Who’s Doing a Better Job of Raising Their Children to Survive in Westeros – Ned or Cersei?

By Steve Marzolf

Ned Stark

The Good:

- Indoctrinates Bran with important family traditions, such as fearing winter and beheading deserters

- Plies the family connections to land Jon a new career, even though he’s a lowly bastard

The Bad:

- Thinks he can buy Sansa’s love just by giving her a fancy toy

- Adopts a decidedly blasé attitude toward Arya’s love of deadly weapons

Cersei Baratheon

The Good:

- Possesses a deep love for her son Joffrey (though given her standards for appropriate family relations, this could be problematic …)

- Supports her son’s lifestyle choices: “If you want to f**k painted whores, then you’ll f**k painted whores. And if you want to lie with noble virgins, then that’s what you’ll do.”

The Bad:

- Doesn’t seem to spend much quality time with Tommen or Myrcella

- Has a documented history of attempting to murder children. 

Post your answers in the comments (but please avoid spoilers for those who haven’t read the books).

Five Characters You Need To Know Before April 17

By Steve Marzolf

INSIDE THE SERIES

1. Ned Stark
A veteran soldier who helped the king win his throne, Ned headed north to his hometown to raise a family after the war.  But the peace he fought so hard for is about to get a lot less idyllic.

2. Jon Snow
Jon is Ned's illegitimate son (so he's not exactly the favorite of Lady Catelyn Stark) and like most teens with complicated home lives, he's looking to move out as quickly as possible.

3. Tyrion Lannister
One of the sharpest minds around, Tyrion's stature makes him an object of shame and disgust for his family.  He does his best to make sure his behavior lines up with their expectations.

 

4. Cersei Baratheon
A terror familiar to kind-hearted women everywhere, Queen Cersei brings the spirit of social warfare and backhanded compliments to an office that gives her the power to lobby for death sentences.  Not that her own life is particularly tidy...

5. Daenerys Targaryen
Dany would have been born a princess - but most of her family was killed off in the civil war that brought the new king to power. Instead she grew up exiled across the ocean with a vindictive brother who makes being homeless feel like a welcome distraction.

Find out more about the characters and locations of the show at the official Game of Thrones Viewer's Guide.

High-Resolution 'Game of Thrones' Character Posters

INSIDE THE SERIES

If you thought last week's shot of Ned on the Iron Throne was the only official Game of Thrones poster, think again - check out high-resolution versions of each of our five character posters (featuring Ned, Dany, Robert, Cersei and Jon) by clicking below.  You can also use these photos to show your allegiance and customize your Facebook profile.

 

 

Featured Fan Art: Cersei & Jaime Lannister and Jon Snow

FROM THE FANS

After our first fan-art post, the response has been pretty amazing.  Many artists have offered up their takes on the characters of Westeros.  Below are a few images that caught our eyes. Keep the submissions coming!

    

Left Image: "Cersei & Jamie" by Martina Cecilia
Right Image: "Winter is Coming" by Irma Ahmed

High-Resolution EW Photos

INSIDE THE SERIES

Still buzzing from the excitement of EW's 'Game of Thrones' coverage last week? For the first time, check out high-resolution versions of twelve of the photos highlighted in the magazine's story and EW.com's "First Look" slideshow - along with the photos of Cersei and Tyrion posted here last week, these complete the full set of fourteen images released as part of the EW feature.  And we're not done yet - check back here for more 'Thrones' items coming your way this weekend...

    

    

    

    

            

Photos by Helen Sloan / HBO