‘Game Of Thrones’ Season 5 Casting: See Full List Of New Characters Including Sand Snakes, Martells And Areo Hotah!

Season 5 of “Game of Thrones” won’t be back on HBO for quite a while, however, there is an awful lot of production work occurring off screen. The most recent casting news was revealed at 2014 San Diego Comic Con, the fan favorite “Game of Thrones” panel began with a special video presentation, in comparison to years past when the series releases a season recap of sorts. This year’s video was a bit more spoiler filled than last year’s “In Memoriam” video that remembered all the major character deaths in the past 4 seasons of the series. In anticipation of all the new character set to appear in Season 5 of “Game of Thrones” the show put together a short video promo revealing the actors and their corresponding new roles.

The first new cast member set to make a big impact in Season 5 is Alexander Siddig who will be portraying Doran Martell. Doran is the older brother of the now tragically deceased Prince Oberyn Martell. Doran is the Lord of Sunspear, however, unlike his hotheaded brother, he is frail due to an illness, but still sharp with his wit. Actor, Alexander Sidding, will most likely be spending a lot of time in a wheel chair while on set. Martell has painful gout which prohibits his ability to move freely, however with the recent death of his brother in King’s Landing, the ruling Lord will have to make some moves, either political or tactical, because the people of Dorne, and specifically the Red Viper’s family are looking for revenge. Speaking of the Red Viper’s family, the Sand Snakes as they are known around Westeros, will also become major fixtures in Season 5. There are 8 Sand Snakes in total, and they are infamous due to their close bond and relationship with their royal father, however most of his daughters have different mothers. In George R.R. Martin’s “A Feast for Crows,” the youngest for Sand Snakes are Oberyn’s daughters by his now grieving paramour, Ellaria Sand.

The three oldest Sand Snakes are companions of their royal cousin, Princess Arianne, the daughter of Lord Doran Martell, who has surprisingly yet to be cast. Obara Sand, the eldest of the Sand Snakes, is a fearsome warrior, with a similar temperament to that of her father, she also notably sports a whip on her hip. Joining her oldest sister is Nymeria Sand, also known as Lady Nym due to her mother’s royal birth. Nymeria, whose mother was a noblewoman from Old Volantis, is elegant and refined. She is an exotic beauty with dark eyes, and silky black hair which she wears in an intricate braid bound with cooper wires. Last but certainly not least of the Sand Sankes, is Tyene Sand, the third eldest of the group, she is said to be the closest to her cousin Arianne. According to recent casting rumors, in “Game of Thrones” Tyene’s mother will be Ellaria Sand, the Red Viper’s paramour who witnessed his death in Season 4.

Another Martell premiering in Season 5 is Trystane Martell the son of Prince Doran and heir to Dorne. In Season 1 of “Game of Thrones” Tyrion and Doran Martell made an alliance, much to Cersei’s dismay, for Trystane to marry Myrcella Baratheon when the pair come of age. Whiel fans have previously met Myrcella on the series in Season 1, her role in Season 5 will be significantly increased, prompting show runners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff to recast her with actress Nell Tiger Free. Though living in Dorne as the guest and ward of Prince Doran for some time, her betrothal and position is threatened following rising tensions between the Martells and the Lannisters following the death of the Red Viper. Another new character involved in the Dorne plot line is Areo Hotah, portrayed by actor DeObia Oparei who is best known for his role in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.” Areo Hotah is the loyal and long serving captain of Prince Doran’s personal and palace guard.

Leaving Dorne, the storyline in Essos, aka, wherever Daenerys Targaryen is, will be getting a new character. English actor, Enzo Cilenti, will be joining the “Game of Thrones” cast as Yezzan, an extremely wealthy slave trader who was heavily impacted following Dany’s decision to outlaw slave trade. King’s Landing isn’t left out of casting, well-known actor Johnathan Pryce will be joing the Lannisters in the capital. Pryce will play the High Sparrow, who is a rather devout and pious man of the Faith. His arrival in the capital is prompted by the growing number of poor, sick and hungry who gain no assistance from the seemingly ruthless crown.

What do you think about all the new casting for Season 5 of “Game of Thrones?” What characters from GRRM’s “A Feast for Crows” and “A Dance with Dragons” do you think should be included in Season 5? Comment below and let us know!