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.

Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, wife of Robert Baratheon, and twin sister of Jaime. Beautiful, ambitious, and increasingly paranoid, Cersei harbours secrets that could destroy the realm.

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.

Lord of Winterfell, Warden of the North, and head of House Stark. A man of rigid honour and quiet authority, Ned is deeply devoted to his family and to the old ways of the North. When his old friend King Robert asks him to serve as Hand of the King, duty compels him south to a court where honour is a liability.

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 last surviving son of Balon Greyjoy, raised as a ward (and hostage) at Winterfell since childhood. Caught between two identities – the Stark boy he was raised as and the Ironborn prince he was born – Theon's desire to prove himself leads him down a ruinous path.

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.

A sellsword of low birth and no scruples who attaches himself to Tyrion Lannister after a chance meeting. Skilled, pragmatic, and refreshingly honest about his motivation: gold.

A flamboyant sellsword captain who pledges his company – and himself – to Daenerys's cause. Bold, skilled, and shamelessly self-promoting, Daario is either utterly devoted or utterly untrustworthy, depending on the moment.

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.

A vastly wealthy merchant prince of the Free City of Pentos who shelters the exiled Targaryen siblings. Illyrio's generosity has strings attached, and his true motives extend far beyond simple hospitality.