There is no doubt that the fantastical world in which Game Of Thrones takes place is far more vast and expansive than what fans have gotten to see, with the stories told to viewers contained mainly in Westeros and its surrounding areas. Considering so much of the story is kept mostly within one vast location, there is a load of surprising connections between the many characters.

Daenerys and Jon Snow had a familial connection that completely changed the story, and even beyond that, there are many surprising ways in which characters in the show are linked, whether it be by blood, marriage, or even a unique fact or accomplishment.

Updated on November 20th, 2022 by Jordan Iacobucci: Game of Thrones may be long over, but that doesn't mean the franchise is gone for good. The new spinoff prequel series, House of the Dragon, is taking fans by storm, reinvigorating the franchise and reminding audiences why they love the world of Westeros. As fans revisit their favorite fantasy world, they will find several surprising links between some of its most beloved characters.

Daenerys Targaryen & Jon Snow

Two of the pillars of Game Of Thrones met for the first time in season 7 after Daenerys Targaryen finally made her way to Westeros where she met Jon Snow, a character who would soon thereafter become a love interest for the queen.

As the two get together for the first time, however, fans are given the full confirmation of a longstanding theory, that Jon Snow is actually the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, meaning that Jon Snow and Daenerys are related, with Daenerys being Jon's Aunt.

Jorah Mormont & Shireen Baratheon

Ser Jorah Mormont and Shireen Baratheon are two characters who not only share a sad death - though Shireen's is far more harrowing - they are the only two named characters in the show who are afflicted with greyscale. They are also the only two known survivors of this terrible disease.

Also known as Prince Garin's curse, greyscale damages and stiffens the skin before, usually, killing its host. Shireen caught the infliction as a young girl and survived with the aftermath seen across her face. Jorah got it from the stone men before getting cured by Samwell Tarly. The disease is a significant part of multiple characters' stories, not just Jorah and Shireen, but Samwell, who cures it, as well as Stannis and his wife, who live with their daughter's condition.

Edmure Tully, The High Sparrow, & Daemon Targaryen

While Edmure Tully (Tobias Menzies), the High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce), and Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) never meet at any point in Game of Thrones history (with Daemon living over a century before the other two), these three characters all share a surprising behind-the-scenes similarity.

The actors who portrayed these three characters have all portrayed Prince Philip in Netflix's original series, The Crown. Matt Smith portrayed the prince for the show's first two seasons, eventually handing the role to Tobias Menzies for seasons 3 and 4. More recently, Jonathan Pryce took over the role for the recent fifth season, completing the show's trifecta of Philip actors who have appeared in the Game of Thrones universe.

Rhaenyra & Daenerys Targaryen

Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen is the protagonist of House of the Dragon, a series that takes place almost two hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones. However, despite the large time gap between the two series, Rhaenyra still shares a very important familial relationship with Daenerys Targaryen.

Rhaenyra is the sixth great-grandmother of Daenerys, with her son, Aegon V, producing the line that would result in the Dragon Queen's birth over a century later. As such, these two series protagonists remain closely linked despite being separated by time.

Cersei Lannister & Lysa Arryn

Cersei Lannister and Lysa Arryn, the two surviving matriarchs of their respective families, are two of the most unlikable characters in Game Of Thrones. Despite the key characters never meeting, they are connected through the murder of their husbands.

Lysa Arryn poisoned her husband at the behest of Littlefinger, whereas Cersei, in her typically manipulative and evil manner, ordered Lancel to get Robert drunk during his hunt, knowing it would get him killed. Both of the infuriating characters got what they wanted by disposing of their husbands and both actions proved to be arguably the most pivotal events that led to the War of the Five Kings.

Ramsay Bolton & Tyrion Lannister

Whereas Tyrion Lannister is the best of a terrible bunch in the Lannisters and a fan-favorite protagonist, Ramsay Bolton is an abhorrent villain in the show. Nevertheless, they are connected through their vitriolic hatred of their respective fathers.

Both Tyrion and Ramsay murder their fathers. Tyrion kills Tywin with a crossbow as he sits on the toilet, something the show foreshadowed brilliantly, while Ramsay, rather unsurprisingly, stabs his father, Roose. The result of both of these murders was very different. Ramsey temporarily ruled the North as a result, while Tyrion went on the run.

Arya Stark, Jon Snow, Meera Reed, & Samwell Tarly

Considering the fact they are such a colossal and tension-accumulating aspect of Game of Thrones, it is impressive that only four characters - Samwell Tarly, Jon Snow, Meera Reed, and Arya Stark - kill a White Walker.

Arguably Sam's most iconic scene is when he kills the White Walker with Dragonglass. Jon, of course, managed to kill two with Longclaw. Meera got the best of one as she escaped with Bran from the Three-Eyed Raven's cave by using a Dragonglass spear. Then, Arya kills the Night King himself, subsequently destroying the rest of the White Walkers.

Jon Snow & Aemon Targaryen

Maester Aemon Targaryen is an important character at Castle Black in the early seasons of the show, and it is not until long after his death that the show confirms his relation to Jon Snow, his great-great nephew.

Jon and Aemon have a good relationship while he is alive, and it is therefore easy to forget that they are blood-related. Aemon also has an iconic quote about Targaryens being alone in the world, something Jon Snow eventually came to realize under tragic circumstances.

Jeor Mormont & Lyanna Mormont

Lyanna Mormont was an absolute star in her recurring appearances in the later seasons of the show and had one of the very best deaths of season 8 after she is killed by a reanimated giant during the battle of the Long Night. Jeor Mormont, however, is a character introduced long before Lyanna, as the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. Yet, as their shared surname implies, these two share an interesting connection.

Since they are never together before the Battle of Winterfell, it is easy to forget that Jorah and Lyanna are actually cousins. This relationship makes Lyanna the niece of the former Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, a great character who sadly ed long before fans were aware of Lyanna's existence.

Lysa Arryn & Olenna Tyrell

Lady Lysa Arryn and Lady Olenna Tyrell are two of the most famous women in the series. Both are the heads of their respective houses but could not be more different. Yet, they are connected by a ladder known as chaos.

Littlefinger is the connective tissue between the two, with both Lysa Arryn and the Queen of Thorns conspiring with Baelish to poison someone to further their wants, as well as aid Littlefinger's position in the game.