Who are the new characters that will be introduced in season 4?

[Lannister Hamster]

Oberyn + 1 speaking entourage

Mace Tyrell

Lother Brune (or recurring LF bodyguard)

Euron and Victarion + any entourage

Entourage means someone who may be important in the book but in tv world someone for them to talk to so the audience can hear their thoughts out loud.

Randyll Tarly and rest of the Martell's to come in Series 5.

[PatrickStormborn]

If they don't cast Ellaria Sand I will weep tears of blood and swear vengeance against D&D.

[Peasant Rebel Leader]

Yeah, I can't see them passing up the "Dornishmen are sexually free and open to any direction", it sets itself up to so many golden scenes: the whole paramour thing and list of bastard daughters, Ellaria joking in front of Cersei that she would fit in thier bed between Oberyn and her, Both of them going to the Brothel together and requesting a woman AND a man, ... So, much eye candy ;)

I can see them including Ellaria even besides a Arianne in Kings Landing for the connection. Also, with the preview chapter for ADWD, GRRM seems to make more and more comparisons between the Martells and the Starks, where the Dornish still have their happy lifes despite being the same ages. Ellaria seems very alike Catelyn at that point...

@Lannister Hamster, good list, though you forgot a) the Meerenese (incl. f.e. Brown Ben Plumm) and B) the Wildlings (Val/Dalla + another wildling leader). I could also see them merging Victarion and Euron whereas I'm sure we will not see Aeron and Euron (names too alike), but we need a Kingsmoot "moderator" (doesn't need to be a Greyjoy brother, but will probably be named)

[JP Dayne]

I think dorne will get axed hard.

D&D have said the show is as big as it's gonna get, and well, if we count how many are supposed to die this season, it doesn't seem enough to be less actors in the pay roll to make the 4th and 5th seasons smallers lol

If we're luck, we'll get Mace in S4. I really want a Lord Tarly crushing Robb/Bolton duskendale advance.

Red Viper is a must tho. His dornish retinue will consist basically of a few extras.

[Gannicus]

I have to agree JP. The show will be making some serious cuts from this point forward.

This show will not get much bigger.

S4 will be a mix of ASOS, AFFC, and ADWD.

They will only add the absolute essentials.

King Landing -

Oberyn

(Mace will be replaced by the QOT as a judge.)

The North -

Val/Violet (technically she is new this season but her role will still be minor.)

Manderly (Depending how far Davos' story gets)

Iron Islands -

Euron

Maybe Victorian or Damphire

Essos -

Hizdar (will be wrapped into a number of Mereen characters)

Maybe 1 more.

No Dorne in season 4

I think Bowen Marsh will be mixed into Allister Thorn.

But no more than 5/6 new faces will be introduced.

[vectner]

I can actually see them cutting Dorne completely. Some have mentioned before that they are setting up Bronn to take the Red Viper's place. Axing Dorne will keep the story more streamlined and less confusing for TV viewers. If later in the series they need to bring Myrcella back they can introduce Arianne at that time. We know Quenten is a no go so that leaves all of Doran's scheming looking flat. I would rather not see him than miss the fact that he is playing the longest of the long game of thrones.

Although if they do cast him I would like to see John Hurt in the role, despite his looks, he can play the most subtle of characters sublimely.

[pavel]

I can actually see them cutting Dorne completely. Some have mentioned before that they are setting up Bronn to take the Red Viper's place. Axing Dorne will keep the story more streamlined and less confusing for TV viewers.

I agree with the part where skipping Dorne would be less confusing to TV viewers. Book readers don't always realize that this show can indeed be pretty confusing, if all you see is the show, considering the amount of characters.

However, I would tend to get a different conclusion from your point with Bronn. I actually figured the show started to insist on him wanting money and being a sellsword so the TV viewers would understand more easily why he'll refuse to champion Tyrion. I also think Bronn taking the Viper's place would make Tyrion's situation look less dramatic; in the book he's stuck between a rigged trial and a trial by battle with no champion. If Bronn doesn't refuse to champion Tyrion, the hope of a trial by combat is never lost and thus Tyrion never looks nearly as screwed as he actually is.

[Razha]

Not that it would happen but I think it would be nice to have

Oberyn + 2 speaking entourage:

• Ellaria (made younger and more fierce) - sex and conspiracy partner to Oberyn, but in next Seasons she can take over the functions of Obara or other sand snake (while the number of actual sand snakes can be reduced/they can be merged)
  
• Darkstar - what about treesome? :)))) but seriously he can be built up as a volatile, not fully reliable sidekick to Martells
  

After the Trial by Combat these two will take the body back to Dorne, next season Dorne can be introduced with them all mourning Oberyn, presence of characters that were already shown the previous season can make it easier for viewrs to understand what's going on.

Also I think the netire Iron Islands story can be beefed up and can make a good season arch - starting with death of balon and ending with Vic being dispatched to Danny. - This will require plenty of supporting characters.

[Ordos]

Any tiny chance Aegon/Young Griff will appear in maybe episode 9-10? He is curiously my favorite character. Doubt it considering the delay in introducing the Reed siblings and the Tullys.

[protar]

Dorne has already been mentioned several times on the show and Myrcella has been sent off to Dorne already. I expect that Areo, Arys and not all the Sandsnakes will make the cut but I think we can certainly expect most of Dorne to appear, especially as they seem set to become very important in TWOW.

[Peasant Rebel Leader]

Dorne has been namedropped so many times in the show (i.e. Dornish Wine, Dornish Girls). They will not cut it. Why would they need to? Next season is the first to lose a whole story arc (Robb/Catelyn) and then merge another two again (Stannis and Sam back into "the Wall"), so there's enough place for the Ironborn and then the Dornish. How they are going to do that, I would wait til we've seen this season ;)

[PatrickStormborn]

Not that it would happen but I think it would be nice to have

Oberyn + 2 speaking entourage:

• Ellaria (made younger and more fierce) - sex and conspiracy partner to Oberyn, but in next Seasons she can take over the functions of Obara or other sand snake (while the number of actual sand snakes can be reduced/they can be merged)
  
• Darkstar - what about treesome? :)))) but seriously he can be built up as a volatile, not fully reliable sidekick to Martells
  

I just vomited.

Ellaria Sand is a PERFECT character in the books. She's not included because she's ~young and sexy~ nor is she a badass warrior princess who slays dragons and zombies. She's a queer woman of colour, she advocates peace, and she's a mother. Those traits should not be erased.

[protar]

I just vomited.

Ellaria Sand is a PERFECT character in the books. She's not included because she's ~young and sexy~ nor is she a badass warrior princess who slays dragons and zombies. She's a queer woman of colour, she advocates peace, and she's a mother. Those traits should not be erased.

As much as I agree with this and like Ellaria as a minor character, I will be genuinely surprised if she makes the cut. Because unless she ends up doing something major in TWOW (and I see little evidence of that.) she is really just that - a minor character. More likely Arianne will come to Dorne with Oberyn and either stay there for an entire season, or be sent back to Dorne after the PW (I lean towards this.).

[Winterz]

Euron, Victarion, Aeron

The Greyjoys?! That's season 5, mate. Season 4 still features the events for the third book.

I wonder if they'll keep the actor that played Aeron in Season 2 (unlikely though). He was exactly how I pictured the Damphair.

[PatrickStormborn]

As much as I agree with this and like Ellaria as a minor character, I will be genuinely surprised if she makes the cut. Because unless she ends up doing something major in TWOW (and I see little evidence of that.) she is really just that - a minor character. More likely Arianne will come to Dorne with Oberyn and either stay there for an entire season, or be sent back to Dorne after the PW (I lean towards this.).

I agree that she's likely to be cut, based on D&D's past record. But I don't think she should be.

[protar]

I agree that she's likely to be cut, based on D&D's past record. But I don't think she should be.

I don't even think her being cut would be an indication of D+D's poor adaptational skills. Even in a faithful adaptation she's the kind of character for the chop. So while I like her, looking at it objectively I would say she should be cut.

[Colonel Green]

I very much doubt it, if she actually is (Mya is such as small, not-to-important-to-the-overall-plot character), that she's she won't be in it till season 5.

I actually think the show might actually make more use of Mya than the books, similar to what they did with Shae, to give Sansa somebody to talk to at relative ease.

Sansa's going to be in the Vale for the better part of at least three seasons, and probably four (since we still haven't seen TWOW). Going strictly by the books, after Lysa dies there really aren't that many characters at the Eyrie permanently with her (Littlefinger, Robin, I guess Lothor Brune). I could see the show having her interact more with Mya and play up the "Sansa among the common folk" angle.

[Paul Blackfyre]

Probably they won't introduce many characters. Sadly, I think that they will cut most of them.

- Oberyn (I think this is a safe assumption)

- Ellaria Sand (someone to accompany Oberyn)

- Arianne (they will probably change her plotline; I think that it is possible that she also acompanies Oberyn in his journey to King's Landing)

- Euron Greyjoy

- Victarion Greyjoy (Aeron will be cut)

- Manderly (it depends on Davos)

- Someone to accompany Littlefinger and Sansa (maybe Lothar Brune)

- Coldhands (unless he appears this season...)

- Hizdhar zo Loraq

[JP Dayne]

I rly doubt we'll see greyjoys on S4

as for coldhands, he's confirmed to appear in S3 :D

[protar]

I rly doubt we'll see greyjoys on S4

as for coldhands, he's confirmed to appear in S3 :D

Seeing as the Ironborn chapters in AFFC take place chronologically towards the latter half of SOS I think it's pretty much certain that the Iron Isles will be in S4, especially as otherwise they'll have nothing to do for 2 whole seasons. In addition introducing certain plot lines a bit earlier in the books makes the rather off-putting influx of new characters in AFFC a lot more gradual and manageable for TV.

The only other options are:

a.) introduce them in season 5, creating an incredibly bloated story line with mostly new characters in a location that hasn't been relevant for years.

b.) Not introduce them at all, which will in all likelyhood cause the show to completely depart from the source material which I don't think anyone here wants.