Castings for a few of the new prominent characters that will be introduced in the new season. Added brief non spoiler character info for those who have not read the book series.
Stephen Dillane cast as Stannis Baratheon.
Lord Stannis Baratheon is the brother of the late king Robert Baratheon & Lord Reny Baratheon. A brooding, humorless man known for a hard and unyielding sense of justice, he is obsessed with slights real and imagined. After the death of Robert, he, like his younger brother Renly, styles himself king of the Seven Kingdoms as Robert's heir, though he has difficulty getting support for his claim. He has a cold relationship with his wife, Lady Selyse of House Florent, and they have one daughter, Shireen, a sad little girl bearing a disfigurement from an ailment.
Carice Van Houten cast as Melisandre of Asshai.
Lady Melisandre of Asshai is a priestess of R'hllor ( a Westeros deity of light) in service to Stannis Baratheon. Melisandre has prophetic powers that give her partial knowledge of future events. Unlike many other people in Westeros with access to prophecy, Melisandre has absolute faith in her own interpretation. She believes that Stannis is the messianic figure of R'hllor prophecy called Azor Ahai. She counsels him so that he can gain the necessary power to fight the Great Other, the enemy of R'hllor.
Liam Cunningham cast as Davos Seaworth.
Ser Davos Seaworth of the Rainwood, Admiral of the Narrow Sea, commonly called the Onion Knight, was once a smuggler, but became a landed knight and Stannis Baratheon's most honest and loyal supporter. He captains the Black Betha, his old smuggling ship. He has several sons who serve as captains of their own ships or as officers on his ship. His wife tends his lands on the Cape of Wrath.
Gwendoline Christie cast as Brienne of Tarth.
Brienne Tarth is the only daughter and heiress of Lord Selwyn Tarth of Evenfall Hall; she had three siblings, none of which survived childhood. Larger and stronger than most men, Brienne is a skilled warrior and longs to be a knight. She has an awkward personality, but is also honest and stubborn. She holds a naïvely idealized notion of knighthood despite the insults she receives from many knights, who call her "Brienne the Beauty" to mock her ugliness. She is also known as "Brienne, the Maid of Tarth", but her most common and neutral nickname is "Brienne of Tarth", as she is both from the House and island of Tarth.
