Jorah Mormont is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin and its television adaptation, Game of Thrones.
Jorah fought in Greyjoy's Rebellion, distinguishing himself by being one of the first to enter the fray during the siege of Pyke and was knighted by King Robert Baratheon.
At a tourney at Lannisport celebrating the Baratheon victory, Jorah fell in love with the beautiful Lynesse Hightower (aunt of Margaery Tyrell).
Jorah bankrupted himself trying to provide her with luxuries and eventually sold poachers found on his lands to a Tyroshi slaver to fund her lifestyle.
Jorah Mormont is not a point-of-view character in the novels, so his actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister.
As they arrive at Meereen, Arstan is revealed to be Ser Barristan Selmy, former Kingsguard to Aerys II Targaryen and Robert, and he announces Jorah's former status as a spy.
When Daenerys is widowed after Khal Drogo's death, Jorah travels with her to Qarth and becomes the first knight of her Queensguard, serving as her advisor and protector.
After Daenerys sacks Astapor and defeats the slavers who own the city, Jorah plays an important part in the capture of Yunkai, together with Unsullied commander Grey Worm and Daario Naharis, Lieutenant and leader of the Second Sons.
Jorah later assists Daenerys and her army in conquering Meereen, and later informs her of Joffrey's death, but at the same time dissuades her from invading King's Landing, since she is not strong enough to take all of Westeros yet.
Sailing through the ruins of Valyria, the duo is assaulted by "stone men" – humans turned insane by the disease greyscale – and Jorah is infected in the struggle.
At the reopening of the fighting pits, Jorah foils an assassination attempt on Daenerys and protects her from the insurgent Sons of the Harpy in the resulting confrontation.
The next evening, Jorah and Daario watch as Daenerys, after trapping and burning all the Khals alive in the temple building, emerges from it completely unharmed, and they join the rest of the Dothraki in kneeling before her in awe.
Daenerys is displeased with Tyrion when she learns that his sister Cersei Lannister is not sending her army, but she is mollified after Jorah speaks up in support of him.
During the Battle of Winterfell, Jorah is mortally wounded defending Daenerys from certain death at the hands of the undead, though he does survive long enough to see the army felled when Arya Stark kills the Night King.
She also pointed out that the "striking major difference that cannot be overlooked is the fact that Mormont is madly in love with Daenerys whereas there is no record of such romantic feelings regarding Walsingham and the Tudor queen [Elizabeth I].
"[10] Cyrille Sardais and Marine Agogué saw Mormont's development from spy for her enemies to "showing unparalleled devotion to Daenerys" as the best example of her charismatic influence on her supporters.
[12][13] In comparison to Daario, who is successful in winning her affection through "clumsy" seduction, it is regarded as unfair that Mormont is relegated to the role of friend despite his dedicated engagement on her behalf.
[13] Together with the troubled relationships to his two wives in his past, this makes Mormont a tragic hero with regard to romance, while the conflict between loyality to his previous employer, Varys, and to Daenerys does so on a moral level.
Looking at mythological archetypes according to Joseph Campbell, Mark Klapproth et al. defined Jorah as "the dishonored knight, because he strives for salvation - similar to Lancelot from Arthurian legend or Ivanhoe in the novel by Walter Scott."
The series of bad decisions which lead to Mormont's downfall are understandable to the viewer, being based on covering up facts to avoid negative consequences.
[12] When applying Campbell's template of the Hero's Journey to Daenerys Targaryen, Kenzo John Carlo A. Calahong et al. found that Jorah Mormont conforms to the archetypal categories of the Mentor, by teaching and protecting her, and the Ally, by steadfastly supporting her up to fighting to his death for her.
Mormont also represents one of the obstacles on the heroine's Road of Trials, as she has to show "her ability to be merciful while a kind and just queen" when discovering his initial allegiance to her enemies.