8 Things Game Of Thrones Did Better Than A Song Of Ice And Fire
3. Minor Characters
Because of the point-of-view format of the books, most minor characters never see the spotlight. The show changes that, allowing more and more people the chance to stand out.
Olenna Tyrell, mentioned only a handful of times in the books, became a fan favourite in the show. Her book nickname, The Queen of Thorns, gave birth to one of the wittiest characters in all of Westeros.
Similarly, Stannis Baratheon's daughter Shireen is a non-character in the books, simply there to establish that Stannis has a daughter. In the show, Shireen has a life of her own. She sings strange songs, teaches Ser Davos to read, and breaks everyone's hearts when her father sacrifices her to the Gods. The death of book Shireen would never hurt the way the death of show Shireen does.
Many other overlooked book characters, such as Missandei and Grey Worm, Oberyn Martell, and Talisa (originally Jeyne), find life on screen that they never quite had on the page.