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Ned Stark, Oberyn Martell & 12 More Game of Thrones Characters Who’ll Return in 2026’s New Prequel
With A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and House of the Dragon Season 3 releasing, 2026 is already a big year for the Game of Thrones franchise — and its upcoming stage play will contribute to that further. The newly announced Game of Thrones prequel, dubbed Game of Thrones: The Mad King, will debut in the summer, with the production playing at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Royal Shakespeare Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon.
Per Deadline, the play will be centered on the Great Tourney at Harrenhal and feature star-crossed lovers. That means it should go beyond the reign of the eponymous King Aerys II Targaryen and into the romance of Jon Snow’s parents. After all, the relationship between Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark begins during this tourney. It also leads to Robert’s Rebellion, and thus, the end of Aerys II’s reign. Rhaegar and Lyanna aren’t the only familiar players who will appear in the prequel, either. A few characters from Game of Thrones should show up in some capacity.
14) Ned Stark
With Game of Thrones‘ new prequel centered on the Great Tourney at Harrenhal, fans will see Ned Stark again in the stage play. Given how short-lived his time in Game of Thrones is, that’s a welcome development. Ned attends the tourney with his siblings, but there’s nothing about him participating in the joust. Even still, it’ll be interesting to see a younger, less burdened version of him. And the play can offer more insight into his relationships with his siblings, Robert Baratheon, and even Cat. We get glimpses of these bonds in the main series, but the stage play can show where all that history comes from.
13) Oberyn Martell
Oberyn Martell is also in attendance at the Great Tourney at Harrenhal — though, sadly, there’s no guarantee he’ll join in on the action. Oberyn comes to the tourney with his sister, Elia, and his uncle. The former is the reason he’s so eager to challenge the Mountain in Game of Thrones. It’ll be nice to see Elia Martell in the flesh. The play can dig deeper into her bond with Oberyn. In doing so, it can lay the foundation for his grief and rage later on.
12) Robert Baratheon
Robert Baratheon will return in Game of Thrones‘ 2026 prequel play, and he’ll be totally different from the man we meet in the main series. As the Great Tourney at Harrenhal is set before Robert’s Rebellion — and before he becomes king and gives in to his vices — the production should feature a version of Robert that’s more in line with his and Ned’s stories of the past. He’ll be charming and a great warrior. And since he participates in a seven-sided melee, his warrior side should be front and center.
11 & 10) Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark
Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark are poised to have prominent roles in the upcoming Game of Thrones stage play, as they’re likely the star-crossed lovers referenced in the initial report. Rhaegar wins the joust, so viewers will get to see Daenerys’ older brother in all of his glory. And they’ll come to understand how he courts Lyanna and eventually convinces her to run away with him. As everything that happens in Game of Thrones leads back to the romance between these two characters, it’s fitting that their stories will be expanded upon.
9) Benjen Stark
Both Brandon and Benjen Stark attend the Great Tourney at Harrenhal alongside Ned and Lyanna, and the latter marks another familiar character from Game of Thrones. Benjen isn’t yet a brother of the Night’s Watch, and he’s certainly not missing like he is in the books — or the mysterious undead figure he becomes in the HBO show. Viewers might even get to see a more lighthearted version of Ned’s brother, which would be a nice change of pace.
8) Jon Arryn
Although Jon Arryn’s death is the incident that kicks off Game of Thrones, we only get a glimpse of his corpse being laid to rest in the main series. Those who see The Mad King will get to see Jon Arryn in life. And they’ll get a better idea of his influence on Ned Stark and Robert Baratheon, as he’s a paternal figure for both of them.
7) King Aerys II Targaryen
As the stage play’s title suggests, King Aerys II Targaryen will be present for the Great Tourney at Harrenhal. And depending whether the production dedicates time to the aftermath, we could get a much deeper exploration of the Mad King. He’s only seen in flashbacks in HBO’s Game of Thrones, and the characters recall what he was like in the books. The upcoming prequel has an opportunity to dig into the psyche of Daenerys’ father, setting up his later demise and even Daenerys’ own fall from grace.
6) Jaime Lannister
Speaking of the Mad King’s demise, Jaime Lannister is also present for the opening festivities of the Great Tourney at Harrenhal — though he’s sent back to King’s Landing before he can take part in it. Jaime’s only a teenager at this point, and the opening ceremony is actually where he’s officially made a member of the Kingsguard. Per George R.R. Martin’s writings, there are already tensions between Jaime, Tywin Lannister (who won’t be present), and King Aerys II at this point. It’ll be interesting if the play highlights that, laying the foundation for Jaime to become the Kingslayer.
5) Barristan Selmy
Ser Barristan Selmy is one of the characters who recounts the Great Tourney at Harrenhal in the Song of Ice and Fire books. He both attends the event and participates in the jousting. He even faces and loses to Rhaegar Targaryen at one point. As Barristan Selmy is one of the best knights in the world of Westeros, the play should capitalize on him being part of the action. He’ll be younger here and a more impressive fighter (which is saying something, since he’s still a worthy opponent in Game of Thrones).
4) Mace Tyrell
Game of Thrones: The Mad King should also feature a younger Mace Tyrell, as Margaery and Loras’ father attends the event. It’s unclear how big of a role he would have, as not much is written about him during the Great Tourney at Harrenhal. He’ll probably get a shoutout, though, since he is someone fans of the main series will know.
3) Howland Reed
Howland Reed is an ally of the Starks in Game of Thrones, and he’s a friend of Ned’s who’s with him during Robert’s Rebellion — though we see much more of his children, Jojen and Meera, than we do of him. Howland Reed appears in the Tower of Joy flashback in Game of Thrones, though, and he should get a moment in the spotlight in The Mad King. We know from Martin’s writings that Howland Reed is bullied during the tourney, and that Lyanna Stark comes to his defense. This should be included, especially if Lyanna is a central focus of the stage play. Perhaps it will even offer further insight into the identity of a certain mystery knight…
2 & 1) Gerold Hightower and Arthur Dayne
The Tower of Joy scene in Game of Thrones Season 6 sees Ned Stark and Howland Reed taking on Ser Arthur Dayne and Ser Gerold Hightower, both of whom perish in the fight. Both attend and participate in the Great Tourney at Harrenhal. And Ser Arthur Dayne is of particular note, as the so-called Sword of the Morning is one of the most legendary knights in Westeros. Needless to say, the upcoming stage play should at least spotlight his joust with Rhaegar Targaryen. He’s yet another minor character it can elaborate on further.
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