5 Hated Game of Thrones Twists That’ll Actually Make Sense in the Books

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The later seasons of Game of Thrones are famously divisive. Season 5 had an uneven adaptation of the books A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons, and then seasons 6 through 8 moved beyond the source material. Although George R.R. Martin gave the showrunners a general idea of how each character’s story should go, many plot twists in the final four seasons didn’t work well, likely because character development felt rushed or lacked proper foundation.

Even the most frustrating moments in the final season of Game of Thrones feel more logical when you consider the source material from the books. Things like Jon Snow coming back to life and Daenerys Targaryen’s descent into madness are likely to be handled with more nuance in the planned final books, The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring, if George R.R. Martin ever finishes them. These books have the potential to resolve some of the show’s most criticized plot points, free from the limitations of television production.

Stannis Burns Shireen

I have to admit, when I first saw Shireen’s fate on the show, it was shocking. But learning that George R.R. Martin himself intended for Stannis to make that terrible choice… well, it actually made a lot of sense to me. A lot of people think book-Stannis wouldn’t do it, but I think they’re missing the point of his whole journey. Sacrifice is central to who he is, and I fully believe he’ll ultimately make the same choice in the books, though the way it happens will be different. Honestly, I think the show stumbled a bit by not really hammering home how dangerous winter was supposed to be. That made the sacrifice feel less impactful. As we left things in A Dance with Dragons, Stannis was heading for a battle with the Boltons near Winterfell, and the weather was looking absolutely brutal – that’s where I think things will really come to a head.

The snowfall around Winterfell is incredibly heavy, making it almost impossible to see anything outside. Stannis is going to lose this battle and will become increasingly desperate. He’ll either retreat back to Castle Black, or after Jon Snow is killed, Selyse will flee with Shireen to meet him somewhere between the two locations, tragically reuniting the Baratheon family. Stannis will become so disheartened that he’ll sacrifice Shireen, but, like in the TV series, it won’t change his fate and he’ll soon die afterward. However, in The Winds of Winter, the story will clearly explain why Stannis feels he has no other option than to use blood magic to break through the snow.

Melisandre Revives Jon Snow

The book A Dance with Dragons strongly hints at Jon Snow’s death and eventual return. However, the way his revival happens in Season 6 of Game of Thrones feels illogical. It doesn’t make sense that Davos Seaworth would be so determined to bring Jon back to life, especially by requesting Melisandre to use blood magic. Davos doesn’t trust Melisandre’s abilities and wouldn’t even know if she could resurrect the dead.

The way Davos compels Melisandre to resurrect Jon Snow feels out of character for both of them. It seems like a forced plot point created solely to fulfill George R.R. Martin’s requirement that Jon Snow return. The book version is different: Jon will temporarily inhabit Ghost’s consciousness as a direwolf, and Melisandre will eventually bring him back to life after realizing Stannis has failed and isn’t the prophesied savior.

Jon Snow’s Parentage Amounts to Nothing

A major letdown in the final season of Game of Thrones was how little impact Jon Snow’s true parentage had on the story. While Jon seems troubled by learning Ned Stark wasn’t his father, the show doesn’t delve into his emotional response. Strangely, a crucial scene where he could have discussed this with Sansa and Arya was completely left out.

The books allow us to experience Jon Snow’s reaction to discovering Rhaegar and Lyanna are his true parents. Similar to the TV series, this revelation will likely create tension between Jon and Daenerys. However, the books’ focus on political maneuvering suggests this secret will have a much larger impact on the overall story. This is especially true if Tyrion remains caught in a power struggle involving schemes to place Jon on the Iron Throne – though it seems more likely that Varys will continue supporting Aegon Targaryen (Young Griff) instead.

Daenerys Burns Down King’s Landing

Many fans hope Daenerys won’t destroy King’s Landing in the books and that she’ll be different from typical Targaryens, but this seems unrealistic. For the destruction of King’s Landing to truly matter, it needs to be done by a character we understand, and the end of her storyline in A Dance with Dragons shows her deciding that power and ruthlessness are the most important things.

As a huge fan of Game of Thrones, I always felt Daenerys’ turn to madness in the later seasons felt rushed. The show just didn’t give us enough time to really understand why she made those choices. I’m much more optimistic about how George R.R. Martin will handle it in The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring. He’s so detailed, and we’ll likely get a deeper dive into her thoughts and feelings. Plus, I have a feeling the circumstances around any potential burning of King’s Landing will be far more complex in the books. It seems pretty clear to me that Cersei won’t be the one sitting on the Iron Throne at that point – my bet is on Aegon Targaryen being in power instead, which will definitely change things.

In A Dance with Dragons, Tyrion encounters Aegon Targaryen, the hidden son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell, while traveling to Meereen. By the book’s end, Aegon has already arrived in Westeros and is attacking Storm’s End. When Daenerys finally reaches Westeros in either Winds or Dream, she’ll find a Targaryen rival who arrived first, defeated the Lannisters, and won over the common people. This situation ultimately fuels Daenerys’s anger towards the people of Westeros, leading to her destructive burning of King’s Landing.

Bran Becomes King

It’s going to be challenging to make Bran’s role as king believable in the books. To address his limited development since A Clash of Kings, he’ll likely need significantly more chapters in both The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring. These chapters will also need to connect him to the broader political conflicts of the story, something the Game of Thrones TV show didn’t fully explore.

Despite the surprising TV ending, there’s evidence in the books suggesting Bran might become king. He was the first major character we met, and A Clash of Kings dedicated a lot of time to showing him how to govern. But even if that doesn’t happen, anything is better than the scenario presented in the books where Tyrion asks his advisors who has a more compelling story than Bran the Broken – because, frankly, everyone does.

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2026-02-21 04:11