Game of Thrones: A quick character guide

Game of Thrones: Robert Baratheon

Robert Baratheon is the king of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and sits on the Iron Throne. He united the people by overthrowing the mad Targaryen king and has ruled for 15 years, but conspiracy and intrigue surround him and threaten to bring down his reign. He is married to Cersei Lannister of the powerful Lannister family and his son Joffrey Baratheon is the heir to the throne.

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Game of Thrones: Eddard Stark

Eddard "Ned" Stark is the Lord of Winterfell and the most powerful figure in the northern region of the kingdom. After the suspicious death of the Hand of the King, Jon Arryn, the king asks his old friend Ned Stark to come to the capital and serve as the new Hand of the King. Stark is played by Sean Bean, who many will remember as Boromir from the Lord of the Rings movies. Stark is a pivotal player in the story and Bean plays the character brilliantly.

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Game of Thrones: Cersei Lannister

Cersei Lannister is the wife of Robert Baratheon and queen of the Seven Kingdoms. She is intelligent, shrewd, and very ambitious. The Lannister family rules the western region of the kingdom from Casterly Rock. Her marriage to Baratheon was a political marriage. While there is tension between them, their union is one of the things that has held the kingdoms together. They have three children: Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen.

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Game of Thrones: Jaime Lannister

Jaime Lannister is the twin brother of Cersei Lannister and her closest friend and companion. Jaime is one of the most skilled and formidible warriors in the kingdom. However, he has a reputation of being ruthless and dishonorable, mostly due to the fact that he was one of the king's guard for King Aerys Targaryen but ultimately delivered the death blow (through the back) to the mad king. That earned him the nickname "Kingslayer."  Nevertheless, Jaime is a little more complex than he first appears, like many of Martin's characters.

Game of Thrones: Tyrion Lannister

Tyrion Lannister is the younger brother of Cersei and Jaime. The dwarf is cunning, quick-witted, and clannish. He is very close to his two siblings but has a difficult relationship with his father, Tywin Lannister, the Lord of Casterly Rock, who is repulsed by Tyrion. His nickname is "The Imp." He is one of Martin's most complex characters and the casting of Peter Dinklage (the angry elf from the movie "Elf") was an excellent choice.

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Game of Thrones: Viserys Targaryen

Viserys Targaryen is the exiled son of the fallen Targaryen king and former heir to the Iron Throne, which he still views as his rightful throne. He is cruel and ruthless and will stop at nothing to get his throne back, including marrying off his sister to the highest bidder.

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Game of Thrones: Daenerys Targaryen

Daenerys Targaryen is the younger sister of Viserys Targaryen and former princess of the Seven Kingdoms before her father was overthrown and she and her brother were forced to flee the Westeros and wander the outlying lands looking for potential allies. Viserys eventually arranges for Daenerys to marry the powerful leader of the Dothraki warriors -- a savage, nomadic tribe of horse lords. Keep your eye on this one. She's not as meek as she looks.

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Game of Thrones: Khal Drogo

Khal Drogo is the warrior-king of the nomadic Dothraki tribe. He takes Daenerys Targaryen as his queen. In return, Viserys Targaryen expects Drogo to give him an army to return to the Westeros and recapture the Seven Kingdoms. Is Drogo a savage or an honorable leader? That's one of the interesting questions to consider in the story.

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Game of Thrones: Jon Snow

Jon Snow is the mysterious bastard child of Ned Stark. The highly-honorable Stark brought Snow home with him to Winterfell after returning from the war to overthrown the Targaryens. Ned never reveals much about Snow's mother or why he brought him home after the war. Snow is a capable fighter and leader who is forced to follow a different lifepath than the rest of the Stark clan because of his ignoble birth.

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Game of Thrones: Arya Stark

Arya Stark is the third of the five Stark children and the youngest daughter. While Arya's older sister Sansa pursues the traditional path expected for a young lady of noble birth, Arya is much more of a tomboy and a rebel. Keep an eye on her as she pursues an uncertan destiny.

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Game of Thrones: The movie poster

The official movie poster shows Ned Stark sitting on the Iron Throne.

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