Game Of Thrones Concept Art Reveals Very Different Look For The Night King

A new piece of Game of Thrones concept art has revealed a very different look for the villainous and mysterious Night King which is both impressive and frightful to behold.

The Art of Game of Thrones, set for release today, is a new book filled with illustrations that depict the development of visual aesthetics throughout the show’s 8-season run. Vanity Fair has published some pieces from the book, and one of them showcases the leader of the White Walkers in the early stages of conceptualization.

While the Night King didn’t receive a proper backstory to explain his motives, and some were let down by the ultimate resolution to his arc, the new concept art can help console fans who wanted to see more from his character. As seen below, the Night King used to appear more regal, somehow resembling the King of the Dead from The Lord of the Rings’ Dead Men of Dunharrow:

Prosthetics designer Barrie Gower had some things to say as well about the initial design which made the Night King look all the more creepy and ancient:

“He would be the leader of the White Walkers, the original White Walker, so we needed him to have a sense of power,” Gower said. “We talked about creating a crown that could be fused into his head, something organic, that felt very much a part of him. As the White Walkers have a very icy and cold palette, it made sense to explore sharp and angular forms, with a translucent quality to help sell the subzero temperature of his flesh.”

This sketch transforms the Night King into an even more menacing embodiment of evil, so it begs the question of how people will react to other different concept designs for the series.

The show’s last season was controversial, to say the least, and left many fans wanting more. Even David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the executive producers, admitted to making mistakes during development, which may have ultimately led to the underwhelming conclusion of storylines in the final season.

For better or for worse, Game of Thrones came to an end this year, but for fans who want more of Westeros in their lives, the new art book can serve as a decent substitute until some spinoffs, including The House of the Dragon, premiere on HBO.