Game of Thrones cut major character who held secret to Lannisters emerging victorious
THE Lannisters proved to be one of the most divisive families in Game of Thrones.
Patriach Tywin (Charles Dance) was famed for his ruthless military and killer queen Cersei (Lena Headey) was dripping in malevolence.
It seems only fitting then that the ruling family was toppled during the HBO drama’s final season, with Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) ruthlessly burning the capital to the ground from atop her dragon.
However, if the drama had more closely tracked the events of George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice & Fire novels, things could have turned out differently.
Show bosses opted to cut character Arianne Martell, part of the same dynasty as Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal) and Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma).
Viewers will remember how Oberyn had his head brutally caved in by The Mountain, while Ellaria was ultimately imprisoned by the Lannisters for murdering Cersei’s only daughter Myrcella Baratheon (Nell Tiger Free).
The season 4 sub-plot saw Myrcella sent to Dorne to marry into House Martell for political purposes.
Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) ultimately went to retrieve her amid concerns for her safety, where he encountered Prince Doran Martell (Alexander Siddiq).
It was Doran’s son Trystane (Toby Sebastian) who was paired with Myrcella and the pair seemed to genuinely fall for each other upon meeting.
However, Myrcella was assassinated by a poisoned kiss courtesy of Ellaria’s toxic lipstick.
In the novels, Myrcella had a key ally – Trystane’s older sister Arianne.
most read in tv and showbiz
Arianne fights for Myrcella to ascend to the Iron Throne, believing that unity between the Lannisters and Martell’s would ensure security and prosperity for the Seven Kingdoms.
She’s fiercely protective of the love birds and no doubt would have opposed Ellaria’s schemes to tear them apart if she’d been featured.
If Myrcella had survived her time in Dorne, Cersei wouldn’t have had to seize power in the wake of son Tommen’s (Dean-Charles Chapman) death.
She also wouldn’t have been as hopeless and bitter, had she endured less grief, as Cersei regularly professed that her children were the light of her life.
Without a tyrannical Cersei in power, could a reigning Myrcella have struck peace with Daenerys for the sake of the Seven Kingdoms?
Alas, we’ll never know…
The books see Doran organise for Arianne to marry Viserys Targaryen, but after learning of his death, he hopes to marry Quentyn to Daenerys.
It’s likely show bosses were unable to squeeze the plot into the TV adaptation, although Arianne will continue to play a major role in the upcoming Winds of Winter book.
This week, Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon revealed the three leading Targaryens who will front the show.