A Game of Thrones Characters

Alliser is the master-at-arms at Castle Black, the castle where members of the Night’s Watch live. He is in charge of training recruits of the Night’s Watch. He and Jon Snow have a contentious relationship, and Jon often thinks that Alliser is trying to sabotage him.

Jeor Mormont is Jorah Mormont’s father. He is the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, which makes him the Watch’s highest-ranking official. Jon Snow becomes Commander Mormont’s steward. Sam argues that Commander Mormont takes Jon as his steward to train Jon to one day command the Night’s Watch.

Septa Mordane is the septa of Winterfell. A septa is a clergy member of the Faith of the Seven. Mordane often serves as a caretaker for Arya and Sansa.

Vayon Poole is the steward of Winterfell and travels with Ned from Winterfell to King’s Landing when Ned becomes the Hand of the King. Though Vayon is a steward and therefore doesn’t carry a weapon, the Lannisters kill him along with Ned’s other men after Ned is arrested.

Barristan is the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard for Robert. When Joffrey becomes king, he removes Barristan from that position and installs his uncle (and, unbeknownst to him, father) Jaime in his place.

Rhaegar is Viserys and Daenery’s brother and Aerys II Targaryen’s son. Robert Baratheon killed Rhaegar in the Battle of the Trident, and Robert says that he killed him in part to avenge Rhaegar’s abduction and rape of Ned’s sister Lyanna, to whom Robert was engaged before her death.

Bronn is a soldier for hire who initially joins Catelyn’s party to help guard Tyrion when Catelyn has him arrested at an inn. When Lysa grants Tyrion a trial by combat, Bronn fights as Tyrion’s champion and wins, giving Tyrion his freedom.

Edmure is Catelyn and Lysa’s brother and Hoster’s son. Edmure is the heir to House Tully and Riverrun. He takes over command of Riverrun when Hoster falls ill. Jaime Lannister captures Edmure in one of the battles in the Riverlands.

Vardis is a knight who Lysa chooses to fight as her champion when she grants Tyrion a trial by combat for his alleged involvement in killing Jon Arryn and conspiring to kill Bran. Vardis loses the fight to Tyrion’s champion, Bronn, and Tyrion and Bronn are subsequently set free.

Doreah is one of Daenerys’s servants who is in charge of instructing Daenerys in the “arts of love.”

Shae is a sex worker who Tyrion pays for sex and companionship when he joins Tywin’s battalion in the war with the Starks. Tyrion plans to take Shae with him to King’s Landing after Tywin appoints Tyrion the Hand of the King.

Ilyn Payne is Robert’s executioner and becomes Joffrey’s executioner after Robert dies. Ilyn executes Ned with Ned’s own sword, Ice.

Old Nan is Hodor’s great-grandmother and the oldest person in Winterfell. She is known for her stories, particularly the stories she tells about the Others and the world beyond the Wall.

Hodor is Old Nan’s great-grandson. He works in the stables at Winterfell. After Bran is paralyzed, Hodor helps Bran move around the castle using a device Maester Luwin builds and straps to Hodor’s back. Osha says that Hodor is part giant.

Pyp is one of Jon Snow’s friends on the Night’s Watch. He is among the group that stops Jon from deserting the Night’s Watch after Ned’s execution.

Mya is one of Robert’s children born out of wedlock. She lives in the Vale and helps guide Catelyn up the treacherous path to the Eyrie.

Gendry is one of Robert’s children born out of wedlock. He works as a blacksmith’s apprentice in King’s Landing. Visiting Gendry helps Ned realize that Joffrey is not Robert’s son because Gendry has brown hair (like Robert and Mya) while Joffrey has blonde hair (like Cersei and Jaime).

Rickon Stark is Ned and Catelyn’s youngest son. He is also Robb, Sansa, Arya, and Bran’s brother and Jon Snow’s half-brother. He is three years old at the beginning of the novel and has a direwolf named Shaggydog.

Mance Rayder is known as the King-beyond-the-Wall. He has amassed a following of free folk, or wildlings, and seems to be preparing to meet a threat that those south are as yet unaware of.

Robert Arryn is Lysa and Jon Arryn’s son and Catelyn’s nephew. He is named after Robert Baratheon. After Jon Arryn dies, Robert Arryn becomes the Lord of the Eyrie at six years old. The novel suggests that Lysa’s mental instability is taking a hefty toll on him.

Hoster Tully is Catelyn, Lysa, and Edmure’s father and Brynden’s brother. He is the Lord of Riverrun. Near the end of the novel, when Catelyn sees Hoster, Hoster seems to be so ill that he is near death.

Wylla is the mother of Jon Snow, who she had with Ned Stark out of wedlock.

Kevan Lannister is Tywin’s younger brother and Jaime, Cersei, and Tyrion’s uncle. He is also Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella’s great uncle. Kevan joins his brother Tywin when Tywin goes to war with the Starks.

Brandon Stark is Rickard Stark’s son, Ned Stark’s brother, and Jon Snow, Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon’s uncle. He was engaged to Catelyn Stark before he died at the hands of Aerys II Targaryen. After Brandon died, Ned became engaged to, and married, Catelyn.

Rickard Stark was Ned and Brandon Stark’s father and Jon Snow, Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon’s grandfather. He was the Lord of Winterfell during the reign of Aerys II Targaryen.

Rodrik is Jory’s uncle and the master-at-arms at Winterfell. He travels with Catelyn to King’s Landing after an assassin attempts to kill Bran.s