Why was Lady Stoneheart left out of Game of Thrones?

George R. R. Martin wishes Game of Thrones found a place for Lady Stoneheart on the series.

One question many Game of Thrones’ book fans continues to ask as the final season of the television adaption looms: Where is Lady Stoneheart?

If you’ve never read the books and have no idea who Lady Stoneheart is, here is some background from the novels.

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When Catelyn Stark is murdered at the Red Wedding, the Brotherhood without Banners finds her and brings her back to life. However, Catelyn is so decayed and can barely speak. So, she adopts the name Lady Stoneheart.

She and the Brotherhood then set out to take revenge on those who wronged her family. At the end of the fifth book in the series, George R. R. Martin left the Lady Stoneheart’s storyline on a cliffhanger. Therefore, whenever he finishes The Winds of Winter, she will most likely please a big part of it.

But with only six episodes of the series left, it looks like we won’t see Lady Stoneheart before the end.

Novel purists are the only ones disappointed about her exclusion from the series. Even the big man himself wishes things were different.

According to Esquire China (via Forbes), Martin said,

"“In the book, characters can be resurrected. After Catelyn is resurrected as Lady Stoneheart, she becomes a vengeful, heartless killer. In the sixth book, I still continue to write her. She is an important character in the set of books. [Keeping her character] is the change I most wish I could make in the [show].”"

It’s true; people are brought back to life all the time on the fantastical series. Just ask Jon Snow! So, why not Catelyn? I’d take more scenes with her over Sam and Gilly scenes that add nothing to the story (until recently).

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Here’s hoping that we may see Lady Stoneheart pop up in one of the planned Game of Thrones spinoffs!