20 'Game of Thrones' Characters That Look Different In The Book

If you’ve ever watched a TV show or a movie based off of a book, you’ve probably heard someone say “UGH! The book is WAY better!”  Whether that’s true or not, there are always some inevitable differences when a book is transformed for the silver screen. ‘Game of Thrones’ is no different either. Though a lot of people weren’t pleased with how the last season ended, one of the biggest changes from the book to the TV show was how the characters are supposed to look.

(As pointed out by the YouTube channel, “Looper”)

1. Arya Stark

This is actually one of the most accurate characters when it comes to comparing the book to the tv show. Maisie Williams (though older in the show) is the most accurate to what George R.R. Martin had written her to look like.

2. Barristan the Bold

According to the book, Barristan the Bold ‘grew his facial hair and beard and adopted the name “Arstan Whitebeard”. This was a part of the character that HBO decided against including.

3. Bran Stark

According to George R.R. Martin, Bran Stark had “tully colouring, auburn hair and blue eyes”. By that description, he should look more like this…

4. Brienne of Tarth

Gwendoline Christie looks ALMOST exactly as she should in this role; the only missing part was “a thousand freckles [on her] cheeks and brow.”

5. Cersei of Lannister

This is another well cast role. The only major differences for Cersei was that her hair was described as “long golden hair” and her tiara had “emeralds [that were] a perfect match for the green of her eyes.”

6. Daario Naharis

This role was actually re-cast midway through the series, but neither looked like how Daario was described in the books. “His beard was cut into three prongs and dyed blue, the same colour as his eyes…His pointed mustachios were painted gold.”

7. Daenerys Targaryen

With Daenerys, the only big differences were her age, the “violet in her eyes” was missing and her hair was supposed to be always pulled back.

8. Euron Greyjoy

In the book, Euron was much more intimidating. George R.R. Martin describes him saying “His hair was still black as a midnight sea…A black leather patch covered [his] left eye, but his right was blue as a summer sky.

9. Jaime Lannister

Sorry ladies, the only major difference for Jaime is that his hair is supposed to be longer and he’s not supposed to have an exposed jaw line like you may like, it’s supposed to be bearded. Still not bad though…

10. Jon Snow

Here’s another character that was very well cast. Again, the only difference is in his hair and eye colour. George R.R. Martin described his eyes as “a grey so dark they seemed almost black.”

11. Jorah Mormont

You may have wondered why Jorah was forever ‘friend-zoned’ when he was actually kind of handsome…that’s because he wasn’t supposed to be. Goerge R.R. Martin wrote “Jorah was not a handsome man. He had a neck and shoulders like a bull and coarse black hair covered his arms and chest so thickly that there was none left for his head”.

12. Lancel

For the most part, Lancel was as originally described. However, in the book, he was hurt in the Battle of Blackwater that aged him; “Grey faced, gaunt, with hollow cheeks, sunken eyes and hair as white and brittle as chalk.”

13. Ramsay Bolton

Here’s another character that was supposed to look rougher than HBO made him out to be. George R.R. Martin said he was “an ugly man, big-boned and slope-shouldered…his skin was pink and blotchy…his hair long and dark and dry.”

14. Robb Stark

Only two big differences here. Robb’s hair should’ve been red and he kept his beard shaved in the book… either way a well cast role!

15. Roose Bolton

Michael McElhatton did an amazing job in this role but he looked nothing like the book described. George R.R. Martin said “he wore black ringmail and a spotted pink cloak.” Oh…and also WAY more hair.

16. The Mountain

This is another role that has been played by more than one actor throughout the 8 seasons. They all looked fairly close to what George R.R. Martin described in the book, with the only difference being his hair length.

17. Theon Greyjoy

In the book, there’s a conversation that describes the results of the torture Theon experienced saying that he lost teeth, fingers and toes. Other than the (common) hair colour difference, he was supposed to be even thinner too.

18. Tyrion Lannister

This is the most dramatic difference out of everyone. Peter Dinklage wasn’t supposed to look as ‘human’ as he did in the show. George R.R. Martin said “His head was too large for his body, with a brute’s squashed-in face beneath a swollen shelf of brow. One green eye and one black one peered out from under a lank fall of hair so blond it seemed white.”

19. Tywin Lannister

Surprise, surprise… another character that could’ve just used a haircut to maintain accuracy. He was described as bald in the books with “stiff blond whiskers.”

20. Yara (Asha) Greyjoy

Not only did actress, Gemma Whelan not look quite like the part, HBO even renamed her too! George R.R. Martin originally named her ‘Asha’. Though she was described in the book as “lean and longlegged, with black hair cut short…her nose was too big and too sharp for her thin face”, her personality was a perfect match for the show.