Mance Rayder

Mance Rayder is a recurring character in the third season. He is mentioned in the first and second seasons. He makes his first on-screen appearance in "Valar Dohaeris" and is played by Ciarán Hinds. He is the leader of the Free Folk and a feared opponent of the Night's Watch.

Background
Mance Rayder was once a noted ranger of the Night's Watch. He was actually born a wildling and is proud that he has wildling blood in his veins, but as an infant he was left at one of the castles on the Wall to be raised in the Night's Watch.

As a young man, he deserted his post and fled north of the Wall to join the wildlings. He rose to become the King-Beyond-the-Wall, a title bestowed on a wildling leader who manages to unify all of the tribes under his command. It appears he has held the position of King-Beyond-the-Wall for more than a decade, as Ser Alliser Thorne mentions he was King-Beyond-the-Wall during the previous winter.

Season 1
Ser Alliser tells Jon Snow and Samwell Tarly that the wildlings under Rayder are hard, skilled men who know their country much better than the Watch does.

A wildling raiding party takes Bran Stark prisoner near Winterfell. One of their number, Osha suggests taking Bran Stark as a captive to Mance. This suggestion is rejected as the wildlings are fleeing south in terror of the White Walkers.

Season 2
Craster tells Lord Commander Jeor Mormont that Mance is assembling an army in the Frostfangs. Varys reports rumors of the wildlings organizing under Mance to the Small Council. Qhorin Halfhand predicts that the wildlings will be more dangerous under Mance because he used to be a man of the Night's Watch and knows their tactics.

When she is captured, Ygritte points out to Jon Snow that the wildlings chose Mance Rayder to lead them, and he's not "King-Beyond-the-Wall" because his father was. Ygritte also says that Mance Rayder chose to desert from the Night's Watch to join the Free Folk. Ygritte reverses the situation and takes Jon prisoner. She argues to the Lord of Bones that Mance will want to question Jon because he is the bastard son of Ned Stark, so they shouldn't just kill Jon on the spot. The Lord of Bones has also captured Qhorin and they march back to Mance with both captives.

When Jon Snow slays Qhorin, Ygritte mentions to the Lord of Bones that he can tell Mance Rayder who killed Qhorin. Jon's ropes are cut and they stand before Mance's encampment.

Season 3
Jon Snow is brought to the main wildling camp and introduced to Mance Rayder, though Jon initially mistakens Tormund for the King-Beyond-the-Wall, until Mance reveals himself, and asks Jon why he wants to break his vows and leave the Night's Watch to join them. Jon Snow expresses disgust at Lord Commander Mormont's complacency towards Craster, particularly in regards to Craster's practice of sacrificing his newborn sons to the White Walkers, and he tells Mance that he wishes to join the side that fights for the living.

As Mance's army marches from the Frostfangs, Mance asks Jon about his killing of Qhorin Halfhand, whom Mance liked. Mance reminds Jon that despite his lking of him he will kill him if he betrays the Free Folk, also revealing to Jon of his Wildling blood. Jon answers he understands what is like to want to protect one's people. Mance refutes him and rethorically asks him if he understands how to unite nearly one hundred clans and tribes - Thenns, Hornfoots, Ice-river clans, cave people - that want to massacre each other. He adds that his army speaks seven different languages. He then insists asking Jon how he managed to unite moon worshippers, cannibals, and giants into the same army. Jon admits he doesn't know. Mance answers he told them they were all going to die unless they go south. Afterward, the two join Tormund and Ygritte beside Orell, who is scouting with his eagle. Mance explains Orell is a warg, capable of entering the minds of animals and seeing through their eyes. He then asks Orell what he saw. Orell explains he saw the Fist of the First Men, and dead "crows".

Quotes
"I'm going to light the biggest fire the North has ever seen!"

- Mance Rayder

Behind the scenes
Dominic West was originally offered the role but turned it down, as he did not want to be away from his family for so long to film in Iceland.

Like a great many Game of Thrones cast members, Hinds is Irish, and thus has to effect a Northern accent when portraying a Wildling.

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Mance Rayder is a former brother of the Night's Watch. He was born as a wildling, but was given over to be raised by the Watch when still an infant. Chafing at the restrictions and orders that the Night's Watch places upon its members, he fled over the Wall and took refuge amongst the wildlings. Over several years he became a respected war leader and warrior, and eventually was made King-Beyond-the-Wall by acclamation. At the start of the books his name and growing strength has been noted by Lord Eddard Stark, who ponders taking an army beyond the Wall to deal with him before he is summoned south to King's Landing instead.

He is a large man with long brown hair that has gone mostly gray. Otherwise, Mance is noted for being a surprisingly unremarkable, average-looking man. Mance's age in the book is not given, nor how long he has been amongst the wildlings. However, Benjen Stark had never met him, suggesting that Rayder left before Benjen joined the Night's Watch after the events of Robert's Rebellion. Though according to Mance himself, he once visited Winterfell with Lord Commander Qorgyle while still with the Watch when Robb and Jon were boys; this makes it more likely that he left the Watch sometime before the Greyjoy Rebellion.