The younger Stark daughter, wild and wilful where her sister is proper. More interested in swordplay than needlework, Arya chafes against the expectations placed on highborn girls.

The middle Stark son, a boy of seven who loves to climb the walls and towers of Winterfell. Bran dreams of becoming a knight of the Kingsguard.

A highborn woman from the island of Tarth who has defied every expectation of her sex to become a warrior. Tall, ungainly, and mocked for her appearance, Brienne clings to the ideals of knighthood with a sincerity that the actual knights of Westeros have long since abandoned.

Wife of Eddard Stark, born of House Tully of Riverrun. A fiercely protective mother and shrewd political mind, Catelyn's instincts about the dangers threatening her family prove sharper than her husband's trust in old friendships.

The last known daughter of the deposed Mad King Aerys II, living in exile across the Narrow Sea with her brother Viserys. Sold into marriage to a Dothraki khal, Daenerys begins her story as a frightened girl with no power of her own.

A former smuggler knighted by Stannis Baratheon for running a shipload of onions through a siege. Davos is Stannis's most trusted advisor precisely because he tells his king what he needs to hear rather than what he wants to hear.

Cersei's twin brother and a knight of the Kingsguard, widely regarded as the finest swordsman alive. Jaime earned the name Kingslayer when he killed the Mad King Aerys, an act that branded him an oathbreaker regardless of his reasons.

Eddard Stark's illegitimate son, raised alongside his trueborn siblings at Winterfell but never allowed to forget his bastardy. Jon chooses to join the Night's Watch, seeking purpose and belonging at the edge of the known world.

The eldest son of Randyll Tarly, sent to the Wall by a father who despised his gentle, bookish nature. Overweight, timid, and self-deprecating, Sam is everything a warrior is not – but he possesses a quiet courage and a keen mind.

The elder Stark daughter, raised on songs of chivalry and dreams of courtly life. Sansa's romantic ideals carry her eagerly toward King's Landing, where reality proves far crueller than any story.

The youngest child of Tywin Lannister, a dwarf despised by his father and loathed by his sister. What Tyrion lacks in physical stature he compensates for with a razor-sharp wit, political cunning, and a voracious appetite for books, wine, and life.

The elderly, blind maester of the Night's Watch at Castle Black. Few know that he is a Targaryen prince who refused the Iron Throne decades ago, choosing service over power.

A young lord originally sent by Eddard Stark to bring the King's justice to Gregor Clegane in the Riverlands. What began as a lawful mission transforms into something stranger and more enduring than anyone anticipated.

Commander of the Unsullied, the elite slave-soldiers Daenerys frees in Astapor. Disciplined, loyal, and quietly dignified, Grey Worm embraces the name he bore as a slave because it was the name he had on his day of freedom.

The eldest son of King Robert and Queen Cersei, heir to the Iron Throne. A cruel and petulant boy who mistakes brutality for strength.

A former brother of the Night's Watch who deserted and rose to unite the fractious wildling clans under his leadership. Charismatic, cunning, and a skilled warrior, Mance seeks to lead his people south of the Wall – not for conquest, but survival.

A priestess of R'hllor, the Lord of Light, from the eastern city of Asshai. Melisandre has attached herself to Stannis Baratheon, whom she believes to be a prophesied saviour. Her power is real, but her interpretations of the flames she reads are not always reliable.

A prince of Dorne, younger brother of the ruling Prince Doran. Oberyn is a warrior, scholar, traveller, and poisoner of legendary reputation, driven by a thirst for justice – or vengeance – for his murdered sister Elia.

The eldest son of Eddard and Catelyn Stark. A young man raised on his father's principles, Robb is thrust into a leadership role far sooner than anyone expected.

Lord of the Dreadfort, a vassal of House Stark. Pale-eyed, soft-spoken, and unsettling, Roose practises a cold pragmatism that makes him a dangerous ally and a worse enemy.