Game of Thrones may be based on George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels, but the HBO fantasy series was never afraid to make changes to the source material. The show often condenses certain storylines for the screen and occasionally adds some fan-favorite plots that weren’t present in the books. Towards the later seasons, the show ran out of source material from Martin to adapt, so they entirely deviated from A Song of Ice and Fire out of necessity
With all of these changes, several Game of Thrones characters end up becoming more central to the overall story in the show than they ever have been in the novels. The difference in story or medium, as well as a fantastic acting performance, can help highlight certain characters on screen more than on the page. These ten characters from Game of Thrones are far more important to the TV series than they are to A Song of Ice and Fire.
The army of the dead serves as an underlying threat throughout all of Game of Thrones. Ever since the opening scene, the undead wights and White Walkers have added an element of frozen horror to the series. In the show, the Night King serves as the leader of this army, able to resurrect an entire town of slaughtered people into wights by simply raising his hands.
The books have yet to introduce a leader for the Army of the Dead. According to George R.R. Martin, the Night King from Game of Thrones is not intended to be the similarly named Westerosi legendary figure The Night’s King, who is occasionally referred to in the books. The show’s depiction of the Night King allows audiences to personify the threat of the undead, connecting a single figure to the looming threat.
In Game of Thrones Season 2, Robb meets field medic Talisa Maegyr and quickly falls in love with her. The two get married, breaking Robb’s agreement to marry one of Walder Frey’s daughters. In true Game of Thrones fashion, this decision ends up coming back to burn everyone, as a spurned Walder Frey collaborates with Tywin Lannister and Roose Bolton to kill Robb, Talisa, and their whole family at the infamous Red Wedding.
However, Talisa Maegyr is not a character in the books. Instead, Robb marries noblewoman Jeyne Westerling out of obligation after taking her virginity. Talisa shares more scenes with Robb in the show than Jeyne does in the books, allowing audiences to get to know her. When Talisa is killed at the Red Wedding, a fate which Jeyne avoids in A Storm of Swords, it’s a little extra shocking and heartbreaking because of Talisa’s increased role.
While hiding in Harrenhal, Arya finds an unlikely ally in the form of a man called Jaqen H’ghar after she saves his life. A faceless man of Braavos, Jaqen promises to kill any three names that Arya gives him. After Arya gives Jaqen his own name, he agrees to help her and her friends escape Harrenhal if she lets him live.
In the books, this is the last readers hear of the man called Jaqen H’ghar. However, the show brings the character back in Season 5, when Arya arrives at the House of Black and White in Braavos. In the show, Jaqen takes the role of the Kindly Man, Arya’s mentor in the ways of the Faceless Men, allowing the world of Westeros to feel a little more connected.
Introduced late into the series’ run, Lyanna Mormont quickly became a fan favorite, even with her limited screen time. Played by a pre-The Last of Us Bella Ramsey, Lyanna proves to be fierce for her age, shutting down much older characters with simple words and glares. Lyanna is killed in the Battle of Winterfell in Season 8, taking down a wight giant with her.
Lyanna plays a much smaller role in the books. In the novels, she is one of five Mormont daughters and has never physically appeared; she has only sent a letter to Stannis Baratheon. Without a scene-stealing performance, Lyanna is unlikely to emerge as such a fan favorite in Martin’s books.
Despite a relatively long gap between appearances, Gendry emerged as a fan favorite in Game of Thrones. The bastard son of Robert Baratheon befriends Arya after escaping Harrenhal with her, before his new friends, the Brotherhood Without Banners, sell him to Melisandre, who wants him for his blood. Davos rescues Gendry from the Red Woman’s clutches, but the Baratheon bastard doesn’t reappear until Season 7, when he joins the wight hunt beyond the Wall.
However, the show’s version of Gendry is actually a combination of two characters from the books. Gendry and Melisandre have yet to cross paths in A Song of Ice and Fire, and instead she captures a different son of Robert Baratheon, Edric Storm. Gendry is currently with the Brotherhood Without Banners, serving as a smith, and very unlikely to be sold to Melisandre anytime soon.
Legendary actress Dame Diana Rigg was nominated for four Emmy Awards for playing Olenna Tyrell, and it’s easy to see why. The matriarch of the Tyrell family proves herself to be one of the most dangerous players of the game of thrones. In her iconic final scene, she bluntly confesses to Jaime that she was responsible for his son Joffrey’s death, just before she dies herself.
The books utilize Olenna far less than the show. Olenna has not appeared in A Song of Ice and Fire since her granddaughter Margaery’s wedding to King Tommen, and due to the lack of a Tyrell point of view character, her appearances have always been few and far between. However, even with far less page time, the books still manage to make the Queen of Thorns as sharp as ever.
After Daenerys frees the Unsullied from slavery in Astapor, Grey Worm serves as their leader. The initially taciturn character starts to come into himself, showing more and more personality as the show progresses. Grey Worm serves as a member of Daenerys’ inner council, learns to joke with Tyrion and Daario, and, most notably, pursues a very sweet romance with Missandei.
The books mainly feature Grey Worm as the Unsullied’s leader, without allowing him to fill any of his other main roles in the series. He is rarely seen with the rest of Dany’s advisors, as in the show, and speaks even less on the page than he does on screen. Given that Missandei is only ten years old, Grey Worm and Missandei are not romantically involved in the books. Speaking of Missandei…
Daenerys and Missandei first meet during the Mother of Dragons’ liberation of Astapor. Daenerys enlists Missandei’s services as a translator, and the two quickly become friends. Missandei also helps advise Daenerys throughout the series, and, as mentioned, strikes up a romance with Grey Worm.
In the books, Missandei is much younger, making her relationships with Daenerys and Grey Worm impossible. Rather than develop friendships and romances, the 10-year-old Missandei doesn’t deeply connect with any other character, instead fading into the background. Game of Thrones showrunner David Benioff admitted to beefing up Missandei’s part after being impressed by her actor, Nathalie Emmanuel.
Tormund Giantsbane plays an important role among the Free Folk throughout Game of Thrones. First introduced in Season 3 when Jon infiltrates the Free Folk’s ranks, Tormund eventually steps up in a big way to help guide his people after the death of Mance Rayder. Tormund serves as both a fearsome warrior and comic relief during the second half of Game of Thrones.
The books place far less emphasis on Tormund. Given that many of his biggest episodes in the series to date are battles that take place off-page, such as the Battle of Hardhome, or haven’t happened yet, like the Battle of the Bastards, the wight hunt, and the Battle of Castle Black, book Tormund isn’t quite as fleshed out as he is in the show. Perhaps Tormund will play a larger role in the forthcoming A Song of Ice and Fire books.
From his first appearance in the series’ pilot until his death in the Battle of Winterfell, Jorah Mormont has served as one of Daenerys’s closest confidants and friends. Jorah often acts as a sounding board for Daenerys, giving her someone to share her thoughts with, so the audience can learn what she’s thinking. Throughout the series, Jorah has also crossed paths with Tyrion, contracted Greyscale, and played a key role in the wight hunt
Given how often Jorah shares the screen with Daenerys, one of the series leads of Game of Thrones, he ends up receiving a little extra screen time. Jorah appears in 53 of 73 Game of Thrones episodes, the eighth most of any character. In contrast, Jorah often fades into the background in the books, given that Barristan Selmy, another of Dany’s knightly protectors, has more to do, a different character, Jon Connington, contracts Greyscale, and his reunion with Daenerys and the wight hunt haven’t taken place yet. Still, it’s impressive how deeply actor Iain Glen managed to flesh out a character who was never expected to play such a prominent role.