Though there are countless beloved characters who emerged from Game of Thrones, few fans would count the Sand Snakes among their favorites. The Sand Snakes are the bastard daughters of Dornish Prince Oberyn Martell. They were introduced in Season 5 and quickly became one of the most disliked aspects of the season.
Though their depiction in the show was lackluster at best, the Sand Snakes that are revealed in the books are much more complex. The books obviously go into far greater detail about these characters, revealing things that fans might be unaware of. Here are some things about the Sand Snakes you didn't know.
There Were Eight Sand Snakes
In the show, we are introduced to three Sand Snakes, Obara, Nymeria, and Tyene. They each come from a different mother but they share Oberyn as a father. Many criticized the show for failing to give these three characters any personality that distinguishes them from each other.
However, in the books, these three are among a total of eight girls who call themselves Sand Snakes. The eight daughters of Oberyn come from five different mothers and they each have their own distinct personalities, though they share a loyalty to their father.
Their Namesake
The name Sand Snakes is not just a moniker that makes them sound cool (although it certainly does sound pretty cool). The name has a meaning in the world of Westeros.
All bastards in Westeros take a last name based on what region they are from. Snow is the name for bastards of the North, such as John Snow and Ramsay Snow. Similarly, all bastards from Dorne take the name Sand. Also, Oberyn Martell had his own nickname, the Red Viper of Dorne. Therefore, all of his bastards adopted the title of Sand Snakes.
The Viper's Eyes
While the Sand Snakes in the books feel different from one another, they do hold the same respect for their shared father, Oberyn. This loyalty might have something to do with another feature they share.
It is said that, despite many of them having different mothers and generally not looking too much unlike, all of the Sand Snakes has "the viper eyes" of Oberyn Martell. Even those with different color eyes share the same look as their father. Perhaps that distinct feature keeps their connection to Oberyn strong.
Nymeria On The Small Council
One neat bit of trivia to take away from comparing the events of the books and the HBO series is that Nymeria is actually sent to King's Landing in order to claim the high council seat left vacant by Oberyn's death.
However, it's also worth noting that the invitation was actually extended to Doran (who, yes, is actually alive in the books), and is a ruse by the Lannisters, who aim to assassinate Prince Trystane. Nymeria is sent in his stead, as part of a plot to overturn the planned ambush. Needless to say, Dorne as a whole is much more well represented and fleshed out in the books.
The Revenge Plot Was Different In The Books
Once again, if it wasn't obvious by now, comparing the book to the shows proves how interesting the Sand Snakes could have been in the series. In Game of Thrones, their plot for revenge was nothing more than plotting to kidnap or kill Myrcella Baratheon as payback for Oberyn's gruesome death by way of the Mountain.
The whole scheme is over hilariously quickly and seems to actually accomplish very little politically, making it one of the biggest anticlimaxes in the series. Their counterparts in the books, however, are much more methodical. Rather than assassinating her, they plan to have her crowned Queen, goading the Lannisters into war on their terms.
Their Imprisonment
As interesting as the Sand Snakes are in the books, the show actually does give them a little more to do, though nothing of practical substance, all things considered.
In fact, once the Sand Snakes are introduced in the fourth book A Feast for Crows, it doesn't take long before all of them are thrown in prison. Doran Martell, Oberyn's brother and ruler of Dorne, sees the Sand Snakes as a threat to the peace Dorne holds with King's Landing and imprisons them all to avoid any schemes.
Ellaria Sand's Differences
Ellaria Sand is introduced in the show as a paramour to Oberyn. In Season 5, her role is expanded to become the leader of the Sand Snakes, who oversees the plot to kill Myrcella.
Ellaria Sand is a character in the books but plays a much smaller role. In the show, Ellaria is the mother of the Sand Snake Tyene while in the books she is the mother of Oberyn's four youngest daughters. In a major departure from her character in the show, Ellaria in the books wants the feud with the Lannisters to end to avoid any more death.
Arianne Martell
While Ellaria doesn't fill the same role in the books as she does in the show, there is a character that fits closer to her show counterpart. Arianne Martell is the daughter of Doran Martell and the heir to the Dornish throne. Though she is not as cruel as Ellaria is in the show, Arianne works with the Sand Snakes in the same capacity.
It is Arianne who attempts to carry out the plan to crown Myrcella as Queen and rally the Dornish forces behind her. While Arianne wants to secure her own throne, she too seeks vengeance for her slain family members.
They Work With Doran
One of the most disappointing characters in the show has to be Doran Martell. When he is introduced in Season 5, he is seen as a weak and inactive ruler who is unable to control the rebellion happening right under his nose. He is quickly killed off at the beginning of Season 6 and never mentioned again.
When Doran is introduced in the books, he is very much the same, but after Arianne's plot fails, he reveals his loyalty with the Lannisters was all a facade to the Sand Snakes, and he plans to support Daenerys Targaryen's campaign for the Iron Throne. This is a much more interesting take on the character than the guy who is so easily brushed aside by the Sand Snakes in the show.
What's Next? (Since They're Still Alive)
It seems clear that the creators of Game of Thrones saw the backlash against Season 5's Dornish storyline and worked quickly to remove it from the show. After Season 5, the Sand Snakes appear only a handful of times before being randomly killed off by Euron Greyjoy and Cersei Lannister.
Obviously, the books have a lot more storytelling left, and it doesn't seem likely the Sand Snakes will end so unceremoniously. The last we heard, Doran has released the Sand Snakes from prison and is positioning them strategically around Westeros to help carry out his plot.