Styr

"I know we've had our differences, Tormund. But just one time, before you die, you really ought to try... crow."

- Styr

Styr is a recurring character in the fourth season, debuting in the season premiere. He serves as the principal antagonist of the Castle Black story-line in Season 4. He was played by Yuri Kolokolnikov. Styr was the Magnar of Thenn, one of the fiercest tribes of Free Folk.

Background
Styr is the Magnar of the Thenn, a fierce tribe of Free Folk known for their practice of ritual self-scarification and engaging in cannibalism of their fallen enemies. Styr is a very highly-skilled warrior and is capable of wielding a great axe with ease due to his size and strength.

At some point, Mance Rayder convinced Styr to join his army and acknowledge him as the King-Beyond-the-Wall. Styr became one of Mance's lieutenants, along chieftains such as Tormund Giantsbane and the Lord of Bones.

Season 4
Styr leads a group of Thenns towards Castle Black and encounters Tormund and Ygritte after the warg in his group sees them through the eyes of his owl. Styr mocks them over the death of Orell and their failure to kill Jon Snow. Afterwards, he and his fellow Thenns prepare to eat a member of the Night's Watch whom they have recently killed.

Styr, Tormund, Ygritte and other Wildlings attack a village killing all of its residents, save for one child. Styr orders this child to run to Castle Black to warn the Night's Watch about the Wildlings. Before this, he informs the child that he is going to eat his dead parents.

Styr and Tormund attack the settlement of Mole's Town. They slaughter most of the inhabitants, which include members of the Night's Watch who were visiting the local brothel. News of this attack reaches Castle Black, which is their next target.

Just outside of Castle Black, Styr chastises Ygritte for not killing Jon Snow when she had the chance. Soon after, his warg has spotted Mance Rayder's signal and they attack Castle Black. During the battle, he kills numerous black brothers before spotting Jon Snow. In the midst of the fighting, Styr and Jon duel each other in the courtyard of Castle Black. Styr gets the upper hand by knocking away Longclaw from Jon and fighting hand to hand. He forces Jon's head into a blacksmith anvil, however, Jon eventually distracts him by spitting in his face and subsequently ends the Magnar's life by smashing a hammer through the top of his skull. As Jon enters the chambers where Tormund is being held, Jon mentions that the bodies of the fallen wildlings were going to be burned, later Styr's body was burned along with the other wildlings.

Behind the scenes
Dutch actor Yorick van Wageningen auditioned for the role of Styr.

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Styr is one of Mance Rayder's lieutenants and the Magnar - "Lord" in the Old Tongue of the First Men - of the Thenn people, a clan of Free Folk established in a valley north of the Frostfangs. Unlike the other wildling clans, the Thenn actually have lords (more like hereditary chieftains), and live under established laws that they enforce. As a result they are the most disciplined of the wildling clans, making them organized and dangerous in combat; they also possess the most advanced armor and weaponry among the Free Folk. The Magnar's followers worship the man like a god, and follow every order, however ridiculous.

In the series, much of his plotline from A Storm of Swords is taken by Tormund Giantsbane - including being mistaken by Jon Snow for Mance, and leading the climb over the Wall. He is described as a tall lean man with no ears, clean shaven, bald with a straight nose and grey eyes. He doesn't speak the Common Tongue, speaking only the Old Tongue.

Styr is also not a cannibal, and doesn't possess scars on his head.