House Stark:

Eddard Stark, sometimes called "Ned", is Lord of Winterfell, Lord Paramount of the North, and Warden of the North. He and Catelyn Stark have five children, and he has a bastard son, Jon Snow. Eddard is known for his sense of honor and justice.Though his family finds him kind, some consider his reserved personality a sign of coldness and disdain.

Catelyn Stark is the wife of Eddard Stark and lady of Winterfell. She had five children: Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon. Catelyn was born into House Tully. She is the daugther of Hoster Tully and Minisa Tully, and her siblings are Edmure and Lysa. Catelyn is seen as honorable and upright by acquaintances, holding duty over desire as a governing principle of behavior. She has a deep love for family and a strong faith in the Seven. However, she regards the bastard Jon Snow as an outsider to her family, and has never forgiven Eddard for bringing him into her household.

Robb Stark is the eldest son of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Tully and the heir to Winterfell and the North. Upon his father's imprisonment for treason he raises his banners and marches south with a host to aid his allies in the Riverlands and to free his father. After his father's execution he is named King in the North by his followers. Called "The Young Wolf" by many of his followers and foes alike, he shares his father's devotion to honor and is frequently accompanied by his direwolf, Grey Wind, whom he always takes with him into battle.

Sansa Stark is the elder daughter of Catelyn and Eddard Stark. She possesses the traditional feminine graces of her milieu and is a strong believer in the world of chivalry portrayed in stories and songs. She is beautiful and excels at many female leisure activities, including singing, dancing, playing musical instruments, sewing, fashion, and social graces. She does not always have a good relationship with her sister Arya, whose interests are opposite in many respects and bewildering to Sansa.

Arya Stark is the third child, and second daughter, of Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn Stark. She is nine at the start of A Game of Thrones. A spirited girl with an interest in fighting and exploring, she is a foil of her proper sister Sansa, whom she often describes as "stupid". She is particularly close to her bastard half-brother Jon Snow. Throughout her travels, Arya displays great resourcefulness, cunning, and an unflinching ability to accept hard necessity. She is said to take after her fiery aunt Lyanna in temperament. Like her siblings, she is a skinchanger, and bonded a direwolf she named Nymeria, a reference to a Rhoynar warrior-queen.

Brandon Stark, typically called "Bran", is Eddard and Catelyn's second son. He is named after his uncle, whose death was one of the series of events that led to Robert's Rebellion. Bran enjoyed climbing and exploring Winterfell until he was crippled. Like his siblings, he is dutiful and tough-minded. He is usually accompanied by a direwolf named Summer, with whom he shares a strong warg connection.

Rickon Stark is Eddard and Catelyn's youngest child, only three years old when the series begins. Rickon is a naturally aggressive and strong-willed child, but his youth makes it difficult for him to cope with the terrible changes that come to his family and life. He is usually accomompanied by a direwolf named Shaggydog.


Jon Snow is presumably the bastard son of Eddard Stark, by a mother whose identity is not widely known. He was raised by his father alongside his true-born half-siblings, but joins the Night's Watch when he reaches adulthood. He is constantly accompanied by his albino direwolf Ghost.