On March 31, 2013, the highly anticipated third season of the immensely popular show Game of Thrones will commence. Based on A Song of Fire and Ice by George R.R. Martin, the series chronicles the struggle for power in a magical world. Martin combines morally ambiguous characters with fantasy elements such as dragons, while exploring themes such as social hierarchy, religion, civil war, sexuality, crime, and punishment. Season 3 of Game of Thrones will roughly cover the first half of A Storm of Swords, the most popular book in the series. Since it’s been almost a year since we last saw the characters we love, hate or love to hate, here is an update on all of the characters in this sprawling epic.
Tyrion: In typical George RR Martin fashion, Tyrion’s reward in return for saving the day at Blackwater Bay by defeating Stannis was getting badly wounded by an assassination attempt by sister Cersei, and then losing all his credit of the victory by his father Tywin. After being named as The Hand of the King, Tyrion worked hard to make change in King’s Landing, only to see it all go to waste. Season 3 will see Tyrion interact with members of the Tyrell family, and may be involved in a possible upcoming marriage.
Daenerys: At the end of Season 2, Daenerys escaped the dangerous intrigue of Qarth, and reclaimed her dragons after they were stolen by a creepy warlock. After locking the treacherous dignitary Xaro Xhoan Daxos inside of a vault, Daenerys salvaged enough of his possessions to buy a ship. Though many fans think that Daenerys is heading off to Westeros, the mother of dragons needs an army first before she can conquer. Season 3 will see her rise to power, and viewers will also get to see more cool dragon mischief.
Jon Snow: At the end of season 2, we saw everyone’s favorite bad guy heading off to meet the King Beyond the Wall. Season 3 will not only introduce the King Beyond the Wall, Mance Rayder, who has been mentioned several times but never shown, but will also introduce wilding characters such as Tormund Giantsbane and a skin-changing wilding named Orell. Season 3 will also continue Jon Snow’s relationship with Ygritte. Viewers will also get to see the wildings scale the wall, which is sure to make for an exciting episode.
Robb Stark: The King of the North will have a larger role in Season 3. After breaking off his marriage pact with the powerful Lord Walder Frey, This season will highlight Robb’s struggle in holding his kingdom together. His mother Catelyn is disgusted by Robb’s impetuous decision, but continues to support him. This season will introduce the Tullys (Catelyn’s brother and uncle) and end in dramatic fashion to say the least.
Jaime Lannister: Everyone’s favorite child-crippling incestuous knight goes on a road trip with the homely knight Brienne. Their wildly different personalities will clash and play off of each other, and viewers can expect Jamie to have a much larger role this season, rather than his previous time spent rotting away in a cell.
Theon Greyjoy: After betraying the only people who have ever loved him to win the approval of his cold-hearted father, Theon will truly face the consequences for his actions in Winterfell. Details are kept under wrap, but one can say that Theon will get a little more than what he deserves.
Stannis: Though the rightful king of the Seven Kingdoms was defeated in The Battle of The Blackwater, King Stannis is still alive and not out of the fight yet. Having retreated to Dragonstone with the ominous priestess Melisandre at his side, Stannis will contemplate making an extreme sacrifice to win everything.
Bran- After fleeing a destroyed Winterfell, Bran, his little brother Rickon, the wilding Osha, and Hodor will journey north to reach the wall. Fan favorites such as Jojen and Meera Reed will be introduced, and Bran may be reunited with a member of the Stark family.