EW's Best of 2015: The Game of Thrones character you've never met

Game of Thrones type TV Show network HBO Where to watch Close Streaming Options

Before Game of Thrones kicked off its fifth season in April, EW got the story beind the new credits sequence and how it’s home to a character fans have never even heard of. As part of our year-end coverage, revisit that story below.

You may think you’ve met (or at least heard mention of) every character worth knowing in Westeros, but there may be at least one character whom you’ve never even stopped to consider — and he could be the most important manipulator of all.

It’s impossible to hear the opening blare of the Game of Thrones title sequence without envisioning a world of wood-and-cog cities rising out of a clockwork map showing Westeros and beyond. As EW learned while previewing the new season’s credits sequence, there’s a whole backstory about a possible man behind the map.

“Imagine that somewhere in Westeros, there’s a mad monk in a tower who actually has created a map of the world,” says producer Greg Spence, recounting title designer Angus Wall’s original pitch for the Thrones title sequence. “He keeps track of where everything is happening and what’s going on on that map. We don’t know who or where this little odd person is who makes all these little automatons, but there’s a very Leonardo da Vinci thing to the original concept. It’s a weird little working machine.”

Wall and his team at design studio Elastic invented the backstory for this disquisitive monk. Its inception helped get the tricky titles off the ground, shaping them into the familiar sequence we know today. Wall explains: “I always have to invent a story behind stuff. The story we talked about was this group of mad monks who built this model of the universe that was constantly updating, almost like a very elaborate Risk board game.” The monks would theoretically meet to discuss updates on the goings-on of Westeros, as the map’s markers would “constantly change and show this group of monks what was happening everywhere.”

The approach is more than just theory — it’s helped dictate the work of the animators, helmed by Elastic’s Head of CG, Kirk Shintani. “It defined our language,” says Shintani. “That idea carried over into, well, if these monks were actually building this stuff, what would they have to actually build it? So we tried to stay away from modern technology and wanted to ground it. That was a way for us to make sure we were on point with our design.”

Ever notice how the map’s water is made of cloth? The pop-up cities made of handcrafted wood? The Wall vaguely ice-related or something? The materials that make up the clockwork locations are all actual materials that might be found in the real places themselves. Very clever, monks. Perhaps too clever.

Episode Recaps Previous The most memorable shipper moments of 2019 By Samantha Highfill

The 30 most shocking TV moments of 2019 By EW Staff

See photos of the Game of Thrones cast celebrating their last Emmys together By Tyler Aquilina

See the best Game of Thrones moments from Comic-Con 2019 By Nick Romano

Kit Harington and Emilia Clarke's adorable friendship, on and off the Game of Thrones set By Tyler Aquilina

All the times Emilia Clarke and Jason Momoa had a mini-Game of Thrones reunion By Tyler Aquilina

The 10 best couples on Game of Thrones (and 3 dishonorable mentions) By Tyler Aquilina

See all of EW's epic Game of Thrones covers By Jessica Derschowitz

Game of Thrones: 14 never-before-released final season photos By James Hibberd

All the Game of Thrones seasons, ranked By Darren Franich

Look back at the biggest Game of Thrones cameos By Derek Lawrence

Check out HBO's new Game of Thrones season 8 merch By EW Staff

S8 E3 Recap Game of Thrones recap of Winterfell battle: A dark, epic bloodbath By James Hibberd

See Game of Thrones stars with and without their beards By Jillian Sederholm

11 of the best Game of Thrones gifts for diehard fans By Alex Warner

S8 E1 Recap Game of Thrones season 8 premiere recap: Jon finds out By James Hibberd

Queer Eye's Jonathan Van Ness breaks down the best hair on Game of Thrones By Piya Sinha-Roy

25 of TV's best opening credit sequences By EW Staff

See Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner at Game of Thrones premieres through the years By Lauren Morgan

See all the stars at the Game of Thrones premiere after-party By EW Staff

See all the Game of Thrones stars at the season 8 premiere By James Hibberd

Valar morghulis: 20 Game of Thrones stars look back on their character deaths By Nick Romano

Game of Thrones storyboard artist breaks down the death of Jon Snow By Christian Holub Next