History
Born on the island of Tarth, Brienne grew up a tomboy, far more comfortable with swords and battles than gowns and balls. Although she couldn’t become a knight, she became a warrior, and decided to devote herself to Renly Baratheon, who had been unusually kind to her when she was young. After Renly died, Brienne devoted herself to Catelyn Stark. And when Catelyn died, Brienne it her mission to find and protect her daughters. After an aborted run-in with Arya in season 4, Brienne finally secured a place by Sansa Stark’s side in season 6, and has served her ever since.
In season 3, Brienne escorted Jaime Lannister back to King’s Landing on the orders of Catelyn Stark. The two of them developed a complex relationship built on mutual respect, something neither of them were particularly used to. In season 6, she encountered Jaime again when he was managing the siege of Riverrun. Although they were on opposite sides of that conflict, they tried to find a peaceful resolution, and parted with their strange kinship intact.
Next: Meet the scientist who made the beautiful maps for The Lands of Ice and Fire
Status
Last we saw Brienne, she was on her back to Winterfell to rejoin Sansa. Ever-loyal, we can assume that Brienne will remain by Sansa’s side until ordered otherwise. If Sansa comes into conflict with Cersei Lannister again, Brienne’s friendship with Cersei’s brother Jaime could help bridge the gap.