(Spoiler alert. This post contains important plot info about the June 5, 2016 episode of “Game of Thrones,” “The Broken Man.” Tread carefully.)
Jorah Mormont has been one of the main characters on “Game of Thrones” from the beginning through the present, and for a few seasons his father Jeor was Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch before he was killed by mutineers beyond the Wall in season 3.
And now we have a new Mormont entering the stage, thanks to Jon Snow and Sansa Stark’s visit to their home at Bear Island to ask for fighting men in their campaign against the Boltons.
Jon and Sansa are greeted by one Lyanna Mormont, who is a child — reminiscent of when Bran Stark was Lord of Winterfell when everyone in the family older than he was out of town in season 1. The difference here, though, is that Lyanna is not the temporary lord. She’s the heir, taking the position because her mother died fighting with the Starks a few years back.
Lyanna is a firecracker, clearly fit for the job. When Jon tries to speak gently to her to ask for help, treating her like a child rather than a lord, she snaps at him about fighting somebody else’s war. She’s stern, but fair, showing none of the weakness or uncertainty you’d expect from a child who rules over a bunch of people.
Lyanna is, of course, closely related to those Mormonts we’ve known so well in the past. She’s the late Jeor’s niece, and thus cousin to Jorah. After Jeor took the black years earlier, Jorah would have been the heir to Bear Island — but he was caught selling poachers on his land as slaves and exiled to Essos, where he’s been helping Daenerys.
Jeor’s sister Maege, then, took up the lordship, but as Lyanna says Mage died fighting in the Stark’s rebellion against the Lannisters.
Though she’s initially harsh toward Jon and Sansa, Lyanna does of course eventually pledge to help, and later can be seen with Stark’s wildling forces back on the Westerosi mainland. The Mormonts have had close ties with the Starks for generations, and breaking those ties would be a big step, particularly given her name. In case you hadn’t noticed, Lyanna has the same name as Ned Stark’s sister who died during Robert’s Rebellion. It’s not a coincidence — Lyanna Mormont is named after Lyanna Stark.
Now that she and her house have Joined up, expect to see more of young Lyanna. An exciting prospect, considering how much of a badass she was in her one scene in “The Broken Man.”
Can young Lyanna measure up with her Mormont relatives? It’s too soon to say, but you can check out where Jeor and Jorah place in our rankings of the existing “Game of Thrones” main characters below.