While the land of Westeros is thrown into a war for the crown, one of the most popular characters on “Game of Thrones,” Jon Snow, is half a world away simply fighting for his life. The bastard son of Season 1’s deceased hero Ned Stark, Jon, played by 25-year-old British actor Kit Harington, is now a member of the Night’s Watch. His order is sworn to protect Westeros from threats “beyond the Wall,” the immense structure that marks the Seven Kingdoms’ border.

“He does, in a very true way, leave the South behind,”says Harington of his character’s journey in Season 2. “He’s in a very different world; it’s so far beyond the rest of the story that he’s not connected to it.”

That doesn’t mean there isn’t action in the far north. As the Night’s Watch advances on those frigid regions to wage their own battle against supernatural terrors, Jon finds himself a prisoner. But there’s a true ranger growing into the black furs and leather of the uniform.

“What he’s signed up for, the Night’s Watch, that was always sort of a plaything for him, all kind of glorious,” Harington says. “He was going to prove to everyone that he was a legendary Night’s Watch ranger, and now he realizes it’s not just something to show people — it’s a way of life. He starts believing in the cause.”

‘I am Jon Snow’

You seem to have a real fond­ness for the character. What does Jon Snow mean to you?

It meant a huge amount when I got the part because I was just excited to be on an HBO show. Now it’s turned into something else, in that I realize I could be living with this character for five or six years. That really has significance because you realize, “I actually am Jon Snow.” You have to love it. And fortunately, I really love the guy. I couldn’t be in a happier place.