The final season of Game of Thrones may have provided considerably happier endings for most of its leading characters, but A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin seems to have envisioned a darker fate for most of them. In a recent interview, the veteran novelist shed some light on his plans for characters like Tyrion Lannister and Sansa Stark in the books.
George R.R. Martin says he was originally ‘going to have Sansa die’
While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Martin disclosed that the ending he has in mind for his Song of Ice and Fire novels differs drastically from that of the Game of Thrones series. Additionally, he also plans to write the deaths of several pivotal characters, which once included Sansa Stark and might include Tyrion Lannister.
“[The book’s ending is] going to be significantly different. Some characters who are alive in my book are going to be dead in the show, and vice versa,” he remarked.
Talking about his plans for Tyrion and Sansa, Martin noted, “I was going to kill more people. Not the ones they killed [in the show]. They made it more of a happy ending. I don’t see a happy ending for Tyrion. His whole arc has been tragic from the first. I was going to have Sansa die, but she’s been so appealing in the show, maybe I’ll let her live.”
Nevertheless, the author isn’t completing the last two Song of Ice and Fire novels, namely The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring, anytime soon. “I have to write more Dunk and Egg. There’s supposed to be another Fire and Blood book, too. I do think if I can just get some of these other things off my back, I could finish The Winds of Winter pretty soon. It’s been made clear to me that Winds is the priority, but… I don’t know. Sometimes I’m not in the mood for that,” he exclaimed.
While Martin has yet to provide a tentative release date for his final two books, the writer does intend to finish them, as it “would feel like a total failure” to him if he doesn’t complete the story.
Originally reported by Apoorv Rastogi on SuperHeroHype.
