These are the characters you need to know before 'Game of Thrones' season 7

So many characters died in season six of "Game of Thrones," while so many others were seemingly discarded in a form of exile: Daario, to run the city of Meereen; Melisandre, ordered to go south; Benjen, who can't cross the Wall. As we head into season seven, this is understandable - the ever-sprawling show needs to trim down to the essentials and focus on the endgame. Still, we might get a few new characters, or spend a little more time with some folks we've just started to get to know. Here are a few of them: