Game of Thrones Season 7 - First Photos Released

HBO has released 15 promotional images for the upcoming seventh season of Game of Thrones, which shows a bunch of beloved characters – from Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) to Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) – donning new gear now that colder weather is here for good.

Winters are both harsh and long in the land of Westeros, and as multiple characters have warned us over the previous six seasons, the longer the summer, the worse the succeeding winter usually is. And with the various kingdoms heading to war with each other, and the White Walkers soon, HBO has also seen fit to give everyone an edgier look, judging by the pictures.

Specifically, the Targaryen clan – who left Meereen for Dragonstone at the end of the last season – look completely ready to go to battle, in their all-new leather gear. Guess that partnership with Highgarden and Dorne is providing all the coin for funding. Varys (Conleth Hill), though, is sticking with his trusted robes.

We also get a look at the Starks, who don’t look a whole lot different, thanks to how perennially cold it is up in the North. Sansa (Sophie Turner) does have a hair wig on, in what represents a change. Sam Tarly (John Bradley-West) and Gilly (Hannah Murray) are still in Oldtown, immersed in books, which is good as they are the only ones who can figure out how to stop the march of the White Walkers.

Over at King’s Landing, newly re-crowned Queen Cersei (Lena Headey) seems to have taken her fraternal twin brother and lover Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) as her Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, a role he also served in for the fallen King Tommen. Jaime seems to outlast every ruler he serves, so you know where this is (likely) going.

You can see all 15 images below, courtesy of Helen Sloan/ Macall B. Polay/ HBO. Game of Thrones’ season 7 airs July 16 on HBO, and July 17 on Hotstar.

Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister in a still from Game of Thrones season 7

Bella Ramsey as Lyanna Mormont in a still from Game of Thrones season 7

Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth in a still from Game of Thrones season 7

John Bradley as Samwell Tarly and Hannah Murray as Gilly in a still from Game of Thrones season 7

Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed and Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark in a still from Game of Thrones season 7

Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane and Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth in a still from Game of Thrones season 7

Aidan Gillen as Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish and Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark in a still from Game of Thrones season 7

Rory McCann as Sandor "The Hound" Clegane in a still from Game of Thrones season 7

Kit Harington as Jon Snow in a still from Game of Thrones season 7

Maisie Williams as Arya Stark in a still from Game of Thrones season 7

Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen in a still from Game of Thrones season 7

Conleth Hill as Varys in a still from Game of Thrones season 7

Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei in a still from Game of Throes season 7

Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister in a still from Game of Thrones season 7

(L-R) Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei, Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, Conleth Hill as Varys, Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen, and Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm in a still from Game of Thrones season 7