Jon Snow, born Aegon Targaryen, is the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen, the late Prince of Dragonstone. From infancy, Jon is presented as the bastard son of Lord Eddard Stark, Lyanna´s brother, and raised by Eddard alongside his lawful children at Winterfell but his true parentage is kept secret from everyone, including Jon himself. In order to escape his bastard status, Jon joins the Night´s Watch and is eventually chosen as Lord Commander. However, his decision to allow thousands of Free Folk, who are fleeing the White Walkers and the Army of the Dead, safe passage through the Wall alienates many of his black brothers, culminating in a mutiny where Jon is killed. Soon after, he is resurrected by Melisandre and Jon executes the mutineers. Jon, freed from his Night´s Watch vows that ended when he died, joins his cousin, Sansa Stark, in building an army to retake Winterfell from House Bolton. After securing help from a few other Northern Houses and the Vale of Arryn, they successfully retake the castle from Ramsay Bolton, restoring House Stark´s dominion over the North with Jon being declared the new King in the North by the gathered Northern and Vale lords. By the end of Season 7, Jon pledges himself and his army to Daenerys Targaryen, rightful Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and steps down as King of the North.

Ygritte was a quick-witted and courageous young spearwife. She had red hair and displayed great skill as an archer. Living north of the Wall, she was well skilled in survival and was staunchly loyal to the cause of Mance Rayder. She valued her status as a free woman, and disparaged those living south of the Wall as ´kneelers´, who blindly followed hereditary leaders instead of choosing a king.

Ygritte believed that because wildlings and Northerners both claim descent from the First Men, there is no need for them to be fighting, and that only the geographical divide of the Wall separates them. As with other wildlings, Ygritte understood that the real threat lies with the impending invasion of the White Walkers.

Lady Olenna Tyrell, née Redwyne, was the elderly matriarch of House Tyrell. Lady Olenna had been a mistress of court politics, plotting and intrigue par excellence throughout her life. She was also known for her wit and sarcasm. As a result, Lady Olenna was popularly nicknamed the Queen of Thorns, in reference to the Tyrell sigil - a rose - and her cutting, barbed comments. In many ways she was the de facto head of House Tyrell at the time of the War of the Five Kings and appeared to hold a great deal of influence over the Reach.

After most of her family are killed in the destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor, an event orchestrated by Cersei Lannister, Olenna´s desire for vengeance leads her to pledge House Tyrell´s forces to Daenerys Targaryen. However, when Daenerys sends her forces to take Casterly Rock, Jaime Lannister´s army sacks Highgarden. Offering Olenna a peaceful end, he allows her to drink poison. However, before dying she reveals that she was the one who murdered his son Joffrey at the Purple Wedding.

Ser Jaime Lannister is the eldest son of Tywin, younger twin brother of Cersei, and older brother of Tyrion Lannister. He is involved in an incestuous relationship with Cersei, and unknown to most, the biological father of her three children, Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen.

Jaime previously served in the Kingsguard of Aerys Targaryen, known as the Mad King, before infamously backstabbing him during the Sack of King´s Landing, earning Jaime the nickname of the Kingslayer. He continued to serve in the Kingsguard of Robert Baratheon, and as Lord Commander for Robert´s alleged sons Joffrey and Tommen. However, a confrontation with the Faith of the Seven led to his dismissal from the sworn order.

With Cersei´s ascension to the Iron Throne and in light of the death of their uncle, Ser Kevan Lannister, Jaime was appointed as the new commander of the Lannister armies. However, he left his position to honor and help the North face the White Walkers after he learned that Cersei and Euron Greyjoy plot to dishonor the truce between the Iron Throne and the alliance of House Targaryen and House Stark.

Queen Daenerys I Targaryen, also known as Dany and Daenerys Stormborn, is the younger sister of Rhaegar Targaryen and Viserys Targaryen, the paternal aunt of Jon Snow, and the youngest child of King Aerys II Targaryen and Queen Rhaella Targaryen, who were both ousted from the Iron Throne during Robert Baratheon´s rebellion.

Daenerys is the only daughter and youngest child of King Aerys II Targaryen, the Mad King, and his sister-wife, Rhaella. Her father died during the Sack of King´s Landing, before she was even born. The usurper Robert Baratheon installed himself as king, having defeated Aerys in the conquest known as Robert´s Rebellion. Her pregnant mother and brother Viserys, fled to the island of Dragonstone, the ancestral home of House Targaryen, to escape Robert. Daenerys´s brother Rhaegar Targaryen was killed in the war by Robert. The forces of House Lannister murdered Rhaegar´s wife, Elia Martell, and their children, Rhaenys and Aegon, during the Sack of King´s Landing.[1]

But unbeknownst to Daenerys and the rest of her family, her oldest brother Rhaegar had another son by Lyanna Stark, who died shortly after giving birth to him. In her final moments, she revealed the true name of their son to her brother Eddard, who passed the boy off as his bastard son, Jon Snow, and raised him in Winterfell. Jon initially joined the Night´s Watch but later became the King in the North.[2]

On the night Daenerys was born on Dragonstone, a vast storm raged. For this reason, she is sometimes called Daenerys Stormborn. Her mother died soon after she was born, leaving her an orphan.[1][3] As a baby, she was taken into exile in the Free Cities with her brother, Viserys, by loyal retainers, among them Ser Willem Darry.[1][4][5]

After years spent fruitlessly trying to raise support to retake the Iron Throne, Viserys and Daenerys were given sanctuary by Magister Illyrio Mopatis in the Free City of Pentos. She dreams of finding a peaceful home and a place to belong. She lives in constant fear of Viserys, who hits her when his temper is risen (in his words, whenever she wakes the dragon). Living under Viserys´s domination has left her meek and malleable

Sandor Clegane, nicknamed the Hound, is the younger brother of Ser Gregor Clegane and was the personal bodyguard of Prince Joffrey Baratheon. When Joffrey ascended the Iron Throne as King Joffrey I, Sandor was named into his Kingsguard despite not being a knight himself, but deserted from his post at the Battle of the Blackwater. After traveling as a fugitive with Arya Stark and having a close brush with death, he reluctantly travels with the Brotherhood Without Banners in hope of having a greater purpose.

Queen Cersei I Lannister is the widow of King Robert Baratheon and Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. She is the daughter of Lord Tywin Lannister, twin sister of Jaime Lannister and elder sister of Tyrion Lannister. She has an incestuous relationship with Jaime, who is secretly the father of her three children, Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen.After the assassinations of Joffrey and Myrcella and Tommen´s suicide in the wake of the destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor, Cersei assumed the throne under the name of Cersei of the House Lannister, the First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms.

Lord Tyrion Lannister is the youngest child of Lord Tywin Lannister and younger brother of Cersei and Jaime Lannister. A dwarf, he uses his wit and intellect to overcome the prejudice he faces.

His abduction by Catelyn Stark for a crime he did not commit serves as one of the catalysts of the War of the Five Kings. After escaping his captors, Tyrion is appointed by his father as acting Hand of the King to Joffrey Baratheon and successfully defends King´s Landing against Stannis Baratheon at the Battle of the Blackwater, after which he is stripped of his power, demoted to Master of Coin and eventually framed for Joffrey´s murder. After his champion, Oberyn Martell, dies in Tyrion´s trial by combat, Tyrion flees to Essos with help from Jaime and Varys after murdering his father.

In the east, he is captured by Jorah Mormont and taken to Daenerys Targaryen in Meereen, whom Varys had intended for Tyrion to meet anyway. Daenerys decides to enlist his help in reclaiming the Iron Throne. For his loyalty and service, Tyrion is named as Hand of the Queen to Daenerys before they readBlocksSet sail for Westeros with her new army and allies, ready to advise her when they reach her ancestral home of Dragonstone, where he acts as her strategist during her invasion of Westeros.