"Game of Thrones" has more characters and locations than the average viewer can keep track of, but believe it or not there are still many that didn't make it to the show. The original book series "A Song of Ice and Fire" clocks in at over 4,000 pages — it's no wonder the HBO showrunners have had to eliminate some storylines from their television adaptation.
Though some of the missing plots could appear in the upcoming seasons, so far it seems at least six major stories were left by the wayside. Let's dive into the wonderful world of Westeros.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for non-book readers, plus there's always a chance these storylines may come to fruition in future seasons.
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1. Lady Stark returns from the dead to seek vengeance against the Lannisters and Freys.
This is one huge departure from the books fans have been expecting to see every season since Catelyn's death in season three. Rumors have already started again for season six, but there's a chance it's simply never going to happen.
Catelyn Stark was murdered during the Red Wedding, but show-only fans may not realize that wasn't the last we saw of her in the books. Catelyn's body was thrown into the river, and recovered by a group of rebels called the Brotherhood without Banners. The leaders of the group are Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr — a red priest capable of bringing people back from the dead.
Catelyn was resurrected, and she now leads the Brotherhood without Banners under the name Lady Stoneheart. This un-dead version of Catelyn can barely speak, since her throat was slit at the Red Wedding and the wound never healed completely. But Stoneheart — obsessed with getting revenge — is slowly bringing the Freys and Lannisters to justice by hunting them down and hanging them. The last we heard of her, she had captured Brienne and Podrick, and convinced them to bring Jaime Lannister to her. So far, there's no sign Stoneheart will appear on the show, but some fans are holding out hope.
2. There's a group of men trying to reclaim the North and take down the Boltons and the Freys.
Along with Lady Stoneheart's quest to kill Freys and Lannisters, there is another rebellion against the Stark murderers that happens in the books. After the Red Wedding, Roose Bolton and his son Ramsay are given control of the North. In the show, there isn't much sign that any of the Lords formerly sworn to Robb Stark remain loyal to his cause. But the books contain several clues regarding a faction of houses plotting to overthrow the Boltons.
The tagline of this movement is: "The North Remembers." You may have heard this line a few times in the show, but the books contain a far more powerful scene. Wyman Manderly is one of the Lords sworn to House Stark. In the books, there comes a time when Ser Davos (Stannis' right-hand man) is sent to ask Lord Manderly to swear fealty to Stannis. Manderly, who appears to be loyal to the Freys on the surface, meets secretly with Davos and gives a bolstering speech about how his dedication to the Freys and Lannisters is a "farce."
Manderly has a source who reports that Rickon Stark (the youngest son of Eddard) is on an island called Skagos. He tells Davos that he will be loyal to Stannis' cause if Davos goes to Skagos and finds Rickon. There are deeper parts of the Northern Conspiracy that hint at an effort to crown Jon Snow as King in the North. Read up a summary of the whole plot at Watchers on the Wall.
3. One of the Martells tries to marry Daenerys for her dragons and to take the Iron Throne from the Lannisters.
You may remember Prince Doran Martell, the brother of Oberyn and ruler of Dorne. In the books, Doran has a long-con plot to overthrow the Lannisters. The crux of his plan lies with his eldest son, Quentyn, and his knowledge of Daenerys Targaryen. Doran sends Quentyn to Meereen to marry Daenerys and bring her back to Westeros, either unaware or uncaring about her current marriage to Hizdahr zo Loraq. Doran and Quentyn believe that with a marriage to Daenerys, and her dragons, they can overtake the Iron Throne.
Quentyn arrives in Meereen, but his proposal isn't taken very seriously by Daenerys. Then, when she flies away on the back of Drogon, leaving Quentyn and her advisors behind in Meereen, Quentyn refuses to leave empty-handed. He attempts to tame her two remaining dragons, Viserion and Rhaegal, and bring them home. Sadly, his plan fails and he is doused in dragonfire. Quentyn dies from his injuries several days later.
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