Adapting a massive, still-ongoing fantasy book series with hundreds of characters is no easy task, yet creators David Benioff and D.B Weiss managed to do so with George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones. For eight seasons, from 2011 to 2019, the show followed the various residents of Westeros and their quests for power, love, and survival. A massive success for HBO, the show was praised for its characters, performances, and overall story, though many felt the final season was a disappointing run. Though the show is done, Martin’s book series continues, with many eager to read the book version of the show’s events. In the meantime, let’s explore some big differences between the books and the show.
The Ages of the Stark Kids
One of the biggest differences is the ages of several characters, and the Stark kids in particular. Jon (Kit Harington) and Robb (Richard Madden) are 14 in the first book, while Jon is 16 and Robb is 17 in the show. Similarly, Sansa (Sophie Turner) and Arya (Maisie Williams) are aged up by two years, going from 11 to 13 and 9 to 11, respectively. Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) and Rickon (Art Parkinson) are aged up by three years, with Bran going from seven in the first book to ten in the show, and Rickon going from three in the first book to six in the show. Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) also sees a big age difference; she is 13 in the first book, but aged up to around 17 in the show.
Sansa’s Marriage to Ramsay
Some of the most heart-wrenching moments on the show come when Sansa is forced to marry Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon), who has overtaken the North. Sansa suffers assault and other abuse at Ramsay’s hands, but none of this happens in the books. Instead, Sansa’s childhood friend, Jeyne, is posed as Sansa’s sister, Arya, and marries Ramsay. It made more sense to bring the storyline to an established character, and it went a long way in making Ramsay even more vile. However, the show has since been criticized for including excessive sexual violence.
Lady Stoneheart
Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley) is killed at the Red Wedding, along with Robb. This is the same in the books and in the show. In the books, her body is dumped in a river and recovered a few days later. She is then found by the Brotherhood Without Banners, who resurrects her. She is changed after her resurrection: in addition to looking like a stony corpse; she also lacks any compassion, and begins killing anyone involved with the wedding. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, the creators said they left it out because they didn’t want her resurrection to weaken the impact of the wedding, and they didn’t want “too many resurrections,” as Jon’s upcoming resurrection took precedence.
Jorah Mormont’s Greyscale
Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) serves as a loyal friend to Daenerys. In season five, he becomes infected with greyscale after rescuing Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) from the water. Greyscale is a disease that makes the sufferer’s skin hard and flaky like stone, until it eventually shuts down the body. Though Jorah recovers, it adds a lot of tension to his character arc. In the book, though Jorah still has difficult journeys, he never gets greyscale at all.
Jojen Reed Survives
Jojen Reed (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) is a guide and friend to Bran, and helps him develop his prophetic abilities. In the season four finale, he, along with Bran and Meera (Ellie Kendreck), is attacked by forest wights. While the others survive, he doesn’t. His death makes things more difficult for Bran, and signifies that he has to come into his own. In the books, however, Jojen survives, and continues to help Bran along the way.
Aegon Targaryen
In the fifth book, A Dance With Dragons, we are introduced to a young boy named Jon Connington. In reality, he is hinted to be Aegon Targaryen, the son of Rhaegar; he was supposedly killed as a baby by the Mountain. He was taken from King’s Landing by Varys (Conleth Hill), who prepared him to one day reclaim the throne. It’s uncertain how his storyline will play out in the future books, but it may not be significant, since he wasn’t featured on the show.
Missandei and Grey Worm’s Relationship
Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) serves as Daenerys’ friend and handmaid, while Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) is the leader of her army. Their relationship, though a favorite and considered one of the best on the show by Comic Book Resources, doesn’t exist at all in the books. In addition, Missandei starts off as just 10 years old in the books. Her age on the show is unknown, but she’s clearly older, which helps their relationship make more sense. It’s arguably a good change, one that allows both characters to shine.
Robb Stark’s Wife
Another casualty of the Red Wedding is Robb’s wife, Talisa (Oona Chaplin), who was pregnant with their child. In the books, Talisa doesn’t exist; instead, Robb’s wife is named Jeyne, and he doesn’t bring her to the wedding. He meets Jeyne, who is sworn to the Lannisters, while recovering from a battle wound. After sleeping with her, he marries her because he believes it is the best way to help her. The show replaced this storyline with Talisa, who tends to the wounded after battle in a season two. She and Robb then marry in secret before their shocking deaths.
