Missandei

Missandei is a recurring character in the third season. She debuts in "Valar Dohaeris" and is played by Nathalie Emmanuel.

Biography
Missandei is a slave, born on the island of Naath in the Summer Sea, off the coast of the continent of Sothoryos. She was enslaved at a young age and currently serves Daenerys Targaryen after being part of the Unsullied exchange between Kraznys mo Nakloz, one of the Good Masters of Astapor, and Daenerys.

Missandei speaks nineteen languages including High Valyrian, the Low Valyrian dialect of Slaver's Bay, Dothraki, and the Common Tongue of Westeros.

Season 3
Missandei acts as a translator between her master Kraznys mo Nakloz and Daenerys Targaryen when she lands on Astapor with the intent to buy Unsullied. She does not translate literally, offering Kraznys commentary on Daenerys' words and leaving out Kraznys' insults to the Khaleesi.

Daenerys meets with Kraznys and other Good Masters and announces her intention to buy all of the eight thousand Unsullied for sale, but Kraznys says she cannot afford them. The slaver grows increasingly insulting and condescending - which makes Missandei struggle to translate politely. Daenerys then adds she also wants to buy the hundreds of young men still in training. In exchange she offers one of her dragons. The Good Masters agree, but Daenerys also asks for Missandei as a gift and a show of good faith for the upcoming transaction. He agrees, and Missandei follows Daenerys.

Daenerys asks the young slave for her name and if she has any living family, but she says she does not. Daenerys warns her that she is heading into war and she may be killed and fall sick and die, to which Missandei simply recites the Valyrian aphorism: "Valar morghulis". Daenerys responds by traslating, "all men must die", revealing to the young slave that she actually knows High Valyrian, and also adds that "we are not men", making Missandei grin.

Missandei, sporting a new dress to match Daenerys's outfit, is present when Kraznys and Daenerys conduct their exchange. She translates their exchange until Daenerys fluidly begins issuing orders to the Unsullied in perfectly accented Low Valyrian, at which Missandei stares in shock. Missandei survives the subsequent sack of Astapor and marches out of the city with Daenerys.

Missandei serves as Daenerys's primary aide-de-camp during the march to Yunkai. On her queen's orders, she gathers the Unsullied officers together and orders them to select a single leader from among themselves. When the new leader, Grey Worm, is presented, Missandei explains that all Unsullied are given names consisting of drab colors and vermin to remind them of their station. Daenerys promptly orders the Unsullied to select their own names, though Grey Worm elects to keep his.

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Missandei is a slave native to the island of Naath, located off the northwestern coast of Sothoryos. She acts as a translator to Kraznys mo Nakloz, one of the Good Masters of Astapor.

As is typical for the peoples of Sothoryos, Missandei is dark-skinned. She also possesses the typical Naathi features of a flat face and golden eyes.

While actress Nathalie Emmanuel was 23 years old when she was cast in the role, in the books Missandei is only 10 years old when she is introduced, younger than Sansa Stark but older than Arya Stark. In spite of her age, she is incredibly intelligent and serves as a key advisor and aide to Daenerys.

"Missandei" is pronounced "Miss-an-day".