23 Reasons To Get Excited About "Game Of Thrones" Season 3

    Dark wings, dark words. HBO released a whole host of character posters ahead of the March 31 premiere.

    Donna Dickens
    by Donna Dickens

    BuzzFeed Staff

    New Faces!

    Including:

    1. Clive Russell as Brynden "The Blackfish" Tully.

    Helen Sloan/HBO

    Catelyn's uncle is finally on the scene. And he's had about enough of this Lannister/Stark tussle.

    2. Diana Rigg as The Queen of Thorns, Olenna Tyrell.

    Helen Sloan/HBO

    She's basically the Countess Violet Crawley of Westeros.

    3. Ciaran Hinds as Mance Rayder.

    Helen Sloan/HBO

    King beyond the Wall! No red cloak? Oh well, can't shoehorn in all the symbolism.

    4. Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed.

    Helen Sloan/HBO

    Yes! They didn't cut the Reeds, they just pushed them back. Thank the Old gods and the New because the daughter of Howland Reed deserves screen time.

    5. Thomas Brodie as Jojen Reed.

    Helen Sloan/HBO

    As does her obnoxiously accurate Greenseer brother.

    6. Richard Dormer as Beric Dondarrion.

    Helen Sloan/HBO

    Oh god, Beric. So many feels. I forgive you for not being a ginger on the show. I just want to hug you.

    7. Paul Kaye as Thoros of Myr.

    Helen Sloan/HBO

    Are none of the ginger boys from the books going to have red hair? Fine, the life of fan is so fraught with disappointment. *flounce*

    Old Faces Return!

    Including:

    8. Gwendoline Christie as the wonderful Brienne of Tarth.

    Helen Sloan/HBO

    If Arya is very, very lucky, she will grow up to be this much of a BAMF.

    9. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau returns as Jaime Lannister.

    Helen Sloan/HBO

    This season will basically be "Jaime And Brienne Go On An Adventure" which is totally fine.

    10. Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark.

    Helen Sloan/HBO

    Sansa haters to the left. This girl is 13 and running in the big leagues of murderous intrigue and surviving.

    11. Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister.

    Helen Sloan/HBO

    I'm pretty sure Tywin had his feelings surgically removed after his wife Joanna died. By the end of Season 3, he will be the most second most hated man on the show. Guaranteed.

    12. Lena Headey returns as Cersei Lannister.

    Helen Sloan/HBO

    Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who has the best bitchface of them all?

    13. Peter Dinklage returns as Tyrion Lannister.

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    Dat scar. Ladies love scars.

    14. Richard Madden and Oona Chaplin return as Robb Stark and Jeyne Westerling.

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    I mean, Oona Chaplin as Talisa Maegyr. You can change your name all you want, bitch, we all hate you.

    15. Emilia Clarke returns as Daenerys Targaryen.

    Helen Sloan/HBO

    The mother of dragons is gettin' real tired of your shit "free" cities.

    16. Natalie Dormer and Jack Gleeson return as King Joffrey and Margaery Tyrell.

    Helen Sloan/HBO

    I don't like how close they're standing. But hey, take one for the team, Margie.

    17. Michelle Fairley returns as Catelyn Stark.

    Helen Sloan/HBO

    Look at those fish! She's on Tully land now.

    18. Carice van Houten returns as Melisandre.

    Helen Sloan/HBO

    Look at how small she is! You'd never guess she just gave birth to a shadowy abomination! What is her secret?

    19. Stephen Dillane returns as Stannis Baratheon.

    Helen Sloan/HBO

    What have you done, Stannis? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

    20. Rose Leslie returns as Ygritte.

    Helen Sloan/HBO

    For all that is good, HBO, please don't have her say, "You know nothing, Jon Snow" as much as she does in the books. I don't want to feel the need to punch Rose Leslie.

    21. Kit Harington returns as Jon Snow.

    Helen Sloan/HBO

    He's a walking hair care advertisement. I'm shockingly OK with this. (You know more than you know, don't listen to Ygritte.)

    22. Maisie Williams as Arya Stark.

    Helen Sloan/HBO

    Stay strong, kid. It gets worse before it gets better.

    23. Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark.

    Helen Sloan/HBO

    That's Bran? He's so grown-up! Look at him, he's not a baby anymore. Awwww.

    Still waiting on photos of:

    - Alfie Allen / Theon Greyjoy

    - Iain Glen / Jorah Mormont

    - Aidan Gillen / Petyr Baelish

    - Jerome Flynn / Bronn

    - Conleth Hill / Lord Varys

    - Rory McCann / Sandor Clegane

    - John Bradley / Samwell Tarly

    - Kristian Naim / HODOR

    - Sibel Kekilli / Shae

    - Natalia Tena / Osha

    - Joe Dempsie / Gendry

    - Finn Jones / Loras Tyrell

    - Gemma Whelan / Yara Greyjoy

    And of course, the always forgotten:

    - Art Parkinson / Rickon Stark