Game of Thrones: Who's Who in Season 2

Updated: Balon Greyjoy, Podrick Payne and Pyat Pree have been cast! See below...

For those of you who don't want any spoilers regarding the upcoming Season 2 of HBO's Game of Thrones, based on the George R. R. Martin novel A Clash of Kings, you might want to end your journey here. I'm going to try and be as cursory as possible when describing these roles as I know I wouldn't want certain things spoiled for me, but sometimes just knowing that certain people exist at all is too much for some people.

This piece will live and grow as the casting announcements come in but we thought it would be a good time to wrangle together all the new characters (along with the new faces) who will be appearing in Season 2. Now since this series gives no quarter, we lost a few favorites in Season 1. But rest assured there will be plenty of strong new roles entering the bloody and brutal realm in 2012. Such as...

Yes, the middle Baratheon boy – elder to Renly, younger to Robert – was only mentioned in Season 1. But he'll be on the attack in Season 2 while trying to seize the Iron Throne, which he sees as his right by succession, from King Dickbag, Joffrey B. Stephen Dillane (John Adams, King Arthur) has been cast.

Along with Stannis, and his keep on the Isle of Dragonstone, comes two new characters: Ser Davos Seaworth and Melisandre. Davos, a former smuggler-turned-knight, acts as Stannis' honest council while Melisandre and her mysterious prophetic powers creates tension among Stannis' men as some believe that her dark divinations will cause destruction instead of victory.

Liam Cunningham (Camelot) and Carice van Houton (Valkyrie, Black Book) have been cast.


Lucian Msamati (No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency) has been cast as the notorious sellsail pirate Salladhor Saan who, while not a major character, plays an important role in revealing a bit of Davos' backstory as Saan is an old cohort of his from their smuggler days.



As part of Cat's story this next season, the recent widow will meet one of Renly Baratheon's persona guardians, Brienne – a very large, strong woman who is mocked for her desire to be a knight in a world where women are expected to be "ladies." British model Gwendoline Christie has been cast.

Natalie Dormer (The Tudors) has nabbed the role of Margaery Tyrell - of House Tyrell. A woman we won't tell you too much about except to say that we'll find her close to Renly Baratheon.



We won't delve too much into Daenerys travels this coming season, but we'll just say that she and her dragons meet up with an assortment of interesting characters, two of which are the mysterious Quaithe, a desert priestess, and Xaro, a doting merchant-prince of a vastly rich city called Qarth. German actress Laura Pradelska and British actor Nonso Anozie (RocknRolla, Conan the Barbarian) have been cast!


As if Daenerys didn't have her hands full with enough mysterious sorcery, meet Pyat Pree: A warlock from Qarth who tries to recruit Dany to his cause. Ian Hanmore will play the potentially dangerous Pyat.



As you saw in the Season 1 finale, Jon Snow will be heading beyond the wall in Season 2 and along his journeys with the Night's Watch he'll encounter a crusty, bitter wilding elder named Craster and a girl under Craster's "care" named Gilly. Also along for the trek is Night's Watch member Dolorous Edd.

Welsh actor Robert Pugh, Hannah Murray (Skins) and Ben Crompton have been cast!



As Tyrion heads off to King's Landing to become King Joffrey's Hand, we'll get a little more insight into the "Mad King" Aerys and his past obsession with fire (hence, burning Ned's father to death). Most of the people in the capital city have already been introduced, so there's not much casting on this front. But Roy Dotrice, established British character actor and voice of the GoT audio books, has been cast as Wisdom Hallyne, a senior member of the Guild of Alchemists. A pyromancer.

Not only does Tyrion get the new title of "King's Hand" next year, but he gets his own squire as well. Young Podrick has some key moments in Season 2 and young Brit Daniel Portman has landed the role of the Imp's aid.



Many wonder what Robb will be up to this year since he still isn't a POV chapter character in Martin's second book. Well, it looks like they might be introducing a Book 3 character next season in order to flesh our Robb's story a bit more. Charlie Chaplin's granddaughter, Oona, has been cast as a "Jeyne" – who could be Jeyne Westerling, of House Westerling in the west.

Arya has a treacherous journey ahead of her as she, pretending to be an orphan boy named Arry, started to head back North (on foot) with a bunch of dangerous Night's Watch "recruits." Traveling with her (and already seen in a cage with hood over his face) is the dangerous Jagen H'ghar. Roose Bolton - aka "The Leech Lord" - will also pop up, but we don't want to give too much away.



Some who've read the books wondered why Alfie Allen's Theon Greyjoy was featured so prominently in Season 1 when he was barely in the first novel. But, of course, those same people knew that Theon becomes a much bigger (and a POV) character in Clash of Kings. Enter Theon's sister Yara – who's name has been changed from "Asha" as to not be confused with Natalia Tena's "Osha." Yara Greyjoy is Theon's fierce and proud sister who loves wielding an axe. Gemma Whelan (The Wolfman, Gulliver's Travels) has been cast!

So who's the patriarch of this ferocious family? Why, it's Balon Greyjoy - the severe and stern ruler of the Iron Islands who tried (unsuccessfully) to rebel against King Robert nine years previous. His defeat is the reason his surviving son Theon was given to The Starks as a ward. Patrick Malahide (The Long Kiss Goodnight, Billy Elliot) has been cast.



More to come...…

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