Game Of Thrones: 10 Friendships Nobody Saw Coming

Although many weren’t happy with where the overall story of Game of Thrones went by the time it ended, the characters are mostly still beloved. Even those who hated the series’ final season are typically still fans of Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, and the rest of the people they grew to love in Westeros.

One highlight of the show progressing was seeing some of these characters interact and even become friends when nobody expected it. They might have been former rivals or just two people who you wouldn’t expect to bond but they all ended up being way more entertaining than you might think.

10 Osha & The Stark Boys

When Osha was first seen, she was simply a Wildling who was caught in Winterfell. It was difficult to see her sticking around for long but she defied the odds by doing that and growing close with Bran and Rickon Stark. In fact, she chose to protect them over her own freedom.

Osha remained with Bran, Rickon, Hodor, and the Reed siblings as they traveled in the North. Although a friendship sparked here, Osha was something of a mother figure for the boys and was even trusted with taking care of Rickon as Bran went on his own adventure.

9 Daenerys & Tyrion

For a lot of these friendships, all you have to do is think back to where the show began. Tyrion Lannister was the ridiculed member of the most prominent family in Westeros while Daenerys Targaryen wasn’t even in the same country and wanted to take back the throne she believed belonged to her family.

In surprising fashion, the two finally met in season 5 and formed a tight bond. Tyrion became one of Daenerys’ most trusted advisors to the point where he was named Hand of the Queen. They just weren’t as fun together as some other unexpected friendships.

8 Bronn & Jaime

The relationship between Bronn and Tyrion seemed like just the kind of thing that made total sense. They had similar attitudes and felt like a combination that worked. Tyrion’s brother Jaime Lannister was the total opposite and someone who would only clash with Bronn.

However, Bronn was chosen to help train Jaime to fight with his non-dominant hand. The two did indeed argue and bicker often but it was typically all in good fun. Bronn even saved Jaime from being killed by a dragon in season 7. Given Bronn’s laid-back style and Jaime’s more serious demeanor, this was an uneasy but fun friendship.

7 Daenerys & Missandei

The fact that Daenerys and Missandei become friends isn’t all that surprising. Daenerys saved her from slavery and Missandei stuck by her side afterward. What was likely a bit unexpected was just how close the two ultimately became.

It could be said that Daenerys and Missandei had the best female friendship on the series. They confided in each other, Missandei became an advisor, and they even gossiped like teenagers about Missandei’s romantic pairing with Grey Worm. Not bad for two women from totally different backgrounds.

6 Jon & Tyrion

This is one of the pairings to get screen time together early on in the show. Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister are different in almost every way except that they’re both kind of outcasts. Tyrion bonded with Jon by telling him to accept the fact that he’s a bastard and wear it proudly.

They hung out a bit more while both were at The Wall but other than that, the two don’t ever really talk again until the final two seasons. Despite that, Tyrion was quick to praise Jon when his name was brought up to Daenerys and they remained at each other’s side until the end of the story.

5 Brienne & Jaime

In the early seasons, the audience was meant to hate Jaime Lannister. He was hooking up with his sister, shoved Bran out of the window, and attacked Ned Stark in the streets. Meanwhile, Brienne of Tarth was an instant crowd-pleaser as the toughest woman in Westeros.

Nobody expected that Brienne being tasked with taking Jaime to King’s Landing would result in a true friendship. Jaime opened up to Brienne about the sad truth behind the Kingslayer nickname and he returned to help her when she was fighting a bear. Although Jaime ended their romance on a terrible note, they were good friends before that.

4 Brienne & Podrick

Podrick Payne was as loyal as they come and one of the show’s greatest side characters. He was always by Tyrion’s side and was the person who helped stand up for him during the Battle at Blackwater. When he was sent to work with Brienne, she was annoyed by him immediately.

Brienne didn’t want to be doted on or have a squire. Over time, she grew to accept that this is what Podrick was known for. She accepted him as a squire and started to train him to fight. Together, they made for some of the more entertaining scenes in the series.

3 Jon & Tormund

The plan to send Jon Snow to infiltrate the Wildlings played a major part of season 3. While there, a lot of Wildlings didn’t accept him but surprisingly, Tormund Giantsbane did. They went on to fight together but it became much more than that.

Even after the Night’s Watch waged war with the Wildlings, Jon was able to come to Tormund to help them down the line. Their friendship allowed Jon to get diplomatic with someone who just wanted to fight. Their bond remained tight until the series finale when they went off beyond The Wall together.

2 Davos & Jon

As unexpected as Jon and Tormund’s friendship was, they do kind of make sense as allies. However, one that doesn’t seem like it would work on paper is the alliance between Jon and Davos Seaworth. Davos started as the right hand man to Stannis Baratheon and an ex-smuggler.

Putting him side by side with Jon Snow turned out to be a stroke of genius. Davos proved to be loyal to Jon and the two shared some funny scenes, like when Davos gave him a lackluster introduction in front of Daenerys. Despite not making sense as friends, Davos and Jon were great together.

1 Arya & The Hound

The life of Arya Stark was basically ruined when Joffrey had her father beheaded. While on the run afterward, Arya ran into Sandor Clegane, otherwise known as “The Hound,” who was associated with Joffrey. It seemed like it would be the worst possible thing for little Arya.

That turned out to not be the cast as Arya and The Hound formed the unlikeliest of friendships. They bickered, argued, and Arya still kept his name on her list but there was begrudging respect there, even after Arya left him to die. When The Hound learned from Brienne that Arya was tough and alive, he looked like a proud dad.

About The Author