Game of Thrones: See how much the cast has changed since the first season

Ghost

Ghost is another creature who grows over the course of Game of Thrones. When Jon discovers the litter of direwolves just outside of Winterfell, Ghost and his siblings are just helpless pups. And as the runt of the litter, Ghost is the smallest of them all—a quality that leads to his being partnered with the “runt” of the Starks, Jon.

Ghost is considerably larger by the next time he appears onscreen, having matured into an almost fully grown wolf. On top of that, his bond with Jon grows stronger over the course of the first few seasons. He follows Jon to the wall and beyond it, protecting the boy whenever he’s able to. His attachment to his master is especially apparent during Jon’s resurrection at the beginning of season 6.

And Jon isn’t the only person Ghost manages to protect on Game of Thrones. Early on in the series, Ghost alerts Jon and Lord Commander Mormont to a White Walker in the Lord Commander’s chambers, essentially saving the man’s life. He also partakes in the Battle of Castle Black, helping the Night’s Watch defend the wall from the wilding forces.

Sadly, we don’t see much of Ghost during the later seasons of the series, something some fans have chalked up to budgeting costs. It turns out that Ghost was supposed to have a scene during the seventh season of the show, but it was cut in favor of Arya’s reunion with Nymeria. It does seem likely, however, that fans will get to see Ghost at least one more time before the series ends.