Game of Thrones season 7 cast and GOT series 6 explainer: What’s happened so far?

Time to get clued up before the first episode of the new series 
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With the new series of Game of Thrones in touching distance, it’s time to get up to speed with last season’s key events, find out which of our favourite characters will be returning and fact check those newcomer rumours. Here’s what you need to know:

What’s happened so far?

Series six set us up with a few key players in the fight for the Iron Throne – Cersei (Lena Headey), who’s clinging on to power at any cost, Jon Snow whose influence is growing and Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) who has regained control of her dragons and the city-state of Meereen.

But it’s not just the Iron Throne that the star characters will have to fight for. Winter is coming and the White Walkers are on the approach, putting the power plays and squabbling into perspective with their icy inhumanness. Even the most influential figures will need friends to survive.

Last series we watched the Starks struggle for power, as Jon Snow (Kit Harington) was brought back from the dead and then declared King in the North after defeating the Boltons with sister Sansa (Sophie Turner) by his side.

His true lineage was also revealed thanks to one of his warg brother Bran (Isaac Hempstead)'s helpful flashbacks, all-but confirming a long-held fan theory– that he’s the son of Lyanna Stark and Daenerys’s older brother Rhaegar, giving him quite the claim on the Iron Throne.

Meanwhile Daenerys took a detour to Dothraki lands while Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) attempted to govern Meereen in her absence with mixed results.

After escaping from the Dothraki clutches she returned to restore the city-state to her rule before setting sail for Westeros accompanied by new allies the Greyjoys to stake her claim for the Iron Throne.

Strategic alliances: Sansa plots with Littlefinger 
HBO

She has quite the rival to unseat however, as series six saw Cersei vanquish her enemies in one fell swoop, including Margaery (Natalie Dormer) and the High Sparrow, with a storm of flames.

The death of his wife Margaery caused her lovelorn son Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman) to commit suicide. Left with no more children, her path to the Iron Throne was clear.

Which cast-members are coming back and who’s gone for good?

Castmembers who were still alive at the end of last series will be returning. Though after Jon Snow’s resurrection last series, the death of a character doesn’t always mean the end of their storyline.

However, it seems Hodor (Kristian Nairn), Maester Pycelle (Julian Glover), Margaery Tyrell, Ramsey Bolton (Iwan Rheon), Tommen and the rest of series six’s casualties are gone for good.

But a long-dead fan favourite could be returning as Jason Momoa who played Dothraki king and Daenerys’ husband Khal Drogo has been spotted filming in Ireland.

Prominent new additions include beloved British actor Jim Broadbent, who has revealed he appears as “an archmaester” in five of the upcoming series’ episodes. Fans have predicted that the character will be Maester Marwyn who will guide Samwell Tarly and meet Daenerys.

Tom Hopper will also be joining the cast as Tarly’s brother Dickon after Freddie Stroma, who previously played the part, secured a lead role in new series Time After Time.

Game of Thrones series seven will air in the US on July 16 on HBO and in the UK on July 17 at 2am and then again at 9pm on Sky Atlantic

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