Throughout Game of Thrones' eight season run, Theon Greyjoy remained a highpoint of the series. Played by Alfie Allen, Theon starts out as a somewhat unimportant background character before his role increases by the time of the show's second season, where he takes centerstage. While Theon never receives as much focus again, he still remains a prominent figure throughout the show's run. In fact, he is one of only a handful of characters to appear in every season of Game of Thrones, with Allen even earning an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work on season 8.
However, Theon's role in Game of Thrones is vastly different from the source material, A Song of Ice and Fire. While book Theon's storyline starts out similarly to his screen counterpart, the later seasons take Theon in an entirely different direction than George R. R. Martin's latest book in the series, A Dance with Dragons.
Theon's storyline in the show
Audiences first meet Theon Greyjoy in Game of Thrones' pilot episode, "Winter is Coming." They quickly learn that he is a ward of Winterfell, growing up alongside the Stark children, after his father, Balon Greyjoy (Patrick Malahide) launched a failed rebellion. While the Starks treat Theon well, he knows that if his father tries anything funny, he's as good as gone.
Theon is established as a close friend of the oldest Stark boy, Robb (Richard Madden). Though more abrasive than Robb, the two get along quite well. Theon is even among Robb's earliest supporters when he is crowned King in the North.
However, things take a dark turn when Theon asks Robb to send him home to the Iron Islands to ask for his father's support in the wars to come. Balon not only rejects Theon's request, but crowns himself king and strongarms his son into supporting his cause. As such, Theon betrays the Starks, his family since he was a boy, in favor of his cruel and abusive father who won't even take him seriously.
Theon attempts to prove his worth by capturing Winterfell, the Stark's home. When he fails to kill the two youngest Stark boys, Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) and Rickon (Art Parkinson), he murders two peasants in their place, lying to the Northerners in order to cement himself as their new leader. However, he's still treated as a joke and a turncloak, and is quickly captured by his own men.
When Theon is rescued by a mysterious stranger, things go from bad to worse for him. He is tortured, castrated, and ultimately broken by this man, later revealed to be Ramsay Snow (Iwan Rheon), the bastard son of Robb's treacherous bannerman Roose Bolton (Michael McElhatton). Ramsay rebuilds Theon into his pathetic, mewling, and loyal servant, Reek.
Reek stands by Ramsay's side as he commits various atrocities including sexually abusing his new bride, Theon's surrogate sister Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner). Sansa eventually helps Theon regain his sense of self, and the two escape Winterfell together. Theon then says goodbye to Sansa and reunites with his sister Yara (Gemma Whelan), as the two sail for Meereen to join forces with Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke). The Greyjoy siblings finally provide Daenerys with the ships to return to Westeros, and they sail home with her armies.
Theon later plays a crucial role in the fight against the undead. He returns to Winterfell, the same place he grew up, and the same place he later conquered, to fight to protect Bran Stark, the boy he pretended to kill. Theon sacrifices himself to save Bran from the Night King (Vladimir Furdik), the leader of the White Walkers, just after Bran finally forgives him.
Theon's storyline in (some of) the books
Much like in Game of Thrones, Theon's story begins with him in a somewhat forgettable role. He appears ocassioanlly in other character's chapters, usually Bran and Robb, and his main narrative focus in the first book, A Game of Thrones, is to teach the readers about the exitance of the Iron Islands, House Greyjoy, and their failed rebellion.
However, in the second book, A Clash of Kings, Theon becomes a point-of-view character himself. His storyline plays out similarly to his Season 2 arc, except it ends with Ramsay capturing him right away, cutting out the middlemen from the show.
Theon's role in book 3, A Storm of Swords, is nonexistent. In fact, he doesn't reappear until A Dance with Dragons, sitting out of both books 3 and 4. In fact, as those seasons aired, many Game of Thrones fans who had previously read the books noted how different Theon's story was becoming simply by keeping him around. When Theon reappears in the books, he's already been Reek-ified, and his chapters are usually called "Reek" rather than "Theon."
When the first Reek chapter begins, it isn't obvious that Reek is Theon. This is revealed in a later chapter. As such, audiences don't immediately know that Theon has received his comeuppance, and their feelings towards Reek may be different depending on the medium. In the show, it might feel satisfying to watch Theon's torture, however brutal, after his betrayal of House Stark, who are presented as some of the main protagonists. The books, however, introduce Reek as a pitiful character, so readers are more likely to feel bad for him from the start, since they don't know what he's done up to this point.
Theon's presence throughout every Game of Thrones season not only provided job security for Allen, but it entirely changed how audiences perceive the character, especially by the time he's become Reek.
The 15th anniversary celebration of Game of Thrones may be drawing to an end, but our watch continues with the spinoffs House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. There's plenty more of Westeros to come!
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