Ramsay Bolton

Ramsay Bolton
A Song of Ice and Fire character
File:Ramsay Bolton- -Iwan Rheon.jpg Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Bolton
First appearance	Novel: A Clash of Kings (1998) Television: "Dark Wings, Dark Words" (2013) Video game: "Iron From Ice" (2014)
Created by	George R. R. Martin
Portrayed by	Iwan Rheon Game of Thrones
Information
Title	Lord of Winterfell Lord of the Hornwood
Family	House Bolton
Spouse(s)	Lady Hornwood Jeyne Poole (book) Sansa Stark (television adaptation only)
Relatives	Roose Bolton (father) Domeric Bolton (half-brother)
Kingdom	The North

Ramsay Bolton, also known as Ramsay Snow, is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation Game of Thrones.

Introduced in 1998's A Clash of Kings, Ramsay is the eldest son of Roose Bolton, the lord of Dreadfort, an ancient fortress in the North of the fictional kingdom of Westeros. He subsequently mentioned in Martin's A Storm of Swords (2000) and A Feast for Crows (2005). He later appears in Martin's A Dance with Dragons (2011).

Ramsay is portrayed by Iwan Rheon in the HBO television adaptation.

Character description

Ramsay Snow is the bastard son of Lord Roose Bolton. He is known as the Bastard of Bolton or the Bastard of the Dreadfort. Ramsay is vicious, sadistic, unpredictable, and fearless. He takes great pleasure in torturing others and enthusiatically practices the Bolton custom of flaying their enemies. Roose suspects that Ramsay murdered Roose's legitimate heir and expects that Ramsay will kill all of Roose's future children. He is described as ugly, with blotchy skin and dry, dark hair.

Overview

Ramsay Bolton is not a point of view character in the novels, so his actions are witnessed and interpreted through the eyes of other people, such as Theon Greyjoy/Reek. Ramsay is mostly a background character in the novels.

Reception

The Welsh actor Iwan Rheon has received positive reviews for his role as Ramsay Bolton in the tv-series.

Storylines

A Game of Thrones

Does not appear in A Game of Thrones (1996).

A Clash of Kings

While his father is at war in A Clash of Kings, Ramsay forcibly marries Lady Hornwood to claim her lands, before starving her to death. He escapes justice by switching places with his servant Reek, who is killed instead. After Theon Greyjoy captures Winterfell, Ramsay is released in exchange for a vow of service to Theon. When Northerners move to take back Winterfell, Ramsay returns with an army of Dreadfort men, massacres the Northern relief force, burns Winterfell, and takes Theon prisoner in A Clash of Kings (1998).

A Storm of Swords

Ramsay only gets mentioned in A Storm of Swords (2000).

A Feast for Crows

Ramsay only gets mentioned in A Storm of Swords (2005).

A Dance with Dragons

After Robb Stark's death in A Storm of Swords, Ramsay is legitimized, taking the name "Ramsay Bolton", and rewarded by the Iron Throne with a marriage to Arya Stark's impostor (Jeyne Poole), allowing him to claim the title of 'Lord of Winterfell'. Shortly after this wedding, Jeyne and Theon escape with the help of Mance Rayder. Jon Snow receives a letter from Ramsay stating that he has captured Mance and killed Stannis Baratheon, who was besieging Winterfell. In the letter, he demands Theon, Jeyne, and several other members of Stannis's court as captives in A Dance with Dragons (2011).

TV adaptation

Ramsay Bolton is played by Iwan Rheon in the HBO television adaption of the series of books.

Storylines

The illegitimate son of Roose Bolton, Ramsay Snow is cruel, sadistic and very cunning. After the Ironborn forces capture Winterfell, he marches on the castle's token garrison and offers it safe passage for surrender; after the gates are opened, he captures Theon and flays the other defenders. At the Dreadfort, Theon is put through gruesome physical and psychological torture on Ramsay's instigation, though he himself watches in guise of a cleaning boy. He helps Theon Greyjoy escape from captivity, claiming to be a servant of Theon's sister, Yara, and promises to help him reach her, but ends up only leading Theon back to his original place of imprisonment to taunt him further. He tortures Theon by flaying his fingers and forces him to beg to have them cut off. He ultimately emasculates him and has his manhood sent in a box to the Iron Islands to press Balon to evacuate the North, suggesting he could dismember Theon slowly and send him home in boxes if his demands are not met. He forces Theon to become his new servant, who is now called Reek, and beats him until he accepts the name.

In Season 4, Ramsay along with his now slave servant, Reek, hunt down a servant girl named Tansy. Ramsay hunts her for sport and in the end feeds her to his dogs. Ramsay has followed his father in pledging loyalty to the Lannisters, and remains Acting Lord of the Dreadfort until Roose and his men arrive (having been smuggled back into the North to avoid the Ironborn). Ramsay warmly greets his father, new stepmother "Fat" Walda Frey, and friend Locke, but he is chastised by his father for torturing Theon, who would have proved a valuable hostage. Roose enlists his son in his plans to reconquer the North from the invading Ironborn – his father assigns Ramsay, "Reek" and what men Ramsay has to capture Moat Cailin from the Ironborn, in exchange for Roose considering legitimizing Ramsay as a full member of his family, a prospect that delights Ramsay. When Yara and some Ironborn killers attack the Dreadfort and attempt to take Theon, Ramsay confronts her in the dungeons and sets the hounds on her, forcing her to flee without Theon, who refused to go with her believing it was another trick of Ramsay's, and too broken and frightened to take the risk. As a reward for Theon's loyalty, Ramsay gives him a bath, bathing Theon himself, and asks for his help in taking Moat Cailin. Ramsay sends Reek into Moat Cailin with a peace banner and a letter promising safe passage to the Stoney Shore. Reek pretends to be his former self, Theon Greyjoy, and convinces the Ironborn to surrender. Ramsay breaks his promise and flays the Ironborn alive and displays their bodies on stakes. As a reward, Ramsay is legitimized by his father and takes the name, Ramsay Bolton, discarding the surname "Snow" for good, much to Ramsay's delight. Ramsay and the rest of the Bolton forces then march on towards Winterfell, the Boltons' new home. To solidify their claim for legitimacy, he is provided Sansa Stark as a suitable bride, who he promises never to harm before Baelish, but nevertheless brutally rapes her on their wedding night. He later skins a woman alive for attempting to light a candle in the high tower of Winterfell, which would signal to Brinne (waiting in the village outside the walls) that Sansa was in need of rescue. At the battle of Winterfell between Baratheon and Bolton forces, he rides out to greet Stannis, destroying his army and killing most of his men but meanwhile, Reek rebels against his master and kills Bolton's lover, Myranda, escaping with Sansa in the process.