10 A Song Of Ice & Fire Characters That Game Of Thrones Was Actually Right To Cut

May 13, 2024, 3 p.m.

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10 A Song Of Ice & Fire Characters That Game Of Thrones Was Actually Right To Cut

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Summary Game of Thrones cut critical book narratives for TV adaptation, but not all omissions were detrimental.

TV show faced challenges as book series remained incomplete, making finding a proper ending difficult.

Removing certain book characters in GOT helped avoid unnecessary complexity, better fit TV format, and reach a successful conclusion.

The latter seasons of Game of Thrones infamously cut several critical narratives from the novels, though, in some cases, it was right to do so. The HBO drama was a cultural phenomenon in the 2010s, transforming the television landscape permanently in terms of scale and narrative risk. The series is adapted from George R.R. Martin's acclaimed fantasy series, A Song of Ice & Fire, which provided the TV interpretation with stellar source material from which to draw. However, the book series' incompletion was, unfortunately, a significant reason for its decline and the ultimate failure of the Game of Thrones ending.

George R.R. Martin has compared his writing method to that of a gardener rather than an architect. He plants seeds and allows them to grow fluidly without as much consideration for their role in the grand design. With that in mind, the two most recent A Song of Ice & Fire novels, A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons, continued to add new, massive story threads. With that added complexity, finding a proper ending seems to have grown into an immense challenge, with The Winds of Winter taking over a decade to write.

The events of A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons occur in the Game of Thrones TV series roughly around seasons 5 and 6, which is when the HBO drama began to shift away from the source material. While George R.R. Martin was still planting fresh seeds in his ever-growing garden, the TV show was already beginning to wind down, introducing fewer characters per season. Game of Thrones arguably had to cut certain book characters to avoid unnecessary complexity, better fit the television medium, and, for better or for worse, reach an ending.

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10 Quentyn Martell

The Dornish Prince's Narrative Would've Felt Insignificant

One of the first red flags book readers saw in the Game of Thrones TV adaptation was the handling of Dorne in season 5. The schemes of various Martell family members are some of the most intricate, compelling aspects of George R.R. Martin's book series, and they were reduced to one of the show's silliest plotlines. Some great Dornish characters were wrongfully cut or simplified, though the absence of Quentyn Martell is rarely a complaint.

In A Dance with Dragons, Quentyn Martell is sent to Meereen by Doran Martell with the intent of bringing Daenerys to Dorne to broker an alliance. Quentyn attempts to tame Viserion and is ultimately killed by dragon fire, promptly ending his story. In the sprawling narrative of A Song of Ice & Fire, there's certainly a place for such insular narratives, and it undoubtedly speaks to the tone and aesthetic of Martin's world, subverting the hero's journey. However, it's not significant enough of a narrative to have taken up time on the series.

9 Young Griff

Adding Another Targaryen Late In GOT Would've Been Confusing

In A Dance with Dragons, the character Young Griff is introduced, further complicating the impending war for the Iron Throne and Daenerys Targaryen's invasion of Westeros. Young Griff is revealed to allegedly be Prince Aegon Targaryen, son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell, who claims to have been rescued as a baby by Varys. Aegon, mentored by his adoptive father, Lord Jon Connington, assembles an army in the stormlands and prepares to make his claim for the throne. There are notable advantages to this plotline, but that doesn't mean it would work in the show.

There are notable advantages to this plotline, but that doesn't mean it would work in the show.

The introduction of Young Griff provides Varys with his own viable scheme, provides a distinct purpose for the Golden Company, and creates a direct threat to Daenerys, who could contribute to her downfall to becoming the Mad Queen, like in Game of Thrones. While this works excellently in novel form, integrating this narrative in season 7 without properly laying the foundation would've felt shoehorned. Adding another Targaryen that late in the series would be too enormous of a reveal to suddenly drop on television audiences. However, halfway merging the Aegon plotline with Jon Snow was also a mistake.

8 Jeyne Westerling

Replacing Jeyne With Talisa Stark Improved The Red Wedding Twist

One of the Game of Thrones changes that was genuinely successful was the omission of Jeyne Westerling, replacing Robb Stark's love interest with the original character Talisa. In the books, Jeyne nurses Robb to health after a battle, and a romantic relationship forms between them, much like in the show. However, Robb isn't a POV character in the books, and there's a distinct purpose in altering his storyline.

The Red Wedding is regarded as one of, if not the most, shocking television scene ever. While the moment was jaw-dropping in A Storm of Swords, the TV series constructed a more emotionally impactful value by focusing more on Robb and building a lovable relationship between him and Talisa. By developing the original character instead, Game of Thrones transformed the indistinct Jeyne Westerling into an unforgettable character with a heartbreaking demise.

Related 5 Years Ago, One Of Game Of Thrones' Most Hated Episodes Nailed The Entire Point Of GRRM's Story Game of Thrones season 8 was extremely controversial, but one episode is clearly rooted in the themes of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire.

7 The Kettleblack Brothers

The Kettleblacks Didn't Add Enough To The Story

One of the most fascinating aspects of reading A Song of Ice & Fire is the immense amount of detail George R.R. Martin puts into minor characters. Three characters of moderate significance in the King's Landing chapters are the Kettleblacks, Osney, Osmund, and Osfryd. Osney is the most significant of the three due to his relationship with Cersei in A Feast for Crows, which ties to the High Sparrow plotline from the TV series. Adding complications to the situation, the Kettleblacks are employed by Littlefinger.

The TV series reduced its cast to only the essential noble characters

As for the Kettleblacks being removed from Game of Thrones, it's most likely a matter of them simply not being vital enough to the story. As supporting military characters throughout Game of Thrones, such as Meryn Trant, Rodrik Cassel, or Ilyn Payne, many of them are killed off, with the latter just disappearing entirely. One of the primary differences with the books is that once these minor characters are killed off, they're often replaced. The TV series reduced its cast to only the essential noble characters, which makes sense given how many there are to keep track of.

6 Jeyne Poole

Sansa's Season 5 Plotline Removed The Need For Jeyne Poole

Jeyne Poole is a Northern noblewoman and Sansa Stark's best friend from childhood. The changes to Sansa's storyline replace her potential plotline in the TV series, removing any need to bring her into the show. In season 5, Sansa is brought to Winterfell to wed Ramsay Bolton, which never happens in A Song of Ice & Fire, where Sansa was last seen still in The Vale in A Feast For Crows.

In the books, the Boltons believe that they've captured Arya Stark, who actually turns out to be Jeyne Poole. Poole, under the guise of Arya, essentially checks off all the same boxes as Sansa in season 5, including an escape from Winterfell with Theon at the end of A Dance with Dragons. While Sansa's season 5 narrative in the series was divisive, introducing Jeyne Poole would've been an unnecessary complexity that wouldn't have fit with the direction the show was headed.

5 Edric Storm

Combining Edric's Storm Into Gendry Allowed A More Concise Cast

It's revealed in Game of Thrones season 1 that King Robert Baratheon had several bastards, though the TV series only ever introduces Gendry. In George R.R. Martin's novels, much of Gendry's narrative belongs to another bastard named Edric Storm. In Game of Thrones season 3, when Gendry is brought to Dragonstone and is leeched for the blood ritual, the scenes are drawn directly from Edric's story in A Storm of Swords.

In A Song of Ice & Fire, Gendry doesn't do very much after joining the Brotherhood Without Banners. Similarly to the show, where Gendry disappears for several seasons, neither he nor Edric plays a significant role in A Feast for Crows or A Dance with Dragons. It's unclear what will happen to either of them going forward, but Game of Thrones managed to trim down their cast by reducing them to one character, which proved effective.

4 Lady Stoneheart

Keeping Catelyn Stark Dead Added To The Red Wedding's Impact

The Red Wedding is one of the most heartbreaking Game of Thrones moments, and part of the reason why was the definitive conclusion to beloved protagonists Robb and Catelyn Stark. In A Song of Ice & Fire, the massacre isn't actually the end for Catelyn Stark, who returns as Lady Stoneheart. In the epilogue of A Storm of Swords, the same book where the Red Wedding occurs, the Brotherhood Without Banners finds Catelyn's body after it's been retrieved from the river by the direwolf Nymeria.

Beric Dondarrion resurrects Catelyn Stark, giving his life for her, and she becomes Lady Stoneheart. In the following two books, she's seen roaming the Riverlands with the Brotherhood, killing Freys in vengeance for the Red Wedding. While this is an engaging storyline in the books, it might've detracted from the finality of the Red Wedding in the show, ruining its drama.

3 Penny

Tyrion's Changed Storyline Omitted The Need For Penny

Penny is a supporting character in A Dance with Dragons tied primarily to Tyrion Lannister's arc. She's a dwarf woman who forms a bond with Tyrion during his journey to Essos. She has a romantic affection for him, but he hasn't overcome the trauma of killing Tywin and the awful experience with Shae, which is depicted in Game of Thrones season 4.

The removal of Penny from the TV series is, in large part, due to the changes in Tyrion's character arc. In A Dance with Dragons, Tyrion undergoes an incredibly dark arc, dealing with depression, self-loathing, and a bitter hatred for his family. Since the TV show wanted Tyrion to remain a likable character, it eased through his travels without allowing for much character interaction outside of Varys and Jorah, allowing him to get to Daenerys and find a new purpose as quickly as possible.

2 Aeron Greyjoy

Aeron Greyjoy Is The Least Impactful Greyjoy

Aeron Greyjoy is technically in Game of Thrones season 6 during the kingsmoot where Euron becomes King of the Iron Islands, but he's barely in the series. In A Song of Ice & Fire, Aeron is one of Balon Greyjoy's younger brothers, who's a priest of the Drowned God. In A Feast for Crows, Aeron becomes a POV character who supports Victarion and opposes Asha and Euron Greyjoy as potential monarch candidates.

Asha Greyjoy was renamed Yara Greyjoy in Game of Thrones.

Aeron is a compelling character, but he's certainly the least impactful Greyjoy. Victarion is a character that could've improved Game of Thrones, adding some complexity to the Iron Islands plotline and ideally improving upon Euron. Euron Greyjoy is a far more complex character in the novels, and his adaptation was one of the many things that went wrong with Game of Thrones season 8.

1 Arys Oakheart

Arys Oakheart Is A One-Off POV Character

Arys Oakheart is a knight of the kingsguard sent with Myrcella Baratheon to protect her in Dorne. There, he's seduced by Princess Arianne Martell, who ropes him into her plans. In his first major conflict, he's quickly killed by Areo Hotah, begging the question of why Arys was a POV character to begin with. Again, Arys is a compelling character, but he's not particularly significant in the grand scheme of things.

Arianne Martell is a character Game of Thrones could have greatly benefited from, vastly improving the botched Dorne narrative. In the case of her appearance, Arys Oakheart could've been worthwhile as a brief minor character. Even still, he likely would've been framed as comedic relief in Game of Thrones, with the show honing in on his repeated breaking of kingsguard vows and, ultimately, his near-instant death to an actual warrior.