Ramsay Snow
| House / Order | House Bolton |
|---|---|
| Race / Culture | First Men |
| Status | Alive |
| Origin | The North |
| Born | The North |
| Died | |
| Weapon | |
| Fate | Legitimized as a Bolton; holds Winterfell |
| Portrayed by |
Ramsay Snow, later legitimized as Ramsay Bolton, is the bastard son of Lord Roose Bolton of the Dreadfort and one of the most depraved and sadistic figures in A Song of Ice and Fire. His cruelty and the terror of his rule make him a defining villain of the war for the North.
A Cruel Bastard
Born a bastard and given the surname Snow, as is the custom for baseborn children of the North, Ramsay was raised in his father's shadow and grew into a vicious sadist who delights in hunting, torturing, and flaying his victims. He hunts women for sport with his hounds, whom he names after the girls he has killed, and his savagery exceeds even the dark old reputation of House Bolton.
The Breaking of Theon
Ramsay's most infamous act is the systematic breaking of Theon Greyjoy, whom he captures, tortures, mutilates, and reduces to a cringing, broken servant called "Reek," stripped of name and self. The transformation of the proud Theon into Reek is among the darkest threads of the series.
Lord of Winterfell
After his father Roose betrayed Robb Stark at the Red Wedding and was named Warden of the North by the Lannisters, Ramsay was legitimized as a Bolton. The Boltons seized Winterfell, and Ramsay was wed to a girl passed off as Arya Stark to strengthen their claim to the North. His brutality toward his bride and his enemies sows fear and hatred, and the Northern houses chafe bitterly under Bolton rule.