Summary
In the chaotic, ever-changing world ofGame of Thrones, characters often hated each other’s guts—until they didn’t. Harsh circumstances led to the formation of unlikely alliances, people switching sides, and enemies frequently starting over. Nothing was permanent.
In a worldwhere family interests mattered most, characters often compromised for self-preservation. The question of survival, which was a pressing topic during the Great War, gave rise to unexpected enemy team-ups. Over time, enemies became friends, and these unexpectedGame of Thronesduos had the biggest impact.
Ser Jorah Mormont And Daenerys Targaryen
Jorah Started As Varys' Spy But Died For Daenerys
Ser Jorah Mormont beganGame of Thronesworking for King Robert’s Master of Whisperers, Lord Varys. As an exiled lord, he spied on the Mad King’s surviving children, Viserys and Daenerys, relaying crucial information to Westeros. However, over time, Jorah developed an admiration for Daenerys that turned into unrequited love. Jorah stopped an assassination attempt on her, gave up spying, and worked to protect her interests. He assumed the role of her mentor, friend, and guide, and eventually, her loyal protector.
Daenerys banished Jorah when she learned about his betrayal, but he went to great lengths in her pursuit, such as kidnapping Tyrion Lannister to present to her as a gift andeven contracting greyscalein the process. In the end, she pardoned him, and he fought for her until his last breath.
Theon Greyjoy And Sansa Stark
Theon Took Winterfell From The Starks But Gave His Life Protecting It
Theon Greyjoy’s betrayal of the Starks cut deeply, especially because he was raised almost like one of them. He was brought to Winterfell as a hostage in the aftermath of the failed Greyjoy rebellion, but received the same upbringing as Ned’s own children. Sansa, Robb, Jon, and Theon grew up side by side.
But Theon’s intentions shifted in the wake of the Northern Rebellion. With Ned gone andHouse Stark at war, the heir, Robb, permitted Theon to negotiate with his father, Balon Greyjoy. Theon switched sides to prove loyalty to his House, but it backfired, and he ended up as Ramsay Bolton’s prisoner and servant at Winterfell. The Boltons usurped the Starks, and Ramsay the sadist married Sansa. Theon saw Sansa suffer until one day, he broke free and helped her escape. He returned to Winterfell shortly after the Great War to fight for House Stark. He demonstrated his loyalty towards Lady Sansa, saying:
I want to fight for Winterfell, Lady Sansa. If you’ll have me.
Jaime Lannister And Daenerys Targaryen
Jaime Lannister did many things for his family, and he defended each of them —except for pushing Bran from the tower —until the very end. He stood by Cersei’s side when she had no one else left. However, their bond temporarily fractured when she refused to lend support to the alliance of the living.
As Jaime could neither condone nor understand Cersei’s decision, he traveled North when Daenerys called herself the Queen to fight for the living side. He was subjected to intense scrutiny, mostly from Sansa and Daenerys, with the latter asking why he murdered her father, King Aerys II, despite being his sworn protector. Jaime made a strong case for himself, stating his only motive for coming to Winterfell was humanitarian.
Because this goes beyond loyalty. This is about survival.
And fight Jaime did inthe Great War, regardless of his loyalties.
Brienne of Tarth And Jaime Lannister
Brienne Despised Jaime But Developed Admiration For Him
In the same episode, Lady Brienne vouched for Jaime Lannister in front of Sansa and others at Winterfell. And that was because of their shared journey back in season 2 ofGame of Thrones. Brienne, sworn to protect Catelyn Stark, initially despised Jaime and would disparagingly refer to him as “Kingslayer,” but this changed as she got to know him better.
Catelyn had entrusted Brienne with escorting Jaime to King’s Landing in the hope of securing her daughters’ safe return. She found out he slayed the Mad King to save the people of King’s Landing. Eventually, it was Jaime who entrusted Brienne to find and protect Sansa. He armored her and armed her with a sword forged from Ned Stark’s greatsword, Ice.The pair wereaffectionate, and Brienne even fell deeply in love with the man Jaime hid behind his exterior.
Arya Stark And The Hound
The Hound Went From Being Arya’s Captor To Her Protector
Arya initially hated the Hound, and he was a name on her kill list. However, they formed an unlikely duo amid the chaos surrounding the War of the Five Kings. Though he took her intending to ransom her to her family, over time, they bonded well, even if neither of them openly admitted it.
The Hound took the role of Arya’s foster parent, keeping her safe from the dangers that befell them. She abandoned him after his brutal defeat at the hands of Brienne, but they reunited later. The Hound taught Arya many lessons and, somewhere along the way, filled the void left by her parents.
Jon Snow And Tormund Giantsbane
Jon Became The Crow Who Allied With A Wildling
Jon called himself the first Lord Commanderin history to have sacrificed the lives of his sworn brothers to protect the Free Folk. Jon recognized the war against the Night King and his army of the Dead for what it was: an existential threat to entire humanity, whether Free Folk or subjects of the Seven Kingdoms.
Jon released Tormund from captivity and convinced him to sail to Hardhome to rescue the survivors of Mance Rayder’s army. He did not want to sacrifice any more of the Free Folk, and Tormund understood the gravity of it. From that moment, Jon and Tormund became the best ofGame of Thrones' unlikely duos, sticking together until the curtains closed on the show.
