
Have you noticed the recurrence of a certain type of character in the series Game of Thrones? This person—or
creature—might have magic powers, or unusual strength, skill, or stature—and appears in the story primarily to aid a more major character. This character type is what I’ve come to call the “strange helper”—strange in the sense of unusual, extraordinary, or exceptional. Here are just a few examples.
- The dragons Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion, who help Daenerys Targaryen
- The wolves Grey Wind, Ghost, Shaggydog, Summer, Lady, and Nymeria, who help the Stark children
- The red priestess Melisandre, who helps Stannis Baratheon and later Jon Snow
- Faceless man Jaqen H’ghar, who helps Arya Stark
- Stablehand Hodor, who helps Bran Stark
- The three-eyed raven (both the animal and the person), who also helps Bran Stark
- The druid-like Children of the Forest, who help Bran and company
- The wights, zombie-like creatures, who help the White Walkers
- The resurrected Mountain, who helps Cersei Lannister
What are some other examples of strange helpers in Game of Thrones? Share your ideas in a comment!
This Month’s Giveaway
To celebrate the start of summer, I’m giving away this adorable Aurora plush toy wolf. This giveaway is open to residents of the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
I would name it Shaya after my husky I had years ago, RIP.
I would name if Wolfbane.
i would give him wolf cause he looks like one
I would name him Dax after my German shepherd
Nymeria, after the wolf adopted by Arya.
This would be a gift for one of my grandchildren, so I would allow them to name her. Thank you for the chance to win!
My little girl would name the wolf Snuggles (she is turning 4 on July 3rd) she loves doggies but is not allowed this would be awesome for her
I would name this wolf Winter. Wolves are my favorite animals!
I’d call him Winter 😉
I would name him Snow.