The 50 Best Game of Thrones Characters, Ranked
11. Hodor
Dear, sweet gentle giant. Hodor was one of the good ones. Originally named Wylis, he was a loyal servant to the Starks, and became Bran’s legs when he could no longer use them.
A sweet spirit from the start, Hodor is a big softee who detests violence of any kind. It was hard to see him so upset after Bran warged into him and forced him to snap Locke’s neck at the Battle at Craster’s Keep in Season 4.
And all along, Hodor was also being set up to play one of the most important roles in Bran’s life. The little lord is the reason Hodor became Hodor. Unknown to either of them during their travels together, Bran warged into Hodor when he was still known as Wylis, causing a traumatic seizure which crippled him for life. But even as Hodor’s tragic origin became clear, he still held the door and allowed Bran and Meera to escape an oncoming wight attack, brave to the last.
Kristian Nairn should be given tremendous credit for his performance, considering his character only ever says one word. Although screaming “HODOR!” is basically a living meme now, he put a lot of emotion into his part, giving each reading depth. Rewatching the series knowing Hodor’s heart-wrenching backstory can make for sad viewing.