10 Great Characters Game Of Thrones Ruined

Although there were certainly worse endings for characters, Roose Bolton was painfully under used in the show. His cold, calculated and remorseless betrayal of the Starks secured him a spot among the most hated villains, but his demise was anti-climactic

This all came down to the decision to focus on Ramsay as a primary antagonist, outside of the Lannisters. The writers did a great job with Ramsey, right through until his death you always believed just how ruthless and calculated he was. It did have the effect of messing up the later narrative, though. This was an example of the show writers diverting from the books to their detriment.

In the books things are very different. Aside from Euron (we'll get to him later), Roose is the primary threat in the North. Ramsay is certainly a key player, but he's not pulling the strings. He's far more cruel, but far less wise. His father (who isn't dead) knows this and uses him as a puppet to do his dirty work. His role is not unlike the Mountain's: he is Roose's wildcard. As it stands, Roose might outlive his son. Currently he's shacked himself up in Winterfell and Ramsay is heading for a near certain trap laid out by Stannis.