Ramsay Bolton

"If you think this has a happy ending you haven't been paying attention."

- Ramsay Snow to Theon Greyjoy

Ramsay Snow is a recurring character in the third season. He is portrayed by Iwan Rheon, and debuts in "Dark Wings, Dark Words".

Background
Ramsay Snow, better known as "The Bastard of Bolton", is Lord Roose Bolton's bastard son and only living child. He stayed behind at the Dreadfort when his father left for the south to fight in the War of the Five Kings.

Season 2
Ramsay besieges Winterfell in the name of King Robb Stark as ordered. He infuriates Theon Greyjoy - who currently held the castle in the name of the Iron Islands and his father - by having a soldier blow a horn all through the night. In the morning of the next day, when Theon rallies his men to defend the castle, he is betrayed and knocked out cold by his men, who take Robb Stark's offer of mercy for any ironborn in the castle except Theon, as expected. However, the castle is sacked by Ramsay afterwards and instead of letting the ironborn walk free he flays them alive.

Season 3
Following the Sack of Winterfell Ramsay commands a group of men who successfully capture Theon Greyjoy, and transport him to an undisclosed fortress, where he is relentlessly subjected to extreme torture. Embarking on a twisted campaign of psychological manipulation, Ramsay poses as an ironborn emissary of Theon's sister, Yara, and falsely claims to have been sent by her to liberate him.

Ramsay Snow sends a false report to Harrenhal, where the main force of the Northern army has established, of the sacking of Winterfell by the ironborn, of the disappearance of Bran and Rickon Stark, and the unknown whereabouts of Theon Greyjoy

Later that evening Ramsay returns, and releases Theon, provides him with a horse and tells him to ride east to Deepwood Motte, where his sister is waiting for him. Theon's captors, however, track him down and capture him again. As punishment, their leader attempts to rape Theon. Ramsay appears and swiftly dispatches the kidnappers with bow and arrow, deepening the bond of trust between them.

Afterward Ramsay promises Theon to take him to Deepwood Motte. Some time later the men reach a holdfast, Theon questions them having to sneak inside since Yara's men are loyal to her. Ramsay warns Theon that some of the men belong to his father Balon. As the mysterious boy struggles to open a locked gate Theon confesses his jealousy of Robb's status, the murder of the two boys he passed as Bran and Rickon and acknowledges that Eddard Stark was his true father. After opening the gate Theon and Ramsay enter a darkened room. The young man lights a torch and Theon, much to his horror, notices he's back in the torture chamber. Armed men enter and Ramsay claims that Theon killed their comrades and escaped but he has brought their captive back. Kicking and screaming, Theon is refastened to the rack, as Ramsay drops his facade, grins sadistically and tells the men to put Theon "back where he belongs". Ramsay awakens Theon with a horn to continue torturing him. He threatens to remove Theon's pinky finger if he cannot guess Ramsay's true identity and their current location. After several guesses, Ramsay tells Theon he is correct in guessing that Ramsay is the brother of Torrhen Karstark, and that they are in Karhold. However he then points out that Theon never asked if he was a liar. He admits that he was lying, and begins flaying Theon's finger.

Theon is freed from his constraints by two young women, Myranda and Violet. They give him water and clean his wounds. Theon is apprehensive about their aid, until they disrobe and begin pleasuring him. The three are soon interrupted by Ramsay, who enters the chamber wielding a knife. After taunting Theon about his sexual prowess, he orders his men to restrain Theon as he appears to remove Theon's genitals.

Ramsay admits that the rumors about Theon were true, and that he did have a "good-sized cock", before momentarily tricking Theon into believing that the pork sausage he is eating is his cock. Ramsay talks about amputees having phantom limbs and wonders if Theon will have a phantom cock, feeling an itch whenever he sees naked girls. When Theon begs to be killed, Ramsay states that he is no good to him dead. Ramsay decides to give Theon a new name, and beats him until he starts calling himself "Reek". Ramsay also sends a letter to Balon Greyjoy and a box containing Theon's cock. He threatens to flay every Ironborn in the North alive if they have not left by the full moon.

Quotes
"My mother taught me not to throw stones at cripples, but my father taught me aim for their head!"

- Ramsay Snow to Theon Greyjoy

Behind the scenes
The character that Iwan Rheon was going to be playing in Season 3 was only credited as "Boy" in order to be kept secret that the character was actually the mentioned character of Ramsay Snow which was not revealed to the audience until " Mhysa."

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Ramsay Snow is Roose Bolton's bastard son. He is an ugly man. Even splendorous garb cannot disguise this fact. He is big boned and slope shouldered, with a fleshiness to him that suggests that later in life he will turn to fat. Ramsay is a sadist; he is cruel, savage and wild, taking delight in torturing others. He is quite fond of the old Bolton custom of flaying their enemies alive.