The wealthiest family in the Seven Kingdoms, seated at Casterly Rock in the Westerlands. Their words – Hear Me Roar – are less well known than their unofficial motto: A Lannister Always Pays His Debts. Under Tywin's iron hand, the Lannisters wield gold and fear in equal measure.

Seven knights sworn to protect the king and the royal family, serving for life. The Kingsguard are meant to be the finest warriors in the realm, though the reality has not always matched the ideal. They wear white cloaks and are forbidden from holding lands, marrying, or fathering children.