'Game Of Thrones' Season 7 Photos: Winter Is Here, So Dress Accordingly

The sixth season of Game of Thrones concluded with a massive war about to open up on four fronts, with the living battling the living as the undead waited to make their move. And then, to rub salt in the wound, winter finally arrived. After all, the Stark words always come true, eventually.

The chill of winter can be seen all over the first official Game of Thrones season 7 photos, which feature cast members bundled under heavier coats and cloaks than usual.

HBO has released 16 new photos from the upcoming season, which is set to premiere this summer. That may seem like a lot of images, but Game of Thrones has a lot of characters – the gallery below is huge and it still feels like the tip of the iceberg when it comes to every single character of importance in Westeros.

Of course, the usual suspects are all here. Jon Snow still furrowing his brow at the distance, Arya Stark is still hanging out in places that seem a little unsavory for a girl of her age, Meera is still dragging Bran through the zombie-infested lands north of the Wall, Jaime and Cersei and still inseparable (even when she's on the Iron Throne), Davos still looks like the only guy in the land who can actually get things done, and Petyr Baelish is still getting too close for comfort to Sansa Stark.

However, these images do provide a few fun surprises. For example, there's Sandor "The Hound" Clegane, now dressed for winter as a member of the Brotherhood With Banners. There's the return of the pint-sized badass Lyanna Mormont, who will surely steal each and every one of her scenes again. There's Tormund Giantsbane, still making it pretty clear to Brienne of Tarth that he's very, very interested. And we also have our first look at Sam and Gilly in their new lives at the Citadel, where things will hopefully start looking up for this adorable and oft-abused couple.

However, the real MVPs of this gallery are Daenerys and her inner circle: Tyrion Lannister, Missandei, Varys, and Grey Worm. They're all dressed for the colder Westeros climate after making the journey across the Narrow Sea and they look spectacular. Those new leather uniforms give Cersei's black queen get-up a run for its money in the "best dressed on the continent" contest.

Game of Thrones season 7 is set to premiere on July 16, 2017.