As most people know,Game of Thronesis an adaptation of the book series known as The Song of Ice and Fire. Like any adaptation, it isn’t a perfect copy of the books.
The showrunners have taken some creative license with the source material and changed a few things. In the process, the show has added a collection of new characters that were never featured in the original books. Not all of these new faces are great, but there are a few gems in there, such as the following individuals.
8Karsi
A True Fighter
Karsi doesn’t get much screen time in the series, as she only appears in one episode. But she makes a great impact with the time she has. The woman is a Wildling who fights alongside Jon Snow and other members of the Night’s Watch in the town of Hardhome. In this battle, she is a badass, as she slays multiple of the White Walkers' forces and is a real highlight of the episode’s action scenes.
Outside of battle, she proves to be a determined and likable character who wants to do the best for her people, even if that means aligning with The Night Watch, whom she hates.
7Talisa Stark
Part Of A Sweet Romance… That Ends Badly
Talisa is heavily involved in one of the series' most famous scenes, The Red Wedding. In the said scene, she and the baby inside her are stabbed to death. Before that, though, she and Robb Stark engage in a beautiful romance.
Not everyone agrees that the soon-to-be King - that’s what they thought would happen - should be shacking up with a foreign girl. However, their love seems very pure, which should’ve been a clue that things were going to end badly, as this is Game of Thrones. Overall, she has a big impact on the early seasons of the show.
6Olly
From Sympathetic To Wildly Hated
Olly is an interesting character because he begins as a very sympathetic figure, but is later hated. It isn’t the sort of arc you usually see for a child. When you first meet him, his family is murdered by the Free Folk, so he holds understandable contempt for them, particularly Ygritte, who killed his father. It makes sense then that he ends up killing her and then later joins in the stabbing of Free Folk sympathizer Jon Snow.
Killing two popular characters - albeit Jon doesn’t stay dead for long - is good going for a character who wasn’t even in the books. And even though it’s easy to hate him for what he does to Ygritte and Jon Snow, he has understandable reasons for doing so. This makes him a well-developed character.
5Myranda
An Innocent-Looking Monster
To fall in love with a sadistic and heartless man like Ramsey Bolton, there has to be something wrong with you. And there seems to be plenty wrong with Myranda. She is a merciless soul who actively enjoys torturing and maiming people.
You wouldn’t think she’d be like that when you first meet her. After all, she looks quite innocent and has a sweet, soft-spoken voice. The reality, though, is that she is a monster. This is bad news for Sansa, as she has to contend with her for some time. It is good for the audience, though, as she is a unique and interesting character.
4Ros
An Important Lady Of The Night
Ros is one of the first characters to appear in the show, who doesn’t feature inGeorge R.R. Martin’s books. She is a prostitute who works for Petyr Baelish, aka Littlefinger. The woman features in several sex scenes, but she is more than just the show’s eye candy.
Ros is a wise character who is able to increase her influence in King’s Landing despite her initial lower-class standing. As a result, she is involved in a bunch of important scenes with Littlefinger and gives the conniving character someone to talk to. So, she’s useful for exposition.
3Karl Tanner
Minor Villains Can Be Memorable, Too
Initially, Karl Tanner is a member of the Night’s Watch, but he eventually turns his back on them and leads a mutiny at Craster’s Keep. He is an arrogant and despicable person who doesn’t seem to have any empathy for anyone. So, he’s not someone you’d like to meet in real life.
But he makes for a fascinating small-time villain. He is easy to hate and, unlike several of the sadistic antagonists in the show, he’s also a significant physical threat since he’s very accomplished in battle.
2Brother Ray
Sandor Clegane’s Arc Needed Him
One of the most compelling stories in the series is Sandor Clegane’s (aka The Hound) redemption arc. Brother Ray plays a vital role in that tale. He is a former soldier turned paster who has done some horrible things in his past.
The guy isn’t completely dedicated to anyparticular religion in the show; he just believes in something greater than himself and dedicates his life to helping others, including Clegane. The Hound doesn’t quite become as honorable as Ray, but their conversations do have a big impact on the large guy. They’re also compelling to watch, as Ray is very captivating.
1Locke
Changed Jaime Lannister Forever
Locke is one of several Game of Thrones characters who could easily fit into agood horror TV show. He is a cruel and sadistic human being, best known for chopping off Jaime Lannister’s hand, yet he does several cruel things during the series.
What makes him interesting early on is that he’s on the side of the North when Robb Stark is still running things. At this point in the series, they’re presented as the good guys, but Locke’s horrific nature is a reminder that morality isn’t black-and-white in GoT.
