There are no shortage of gods in Game of Thrones, but one of the most important mystical names in the series is only mentioned once in passing — way back in season four.
At this point, everyone knows about the Lord of Light — also known as R’hllor — but the antithesis of Melisandre’s god is rarely ever named. We’re talking about the Great Other — a god that the Red Priestess tells Shireen Baratheon represents all things dark, cold, and evil. The Great Other is an agent of death who is locked in an eternal war with the Lord of Light. If the Great Other wins, then faith in R’hllor and the love and light he represent will be extinguished.
In the A Song of Ice and Fire books, Thoros of Myr describes the battle between the Great Other and R’hllor like this:
“Man once again faces the war for the dawn, which has been waged since time began. On one side is the Lord of Light, the Heart of Fire, the God of Flame and Shadow. Against him stands the Great Other, whose name may not be spoken. The Lord of Darkness, the Soul of Ice, the God of Night and Terror.
The Great Other shouldn’t be confused with the Night King. At one point, the Night King was just a mortal man. The Children of the Forest are responsible for turning him into the monster he is now. He and his army are agents of the Great Other with a goal to do the bidding of their god. Melisandre even calls the White Walkers and the wights the “cold children” of the Great Other. Since the name of this mysterious god of the dark can’t be spoken, it’s unclear if he’s meant to have an identity in the traditional sense.
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