30 Pics That Show What Game Of Thrones Characters Would Look Like If They Were Accurate To The Books

Some of them don't look like the characters we know today.

Liezel

• Published in Film & TV
• July 5, 2022

When Game of Thrones came out in 2011, it was gritty, it was dramatic, and it was bloody. Still, it became an instant hit.

The world was immediately captivated by the rich and wonder-filled world of nobles, dragons, and kings of the dead created by George RR Martin despite its more controversial themes aka incest, child murder, and stuff like that. Somehow, it all just clicked especially the cast.

In fact, nowadays, most actors who took on iconic roles in the show are still widely known for those roles although they've already gone and spread their wings to other projects. But, of course, like all book adaptations, not all actors will be entirely accurate in their character descriptions no matter how good they are.

However, have you ever wondered what the GOT characters would really look like if they were accurate to the book's descriptions? Well, now you don't have to wonder.

MsBananaAnna, a digital artist and web model, created character portraits of certain GOT characters based on the book descriptions and they're pretty interesting to see. Some of them resemble the case while others are so far from the actor or actress.

Keep scrolling and see who looks like who.

Daenerys Targaryen

In the series, Dany is supposed to be 13 to 15 years old. And she's described as:

Daenerys has the classical Valyrian look; She has violet eyes, pale skin, and long, pale silver-gold hair. Daenerys is slender of frame. Daenerys has been described as fair, and beautiful.

Brienne of Tarth

Brienne is unfeminine in appearance and is considered unattractive by Westerosi standards. She is tall, muscular, flat-chested, and ungainly, with shoulder-length brittle straw-colored hair and broad, coarse features that are covered in freckles. Brienne's teeth are prominent and crooked. Her mouth is wide, her lips are swollen, and her nose has been broken more than once. She has large, beautiful blue eyes. - From AWOIAF

Jamie Lannister

31 years, green eyes, curled hair color of beaten gold, handsome, tall.

Arya Stark

Has the Stark long face, grey eyes, and brown hair. Greatly resembles Aunt Lyanna according to Bran. Short hair depicted when she cut it to look like a boy. Bullied by Sansa for looking horse faced, but several characters have described her as pretty.

Cersei Lannister

Cersei is a strikingly beautiful woman, with golden hair, emerald green eyes, fair skin, and a slender, graceful figure. - From AWOIAF

Artist's note:

Although she is considered by some to be the most beautiful of the seven kingdoms, her age was brought into consideration along with the prophecy that she will be replaced by a younger more beautiful queen.... so I tried to not make her beautiful but not as striking as described.

Sansa Stark

Deep blue eyes, light auburn hair, with the Tully features of high cheekbones. Takes after her mother, but Catelyn believes Sansa will grow to become more beautiful than her. Considered by many characters to be fair-looking, and Tyrion considers her to be as comely as Margaery Tyrell.

Lyanna Stark

She died at age 16.

Was considered to have a 'wild' beauty to her; did not have the same delicate/refined/traditional beauty as Princess Elia. Described as a tomboy, and has typical Stark features of a long face, grey eyes, and brown hair. Slim.

Jon Snow

Has the most Stark features of the kids, with dark grey eyes, a long face, and dark brown hair.

Brandon Stark (brother of Ned Stark)

He died at age 20.

Tall and handsome with grey eyes.

Joffrey Baratheon

Blonde curly hair, green eyes, pouty lips. Considered handsome. Jon thinks he looks like a girl. Probably has a punchable face, but that is just personal bias.

Catelyn Stark

She's described to be a traditional beauty with the traditional Tully features.

Catelyn is beautiful, with fair skin, long auburn hair and blue eyes. She has long fingers and high cheekbones. - From AWOIAF

Tyrion Lannister

24 years, mismatched green/black eyes, thin hair so blonde it's almost white, large jutting forehead, oversized head.

Arianne Martell

Arianne is buxom and beautiful, with olive skin, large dark eyes and long, thick black hair that falls in ringlets to the middle of her back. She has full lips, a husky voice. - From AWOIAF

Asha Greyjoy

Now in her mid-twenties, Asha is lean and long legged, with dark eyes and black hair cut short. Her face is thin, with a big, sharp nose, and wind-chafed skin. On her neck is a faded pink scar. Asha's brother, Theon Greyjoy, believes her hawk-like nose is too big and sharp for her small face, but he feels that her wicked smile makes up for it. - From AWOIAF

Jaqen H-ghar

Young man, considered or noticed by women to be handsome with fine features. Long hair that is white on one side, and red on the other.

Loras Tyrell

Considered by many to be "beautiful" and "extremely handsome". Has big liquid gold eyes and brown lazy curls. Greatly resembles Margaery, according to Cersei (they are siblings).

Margaery Tyrell

Thick, softly curling hair, with large brown eyes. Has a sweet/shy look to her. Considered by Tyrion to be as comely as Sansa Stark. Smooth unblemished skin.

Ned Stark

Typical Stark features of long face, grey eyes, and brown hair. Ned has dark grey eyes that reflect his moods. He has a solemn face and his beard is beginning to grey, making him look older than his age. He is considered to be less handsome and shorter than his brother, Brandon Stark.

Melisandre

She is considered to be terribly beautiful, with unsettling red eyes and deep burnished copper hair. She has a heart shaped face. She's really old but looks young due to magic.

Shiera Seastar

She's deceased in the books.

Renowned as a beauty and seductress, with long Targaryen silver-gold hair, and a heart-shaped face. Although she had two mismatched eyes—one dark blue, the other bright green—it was said that the "defect" only enhanced her beauty." - From AWOIAF.

Littlefinger

Short slender man with sharp features and a small pointed beard. Dark hair with threads of grey, and grey-green eyes. When he laughs or smiles, it does not reach his eyes.

Ser Jorah Mormont

Jorah is a large middle-aged man, swarthy and hairy. He is black-bearded and balding, but still strong and fit. According to Dany: not particularly handsome. Ultimate friend-zoned.

Varys

Bald, plump, effeminate, with powdered face (I'm assuming that means white powdered face + blush when searching up powdered faces historically?). Eyes are not specified in the book, but he is from Lys, so I assume he has purple eyes.

Tywin Lannister

Tall, slender, broad shouldered with shaved bald head, but keeps whiskers on the side of his face. He has pale green eyes with gold flecks in them.

Lysa Arryn

Once beautiful, she has since grown thick and puffy due to many pregnancy issues. Has a small petulant mouth, and though she is younger than Catelyn, she looks older by a decade. Pale blue eyes, thick auburn hair. Her skin has become pale, which she tries to cover up with powder.

Ygritte

Large pretty blue grey eyes. Crooked teeth, bright thick and shaggy red hair. Though considered to be beautiful among the wildlings. Jon does not think she is (but considers her smile to be pretty). He notices her eyes are too far apart. She has a short pug nose and a round face.

Myrcella Baratheon

Golden hair, emerald eyes, and full lips. Delicate and beautiful.

Podrick

Skinny, straight hair, thin neck.

Syrio Forel

Bald man with a beak nose.

Gregor Clegane

Gregor Clegane is a gigantic man, arguably the largest man in Westeros (surpassing all of the Baratheon brothers, Hodor and his own brother Sandor), with great arms, an ugly voice like stone breaking, grey eyes, brown hair, and large shoulders.

It's definitely a delight to see solid pictures of all these characters as they are described in the books. And the artist did a pretty good job of illustrating them and trying to keep them as realistic as possible.

Still, we think the people they cast for the show were pretty exceptional. And they were a huge part of why the show reached such success.

So while they might not always have been accurate, we still do love them.

Liezel