List of characters in Game of Thrones

The characters from the American 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. The series follows a civil war for the Iron Throne set in the fictional universe of Westeros, fought between the rival royal and noble families and their respective supporters.^[1]

Key

  House Arryn

  House Baratheon

  House Greyjoy

  House Lannister

  House Stark

  House Targaryen

  House Tully

  House Tyrell

  Night's Watch

  People of Essos

  People of Westeros

  Royal Court & Officials

  Wildlings

Main characters

Characters are listed in credits order, with the exception of Peter Dinklage, who is billed last in the credits with "and". "Starring season(s)" refers to the season in which an actor or actress received star billing for playing a character. "Recurring season(s)" identifies a season in which an actor or actress appeared, but received featured, guest star or special guest star billing.

Name	Pronunciation[2]	Actor/actress	Starring seasons	Recurring seasons	Episode count
Eddard Stark	/ˈɛdəd ˈstɑːk/	Sean Bean	1	–	9[note 1]
Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, becomes the Hand of the King after Lord Jon Arryn's death. Informally called "Ned," he is known for his sense of honor and justice. He took part in Robert's Rebellion, the war that put Robert on the throne after defeating the "Mad King" Aerys Targaryen. His sister Lyanna was kidnapped by the Crown Prince Rhaegar. When Ned's father and brother went south to reclaim her, Aerys burned both of them alive. He and Robert Baratheon led the rebellion to unseat him from the throne. Now, 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 political matters, and prefers to rule with honor and following the rule of law. In attempting to find the true reason for the death of Jon Arryn, he discovers that all three of Robert's children with Queen Cersei's are not his children but Cersei's twin brother Jaime as a result of incestuous affair. When he confronts Cersei about this, expecting her to run for her life, she instead has him imprisoned for treason after he publicly denounces Joffrey. While in the dungeons, Ned is convinced by Varys that if he goes to his death honorably, as he is prepared to do, his daughters will 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 as his exile, Joffrey takes matters into his own hands and orders for Ned's execution.
Robert Baratheon	/ˈrɒbət bəˈræθɪɒn/	Mark Addy	1	–	7
Robert Baratheon is the King of the Seven Kingdoms who was crowned after leading a rebellion against Aerys II Targaryen. Formerly a fierce warrior, Robert was betrothed to Ned's sister Lyanna and loved her deeply. When she was kidnapped by Rhaegar Targaryen, and Ned's father and brother killed when they went to King's Landing to reclaim her, he and Ned began what became known as Robert's Rebellion, whereupon the Targaryens were all slaughtered or routed from the Kingdoms. Since Robert's family was older and had closer ties to the former Royal family, this 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, and is trapped in a political marriage to the scheming Cersei Lannister, whom he has never loved. He is unaware that all three of his children are not his, but Jaime Lannister's. Under his reign, the realm has been bankrupted, and Robert is deeply in debt to his wife's House. He is killed while hunting, when a boar gores him in the abdomen. He unknowingly leaves no rightful heir behind.
Tyrion Lannister	/ˈtɪrɪən ˈlænɪstə/	Peter Dinklage	1	–	9
Nicknamed "The Imp," Tyrion 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, blamed him. While not physically powerful, Tyrion has a cunning mind, and often uses to his advantage the fact that others constantly underestimate him. Initially, Tyrion bears no ill will to the Starks, but after being wrongly captured and put on trial for the crime of murdering Jon Arryn and conspiring to kill Bran Stark, both of which he had no hand in or knowledge of, his ire toward Lady Catelyn prompts him to join his father's war against the Starks. At the end of the Lannisters army first lost against Robb Stark's army which Jaime is captured, the Lannisters learn King Joffrey has killed Ned against their wishes and Robert's brothers are challenging Joffrey's claim to the throne. To ensure someone trusted controls Joffrey while he deals with the war effort, Tywin sends Tyrion to rule in his stead as Hand of the King, finally taking note of his "lesser" son's cunning intellect.
Catelyn Tully	/ˈkætlɪn ˈstɑːk/	Michelle Fairley	1	–	9
Catelyn Stark, Lady of Winterfell, is the wife of Lord Eddard. 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. After deducing that the Lannisters are responsible for the attempt on Bran Stark's life, she travels to King's Landing to warn Ned, and on her return trip has a chance encounter with Tyrion Lannister. Though Tyrion is completely innocent, she decides to take him captive and bring him to her sister, Lysa Arryn, for justice. She is unsuccessful, as Tyrion is found innocent after a trial by combat. After her husband is arrested and her eldest son Robb goes to war for his release, she joins her son's war council. Upon learning that her husband was executed by orders of King Joffrey, she vows to her son Robb that the Lannister family will pay with their lives.
Jaime Lannister	/ˈdʒeɪmi ˈlænɪstə/	Nikolaj Coster-Waldau	1	–	8
Ser Jaime Lannister is a member of the Kingsguard. He is the Queen's twin brother and has carried on an incestuous love affair with her all his life, and all three of her children were fathered by him. 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 him.
Cersei Lannister	/ˈsɜːsi ˈlænɪstə/	Lena Headey	1	–	10
Cersei Baratheon, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, is the wife of King Robert Baratheon. She and her brother Jaime have been involved in an incestuous love affair since childhood. Despite that, she claims to have loved Robert at the beginning but after realizing he was still in love with Lyanna, grew to hate him. She had one son by Robert, who died in infancy of a strange illness. Her three current children are actually her and Jaime's. She is calculating, and cares only for power and the advancement of her family.
Daenerys Targaryen	/dəˈnɛərɪs tɑːˈɡɛərɪən/	Emilia Clarke	1	–	9
Daenerys Targaryen is the exiled princess of the Targaryen dynasty. Also known as "The Stormborn" she and her brother were smuggled to Essos by Ser Willem Darry.
Jorah Mormont	/ˈdʒɔːrə ˈmɔːmənt/	Iain Glen	1	–	9
Ser Jorah Mormont is an exiled knight in the service of Daenerys Targaryen. He was exiled by Lord Stark for slave trading. He is also the son of Jeor Mormont of the Night's Watch.
Petyr Baelish	/ˈpiːtə ˈbeɪlɪʃ/	Aidan Gillen	1	–	8
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.
Viserys Targaryen	/vɪˈsɛərɪs tɑːˈɡɛərɪən/	Harry Lloyd	1	–	5
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.
Jon Snow	/ˈdʒɒn snoʊ/	Kit Harington	1	–	8
Jon Snow is the bastard son of Ned Stark who joins the Night's Watch. Ned claims that Jon's mother was a wet nurse named Wylla. His direwolf is called Ghost due to his albinism and his quiet nature.
Robb Stark	/ˈrɒb ˈstɑːk/	Richard Madden	1	–	8
Robb Stark is the eldest son of Eddard and Catelyn Stark and the heir to Winterfell. His direwolf is called Grey Wind. Robb becomes involved with the war against the Lannisters after his father is arrested for treason. Calling upon his father's bannerman and his mother's allies, 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 of The North".
Sansa Stark	/ˈsɑːnsə ˈstɑːk/	Sophie Turner	1	–	9
Sansa Stark is the first daughter and second child of Eddard and Catelyn Stark. She is also to be the future bride of Prince Joffrey. Her direwolf is called Lady, she is the smallest of the pack. Sansa is naive and wants live the life of a fairy tale princess and is unwilling to see the harsh realities of the kingdom's politics and rivalries. Her fantasy begins to shatter when Lady is killed and the situations continues to worsen when her father is arrested for treason. She becomes a hostage to the Lannister's in order for them to have a legitimate claim for the North. Her naivety is finally shattered when King Joffrey executes her father despite promising her that he would spare him. Now accepting the truth that Joffrey is a monster and not the ideal prince she pretended he was, Sansa plans to kill Joffrey to avenge her father.
Arya Stark	/ˈɑ:rɪə ˈstɑːk/	Maisie Williams	1	–	9
Arya 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. Her direwolf is called Nymeria.
Theon Greyjoy	/ˈθiːən ˈɡreɪdʒɔj/	Alfie Allen	1	–	9
Theon 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.
Bran Stark	/bræn ˈstɑːk/	Isaac Hempstead-Wright	1	–	8
Bran Stark is the second son and fourth child of Eddard and Catelyn Stark. He was named after his deceased uncle, Brandon. His direwolf is called Summer.
Joffrey Baratheon	/ˈdʒɒfrɪ bəˈræθɪɒn/	Jack Gleeson	1	–	10
Joffrey 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 as the Crown Prince. However, 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 the wishes of his father's will, and Joffrey becomes a cruel ruler and a Puppet King used by his mother. However, Joffrey makes a mistake when he, against Cersei and Sansa's wishes, refuses to honor his promise of sparing Ned; instead, has him executed. His act worsens the situation with the Lannisters war effort as Jaime is captured by the Starks and his uncles Renly and Stannis have challenged his claim to the Iron Throne.
Sandor Clegane	/ˈsændɔː klɪˈɡeɪn/	Rory McCann	1	–	8
Sandor Clegane, nicknamed "The Hound," is the younger brother of Ser Gregor Clegane and a retainer to House Lannister, he is also Joffrey Baratheon's personal bodyguard. The left side of his face is hideously burned thanks to his brother's temper.
Khal Drogo	/ˈxal ˈdroɡo/	Jason Momoa	1	–	9
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.

Supporting characters

House Arryn, retainers and bannersmen

Name	Pronunciation[2]	Actor/Actress	Season(s)	Episode count
Lysa Tully	/ˈlaɪsə ˈɛərɪn/	Kate Dickie	1	3
Lysa Arryn, currently Mistress of the Eyrie, is the wife of the late Lord Jon Arryn. Born to the Lord and Lady of the Riverlands, she is the younger sister of Catelyn Stark, Lady of Winterfell. 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.
Robin Arryn[note 2]		Lino Facioli	1	3
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.

House Baratheon, retainers and bannermen

Name	Pronunciation[2]	Actor/Actress	Season(s)	Episode count
Renly Baratheon	/ˈrɛnli bəˈræθɪɒn/	Gethin Anthony	1	5
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. While considered a master jouster, 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 had Ned executed, Renly challenges his nephew's claim to the throne.
Beric Dondarrion		David Michael Scott	1	1
Lord of Blackhaven, nicknamed "The Lightning Lord". He is sent to capture Gregor Clegane after Clegane starts terrorizing the Riverlands.
Stannis Baratheon	/ˈstænɨs bəˈræθɪɒn/	Stephen Dillane[3]	2	-
Stannis 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 a another challenger for the Iron Throne after his nephew Joffrey becomes King.
Brienne of Tarth		Gwendoline Christie[4]	2	-
A member of Renly Baratheon's Rainbow Guard. Mocked as "the Beauty" for her ugliness, Brienne is a skilled warrior and longs to be a knight.
Melisandre	/'mɛlɨsaʊndrɛ/	Carice van Houten[3]	2	-
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.
Davos Seaworth		Liam Cunningham[5]	2	-
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.
Matthos Seaworth		Kerr Logan[6]	2	-
Son of Davos Seaworth and second-in-command on his father's ship, Black Betha.
Salladhor Saan		Lucian Msamati [7]	2	-
The Prince of the Narrow Sea, Salladhor is a notorious pirate, trader and smuggler from Lys. An old friend of Davos Seaworth, he now sails for Stannis Baratheon on his ship, the Valyrian.

House Greyjoy, retainers and bannersmen

Name	Pronunciation[2]	Actor/Actress	Season(s)	Episode count
Balon Greyjoy		Patrick Malahide[8]	2	-
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, and Theon was taken as a ward at Winterfell as a way to keep him from attempting another rebellion.
Yara Greyjoy[note 3]		Gemma Whelan[9]	2	-
The daughter of Balon Greyjoy and his wife, Alannys, and elder sister of Theon. She is fierce and proud, and defies traditional ironborn gender roles by commanding her own ship, the Black Wind.
Lorren		Forbes KB[10]	2	-
An infamous ironborn raider better known as Black Lorren. He is considered among the fiercest ironborn warriors.
Dagmer		Ralph Ineson[11]	2	-
Better known as Dagmer Cleftjaw, is the master-at-arms on Pyke and is the Captain of the Longship, Foamdrinker.

House Lannister, retainers and bannermen

Name	Pronunciation[2]	Actor/Actress	Season(s)	Episode count
Tywin Lannister	/ˈtaɪwɪn ˈlænɪstə/	Charles Dance	1	4
Lord of Casterly Rock, Shield of Lannisport and Warden of the West, Tywin 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 challenges Joffrey's claim to the throne, Tywin elects to remain in the field, commanding his forces, until he wins his war and gives the position of Hand of King to Tyrion.
Kevan Lannister		Ian Gelder	1	3
Lord Tywin's younger brother, Captain of his Guard, Ser Kevan Lannister is a skilled warrior but overshadowed by his brother Tywin. It is said that he never had a thought Tywin had not had first.
Lancel Lannister		Eugene Simon	1	4
Lancel Lannister is the eldest son of Kevan Lannister and cousin of Cersei, Jaime, and Tyrion Lannister. He serves as King Robert's squire.
Gregor Clegane	/ɡrəˈɡɔr klɨˈɡeɪn/	Conan Stevens (Season One) Ian Whyte (Season Two)	1	2
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.
Bronn		Jerome Flynn	1	5
Bronn is a sell-sword with a sardonic sense of humor, and a retainer to Tyrion Lannister.
Shagga		Mark Lewis Jones	1	2
A wild, fierce Mountain Clansman, Shagga, son of Dolf is the leader of the Stone Crows clan from the Mountains of the Moon. He is also a retainer to Tyrion Lannister.
Amory Lorch		Fintan McKeown[12]	2	-
Ser Amory Lorch is a knight and loyal bannerman of House Lannister.
Jeyne Westerling		Oona Chaplin[13]	2	-
The eldest daughter of Lord Gawen Westerling and Sybell Spicer. She is enamored by Robb Stark.
Podrick Payne		Daniel Portman[14]	2	-
Podrick is a young squire assigned to Tyrion Lannister.
The Tickler		Anthony Morris[15]	2	-
A torturer who works for Gregor Clegane.
Alton Lannister		Karl Davies[16]	2	-
A member of House Lannister.

House Stark, retainers and bannermen

Name	Pronunciation[2]	Actor/Actress	Season(s)	Episode count
Rickon Stark	/ˈrɪkən ˈstɑːk/	Art Parkinson	1	3
Rickon Stark is Lord Eddard & Lady Catelyn's youngest child, naturally aggressive and strong-willed. His black direwolf, Shaggydog, shares these qualities also.
Rodrik Cassel	/ˈrɔːdrɪk kʌˈsɛl/	Ron Donachie	1	9
Ser Rodrik Cassel is the Master-at-Arms at Winterfell.
Maester Luwin	/ˈmeɪstə ˈluːwɪn/	Donald Sumpter	1	7
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.
Jory Cassel	/ˈdʒɔːri kʌˈsɛl/	Jamie Sives	1	5
Jory Cassel, Captain of the Guard at Winterfell, is a nephew of Ser Rodrik.
Hodor	/ˈhoʊdə/	Kristian Nairn	1	5
Hodor is a huge, physically strong but mentally handicapped stablehand at Winterfell who can only say the word Hodor. His real name is Walder.
Septa Mordane	/ˈsɛptə mɔˈdeɪn/	Susan Brown	1	8
Septa Mordane is a priestess of the Faith of the Seven Gods (of which Catelyn Stark is an observer) and governess to the young ladies of Winterfell.
Osha		Natalia Tena	1	4
Osha is a Wildling woman captured by Robb and held captive at Winterfell.
Jon Umber		Clive Mantle	1	3
Called "the Greatjon", Lord Umber is the Lord of Last Hearth and a Bannerman of the North. He stands nearly seven feet tall.
Roose Bolton		Michael McElhatton[17]	2	-
A Bannerman of the North and Lord of the Dreadfort. The Bolton families have a nasty history of keeping to very old, and barbaric, ways, including flaying their enemies alive, and Roose is no exception. His cunning makes him a valuable ally, but his unpredictable nature makes him a dangerous one.
Rickard Karstark		Steven Blount (Season 1, minor) John Stahl[18] (Season 2)	1, 2	1
A Bannerman of the North, Lord of Karhold and he is a chief member of Robb Stark's war council. The Karstark's are distant cousins of the Starks of Winterfell.

House Tully, retainers and bannersmen

Name	Pronunciation[2]	Actor/Actress	Season(s)	Episode count
Walder Frey	/ˈwɔːldə ˈfreɪ/	David Bradley	1	1
Lord Walder Frey, nicknamed the "Late Lord Frey", is the head of House Frey and Lord of the Crossing. He is known for outliving his many wives (now on his 8th) and siring over 100 children (both bastard and trueborn).

House Tyrell, retainers and bannermen

Name	Pronunciation[2]	Actor/Actress	Season(s)	Episode count
Loras Tyrell	/ˈlɔːrəs ˈtɪrəl/	Finn Jones	1	2
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.
Margaery Tyrell		Natalie Dormer[19]	2	-
Pledged to marry 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.

Night's Watch

Name	Pronunciation[2]	Actor/Actress	Season(s)	Episode count
Jeor Mormont	/ˈdʒɪə ˈmɔːmənt/	James Cosmo	1	5
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.
Maester Aemon		Peter Vaughan	1	3
Aemon Targaryen is the old and blind Maester of the Night's Watch, and grand-uncle to Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen. By the time of Robert's Rebellion, he was too old to travel alone and already blind, and was forced to stay at the Wall while all the members of his family, even his great grand-nephews and nieces, were slaughtered by Lannister Bannermen. He carries the anger of that incident with him even now.
Bowen Marsh		Brian Fortune	1	2
Bowen Marsh is First Steward for the Night's Watch.
Benjen Stark	/ˈbɛndʒɪn ˈstɑːk/	Joseph Mawle	1	3
Benjen Stark, First Ranger of the Night's Watch, is the younger brother of Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell. Early in the series, he leads a group of Rangers beyond the wall due to word of increased Wildling activity. He has not returned.
Alliser Thorne	/ˈælɪsə ˈθɔːn/	Owen Teale	1	4
Ser Alliser Thorne 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 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 and he and the other members of his party were forced to eat the rangers who died in order to survive.
Yoren	/ˈjɔːrɪn/	Francis Magee	1	5
Yoren 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 protects her from seeing her father's beheading, and later cuts her hair, giving her a false identity of Arry the orphan boy, and mixes her in with the others he is recruiting for the Wall in order to protect her from the Queen and take her home.
Samwell Tarly	/ˈsæmwəl ˈtɑːli/	John Bradley	1	5
Samwell Tarly, 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. He is not a warrior or a fighter but he is very smart and insightful. He is inducted into the Stewards and assigned to Maester Aemon.
Pypar		Josef Altin	1	6
Pypar is a brother of the Night's Watch, informally called "Pyp." A former mummer, he was condemned to the Wall after refusing the sexual advances of his former lord. Initially he said that his crime was stealing a wheel of cheese to feed his starving sister, but confessed to Jon and Sam after becoming friends with them that the Lord accused him of stealing, and that he was too ashamed to admit to the others that a man tried to molest him.
Grenn		Mark Stanley	1	6
Grenn is a brave, but not very bright, brother of the Night's Watch. He was abandoned by his father when he was a child and had to steal to survive, ending up on the Night's Watch as a result.
Rast		Luke McEwan	1	6
Rast is a trainee with a particularly mean spirit. He was arrested for rape, and chose the Wall as his punishment.
Eddison Tollett		Ben Crompton[20]	2	-
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.
Qhorin		Simon Armstrong[21]	2	-
Known as Qhorin Halfhand, he 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 and became just as proficient with his left hand as he had been with his right.

People of Essos

Name	Pronunciation[2]	Actor/Actress	Season(s)	Episode count
Doreah		Roxanne McKee	1	6
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.
Irri		Amrita Acharia	1	7
Irri is a slave, bought in order to school Daenerys in Dothraki riding.
Mirri Maz Duur		Mia Soteriou	1	3
Mirri Maz Duur is a "Maegi", or witch-woman, held captive by Daenerys. Before her capture she was a godswife in the Temple of the Great Shepherd.
Illyrio Mopatis	/ɪˈlɪərɪoʊ/	Roger Allam	1	2
Illyrio Mopatis is a wealthy magister of the free city of Pentos. He arranged Daenerys' marriage to Khal Drogo.
Rakharo		Elyes Gabel	1	7
Rakharo is a young bloodrider, favored by, and sworn to Daenerys Targaryen.
Qotho	/ˈkwoʊθoʊ/	Dar Salim	1	6
Qotho is the most fierce and hot-tempered of Khal Drogo's Blood Riders.
Kovarro		Steven Cole [22]	2	-
Kovarro is a Dothraki warrior travelling with Daenerys.
Pyat Pree		Ian Hanmore[14]	2	-
Pyat Pree is a warlock from the city of Qarth.
Quaithe		Laura Pradelska[23]	2	-
Quaithe of the Shadow is an enigmatic priestess of Asshai.
Xaro Xhoan Daxos		Nonso Anozie[6]	2	-
A rich merchant "prince" of Qarth who wishes to acquaint himself with the Mother of Dragons.
The Spice King		Nicholas Blane[24]	2	-
He is the leader of the Ancient Guild of Spicers, one of the merchant groups vying for control of the city of Qarth.

People of Westeros

Name	Pronunciation[2]	Actor/Actress	Season(s)	Episode count
Ros		Esmé Bianco	1	6
Ros is an oft spoken of, red-haired prostitute. She lives in a brothel outside the gates of Winterfell. Later in the season, she moves to King's Landing and is given employment in a brothel owned by Littlefinger. She now appears to be a favourite of Grand Maester Pycelle. Although Ros is a semi-recurring character in the series, she doesn't appear in the books.
Marillion		Emun Elliott	1	4
Marillion is a minstrel who entertains travelers with his music. He traveled to the Eyrie when Tyrion was taken there for trial by Catelyn, hoping to get a song out of it. Sometime after Tyrion's trial at the Eyrie, Marillion traveled to King's Landing, where he ended up composing a song about King Robert's death. The song also implicated Queen Cersei as "murderous" and that she had already emasculated the king by the time of his death. After being brought before King Joffrey for treason, he was given the choice to have either his fingers or tongue removed. He inadvertently chose his tongue.
Syrio Forel	/ˈsiːrɪoʊ fɔˈrɛl/	Miltos Yeromelou	1	3
Syrio Forel, 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 swordfighting.
Shae		Sibel Kekilli	1	2
Shae is a young camp follower in whom Tyrion Lannister takes particular interest.
Gendry	/ˈɡɛndri/	Joe Dempsie	1	2
Gendry is an apprentice blacksmith in King's Landing and an unacknowledged bastard of King Robert.
Lommy Greenhands		Eros Vlahos	1	1
Lommy was a dyer's apprentice before he was caught stealing and sent with Yoren to join the watch.
Hot Pie		Ben Hawkey	1	1
Hot Pie is a boy from King's Landing recruited by Yoren to join the Watch.
Jaqen H'ghar		Tom Wlaschiha[25]	2	-
Sly, enigmatic, and a dangerous criminal, part of Yoren’s group of recruits taken from King’s Landing to join the Night’s Watch. A foreigner from the Free Cities, he speaks broken English. Seductive, charming, and very dangerous.
Rorge		Andy Beckwith	2	-
A violent criminal from the "Black Cells" in King's Landing, Rorge is involuntarily recruited by Yoren to join the Night's Watch. He, along with fellow Black Cells prisoners Jaqen H'Ghar and Biter, is kept caged in a cart for their journey north in order to keep from harming his fellow recruits.
Biter		Gerard Jordan	2	-
A violent criminal from the "Black Cells" in King's Landing, Biter is a frightening man who never speaks but only hisses. His teeth have been filed to points and it is possible he engages in cannabalism. Like Jaqen H'Ghar and Rorge, Biter is a part of Yoren's group of Night's Watch recruits.

Royal Court & Officials

Name	Pronunciation[2]	Actor/Actress	Season(s)	Episode count
Myrcella Baratheon	/məˈsɛlə bəˈræθɪɒn/	Aimee Richardson	1	4
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.
Tommen Baratheon	/ˈtɒmɪn bəˈræθɪɒn/	Callum Wharry	1	4
Tommen is the younger brother of Prince Joffrey, and second in line for the throne. He, like his brother and sister, is also the child of his mother's brother, Jaime, though he remains unaware of this.
Grand Maester Pycelle	/ˈmeɪstə paɪˈsɛl/	Julian Glover	1	8
Pycelle, Grand Maester of the Seven Kingdoms, is an advisor and Small Council member. He served the previous three kings as Grand Maester before Robert's reign. In public, he presents himself as a frail, possibly senile old man. However, in private, he is significantly more sound in mind and body than he pretends.
Varys	/ˈvɛərɪs/	Conleth Hill	1	7
Lord Varys, known as "The Spider", a Eunuch and the Master of Whisperers, is the royal spymaster and a member of King Robert's Small Council. He was a mummer for Aerys II before becoming his advisor. Nothing happens in Westeros without his knowledge. He true loyalties remain a mystery as while he supports the current King, he is also secretly supporting the return of the Targaryens with Illyrio Mopatis.
Barristan Selmy	/ˈbærɪstən ˈsɛlmi/	Ian McElhinney	1	6
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 remain loyal to protect the Mad King Aerys despite the latter murdered Ned's father and brother and unlike Jaime, did not betray the King until the war ended. 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 forces Ser Barristan into retirement despite the Kingsguard are meant to serve for life and much to his anger, his position is to be given to Jaime. His honor insulted, Ser Barristan refuse their offer and leaves King's Landing.
Meryn Trant		Ian Beattie	1	2
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.
Ilyn Payne	/ˈɪlɪn ˈpeɪn/	Wilko Johnson	1	3
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. It is he who carries out Joffrey's order to execute Eddard Stark.
Janos Slynt	/ˈdʒænəs ˈslɪnt/	Dominic Carter	1	3
Janos Slynt, Commander of the City Watch, is in charge of protecting the streets of King's Landing. He was bought off by Littlefinger to trick Eddard Stark into believing the City Watch was his, in order to arrest him when he made his statements against Cersei and Joffrey.
Hallyne		Roy Dotrice[26]	2	-
The chief "Wisdom" of the Order of Pyromancers in King's Landing. Pyromancers, whose magical skill is questionable at best, are primarily used as a source of "Wildfire", a very dangerous, highly combustible chemical weapon.
High Septon		Simon Fisher-Becker[27]	2	-
The High Septon is the head of the Faith of the Seven. He is grossly fat and seen by many as corrupt.
Dontos Hollard		Tony Way[28]	2	-
Ser Dontos Hollard is a knight serving at the court of King's Landing. He is usually drunk.

Wildlings

Name	Pronunciation[2]	Actor/Actress	Season(s)	Episode count
Craster		Robert Pugh[29]	2	-
A wildling who has an uneasy "friendship" with the Night's Watch. He is an incestual polygamist who takes all his daughters to wife. He appears to have no sons for mysterious reasons.
Gilly		Hannah Murray[30]	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 to wife once they grow into women. She is pregnant with Craster's son.
Ygritte		Rose Leslie[31]	2	-
A wildling girl with red hair (said to be "kissed by fire" which is considered lucky by the wildlings) who is a follower of Mance Rayder; King-Beyond-The-Wall.
The Lord of Bones		Edward Dogliani[32]	2	-
More often that not referred to as Rattleshirt, a ruthless wildling leader who uses the bones of his victims for armour.

Minor Characters

A list of characters who appear in the novels and also make appearances in the TV series.

• Galbart Glover (played by Mark Conley) is the Master of Deepwood Motte and one of the Stark's sworn bannermen. He appears in 2 episodes.

• Gared (played by Dermot Keaney) is a ranger for the Night's Watch. He has spent over 40 years serving the realm on the Wall. He appears in 1 episode.

• Hugh (played by Jefferson Hall) is the recently knighted, former squire of Jon Arryn. He appears in 2 episodes.

• Jhiqui (played by Sarita Piotrowski) is a slave, bought in order to school Daenerys in the Dothraki language. She appears in 1 episode.

• Jon Arryn (played by John Standing) is the Hand of the King who mysteriously died just before the start of the series. He was a father figure to both Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon as they both served as his wards. He was also Lord of the Eyrie, Defender of the Vale and Warden of the East. He appears in 1 episode.

• Jonos Bracken (played by Gerry O'Brien) is the Lord of Stone Hedge in the Riverlands. He appears in 1 episode.

• Masha Heddle (played by Susie Kelly) is the innkeeper of the Crossroads Inn in the Riverlands. She appears in 1 episode.

• Mhaegen (played by Antonia Christophers) is a prostitute in King's Landing and the mother of King Robert's bastard daughter, Barra Waters. She appears in the novels but is not named. She appears in 1 episode.

• Mord (played by Ciaran Bermingham) is the ruthless gaoler at the Eyrie in the Vale. He appears in 2 episodes.

• Mycah (played by Rhodri Hosking) is the son of a butcher who befriends Arya Stark. He appears in 1 episode.

• Old Nan (played by Margaret John) is an old serving woman at Winterfell who tells the Stark children stories from beyond the Wall. She is the great-grandmother of Hodor. She appears in 2 episodes.

• Ser Vardis Egen (played by Brendan McCormack) is the Captain of the Guards at the Eyrie. He appears in 2 episodes.

• Ser Waymar Royce (played by Rob Ostlere) is the third son of Lord Yohn Royce who became a ranger in the Night's Watch. He appears in 1 episode.

• Stiv (played by Stephen Don) is a Night's Watch deserter who joined the Wildlings beyond the wall. However, he is now the leader of a small group fleeing south. He appears in 1 episode.

• Tobho Mott (played by Andrew Wilde) is a master armorer in King's Landing. He claims to be the only armorer in Westeros who can tint armor without paint. He also claims to be able to work Valyrian steel. Gendry is his apprentice blacksmith. He appears in 1 episode.

• Will (played by Bronson Webb), a former poacher who was sent to the Night's Watch and was assigned to the rangers. He appears in 1 episode.

Notes and references

Notes

1. ^ Sean Bean's name is in the opening credits for the episode Fire and Blood, but does not actually appear.
2. ^ In the novel series, A Song of Ice and Fire, Robin Arryn was named Robert Arryn. The character's name has been changed to Robin so as to prevent confusion with Robert Baratheon.
3. ^ In the novel series, A Song of Ice and Fire, Yara Greyjoy was named Asha Greyjoy. The character's name has been changed to Yara so as to prevent confusion with Osha.

References

1. ^ Martin, George R. R. (2010-07-16). "From HBO". Not a Blog. LiveJournal. http://grrm.livejournal.com/164794.html. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m} Based on the official HBO pronunciation guide; transcribed into IPA according to Received Pronunciation rules. "Official Pronunciation Guide for 'Game of Thrones'". Retrieved on 2011-02-28.
3. ^ ^{a b} Hibberd, James (19 July 2011). "'Game of Thrones' casts sorceress Melisandre and Stannis Baratheon". EW.com. http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/07/19/stannis-melisandre/. Retrieved 19 July 2011. 
4. ^ Hibberd, James (8 July 2011). "'Game of Thrones' casts fan favorite Brienne". EW.com. http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/07/08/brienne-game-of-thrones/. Retrieved 8 July 2011. 
5. ^ Hibberd, James (19 July 2011). "'Camelot' vet joins 'Game of Thrones' cast". EW.com. http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/07/19/liam-cunningham-davos/. Retrieved 19 July 2011. 
6. ^ ^{a b} Meet Xaro Xhoan Daxos
7. ^ http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/08/25/game-of-thrones-pirate/
8. ^ [http://winter-is-coming.net/2011/08/patrick-malahide-cast-as-balon-greyjoy/
9. ^ 'Game of Thrones' casts Theon's fierce sister
10. ^ Forbes KB, Actor
11. ^ [1]
12. ^ http://winter-is-coming.net/2011/09/amory-lorch-cast-gregor-recast/
13. ^ http://winter-is-coming.net/features/cast/season-two/oona-chaplin/
14. ^ ^{a b} http://winter-is-coming.net/2011/08/podrick-and-pyat-pree-cast/
15. ^ http://winter-is-coming.net/2011/09/anthony-morris-confirmed-as-tickler/
16. ^ http://winter-is-coming.net/features/cast/season-two/karl-davies/
17. ^ http://winter-is-coming.net/2011/08/michael-mcelhatton-cast-as-roose-bolton/
18. ^ http://grrm.livejournal.com/243470.html
19. ^ Hibberd, James (23 June 2011). "'Tudors' star joins 'Game of Thrones' cast". EW.com. http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/06/23/game-of-thrones-casting/. Retrieved 23 June 2011. 
20. ^ http://winter-is-coming.net/2011/08/ben-crompton-fits-but-why-is-he-so-sad/
21. ^ http://winter-is-coming.net/2011/10/simon-armstrong-is-halfhand/
22. ^ http://winter-is-coming.net/2011/09/steven-cole-cast-as-kovarro/
23. ^ http://www.westeros.org/GoT/News/Entry/5575/
24. ^ http://winter-is-coming.net/2011/10/day-75-casting-news-plus-more-set-photos-from-dubrovnik/
25. ^ http://winter-is-coming.net/2011/08/exclusive-tom-wlaschiha-is-jaqen-hghar/
26. ^ http://winter-is-coming.net/2011/08/roy-dotrice-is-pyromancer-hallyne//
27. ^ http://winter-is-coming.net/2011/09/westeros-gets-a-high-septon/
28. ^ http://winter-is-coming.net/2011/09/dontos-hollard-casting-leaks/
29. ^ http://winter-is-coming.net/2011/08/robert-pugh-cast-as-craster/
30. ^ http://winter-is-coming.net/2011/08/does-hannah-murray-have-flower-power///
31. ^ http://www.accesshollywood.com/downton-abbey-star-headed-to-game-of-thrones-season-2-as-ygritte_article_55050
32. ^ http://www.westeros.org/GoT/News/Entry/Rattleshirt_Cast/

See also

• Game of Thrones (TV series)
• List of characters in A Song of Ice and Fire
• List of Game of Thrones episodes

External links

• Official website