Summary

• Ramsay Snow's sadistic torture of Theon Greyjoy established him as one of the most twisted villains in Game of Thrones.
• Theon's transformation into Reek by Ramsay showcased Ramsay's cruel nature and desire to break others for his own amusement.
• Theon's redemption arc, from torture victim to hero, was one of the most satisfying journeys in Game of Thrones, solidifying him as a great character.

The Theon Greyjoy torture scenes in Game of Thrones were some of the most difficult to watch. Theon was tortured by Ramsay Snow (later Bolton) for years in with the latter's motivations showing why he was one of the show's most twisted villains. Theon had an incredibly complicated journey in Game of Thrones, playing both hero and villain at various points, but a large portion of his story was taken up by his being tortured by Ramsay. The torment inflicted upon him was one of Game of Thrones' darkest and longest-running stories, turning him into the broken Reek and establishing Ramsay as one of the show's biggest villains.

Though Theon returned from being Reek and even completed his redemption by the time of Game of Thrones' ending, his suffering at the hands of Ramsay stayed with him. The storyline itself began with some cloak-and-dagger mystery (though more of the dagger, since this was Ramsay), with the identity of the tormenter kept a secret from Theon for part of Game of Thrones season 3. Because of this, and Ramsay's own nature, then it did lead to some confusion as to why Theon was tortured, but there's a simple (if brutal) explanation.

Theon Greyjoy Was Tortured Because Of Ramsay Snow's Sadism

The Pointless Cruelty In Transforming Theon Into Reek Made Ramsay Impossible To Forget

The Theon Greyjoy torture initially came with a broader purpose for House Bolton, because, as he was a wanted enemy of Robb Stark for the supposed murders of Bran and Rickon Stark. Ramsay took Winterfell from Theon on the orders of the Northern army, and Theon was supposed to be taken as a bargaining chip to rid the North of the Iron Islanders, but Ramsay had his own twisted ideas.

Ramsay tortured Theon because of his own sadist nature, loving to inflict pain and misery upon others simply because he could. Theon in particular was like a pet project to Ramsay, seeing just how far he could destroy him and turn him into his willing servant. However, Ramsay torturing Theon and turning him into Reek has some added context in the A Song of Ice and Fire books, where the first Reek was a man-at-arms from the Dreadfort, so-called because of his foul stench.

Reek and Ramsay became close, engaging in all manner of cruelties with the former just as sadistic as his master. This included the capture and killing of Lady Donella Hornwood, who had previously informed those at Winterfell of Reek and Ramsay's behavior. That led to them being hunted by Ser Rodrik Cassel and his men. Reek was eventually killed by Ser Rodrik, who believed him to be Ramsay Snow.

The real Ramsay, pretending to be Reek, was taken to Winterfell as a prisoner, and remained there when Theon himself arrived to take the castle. He even served Theon himself after this, becoming an increasingly trusted ally (the idea of faking Bran and Rickon's deaths comes from him), before eventually revealing his true self when his men from the Dreadfort arrive to sack the castle. It's also possible, then, that Ramsay torturing Theon was also motivated by having served him; that the memory of having to be in that position made him even more determined to switch their roles and use Theon as his own servant.

Theon Greyjoy Had Game Of Thrones' Best Redemption Arc

Ramsay Bolton Inadvertantly Made Theon Greyjoy One Of The Best Characters

he died at the Battle of Winterfell, giving his life to protect Bran Stark.

There were a few redemption arcs in Game of Thrones — Jaime Lannister's was another — but none were as satisfying as Theon's. A lot of that is due to Alfie Allen's performance, which combined with the storytelling, led audiences to fully invest in his development, rooting against and for him in equal measure. Theon being tortured by Ramsay certainly played its part in how viewers came to sympathize with him, but it was his actions after that, where he stood up and helped to save those he had wronged, that truly cemented him as one of Game of Thrones' great heroes in the end.

How The Theon Greyjoy Torture Differs In The Books

Theon Is Still Reek In George R.R. Martin's Novels

Theon Greyjoy's torture was very much a part of his character journey in George R.R. Martin's books, but it also differs in some key ways. The differences begin during Theon's capture of Winterfell in A Clash of Kings where he meets a lowly and filthy squire named Reek who served Ramsay Snow who was said to have been executed due to several crimes he committed in the North.

When Rodrick Cassel brings a force of Stark men to surround the castle, Reek persuades Theon to allow him to sneak out of Winterfell and return with reinforcements. Reek does return with an army that wipes out the Stark army only to reveal himself as Ramsay Snow and proceeds to slaughter Theon's men as well and burn Winterfell.

Theon then disappears from the story in the next two books. However, one of the POV characters in Martin's most recent book, A Dance of Dragons, is a character who calls himself Reek. Though the brutalized and traumatized character barely re his life before he was Reek, it becomes clear that this is Theon Greyjoy, transformed into Reek due to Ramsay's torture.

While it makes sense for the show to keep Theon as a regular part of the show, the is very effective given that readers hadn't heard from him for so long. In fact, seeing how much Theon has changed and imagining the torment he has endured is far more disturbing than actually seeing these moments on Game of Thrones.

Theon's Torture Established Ramsay As The Show's Top Villain

Game Of Thrones Never Topped Ramsay Bolton

Ramsay Bolton may have only been in Game of Thrones between season 3 and season 6, but thanks to the Theon Greyjoy torture scenes he is still ed by many as the best villain in the show. This is an impressive achievement, as the morally ambiguous HBO show had plenty of antagonists. Whether it was main villiains like the Night King, or scheming background plotters like Littlefinger, there was no shortage of hateworthy antagonists in GoT.

Joffrey Baratheon, for example, had one of the most cheer-worthy deaths in the series due to how incredibly unlikable he was. Theon's own uncle, Euron Greyjoy, was one of the most savage and brutal presences in the series. Then, of course, there was Cersei Lannister, who was more-or-less the main antagonist throughout most of the show. However, none left quite as much of a lasting impression as Ramsay Bolton.

Not only did actor Iwan Rheon deliver a career-defining performance when he brought the character to life, no villain in Game of Thrones was as outright sadistic and, possibly, psychotic as Ramsay. Characters like Littlefinger, Joffrey, Cersei, and even Euron all had their own motives and reasons for coming up against the various heroes of the show. Not Ramsay, though. Ramsay Bolton was an evil sadist simply because he enjoyed being an evil sadist, and that made him the most memorable villain Game of Thrones ever produced.

It wasn't only the Theon Greyjoy torture that cemented this reputation either. Setting his dogs on innocent servants, for example, is another key factor. While Ramsay did have some motivations, such as gaining the Bolton name despite being born a Snow, these didn't really factor into many of his most memorable moments.

Ramsay turned Theon into Reek simply because he could, and it wasn't just by inflicting physical pain but through emotional torment too. "The Battle of the Bastards" is also one of the most memorable Game of Thrones conflicts because of this too, as no other character in the series serves as such a clear antithesis to the ever-heroic Jon Snow.