As many of you might know, Game of Thrones was actually a book series long before it made its way to our screens. While book one is called A Game of Thrones, the series is named A Song of Ice and Fire, and it’s the work of George R. R. Martin.
Now, let’s see what else the show changed — here’s how the characters should have looked according to their book description, as fed to AI, vs. the actors who played them.
Varys
Played masterfully by Conleth Hill, Lord Varys quickly became a character of note thanks to his work as the Master of Whispers. His shifting loyalties and enigmatic ways made fans weary of trusting him – and often for good reason.
Thanks to this AI rendition, we can pretty safely say that the casting department did a fantastic job both visually and acting-wise. Fun fact, Conleth Hill also supplied his voice in the 2012 video game based on the show.
Daenerys Targaryen
Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms, the Mother of Dragons, the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, the Breaker of Chains. Impressive!
But did you know that the show actually gave her a pretty extreme growth spurt? At the beginning of the book, she’s only 13 (yes, even when she’s sold as a bride). Thankfully, the showrunners decided that was one taboo they weren’t going to touch.
Tywin Lannister
As we well know from him, “A Lannister always pays his debts” – that’s definitely not someone you want to mess with! Looks like the showrunners understood that and made him surprisingly similar to his literary counterpart.
You have to admit that Charles Dance strikes a surprising resemblance to the AI photo, and, of course, his portrayal of Tywin is just as ruthless and cunning. Interestingly, in both the books and the show, he meets his demise at the hands of his son on a porcelain throne.
Jaqen H’ghar
You’d think a fantasy hitman would rather look less conspicuous, but the faceless man known as Jaqen H’ghar apparently prefers aesthetics over anonymity. Seriously, who’s going to not notice a dude with hair that’s half red, half white?
At least in the show, where he’s played by Tom Wiaschiha, they choose a more subtle approach to this impressive look – only giving him a small white patch. Fun fact, in the book, Arya is reminded of Syrio Forel when she looks at him, giving grounds to a fan theory that they may be the same person.
Lysa Arryn
Who can forget when the internet went into an uproar over the show having Lysa Arryn, portrayed by Kate Dickie, nurse her child, Robin? It was truly disturbing and exactly on brand for the show.
In the books, however, she’s described nothing like Dickie’s portrayal. Book Lysa is described as having been “once beautiful,” but has since turned “thick and puffy due to pregnancy issues.” She does, however, probably have the same judgmental look.
Jaime Lannister
Twin brother to Cerci and father of her children, Jamie Lannister quickly became a fan-favorite thanks to Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s exceptional portrayal of the complex character. And he really is complex! While he’d do every dishonorable thing on earth to protect his family, he also somehow has impeccable knightly honor.
Amazingly, they also pretty much nailed the character physically – except for his age (which should be about 30), Nikolaj pretty much fits the AI photo. Is it any wonder that people were so annoyed by his fate in season eight after his character arch?
Ygritte
Okay, so with this one, we actually take a small issue with the AI photo. You see, in the books, Ygritte is supposed to be about 19, but, as you can see, she looks about 12. They did get her wild hair and crooked teeth right, though.
Rose Leslie, of course, plays her beautifully. Maybe a bit too beautiful, though. In the books, Jon Snow actually doesn’t think she’s all that attractive. While Ygritte and Jon didn’t end up together on the show, we’re so happy that Rose and Kit Harington are together in real life.
Arya Stark
We bet if you ask fans of the show who their favorite character was, many of them would quickly say Arya Stark. But it’s not just Maisie Williams’s amazing performance – the character herself is pretty interesting, in our opinion.
If you haven’t read the books yet, keep in mind that Arya’s story is a whole lot darker. Although she’s only nine when the books begin, as she goes on her journey of vengeance, she loses her humanity.
Myrcella Baratheon
Considering her horrid brother and devious parents, it’s a true wonder that the words that best describe Myrcella Baratheon are “sweet and innocent.” We definitely think that actresses Aimee Richardson (seasons 1-2) and Nell Tiger Free (seasons 5-6) captured that essence pretty flawlessly.
Unsurprisingly, her character was also aged up to match the other kids (in the books, she’s only 11 when sent to Dorne). Also, as the books progress, it becomes clear that she’s incredibly smart. Luckily, in the books, she’s yet to meet the same fate as her show counterpart.
Brienne of Tarth
We honestly believe that more than just movie magic was used to somehow turn the breathtakingly beautiful Gwendoline Christie into Brienne of Tarth for the show. Yet, even after that physical transformation, she still doesn’t fully resemble the book’s description.
Honestly, though, we don’t care – Christie’s performance as the female knight is so captivating and well done that we wouldn’t have traded it for anyone else. Is it any wonder that she’s many fans’ favorite character?
Ser Jorah Mormont
As you can see from the photo, book Jorah Mormont and Ian Glen, who plays him on the show, don’t really look much alike. Unsurprisingly, in the text, he’s described as “not a handsome man.”
Of course, his most memorable arc in the show (beyond his love and loyalty to Daenerys) is his infection with Greyscale. So, you might be quite surprised to know that it doesn’t happen in the books at all. Of course, he’s also still alive in the books.
Syrio Forel
Unsurprisingly, considering he only appears in three episodes of the show, not much of Syrio Forel’s story is changed from the books. What was drastically altered was, of course, his looks. Mittos Yerolemou, who plays him, is about as slight as the description.
However, his beaked nose and bald head are nowhere to be seen in the show. In both, his fate is unknown, although Arya (who keeps his memory alive in both) believes him to be gone.
Cersei Lannister
Without a doubt, Cersei Lannister is one of the most interesting characters in Game of Thrones, in which she’s often painted as the villain. Cunning, ambitious, and vindictive are her main defining characteristics, along with her “love” for her children.
While, of course, there are plenty of changes to the plot between the show and the books, we think that in Cersei’s case, Lena Headey managed to get much of her personality across – including her insatiable hunger for power. Amazingly, though, in the books, she’s even stupider and more paranoid in her actions.
Melisandre
In Melisandre’s case, the show did a surprisingly good job keeping both her personality and plot on par with the books (until the show diverged from the text, of course). In both, the Red Witch is a mysterious figure.
Glaringly, Carice van Houten is missing Melisandre’s red eyes, but we absolutely understand why the production decided not to hide van Houten’s striking blue eyes behind lenses. So, pretty good job staying true to the books on this one!
Gregor Clegane
The Mountain That Rides is probably one of the most intimidating characters on Game of Thrones – partially because, next to him, everyone looks like a child (even Brianne of Tarth)
In the books, of course, he’s described as just as freakishly tall and as violently brutal as his portrayal suggests. Interestingly, three different actors played this part on the show – Conan Stevens in the first season, Ian Whyte in the second, and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson from season four onwards.
Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish
Look, we know that the true big bad of the show is supposed to be the Night King (or Cersei, depending on who you want), but the one who truly makes our skin crawl is the manipulative and creepy Littlefinger.
Like in the show, Petyr develops a crush on Catelyn when they meet in their youth. He also later becomes obsessed with Sansa (possibly due to her resemblance to her mother). Did we already mention how sleazy this character is both on screen and in the book?
Sansa Stark
Fun fact – did you know that Sophie Turner ended up adopting the dog who played her direwolf, Lady, after the canine was killed on-screen? As for Turner’s role as the elder Stark sister, besides aging her up for the show, we’d say they got it spot on.
Just like her book counterpart, in the initial seasons, she was meek, whiny, and somewhat spoiled. Though, in the books, it’s easier to chalk it up to immaturity due to her younger age. Her fate in the books still remains a mystery.
Asha (Yara) Greyjoy
The most glaring difference between the version of the headstrong heir of the Iron Islands is the name change – while, in the books, she’s named Asha, the show changed her name to Yara, possibly to stop any confusion with Osha the Willding.
She’s also described as having “short black hair, a lean built, and a sharp beak nose,” which Gemma Whelan, who plays Yara, clearly doesn’t have. Besides those changes, though, the character has remained fairly close to the one in the books.
Lyanna Stark
In case you somehow missed it – here’s your spoiler warning! Seriously, if you’ve yet to finish the show, you should probably skip this. You see, basically everything that happens in the show (and frankly, in the books) happens because Robert Baratheon falls for Lyanna Stark – who doesn’t love him back.
She’s played by Cordelia Hill in the flashbacks to her childhood and by Aisling Francoiosi as a young adult. Keep in mind, though, that if you’re a fan of the show and planning on reading the books, the fact that Lyanna is Jon’s mom (we warned you!) hasn’t yet been confirmed.
Ned Stark
Frankly, even if we hadn’t read the books before the first season came out, we should’ve known that Eddard (Ned) Stark’s life would end in tragedy when we saw that the actor playing him was Sean Bean.
Just like his children, Ned underwent an aging up process as he was described as being in his mid-30s in the books. This change was possibly done because the production really wanted Sean Bean. Can you blame them?
Jon Snow
Without a doubt, we all became pretty much obsessed with Jon Snow from the moment we saw him adopt Ghost (and not just because of how handsome and soulful Kit Harington looks). Of course, seeing him become a natural leader was also pretty impressive.
He’s also aged up from 14 in the books and, according to the books, looks more like Ned Stark than any of his supposed siblings. Unlike in the show, where Jon finally learns his parentage in the last season, in the world of the books, it’s still a mystery.
Loras Tyrell
Here’s why it isn’t always easy to adapt a book to the screen – you see, Loras Tyrell is described as having liquid gold eyes. Now, we don’t know about you, but we’ve never seen eyes that shade in real life.
Although Finn Jones doesn’t quite have golden eyes, we still think he does a good job portraying the handsome knight. Unlike the show, where he lost his life, in the books, he’s still clinging on.
Joffrey Baratheon
Just a reminder that although Joffrey Baratheon is an absolutely vomit-inducing character, that doesn’t mean that Jack Gleeson, who played him, is anything like that in real life. So, please don’t bully him just because you hate the character.
Honestly, it just means he did an exceptional job. Visually, of course, the casting is just as good. In this case, though, unlike the other characters who only got two more years, for some reason, Joffrey was aged up by four years.
Margaery Tyrell
Probably holding the show’s record of unconsummated marriages, Margaery Tyrell was played to perfection by the incredible Natalie Dormer. Unlike the Baratheon family, who she marries into, the Tyrells are a loving and close-knit family.
Like Joffery, Margaery was also aged up more than most of the other characters. But in this case, it’s due to the producers falling in love with Dormer’s audition portrayal and deciding to keep her, despite the age disparity.
Catelyn Stark
While she dotes on her five children wholeheartedly, Catelyn Stark has nothing but contempt toward her adopted son, Jon Stark. Trust us, the show doesn’t show half of how hard she is on him. But there’s a much bigger change between show Catelyn and her book version.
In the books, her story doesn’t end at the Red Wedding! That’s right! If you haven’t read the books, you wouldn’t know that her body is recovered and reanimated by Beric Dondarrion, becoming known as Lady Stoneheart, who plays a significant role in later books.
Tyrion Lannister
It’s impossible to talk about Game of Thrones without mentioning one of its most prominent characters, Tyrion Lannister, who’s expertly portrayed by the incredibly talented Peter Dinklage. But, did you know that if you go by the book description of Tyrion, Peter really doesn’t fit?
For starters, Tyrion is meant to be in his 20s, not 40. He’s also supposed to be blond, with one green eye and one black. His facial deformities are also meant to be a lot more pronounced. Despite this, we can’t imagine anyone but Peter playing this crucial role.
Podrick Payne
Young Podrick, Tyrion’s loyal squire and partner in more than one misadventure, might be familiar to you thanks to his portrayal by Daniel Portman as a skilled ladies’ man. But, he’s described very differently in the books.
For starters, he’s only about 11 and shy at the beginning of the first book, so no hooking up with women all over Westeros. Also, unlike in the show, where Tyrion chooses Podrick himself, in the books, Podrick is sent to Tyrion as punishment for stealing some drinks.
Robb Stark
No, you’re not seeing double. It’s just that Richard Madden looks frighteningly like what the AI imagines the eldest Stark kid to look like. But, of course, there are a few small inaccuracies. First, like the rest of the children, Robb was aged up in the show from 14 to 17.
Second, Robb was meant to have taken after his Tully side, meaning that he was meant to have reddish hair and blue eyes. In the books, he’s also described as being close to his half-brother Jon. Sadly, his end in both is the same.
Robert Baratheon
For someone who was only around for the first season of the show (and just seven episodes), Mark Addy in the role of King Robert Baratheon sure left a lasting impression. His character also left quite a mess after he passed away.
Like in the show, Robert is described as having been a fine and chivalrous warrior in his youth but has since grown fat and careless from power. In the book, though, he’s only in his mid-30s before his demise.
Rhaenyra Targaryen
Thanks to House of the Dragon, we got to enjoy more of Westeros than we were expecting after Game of Thrones ended. However, unlike Game of Thrones, which was based on five books, House of the Dragon is based on just a few chapters in Fire and Blood.
This means that we have a lot fewer descriptions of the characters. Still, with AI, we can see some differences between the actors and the characters. In Rhaenyra’s case, both Emma D’Arcy and Milly Alcock have the iconic white hair and clever eyes.
Alicent Hightower
One of Alicent Hightower’s most prominent physical features is the fact that even in her 40s (in the book) she still retains her youthful look. We think we can safely agree that Olivia Cooke does as well, but that’s probably because she’s only about 30.
Aside from the age difference, we do think the production did a fantastic job with the casting, which also includes Emily Carey in the first few episodes as the younger Alicent. They certainly nailed her overprotective personality.
Daemon Targaryen
Who would’ve thought that putting former Dr. Who lead Matt Smith in a white wig would be the thing that’d turn him from simply a beloved actor into a full-on internet heartthrob?
Truly, though, Matt Smith plays the ruthless, charismatic, and enigmatic Daemon Targaryen perfectly – despite the incredible weirdness of his various romantic relationships. We also think that, with his wig, he’s a really good likeness to the AI-generated image.
Ser Criston Cole
Here’s a fun fact – in the book, although there does seem to be some kind of deeper relationship between Rhaenyra and her protector knight Ser Criston Cole, they never actually sleep together. He’s still, however, as guilt-ridden and honor-bound as in the show.
He’s also described as having “coal black hair and pale green eyes,” which we’d say is pretty similar to how Fabien Frankel looks in the House of the Dragon. Likewise, he’s described as just as skilled with a sword as he’s shown to be in the show.
Rhaenys Targaryen
While we don’t get a ton of in-depth physical descriptions in Fire and Blood, Thaenys Targaryen is explicitly described as having Baratheon black hari and Targaryen violet eyes. Even as she ages, her hair remains black with streaks of white throughout.
Interestingly, for the show, they decided to keep neither – even though actress Eve Best does actually have dark brown hair. Our best guess is that her hair was made white to easily convey to the audience that she was a Targaryen. We still think she did an incredible job portraying the Queen Who Never Was.
