With hardened Game Of Thrones fans counting down the days until the new season premieres on April 6, HBO have taken it upon themselves to release new posters of the cast members in various states of emotion. These states range from 'serious' to 'super-serious,' and seem to imply that the tone's just going to get darker. Obviously that's quite a feat after season three's end-of-season gut-punchers, but if there's anyone you can trust to kill off your favourite characters and leave you huddled and weeping in the corner, it's George R. R. Martin. So with the launch date etched further into the calendar and non-book readers girding their fragile psyches for whatever grim, long-term psychological torture GRRM has planned, we take a look at the new posters, and at what the expression of each character might hint. Because after all, if you can't forensically over-analyse on the internet, where can you do it? At crime-scenes, obviously, but we'll leave that one be. What follows is 18 of the posters the 19th can be found above, and offers a convenient explanation of Valar Morghulis and Valar Dohaeris, also known as the phrases which keep confusing your casual Thrones-watching parents or significant others who keep referring to Brienne as 'the tall woman.' Oh, and be warned, there's a SPOILER warning in effect for seasons 1-3 of Game Of Thrones. If you haven't seen up to the last aired episode, don't read this. We've also tried to avoid spoiling anything from the fourth season, but obviously, tread lightly.
18. Arya Stark's Murder-Glare
To kick us off, here's Maisie Williams' Arya Stark, who by this point as perfected the 'I'm going to kill you slowly and painfully' look. She begins season 4 having been captured by Sandor Clegane, aka 'The Hound,' and will undoubtedly put that look into practice at least once, on some poor unsuspecting red-shirt.
17. Bran Stark's Pensive Look
Isaac Hempstead-Wright's Bran Stark is going rambling past the Wall this season in his bid to find the three-eyed raven. He certainly looks pensive about it, that's for sure. Maybe he's just sick of the excess Hodor-ing? That's probably a lie Hodor, and by extension Kristian Nairn, is awesome.
16. Brienne's Threatening Countenance
Here's Brienne of Tarth, as played by Gwendoline Christie. She's coming a close second in the 'I'm going to kill you looks' to Arya Stark, but probably pips it overall because as a fully-grown adult, she's far more able to brutalise you horribly. Brienne was last seen hanging around King's Landing after Jaime Lannister rescued her from a giant bear and the guy who plays Pa Bucket in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.
15. Slightly Smug Cersei Lannister
Here's Lena Headey's Cersei Lannister, who as always looks kind of smug in a steely way. With her hellspawn son King Joffrey getting hitched, her father pressuring her into an unwanted marriage and last but not least her brother/paramour Jaime back, she's going to have her hands full. Not like that, you perverts. Ok, probably like that too.
14. Watchful Daenerys Targaryen
It's not easy being Queen, and that's a lesson Daenerys Targaryen will have to heed this season. Having conquered Astapor and Yunkai, she turns her eye to the last and largest city in Slavers Bay, Meereen, but will having to balance dreams of conquest and stability with reining in her now-formidable dragons. Expect fire, assertive speeches, and from the above expression, suspicious goings-on in Essos.
13. Jaime Lannister's Blue Steel
Having finally received a shave and a haircut, Jaime Lannister and by extension Nikolaj Coster-Waldau can go back to being really, really, ridiculously good-looking. On the character side of things, he's lost a hand (yet has what appears to be a pimpingly glorious gold replacement) but gained a conscience, something most of his immediate family seem to lack. How's that going to work?
12. Joffrey Baratheon's Eminently Punchable Face
I'd say he was pulling off an emotion here, but we all know his expression spectrum goes from 'punchable' to 'really punchable,' and fair play to Jack Gleeson for doing a truly awful villain justice. Needless to say, Joffrey's going to get hitched and will remain as unbearably smug, cowardly and sadistic as ever. If he gets slapped again, expect Youtube loop video within the hour.
11. Jon Snow's 'Oh-Why-Me' Expression
It's not looking good for Jon Snow right now. Having brutally dumped Ygritte and received an arrow-pincushioning for his trouble, he's going to have to recover, explain himself and then help organise a badly-understaffed Night's Watch repel a huge Wildling force augmented by giants and his spurned lady love. No wonder he looks a bit put out.
10. Jorah Mormont's Sadface
Ably juggling kicking slaver ass with longing stares at Daenerys Targaryen, Ser Jorah's going to have a job on his hands keeping his naive Queen informed of all the cloak-and-dagger politics in Slaver's Bay. He'll also be sighing and tutting at the sexual tension between her and mercenary captain Daario Naharis, who's somehow regenerated into someone else this year. Still, on with the unrequited love. Click 'next' below for the remaining nine!
Durham University graduate and qualified sports journalist. Very good at sitting down and watching things. Can multi-task this with playing computer games. Football Manager addict who has taken Shrewsbury Town to the summit of the Premier League.
You can follow me at @Ed_OwenUK, if you like ramblings about Newcastle United and A Place in the Sun. If you don't, I don't know what I can do for you.
