Match The Nickname To The Game Of Thrones Character!
- by Dylan Dembrow
- – on
- in Movies and TV
It’s long been a tradition that characters in sci-fi and fantasy epics are often given more than one name. For instance, in The Lord of the Rings, Frodo Baggins is also referred to as the Ringbearer, while in Dune, Paul Atreides rises to the title of Muad’Dib. These nicknames don’t just add some variety to the storytelling, they also signify that the character has become something greater than they once were; Frodo is no longer an innocent hobbit living in the Shire, just as Paul is no longer a noble boy in training.
George R.R. Martin has continued this tradition with his ongoing fantasy epic A Song of Ice and Fire -- better known as Game of Thrones to those who only watch the HBO series. The problem here is that Martin’s fantasy world sometimes feels like it contains more characters than the Ring trilogy and the Dune universe combined! So while sometimes the characters’ nicknames will help us better identify the character, other times they can leave us completely baffled as to who they’re even talking about!
While some of these Thrones characters almost always go by their nicknames, others have only been called by their secondary handle on a few occasions. So let’s see how many Game of Thrones characters you can remember by their nicknames!
Robb Stark
The eldest son of Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn, Robb quickly rises to power following his father’s wrongful execution. He unites the North and, at first, leads a successful rebellion against the Lannisters and their allies. Robb proves to be a master military strategist, securing lands to the Twins and beyond. But when Robb fails to keeps his word to Lord Frey and instead follows his heart's desires, he sacrifices his hold over the North and gets himself murdered during the events of the Red Wedding.
Brynden Tully
Ser Brynden Tully is the uncle of Catelyn Stark, Lysa Arryn and Edmure Tully. He was a well-respected knight, proving himself as a more than capable battle commander during the War of the Ninepenny Kings and the War of the Five Kings. He often was at odds with his brother, Hoster Tully, the Lord of Riverrun, because Brynden had refused to take a wife and further the family line. He is slain by Lannister and Frey men at Riverrun after he refuses to be taken captive by his enemies.
Ramsay Bolton
On a show filled with characters we love to hate, Ramsay Bolton may be the most hated of them all. Ramsay first makes his appearance in season three, and he quickly climbs to become the Lord Paramount of the North, leaving a trail of suffering and maimed body parts wherever he goes. After being decreed his father’s trueborn son, Ramsay murders the remainder of his family so he can rule the North on his own, but he is eventually defeated by an army led by Jon Snow and Ramsay's own wife, Sansa Stark.
Melisandre
At over 400 years old, by all rights, Melisandre should be long dead. But if you want to live a long time in the world of Game of Thrones, then you best start worshipping the Lord of Light. Melisandre has long been a priestess of R’hllor, who has gifted her with many powers, which are not always within her realm of comprehension. But she has accurately predicted the deaths of three kings and brought Jon Snow back from the dead. Though she has recently been banished by Snow, we doubt we’ve seen the last of this woman from Asshai.
Cersei Lannister
Since the beginning of the series, Cersei Lannister has been surrounded by death. First, her husband, King Robert dies (which she helped play a hand in), and then her three children, Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen are slowly taken away from her. She has gone from queen, to prisoner, to ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. While we’ve enjoyed watching Cersei have her revenge on the High Sparrow and his zealots, we have a feeling that she will let her hatred go too far in the coming seasons.
Varys
Though Varys is often referred to as Lord Varys, he is actually not a lord at all, as he belongs to no house and holds no lands of his own. He served as the Master of Whisperers on the Small Council of King Aerys II, King Robert and King Joffrey, acquiring vast amounts of information across Westeros and beyond and using it at his disposal. While Varys admits that he only serves the realm, it is revealed that Varys comes to serve Queen Daenerys, as he believes she is best suited to stop the bloodshed throughout the Seven Kingdoms.
Theon Greyjoy
It’s hard to feel bad for a character that has brought so many of his misfortunes upon himself, but in the last few seasons, Theon has slowly been redeeming himself. He helped Sansa escape from Ramsay Bolton, and finally admitted that his sister, Yara, would be a better heir to the Salt Throne than he ever could have been. After his greedy uncle takes the Iron Islands for himself, Theon sets out for Essos with Yara, where they give their allegiance and the use of their fleet to Queen Daenerys.
Davos Seaworth
Born and raised in Flea Bottom, this son of a poor crabber has raised himself from smuggler, to knight, to hand of the king. Ser Davos Seaworth may not be a learned man, but he has more common sense than most maesters. After saving Stannis Baratheon’s life during the besiege on Storm’s End, Davos became one of Stannis’s most trusted advisors, and eventually becoming his Hand, despite Melisandre’s protest. Following Stannis’s defeat, Ser Davos has more recently fallen in with House Stark.
Olenna Tyrell
For all intents and purposes, Lady Olenna serves as the head of House Tyrell, and she is known for her brutal honesty and snide sarcasm. This woman is no fool, and thus, she has no patience for foolishness of any kind. She has tolerated the Lannisters longer than she would have liked, but with Cersei recently killing most of her loved ones during the Destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor, Lady Olenna will certainly be looking for some revenge of her own this coming season.
Barristan Selmy
If Ser Arthur Dayne was one of the best swordsmen that ever lived, Barristan Selmy was one of the best swordsmen still alive at the start of the series. Barristan served under King Aerys II and King Robert before being dismissed by King Joffrey, claiming he was too old to defend anyone anymore. To spite the Lannisters, Selmy makes for Essos and comes to be one of Dany’s trusted advisors, before he is outnumbered by the Sons of the Harpy and killed during a skirmish.
Jaime Lannister
Jaime Lannister often gets a bad wrap. Sure, he sleeps with his own twin sister, and he once killed the king he was sworn to protect. But he’s done a number of honorable things as well, including saving his brother's and Brienne’s lives — which no one ever gives him credit for. Now with his ruthless sister/ lover, Cersei, ruling the Seven Kingdoms, it will be interesting to see which side of the moral compass Jaime ultimately ends up on.
Gendry
Unbeknownst to him, Gendry is a bastard son of King Robert Baratheon, who was sent away from King’s Landing after his father's death. Gendry ends up being hunted by King Joffrey’s men, as Joffrey wants to rid the world of as many of his father’s bastard children as he can. Gendry befriends Array on the Kingsroad. He is eventually taken to Dragonstone, but before Melisandre can use him for his “king’s blood,” Ser Davos Seaworth helps him escape, and we haven’t seen Gendry since.
Daenerys Targaryen
Daenerys Targaryen is the only remaining child of the “Mad King” Aerys II Targaryen. Both of her older brothers, Rhaegar and Viserys, are long dead, leaving her the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, depending upon your point of view that is. She owns three dragons — the only ones left in existence — which she plans to use to take back the Seven Kingdoms for herself. In the trailer for season seven, we’ve already seen that Dany has retaken Dragonstone, the island that once belonged to her ancestors.
Stannis Baratheon
Though he may very well be the rightful heir to the Iron Throne after his brother Robert’s untimely death, Stannis Baratheon vastly lacks the charisma to get the smallfolk of the Seven Kingdoms to support his claim. Instead, he’s forced to fight tooth and nail to gain any hold over the lands beyond Dragonstone. After being defeated at King’s Landing, Stannis tries to sweep down from the North, ultimately ending in his defeat and death — though the character is actually still alive and well in the books.
Tyrion Lannister
Despite being from one of the richest families in all of Westeros (and possibly the entire world) Tyrion Lannister has always been an outcast. As he says so himself, he’s been on trial his entire life for being a dwarf, and the fact that his mother happened to die giving birth to him certainly hasn't helped his cause. He has always been at odds with the rest of his family, save for his brother Jaime, who has a soft spot for his younger brother. Tyrion now serves under Queen Daenerys, who has recently set sail for Tyrion’s homeland.
Joffrey Baratheon
Though most of the realm believes Joffrey Baratheon to be the son of King Robert and the queen, he was actually born from incest between Jaime and Cersei, making him 100% Lannister. The inbreeding proves to backfire massively when Joffrey is crowned king and displays no care for the well-being of his realm. Joffrey orders that Ned Stark be executed for treason, and orders his knights to abuse his betrothed, Sansa Stark. Thankfully, the character meets his demise during his very own wedding celebration.
Petyr Baelish
This one is a bit of a freebie, considering that this character is more often referred to by his nickname, with many never calling him his real name at all. Lord Petyr Baelish is a master manipulator who has climbed from the heir of a minor house to the Lord of Harrenhal (the biggest castle in the Seven Kingdoms) and the Lord Protector of the Vale. He has no true allegiance to anyone but himself, though he did most recently aid the Starks in retaking Winterfell from the Boltons. So what exactly is your angle now, Lord Petyr?
Brienne of Tarth
Brienne is the sole child of Lord Selwyn, making her the heir to the island of Tarth. Though she was faced with many promising marriage prospects, Brienne new they were not because of her looks, but rather her claim to the island. Thus, she has chosen a life of servitude, pledging her sword to anyone that doesn’t dismiss her as a joke. Though she is a woman, Brienne has bested some of the best swordsmen in the Seven Kingdoms, including Jaime Lannister and Sandor Clegane.
Beric Dondarrion
Is there a more faithful servant of the Lord of Light? Beric Dondarrion has been resurrected by R’hllor on at least six occasions, though he admits that every time he comes back he is slightly less than the man he was before. Once the Lord of Blackhaven, Beric is now a member of the Brotherhood Without Banners, an outlaw group that seeks to protect the commoners from the atrocities of House Lannister and other powerful houses. Last we saw Beric, he was headed north with his men and Gregor Clegane to take on the White Walkers.
Robert Baratheon
You know that no one is safe in the Seven Kingdoms when even the most powerful man can easily be killed… by a boar, nonetheless. Robert Baratheon became king after killing Rhaegar Targaryen and eventually securing King’s Landing for himself. The kingdoms prospered under his reign, though he also amassed a plethora of debt to House Lannister and the Iron Bank. He wishes Ned Stark to rule until Joffrey comes of age, but his final wishes are never carried out, and the Lannisters end up getting the better of Ned as well.
Mance Rayder
A former member of the Night’s Watch, Mance Rayder decides to abandon his brothers and become a member of the Free Folk. He takes a wildling wife and is known to be fond of the Free Folk’s music, being the accomplished singer that he is. When the cold winds begin to rise, Mance unites the various clans north of the Wall, and leads one of the biggest assaults against the Night’s Watch in recent memory. He is ultimately burned at the stake by King Stannis for abandoning his post.
Samwell Tarly
Samwell Tarly is a steward of the Night’s Watch who once hailed from Horn Hill. Despite being his father’s first born and the true heir to their house, Samwell was a disgrace to his father, Lord Randyll Tarly, and thus sent to serve at the Wall. Though he admits to being a coward, Sam is one of the few members of the Watch to actually take down a White Walker, though he claims it was the dragonglass that actually did the job. Sam has recently arrived at Old Town to become a maester.
Sansa Stark
After being passed around the Seven Kingdoms like a flagon of wine at a Lannister reunion, Sansa Stark is finally back in a Stark-ruled Winterfell alongside her “brother” Jon Snow. Sansa, who once thought knights and kings to be men of great honor, has learned that life is far from the fairy tale she once imagined. Now, much older and wiser, Sansa has shown increased leadership when it comes to the future of House Stark by securing the Knight’s of the Vale to fight by their side.
Loras Tyrell
For a character that mostly minded his own business (at least by Game of Thrones standards), Ser Loras Tyrell has undergone quite a fall from grace. Known for being one of the best, and most attractive, tourney fighters in the Seven Kingdoms, Ser Loras Tyrell became a member of the Kingsguard to Renly Baratheon, who was also his lover. After Renly is assassinated by a shadow, Loras finds himself in King’s Landing, where he is eventually imprisoned by the Sparrows for his sins, until he is ultimately blown up be Cersei Lannister in the Great Sept of Baelor.
Sandor Clegane
Though Sandor Clegane may be tiny compared to his older brother, he’s still one of the biggest and most intimidating fighters in the Seven Kingdoms. He’s survived death on a number of occasions and gone through quite the character transformation. When we first meet him, he’s the brutal bodyguard to Prince Joffrey, but after six seasons he’s decided to join the Brotherhood without Banners and put his fighting skills to good use by being on the front lines of the Great War.
Oberyn Martell
Hailing from the southernmost kingdom of Dorne, Prince Oberyn Martell is a skilled fighter with a passion for visiting brothels. This makes him an unlikely ally to Tyrion Lannister when the dwarf is put on trial for the murder of Joffrey. Oberyn decides to act as Tyrion’s champion, partly because he believes the Lannister to be innocent, but mostly because he wants revenge on Gregor Clegane, the man that raped and murdered his sister and her children. Unfortunately, the trail by combat does not end how Oberyn (and Tyrion) would have liked.
Arthur Dayne
Though Ser Arthur Dayne died long before the events of Game of Thrones, everyone continues to talk about how he may very well have been the greatest swordsman that ever lived. He is shown during a flashback, where Bran watches his father battle against Ser Dayne at the Tower of Joy. The knight was a member of the Kingsguard for King Aerys II, and he was known to fight with the ancestral sword of his house, which went by the name of Dawn.
Jeor Mormont
Jeor Mormont acted as the 997th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, who served when Jon Snow first made his arrival on the Wall. Jeor is the father of Jorah, the exiled knight who left Bear Island for Essos, where he would come to serve Daenerys Targaryen. Jeor is almost on the opposite corner of the known world, where he leads an expedition beyond to Wall to track the wildlings movements. After surviving an attack from the White Walkers and their army of undead, Jeor is killed by his own men during the mutiny at Craster’s Keep.
Benjen Stark
After being presumed dead and absent from the show for four seasons, Benjen Stark finally makes his return, saving Bran and Meera from a group of wights at the end of season six. Benjen explains that he was killed by a White Walker on his last ranging north of the Wall, though he was brought back to life by the children of the forest to help serve the Three-Eyed-Raven. Now that Bran has assumed this position, we doubt we’ve seen the last of Benjen Stark. Unfortunately, he’s no longer able to travel south of the Wall.
Jorah Mormont
Jorah was once the Lord of Bear Island before he was exiled for selling poachers into slavery. What would drive an otherwise honest man into such debauchery? The answer is love of course, which has always been Jorah’s downfall. He tried so hard to please his wife that he came to shame himself, and the same happened again with Daenerys. Jorah no doubt loves the queen, but he also knows that she will never love him back. He has been ordered to find a cure for his greyscale, so that he may rejoin Daenerys when she takes back Westeros.
Gregor Clegane
Gregor Clegane may be the largest man in Game of Thrones that isn’t a giant. He is an extremely violent knight, almost barbaric in nature, though Tywin Lannister has still been able to find a use for him. He is a sworn sword to House Lannister, receiving a knighthood and a place in the Kingsguard. Following his trial by combat with Oberyn Martell, Gregor has undergone various procedures by Qyburn, and the knight has since taken a “vow of silence.” It is unknown if Gregor can now be killed, or if he is already dead.
Jon Snow
Out of Lord Eddard Stark’s six children, Jon Snow is one of four that remain. Though he’s actually not one of Eddard’s children at all, but in fact the love child of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen — which makes Sansa and Bran his cousins, and Queen Daenerys his aunt. Jon has been able to unite opposing forces before, like the wildlings and the Night’s Watch. Could his bloodline be the one thing to bring the North and other southern six kingdoms back together again?
Khal Drogo
Drogo was a khal (warlord) of the Dothraki people who came to take Daenerys Targaryen as his khaleesi (wife). Dany was in a sense sold to Drogo, as Dany’s brother, Viserys, thought it would one day make Drogo’s army his own. But what Viserys failed to realize is that the Dothraki do not abide by the same guidelines of those from Westeros; they do not share their power through inheritance and marriage alliances, but rather through the ability to conquer. Therefore, Drogo was khal because he has proved that he was the strongest amongst his people.
Qhorin
Qhorin was one of the most experienced rangers in the Night’s Watch. He was stationed at the Shadow Tower and had lead many successful rangings north of the Wall. During his last ranging, he’s accompanied by Jon Snow when the two are eventually taken captive by the wildlings. He orders Jon Snow to kill him and do whatever else he must to infiltrate the Free Folk so he can one day report back to Castle Black with any useful information.
Lord of Bones
Wait a second? Isn’t the Lord of Bones already a nickname? The answer is yes, yes it is. But because this character’s real name is always unknown, he actually has two nicknames, Lord of Bones being the most frequently used. This character is no doubt a Free Folk who wears a giant's skull as his helmet, along with an array of armor made from various other beings' bones. He is one of the wildlings who takes Jon Snow captive, and he doubts that the crow can ever become one of them.