Photo Credit: HBO
20. North Dakota — Podrick Payne
Podrick Payne, first the squire of Tyrion Lannister, before eventually finding himself in the service of Brienne of Tarth is an often overlooked, has performed some rather important deeds in the service of his famous masters. Whether it was killing a Kingsguard and saving Tyrion during the Battle of the Blackwater, to assisting Brienne in her quest to protect the Stark daughters, Podrick has been an instrumental part of the story while remaining relatively unknown.
North Dakota, far to the north of the United States is one of the lesser known states despite its large role in the energy production of our country. Podrick is stuck in a somewhat similar role, as his contributions are quite valuable to our favorite characters, yet he remains a background character for much of the series. Pod might have spent half the show thus far in King’s Landing, but after leaving the city in season 4, proved more than capable of surviving in the wide open wilderness of Westeros (except that one time he lost the horses), geography mirrored by North Dakota.
There is one thing for which Podrick is well known, even legendary for; his encounter with the workers of Littlefinger’s brothel in season 3. Podrick performance would earn him the admiration of Bronn as well as Tyrion, no easy feat. Any state Pod represented would need a fitting slogan, and North Dakota has just that, as its slogan is “legendary.” Well played.