In George R.R. Martin's first A Song of Ice and Fire book, A Game of Thrones, Petyr Baelish, otherwise known as "Littlefinger," tells Ned Stark that mistrusting him was the wisest thing he's done since arriving in King's Landing. While this sounds like friendly advice, a few chapters later, Littlefinger proves his point by betraying Ned, uttering "I did warn you not to trust me," and ultimately, leading to the Stark patriarch's beheading.
A Song of Ice and Fire quickly establishes itself as a series with abundant betrayals. From the Red Wedding to Theon Greyjoy siding with his father over the Starks, no one seems to be safe from treachery.
As such, the strong friendships shown in A Song of Ice and Fire, as well as its spinoffs and TV adaptations, feel as rare as dragon eggs. These five characters have proven themselves to be the best friends in all of Westeros.
Honorable Mention: Jorah Mormont
Throughout Game of Thrones, Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) proves utterly loyal to his queen, Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke). Shortly after meeting, Jorah fully commits to Daenerys, becoming one of her first supporters. He helps her throughout her conquest of the Free Cities, abandoning his chance of a pardon to return to Westeros in the process. Even after Daenerys exiles him, finding out about his past crimes, Jorah works to prove his loyalty to her and remain by her side. Although he is in love with her, he is happy to simply serve as her advisor, ally, and friend, and eventually, he dies fighting alongside her in the Battle of Winterfell.
However, the reason Jorah only receives an honorable mention is because book Jorah and show Jorah are two completely different characters. Glen's take on the exiled knight is far more sympathetic than in Martin's source material, in which Jorah acts disgustingly towards Daenerys. He kisses her without her consent, and is far more motivated by lust than his TV counterpart. Given how much book Jorah weighs down show Jorah, he can't rank any higher on this list than an honorable mention.
5. Brienne of Tarth
Brienne of Tarth's (Gwendoline Christie) loyalty transcends life and death. A lifelong devotee of Renly Baratheon (Gethin Anthony), she serves Lady Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley) after the two witness Renly's demise. Brienne swears to keep Catelyn's daughters Sansa (Sophie Turner) and Arya (Maisie Williams) safe, leading Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) back to King's Landing for a potential hostage exchange.
Brienne's devotion to Renly shines through in her loyalty to Catelyn. Even after both are dead, she fulfills her oaths in their honor. In fact, at the end of Game of Thrones, she serves as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard under King Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright), showing that she's still working to protect Catelyn's children.
4. Davos Seaworth
Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) faithfully serves Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) in all of his appearances in A Song of Ice and Fire to date. Davos truly believes in his king, and his devotion has allowed him to rise through the ranks, earning a knighthood, and eventually becoming Hand of the King, despite having started life as the son of a poor crabber.
Davos' loyalty is not blind. He is often the only one brave enough to question Stannis' decisions, which sometimes earns him some punishment from his king. However, Davos' sound judgement is essential to Stannis' campaign for the Iron Throne, and his willingness to stand up to his king makes him an even stronger ally. After Stannis' death, Davos goes on to serve a new king, Jon Snow (Kit Harrington), just as loyally.
3. Samwell Tarly
When Jon first stands up for the meek, defenseless Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) at Castle Black, he might not have initially realized that he just cemented one of his most important friendships. Sam stands by Jon's side throughout the series. He prevents Jon from deserting the Night's Watch, which would inevitably lead to his death, accompanies Jon beyond the Wall, and schemes to position his friend to become the next Lord Commander after the death of Jeor Mormont (James Cosmo).
Sam often acts as the brain to Jon's brawn. The two make for a fantastic duo, and Jon only survives for as long as he does thanks to Sam's help.
2. Raymun Fossoway
Raymun Fossoway (Shaun Thomas) proved to be a major scene stealer throughout the newest HBO adaptation of George R. R. Martin's work, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Raymun immediately befriends Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), and instantly pledges to support his new ally in the trial of seven. However, when Raymun's cousin Steffon (Edward Ashley) betrays Dunk, switching over to fight for Prince Aerion Targaryen (Finn Bennett) in exchange for a Lordship, Raymun himself steps up to fight for his friend, earning his knighthood from Ser Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings) to participate.
Raymun stands up to his own family to support Dunk, and his gamble pays off. By the end of the season, he's become a knight, ends up married, and has started a splinter branch of House Fossoway. Raymun's fast devotion would make him the best friend in all of Westeros, if not for...
1. Hodor
Hodor (Kristian Nairn), Bran Stark's gentle giant companion, is the best friend in all of Martin's work. The simple stableboy helps Bran and Rickon (Art Parkinson) escape Winterfell after Theon's takeover. Hodor helps Bran move, after the Stark boy loses the use of his legs.
Hodor's death also makes for one of the saddest moments in all of Game of Thrones. He sacrifices himself at the Cave of the Three-Eyed Raven (Max Von Sydow), allowing Bran and Meera Reed (Ellie Kendrick) to escape. Since Bran was warging Hodor in the past at the time, the phrase "hold the door" became embedded into his brain as a child, morphing into the word "Hodor," which became his name. But knowing Hodor, he'd have sacrificed himself all over again if it meant his friends could escape safely.