Game Of Thrones Cut These 5 Book Characters, But They'll Be Very Important In The Winds Of Winter

Not every character made it into Game of Thrones, but that doesn’t mean they won’t have an enormous impact in The Winds of Winter. HBO’s fantasy epic was based on A Song of Ice & Fire, George R.R. Martin’s prolific book series that, after three decades, still awaits completion. Readers have been waiting since 2011 for the next volume, and the television adaption has come and gone, giving its own interpretation of how Martin’s story might end. That said, his previous two volumes are vastly different from the show.

A Storm of Swords is commonly considered one of the greatest fantasy novels ever written, paying off numerous storylines that were laid out in the first book. While A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons are far from being bad books, the fourth and fifth novels are commonly critiqued for expanding on the world while not really pushing the story forward as much as previous volumes. Several fascinating new characters are brought into the fold, most of which didn't make it into the TV series.

Lady Stoneheart

Catelyn Stark Can Avenge The Red Wedding Herself

Catelyn Stark is the main POV character killed at the Red Wedding, and though it’s still one of the most horrific events in fantasy literature, it’s mitigated by her return as Lady Stoneheart. This version of Catelyn is far from the Stark matriarch audiences know from the TV series, as the new ruthless leader of the Brotherhood without Banners, looking to carry out vengeance on the Freys and the Lannisters.

A Dance with Dragons saw Brienne, on behalf of Lady Stoneheart, collecting Jaime Lannister to bring him to face justice. There are so many possibilities for where this story can go, improving the arcs of Jaime, Brienne, the revenge for the Red Wedding, and more. Rather than have Arya kill Walder Frey on her way home, Martin could tie the story in the Riverlands directly back to Catelyn.

Young Griff

Another Targaryen Makes His Way Toward The Throne

A Dance with Dragons reveals that Daenerys isn’t the only Targaryen alive. Another player has claimed to be a long-lost Targaryen. Aegon, going by the name Young Griff, accompanied by Lord Jon Connington, is accumulating supporters and preparing for his own assault on King’s Landing. Though he’s only had a few scenes, he has the potential to make an enormous impact in The Winds of Winter.

With the addition of another Targaryen to potentially take her throne and be another obstacle, Aegon could contribute to why Daenerys commits her eventual atrocity, making it a more fluid process in the books.

The Daenerys story in Game of Thrones’ television ending has often been criticized for her descent into madness feeling contrived and irrational. With the addition of another Targaryen to potentially take her throne and be another obstacle, Aegon could contribute to why Daenerys commits her eventual atrocity, making it a more fluid process in the books.

Arianne Martell

The Dorne Plotline Lacked Its Best Character

A common critique of Game of Thrones is for its handling of the Dorne plotline, but that’s a fairly broad territory that includes several characters who are drastically different in the show. Arianne Martell is a major POV character in A Feast for Crows and will be again in The Winds of Winter. The chapters of Winds that Martin has already released show her arriving in Storm's End, where Young Griff and Jon Connington are preparing to take more ground in Westeros. She'll be in the thick of it, representing one of the most dangerous factions still fighting.

Victarion Greyjoy

Euron's Brother Is An Unpredictable X-Factor

The TV adaption saw Euron Greyjoy appear in season 6, but this interpretation of the character was a major cause for criticism. Not only was he a far cry from his book counterpart, but the absence of his brother Victarion was also a notable loss for the HBO show. Victarion and Euron are the uncles of Theon and Asha, and they’ve become prominent characters in the recent two books, threatening to majorly disrupt the course of events.

Asha was renamed Yara for HBO’s Game of Thrones.

The most recent chapters saw Victarion sailing his fleet toward Daenerys Targaryen, intending to broker a marriage alliance for her and Euron. Not only is he planning to betray his brother, but he’s also carrying an artifact called Dragonbinder, a horn that’s said to be able to control dragons. Whether it’s Victarion or Euron or some combination of the two, the Greyjoy uncles could be major allies or enemies to Daenerys.

Jeyne Poole

Sansa's Childhood Best Friend Is A Critical Character

Jeyne Poole was technically in Game of Thrones, but she's essentially just a background character in episode 1's Winterfell scenes. In the books, Jeyne Poole has her own critical role to play, with her being taken to be Ramsay's wife. The twist is that the Boltons believe her to be Arya Stark, and she undergoes much of the arc the show gave Sansa in season 5, with Theon eventually helping her to escape Winterfell. There's so much more happening in the North in the books, with Jeyne possessing too much knowledge to not be important.