Matching 50 Game of Thrones characters with each of the 50 states

Oklahoma: Mance Rayder

Mance Rayder might have been raised in Westeros, but he’s better known as the King Beyond the Wall. He used to serve as a member of the Night’s Watch, but he deserted to join the ranks of the wildlings. Out in the vast expanses of snow, he became a leader and was able to accomplish a feat that no one else had ever been able to do: he unified almost 90 feuding clans and took them south south to escape impending doom.

Mance’s story with the free folk makes me (and more than a few online theorists) think of the Native Americans. Wildlings have long been rejected by other Westerosi, who are deeply prejudiced against them, which is very similar to how the United States government mistreated of Native Americans over the centuries. Mance’s journey to take his people south is very redemptive, and easy to root for even if Mance himself can be difficult.

Oklahoma has the largest Native American population of any state in the Union, and is the headquarters for 39 different tribes. This rich history fits in well with Rayder’s.

I also love that Oklahoma is a state where several U.S. regions meet. I think this would appeal to Mance, since he was raised a southerner but embraces northern culture.