5. Braavos Is More Powerful Than You Think
You've likely pondered the name's true significance since Season 1. Braavos is home to not only Syrio Forel, King's Landing's (deceased?) fencing instructor, but also Jaqen H'ghar, the face-changing mercenary from Season 2. And who do these two characters have in common? Arya Stark, of course. Arya is as badass as they come, but believe it or not, she gets even more badass when her travels take her across the Narrow Sea to Braavos, a once-secret city of refugees. At the rate the show seems to be going, Arya won't touch ground in Essos, the massive continent to the east of Westeros, until at least Season 5, but the character development on her horizon is worth the wait. In Braavos, Arya finds refuge in the House of Black and White, home to the Faceless Men, a shadowy organization of which her old pal Jaqen is a member. There, things... happen. Arya is already comfortable slitting throats without tutelage, so let's just say she finds like-minded individuals during her stay. Braavos also contains the headquarters for the Iron Bank, probably the closest thing the show will get to a Mafia. Need a few extra gold dragons for that pair of vambraces? You can borrow from the Iron Bank, but R'hllor have mercy on you if you don't pay them back. You might wake up one day without a finger. With the recent news that Sherlock actor Mark Gatiss has been cast as bank representative Tycho Nestoris, it's obvious that the Bank will appear ahead of schedule, revealing that certain higher-ups in Westeros are indebted to it. War is costly, after all, and although the country may be down three would-be kings, it doesn't mean there isn't one remaining who'd benefit from extra coinage.