As successful as Game of Thrones was, there was quite a lot of book material that was cut from the final product. This makes sense to a certain extent. The way George R.R. Martin wrote the books turned Westeros into a massive world with many moving pieces. It would have been impossible to focus on every detail of the story as laid out in the books, especially in a live-action format. To that end, a number of characters were cut from the final product.
This however, had consequences for plot developments moving forward. Characters who were pivotal to major political shifts in Westeros were forgotten entirely or replaced with poorly thought out story arcs that ultimately went nowhere. Even worse, it robbed fans of the show of getting to meet some of the most interesting and dynamic characters introduced in the entire series.
10. Harrold Hardyng Was the Key to Littlefinger’s Plans
Now this is a character who hasn’t even formally appeared in the books either, yet his mere existence is a major part of Littlefinger’s plans. Once Lysa Arryn was removed from the equation, Littelfinger became the effective leader of the vale until Robyn Arryn would come of age. Given how sickly Robyn is in the stories, with many suspecting that he would not live for much longer, especially without his mother, and of course, the possibility that Littlefinger would poison him, all eyes began looking for a successor.
Harrold is Robyn’s closest living relative through the male line, making him the next heir of House Arryn should Robyn perish. Harrold would be restyled as Harrold Arryn and he would immediately be wed to Sansa Stark. The plan would have been to use the Vale’s army to retake the North from the Boltons, which made far more sense than his incredibly dangerous plan to marry Sansa to Ramsay Bolton in the show. It would also have furthered his own power in both kingdoms, leading to a better chance at securing the Iron Throne for himself. All this was predicated upon Harrold’s existence, making him surprisingly important for someone who has yet to show up.
9. Garlan Tyrell Is the Tyrell Everybody Loves
Not many Game of Thrones fans know that there were actually two more male heirs to House Tyrell, and that they were both older than Loras. It is the second eldest Tyrell boy who is getting attention today though. Garlan Tyrell, nicknamed Garlan the Gallant by his older brother, Willas, is arguably one of the kindest characters in the entire franchise. He is a skilled warrior, who practices against three or four men at a time to be better prepared for battle, and has had nothing but kind words for all those who meet him. He tried to calm Sansa’s nerves during her wedding to Tyrion, praised Tyrion for his defense of King’s Landing, and even rebuked Joffrey for shaming Tyrion during his wedding.
In short, Garlan is quite literally one of the most charming people in Westeros. He’s as close to a genuine knight in shining armor as there is in this world and it shows in how much people like and trust him. When Margaery was held captive by the Faith Militant, it was Garlan she wanted to name as her champion instead of Loras. Garlan was even the one to ride into battle in Renly’s armor to scare Stannis’ men. While he doesn’t have the most prominent position in the books, his existence might be to give House Tyrell a viable heir should Loras or Margaery have died in a similar manner to their show counterparts.
8. Strong Belwas Is Daenerys’ Most Amusing Supporter
Strong Belwas is not a character many who watched the show would have expected to be in Daenerys Targaryen’s court, but the character, a former fighter in the slave pits, is actually necessary to bring some levity to Daenerys’ life. Currently free and in the service of Illyrio Mopatis, Strong Belwas is a giant of a man who made a name for himself by allowing his opponents to cut him once before he killed them. This way the scars on his body can let people know how many he has killed to get here.
He became one of Daenerys’ longest-traveling companions and a member of her Queensguard. He is arguably the most dangerous of her protectors, as he is devoted to preserving her safety and honor, once cracking the teeth of a man foolish enough to spit in her face. Belwas is also simple in his approach, bringing much-needed bluntness to Daenerys’ advisors. By the time Daenerys vanished with Drogon, Belwas was named to the temporary ruling council of Meereen by Ser Barristan.
7. Jeyne Westerling Brought Complexity to Robb Stark’s Broken Marriage Pact
Jeyne Westerling never had any designs to be Robb Stark’s queen. In fact, it could be argued that she technically started out as his enemy. She came from a family in the Westerlands, the seat of Lannister power, where her family’s castle, the Crag, was besieged by Robb’s forces. Robb was wounded in the battle and in a bid to gain some goodwill from him, Jeyen tended his wounds. As a result, he was present when Robb received the news of his brothers’ supposed deaths. Jeyne comforted him in his grief, and the two ended up sleeping together.
Robb, ever his father’s son, immediately married Jeyne to preserve her honor. This created a more complex reason for Robb betraying his pact with Walder Frey than his romance with Talisa. It was ultimately Robb’s northern sense of honor, not any affection he had for Jeyne, that doomed him. This unfortunately relegated Jeyne to the role of victim of circumstance, but her presence brought a moral complication to the story that Robb’s in his desire to live up to his father’s legacy, just had to simplify.
6.Jeyne Poole Unintentionally Helped the North Rebel
Jeyne Poole was one of Sansa Stark’s friends growing up, doing everything with her and joining in on teasing Arya whenever they could. Jeyne even accompanied Sansa to King’s Landing, a mistake she would deeply come to regret in the years to follow. After Ned Stark was deposed and his household guard eliminated, Jeyne was given to Littlefinger, who trained her in prostitution, intending to use her in a ploy to undermine the Boltons. He offered Jeyne to Ramsay as a bride, claiming she was Arya Stark. This would legitimize the Boltons to some degree, so “Arya” was taken without question.
News of the marriage had two unforeseen consequences. The first was that it galvanized northern resentment of the Boltons for betraying the Stark. Thus, the beginnings of a true rebellion that would support Stannis Baratheon in his attempt to tame the North began to form. The idea that Ned Stark’s daughter was being abused by Ramsay was simply the straw that broke the camel’s back. The second was that Jeyne’s miserable predicament finally pushed Theon Greyjoy to begin his redemption and break free from Ramsay’s control, helping Jeyne to escape.
5.Victarion Greyjoy Would Have Been a Better Pirate King
Victarion Greyjoy is the younger brother of Balon and Euron Greyjoy. He is arguably a better representation of the pirate king concept than either Balon or Euron in the books. He certainly would have been a better candidate for what the show did to Euron as a character. Victarion despises his older brother, knowing that Euron is a vile and sadistic monster with no real interest in the Ironborn way of life. Victarion however, is a raider at heart. He can lead men into battle and is a talented warrior.
He even wears heavy plate armor while sailing because he has no fear of drowning. Despite these qualities, many characters, including George R.R. Martin himself, have stated that Victarion is incredibly dimwitted, perhaps best exemplified by his choice of armor. He has no true ambition and is a follower at heart. So while his story helps expand the Greyjoy side of the story, he ultimately will never become a bigger player in the game.
4.Jon Connington Would Have Brought a New King to Westeros
Jon Connington is not a character fans who only watch the show would know. However, he still has an important place in Westeros’ history. He was the commander who let Robert Baratheon slip through his fingers during the Battle of the Bells. He had the chance to capture Robert by sacking the town he was hiding in, but his desire for glory made him choose a normal battle instead. That one mistake arguably led to the downfall of House Targaryen. Granted, it wasn’t all his fault, but he was still blamed anyway. He chose to make up for this failure by trying to put Prince Rhaegar’s son, Aegon on the throne, raising him and preparing him for the day he would take Westeros for himself.
Jon Connington is an interesting concept because he is the old commander given a second chance to redeem himself and do right by those he swore loyalty to. It makes him more sympathetic than villainous, and he is not a cruel man either, having raised Aegon to be a kind and thoughtful young man. He also brings a bit of diversity to the show, as Jon is secretly gay and had a hidden love for Prince Rhaegar that is a big part of his motivation to redeem himself.
3.Lady Stoneheart Embodied the Cost of War
To say that this is just Catelyn Stark brought back from the dead is a major understatement. In the world of Westeros, death is a transformative experience. A person doesn’t go through such an existential shift without something changing within them. Catelyn was dead for several days before being found by Beric Dondarrion. He sacrificed his life to bring her back, making her the new leader of the Brotherhood Without Banners. However, her traumatic experiences changed her. Catelyn’s body was not just damaged by the elements, her mind was also affected by all she had endured.
She was now a vengeful zombie woman, leading her followers in a bloody quest to kill everyone responsible for her family’s demise. This even extended to people who she once considered allies, such as Brienne of Tarth. Lady Stoneheart is an entirely different character with different motivations and personality. She would have represented what war does to people as well as how death can impact others.
2.Arianne Martell Proved Dorne Could Be Cool Without Oberyn
The Dornish storyline was supposed to focus on Princess Arianne Martell and her botched attempt to stage a coup by naming Myrcella Baratheon as the new Queen of Westeros. This failed coup would later lead to the revelation that Dorne was secretly plotting against the Lannisters for over a decade to avenge Elia Martell and her children. As a character, Arianne told the story of her people and their desire to depose the Lannisters.
On her own, Arianne was fascinating. Before her, the only concept of a Dornishman was Oberyn Martell, who dazzled fans with his combat prowess and charm. While Arianne has that same charm in spades, she uses different weapons to achieve her goals, such as her intellect and femininity. It really drove home the idea that everyone from Dorne, man or woman, was dangerous in their own way.
1. Young Griff Would Have Caused a Second Targaryen Civil War
Young Griff was a character introduced in Tyrion’s chapters who revealed himself to be Prince Aegon, the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and rightful King of Westeros. The story explains that as an infant, Aegon was switched with another child for his own protection. He was then raised among commoners in Essos, being taught not only how to lead and be self-sufficient, but also how to care for the people he governs. The boy was being molded into the perfect king. However, there is a lot of skepticism regarding his identity, with many fans picking up on clues that suggest he is a descendant of a rebel branch of House Targaryen and not the true Aegon.
Whatever the case of his lineage, he has enough support to make a claim for the Iron Throne. In the books, he invades Westeros and appears to be making good progress on his march to claim the throne for himself. His presence would have had massive repercussions for Daenerys, who would have to consider that she was not the sole heir anymore. It would likely have led to a second Dance of the Dragons as Daenerys sought to contest her false nephew’s claim.
