How Catelyn Stark returns from the dead and why Game of Thrones cut her

Catelyn Stark dies in the A Song of Ice and Fire Books much like she has in Game of ThronesKilled by the free. However, there is much more to her story that the HBO adaptation left out: namely her return as Lady Stoneheart, a kind of zombie type character who only wants revenge. The Dead at the Red Wedding in Game of Thrones And ASOIF Was shocking enough, but that Kathleen is coming back in A storm of swords‘ Epilogue is just as great a twist.

Dubbed Lady Stoneheart, she has only made a couple of brief appearances in the books so farBut should have a bigger role to play when The winds of winter Finally released. This can hopefully make up for it Game of Thrones Cutting the character, when her arrival was highly anticipated for season 4 (the second season to adapt A storm of swordsafter season 3). There are some big questions to be answered – not least, whether Brienne of Tarth will betray Jaime Lannister for Lady Stoneheart – and she is one of the books’ most fascinating dark and tragic figures.

Catelyn Stark is resurrected by Beric Dondarrion in a storm of swords

The lightning lord gave her the last kiss

Catelyn’s death may be the same in Game of ThronesBut the books take it further. After the red wedding, the Price threw her naked body in the river (the Green Park). Three days later, the body is found by none other than Arya Stark, who was wormed into her direwolf, Nymeria (another aspect the show cut). Nymeria drags Cat’s body from the water, but runs away when she hears the Brotherhood Without Banners approaching.

Death is not necessarily permanent in Westeros, as shown by Jon Snow’s resurrection in Game of Thrones. And before him was Beric Dondarrion, who brought Thoros back to life half a dozen times before his final death at the Battle of Winterfell in Season 8. In the books, however, Beric’s true death came much earlier, when he sacrificed his own life to revive Catelyn.

like A feast for crows Revealed, Berik performed what is known as the last kiss, or the kiss of life, to bring Cat back. This is how Thoros revived Beric himself: to do this, One fills their mouth with fire, and then breathes the flames into the dead. Usually, however, this is not used for resurrection, but is simply a custom among the Hasidic of R. R. R. R. R. L., who believe that it cleanses them to send them on their way. With Beric, however, the magic of the Lord of Light intervenes, bringing him back, as Thoros describes to Arya in A storm of swords:

“I have no magic, child, but prayers. The first time his lordship had a hole through him and blood in his mouth, I knew there was no hope. So when his poor torn chest stopped moving , I gave him the good. God’s own kiss sent him away, I filled my mouth with fire and breathed the flames into him, down the throat and to the heart and soul, the last kiss is called it, and many times I saw The old priests it was upon the servants of the Lord as they died, I have given it a time or two, but never before had I felt a dead man as the fire filled him, and it was not seen by me, who had Picked him up, my lady it was the Lord is not finished with him yet.

Then, in A feast for crowsThoros describes how Beric performed the final kiss to resurrect Kat, telling Brienne:

“Harvin asked me to give her the kiss of life, but it was too long. I wouldn’t do it, so Lord Beric pressed his lips to hers instead, and the flame of life passed from him to her.. And… she got up. May the Lord of Light protect us. She Rose.”

There are two particularly interesting aspects to Stoneheart’s resurrection. One is that Kat was very much unrelated to the Lord of Light, as she instead followed the Faith of the Seven. And yet Rabbi Halor chose her for a reason that includes a higher, as-yet-unrevealed purpose than simple revenge. Second is that Beric died, unlike Thoros. Given Thoros notes how long Kat was dead, a difference to Beric’s resurrection, then it meant a greater effort and a bigger trade: light for light, life for life.

How Lady Stoneheart is different from Catelyn Stark

Her appearance and personality have both changed a lot

Catelyn, like the rest of the Starks, is very much a decent, honest person for the most part. She is somewhat cold, at least when it comes to her treatment of Jon Snow (which she never warms to), and has a certain cunning as well, but above all, she is loyal, loving, and protective of her family. Like most characters, she doesn’t always do the right thing, but she’s absolutely one of those characters we’re meant to root for.

Lady Stoneheart is a bit more complicated. Her return finds her moving through the Riverlands as the new leader of the Brotherhood Without Banners, killing Fries, Lannisters and Boltons as revenge and justice for the Red Wedding. Her actions are understandable, but take on a much darker tone: there is a bloodlust; She is a character who is driven by revenge, to the point that it consumes her.

Stoneheart is also quite different in terms of appearance. She has a big scar on her neck, where she was cut at the red wedding. Her face is also marked with long scars and scratches, from where she tore her own face after Rob Stark was killed in front of her (a gruesome detail that Game of Thrones omitted). And She can hardly speakGave the gas in the throat. Much of Cath has been lost in place of Stoneheart, which makes the name particularly fitting.

What is Lady Stoneheart’s real purpose in A Song of Ice and Fire?

The undead Catelyn needs more than revenge

Until now, Lady Stoneheart’s story has been about bringing justice to anyone involved in the Red Wedding, typically in brutal fashion, such as hanging them. This will reach its most extreme point in The winds of winterWith the resolution of what is happening with Brienne and Jaime: Steinheart has demanded that Brienne bring Jaime to her, and she may be obliged. It is possible she will try to have Jaime killedOr make a deal with him that leads to other prizes, Lannisters, and Boltons.

Still, there is presumably more to her story; A reason she was brought back beyond simple revenge. One of these is to show how death (and war) changes people. Resurrections are supposed to have a price: Beric lost a little more of himself each time he was brought back, but we didn’t know the character well enough to really feel the impact of that. so too, Game of Thrones Didn’t explore it much with Jon, either. Stoneheart is by far the biggest and best example, then, of how a person comes back differently, if an extreme one, and that magic always has a price.

The other factor in her return, and what her real circle might be, concerns her daughters: with Catelyn coming back, her story must directly intersect with at least one of Sansa or Arya, if not both. Of these, the clearest way forward would be with Arya, who herself is a character driven by revenge. I don’t think it’s hard to imagine that Stoneheart will serve as a warning of what Arya can become if she continues to be driven by revenge.Similar to the dog in Game of Thrones Season 8.

Alternatively, Lady Stoneheart could sacrifice herself for Arya in some way, as Beric did at the Battle of Winterfell. Beric sacrificed himself for Arya, and when he dies to bring Kat back into the books, he is effectively her replacement by this point in the story. While the Long Night will probably be quite different since there is no Night King in it A Song of Ice and FireIt could be that Stoneheart dies to save Arya, and perhaps at the same time helps her learn a valuable lesson and regain more of her identity.

Why did Game of Thrones cut Lady Stoneheart

Showrunners David Benioff & DB Weiss have their reasons

Unfortunately for anyone hoping to see Lady Stoneheart on the show, Game of Thrones Did not include this character. Part of her role can be completed with others, such as Beric and the Hound. Showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss have their reasons for cutting her, which they explain in James Hibberd’s book, Fire Can’t Kill a Dragon: Game of Thrones and the Official Untold Story of the Epic Series:

1. Because of Jon Snow’s resurrection, which they knew would come up. The showrunners wanted to keep theirs “powder dry” For this, rather than having too many resurrections and risk diminishing returns.

2. A reason that is kept vague, because of where her story is headed and not wanting to spoil George RR Martin’s plans, but is seemingly because of how things diverged even at this point.

3. Not wanting to bring Michelle Fairley back to Game of Thrones‘ cast as someone who is essentially a zombie who doesn’t speak, after giving her such an iconic exit with the Red Wedding.

The reasons are understandable, at least, and explain why Stoneheart is not in Game of Thrones. hope, The winds of winter Will do justice to her story when it eventually releases.