The Essential Guide to ‘Game of Thrones’ Character Alliances, Schemes, and More.

Do you ever get confused by the world of Game of Thrones? Or feel as though you’re the person Ygritte was addressing when she would say, “You know nothing”? It’s understandable if so—it takes maester-like focus to track five seasons’ worth of shifting alliances, malicious schemes, and murder plots, to say nothing of simply determining where all the characters are geographically located at a given moment.

Lest you worry that you’ll be the only one left out in the cold when winter finally comes, Vulture has sorted it all out for you. Our interactive character ring maps out the relationship dynamics at work in the show, all easily sortable using the filters on the side. Want to learn who’s in cahoots? Or remind yourself who’s still married? Just check the appropriate boxes—and to see how those connections have changed over the course of the show, use the chronological slider at the top. It’s a refresher on how the game has been played in seasons one through five, just in time for the start of season six on April 24. Knowledge is a weapon—maybe not as coveted as Valyrian Steel, but certainly easier to come by.

Hover over a character to see their connections. Click on a character for more detail.
White Walkers
Wildlings
Mance Rayder
Tormund Giantsbane
Osha
Night's Watch
Jeor Mormont
Alliser Thorne
Jon Snow
Samwell Tarly
House Stark
Ned Stark
Sansa Stark
Arya Stark
Bran Stark
Rickon Stark
Northern Lords
House Reed
Roose Bolton
Ramsay Bolton
House Greyjoy
Theon Greyjoy
House Tully
House Frey
House Arryn
Lysa Arryn
House Lannister
Cersei Lannister
Jaime Lannister
Tyrion Lannister
Lancel Lannister
Tywin Lannister
Joffrey Baratheon
Myrcella Baratheon
Tommen Baratheon
House Baratheon
Robert Baratheon
Stannis Baratheon
House Tyrell
Loras Tyrell
Margaery Tyrell
Olenna Tyrell
House Martell
House Targaryen
Daenerys Targaryen
Dothraki
Unsullied
Iron Bank
Faceless Men
Melisandre
Faith Militant
Pycelle
Qyburn
Varys
Littlefinger
Jorah Mormont
Barristan Selmy
The Hound
The Mountain
Brienne of Tarth
Bronn
Three-Eyed Raven

White Walkers

 
Killed/Killed By
Killed/Killed By

Night's Watch

Killed/Killed By

Jon Snow

Wildlings/Free Folk

 
Killed/Killed By

White Walkers

Alliance

Night's Watch

Alliance

Jon Snow

Tormund Giantsbane

 
Alliance

Jon Snow

Night's Watch

 
Killed/Killed By

White Walkers

Alliance

Alliser Thorne

 
Killed

Jon Snow

Jon Snow

 
Killed

White Walkers

Alliance
Alliance

Tormund Giantsbane

Killed By

Alliser Thorne

Alliance

Samwell Tarly

Samwell Tarly

 

Jon Snow

House Stark

 
Enemies

House Lannister

Enemies

Roose Bolton

Sansa Stark

 
Marriage Alliance/Betrothal

Ramsay Bolton

Ward/Prisoner

Roose Bolton

Alliance

Theon Greyjoy

Alliance

Brienne of Tarth

It's Complicated

Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish

Enemies

Cersei Lannister

Arya Stark

 
Severly Injured By

Faceless Men

Enemies

Cersei Lannister

Enemies

Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane

Enemies

House Frey

Enemies

Melisandre

Roose Bolton

 
Ward/Prisoner

Sansa Stark

Enemies

House Stark

Marriage Alliance/Betrothal

House Frey

Enemies

Stannis Baratheon

Schemes

Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish

Ramsay Bolton

 
Marriage Alliance/Betrothal

Sansa Stark

It's Complicated

Theon Greyjoy/Reek

Enemies

Stannis Baratheon

Theon Greyjoy/Reek

 
Alliance

Sansa Stark

It's Complicated

Ramsay Bolton

House Frey

 
Enemies

Arya Stark

Marriage Alliance/Betrothal

Roose Bolton

House Lannister

 
Enemies

House Stark

Betrayal

House Martell

Marriage Alliance/Betrothal

House Tyrell

Enemies

Stannis Baratheon

Enemies

House Baratheon

Cersei Lannister

 
Enemies

Sansa Stark

Enemies

Arya Stark

Enemies

House Tyrell

Enemies

Margaery Tyrell

Schemes

Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish

Schemes

Olenna Tyrell

It's Complicated

Jaime Lannister

Ward/Prisoner

Faith Militant

Betrayal

Lancel Lannister

Enemies

Tyrion Lannister

Alliance

Qyburn

Alliance

Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane

Jaime Lannister

 
It's Complicated

Cersei Lannister

Alliance

Brienne of Tarth

Alliance

Bronn

Ward/Prisoner

House Martell

Tyrion Lannister

 
Enemies

Cersei Lannister

Alliance

Varys

Alliance

Daenerys Targaryen

Lancel Lannister

 
Betrayal

Cersei Lannister

Myrcella Baratheon

 
Killed By

House Martell

Tommen Baratheon

 
Marriage Alliance/Betrothal

Margaery Tyrell

House Baratheon

 
Enemies

House Lannister

Stannis Baratheon

 
Enemies

Roose Bolton

Enemies

Ramsay Bolton

Enemies

House Lannister

Alliance

Melisandre

Killed By

Brienne of Tarth

Alliance

Iron Bank

Schemes

Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish

House Tyrell

 
Marriage Alliance/Betrothal

House Lannister

Enemies

Cersei Lannister

Loras Tyrell

 
Ward/Prisoner

Faith Militant

Margaery Tyrell

 
Enemies

Cersei Lannister

Marriage Alliance/Betrothal

Tommen Baratheon

Ward/Prisoner

Faith Militant

Olenna Tyrell

 
Schemes

Cersei Lannister

Schemes

Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish

House Martell

 
Betrayal

House Lannister

Ward/Prisoner

Jaime Lannister

Killed

Myrcella Baratheon

Ward/Prisoner

Bronn

House Targaryen

 
It's Complicated

Varys

Daenerys Targaryen

 
Alliance

Tyrion Lannister

Alliance

Unsullied

Alliance

Jorah Mormont

Unsullied

 
Alliance

Daenerys Targaryen

Iron Bank

 
Alliance

Stannis Baratheon

Faceless Men

 
Severly Injured By

Arya Stark

Melisandre

 
Enemies

Arya Stark

Alliance

Stannis Baratheon

Enemies

Brienne of Tarth

Faith Militant

 
Prisoner

Cersei Lannister

Prisoner

Loras Tyrell

Prisoner

Margaery Tyrell

Qyburn

 
Alliance

Cersei Lannister

Alliance

Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane

Varys

 
Alliance

Tyrion Lannister

It's Complicated

House Targaryen

Littlefinger

 
It's Complicated

Sansa Stark

Schemes

Roose Bolton

Schemes

Cersei Lannister

Schemes

Stannis Baratheon

Schemes

Olenna Tyrell

Jorah Mormont

 
Alliance

Daenerys Targaryen

Sandor "The Hound" Clegane

 
Enemies

Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane

The Mountain

 
Enemies

Arya Stark

Alliance

Cersei Lannister

Alliance

Qyburn

Enemies

Sandor "The Hound" Clegane

Brienne of Tarth

 
Alliance

Sansa Stark

Alliance

Jaime Lannister

Killed

Stannis Baratheon

Enemies

Melisandre

Bronn

 
Alliance

Jaime Lannister

Prisoner

House Martell

An Essential Guide to Game of Thrones Characters