7 things from the books we wish Game of Thrones would have kept
Lady Stoneheart
By far, Lady Stoneheart‘s story was one that needed to be added to Game of Thrones even if it were for the sheer shock of it. After the Red Wedding, Catelyn Stark’s mutilated body was thrown in the river and was discovered downstream by the Brotherhood Without Banners. As you may already know from GOT, they are a group of outlaws headed by Beric Dondarrion, the man with the burning sword who has died about a thousand times and revived through the powers of the Red God, R’hllor.
Upon discovering Lady Stark dead with a deep wound on her neck, Dondarrion gives his life force in a Lord of Light ritual that would resurrect Catelyn. The sad part is that Catelyn doesn’t get a new body with her rebirth. She had already started decomposing when she was discovered, so she’s pretty much a revitalized corpse. Fortunately, she keeps her neck wound hidden under a scarf.
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So, Dondarrion, who is still on the show, has been dead in the novels for quite a while. The new leader of the Brotherhood Without Banners is Lady Stoneheart, Catelyn Stark’s new alias. Although Lady Stoneheart has been given a second chance, she’s not the same person she once was, and the moniker is better suited to who she has become while allowing her anonymity from those who knew the Starks.
But the most significant change in this character is that her only goal in life involves endless revenge on the Frey’s and anyone involved in the Red Wedding. While it’s easy to understand her motives, Catelyn literally kills people who are in any way connected to Red Wedding participants. She has no care for innocence and has her men murdering anyone within a hair of those who betrayed her.
The Brothers Without Banners lose many members because Lady Stoneheart is just a vengeance machine and the group no longer stands for anything justified as they did with Dondarrion.
While the ASOIAF novels haven’t gotten past Lady Stonehearts revenge missions to give her purpose, it would have been smart to add the character into Game of Thrones to bring Jon Snow’s arc full circle. For one, a conversation between Lady Stoneheart and Jon Snow would have given him closure.
Considering Catelyn’s last moments featured her regret at mistreating Snow as a boy, Snow would benefit from her asking for forgiveness. And most importantly, discovering Snow’s true parentage would have made Lady Stoneheart realize that Ned had been faithful all along.