Via EW.com:
It’s long been rumoured, but Gemma Whelan has finally been confirmed as Yara Greyjoy on the second season of HBO’s Game of Thrones. Who’s Yara Greyjoy, you ask? Theon’s sister, better known as Asha Greyjoy in the novels. Why?
Producers changed the character’s name from Asha to Yara presumably because the former sounds too much like another character in the show, Osha. (They did the same with young Lord Robert in the Eyrie in season 1, changing his name to Robin as not to confuse him with King Robert Baratheon).
Fair enough. Martin’s well known for re-using names or casting characters with very similar names. Interesting, however, that they changed Asha’s name (who’s an important viewpoint character in the series), instead of Osha (who’s importance is yet to be determined, despite being introduced before Asha). Visually, she looks the role.
I’m kind of annoyed by the name change if only because I am sick and tired of American network’s and companies thinking they need to “talk down” to North American viewers. It’s ridiculous. If some viewers can’t discern between the names Asha and Osha, ESPECIALLY when they are played by two different actresses….well then those viewers shouldn’t be allowed to watch TV and should be instead digging in the corner of a padded room with a stick. It’s boneheaded to change the name because they are similar.
It bugs me that they changed the name. When they called her ‘Yara’, I was stricken by how…un-Iron Islands that sounds. Yara sounds almost Dothraki in origin. There was no reason to change her name – it’s visibly obvious that the two characters are different, and I know of no situation in the books where the two are compared, or even meet up. And I’ve read all available so far.
For future reference, HBO, we’re not all idiots. This series is a score, I love it, HUGE success. But this was a dumb decision. Don’t mess with the names, please? You actually make things more confusing for people who HAVE read the books, rather than people who just watch the show. I found myself wondering if Theon has two sisters.
Thanks.