Melisandre

Melisandre of Asshai is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin and its television adaptation, Game of Thrones. She is a priestess of the god R'hllor (also called the Red God and the Lord of Light) from the continent Essos and a close advisor to King Stannis Baratheon during his campaign to take the Iron Throne. She is nicknamed the Red Woman due to the color of her hair and clothes. Melisandre possesses mysterious powers over fire and shadows, and she can resurrect the dead—all of her magical abilities are attributed to her relationship with her deity. She is a prominent example of Martin's use of magic within the story and is the source of several important prophecies that guide the narrative. Introduced in A Clash of Kings (1998), Melisandre comes to Westeros to spread her faith in the Red God. She subsequently appeared in Martin's A Storm of Swords (2000) and A Dance with Dragons (2011). Melisandre is not a point-of-view character in the first four novels. Her actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other characters, such as Davos Seaworth and Jon Snow. In the fifth novel, A Dance with Dragons, she has a single point-of-view chapter. George R. R. Martin stated that she will return as a viewpoint character in future novels. In the HBO television adaptation, Melisandre is portrayed by Dutch actress Carice van Houten, who received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her performance.