7 Years Later, I Still Can’t Forgive Game of Thrones for This Frustrating Change From the Books

by

Despite a controversial finale, Game of Thrones was revolutionary when it premiered on HBO in 2011. Based on George R.R. Martin’s books, the fantasy series became a massive hit, drawing in both dedicated fantasy fans and a wider audience. The early seasons received widespread praise and were considered essential viewing. However, like the shifting power dynamics within the show itself, the series’ quality declined in its later seasons.

When the first season of Game of Thrones aired, George R.R. Martin hadn’t yet finished writing the book series—and still hasn’t. As the show gained popularity, it quickly surpassed the published books, forcing the show’s creators, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, to create their own storylines. The fourth book, A Feast for Crows, did provide some groundwork for new characters and a larger plot. However, the show didn’t fully develop these characters as the book suggested, which many fans found disappointing.

Arianne Martell and the Sand Snakes Were Integral to A Feast for Crows

As a huge fan of the A Song of Ice and Fire series, I remember A Storm of Swords – the third book – being a real turning point. It felt like so many storylines reached their climax, and things just… changed. It’s the book with the infamous Red Wedding, and honestly, after that, the story lost its sense of naivete. We were definitely thrown into a much darker and more complex set of conflicts from then on.

Oberyn Martell’s death sets off a chain of dramatic events detailed in the next book. The story became so expansive that George R.R. Martin had to continue the perspectives of many characters in A Dance with Dragons, while A Feast for Crows focused on introducing a lot of new characters.

Among the most notable figures are Oberyn Martell’s illegitimate daughters, collectively known as the Sand Snakes. Oberyn fathered seven daughters outside of marriage, with four of the youngest – Elia, Obella, Dorea, and Loreza – born to Ellaria Sand. Ellaria worries about the safety of her daughters if the Martells pursue revenge. Interestingly, in the A Song of Ice and Fire books, Tyene is not Ellaria’s biological daughter, but was instead conceived by an unnamed religious woman.

The story begins with several factions demanding war against the ruling monarchy, with the Lannisters leading the charge. Tywin Lannister, the head of the Lannister family, played a key role in the death of his aunt Elia during the rebellion that overthrew the previous dynasty. Elia was brutally attacked, and her children were killed as well.

Oberyn travels to King’s Landing seeking revenge, ultimately facing and losing a duel to Ser Gregor Clegane – a fight many viewers will remember vividly. His daughters, already furious about the death of their father and the injustice suffered by their mother, Elia, immediately demand retribution for yet another attack by the Lannisters on a member of House Martell.

Though many characters appear in A Feast for Crows, Arianne Martell truly stands out as the central figure. Despite her father, Doran, and brother, Trystane, having roles in the broader Game of Thrones story, Arianne is surprisingly removed from the plot. She’s the main character we follow in the book, and this choice continues to confuse readers.

Arianne is a passionate and fiery character with a strong desire for power, just like many vying for control in the game of thrones. In Dorne, the firstborn child is the heir, no matter if they weren’t born first. This means Arianne is expected to become the ruler of Dorne when her father dies. However, she worries her father will choose someone else, believing he favors her younger brother, Quentyn, instead.

Oberyn’s death makes Ellaria furious, especially when Doran seems unwilling to seek revenge for his brother. Doran tries to prevent a war by imprisoning Oberyn’s daughters. However, he allows Arianne to remain free, and she uses this opportunity to enact a plan: she plots to have Princess Myrcella crowned Queen and married to Trystane.

Viewers were surprised by this storyline change. Arianne was replaced by Ellaria Sand, a character who doesn’t play a major role in the original books. While Ellaria becomes the mastermind behind a plot against the Lannisters in the show, fans weren’t upset about the plot itself. They were disappointed by how the show altered Ellaria’s character to take Arianne’s place, which ultimately made the Sand Snakes less impactful.

Arianne Is a Much More Compelling Protagonist than Ellaria

Ellaria Sand becomes fixated on revenge, and her attempts to get it are messy and poorly executed. Although the Sand Snakes were popular characters in the books, their storyline in the television series felt drawn out and uninteresting.

People didn’t support Ellaria and her group because they were just as cruel and destructive as the Lannisters. Driven by a fierce need for revenge, she was willing to harm anyone, even the innocent, to get what she wanted. She specifically targeted Myrcella, a kind and harmless girl, hoping to inflict pain on Cersei Lannister.

Ellaria Sand exemplifies how Game of Thrones often portrays women: either through violence or sexualization, with little depth. Yara Greyjoy (known as Asha in the books) faces the same issue. While she desires power, the story focuses on her involvement in the Dornish storyline and uses her relationships for shock value.

Ellaria is a straightforward character, and this simplicity is what leads to her ruin. Arianne is far more nuanced. While she loves her father, she’s hurt by his lack of trust. Her plan to kidnap Myrcella and make her a queen stems from a deep need for affection and acceptance. Arianne doesn’t want to hurt her father or Myrcella in the process.

Arianne truly desires to see her sister, Myrcella, become queen, which would allow Arianne to rule Dorne herself. Driven by the death of her uncle, Arianne is determined to take action, but she doesn’t want to hurt anyone without reason. The Martells seek revenge for what happened, but they aren’t cruel or malicious people.

Arianne would never intentionally harm Myrcella, and the show’s portrayal of Ellaria deliberately poisoning her feels out of character. It’s a needlessly harsh depiction of characters with far more depth. This problem with the storytelling isn’t limited to Arianne’s storyline; it affects the entire series.

The Martell Family is Completely Disrespected in Game of Thrones

Watching the show, it felt like Arianne’s disappearance and Ellaria taking over really simplified the Sand Snakes’ story. Honestly, their whole drive for revenge just ended up hurting them. They were focused on getting even, but didn’t seem to understand the political maneuvering needed to actually succeed. They just weren’t very strategic, and it cost them in the end.

By this point in the show, viewers were frustrated with the formulaic storylines the writers were using. Sansa’s marriage plot feels needlessly violent, existing only for shock value, and the Sand Snakes are introduced as rebellious characters but lack any real long-term purpose, simply causing chaos until their story arc concludes.

The Dornish storyline in A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons feels like a missed opportunity in Game of Thrones. The series doesn’t seem to have cared much about developing the Dornish plot to its full potential, and many of the characters are poorly handled. For example, Doran Martell, a complex figure in the books, is portrayed as a much weaker character in the show.

The Sand Snakes mistakenly think Doran Martell won’t seek justice for Oberyn’s death. However, Doran has actually been secretly plotting against the Lannisters ever since Elia Martell died. This plot didn’t involve immediate retaliation; he only sent his brother to King’s Landing to gather information about the Lannisters’ power and vulnerabilities.

The Sand Snakes also misinterpret Doran’s behavior, seeing his lack of obvious action as a sign of weakness. However, Doran later explains his real plan: he never meant to exclude Arianne from ruling Dorne. He actually sent her brother, Quentyn, to propose marriage to Daenerys Targaryen, hoping to create an alliance against the Lannisters. Arianne would be the ruler of Dorne, and the Sand Snakes would each have important positions of their own.

Nymeria planned to return to King’s Landing with Myrcella and secure a position on the Small Council. Meanwhile, Tyene would go to the city disguised, aiming to get close to the new High Septon. Doran, driven by a long-held desire for revenge, was simply more cautious and strategic than others, and arguably the most effective player in the unfolding game.

Instead of building suspense, Game of Thrones relies on shocking the audience by killing off compelling characters later in the story. Doran Martell, for example, isn’t portrayed as a clever strategist and is quickly killed by Ellaria Sand, who is frustrated by his lack of action. This also feels inconsistent with the book version of the story, as Ellaria doesn’t initially support the Sand Snakes’ violent ambitions.

The Martell family feels somewhat unimportant in the series. They don’t really drive the plot forward and mainly exist to connect to Jaime Lannister’s story, particularly through Myrcella’s death. While Jaime’s development is well-done, that shouldn’t overshadow the potential of introducing new characters with their own surprising and complex stories.

Even though George R.R. Martin hasn’t finished writing the A Song of Ice and Fire series, it’s obvious he intended the Martell family to have a significant role in future storylines. Adapting an unfinished story is a challenge for television producers, but it’s part of their job. This difficulty is a big reason why I felt the final season of Game of Thrones wasn’t satisfying.

The show’s writers focused too much on how Daenerys and Jon’s stories would end, and didn’t develop new characters who are important in the books. Hopefully, George R.R. Martin will finish the series and give the Martell family the complex storylines and influence they deserve.

5 Questions
Unveiled Dornish Secrets: Test Your Game of Thrones Book Knowledge
Your Top Score
—
Attempts
—
0
0
Report Error

Found an error? Send it so it can be corrected.

Read More

2026-04-14 23:42