Game of Thrones character ages are rarely, if ever, stated outright. Here are the ages of the Game of Thrones characters based on the books and show.
The Game of Thrones character ages has been a big question since the beginning of the series as it differs significantly from George R.R. Martin’s books. As with most shows, the Game of Thrones actors age faster than the characters with many eventually being quite a lot older than their characters by the end of the show, and this was especially obvious in the case of the teenage actors. While far from the biggest problem Game of Thrones’ later seasons faced, this phenomenon did create some confusion and inconsistency with regard to how old each character was supposed to be.
Matters surrounding the Game of Thrones character ages were complicated further by certain fan favorites varying considerably in age compared to their original book counterparts. Despite being a fantasy story, the Game of Thrones world draws heavily from 15th-century history, and this was a time when people married, fought, reproduced, and died at a much younger age than they do now. By the end of Game of Thrones, it was hard to determine how old each of the main characters was meant to be and how it compared to their book counterparts.
Jon Snow – 16 Years Old
Age: 14
Beginning his quest into manhood by joining the Night’s Watch, Jon Snow is 16 when Game of Thrones begins. Around 7 years pass over the course of the TV series, which means Jon would be in his mid-20s by the time of the series finale while Harington was 33 years old by the time the show ended. With Harington’s age and the many experiences Jon Snow faced over the course of the series, including dying and being resurrected, he seemed older.
Jon actually has one of the smaller age differences compared to the books, as he is 14 at the beginning of the story. However, even that small difference helps to accept Jon’s petulant attitude in the early seasons.
Daenerys Targaryen – 16 Years Old
Age: 13
The relative Game of Thrones character ages of Daenerys Targaryen closely mirror those of Jon Snow. Although she is 13 in the novels when she is married off to Khal Drogo, the show rightly saw the problematic nature of depicting such a young character in those situations in the early seasons. She was aged up to be 16 in the series which didn’t take away from the impact of her journey.
Daenerys would then be 23 when she is killed by Jon Snow in the Game of Thrones finale and her body was carried away by Drogon. However, the younger age might have made her dark eventual turn more tragic. Like her costar Kit Harrington, Emilia Clarke was 25 when Game of Thrones debuted and was 33 years old when the show ended.
Tyrion Lannister – 32 Years Old
Age: 24
Tyrion’s age is one of the most confounding among the Game of Thrones character ages because he is confirmed to be the youngest of the Lannister children, but Peter Dinklage is older than both Lena Headey and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. In the show, he is depicted as being 32 years old at the start of Game of Thrones and nearly 40 when the show ended.
On the other hand, Peter Dinklage was 42 years old when the series began and 50 by the time it was over. To more complicated Tyrion’s age, his book counterpart is 24 at the beginning of the story, making for one of the most substantial age differences. However, Dinklage’s older stature gives Tyrion a sense of experience and wisdom.
Robb Stark – 16 Years Old
Age: 14
The younger ages of the Stark children are perhaps best felt with the character of Robb Stark. While all the Starks are forced to grow up quickly following the death of their father, Robb is meant to only be 16 years old in Game of Thrones when he leads the Northern armies and cements himself as a brilliant battle commander.
More shockingly, Robb is only 14 in the books. At 25 when the show began, Richard Madden was more convincing as a military leader. However, thinking how young Robb was when he died at the Red Wedding makes it even more heartbreaking.
The Stark Children – 13, 11 & 10 Years Old
Book Age: 11, 9, & 7
The ages of the Stark children in Game of Thrones made for some of the most noticeable age differences in the series. As is often the case with TV shows with young child casts, like Stranger Things, the young actors soon appear far too old to be playing their supposedly young characters. However, though hard to overlook, the aging didn’t impact the younger Stark children too badly.
Sansa is 13 when the series begins and 20 when it ends, while Sophie Turner went from age 15 to age 23 over the course of the production. Arya Stark is 11 at the start of the show and 18 by the finale, with Maisie Williams going from 14 to 22. Bran is one year younger than Arya, meaning he becomes King at age 17 while Isaac Hempstead Wright was the youngest of the three actors, only 12 years old at the start of the series and 20 by its final season.
These ages all differ from their book counterparts, as Sansa was 11, Arya was 9, and Bran was 7 when the story began. While those younger ages give the characters a greater sense of innocence that is gradually shattered, given what each of these three characters goes through over the course of the series, the fact that they seem so much older by the end seems fitting.
Theon Greyjoy – 16 Years Old
Age: 18
When he’s first introduced as an adoptive son of the Stark family, he is around the same age as Jon and Robb, making Theon Greyjoy 16 or 17 years old. Theon is 24 years old when he dies in the Battle of Winterfell. Actor Alfie Allen was nearly a decade older when he started on the show at the age of 25.
In George R.R. Martin’s books, Theon Greyjoy is actually older than his on-screen counterpart as he starts A Song of Ice and Fire at around 18 or 19 years old. This rare age difference is actually beneficial in the show, as Theon’s younger age in the early seasons feeds into his misguided attempts to prove himself as a man and a warrior.
Jaime & Cersei Lannister – 36 Years Old
Age: 31
As the Lannister twins, Jaime and Cersei are both 36 when Game of Thrones kicks off, reaching 43 by the final season when they die together under the Red Keep. Jaime and Cersei’s ages are some of the least problematic of the Game of Thrones character ages, with Lena Headey being only two years older than her character while Nikolaj Coster-Waldau was 41 when the series began and 49 in its final season.
The book counterparts of the Lannister twins were several years younger at the age of 31 when the story began. Interestingly, the book plays more into their older age than the show, with Cersei obsessing over her fading beauty and Jaime realizing he is not the warrior he once was.
Tommen Baratheon – 8 Years Old
Book Age: 6
Tommen Baratheon is a Baratheon in name alone, as he’s technically the illegitimate son of Jaime and Cersei Lannister. Tommen has one of the saddest arcs on Game of Thrones, becoming the king at a very young age and then committing suicide after his wife Margaery Tyrell is killed by his mother. In the books, he is only 8 years old when he becomes king and is married off to Margaery.
In the series, he starts off as 8 years old, and then Tommen kills himself when he is 14. Dean-Charles Chapman’s age was not that far off from his character’s while on GoT, as he was 16 during filming. Tommen is 6 years old in the books and his young age is referenced repeatedly when he becomes king as he is described as being bored and crying while on the Iron Throne.
Ned & Catelyn Stark – 41 & 40 Years Old
Book Age: 34 & 33
Even with Ned & Catelyn Stark aged up from their original Game of Thrones character ages, producers still hired slightly older characters, perhaps to amplify the duo’s defining parental qualities. Ned Stark is 34 in the books, but Sean Bean was over 50 when playing the character in Game of Thrones season 1. As a way of explaining this, Ned Stark is made to be 41 in the show.
Catelyn’s age is known to be close to Ned’s as she is 33 in the first book, while the show also keeps their age close, and in the Game of Thrones show Catelyn Stark is 40. Since Michelle Fairley is younger than Bean, her age more accurately represents her character as she was 48 at the beginning of the series. This is likely the most effective instance of characters being aged up in the series. While Ned and Catelyn are strong and stoic characters in the books, it is hard to imagine the characters coming off as impactful as Bean and Fairley did if they were younger.
