Game of Thrones Cast: Actors, Characters & Seasons

If you spent eight years watching the Seven Kingdoms tear itself apart, you probably have a favorite scene-stealer who barely survived the series. The Game of Thrones cast runs deep — from Sean Bean’s doomed patriarch in Season 1 to the women who ended up holding the Iron Throne. The show’s 73 episodes across 8 seasons gave dozens of actors their defining roles, and the female cast alone spans five major houses.

Aired: 2011–2019 ·
Seasons: 8 ·
Episodes: 73 ·
Networks: HBO ·
Starring Actors Listed: Sean Bean, Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage

The table below consolidates key data points about the cast and showrun, drawing from cast databases and verified episode counts.

Game of Thrones cast season 1

Season 1 introduced audiences to the Stark family and the political machinations that would unravel Westeros. Sean Bean’s Eddard Stark became television’s most memorable cautionary tale about honor in the wrong court.

Starring actors

• Sean Bean as Eddard Stark — The Warden of the North anchored the first season, though Game of Thrones had already signaled it would not reward noble intentions (Wikipedia – Character list).
• Mark Addy as Robert Baratheon — The reigning king arrived as a bloated shadow of his rebel glory.
• Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister — The Kingslayer debuted as the series’ most divisive knight.
• Michelle Fairley as Catelyn Stark — The matriarch of Winterfell brought steel to every scene in early seasons (Wikipedia).
• Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister — Headey’s queen emerged as the show’s most enduring antagonist across all 8 seasons (Wikipedia).

Recurring roles

The pilot notably featured Tamzin Merchant as Daenerys before reshoots replaced her with Emilia Clarke in early 2010 (Wikipedia – Emilia Clarke). This casting shift arrived too close to the April 2011 premiere to cause audience confusion, as Clarke became the face of the Targaryen restoration.

Episode 1 highlights

The pilot episode set a breakneck pace: three major families, five key deaths previewed across 60 minutes, and the Night’s Watch introduction that would eventually become its own season arc.

Female Game of Thrones cast

The female cast members of Game of Thrones represent five of the show’s major houses — and in several cases, they outlived and outmaneuvered their male counterparts. The show ran from April 2011 to May 2019, giving actresses like Emilia Clarke and Lena Headey sustained eight-season runs that television rarely offers.

Main female leads

• Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen — Daenerys appeared in 62 episodes across all 8 seasons, making her the show’s most frequently featured lead alongside Peter Dinklage’s Tyrion (Fandom – Starring cast). Born 23 October 1986, Clarke brought the Targaryen heir from abused bride to dragon queen.
• Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister — Headey’s Cersei served as main cast in every season, surviving longer than any other queen in the series (Wikipedia).
• Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark — Turner portrayed Sansa across 7 seasons, surviving the deaths of her father, mother, and brother before ascending to Lady of Winterfell (Fandom).
• Maisie Williams as Arya Stark — Williams played Arya across 6-7 seasons, becoming the series’ most lethal assassin by the finale.

Supporting actresses

Several supporting actresses shaped the show’s political landscape without reaching main cast status:

• Natalie Dormer appeared in 26 episodes as Margaery Tyrell from House Tyrell, seasons 2-6, making her one of the most strategic players in King’s Landing before her character’s demise (Fandom).
• Gemma Whelan played Yara Greyjoy from House Greyjoy starting from Season 2, becoming one of the show’s most formidable naval leaders (Collider).
• Gwendoline Christie portrayed Brienne of Tarth from Season 3 onwards, appearing in 42 episodes — an unusually high count for a supporting role (Fandom).
• Nathalie Emmanuel appeared in 38 episodes as Missandei from seasons 3-8, becoming Daenerys’ most trusted advisor (Fandom).
• Indira Varma played Ellaria Sand from House Martell in seasons 5-7, an underrated addition to the show’s Dorne storyline (Collider).

Notable performances

Rose Leslie played Ygritte in seasons 2-4, a wildling love interest for Jon Snow that demonstrated the show could humanize characters beyond the Wall (Wikipedia). Oona Chaplin portrayed Talisa Stark in seasons 2-3 before the Red Wedding removed her from the narrative.

Game of Thrones cast season 2

Season 2 expanded the cast to match its widening geography. With war spreading across the Riverlands and Daenerys gathering her first dragons, the show introduced actors who would remain fixtures for years.

New additions

• Kit Harington as Jon Snow — The bastard of Winterfell took on the Night’s Watch storyline, eventually becoming one of the show’s central figures.
• Carice van Houten as Melisandre — The Red Priestess arrived mid-season, reportedly appearing in select seasons including 2, 5, 6, and 8 (Fandom – Starring cast).
• Carice van Houten as Melisandre — The Red Priestess arrived mid-season, becoming one of the show’s most polarizing presences with her visions and manipulations.

Returning stars

Peter Dinklage’s Tyrion moved from supporting player in Season 1 to main protagonist by Season 2, his scenes in the Battle of the Blackwater among the show’s finest moments. Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys earned her first major battle scenes, establishing the dragon queen template that would define her arc.

Key character arcs

Season 2 also deepened the female cast’s roles, with Natalie Dormer’s Margaery Tyrell beginning her multi-season campaign to become queen — a strategy that would outlast three kings.

Game of Thrones cast Lannister

The Lannister family gave Game of Thrones its most durable cast ensemble. Three actors portrayed the core siblings across all 8 seasons, each accumulating episode counts that dwarf most other television careers.

Core Lannisters

• Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister — The youngest child of Tywin Lannister became the show’s moral center and most frequently cited actor in award circuits. He appeared in more episodes than any other main cast member.
• Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister — Headey’s queen survived the deaths of her children, husband, and lover to become the final antagonist. She portrayed Cersei in every season as main cast, an unusually consistent tenure (Wikipedia).
• Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister — The Kingslayer’s redemption arc moved parallel to his sister’s descent, with Coster-Waldau appearing in nearly as many episodes as his on-screen siblings.

Extended family

Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) appeared as Daenerys’ exiled advisor across multiple seasons, while the Mountain Gregor Clegane changed actors twice — first via Ian McShane in Season 6, then through Hafthor Julius Bjornsson’s physical performance in Season 7-8. This recasting reflected the show’s willingness to adjust when character definitions evolved.

Game of Thrones cast season 6

Season 6 marked a turning point where several supporting cast members moved into starring roles, and the show’s surviving female cast members began dominating narrative focus.

Surviving cast

• Kit Harington as Jon Snow — The character’s resurrection in the Season 6 premiere gave Harington his most memorable scene, and his subsequent coronation elevated him to the show’s primary protagonist.
• Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen — Clarke’s dragon queen reclaimed her strength after Season 5’s setback, culminating in her fleet sailing for Westeros.
• Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister — The Hand of the Queen navigated increasingly desperate advisors as Daenerys’ conquest stalled.

Promoted roles

Sophie Turner’s Sansa transitioned from captive to political player, her seasons of abuse giving way to strategic cunning in Season 6. Maisie Williams’ Arya shed her fugitive status to claim her family’s list of names to kill.

Collider’s character rankings noted that “Myranda was never a major character, but she was a scene-stealing villain” — a review that applies equally to the show’s supporting female cast, who consistently elevated material beyond their episode counts.

Rotten Tomatoes critic consensus noted that “Brienne of Tarth stands as one of the show’s most compelling original characters” — a testament to how supporting roles could eclipse the source material’s limitations.

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Sean Bean opened season 1 as Ned Stark, while Emilia Clarke appeared in 62 episodes as Daenerys, with the Game of Thrones cast overview detailing the full ensemble across eight seasons.

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