Venturing throughthe sprawling world of Westeros,Game of Thronesincludes countless characters, each chasing their own goal of power, revenge, or self-preservation. As they clash, plenty of rivalries develop, but the story always has room for more. The fantasy show significantly paired down the cast list compared to the Song of Ice and Firebooks it was based on, leaving out several important players. FromLady Stoneheartto the lostAegon Targaryen, the show cuts several characters who are set up to play crucial roles inGeorge R. R. Martin’s books. While all adaptions always have some level ofvariation for the source material, removing entire characters is a noticeable difference, especially when the show needs them. Of the many fascinating roles that didn’t make it into the series, one character deserved the appearance she never got.Arianne Martell could have improvedGame of Thronesif she had been given the chance.
As a narrator in the books, Arianne plays an important role, though she is introduced late. She is the princess of Dorne, though this doesn’t seem like an argument in her favor afterGame of Thrones’most-hated plot revolves around Dorne. Yet Arianne’s presence would have drastically changed this story, giving it the nuisance it lacked. Heir to the Martell seat, she is impulsive and ambitious, mirroring Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey). These two are on a collision course in the books as Arianne intends to install Myrcella (Nell Tiger Free) as Queen over her younger brother, Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman), following Dorne’s succession rules. Unfortunately, because Arianne was cut, the show never addressed this conflict, which would put Cersei in a tight spot as she must support only one of her children. Arianne is tied to the larger plot of the Targaryen’s return as well. With a few of her chapters already released, the character is promised to play a part in the upcomingTheWinds of Winter.Her exclusion from the show may be explained by her importance relying heavily on unfinished storylines. Yet Arianne could have changed the show, improving the Dorne storyline and making Myrcella a more important character. Arianne represents a missed opportunity forGame of Thronesthat should be acknowledged.
Game Of Thrones
Nine noble families fight for control over the lands of Westeros while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for millennia.
How Could Arianne Improve ‘Game of Thrones’ Dorne Plot?
What began with the introduction of the perfectly castOberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal)fell flat as it extended to his family. Once Oberyn dies, his paramour Ellaria (Indira Varma) and bastard daughters, the Sand Snakes, seek revenge by killing Myrcella Baratheon just as Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) andBronn (Jerome Flynn)arrive to take her. Later, they kill Oberyn’s brother Doran (Alexander Siddig), who rules as Dorne’s prince, and seize power from themselves. This is one ofGame of Thrones’least complex plots, as everyone states their intentions directly. Doran is portrayed as a spineless man who does nothing in the wake of his family’s misfortune. And Ellaira and the Sand Snakes proceed as power-hungry, vengeful characters with no political savvy. Meanwhile, the storylines in the books look very different. As Doran’s heir,Arianne sees her father’s weakness as he imprisons the Sand Snakes before they can take revenge and comes up with her own plan. Wanting to install Myrcella on the throne, she intends to manipulate the girl to do as she wants. But Doran stops Arianne’s powerplay. Myrcella survives but is injured, creating an issue with the Lannisters, who entrusted Dorne with the princess’s safety.
It’s through this conflict that Arianne discovers her father’s reputation of inaction is a carefully maintained disguise as he secretly supports the Targaryens in their attempt to return to power. He had betrothed Arianne to Viserys (Harry Lloyd) before the beggar king was killed. Rather than the passive leader seen inGame of Thrones,Doran plays the long game in the books and does it better than most. His scheming is only revealed by Arianne’s actions, and even afterward, he covers his tracks efficiently. But without Arianne, this side of Doran is never explored, cheapening Dorne’s entire plot. Arianne’s goals are a more complex form of revenge than that of the Sand Snakes in the show, and her discovery that there is more going on in Dorne than anyone sees makes the plot more layered in the books. Though the show roughly adapts the events in Dorne,the lack of Arianne makes it a shallow version of the plot, earning a place as one of the most hated storylines in the series.
Arianne Could Have Been A Major Player in ‘Game of Thrones’
Arianne could have been used in the story outside of Dorne. Her similarities to Cersei and manipulation of Myrcella make her the perfect antagonist for the Lannister Queen. Both women share a desire to rule and a resentment for their brothers, whom they were passed over in favor of. Though, officially, Arianne is heir because of Dornish customs, she learns that her father intends her brother to succeed him instead, not knowing that he plans for her to become Queen of Westeros, leaving a fierce determination to protect her birthright.To strengthen this similarity, neither Arianne nor Cersei is as subtle as they believe, as their plans are thwarted, and both are forced to go along with their fathers' better-thought-out strategies. If Arianne’s plan for Myrcella were allowed to continue, not only would Cersei suffer emotionally, but her power would be diminished. It would fulfill the prophecy she received as a child that all three of her children would wear golden crowns while making Myrcella herself a more important part. ThoughCersei certainly suffersthroughout the series, this would be a volatile plot for everyone in King’s Landing, giving Arianne plenty to do even after the Dorne arc is complete.
Yet her potential as an opponent for Cersei is far from Arianne’s only relevance. With Doran’s decades-long affiliation with the Targaryens, Arianne is a natural ally to Daenerys (Emilia Clarke). She is young and full of the radical idea of female equality, much like Daenerys. Though the show has Ellaria take over Dorne and side with Daenerys, Arianne’s rightful claim to the throne would strengthen her support. Doran’s intention to align himself with Daenerys' brother from the beginning would make them better allies and put Dorne above the rest, who first lent support to one of Daenerys' competitors.Arianne, in particular, could have easily established herself as an advisor to Daenerys. Though Arianne may not have altered the ending for Dorne, she would have drastically changed the path the story took. Arianne’s inclusion would have highlighted Myrcella, who often faded in the story while the rest of her family became prominent characters. As the ideal opponent for Cersei and a much-needed ally for Daenerys, Arianne could have been a fascinating and relevant character, perhaps dispelling the fans' dislike for Dorne.
‘Game of Thrones’ Worst Villain Was the One the Show Built Up the Most
The worst part is that the show never even tried.
If Arianne Is So Crucial, Why Would ‘Game of Thrones’ Cut Her?
Though Arianne could have contributed much to the show, she never appeared, leaving anything she may have done as speculation. As she is not the only character cut, it’s easy to acknowledge the patterns behind these choices. The show often opted to remove characters to simplify the story and give opportunities to established characters instead, likeGendry’s (Joe Dempsie) journey to Dragonstonewith Stannis (Stephen Dillane). In the books, he has one of King Robert’s (Mark Addy) bastard sons under his roof. Dorne has many characters introduced at once, and not even all the Sand Snakes made the cut. But Ellaria had one point in her favor, as the show introduced earlier. Traveling to King’s Landing with Oberyn, Ellaria was the only surviving Dornish character that fans would recognize. So, instead of introducing another person, the show centered the plot on her. This lessens the viewer’s confusion but does not serve the story. Ellaria and Arianne are fundamentally different, with their only similarities being that they are from Dorne and connected to Oberyn.Though using Ellaria in Arianne’s place makes sense theoretically, it does not serve the story.
But a surplus of characters isn’t the only likely reason that Arianne doesn’t appear inGame of Thrones.Her storyline falls in the later books, as Martin sets up what will come in his future writings, butGame of Thronesran out of material before Martin could get ahead. So, Arianne’s full importance inThe Song of Ice and Fireis still to come. While her role in the Dorne plot is substantial, her next step is removed from the show. Though most of this plot takes place in the books Martin has not yet completed, sample chapters fromThe Winds of Wintertie Arianne and the Martells withYoung Griff, who claims to be Aegon Targaryen, the supposed son of Rhaegar Targaryen (Wilf Scolding) and Elia Martell. AsGame of Throneschose to leave this plot out entirely, it seems like Arianne was cut with it.Perhaps the exclusion of Young Griff’s storyline made Arianne less relevant overall, but there is no shortage of ways the show could have used her. Certainly, she could have appeared as much, if not more than, Ellaria, even without this plotline. Whatever reasons the creators may cite for excluding Arianne Martell from the story, it was a missed opportunity for the show that suffered without her plot line.
Game of Thronesis available to stream on Max.
