Grenn

Grenn is a recurring character in the first, second and third seasons. He is played by guest star Mark Stanley and debuts in "Lord Snow". Grenn is a ranger in the Night's Watch, he joined and trained at the same time as Jon Snow.

Background
Grenn is a new recruit into the Night's Watch. He is strong but slow-witted. Grenn's father abandoned him, leaving him outside a farmhouse when he was only three years old. He grew up the farm, and had a relationship with a neighboring farmer's daughter in his youth.

Season 1
Grenn is a recruit in the Night's Watch training at Castle Black. Grenn, Rast and Pypar are directed by the Master-at-Arms Ser Alliser Thorne to test Jon Snow's skills in combat. Jon breaks Grenn's nose in the fight. Annoyed by Jon's superior attitude, the three of them threaten Jon in the armoury, but are encouraged to leave him alone by Tyrion Lannister. Tyrion suggests to Jon that he remember their deficiencies in training compared to his own privileged upbringing. Jon later starts training Grenn and the others in the art of combat, earning their trust.

Grenn and Pypar have become friends, with the latter teasing Grenn on his slow wit. Grenn agrees to Jon's plan to go easy on new recruit Samwell Tarly. During practice he urges Sam to hit him, and promptly falls over screaming from a small tap to explain why he can't continue the fight. Ser Alliser is unconvinced.

Upon completion of his training, Grenn is assigned to serve amongst the rangers. Pypar and Grenn are among the men who witness the arrival of the bodies of Othor and Jafer Flowers to Castle Black. The dead men return as wights and Jon saves the Lord Commander from one of them. Grenn, Pypar and the others inspect Jon’s new sword, Longclaw, a reward from the Lord Commander. Grenn, Pypar and Sam ride after Jon when he chooses to abandon his post at Castle Black after the death of Eddard Stark. They talk to him, reciting their oaths, and convince him to return.

Season 2
In the far North the great ranging of the Night's Watch under Lord Commander Jeor Mormont traverses the Haunted Forest. They have passed six abandoned wildling villages and have been travelling for months. Jon Snow passes the sledge housing their ravens. He asks Samwell Tarly if he is having a hard time and Sam responds that nothing has killed him. Grenn is trying to push the sledge through the mud and complains that Sam’s weight damaged it. Sam counters that Grenn offered him a ride and Grenn says that he only did so because he was fed up of Sam's complaints about his blisters. Eddison Tollett watches the bickering pair. Jon dismounts and leads his horse towards the wooden hall known as Craster's Keep. Edd stands beside him and deadpans that he was born in a similar place but that he has now fallen on hard times. Sam joins them and notes the women working around the hall, asking if they are girls. Sam says that he has not seen a girl for six months and Edd warns the younger men not to speak to them. Grenn wonders if Craster does not like people speaking to his daughters and Edd says that they are also his wives, explaining that Craster marries his daughters and breeds more daughters with them. Sam and Grenn state their disgust and Edd counters that while all the other wildlings in the area have disappeared Craster is still present so he must be doing something right. Jon wonders what happens to Craster's sons. Lord Commander Jeor Mormont meets with Craster and learns that the wildlings have gone further north on the orders of King-beyond-the-Wall Mance Rayder. The Lord Commander accepts Craster's offer of shelter and his condition that the men do not touch any of his wives.

Sam, Edd and Grenn are peeling potatoes outside Craster's Keep. Edd says that if the gods wanted them to have dignity they would not have made them fart when they died. Grenn is incredulous and Edd tells him the story of his mother's death. He claims that he held her hand as she passed and that she farted long and hard, blowing a raspberry to underscore his assertion. Sam notices Gilly passing with two rabbits and observes that it is greedy for Craster to have so many wives. Edd deadpans that they were having a serious discussion. Grenn points out two other women walking past. Sam says there is nothing like the sight of a woman walking away and Grenn replies that he prefers watching them come towards him. Grenn tells the others that he grew up with, and later slept with, a milkmaid named Violet. Sam is fascinated and says that he wishes he grew up on a farm. Edd sends Sam for more vegetables. Sam crosses paths with Craster's wife Gilly and becomes infatuated with her.

Craster catches Jon following him into the woods with a newborn boy. Craster incapacitates him and demands that the Watch leave. The ranging marches to the Fist of the First Men. Jeor tells Jon that Qhorin Halfhand cannot have arrived to meet them or he would have sounded his horn. Grenn, Edd and Sam trudge behind them. Jon and Jeor discuss the Halfhand's reputation as a skilled ranger. Sam says that the scenery is beautiful and that Gilly would love it there. Edd tells Grenn that there is nothing more sickening than a man in love.

Having reached the fortified summit of the Fist the rangers prepare their camp. They are digging through the snow and unloading their gear. Ghost has rejoined the party and watches the men work from atop a mound of snow. Sentries dot the edges of the summit. Sam is amazed at being in such an ancient place, telling his companions that it was fortified by the First Men in the Long Winter thousands and thousands of years earlier. He considers all of the major historical events that have happened since in wonder including the invasion of the Andals and the conquering of Westeros by House Targaryen. Edd implores Sam to stop talking. Sam asks what his companions think the first men were like. Edd suggests that they were stupid, saying that no clever man finds himself in a place like the Fist. Jon suggests that their distant ancestors were afraid and came to the First to escape something. He says that he does not believe that it worked.

A horn sounds, halting the rangers. Grenn listens intently and wonders if it is a warning about the Wildlings. Jon pauses before saying that a single blast is for rangers returning while wildlings would have triggered two blasts. Edd notes the horrible moment after one blast on a horn when you must stand and wait, wondering if a second blast will announce foes. Sam adds that three blasts are used to signal White Walkers. Jon turns to look at him and he explains that it has been a thousand years but the horn is only blown three times for White Walkers. Grenn asks how Sam knows if so much time has passed. Sam begins to say that he read it in a book but Edd pre-empts and mimics his answer. Jon says that he can see Qhorin approaching. Edd says that they will live another day, punctuating his monotone with a sarcastic cheer.

Qhorin arrives and reports sighting lookouts in the Skirling Pass. He takes a small party of scouts ahead to surprise the lookouts, Jon is among them. They do not return and are feared dead. Grenn discovers a stone tablet while digging latrines. Beneath it is a cache of weapons wrapped in a Night's Watch cloak. Sam identifies them as being made of Dragonglass.

Grenn, Edd, and Sam are gathering animal droppings that will be used to keep fires burning. Grenn complains that he be believed they would be fighting Wildings and people shouldn't live in a place where they have to burn animal droppings to keep warm. Edd sarcastically states to tell him if they spot a tree anywhere in the vast amounts of snow. While listening to Sam talk about Gilly, the group hears three blasts; the signal for White Walkers. Grenn and Edd run back to the Fist, but accidentally leave Sam behind.

Season 3
Grenn survives the White Walkers attack on the Fist of the First Men, and regroups with the remaining survivors as the ranging attempts to pull back to the Wall.

Behind the scenes
Prior to being cast in the role of Gendry, Joe Dempsie had auditioned for Grenn.

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Grenn is a tall, well-built young man. He is nicknamed the "Aurochs" because of his relatively large size and slow speed. He befriends Jon Snow, Pypar, and Samwell Tarly and is trained alongside them by Ser Alliser Thorne.