the Night's Watch against an invasion of wildlings fleeing the Others. After the victory, Davos is sent to White Harbor to persuade Wyman Manderly, one of the most powerful Northern lords, to support Stannis's cause. ====''A Feast for Crows'' and ''A Dance With Dragons''==== Davos arrives at White Harbor and discovers that Manderly is hosting three members of House Frey, who betrayed the Starks at the Red Wedding and killed Robb Stark and many other northmen, including one of Wyman's sons Ser Wylis Manderly. Nonetheless, Davos claims the North should support Stannis as he will give them vengeance, but Manderly imprisons Davos. He sends word to King's Landing that he has executed him, but in reality the man executed was another criminal vaguely resembling Davos. Davos is imprisoned in the Wolf's Den, but released and taken to Manderly, who explains that he could not publicly defy the Lannisters while his only surviving son was a captive of the Freys, but he has been returned. Manderly implies he will murder the three Freys and reveals that many of the other northern lords wish to overthrow House Bolton, who has assumed control of the North following their betrayal of House Stark, but dare not openly defy the Boltons unless a Stark heir can be found. He reveals that he has been harboring Wex Pyke, the former squire to Theon Greyjoy who was witness to Ramsay Bolton's sack of Winterfell and followed Rickon Stark after the sack. Manderly tells Davos that if he retrieves Rickon from the cannibal island of Skagos, the northmen will support Stannis's campaign. ==TV adaptation== Liam Cunningham plays the role of Davos Seaworth in the television series In the HBO series, Davos has the fingers taken from his right hand (as actor Liam Cunningham is left-handed). He references having multiple sons, but only one is seen or included in the story (Matthos). ====Season 2==== When Renly refuses to surrender to Stannis, Davos is ordered to sail with Melisandre beneath Storm's End. When they reach shore, Davos is horrified when Melisandre gives birth to a shadowy demon, who kills Renly. The stormlords bend the knee to Stannis, who plans to launch a naval attack on King's Landing and gives Davos command of the fleet. As the Baratheon fleet arrives in Blackwater Bay, a ship filled with wildfire is detonated in the middle of the fleet; Davos's ship is one of the closest, and he is thrown into the sea when his ship is destroyed. ====Season 3==== Davos is revealed to have survived by swimming to a rock, and is rescued by his friend, the pirate Salladhor Saan, who reveals that Matthos died during the Battle of the Blackwater. Grief-stricken by the death of his son, Davos blames Melisandre for Stannis's defeat and unsuccessfully tries to assassinate her before being thrown into the dungeons. During his captivity, Stannis's daughter Shireen discovers that Davos is illiterate and teaches him to read. Stannis eventually releases Davos, naming him as his hand. Soon after, Stannis and Melisandre plot to sacrifice Robert's bastard, Gendry, until Davos frees him and helps him escape Dragonstone. An enraged Stannis resolves to execute Davos, until Davos presents a letter from Castle Black warning of the White Walkers' return. Melisandre corroborates this and counsels Stannis that he will need Davos when the Long Night comes, thus prompting Stannis to pardon Davos. ====Season 4==== After Joffrey Baratheon's death, Stannis reprimands Davos for not being able to secure more men. Davos arranges a meeting with Tycho Nestoris, a representative of the Iron Bank of Braavos, and persuades him to give their financial backing to Stannis instead. Davos uses the money to hire ships and sellswords and the Baratheon army travels to the Wall, defeating the wildling army besieging it. ====Season 5==== Davos accompanies the Baratheon forces on their march to Winterfell. During their march, Ramsay Bolton and his men infiltrate the camp and destroy their supplies. Davos is sent back to the Wall to ask for more supplies, unaware that Stannis plans to sacrifice Shireen to assure his victory. Lord Commander Jon Snow, though sympathetic, is unable to offer help. Soon after, Melisandre arrives at Castle Black, having fled in the aftermath of Shireen's sacrifice. Davos realises that Stannis has been defeated and Shireen is dead, though Melisandre does not reveal her role. ====Season 6==== Davos is the first to discover Jon Snow's body after his assassination, and barricades his body in a storeroom with the help of Jon's loyalists. After the wildlings imprison the mutineers who killed Jon, Davos persuades Melisandre to attempt a resurrection of Jon, which is ultimately successful. Jon's death releases him from his Night's Watch vows and he decides to gather allies to march with him on Winterfell. Davos accompanies him, and is able to convince the young Lady Lyanna Mormont to offer House Mormont's support, though few other houses do the same. During the army's march to Winterfell, Davos finds the remnants of a sacrificial pyre and the burnt remains of the wooden stag he had carved for Shireen as a gift, and realises that she had been sacrificed by Melisandre. Davos initially keeps this revelation to himself, instead participating in the Stark loyalists' victory over the Bolton forces. After the battle has been won and Winterfell retaken, Davos confronts Melisandre. When Melisandre confesses to killing Shireen, Jon exiles her from the North, and Davos threatens to execute her personally if she ever returns. Davos is later among the Northern and Vale lords who crown Jon as the King in the North. ====Season 7==== Jon receives an invitation from Daenerys Targaryen to come to Dragonstone to bend the knee. Though apprehensive, Jon decides to go to obtain access to Dragonstone's dragonglass mines, taking Davos with him. There, Davos supports Jon's claim that the White Walkers have returned, whilst almost accidentally revealing Jon's resurrection in the process. Daenerys is unconvinced, but permits them to mine the dragonglass as a gesture of goodwill. Daenerys's advisor Tyrion Lannister suggests that Jon go beyond the Wall to capture a wight, to present to Queen Cersei Lannister as evidence of the White Walkers. Davos smuggles Tyrion into King's Landing to arrange a meeting between Cersei, Daenerys and Jon after their return, while Davos seeks out Gendry, who is hiding as a blacksmith in King's Landing. Despite being encouraged to conceal his identity, Gendry reveals his parentage to Jon, and is allowed to join Jon in the journey beyond the Wall. Davos travels with Jon and his party to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, staying at the castle while the others seek out a wight. Gendry returns in the evening, telling Davos that Jon and his allies are surrounded by the White Walkers and ordering a raven be sent to Dragonstone to request Daenerys's assistance. Daenerys arrives with her dragons to rescue Jon's allies, while Jon flees to Eastwatch on horseback. Davos joins Jon, Daenerys, and Sandor Clegane as they journey to King's Landing. There, they meet Queen Cersei, who is shocked by the wight captured by Jon. Cersei pledges her forces in the fight against the White Walkers, and Davos sails back to Winterfell with Jon, Daenerys, and their army. ====Season 8==== After arriving at Winterfell, Davos, Tyrion, and Lord Varys discuss the implications of Jon and Daenerys' budding romantic relationship. As the White Walkers approach Winterfell, Davos spends time with Tyrion, Podrick Payne, Brienne of Tarth, Ser Jaime Lannister, and Tormund Giantsbane. Shortly thereafter, the Walkers' army arrives, and Melisandre returns to aid the Northern forces with her fire magic. Before Davos can threaten to execute her, Melisandre tells him she will be dead before dawn. Davos survives the Battle of Winterfell, during which he helps command the Northern army. As dawn breaks, Davos watches as Melisandre removes her enchanted necklace and fades to bones in the snow. In the aftermath, Davos celebrates with the survivors and joins Jon when he marches the bulk of the remaining allied army to face Cersei. In the final episode of the series Davos accompanies Jon into the devastated city of King's Landing, intervening in a futile attempt to prevent the execution of Lannister prisoners by Grey Worm and the Unsullied. He is last seen as a member of King Bran's Small Council, tasked with the rebuilding of fleets and forts. == References ==

'''Joffrey Baratheon''' is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones''. Introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', Joffrey is the eldest son of Cersei Lannister from the continent of Westeros. He subsequently appeared in Martin's ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998) and ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000). He is characterized as a spoiled, sadistic bully and is a frequent abuser of Sansa Stark, to whom he becomes engaged in the first novel, and his uncle Tyrion, whom he enjoys ridiculing. Joffrey is portrayed by Irish actor Jack Gleeson in the HBO television adaptation, a role for which he has received significant critical attention and praise. == Overview == Joffrey Baratheon is not a point of view character in the novels, so his actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other people, such as his uncle Tyrion Lannister and his one-time fiancée Sansa Stark. He inherits his mother's traditional Lannister looks, and has blond hair and green eyes, and is believed by many to be very handsome. == Character description == In public, Joffrey is allegedly the oldest son and heir of King Robert Baratheon and Queen Cersei Lannister, both of whom entered into a political marriage alliance after Robert took the throne by force from the "Mad King" Aerys II Targaryen. In reality, his biological father is his mother's twin brother, Jaime Lannister. He has a younger sister, Myrcella, and a younger brother, Tommen, both of whom are also products of Jaime and Cersei's incestuous relationship. Their sole biological grandparents, Tywin and Joanna Lannister, were also first cousins. Joffrey is an amoral sadist who disguises his cruelty with a thin veneer of charm. This is best epitomized by his response when his (then) betrothed offends him: Joffrey pronounces that his mother had taught him never to strike a woman, and so commissions a knight of the Kingsguard to hit her instead. He enjoys forcing people to fight to the death, and enforces cruel punishments for lesser crimes. He has no sense of personal responsibility, blaming failures on others. He lacks self-control and often insults his allies and family members. Joffrey is 12 years old at the beginning of ''A Game of Thrones'' (1996). == Storylines == Joffrey Baratheon's personal coat of arms ==== ''A Game of Thrones'' ==== Prince Joffrey is taken by his parents to Winterfell and is betrothed to Sansa Stark in order to create an alliance between House Baratheon and House Stark. At first, Joffrey is kind and polite to Sansa. However, he refuses to show sympathy with the family when Bran Stark falls from a tower, until physically forced to by his uncle, Tyrion Lannister. While on the Kingsroad to King's Landing, Joffrey and Sansa come across Arya Stark practicing swordplay with a commoner Mycah. Joffrey accuses Mycah of assaulting a noble girl and makes a cut on his face with a sword. This causes Arya to hit Joffrey, allowing Mycah to escape. When Joffrey then turns on Arya, her direwolf Nymeria attacks Joffrey, injuring him. Later, Joffrey lies about the attack, saying it was unprovoked and demands Nymeria to be killed; however, Sansa's direwolf Lady is killed instead. He later has his bodyguard Sandor "The Hound" Clegane hunt down and kill Mycah. Later, Eddard Stark discovers that Joffrey is not King Robert's biological son and refuses to acknowledge Joffrey's claim to the throne when King Robert dies. He is taken into custody. On Sansa's pleas, Eddard issues a false confession of his treason. Joffrey promised Sansa that he would be merciful but then beheads Eddard anyway and later forces Sansa to look upon her father's head. ==== ''A Clash of Kings'' ==== Joffrey is briefly seen in ''A Clash of Kings'' (1998). He rules with whim and caprice, proving difficult for even his mother to control. Sansa becomes imprisoned to his will, and he frequently has his guards beat her when she displeases him. When Stannis Baratheon attacks King's Landing, Joffrey leaves the battlefield, damaging the morale of his army. The battle is only won by his uncle Tyrion's use of wildfire and his grandfather Tywin's last-minute counterattack aided by the forces of House Tyrell. ==== ''A Storm of Swords'' ==== Joffrey sets aside his earlier betrothal to Sansa Stark in favor of Margaery Tyrell, cementing an alliance between the Lannisters and House Tyrell. At Tyrion and Sansa's wedding, he humiliates his uncle and is outraged when his uncle threatens him after he commands him to consummate their marriage. Tyrion only avoids punishment when his father Tywin assures Joffrey that his uncle was drunk and had no intention of threatening the king. Later after the events of the "Red Wedding", Joffrey gleefully plans on serving Sansa her recently deceased brother's head. His uncle Tyrion and his grandfather Tywin are outraged and the former threatens Joffrey once again. After another disagreement, Tywin sends Joffrey to his room, much to Joffrey's chagrin. During his wedding feast, he repeatedly torments Tyrion and Sansa, presenting an offensive play about "The War of the Five Kings", with each of the kings played by dwarves to humiliate his uncle, whom he also forces to act as his cupbearer. At the conclusion of the dinner, however, Joffrey dies from poisoned wine. Tyrion is falsely accused and arrested by Cersei in ''A Storm of Swords'' (2000) but it is later revealed that Lady Olenna Tyrell and Lord Petyr Baelish were the true perpetrators. ==== Later novels ==== Joffrey is mentioned a few times in the later novels. ====Family tree==== ==TV adaptation== ==== Season 1 ==== After Robert's death, the Lannisters make Joffrey King, and his mother uses him as a puppet. A cruel ruler, Joffrey makes a mistake when, against Cersei's and Sansa's wishes, he refuses to honor his promise to spare Ned Stark; instead, Joffrey has him executed. ==== Season 2 ==== Joffrey's act worsens the situation with the Lannisters' war effort, as his uncle Jaime is captured by the Starks, and Joffrey's paternal uncles Renly and Stannis challenge his claim to the Iron Throne. Joffrey frequently orders his Kingsguard to beat Sansa. His cruelty and ignorance of the commoners' suffering makes him unpopular after he orders the City Watch to kill all of his father's bastard children in King's Landing; consequently, he is almost killed during a riot. When Stannis attacks King's Landing, Joffrey serves only as a figurehead and avoids the heavy fighting. When the battle eventually turns in Stannis' favor, Cersei calls her son into the safety of the castle, damaging the morale of his army. The battle is only won by his uncle Tyrion and grandfather Tywin, aided by the forces of House Tyrell. To cement the alliance between those families, Joffrey's engagement to Sansa is annulled so he can marry Margaery Tyrell. ==== Season 3 ==== The marriage is yet to take place, and rifts are growing between Joffrey, and his uncle Tyrion and grandfather Tywin, who are (in their respective ways) rebutting his cruelty. Joffrey also seems to take little interest in his betrothed, but is amazed and altered by her ways of winning the people's favor, in which he takes part. At Tyrion and Sansa's wedding, he humiliates his uncle and is outraged when his uncle threatens him after Joffrey commands him to consummate the marriage. Tyrion only avoids punishment when his father Tywin assures Joffrey that Tyrion was drunk and had no intention of threatening the king. Later, after the events of the "Red Wedding", Joffrey gleefully plans on serving Sansa her recently deceased brother Robb's head. Tyrion and Tywin are outraged, and the former threatens Joffrey once again. After another disagreement, Tywin sends Joffrey to his room, much to Joffrey's chagrin. ==== Season 4 ==== Joffrey finally marries Margaery. During his wedding feast, he repeatedly torments Tyrion and Sansa, presenting an offensive play about "The War of the Five Kings", with each of the kings played by dwarves to humiliate his uncle, whom he also forces to act as his cupbearer. At the height of the festivities, Joffrey is suddenly overcome by poison and dies. Tyrion is falsely accused and ordered arrested by Cersei, but it is later revealed that Lady Olenna Tyrell and Lord Petyr Baelish were the true perpetrators. Olenna Tyrell, Margaery's grandmother, later confides to Margaery that she would never have let her marry "that beast". Following Joffrey's funeral, his younger brother and heir, Tommen, is crowned King and proceeds to marry Joffrey's widow Margaery. ===Development and reception=== In January 2007, HBO secured the rights to adapt Martin's series for television. Years later young actor Jack Gleeson was cast as Joffrey Baratheon. Jack Gleeson plays the role of Joffrey Baratheon in the television series. Jack Gleeson received critical acclaim for his role as Joffrey Baratheon in the television series. In 2016, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked the character #4 in their list of the "40 Greatest TV Villains of All Time". Author Martin described Joffrey as similar to "five or six people that I went to school with ... a classic bully ... incredibly spoiled". ==References==

'''''Game of Thrones''''' is an episodic graphic adventure video game based on the TV series of the same name, which in turn, is based on George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' fantasy series, released in December 2014 for Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, OS X, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The game was developed by Telltale Games and follows the episodic format found in other Telltale titles, such as ''The Walking Dead'', ''The Wolf Among Us'' and ''Tales from the Borderlands'', where player choices and actions influence later events across the six-episode arc. The story revolves around the northern House Forrester, rulers of Ironrath, whose members, including the five playable characters, attempt to save their family and themselves after ending up on the losing side of the War of the Five Kings. The game includes settings, characters, and voice actors from the novels and TV series. A second season had been planned but was placed on hold in 2017, amid restructuring issues at Telltale Games, and ultimately was cancelled following Telltale's majority studio closure in September 2018. ==Development== Martin's personal assistant, acted as a story consultant for the game After previous video games based on his works received negative or mediocre critical responses, George R. R. Martin opined that he wanted "a Game of Thrones game to be made by a studio that knows how to create a thrilling and interesting story". Telltale Games has found critical success in several licensed adventure games, including their ''The Wolf Among Us'' and ''The Walking Dead'' episodic video game series. ''Game of Thrones'' arose from internal discussions within Telltale of what other popular franchises they wanted to write games around, with much support given for ''Game of Thrones'', considering its emotional equivalence to ''The Walking Dead''. They approached HBO with the concept, and after a year of negotiations, were able to secure the license. In December 2013, Telltale announced ''Game of Thrones'' at the 2013 Spike VGX video game awards program. George R. R. Martin stated that his personal assistant, Ty Corey Franck, is working with Telltale Games as a "story consultant". Telltale's CEO Dan Connors explained that the game will not be a prequel to the television series, that the established world and timeline of ''Game of Thrones'' is allowing Telltale to explore fixed stories in more depth, to appeal to players. ==Gameplay== ''Game of Thrones'' is an episodic point-and-click graphic adventure fantasy drama video game, released as 6 episodes following the model of Telltale's previous adventure games. The player is able to move their character around some scenes, interacting with objects and initiating conversation trees with non-player characters. Choices made by the player influence events in future episodes. The game switches between the viewpoints of five different characters. Each episode contains five points where the player must make a significant decision, choosing from one of two available options. Through Telltale's servers, the game tracks how many players selected which option and lets the player compare their choices to the rest of the player base. The game can be completed regardless of what choices are made in these situations; the main events of the story, as described below, continue regardless of what choices are made, but the presence and behavior of the non-player characters in later scenes is affected by the choices. The game allows the player to make multiple saves, and includes a "rewind" feature where the player can back up and alter a previous decision, thus facilitating the exploration of alternative choices. Some scenes are more action-oriented, requiring the player to respond to a series of quick time events. Failure to do these correctly may end the scene with the death of the playable character or another character, but the game will restart at a checkpoint just before that scene to allow the player to try again. In some instances, failure at particular quick time events results in minor game decisions. ==Synopsis== Promotion at IgroMir 2016, featuring a cosplayer dressed as Margaery Tyrell. ===Setting=== The game takes place concurrently with the television series, from the end of the third season until just prior to the start of the fifth season. The story focuses on House Forrester, a family not yet introduced in the television series, but mentioned briefly in the novel ''A Dance with Dragons''. House Forrester hails from Ironrath, a fortress within the Wolfswood forest in the North of Westeros, where they control the valuable Ironwood groves, coveted by many because of the wood's military importance. The game primarily takes place near Ironrath, but also in other locations on the continents of Westeros and Essos. ===Characters=== Throughout the game, the player controls one of 5 family members or servants of the Forresters, with decisions made by one character affecting the others, and the ultimate fate of the house. Thirteen original playable and non-playable characters were created for the game. ===Playable characters=== * Rodrik Forrester (Russ Bain), the first-born son of the House and its heir, with a prominent military background. * Asher Forrester (Alex Jordan), the second-born son of the House who has been exiled to Essos, now working as a mercenary. * Mira Forrester (Martha Mackintosh), the eldest daughter of the House, who serves as a handmaiden to Margaery Tyrell. * Ethan Forrester (Christopher Nelson), the third-born son and a scholarly boy serving as the incumbent Lord of Ironrath. * Gared Tuttle (Daniel Kendrick), squire to Lord Forrester and nephew to Duncan, exiled to serve in the Night's Watch as a ranger. ===Non-playable characters=== * Lord Gregor Forrester (Robin Atkin Downes), the head of House Forrester and loyal to the Starks. * Lady Elissa Forrester (Lara Pulver), the matriarch of House Forrester that vows to prevent the destruction of her family as had fallen to her birth family, House Branfield. * Talia Forrester (Molly Stone), Ethan's twin, the second-eldest daughter, who is gifted with a talented voice. * Ryon Forrester (Louis Suc), the youngest son of the House. * Maester Ortengryn (David Franklin), a Maester of the Citadel serving House Forrester. * Ser Royland Degore (Brian George), an experienced military leader that serves as the master-at-arms for the House. * Lord Ludd Whitehill (Geoff Leesley), the Lord of Highpoint and longtime rival of House Forrester. * Gryff Whitehill (Sacha Dhawan), the cruel youngest son of Ludd Whitehill. * Duncan Tuttle (Robin Atkin Downes), a good friend of Lord Forrester whom he now serves as castellan. * Malcolm Branfield (JB Blanc), brother of Elissa and, with her, the only surviving members of House Branfield. * Elaena Glenmore (Amy Pemberton), a maiden of Rillwater Crossing and Rodrik's betrothed. * Sera Flowers (Natasha Loring), handmaiden to Margaery Tyrell and a close friend to Mira. * Beskha (Toks Olagundoye), a sellsword from Meereen and associate of Asher. * Croft (Adam Leadbeater), a member of the Second Sons and Asher's friend * Cotter (Joseph Baiderrema), a Wildling posing as a ranger for the Night's Watch and Gared's friend. * Finn (Yuri Lowenthal), a ranger of the Night's Watch and Gared's friend. * Frostfinger (Jeremy Crutchley), a grizzled mentor of the Night's Watch. * Britt Warrick (Alistar James), a mercenary working for House Whitehill. * Gwyn Whitehill (Laura Bailey), a maiden of Highpoint and Asher's former lover. * Tom (Yuri Lowenthal), a coalboy working in King's Landing and friend of Mira Forrester. * Rickard Morgryn (Nick Afka Thomas), a merchant operating from King's Landing and confident of Lord Whitehill. * Arthur "Quiver" Glenmore (Matt Littler), Elaena's brother and a skilled archer. * Andros (Robin Atkin Downes), a merchant and Morgryn's rival. * Tazal (Brian George), leader of the Lost Legion and Asher's enemy ===Series reprisals=== * Jon Snow (Kit Harington), a member of the Night's Watch and bastard son of Ned Stark. * Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey), the Queen Regent of the Seven Kingdoms serving in King's Landing and mother to King Joffrey Baratheon. * Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), the Master of Coin serving in King's Landing and Queen Cersei's brother. * Ramsay Snow (Iwan Rheon), a sadistic and ruthless bastard son of Roose Bolton, the Warden of the North. * Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), the Mother of Dragons and the potential future queen of the Seven Kingdoms, operating in Meereen. * Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer), a lady of Highgarden, betrothed to King Joffrey (who is not seen in the game, but is mentioned frequently). ==Episodes== The game is separated into six episodes, released in intervals. ==Reception== ''Game of Thrones'' received mixed reviews from critics praising the narrative, choice driven gameplay, and faithfulness to the source material while criticism was directed towards the graphical glitches and the lack of context for players unfamiliar with the ''Game of Thrones'' franchise. ===Episode One – Iron from Ice=== ''Episode One – Iron from Ice'' received "generally positive" reviews. Aggregating review website Metacritic gave and the Microsoft Windows version 75/100 based on 44 reviews, the PlayStation 4 version 77/100 based on 18 reviews, and the Xbox One version 80/100 based on 14 reviews. ===Episode Two – The Lost Lords=== ''Episode Two – The Lost Lords'' received "mixed or average" reviews. Metacritic gave the Microsoft Windows version 73/100 based on 35 reviews, the PlayStation 4 version 69/100 based on 16 reviews, and the Xbox One version 76/100 based on 11 reviews. Gamezebo's reviewer noted that Episode 2, in particular, exhibited poor performance on iOS devices, with glitches and stuttering affecting the player's ability to succeed at timed events. ===Episode Three – The Sword in the Darkness=== ''Episode Three – The Sword in the Darkness'' received "generally positive" reviews. Metacritic gave the Microsoft Windows version 77/100 based on 30 reviews, the PlayStation 4 version 70/100 based on 16 reviews, and the Xbox One version 80/100 based on 9 reviews. ===Episode Four – Sons of Winter=== ''Episode Four – Sons of Winter'' received "generally positive" reviews. Metacritic gave the Microsoft Windows version 77/100 based on 27 reviews, the PlayStation 4 version 73/100 based on 15 reviews, and the Xbox One version 80/100 based on 8 reviews. ===Episode Five – A Nest of Vipers=== ''Episode Five – A Nest of Vipers'' received "mixed or average" reviews. Metacritic gave the Microsoft Windows version 74/100 based on 25 reviews, the PlayStation 4 version 77/100 based on 11 reviews, and the Xbox One version 72/100 based on 10 reviews. ===Episode Six – The Ice Dragon=== ''Episode Six – The Ice Dragon'' received "generally positive" reviews. Metacritic gave the Microsoft Windows version 70/100 based on 24 reviews, the PlayStation 4 version 75/100 based on 13 reviews, and the Xbox One version 80/100 based on 7 reviews. ==Cancelled sequel== The first series proved successful, leading Telltale to begin development of a second episodic season. In November 2015, Telltale's Kevin Bruner affirmed that a second season was currently in development. Telltale's Job Stauffer said in an August 2017 interview that while they were still planning on Season 2, the series was on hold as focus on their other current projects for release in 2017 and 2018, as well as to see the direction the current television show (at the time, nearing the end of its run) goes. However, on September 21, 2018, the studio had a majority studio closure, laying off most of its staff and cancelling its in-development projects, including the second season of ''Game of Thrones''. ==References== ==External links== *