Jaqen H'ghar
| House / Order | The Faceless Men |
|---|---|
| Race / Culture | Unknown (a Lorathi name; true origin hidden) |
| Status | Alive (as of A Dance with Dragons; identity uncertain) |
| Origin | The Riverlands; Oldtown |
| Born | Unknown |
| Died | |
| Weapon | Stealth, poison, assassination |
| Fate | Possibly infiltrating the Citadel at Oldtown as the "Alchemist," having shed the face of Jaqen |
| Portrayed by | Tom Wlaschiha |
Jaqen H'ghar is the assumed name and face of a member of the Faceless Men, the guild of mysterious assassins based in the House of Black and White at Braavos. He encounters Arya Stark during her flight across Westeros and sets her on the path that will eventually lead her to Braavos and the order's training.
A man of unsettling calm and shifting identity, Jaqen embodies the central tenet of the Faceless Men: that a true servant of their Many-Faced God is no one, able to discard names and faces like clothing.
Background
Jaqen H'ghar is a name out of Lorath, one of the Free Cities, but it is almost certainly a borrowed identity; the Faceless Men have no true names. He was being transported in chains, having been taken from a dungeon, when he first crosses paths with Arya, the circumstances of his capture and his presence among common criminals never fully explained. What is clear is that he is something far more than the foreign prisoner he appears to be.
Biography
A Clash of Kings
Jaqen is among the prisoners taken by Yoren to join the Night's Watch, chained in a wagon alongside two brutal criminals, Rorge and Biter. When the party is attacked and the wagon catches fire, Arya Stark saves the three prisoners by tossing them an axe to free themselves. In repayment, Jaqen tells Arya that she has stolen three deaths from the Red God by saving them, and that he will restore the balance by killing any three people she names. Arya uses two of her three "gifts" on her enemies at Harrenhal, then cleverly forces Jaqen to help her free the northern prisoners by naming Jaqen himself, agreeing to unname him only if he aids her escape. Impressed, Jaqen invites her to come with him and learn the secrets of his order. When she refuses, he gives her an iron coin and a password, "valar morghulis", telling her that if she shows the coin to any Braavosi and speaks the words, she will be brought to him. Then, before her eyes, he changes his face entirely, becoming a different man.
A Feast for Crows
A figure widely believed to be the same Faceless Man, now wearing a new face and called the "Alchemist," appears at the close of A Feast for Crows in Oldtown. He murders an acolyte of the Citadel and takes a key, evidently infiltrating the order of maesters for some hidden purpose of the Faceless Men, suggesting that Jaqen's interests reach into the heart of Westerosi knowledge.
Character
Jaqen is serene, courteous, and profoundly enigmatic, speaking in the third person ("a man") and treating death as a sacred service owed to his god. He is bound by a code of debt and balance, killing must be repaid in killing, and possesses powers of disguise that border on the magical. His true loyalties, identity, and purpose remain among the saga's deeper mysteries; he is less a person than a vessel for the will of the Many-Faced God.
Relationships
Jaqen's significant relationship is his strange mentorship of Arya Stark, whom he recognizes as someone with the makings of a Faceless Man and whom he draws toward Braavos and the House of Black and White. His connection to the broader designs of the Faceless Men, including their interest in Oldtown and the Citadel, hints at far-reaching schemes.
Quotes
Valar morghulis.
A girl has more wits than a man... A man bows.
In the television series
In HBO's Game of Thrones, Jaqen H'ghar was portrayed by Tom Wlaschiha. His arc follows the novels through his bargain with Arya and his gift of the coin, then continues beyond them: he reappears in Braavos as a senior figure of the Faceless Men, overseeing Arya's training in the House of Black and White. In the books his role at Braavos is not confirmed, and the trainer Arya serves there is a different, unnamed "kindly man."