Ramsay Bolton's Original Game of Thrones Death Scene Was 'Too Gruesome' to Air

Ramsay Bolton faced a pretty disgusting end during season six of Game of Thrones. But it turns out that the villain's death scene was supposed to be even gorier than what audiences saw.

Bolton was fed to his own pack of hungry hounds after losing the Battle of the Bastards, which was a pretty horrific thing to witness (even if he did have it coming). But Image Engine Design, the visual effects company that has created some of Game of Thrones's most memorable scenes, wanted Ramsay's death to be even bloodier.

In 2016, Image Engine's then-VFX supervisor Mat Krentz told Variety that the company created a CG jaw for Bolton and animated the flesh ripping between his skin and gums. When they watched it back, they thought it was “too gruesome” to air—even for Game of Thrones (which is saying a lot).

“Some shots were really specific, like someone getting their head smashed directly against a wall,” said Edwin Holdsworth, who was then a senior compositor at Image Engine, which was responsible for most of the 72 deaths that took place in season six alone.

“To get the look right for that we filmed real meat being smashed,” Holdsworth explained. “We used the same technique for shots where one character has their hand pulled apart. The best way to match the level of gore needed was to pull some meat apart, and use that in the comp. It all felt more realistic that way."