5 Game of Thrones book characters that should have been in the show

The seventh season of Game of Thrones is out and we can’t help but wonder what it would be like if some key characters in the books had made their way into the TV show. George R. R. Martin, author extraordinaire and the brain behind the world of Game of Thrones, writes a bevy of diverse characters in his books. We recognize that the HBO adaptation of the books cannot possibly bring all of these characters to life on-screen, but here are some crucial and fan-favourite characters we would have loved to see in the flesh.

1. Victarion Greyjoy

Victarion’s story arc in the books is one of the most interesting ones. He’s the axe-wielding leader of the Iron Islands’ navy and one of the POV characters in books four and five. In A Dance With Dragons, Victarion gets involved in some messed up Red God stuff and walks away with a “blackened and charred” hand, courtesy of a Red Priest’s magic, and the knowledge of Dragonbinder, a mythical horn said to control dragons.

2. Lady Stoneheart

An undeniable fan-favourite and one of the most ruthless characters in the world of Game of Thrones, Lady Stoneheart is someone nearly all book fans wanted to see in the show. After Catelyn Stark’s murder at the Twins, her body is thrown into a river, only to be found by Thoros of Myr and resurrected as Lady Stoneheart. Throughout the series, Lady Stoneheart is on a ruthless quest for blind revenge, killing innocent Frey children and culprits alike.

3. Arianne Martell

The omission of Arianne Martell’s character caused quite an upheaval in the Game of Thrones fandom. Arianne is a beautiful and bold woman, as well as the heir to the Dornish throne. She’s portrayed as a loyal, smart, and lovely character, and a lot of people saw her omission in the show as the dismissal of one of the most feminist story arcs in the series. It would have been interesting to see Arianne’s character brought to life.

4. Jeyne Poole

Jeyne Poole is a side character in the books that seems very irrelevant until she is sent to Winterfell to marry Ramsay Snow under the guise of Arya Stark. Sansa completes her story arc in the show, but in the books, it’s Jeyne who is tortured and raped by Ramsay, and eventually plots her escape with Theon. Maybe if Jeyne was in the show, we wouldn’t have seen Sansa go through some of the terrible things she endured.

5. Coldhands

Coldhands is one of the most intriguing characters in the entirety of A Song of Ice and Fire. He’s described as someone who seems like he’s dead, but has the presence of mind and intellect of a living human. But it’s implied that he’s far too old and preternatural to be a mortal. In the books, he helps guide Bran and his friends to the Children of the Forest. Benjen Stark sort of takes on the mantel of Coldhands in the show, but it would have been nice to see the actual character and unearth the mysteries surrounding him.

Which book characters do you think should have been in the show? Let us know! Don’t forget to check out our exclusive Game of Thrones products.