It is well known that the sprawling fantasy epic Game Of Thrones is adapted from the even more sprawling novel series, A Song Of Ice And Fire. After a largely-faithful adaptation for the first two seasons, Game of Thrones began to take greater divergences from its source material, changing storylines, character arcs, and even creating new things.
The books are a well-respected fantasy franchise, particularly noted for their well-liked characters. However, things change in the translation from print to screen. In some cases, characters are almost unrecognizable from their book counterparta in Game of Thrones, often for the worse. However, Game of Thrones has many characters who are almost identical to their book counterparts.
Updated on September 8, 2022 by Samantha McPhee: With the release of House of the Dragon, another fantasy series based on George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, there's even more reason to look at the Game of Thrones characters and how they translated to the small screen.
Characters The Show Got Right
Tywin Lannister Translates Perfectly
For the first four seasons, Tywin Lannister is one of GOT's primary antagonists. He is an enemy of the Starks, an obstacle to Stannis, an object of vengeance for Daenerys, and the abusive father to Tyrion Lannister.
In the books, Tywin is a well-respected villain. To great acclaim, GOT carries him across perfectly. Although Charles Dance does not fit Tywin's physical description, many consider him to have perfectly captured Tywin's iron nature, unfaltering determination, his strained relationship with his children, and his sheer competence. He is one of GOT's most popular characters, despite being a villain.
Olenna Tyrell Is Both Impressive And Funny
In both versions of the story, Olenna Tyrell is a rare female character. In the patriarchal Westeros, Olenna is a woman who wields more influence than is typical and is tremendously outspoken. As the matriarch of one of the most powerful houses in Westeros, she makes everybody dance to her tune and insults whatever she likes.
The character portrayed in Game Of Thrones fits this description exactly. Considering her relatively-limited role, fans frequently admire Diana Rigg's pitch-perfect comedic timing on Olenna's most cutting insults and the character's dramatically outspoken demeanor.
Oberyn Martell's Charisma And Fire Shine
Oberyn Martell is only in Game Of Thrones for one season and only in A Song Of Ice And Fire for one book, but the impression he makes on fans in both is notable. Considering his limited time, Oberyn is one of the more popular characters from the story and a standout in terms of fan appreciation.
Pedro Pascal's performance as Oberyn perfectly captured the character as written in the books. With a dangerously disarming charisma, passion in everything he does, and a clear undercurrent of anger, Oberyn engages the audience in almost any format.
Cersei Lannister's Very Human Menace Shines Through
Cersei Lannister is one of the longest-running villains in both versions of the story. Initially, she's a threat to Ned Stark and Robert Baratheon. She then becomes a major player in the game itself and looks to further her power across the entire continent. She even succeeds in becoming Queen in Game Of Thrones.
Despite her villainous nature, Cersei has always been one of GOT's more human villains. She is often seen through eyes that understand her and becomes one of the primary point-of-view characters in the book. In Game Of Thrones, Lena Headey makes Cersei utterly hateful, as befits her actions. Headey never turns Cersei into a caricature, even when the writing isn't in her favor.
Sean Bean Defines The First Season As Ned Stark
The shadow of Eddard Stark looms over the entire story, being its initial protagonist and the person whose death ensures a future of war in Westeros. As the most important character of the first book and season, it was essential for him to be well-cast, and the showrunners delivered.
Although older than Ned in the books, Sean Bean perfectly conveys Ned's honor and dignity, his out-of-place nature in King's Landing, and his deep-buried warmth. The character is compelling from the first episode, and Sean Bean's performance became one of the most acclaimed parts of the beloved first season.
Characters The Show Ruined
Littlefinger Becomes So Obviously Evil
It isn't obscure to readers of the book that Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish is evil, as his villainy is made clear well before his betrayal of Ned Stark, but it is a fact most characters are unaware of. Baelish's book counterpart takes on a jester-like role and is considered an annoyance. In the books, Baelish is of no actual threat to anybody on account of his light-hearted nature and limited power.
Gone is Baelish's self-deprecation and overt humor in GOT, which is replaced with sinister lurking and far more targeted insults. In the books, even the astute Tyrion sees Baelish as merely an irritant with dreams of power. In GOT, everyone suspects him of great evil. His entire demeanor is so sinister that it is hard to think why anyone trusts him.
Euron Greyjoy Loses All Of His Mysticism
Euron Greyjoy is a late-comer to both stories, first appearing in A Feast For Crows in the books and in season six of GOT. Other than his late appearance and his sudden ascension to King of the Iron Islands, the two versions of the character have very little in common.
The Euron of the books is a powerful and unsettling sorcerer. He has blue lips, a cursed eye, and is surrounded by potentially magical artifacts. The Euron of GOT has been described as a generic pirate out of Pirates Of The Caribbean. Although Pilou Asbaek's performance was good, many wish GOT had gotten the occult master of the books instead.
Ellaria Sand's Personality Is Completely Inverted
After being more of a minor character as Oberyn Martell's paramour, Ellaria Sand becomes more prominent following his death. In Game Of Thrones, she becomes a war hawk and pushes for Dorne to rebel against the Iron Throne. She refuses to listen to reason and assassinates Doran Martell when he refuses to condone war.
In the books, Ellaria's personality is the total opposite. She is the sole voice against war in Dorne's leadership, even pushing Doran to abandon his revenge plans. She thinks of the people of Dorne and her own daughters' safety rather than revenge. Many fans reacted poorly to this change, thinking it made Ellaria far less interesting and far less sympathetic.
Roose Bolton's Threat Is Diminished
The war for the North is one of the primary conflicts during GOT's fifth and sixth seasons, as well as the most significant storyline in A Dance With Dragons. In GOT, the overarching antagonist of this storyline proves to be Ramsay Bolton, the bastard son of Roose Bolton. He becomes an archnemesis to Jon Snow and Sansa Stark after killing his father.
In the book, Roose Bolton remains unquestionably the main villain. Despite his challenging situation, he stays in control at Winterfell and is well-equipped to battle his foes, as well as one of the most terrifying men in the entire story. Less of this shines through in GOT, primarily due to the show's writing rather than any flaws in Michael McElhatton's performance.
Tyrion Lannister Loses His Sharp Wit
As one of GOT's defining protagonists, Tyrion Lannister is beloved for his morality, his intelligence, and his quick wit. Over the course of GOT, fan estimation of him drops, especially in comparison to the books. Throughout the first four seasons, Tyrion is well-spoken, intelligent, and entertaining.
Although Peter Dinklage's performance is well-received, many fans take issue with the writing. It turns Tyrion into a more comedic character, loses the balance of his dramatic side, and he makes a series of poor decisions that seem out of character. In terms of book-to-series adaptations, many fans see Tyrion in the latter half of GOT as one of the biggest disappointments.