To say things get weird in Game of Thrones would be a bit of an understatement. After all, the very first episode of the series ends with a young boy getting pushed out of a window after he stumbles upon an incestuous relationship between two siblings – one of which happens to be the queen of the entire kingdom. Meanwhile, an army of ice zombies is stirring in the north, while to the far east, a woman walks into a fire with three stone eggs only to emerge with three dragon “children” the next morning. And that’s only the first season of Game of Thrones – which has gone on to be one of the most talked-about shows of all time.
But when it comes to downright weirdness, the book series has its fair share of bizarre moments that have never made it to the screen. Which, in some cases, might not be a bad thing.
George R. R. Martin certainly isn't afraid to take his fantasy epic in some freaky and unexpected directions, which is no doubt why the Song of Ice and Fire series has earned so much acclaim in the first place. Those who read fantasy are well versed in all the tropes and cliches that the genre brings with it, which makes for a nice change of pace when character developments and plot twists don't go as planned.
So let's take a closer look at 25 Weird Things Cut From Game Of Thrones (That Were In The Books).
25 Lady Stoneheart
One of the better-known weirder parts of the books is the character of Lady Stoneheart, who is the resurrected Catelyn Stark.
According to Martin, he didn’t believe that fantasy characters who are brought back to life – such as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings – should be in better shape than when they were still alive. His answer to this was Lady Stoneheart, who is a grotesque version of her former self. She's basically a zombie with a singular purpose: to brutally destroy anyone who played a part in the Red Wedding.
24 The Other Aegon Targaryen
In the show, Jon Snow is eventually revealed to be Aegon Targaryen, the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen and the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. In the books, however, there’s a totally different Aegon Targaryen making a play for the Seven Kingdoms.
This Aegon goes by the alias Young Griff, and he is the son of Rhaegar and his first wife, Elia Martell. However, some suspect this Aegon to be an imposter, as he was long thought to have been assassinated by the Mountain during the Sack of King’s Landing.
23 Female White Walkers
On the series, it seems as though the White Walkers have come and gone with very little explanation as to their origins and motives. In the books, however, it’s hinted that the Walkers have an extensive culture and history throughout Westeros, which might just include the existence of females.
An old legend tells of the Night’s King (not to be confused with the Night King), who was the 13th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. He went on to marry a woman who was very likely a Walker, which could mean that some Northerners share ancestry with these mysterious creatures.
22 Brienne Almost Gets Eaten By A Cannibal
Game of Thrones may be brutal, but there are a number of scenes in the book that could never have made the jump to the screen without seriously disgusting most viewers. One such scene comes when Brienne fights for her life against Biter.
Biter is an outlaw whose teeth have been filed into sharp points. During a skirmish, Biter rips a chunk from Brienne’s face and begins to eat her. Brienne manages to escape, but it still makes for one of the more unsettling moments in the books.
21 All The Starks Are Wargs
While the magic is just as mysterious in A Song of Ice and Fire, there’s certainly a lot more of it at play in the novels. For instance, while Bran is still the most gifted magic user in his family, all of his siblings are shown to have supernatural connections with their direwolves.
Jon explicitly wargs into Ghost on a number of occasions, which comes in handy when he is fighting wildlings at the Wall. Some have even speculated that Jon may be surviving in Ghost following his betrayal by the Night’s Watch.
20 Patchface, Stannis’s Creepy Court Jester
One of the more bizarre and intriguing characters to not make it into Game of Thrones is undoubtedly Patchface, the jester of Stannis Baratheon who has recently befriended his daughter, Shireen. But Patchface is no common court fool, he’s a character who has very likely drowned and been brought back to life by the god of the Iron Islands.
While Patchface may seem to spout nothing but gibberish, his impromptu songs have accurately predicted the future on a number of occasions, including the Red and Purple Weddings. It's very possible that Patchface is somehow a profit of the Drowned God.
19 The Glass Candles
Glass candles are an extremely rare item in A Song of Ice and Fire. They are mysterious, twisted pieces of dragonglass that – when lit – allows the user to see across great distances. However, none have burned for the last hundred years. That is, not until Dany’s dragons come into the world.
The Citadel is the home of four glass candles, three that are black and one that is green. The power of these artifacts has yet to be fully explored.
18 The Horn Of Winter
In the show, we’ve watched the Night King bring down the Wall using one of Dany’s resurrected dragons at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. However, how the Wall will be brought down in the books is still anyone’s guess.
Many people are still expecting the Horn of Winter to make a proper appearance. This is a mythical instrument that is said to be capable of waking the giants from the earth and bringing down the Wall. Martin is certainly fond of magical horns, but these artifacts have yet to play a significant role in the story.
17 A Faceless Man In The Citadel
Many fans of the show have wondered what the Faceless Man best known as Jaqen H’ghan has been up to since Arya left the House of Black in White. In a popular theory from the novels, many believe that this Faceless Man has recently infiltrated Old Town.
Even if it’s not the same man, a faceless assassin has definitely taken on the appearance of Pate, a novice working at the Citadel. Maybe even more troubling is that “Pate” has a key that opens up every door in the Citadel. So what exactly are these servants of the Many-Faced-God up to?
16 Victarion Greyjoy And His Salt Wives
Euron isn’t the only one of Theon's uncles stirring up trouble in the books. In fact, there are a few uncles at play during the Iron Island's civil war, and Victarion Greyjoy may be the most unsettling of them all.
Victarion is about as barbaric of a character as they come. He’s a savage seafarer who’s taken a number of “salt wives” throughout his pillaging. But strangely enough, Victarion is subservient to Euron, who even claimed one of Vicatrion’s wives for himself. Victarion is even a POV character in the novels, meaning he'll likely play a prominent role in the coming books.
