Game of Thrones is considered one of the best fantasy shows of all time. The production, acting, and writing made it the biggest show of the 2010’s. But the show had its flaws. Some characters were poorly written for the show and ruined what the books. We will be looking at 5 Game of Throne characters that were better in the books!
Ignoring the final two seasons of Game of Thrones, this show was a masterpiece. But once the show surpassed the books, we realized how important George R.R. Martin was for the show’s success. With his books to rely on, the show was not the same.
And it wasn’t just the final two seasons that fell short. Some characters didn’t have the same impact as they did in the books. In the show’s defense, pacing does make it harder to build out each character. And there are a lot of characters in A Song of Ice and Fire. But Martin’s character building showcases the reason why these characters are the way they are.
Stannis Baratheon
An important character in A Song of Ice and Fire is Stannis Baratheon. His claim to the throne is an important part of the story. He is an interesting character as well as his relationship with the Red Priestess Melisandre.
There are scenes in the book that are impactful and show his resolve that the show doesn’t portray properly. A character that shapes the future of Westeros is quickly tossed aside in the show.
Jaime Lannister
One of my favorite characters in the show and the books is Jamie Lannister. He represents everything a Lannister is supposed to be. But his relationship with his sister shows that there are a lot of dark secrets hidden behind the curtain.
His character development and redemption arc are important themes in the show and the book. But just like everything else, the show ruins his character in the final seasons. I will say, the show does a good job during the first couple of seasons. But we are never truly given the character arc he deserves and what leads to his important role in the end of the show.
Little Finger
A character that irked almost all of us was Littler finger aka Petyr Baelish. If you thought he was bad in the show, then you haven’t seen anything because he was even more evil in the books. He is best known for his treachery and climbing the social ranks. He is always one step ahead and nobody really knows his motivation.
The show kept his most basic character traits and ran with it, ignoring who he is and why he is doing what he is doing. In Martin’s world building, every character has their reason to for what they do. Littlefinger’s betrayals make a lot more sense in the books than they do in the show. And his character does a lot of things that the version of him the books would never do.
Daenerys Targaryen
A character that is central to the plot of the books and the show is Daenerys Targaryen. She is one of the many people fighting for the throne of Westeros. What separates her from the rest is that she is a Targaryen as well as a woman.
Her struggle and rise to power made her a fan favorite. Many people are hoping she does ascend to the throne. We see her character grow and come to terms as she learns how to be a queen.
The show does a good job of showing her growing into the role of a queen. But that is all ruined during the final few seasons of the show. She is smart and caring and the show throws all of that out for a rushed ending.
She is a complicated character and all of that is ruined as we get moments that feel like a crime against her character. Everyone is eager for Martin solve this in his books and while her ending might still be tragic, it will be in character hopefully.
Jon Snow
One of the best characters on the show had to be Jon Snow. Everything about him was perfect. His storyline is what connects many characters and plots so he had to have a lot of depth. And the show took its time. But like everything else, they threw it all out the window in the final few seasons.
Jon went from a powerful figure to being a yes man for Daenerys Targaryen. His role was diminished and you wouldn’t be at fault to forget that he was in the show. In the show, his job was over and he was sidelined.
We didn’t even get the prophecy that was promised. Which begs the question “What was the point of all of that?” if you have ever read or watched a fantasy show, then you know how important a prophecy is. It is overdone but it for shadows everything that is to come. And if you just ignore it, everything that happened feels pointless.
Conclusion
We all know that the last two seasons were rushed. That led to many characters getting ruined as a result. With so many plots to wrap up, the show was checking off boxes, not caring about the injustice towards the books and Martin’s writing. We still have two books left in the series and we hope that martin gives us the character development we were promised.
“A character that shapes the future of (city name) is quickly tossed aside in the show.”
May want to make one more editing pass before posting next time.
Haha, thanks for pointing it out!