Game of Thrones: George R. R. Martin reveals Brienne's surprising backstory (SPOILERS)

WARNING: This article is dark and full of spoilers.

Game of Thrones' sixth season has already shed light on a couple of long standing mysteries, and now George R.R. Martin is getting in on the act. The author made a rare appearance at Balticon recently to read an extract from his forthcoming book The Winds of Winter (via Vanity Fair), after which he announced to the crowd that Brienne of Tarth's ancestor is none other than legendary seven-foot knight Ser Duncan the Tall. In other words, height runs in the family...

That name might be a little unfamiliar to fans who only watch the show - Joffrey mentions him once in season four - but those who have read Martin's books will know that Ser Duncan is one of Westeros' most famous knights. He's also one of Martin's favourite characters, with the author going so far as to say that the character would be perfect for a Game of Thrones spin-off. With HBO's flagship show still good for at least another season though, that possibility is still a long way away.

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Season 6 of Game of Thrones airs Sundays on HBO in the US, and Sky Atlantic on Mondays in the UK.

Images: HBO

Amon is a contributing editor and columnist for Empire magazine, but is also a Film and TV writer for GamesRadar+, Total Film, and others. He has also written for NME, Composer Mag, and more, along with being a film critic for TalkSport. He is also the co-host of the Fade to Black Podcast, and a video mashup creator. Can also do a pretty good Bane impersonation.