Game Of Thrones: 10 Worst Changes From The Books

4. The 'Actual' Death Of Mance Rayder

Euron game of thrones
HBO

Mance raider was the charismatic former Night's Watchmen who led the biggest army the Wildlings had ever assembled. Sadly, not much came of the endeavour. The Wildlings were defeated and Mance got the ol' fiery death treatment.

All this happens in the book, but the show missed out one key detail: Mance was not the man they burned. In the book it's all an elaborate ruse. Melisandre uses her magic to make Mance and the Lord of Bones appear as one another. The Lord of Bones is killed and Mance is spared.

Mance then agrees to infiltrate Winterfell where Jon believes Ramsay is holding his sister captive (in the books the Boltons are claiming to have Arya Stark, but they actually have Jeyne Pool disguised as Arya). The former King-Beyond-the-Wall takes six spearwives, and together they help Theon and Jeyne Pool escape.

When Jon receives a letter from Ramsay demanding his bride back, it states that Mance was captured and has been left hanging in a cage with only the skins of his spearwives to keep him warm.

Contributor

Before engrossing myself in the written word, I spent several years in the TV and film industry. During this time I became proficient at picking things up, moving things and putting things down again.