Season 6 of Game of Thrones was formally commissioned by HBO on 8 April 2014, following a substantial increase in audience figures between the third and fourth seasons. The fifth and sixth seasons were commissioned simultaneously, the first time HBO has done so for a major drama series.
The season consists of ten episodes. It began filming in late July 2015 and concluded on December 17, 2015. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss returned as executive producers and showrunners for both seasons five and six, having signed a new two-year contract with HBO in early 2014.
The season premiered on April 24, 2016.
Season 6 will be based on the hitherto unreleased sixth novel of the A Song of Ice and Fire book series, The Winds of Winter, along with a significant amount of leftover material from the fourth and fifth books, A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons, which run concurrently but follow different sets of characters.
Plot[]
The White Walkers' army of the undead now numbers in the tens of thousands, and they are heading to the Wall.
Though Cersei has been shamed and humbled by the Faith of the Seven, she is not ready to give up just yet.
Sansa Stark and Theon Greyjoy escape from Winterfell.
In light of his best friend's death, Dominick Dresden has been given command of Grayburn's Legion, but is he truly ready?
Despite their victory over Stannis Baratheon, Roose and Ramsay's hold on the North is weakened by Sansa's escape.
Lord Hendrick Grayburn has a long and perilous journey ahead of him in his quest to reclaim Brightbank.
Brynden "The Blackfish" Tully continues to hold Riverrun against the Lannisters in Robb Stark's name.
Lucas Dragen continues to terrorize the North and all who stand against him.
With the death of his brother, Eddin will be ruthless, relentless, and will rise as the true successor of Trevyr the Great
With a giant and well-funded fleet at their back, House Spyre prepares for an attack on one of Westeros's most populated cities: Blackgard
Ellaria Sand's poisoning of Myrcella Baratheon will have consequences.
Arya Stark is blinded for the unsanctioned killing of Meryn Trant using a Faceless Men disguise.
Despite escaping Meereen alive, Daenerys is captured by a Dothraki khalasar.
Lord Commander Jon Snow is repeatedly stabbed by his own men and left for dead.
Samwell Tarly is sent by Jon Snow on a journey to the Citadel in Oldtown (accompanied by Gilly), to become a maester and find a way to defeat the White Walkers.
With Theon considered dead and the rest of Westeros locked in a power struggle, the Greyjoys plan their next move.
Bran Stark continues to hone his powers in greensight, under the tutelage of the Three-eyed raven.
Winter has come.
Westeros braces for a winter which may become a new Long Night, as the White Walkers and their army of the dead are poised to strike against the Wall and the realms of men.
In King's Landing, Queen Cersei Lannister has been publicly shamed by the Faith of the Seven and awaits her trial for regicide and incest. Even Grand Maester Pycelle has abandoned her, and called her uncle, Ser Kevan Lannister, to rule as the new Hand of the King. Even though Cersei has been released to their custody, her inept leadership nearly destroyed House Lannister's hold on the throne and they have no intention of ever letting her wield power again. Kevan and Pycelle must attempt to mend the damage Cersei did to the Lannister-Tyrell alliance. The Lannisters and Tyrells on Kevan's Small Council maintain a shaky truce as they attempt to deal with the ongoing debt crisis to the Iron Bank of Braavos, as well as the rise of the fanatical Faith Militant due to Cersei's blunders. With Cersei removed from power and the rest of the Small Council preoccupied with the conflict against the Faith Militant, it has fallen to Tybalt Lannister, Cersei's cousin and her sole remaining ally on the council, to manage the Seven Kingdoms. Cersei meanwhile, though seemingly humbled, still has a few schemes she will attempt to play to regain control.
In the North, the Boltons and the Dustins have triumphed over King Stannis — but in the distraction, Sansa Stark and Theon Greyjoy, with the assistance of Ser Kormed Grayburn, have escaped, desperately jumping off Winterfell's castle walls. Brienne of Tarth, who executed Stannis, must now deal with the consequences of putting her vow to avenge King Renly before her oath to protect Sansa.
Meanwhile, Carmine Grayburn's army of loyalists, still determined to restore House Stark to the rulership of the North, have claimed their first major victory against the armies of House Bolton. Despite having to contend with the Boltons' vastly superior forces, Carmine formed a tenuous alliance with the remaining ironborn lead by Caspus Harlaw. With the ironborn on their side, Grayburn's Legion have managed to kill Rogun Bolton (Roose's heir and one of his chief commanders) and capture the Dreadfort, though in the process, Carmine has fallen in battle. His best friend, Dominick Dresden, has taken over as the new High Commander of Grayburn's Legion, but unlike Carmine, is not used to command, and is considered among the other members of the Legion as more of a follower than a leader. Because many of the members question his ability to lead as well as Carmine did, Dominick is struggling to bring the Legion's ultimate goal of Northern independence to fruition. Dominick must prove to the Legion - and to himself - that he is more than capable of being their commander, because the fate of the North may very well depend on it.
In Brightbank, the conflict between House Grayburn and those who have rallied behind Hersham Groatworth has escalated farther, and the village has become a war zone. Lord Groatworth has ousted Hendrick Grayburn as Lord of Brightbank after instigating a violent peasant revolt and has claimed the title for himself. In addition, he has also formed a secret alliance with House Lannister. With the betrayal of the Boltons, Lord Groatworth is now the strongest Lannister supporter in the North, and Brightbank has become their Northern base. With his son's forces occupied and most of his remaining allies dead or unable to help, Hendrick now turns to House Blackgard, the only remaining noble house in the Seven Kingdoms with the ability to help him, to assist him in taking Brightbank back. In the interim, Hendrick's wife, Lady Jaeneth Grayburn, has come forward to lead what remains of House Grayburn's loyalists against Lord Groatworth and his allies.
At Snake Mount, Lucas Dragen has successfully avenged his father, Garth Dragen, after he was assassinated by the Boltons. However, at the same time, Lucas has also arranged for his uncle, Ser Ethan Snow, to be killed as well. With both his father and uncle dead and all of his enemies either dead as well or no longer a credible threat to his power, Lucas remains as the undisputed Lord of Snake Mount and begins his master stroke: using Ethan's wife Arrena Storm and his own wife Larinna Harrigon to claim Winterfell for himself. However, he faces opposition from his younger brother, Erik, who has rallied a rebel faction against Lucas to put an end to his crazed brother's madness once and for all. Supporting Erik is House Harrigon - once allies of House Dragen who, after they learn of Lucas' physical and psychological abuse of Larinna, declare open war on House Dragen - and Sarina Waters, a personal enemy of Lucas with whom he has "unfinished business" with.
In the Riverlands, after the Red Wedding the remaining Tully forces (who were not present at the massacre of their Northern allies) pulled back to Riverrun castle - where they have been hopelessly besieged by House Frey's army ever since. The garrison is under the command of Robb Stark's great-uncle Brynden "The Blackfish" Tully and Lord Tyran Clement, and is the last bastion of Robb's short-lived independent kingdom that remains unconquered. Riverrun's garrison may be surrounded and alone, fighting for a dead king, but their defenses are formidable, they have enough food supplies to last for years, and their commander is one of the most experienced and skilled generals in Westeros. The Lannisters and their Frey allies cannot let the siege of Riverrun continue to drag on if they are ever to claim real control over central Westeros.
In Dorne, Ellaria Sand's poisoning of Cersei's daughter, the Princess Myrcella, may now force Doran Martell into the war against the Iron Throne he has been fervently trying to avoid.
In the Borderlands, the lands are brought into turmoil as a guerrilla separatist war is brewing. The situation worsens with the death of Trevyr Blackgard's eldest son and heir, Dyron Blackgard. One of House Blackgard's vassal houses is secretly plotting against them, but thanks to Trevyr's firm leadership, the culprit's plans have been revealed to the public and the Blackgards have been able to make a last stand against the rival factions that vie for control of the Borderlands and so, gain access to the east and the Stormlands. However, the war seems to disfavor the Blackgards as their leader, Trevyr Blackgard, has become sick and weak, ultimately unable to lead. With Asten Wylde - the castellan - being old and feeble himself and with Blackgard's heir dead and Lucan Blackgard disinherited, surprisingly and unexpectedly, Eddin Blackgard takes over the reins and leads the Blackgards to victory.
To make matters worse, The Spyres of Spyral, the wealthiest house of the Iron Islands, have answered the call of their king, Balon Greyjoy, and have taken matters into their own hands by planning a series of coordinated attacks on Storm's End and Blackgard. Accompanied by Ryden Spyre and Victarion Greyjoy, the signs are now clear. House Blackgard, who have once vowed to stay neutral, are now on the brink of destruction with a young, inexperienced "boy" to lead them.
Across the Narrow Sea, in the Free City of Braavos, Arya Stark killed Meryn Trant without the Faceless Men's permission — but without the proper training, the use of one of their masks has poisoned her and rendered her blind. Her training continues, as now the blind little girl must learn to rely on her other senses to survive.
In Slaver's Bay, Daenerys Targaryen's attempt to liberate Meereen has resulted in massive bloodshed, with the former slave masters conspiring to retake the city. In a large scale ambush on the opening day of the games in Daznak's Pit however, Daenerys climbed onto Drogon's back to try to escape the danger — but she could not make him return to the city. Instead, the young dragon flew north to the southern border of the Dothraki Sea, the lands of his birth, where the stranded Daenerys has been surrounded by a hostile Dothraki khalasar numbering in the thousands. Jorah Mormont, Daario Naharis, and Ashter Stark have set out to search for her. Meanwhile, back in the city Daenerys's advisors Tyrion Lannister, Missandei, Grey Worm and the Young Griff (who, unbeknownst to Daenerys, is actually her long-thought dead nephew, Aegon Targaryen) are joined by Varys and Jon Connington in attempting to hold together rule over the city wracked by the ongoing insurgency until Daenerys returns — if she returns at all. In all the ongoing chaos, a mysterious individual known only as "Stormbringer" has emerged in Mereen leading a group of mysterious warriors calling themselves the "Knights of Aegon". Though these renegades have claimed to support Daenerys, they seem to be no different from the Sons of the Harpy, except they claim to fight for Daenerys. Are these rogues indeed friends, or are they foes?
At the Wall, Lord Commander Jon Snow attempted to prepare for the coming of the White Walkers by letting as many wildlings through to the south as he could — but tens of thousands more were killed and resurrected as undead wights at Hardhome. The leading Night's Watch officers, increasingly upset at Jon's proposed alliance with the wildlings, have staged a mutiny "for the Watch" and stabbed Jon multiple times until he fell. Just before the mutiny against Jon Snow, he sent away Samwell Tarly to go to the Citadel in Oldtown in order to train to be a new maester to replace Maester Aemon after his passing. Samwell takes Gilly and her young son with him, rather than leave them in the path of the White Walkers. Oldtown, Westeros's second largest city, is located in the southwest of the Reach, not far away from Sam's former home, the House Tarly castle-seat at Horn Hill. Samwell and Gilly, however, face a long and difficult sea voyage before they get to the Citadel.
Distracted by the political intrigues in King's Landing, the exhausted lords of Westeros must now brace for the rise of the kraken — the ironborn led by House Greyjoy. Early in the War of the Five Kings, Balon Greyjoy declared the Iron Islands' independence and raided the North while the Stark's army was fighting in the south. Having remained relatively uninvolved ever since, the ironborn's massive fleet remains at full strength, a fact lost on the major powers of the mainland, who have been nearly exhausted fighting each other. The only faction that have equally powerful fleets are the Blackgards, but with them fighting a war of their own in the Borderlands, they have chosen not to interfere in the Greyjoys' conquest.
All of this changes with the sudden return of Balon's exiled younger brother Euron Greyjoy — cunning, ruthless, manipulative, and more than a little insane, he strikes fear even into the other ironborn. He pushes for the ironborn to launch massive new offensives against the other kingdoms, not simply to raid, but to hold and conquer territory, as Euron's ultimate ambition is nothing less than to conquer all of the Seven Kingdoms. He is opposed by Balon's daughter Yara Greyjoy, who urges that the Iron Islands must preserve their strength and engage in diplomacy with the mainland if they are to survive.
And as the winds of winter begin to sweep through the south, far Beyond the Wall the young Bran Stark has been staying with the last of the Children of the Forest and his new mentor, the Three-eyed raven, in order to hone his abilities. Bran will not walk again, but he has learned to fly.
Adaptation[]
While prior seasons followed a format of adapting roughly one book's worth of material per year (or one large book across two seasons, in the case of Season 3 and most of Season 4), Season 5 heavily condensed together most of the fourth and fifth novels in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons. The fourth and fifth novels did occur simultaneously, and were originally intended to be one massive novel (the fourth novel focuses on events in the Seven Kingdoms, the fifth on events at the Wall, in the Free Cities, and in Slaver's Bay). The result is that by the end of Season 5 most - though not all - storylines in the TV series caught up with the current novels, including:
- Jon Snow and the Night's Watch
- Daenerys Targaryen and Meereen, including Tyrion Lannister
- King's Landing, including Cersei Lannister and Margaery Tyrell (except for one additional Small Council chapter)
- Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish and The Vale
- Sansa Stark's storyline in the Vale was merged with Jeyne Poole's from the fifth novel, who is forced to marry Ramsay; Sansa's Vale storylines have now been diverted while she has reached the end of Jeyne Poole's material from the most recent novel.
- Stannis Baratheon and Melisandre
- Davos Seaworth was involved in other subplots in the North which were cut, but with Stannis's defeat now it is unknown if these will be drawn on later.
- Roose Bolton and Ramsay Bolton
- Trevyr Blackgard, Eddin Blackgard, and Dyron Blackgard; including his assassination which takes place during one of the final chapters.
- Carmine Grayburn and Grayburn's Legion.
- Lord Hendrick Grayburn and the conflict in Brightbank.
- Bran Stark, Hodor, and Meera Reed - already caught up at the end of Season 4, except for one chapter.
- Theon Greyjoy, except for his experiences after escaping Winterfell.
Season 5 was heavily condensed, however, and two entire books worth of storylines simply could not fit into a single season. Therefore, several subplots were pushed back until Season 6, including:
- Almost the entire House Greyjoy subplot since the second novel. The Greyjoys barely appear in the third novel (corresponding to Seasons 3 and 4), but then the narrative shifts to put a major focus on them in the fourth and fifth novels. Yara Greyjoy (called Asha Greyjoy in the books) even becomes a POV narrator. In contrast, the Greyjoys (as a faction, not including Theon) did not appear at all in Season 5.
- Though the Dorne subplot was introduced in Season 5, it was extremely condensed, to the point that Doran Martell only briefly appeared in Season 5, and many other members of House Martell didn't appear at all. Two of Doran's children were omitted from the TV series and may not appear at all in the TV continuity - particularly including Doran's eldest child and heir, Arianne Martell, who is actually the POV narrator for much of the Dorne subplot. Similar to the Greyjoys, the narrative widens to give focus on the Martells in the fourth and fifth novels, but ultimately very little of the Martell storyline appeared in Season 5.
- Arya Stark in Braavos - two more chapters after she goes blind at the end of the fourth novel. Another Arya chapter from the upcoming sixth novel was released as a preview before Season 5: the second half of it involved Arya killing a Lannister guard on her kill list who came to Braavos, and this was already adapted in Season 5; the first half of the chapter involved a lengthy scene at a stage play in Braavos, and screenshots confirm this will appear in Season 6.
- Lucas Dragen and Ethan Snow. It is important to mention that Ethan was never assassinated by Josmus Snow and Ramsay Bolton in the books; Ethan's assassination in the show takes place shortly after the Battle of Winterfell. In the books, however, the battle never takes place and so, Ethan's death also did not take place. In the books, Ethan is the one orchestrating the Coup against Lucas Dragen and not Erik (even though he does play a vital role in the coup). This entire subplot is the major plot point of the House Dragen storyline and the Ethan Snow POV in the fifth novel, and it was foreshadowed nearing the end of the fourth novel during a conversation with Wylla Manderly and Larinna Harrigon.
- Samwell Tarly and Gilly's long sea voyage to Oldtown, on the exact opposite side of Westeros, which takes them through Braavos and the Free Cities, and having to face the ironborn who are now ravaging the southwestern coasts.
- The subplots in The Riverlands, centering around the Frey siege of the Tullys at Riverrun, the garrison commanded by Catelyn's uncle Brynden Tully. The Riverrun subplot involved Jaime Lannister in the novels, as he tries to negotiate with Brynden.
- Also, Brienne of Tarth's wanderings in the Riverlands were omitted from Season 5. Much of this material wasn't directly relevant to overall plot threads, and several characters who were important to other plotlines now appear to have been reshuffled into other subplots in Season 6. Given how much Jaime and Brienne's subplots were changed in Season 5, it is unclear how these will play out in Season 6.
- Bran Stark has only one more chapter, in the Cave of the three-eyed raven, but as it plays out in live action it may stretch across a significant amount of time: training in his magical powers, Bran experiences several visions of the past. When Bran returns in Season 6, the TV show will use this as a framing device to show various flashbacks from the novels, such as actually showing Bran's father Ned during Robert's Rebellion, and certain other key events. Some of these flashbacks appeared in one form or another in prior novels, when other characters recounted them through vivid narration, but the TV series only started depicting flashback scenes in Season 5 (the Prologue scene when Cersei has a flashback to her youth when she was given a prophecy about her downfall).
- Tyrion's storyline as he was heading east to Meereen introduced a major new subplot involving a major political shakeup in the Free Cities. This was cut completely from Tyrion's storyline in Season 5, but after he leaves for Meereen it subsequently intersects with several other subplots (not Arya's). This willprobably be cut entirely from the TV series continuity.
Some of these subplots were not omitted entirely but pushed back to Season 6, however this will inevitably lead to some changes compared to the novels, because they were originally interlinked with events happening in the other storylines. Particularly, Cersei's decisions as regent directly affected the Greyjoy, Martell, and Riverrun storylines, and to an extent the Braavos subplot (due to the banking crisis). Given that Cersei has already been arrested in the TV series, some of these choices may be shifted to her uncle Kevan Lannister, the new Hand of the King, loosely drawing on the long Small Council chapter from late in the fifth novel which hasn't been adapted yet. It also isn't clear why Jaime would leave King's Landing again to deal with Riverrun now that Cersei is arrested.
Therefore, Season 6 isn't really "entirely new material" because many subplots were adapted at an uneven pace - though the TV series has always been speeding up or slowing down the rate of different storylines: Jaime's storyline from the third novel was moved up to the end of Season 2 (because he had little material in the second novel), and Bran Stark's storyline from the fifth novel was actually moved up to Season 4, when other characters were still on their material from the late third novel. Jon Snow's subplot was actually delayed for some time - in the third novel, the Battle of Castle Black occurred immediately after Jon returned to Castle Black, which was quickly followed by Jon's election as Lord Commander: due to the mechanics of splitting the third novel in half, Jon returned to Castle Black in the Season 3 finale but the battle didn't occur until the climax of the Season 4 finale, which necessitated pushing the Night's Watch election to the beginning of Season 5 (had this occurred at the pace it did in the novels, Jon's election would actually have happened in the middle of Season 4).
Nonetheless, Season 6 will mostly draw upon the as-yet-unpublished sixth novel, The Winds of Winter - certainly for Jon Snow's storyline, as the final chapter of the fifth novel was the cliffhanger of Jon being stabbed by his own officers. George R.R. Martin did give the TV producers an outline of events that will happen in the final two unpublished novels - though at the same time, they don't have access to hundreds of pages of source material anymore (for pulling specific lines of dialogue, etc.)
Though Martin has released about half a dozen preview chapters from the sixth novel, it isn't clear how much of a basis they can be for any material in the TV series, due to existing differences between the book series and the adaptation. Also, until the book is released, there is no way of analyzing the adaptation process fully (e.g., if the actions of one character in Season 6 are actually a condensation of the actions of two different characters in the sixth novel).
Production[]
In Northern Ireland, production would run for five months, from late July to December. Interior shooting returned to the show's headquarters, the Paint Hall Studios in Belfast. Meanwhile, location shooting took place at the following locations: Garron Point (previously Runestone), the Winterfell set in Moneyglass, Magilligan (reprising its part as the Dothraki sea), the Castle Black set at the Magheramorne quarry, Ballintoy (returning as Pyke), a rural sept set in Larne, Glenarm (previously the Vale), Carnlough Harbour (as a Braavosi canal), Shane's Castle (once more as the foundations of the Great Sept of Baelor), Carncastle (previously the fields around Winterfell), Aghanloo Wood, Saintfield (as the site for "The Battle of the Bastards" a climactic Northern battle, which demanded the show's lengthiest shoot for a battle scene), the new Riverrun set in Corbet (built for the first time, since in the third season the castle was realized only with Gosford Castle's gardens, an interior hall set and a distant matte painting for a single shot), the quarry on Knocklayd Mountain, Ballycastle in County Antrim, and Murlough Bay.
Ever since Croatia was introduced into the production for the second season, it has been the main source of locations outside of Northern Ireland, yet this season only returned to the country for a brief shoot in Dubrovnik, which reappears as King's Landing. Previously, Dubrovnik had been both King's Landing and Qarth, while Klis, Split and Šibenik depicted Meereen and Braavos. This season turned to new Spanish locations instead.
In Spain, filming took place between late August and late October. In Girona, the locations were the Sant Pere de Galligants abbey's exterior (as a Braavosi bridge), the Plaça dels Jurats (as a Braavosi theater stage), the streets of Ferran el Catòlic, Sant Martí and l’Escola Pia (as Braavosi street markets), another local street (as an alley in Oldtown), and the Girona Cathedral's exterior (as the Great Sept in King's Landing). Still in Catalonia, they filmed in the Santa Florentina Castle (as Horn Hill), Montgrí Castle and Besalú. Later locations where the Bardenas natural park in Navarre (as the Dothraki Sea) and the Zafra Castle in Guadalajara (as the Tower of Joy). In Peñíscola, all filming spots posed as Meereen: the Portal Fosc (as a dilapidated street), the Plaza de Santa María (as a granary), the Parque de la Artillería (as a garden) and the Plaza de Armas. In Almería, filming took place at a new Vaes Dothrak set in Pechina on the Tabernas Desert (as the Dothraki Sea), on the Gypsum Karst of Sorbas, at the Mesa Roldán Tower (as Meereen), and at the Alcazaba (as Sunspear). Finally, filming without any of the cast briefly took place at the Alcázar of Seville (returning as the Water Gardens) and at the Roman bridge of Córdoba (once more as the Long Bridge of Volantis).
Cast[]
Starring cast
- Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister
- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Ser Jaime Lannister
- Lena Headey as Queen Mother Cersei Lannister
- Emilia Clarke as Queen Daenerys Targaryen
- Aidan Gillen as Lord Petyr Baelish
- Natalie Dormer as Queen Margaery Tyrell
- Jonathan Pryce as the High Sparrow
- Liam Cunningham as Ser Davos Seaworth
- Carice van Houten as Lady Melisandre
- Brenton Thwaites as Lord Monterys Velaryon
- Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand
- Jeremy Irons as Lord Trevyr Blackgard
- Max Irons as Eddin Blackgard
- Luke Pasqualino as Steffon Blackgard
- Sam Claflin as Carron Heartley
- James Purefoy as Ser Ardrew Ashes
- Holliday Grainger as Elen Tarth
- Riley Keough as Lady Elyse Blackgard
- Jamie Campbell Bower as Arton Lannister
- Travis Fimmel as Lucas Dragen
- Emma Watson as Sarina Waters
- Bill Skarsgård as Barden Frey
- Katharine Isabelle as Bertha Frey
- Alfie Allen as Prince Theon Greyjoy
- Sophie Turner as Lady Sansa Stark
- Maisie Williams as Arya Stark
- Henry Cavill as Ashter Stark
- Tom Holland as Arthur Stark
- Isaac Hempstead-Wright as Bran Stark
- Clive Standen as Lord Caspus Harlaw
- Karl Johnson as Lord Jorthos Harrigon
- Peter Mooney as Rickard Harrigon
- John Bradley as Samwell Tarly
- Paul Brightwell as Ser Jaran Dragen
- Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane
- Hannah Murray as Gilly
- Conleth Hill as Varys
- Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth
- Taron Edgerton as Rodrik Stark
- Liam Neeson as Lord Hendrick Grayburn
- Helen McCrory as Lady Jaeneth Grayburn
- Colm Meaney as Lord Hersham Groatworth
- Colin O'Donoghue as Dominick Dresden
- Katie McGrath as Taria Dresden
- Jerome Flynn as Ser Bronn
- Tom Hardy as Jasper Greyjoy
- Michiel Huisman as Daario Naharis
- Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei
- Tom Felton as Prince Aegon Targaryen
- Sean Harris as Jon Connington
- Lindsay Duncan as Lady Rosaline Mormont
- Dean-Charles Chapman as King Tommen Baratheon
- Tom Wlaschiha as Jaqen H'ghar
- Richard Wilson as Lord Tybalt Lannister
- Michael McElhatton as Lord Roose Bolton
- Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Bolton
- Helena Bonham Carter as Lady Barbrey Dustin
- Robert Sheehan as Konrad Grayburn
- Liam Garrigan as Teran Lannister
- Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont
- Ralph Fiennes as Lord Randar Bolton
Returning guest starring cast
- Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna Tyrell
- Anthony Hopkins as Maester Vahaelor
- Paul Bettany as Lord Rodrik Nyte
- Alexander Siddig as Prince Doran Martell
- François Arnaud as Lucan Blackgard
- Claire Bloom as Lady Sofina Blackgard
- Mimi Keene as Lady Jenelyn Harrigon
- Nicholas Hoult as Erik Dragen
- Holly Bodimeade as Anaya Berrow
- Faran Tahir as Ardyn Martell
- Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle
- Milo Ventimiglia as Ser Gareth Mallory
- John Kavanagh as Lord Duncan Catell
- Hal Ozsan as Roman Mercer
- Ben Geurens as Harrin Smithe
- Natalia Tena as Osha
- Finn Jones as Ser Loras Tyrell
- George Blagden as Lucion Black
- John Hurt as Archsepton Harrion
- Oded Fehr as Lok-Sonaak Vumir
- Michael Gambon as Asten Wylde
- Jessica Brown Findlay as Arrena Harrigon
- Julia Deakin as Lady Ryella Wensington
- Jake McGann as Marton Harrigon
- Steve Bacic as Ser Marlen Rosby
- Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm
- Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne
- Owen Teale as Ser Alliser Thorne
- John Hannah as Ser Thoras Dresden
- Anthony Head as Ser William Blackfell
- Kate Beckinsale as Tesha Nyte
- Eoin Macken as Roddick
- David Bradley as Lord Walder Frey
- Danny Webb as Lord Eddin Mercer
- Amelia Bullmore as Lady Myrianne Mercer
- Jenna Coleman as Celesse Mercer
- Ben Batt as Grandon
- Phil Collins as Maester Caledon
- Sean Cameron Michael as Simon Croft
- Nathaniel Parker as Lord Edgarth Bergen
- George MacKay as Jacke Bergen
- Arthur Bowen as Gerrad Storm
- Stephen Lord as Ser Cayman Croft
- Eugene Simon as Brother Lancel
- David Dawson as Ser Noro
- Craig Roberts as Ser Coren Brewlan
- Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Lord Mace Tyrell
- Rade Šerbedžija as Balian Tyrell
- Dermot Crowley as Archsepton Sevarius
- Clive Russell as Ser Brynden "The Blackfish" Tully
- Tobias Menzies as Lord Edmure Tully
- Simon Kunz as Lord Tyran Clement
- Harry Sinclair as Brynden Bracken
- Paul Kaye as Thoros of Myr
- Alexander Dreymon as Ser Holden Frey
- Suki Waterhouse as Madelynne Grayburn
- Isabelle Allen as Ariana Grayburn
- George Harris as Maester Aderic
- Graham McTavish as Jorgen
- Danny Sapani as Baelic
- Anton Lesser as Qyburn
- David Robb as Ser Brant Tymber
- Denis Lawson as Archmaester Lorgan
- Tom Cullen as Ser Markas Warth
- Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed
- Mía Maestro as Luciya Allyrion
- Liam McIntyre as Ethon
- Gemma Whelan as Princess Yara Greyjoy
- Patrick Malahide as King Balon Greyjoy
- Peter Hambleton as Lord Ryden Spyre
- Rupert Graves as Vyran
- Toby Jones as Archsepton Redmond
- Ian Gelder as Ser Kevan Lannister
- Richard Brake as the Night's King
- Colm Feore as Ser Darron Tarly
- Joanne Whalley as Clarysse Hightower
- Nell Tiger Free as Princess Myrcella Baratheon (corpse)
- Charlotte Hope as Myranda (corpse)
- Shaun Toub as Lord Daeron Allyrion
- Rosabell Laurenti Sellers as Tyene Sand
- Keisha Castle-Hughes as Obara Sand
- Jessica Henwick as Nymeria Sand
- Victor Rasuk as Zarin Sand
- Ben Crompton as Eddison Tollett
- Peter Mullan as Ser Kormed Grayburn
- Kristian Nairn as Hodor
- Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Ser Gregor Clegane
- DeObia Oparei as Areo Hotah
- Toby Sebastian as Prince Trystane Martell
- Art Parkinson as Rickon Stark
- Elizabeth Webster as Lady Walda Bolton
- Lino Facioli as Lord Robin Arryn
- Rupert Vansittart as Lord Yohn Royce
- Michael Condron as Bowen Marsh
- Brian Fortune as Othell Yarwyck
- Brenock O'Connor as Olly
- Faye Marsay as the Waif
- Enzo Cilenti as Yezzan zo Qaggaz
- George Georgiou as Razdal mo Eraz
- Hannah Waddingham as Septa Unella
- Tim Plester as Walder Rivers
- Ian Whyte as Wun Wun
- Josephine Gillan as Marei
Returning former starring cast
- Kit Harington as Jon Snow
- Alex Pettyfer as Carmine Grayburn
- Hugh Dancy as Ethan Snow
- Mads Mikkelsen as Timos Crakehall
New major cast members
- Sam Coleman as young Hodor. Announced July 2, 2015.
- Domhnall Gleeson as Vurus. Announced July 14, 2015.
- Ricky Champ as Flynn. Announced July 23, 2015.
- Juan Pablo Di Pace as Drevyn Baerley. Announced July 28, 2015.
- Mark Ryder as Dastan Baerley. Announced July 28, 2015.
- Ian McShane as as a fusion of Septon Meribald and the Elder Brother. Announced August 1, 2015
- Max von Sydow as the Three-eyed raven. Announced August 3, 2015.
- Sebastian Croft as young Eddard Stark. Announced August 9, 2015.
- Henry Czerny as Marius. Announced August 15, 2015.
- Jesus Luz as Ser Rennick Allyrion. Announced August 20, 2015.
- Eddie Eyre as a Targaryen Kingsguard. Announced August 27, 2015.
- Pilou Asbæk as Euron Greyjoy. Announced September 1, 2015.
- Marton Csokas as Victarion Greyjoy. Announced September 1, 2015.
- Freddie Stroma as Dickon Tarly. Announced September 4, 2015.
- Louise Brealey as Alerah Bracken. Announced September 8, 2015.
- Richard E. Grant as Izembaro. Announced September 11, 2015.
- Essie Davis as Lady Stork. Announced September 11, 2015.
- Stephen Lang as Rud Volmark. Announced September 13, 2015.
- Tuppence Middleton as Amyra Harlaw. Announced September 13, 2015.
- Henry Ian Cusick as Baelor Blacktyde. Announced September 13, 2015.
- Marco Ilsø as Quellon Pyke. Announced September 13, 2015.
- Alyssa Sutherland as Arwaya Kenning. Announced September 13, 2015.
- James Faulkner as Lord Randyll Tarly. Announced September 16, 2015.
- Marion Cotillard as Reyanna Tyrell. Announced November 14, 2015.
- Samantha Spiro as Lady Melessa Tarly. Announced September 16, 2015.
- John Noble as Lord Harkon Dragen. Announced October 9, 2015.
- Richard Armitage as young Garth Dragen. Announced October 9, 2015.
- Linus Roache as Garrick Grayburn. Announced October 9, 2015.
- Rebecca Benson as Talla Tarly. Announced September 16, 2015.
- Robert Aramayo as TBA. Announced September 30, 2015.
- Edward Holcroft as young Eddin Mercer. Announced August 16, 2015.
- Thomas Mann as young Asten Wylde. Announed August 16, 2015.
- Luke Roberts as "Lord Rowland Selwyn" (pseudonym). Announced October 1, 2015.
- Alexander Skarsgård as Lawren Spyre. Announced October 2, 2015.
- Óscar Jaenada as Vario Ormys. Announced October 2, 2015.
- Tadhg Murphy as "Bloody" Ben. Announced October 2, 2015.
- Melanie Liburd as High Priestess Kinvara. Announced October 3, 2015.
- Joe Naufahu as Khal Moro. Announced October 8, 2015.
- Souad Faress as the High Priestess of the Dosh khaleen. Announced October 15, 2015.
- Andrei Claude as Khal Rhalko. Announced October 23, 2015.
- Elie Haddad as a Dothraki khal. Announced November 4, 2015.
- Dean S. Jagger as Smalljon Umber. Announced November 26, 2015.
- Gaia Weiss as Seresa Black. Announced December 1, 2015.
- Alex Høgh Andersen as Trevyr Flowers. Announced December 1, 2015.
New minor cast members
- Fergus Leathem as TBA. Announced August 9, 2015.
- Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as TBA. Announced August 26, 2015.
- Andrew Bryan as a Bolton officer. Announced August 26, 2015.
- Tristan Heanue as a Bolton soldier. Announced August 26, 2015.
- Robert Render as TBA. Announced August 28, 2015.
- Eddie Jackson as TBA. Announced August 29, 2015.
- Glen Barry as Stage Hand. Announced August 29, 2015.
- Brendan O'Rourke as a theater troupe member. Announced August 29, 2015.
- Ross Anderson as a theater troupe member. Announced September 7, 2015.
- Michael Heath as Kesh. Announced September 9, 2015.
- Eva Butterly as the theatre troupe Margaery actress. Announced September 10, 2015.
- Eline Powell as the theater troupe Sansa actress. Announced September 10, 2015.
- Kevin Eldon as the theater troupe Ned actor. Announced September 11, 2015.
- Leigh Gill as Bobono. Announced September 12, 2015.
- Kevin Horsham as a Westerosi sea captain. Announced September 15, 2015.
- Matt Faris as TBA. Announced September 16, 2015.
- Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir as a Braavosi musician. Announced September 17, 2015.
- Ragnar Þórhallsson as a Braavosi musician. Announced September 17, 2015.
- Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson as a Braavosi musician. Announced September 17, 2015.
- Raül Tortosa as a Tyrell bannerman. Announced September 17, 2015.
- Michael Nevin as TBA. Announced October 14, 2015.
- Staz Nair as Qhono. Announced October 15, 2015.
- Chuku Modu as Ahko. Announced October 19, 2015.
- Sabina Arthur as a Meereenese homeless mother. Announced October 19, 2015.
- Robert Fawsitt as TBA. Announced November 2, 2015.
- Dermot Ward as TBA. Announced November 2, 2015.
- Aron Hegarty as TBA. Announced November 2, 2015.
- Margaret Jackman as an old lady. Announced November 3, 2015.
- Diogo Sales as a Dothraki bloodrider. Announced November 3, 2015.
- Michael Patrick as TBA. Announced November 9, 2015.
- Gary Wales as a Healtor troop. Announced December 16, 2015.
- Sally Mortemore as a well healed lady. Announced December 16, 2015.
- Adam Turns as a pale young man. Announced December 16, 2015.
- Ian Davies as Morgan. Announced December 24, 2015.
- Ania Bukstein as TBA. Announced January 1, 2016.
- Yousef Sweid as TBA. Announced January 1, 2016.
- Desmond Edwards as an Umber soldier. Announced January 8, 2016.
- Tamer Hassan as a Dothraki khal. Announced January 14, 2016.
- Deon Lee-Williams as a young Dothraki warrior. Announced January 14, 2016.
- Mark Tankersley as a Bolton general. Announced February 2, 2016.
- Annette Tierney as housemaid (possibly Old Nan). Announced February 2, 2016.
- Jed Murray as TBA. Announced February 2, 2016.
Reported new characters
- Ser Arthur Dayne.
- Lord Arnolf Karstark.
- Aeron Greyjoy.
- Young Lyanna Stark.
- Young Jaran Dragen.
- Young Benjen Stark.
- Qhogo, a Dothraki.
- Akrat, a Dothraki.
- Bower, a servant.
- Lachlan, an outlaw leader.
- Japeth, an outlaw.
- A Septon (A "priest" who fits the description of Septon Meribald).
- A hapless man who fits the description of a son of Lord Walder Frey.
- A fat, old Northern nobleman who fits the description of Lord Wyman Manderly.
- A callow Northern nobleman.
- A wry, articulate Lord.
- A Child of the Forest.
- A large boy.
- A 7 year old boy.
- A hunter.
- A submissive maester.
- A green recruit.
- A sympathiser (1).
- A sympathiser (2).
- A sympathiser (3).
- A father.
- A rugged pirate.
- A smart male theatergoer.
- A young stunner.
- A sublime courtesan.
- A long-haired Dothraki warrior.
- A young Dothraki warrior.
- An Oldtown maester.
- A young Lhazareen member of the Dosh khaleen.
- Captain of the Tower.
- A Dothraki warrior in his 30's or 40's.
- A distinguished old man.
- Warrior widows.
Crew[]
On March 27, 2015, author George R.R. Martin said he would again not write a script for Season 6, as he wished to concentrate on finishing The Winds of Winter as soon as possible. On June 4, Miguel Sapochnik indicated he was already preparing to direct next season. Jeremy Podeswa made similar statements in June 12. On June 19, the showrunners confirmed that April Ferry would be the new costume designer for Season 6, replacing Michele Clapton, who decided to leave after five seasons. On June 22, newcomer Jack Bender announced he would direct two episodes for season six. The full list of directors and which episodes they would oversee was released in Entertainment Weekly on June 25. There will be five directors, each doing two back to back episodes, as in Season 5. Jack Bender and Daniel Sackheim are working on the TV series for the first time, while the other three directors previously worked on the series in Season 5; none worked on the first four seasons.
Producers[]
- David Benioff: executive producer & showrunner
- D.B. Weiss: executive producer & showrunner
- Bernadette Caulfield: executive producer
- Frank Doelger: executive producer
- Carolyn Strauss: executive producer
- George R.R. Martin: co-executive producer
- Vince Gerardis: co-executive producer
- Guymon Casady: co-executive producer
- Greg Spence: producer
- Chris Newman: producer
- Bryan Cogman: producer
- Lisa McAtackney: producer
- April Ferry: costume designer
- Deborah Riley: production designer
- Ramin Djawadi: composer
- Nina Gold: casting director
- Robert Sterne: casting director
Writers[]
- David Benioff & D.B. Weiss
- Bryan Cogman: 2 episodes
Directors[]
- Jeremy Podeswa - episodes 1 and 2
- Daniel Sackheim - episodes 3 and 4
- Jack Bender - episodes 5 and 6
- Mark Mylod - episodes 7 and 8
- Miguel Sapochnik - episodes 9 and 10
Episodes[]
| # | Image | Title | Airdate | Viewers/Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | 
|
"The Red Woman" | April 24, 2016 | 10.7 |
| At Castle Black, Thorne defends his treason while Edd, Konrad, and Davos defend themselves. Sansa and Theon race the cold and the hounds. Dominick is named the new High Commander of Grayburn's Legion and already has a predicament on his hands. At Blackgard, Trevyr's sickness has reached its final stage and it is made evident that he does not have much longer to live. A mysterious force appears in Meereen and fights the Sons of the Harpy. Ethan Snow's corpse returns to Snake Mount. | ||||
| 52 | 
|
"Home" | May 1, 2016 | |
| Bran trains with the Three-Eyed Raven. In King's Landing, Jaime advises Tommen. Tyrion demands good news, but has to make his own. At Castle Black, the Night's Watch stands behind Thorne. Ramsay Bolton proposes a plan, and Balon Greyjoy entertains other proposals. Dominick meets with his councillors and consolidates his remaining forces. | ||||
| 53 | 
|
"Oathbreaker" | May 8, 2016 | |
| Trevyr Blackgard is dead. Daenerys meets her future. Bran meets the past. Tommen confronts the High Sparrow. Dominick plans his next move. Arya trains to be No One. Varys finds an answer. Ramsay gets a gift. | ||||
| 54 | 
|
"Book of the Stranger" | May 15, 2016 | |
| Tyrion strikes a deal. Jorah and Daario undertake a difficult task. Jaime and Cersei try to improve their situation. | ||||
| 55 |
|
"The Door" | May 22, 2016 | |
| Tyrion seeks a strange ally. Bran learns a great deal. Brienne goes on a mission. Arya is given a chance to prove herself. The identity of the Stormbringer is finally revealed. Trevyr Blackgard's funeral takes place. | ||||
| 56 |
|
"Blood of My Blood" | May 29, 2016 | |
| An old foe comes back into the picture. Gilly meets Sam’s family. Arya faces a difficult choice. Jaime faces off against the High Sparrow. A hero rises. | ||||
| 57 |
|
"The Broken Man" | June 5, 2016 | |
| The High Sparrow eyes another target. Jaime confronts a hero. Arya makes a plan. The North is reminded. Eddin makes a faithful decision. Lucas struggles with power. | ||||
| 58 |
|
"No One" | June 12, 2016 | |
| While Jaime weighs his options, Cersei answers a request. Tyrion's plans bear fruit.Arya faces a new test. | ||||
| 59 |
|
"Battle of the Bastards" | June 19, 2016 | |
| Terms of surrender are rejected and accepted. | ||||
| 60 |
|
"The Winds of Winter" | June 26, 2016 | |
| Cersei faces her trial. | ||||
Image gallery[]
Promos[]
Character Posters[]
Video gallery[]
