10 Locations Missing from ‘Game of Thrones’

During the 2010s, Game of Thrones was one of the biggest pillars of popular culture. Adapted from the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin, the show took audiences to the continents of Westeros and Essos, inhabited by many diverse cultures, all of whom are vying for personal power. Most of the characters come from the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, which soon finds itself plunged into civil war, while in the North, mysterious White Walkers rally an army of the dead.

Although the show ran for eight seasons, massive changes to the story or a lack of budget meant several locations couldn’t survive the adaptation process. Most of these missing locations are small set pieces for a chapter or two that offered interesting backstories and worldbuilding. However, some missing locations had vital characters or information whose absence hurt the show overall.

10 Sisterton

Should’ve Appeared in Season 5 (2015)

North of the Vale of Arryn are three miserable islands known as the Sisters. Though the islands are good for little more than fishing and serving as a stop for traders, they also provide strategic control over the Bite, a stretch of ocean between the North and the Vale. On the island of Sweetsister lies Sisterton, ruled over by House Borrell, which has long served as a den and haven for pirates and smugglers.

The omission of Sisterton makes sense from a practical standpoint, but it still serves as an interesting and unique location in Westeros. Since the islands are out of the way of the major players in the game, House Borrell can get away with more than they should, from harboring criminals to occasionally dimming Sisterton’s lighthouse to claim the cargo of ships that crash in the darkness. During his trip to White Harbor to treat with the Manderlys, the loyal Ser Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) is taken to Lord Borrell and catches him up on current events in the south after King Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) sailed North.

9 Vaes Tolorro

Should’ve Appeared in Season 2 (2012)

Following the death of her husband, Drogo (Jason Momoa), and the blood ritual that hatched her three dragons, Daenerys Targaryen (Emelia Clarke) is left with only a small handful of followers. When a red comet appears in the sky, Daenerys follows it into the Red Wastes. The journey is brutal, but eventually, they arrive in the city of Qarth.

In the show, Daenerys and her followers stand around in the open, waiting for her scouts to come back with word about Qarth. However, in the books, she waits in the ruins of an ancient city. She names it Vaes Tolorro, which translates to The City of Bones, and her followers survive off of well water and fruit trees. Though she doesn’t spend a lot of time in the city, it serves as a spot of temptation for Daenerys, offering the chance to start a simple life for her and her people. Of course, she ultimately rejects it to pursue the Iron Throne.

8 Raventree Hall

Should’ve Appeared in Season 5 (2015)

Driven away from the wolfswood by the Starks, House Blackwood establishes Raventree Hall in the northern Riverlands. They continue worshipping the Old Gods, and in the center of Raventree is a massive weirwood. Unfortunately, it was poisoned long ago by the Blackwood’s hated rivals, the Brackens, yet every night, flocks of ravens come to rest on its withered branches.

House Blackwood is one of the most beloved minor houses in the books, but no Blackwood appeared until House of the Dragon. As such, audiences never got to see Ser Jamie Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) bring the War of the Five Kings to an end when he negotiated terms of surrender with Lord Tytos Blackwood, who refused to surrender to his Bracken rival. It’s an interesting moment that shows how, even in defeat, the Blackwoods demonstrate honor and good courtesy while giving Jamie another chance to act honorably himself. Raventree is also among the most striking places in Westeros, and more than one lamented its absence on the show.

7 Chataya’s Brothel

Should’ve Appeared in Season 1 (2011) and Season 2 (2012)

Kings Landing is home to many brothels set up on the street of silk. Audiences are aware of the establishment owned by Master of Coin, Petyr Baelish (Aidan Gillen), but one of the higher-end locations was run by Chataya, a woman from the Summer Isles. Her grown daughter, Alayala, works there as a prostitute, and one of Chataya’s girls is favored by King Robert (Mark Addy), becoming pregnant with one of his bastard children.

Since Baelish already operated a brothel, there’s some sense in condensing his and Chataya’s establishments into one location. Unfortunately, this robs the show of the chance to explore the culture of the Summer Islands, especially regarding their progressive view of sex. The brothel also serves as a cover for Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) when he departs the Red Keep to see his forbidden love, Shae (Sibel Kekilli), which sadly leads to Alayala being captured by the wicked Cersei Lannister(Lena Headey), who believes she is Tyrion’s love.

6 Stony Sept

Should’ve Appeared in Season 3 (2013)

During Robert’s Rebellion, Randyll Tarly (James Faulkner) defeated Robert and forced him to flee North while the armies of the Reach besieged Storms End. Robert hides in the Stony Sept, and when Targaryen soldiers arrive to track him down, the townsfolk ring the bells. Once Eddard Stark (Sean Bean) and his northerners arrive, they begin the legendary Battle of the Bells that drove the Targaryen loyalists away.

Stony Sept is a location with a lot of mystery and connection to Robert’s Rebellion that is sadly left underdeveloped and forgotten in the show. Arya briefly visits it while traveling with the Brotherhood Without Banners and meets a sex worker who is another one of Robert Baratheon’s bastards, fathered during the battle. The book-only character of Jon Connington also thinks a lot about the Stony Sept, and his failure to defeat Robert in the battle drives him to place his ward, Aegon, on the Iron Throne.

5 Maidenpool

Should’ve Appeared in Season 3 (2013)

During the Age of Heroes, Florian the Fool spied his beloved Jonquil bathing in a pool, leading to Westeros’ greatest love story. In time, a prosperous port town was set up around the pool, ruled over by House Mooton. A bathhouse was eventually built around the pool, said to be blessed with healing properties, and many women would come to Maidenpool to bathe in these waters.

Maidenpool is briefly mentioned when Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) meets Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) in the cursed castle of Harrenhal, but its fate during the war is omitted. Maidenpool is sacked three times by Lannisters, Starks, and bandits, while Lord Mooton hides in his castle and does nothing to help his people, even when Jonquil’s pool is fouled with corpses. Jamie and Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) see the ruin of Maidenpool shortly before their duel on the road, and after the war, Randyll occupies the city to dispense the King’s Justice and force Mooton to marry his eldest daughter to Randyll’s son, Dickon (Freddie Stroma and Tom Hopper).

4 Barrowton

Should’ve Appeared in

One of the oldest settlements in the North, Barrowton, is so-called because it was built atop a great barrow said to contain the remains of the first king of the First Men. Unfortunately, the current leader of Barrowton, Lady Barbery Dustin, is not the biggest fan of Eddard Stark after he didn’t bring her husband’s body back from the Battle at the Tower of Joy. As such, she only provides a token force to aid Robb Stark’s (Richard Madden) war and eagerly makes an alliance with Roose Bolton (Michael McElhatton) following the Red Wedding.

The absence of Barrowton means that the Boltons lose one of their chiefest northern allies and prevents the series from showing not all the lords of the North love Ned as much as the audience thought. Ramsay Bolton’s wedding was initially to take place at Barrowton before moving to Winterfell to strengthen their claim on the North when Stannis Baratheon begins marching on them. Its omission also means Barbery Dustin isn’t adapted, which is unfortunate because, though she is an ally of the Boltons, she has an agenda and isn’t afraid to speak her mind.

3 Duskendale

Should’ve Appeared in Season 2 (2012) and Season 4 (2014)

Once the richest city in the Crownlands, Duskendale was eventually supplanted by Kings Landing when the city reached tremendous size. It is currently ruled by House Rykker after the previous owners, House Darklyn, were exterminated by King Aerys II Targaryen (David Rintoul) for holding him prisoner. He would have died had it not been for the efforts of Ser Barristan Selmy (Ian McElhinney).

Duskendale is a city that has tremendous importance to the history of Westeros, especially since the defiance of House Darklyn contributes to Aerys’ descent into the Mad King. In modern times, the city is the location of a massive battle between the forces of Robb Stark and Randyll Tarly during the War of the Five Kings. Brienne also visits the city when she begins her search for the missing Stark girls.

2 High Heart

Should’ve Appeared in Season 3 (2013)

Located close to Acorn Hall in the Riverlands, High Heart was once a place of worship for the faith of the Old God, with thirty-one weirwood stumps encircling the top of the hill. The villagers who live nearby avoid it because they believe it is haunted by curses and restless spirits. The only inhabitant of High Heart is an old dwarf woman known as the Ghost of High Heart, who seemingly possesses prophetic powers.

Since the show toned down the importance of prophecy, it had no reason to include High Heart and its ghost. This is unfortunate because the prophecies overheard by Arya Stark during her stay with the Brotherhood Without Banners hint at the death of major characters, including Renly Baratheon (Gethin Anthony) and Balon Greyjoy (Patrick Malahide). The ghost is also linked to Jenny of Oldstone and the tragedy of Summerhall, the event that shaped the life of Rhaegar Targaryen (Wilf Scolding).

1 White Harbor

Should’ve Appeared in Season 5 (2015)

One of the most important cities in the North, White Harbor is ruled by House Manderly, one of the few Northern houses to worship the Faith of the Seven. Thanks to their position on the eastern shore, they are the North’s biggest source of trade from the east, which makes the Maderlys quite rich. Unfortunately, one of Lord Wyman Manderly’s (Sean Blowers) sons and many of his soldiers die during the Red Wedding, forcing him to bend the knee to House Bolton.

White Harbor is never visited in the show, and as a result, Wyman is reduced to little more than a lord who refused the call to side with Jon Snow (Kit Harington) in the Battle of the Bastards, leading to him being shamed by the mighty Lyanna Mormont (Bella Ramsey). The books offer a very different situation, as Davos travels to White Harbor to recruit the city to Stannis’ cause, only to be thrown in the dungeon. However, this is a ruse by Wyman to secure the return of his living son and heir from House Frey’s dungeons. Once he returns, Wyman confides in Davos that he is loyal to the Starks to the bitter end.

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