A Handy Guide To The Cast & Characters Of HBO’s His Dark Materials

Are we on the verge of the next Game of Thrones? The BBC is certainly hoping that their latest fantasy adaptation, His Dark Materials, based on the series of novels by the same name by Philip Pullman, can satisfy GOT's former audience. If you want magic, both light and dark, fantastical creatures, parallel universes, and talking polar bears, this is the series for you. And also just like Game of Thrones, His Dark Materials features a giant cast of characters that may just require a little explanation before you dive right in.

I'm going to level with you: Despite our hopes, His Dark Materials isn't Game of Thrones, starting with the fact that it carries with it a few household names as stars. The cast includes a few different X-Men, someone on the way to an EGOT, and a couple of comedians. The series boasts a huge and sprawling cast, and it's only season 1. 

That sprawl has a lot to do with the fact that the show is set in an alternative world in which people have dæmons: a part of their spirit that actually lives outside of them as an animal companion.

Heads up: There are some slight spoilers from His Dark Materials ahead, coming right from the novels, so be careful as you read on.

Episode 2 will air on BBC1 on Sunday at 8.00pm, episode 1 is now available on iPlayer.