Game Of Thrones: What Is A Greenseer?

This mysterious element of Westeros's magic system depicts some lucky souls experiencing prophetic dreams

Magic is used sparingly across George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. It's a crucial aspect of the story, but it's less common than in the typical fantasy setting. There aren't a lot of wizards in tall hats walking around slinging spells. Instead, a small percentage of the population demonstrates the ability to fuse with animals or see the future in their dreams.

One of the strangest choices made in the final season of Game of Thrones was the last holder of the Iron Throne. After all the war and strife, the seat is filled by none other than Bran the Broken. Tyrion expounds on the power of stories, a theme that hasn't been central to the story until that moment, and determines that Bran would write the best memoir. It's a silly decision with no good justification, but Westeros might benefit from a King who can see the future.

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Humans arrived in Westeros roughly 12,000 years before the events of the books. For the tens of thousands of years before their ships reached the continent, the Children of the Forest laid claim to its lands. The Children thrived in the verdant woodlands that once covered the vast majority of Westeros. When the First Men crossed the land bridge from the old continent Essos, they arrived in the desert lands that would become Dorne. First Men scattered throughout the woods, cutting down trees and destroying the sacred sites of the Children of the Forest. The men made war with the Children, eventually reaching a pact that allowed both species to live in peace. Unfortunately, the influx of White Walkers from the North wiped out all but a few Children. The Children of the Forest's shamans were known as greenseers, but their power was not exclusive to their species.

According to the books, roughly one in every 1000 babies is born a "skinchanger." Like John Snow, they're capable of entering the mind of animals and controlling their actions. Roughly one in every 1000 skinchangers is born a greenseer. Greenseers are best known for their greensight, the ability to see past, present, and future events in their dreams. These feats of insight seem to come without intention. They appear when they are meant to, more like warnings than answers. Bran Stark and Jojen Reed were born with the greensight, though it took training to master their gifts.

The greensight is the best-known aspect of a greenseer's life, but it isn't their only power. Much of the history of the Children of the Forest is shrouded in mystery due to the downfall of their species. Teachers tell students that Children never existed and their feats were only fairy tales. Those fairy tales say that greenseers weaponized nature against the First Men. They compelled trees to uproot themselves and attack their enemies. They assembled armies of beasts for their cause. It's said that the greenseers used a mystical technique called the "hammer of the waters" to destroy the land bridge to Westeros, creating the Broken Arm of Dorne. They later tried using the same trick to split the continent in two but instead flooded a massive area called the Neck. If any of those tales are true, greenseers would be among the mightiest magic users in the history of Westeros.

The answer to this question remains largely shrouded in mystery. The books don't name any of the old long-dead greenseers. The most powerful remaining greenseer in the modern era earns the title of the Three-Eyed Raven. Bran first saw the Three-Eyed Raven after the injury that crippled him. Bran and Jojen traveled many miles to find the man behind the bird. The Raven teaches Bran to hone his powers, explaining that he's been waiting to name him as his successor for many years. Bran became the Three-Eyed Raven after his training was complete. The countless generations that held the position before him possess his body at once. He becomes omniscient, capable of seeing and influencing events in the distant past and across any distance. Though there could have been stronger greenseers in the old days, Bran the Broken is unquestionably the mightiest user of the sight.

Greenseers are an unfortunately unexplored aspect of the story. There's so much fans can't know about them. Watching Bran learn the ways of the Three-Eyed Raven remains one of the most engaging parts of the Game of Thrones story. Contemporary greenseers possess analytical knowledge of all time, beyond any physical presence or logical barriers. The ancient greenseers could've been as powerful as gods. Fans may never know how capable these ancient indigenous shamans were in the time before the Seven Kingdoms. They carved parts of the continent, the history books refuse to acknowledge their existence, but finally, a greenseer sits on the Iron Throne.

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Joshua is a lifelong film buff, D&D enthusiast, tournament winning Smash Bros. player and extremely passionate writer. He also has a BS in Psychology.