8 Missing Characters From A Song Of Ice And Fire That Should Have Appeared In Game Of Thrones

8. Lady Jeyne Westerling

The least egregious character omission from Game of Thrones; Jeyne Westerling, the wife of Robb Stark.

The writers of the show replaced her character with Lady Talisa, who the betrothed Stark takes as his wife. In the books, Robb finds comfort in Jeyne's arms after the reported death of his brothers at the hands of Theon Greyjoy; he subsequently marries her to protect her honor.

It's likely the showrunners wanted more of a love story in order to better resonate with audiences, which is why they chose to portray a more romantic narrative between Robb and new character Talisa. This development definitely makes it that little bit more devastating when both are mercilessly assassinated at the Red Wedding.

That being said, Jeyne's character arc in Martin's novels provides potential material for an explosive storyline; Jeyne survives the Red Wedding as her family are actually complicit in the plot to murder her husband. In a further tantalizing twist, Jeyne is rumored to be carrying Robb's son.

The political ramifications of a son born of the murdered King of the North would have provided a Shakespearean-level plot line to the show's story and would have made for compelling viewing. Who knows, there may have been room down the line for a little Inigo Montoya-style revenge for the young Stark.