Sky Atlantic’s White Walker and a word from Stephen Dillane

1872 (1)

To celebrate the return of Game of Thrones to our screens on the 25th of April, Sky Atlantic has created a snowy tribute with its very own White Walker, snow artist Simon Beck.

Simon Beck has created the world’s largest snow tribute to Game of Thrones, a direwolf sigil the size of two and a half football pitches, using only his footsteps and a compass to guide him.

Beck chose the Stark symbol as a tribute to the late Jon Snow.  His artwork, set into the alpine snow, covers an incredible 32.5 kilometres or 64,800 steps.

Season Six of Game of Thrones will broadcast at 2am on Sky Atlantic, at the same time as it airs in the US, before being repeated at 9pm the same day.  For more information, including how you can catch up before the new season starts, check out the Sky Atlantic site.


75102090

In a new interview with Swiss magazine 24 Heures, Stephen Dillane confirms that Stannis has well and truly bitten the dust,  insisting his character is not about to be resurrected.  He also confesses he is not interested in reading internet rumours to the contrary.

script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js">

The interview mostly focuses on the second series of Anglo/French production The Tunnel, in which Dillane stars alongside Clémence Poésy, and can be read here.

 

140 Comments

  1. Mormont:
    Damn that boy is dedicated it takes me a week to do that many steps

    I’ll say, I hope Sky Atlantic paid him well. But wow, nice work.

  2. I am completely in awe of people who have the spatial sense to accomplish something like this.

  3. The Stark’s sigil as a tribute to Game of Thrones. Hell yeah, it’s all about them, screw the other Houses. Targaryen dynasty is done and dusted, Starks will rise again to avenge their own and claim what’s theirs.

    I applaud this man, what a great display of dedication.

  4. smitzzz:
    Now he can walk over to the US and hold somebody hostage until we get a trailer….

    Next week is mid March. It is getting pretty late for a first trailer.

  5. For All I Know,

    amazing, Winter IS Coming, nice tribute to JS, who btw, won’t be returning in S6 in any meaningful way other than in a funeral pyre. All “sightings” have been staged and were all clustered in one point in time when they were filming his funeral. Dead is dead for poor JS. Fantastic Marking by HBO, wonder if anyone remembers ‘Who Shot JR’ and the off season hype for Dallas, think about it my friends, think……

    Next hero(s) will be his half brother and/or sister(s), S6 cliffhanger will be Sansa’s death and we will have to bear another off season with lame sightings and speculation and wonder if she will rise from the dead, like Lady Stoneheart, Stannis, The Hound, JS, Ned etc etc ….. in the tv series

  6. Doesn’t matter,the annoying Stannis fanboys will still claim he’s alive until the last episode of season 6 probably even further,just like LSH .

  7. How they treated Stannis was a crime. They could as well killed him off at the Blackwater bay. At least Blackwater had significant consequences for the rest of the story. I don’t think this Battle of Ice has that. Apart from Davos and Melisandre escaping, but they could’ve done that after Blackwater.

    I just can’t watch Stannis post season 2 anymore because I know that it ends with one big wimper.

    If you deviate from the books, D&D, at least do it right!

  8. Tyrion the Myrions,

    Out of curiosity, when the character of Stannis is brought up, which is worse? The “annoying Stannis fanboys” or the subsequent stream of posts complaining about the “annoying Stannis fanboys”?

  9. I wonder if we get to see Stannis’ body/his cut-off head to confirm the demise once and for all. Surely they won’t just leave it at that cut to black?

  10. lp,

    I just dislike fanboys in general . And calm your tits down,this is the only post that i made about Stannis that i remember,you’re talking as if i that’s the only thing on my head,the article said something about Dillane confirming what everyone with a head knew and i just added that this won’t stop the Stannis hopefuls of speculating his return .

  11. lp:
    Tyrion the Myrions,

    Out of curiosity, when the character of Stannis is brought up, which is worse? The “annoying Stannis fanboys” or the subsequent stream of posts complaining about the “annoying Stannis fanboys”?

    Both are equally annoying.

  12. Stannis being alive would make his last scenes of 5th season pretty silly, “do your duty” is the perfect way for him to go.

    That said, actor saying something makes no difference unless we are to believe Jon Snow isn’t coming back.

  13. TFT,

    And look at him,here they come . You forgot to add that Stannis is the main character and he will live until the end of the series defeating the white walkers,that’s what you delusional folks believe right ?

  14. Tyrion the Myrions,

    Exactly. Stannis’ worship has gone too far and his importance in the books has been way overblown by his followers (he’d mattered even less in the show despite their protestations). He’s as much a secondary character as the likes of Margaery. He’s not an endgame character.

  15. “Beck chose the Stark symbol as a tribute to the late Jon Snow.”

    enough.gif

  16. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Stephen Dillane, you gorgeous man. No one else could have pulled off Stannis’ Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day as effectively.

  17. I can totally hear Stannis saying in his stern voice “I am not interested in reading rumours to the contrary.” 🙂

  18. Oh Stannis had been set up from the beginning to have a truly meaningless and pathetic death. GRRM is the great breaker of tropes, or is alleged to be. The easiest trope to break is the brilliant military commander dying in a great battle. That was never to be Stannis’ fate.

    The only thing surprising to me about Stannis’ death was that it wasn’t the result of slipping on a leech and falling down the stairs. Instead they used it to further Brienne’s story, which I think was a brilliant choice.

  19. I will believe it it when i see it. If Stannis really died that way with brienne cutting his head, its probably the dumbest stupidest way of killing the true king of westeros and one of the greatest military leaders in westeros. At least kill him in battle….

    The show truly ruined this character. One way for him to go out would have been to join the nights watch and coordinate the war against the WW. He would have legitimized Gendry(the only true heir if legitimized) and stepped down and replaced Jon at the wall. Who better then Stannis Baratheon protecting westeros from the WW. Gendry would have sailed for storms end with what is left of the baratheon army to start a campaign in the south, and Jon in the North. Stannis would eventually die at the wall, and house baratheon lives on.

    But of course, DD are danny fanboys…the queen of nothing…the most boring character in the show who in 5 season is still in essos and still trying to figure a way out. A waste of time….they should have killed her and kept Viseris alive so at least House Targaryen had a chance to survive and continue its existence.

  20. phantomstrife:
    The Stark’s sigil as a tribute to Game of Thrones. Hell yeah, it’s all about them, screw the other Houses. Targaryen dynasty is done and dusted, Starks will rise again to avenge their own and claim what’s theirs.

    I applaud this man, what a great display ofdedication.

    I agree!

    Dillane is amazing (Season 5 was amazing for Stannis… Jon & Stannis scenes, OMG!!)
    Stannis scenes

    </blockquote

  21. phantomstrife:
    Tyrion the Myrions,

    Exactly. Stannis’ worship has gone too far and his importance in the books has been way overblown by his followers (he’d mattered even less in the show despite their protestations). He’s as much a secondary character as the likes of Margaery. He’s not an endgame character.

    Too far? He’s in almost all Davos POV… And when Davos is elsewhere, GRRM makes the point of using an other POV to follow his story (Asha)
    He’s as principal character as the others; the show’s view tends to make you believe there are main characters in got, but it has never been the point.

    For the series it was pretty clear he was dead (better to end him than continue this black-wash trash) but as for the book he’s still alive. GRRM mentionned a major twist that won’t happen in the series.. Might be about Mance or Stannis.

  22. Stark Loyalist:
    I will believe it it when i see it. If Stannis really died that way with brienne cutting his head, its probably the dumbest stupidest way of killing the true king of westeros and one of the greatest military leaders in westeros. At least kill him in battle….

    The show truly ruined this character. One way for him to go out would have been to join the nights watch and coordinate the war against the WW. He would have legitimized Gendry(the only true heir if legitimized) and stepped down and replaced Jon at the wall. Who better then Stannis Baratheon protecting westeros from the WW. Gendry would have sailed for storms end with what is left of the baratheon armyto start a campaign in the south, and Jon in the North.Stannis would eventually die at the wall, and house baratheon lives on.

    But of course, DD are danny fanboys…the queen of nothing…the most boring character in the show who in 5 season is still in essos and still trying to figure a way out. A waste of time….they should have killed her and kept Viseris alive so at least House Targaryen had a chance to survive and continue its existence.

    Dany is alive in the books and still in Essos too…

  23. Sullied by Knight:
    HotPinkLipstick,

    …and we really don’t know how Stannis will eventually meet his end, so slipping on a leech is still on the table!

    I would have paid money, well, more than I already pay to HBO, to see that. Or …stay with me here, or….what if Robyn Arryn killed him? That would be even more fitting than a leech slip. The brilliant commander killed by the milksop boy. Now that’s probably what GRRM wrote.

  24. HotPinkLipstick:
    Oh Stannis had been set up from the beginning to have a truly meaningless and pathetic death. GRRM is the great breaker of tropes, or is alleged to be. The easiest trope to break is the brilliant military commander dying in a great battle. That was never to be Stannis’ fate.

    The only thing surprising to me about Stannis’ death was that it wasn’t the result of slipping on a leech and falling down the stairs. Instead they used it to further Brienne’s story, which I think was a brilliant choice.

    I was going to offer my two cents on the subject but you said exactly what I intended. So I can only say: I agree completely! Those who say that Stannis and Barristan were dishonored by not having them die in a great battle kinda miss the point of GRRM’s writings, don’t they? Though it’s not like D&D completely broke away from the trope; one of them died after a great battle, and the other singlehandedly killed a dozen guys at least before going down.

  25. Luka Nieto,

    Stannis did die in a battle. He was already dying when Brienne found him. She just finished him of.

    Also his final words where perfect. It perfectly summed up Stannis’s entire character.

  26. Benjen,

    Maybe because he was trying to still be king, who is going to care who was king if everyone is at risk to being killed by the white walkers, that’s what Jon Snow cared about. One true king my foot, he was a great soldier, but does that mean Stannis was going to be a great king?

  27. I never thought (or wished) that Stannis had survived Mother’s Mercy. Specially after HBO released the Beautiful Death and the official guide confirmed it.

  28. Stark Loyalist,

    Viserys should have only been kept alive cause of him continuing the Targaryen line, nothing else, he wasn’t jack s***. A knob of a person who didn’t care about anyone but himself, while ther is need to harshness, he didn’t know where to draw the line. I’m a little meh on Daenerys but at least she cares about people, she doesn’t know which way to go in terms of dishing out justice all the while trying to be fair to everyone, which her advisors want her to be, and you really can’t please people who are slave masters and slaves who don’t know how to stand for themselves.

  29. Stark Loyalist:
    I will believe it it when i see it. If Stannis really died that way with brienne cutting his head, its probably the dumbest stupidest way of killing the true king of westeros and one of the greatest military leaders in westeros. At least kill him in battle….

    The show truly ruined this character. One way for him to go out would have been to join the nights watch and coordinate the war against the WW. He would have legitimized Gendry(the only true heir if legitimized) and stepped down and replaced Jon at the wall. Who better then Stannis Baratheon protecting westeros from the WW. Gendry would have sailed for storms end with what is left of the baratheon armyto start a campaign in the south, and Jon in the North.Stannis would eventually die at the wall, and house baratheon lives on.

    You know, I really wanted Robb Stark to save Ned Stark(one of the most honorable men and the greatest military commanders), and join up with Jon at the wall for the Real War. Compared to losing their heads in the most unfashionable ways.

    Then I realized that this is GoT and we don’t get what we want.

  30. HotPinkLipstick:
    Oh Stannis had been set up from the beginning to have a truly meaningless and pathetic death. GRRM is the great breaker of tropes, or is alleged to be. The easiest trope to break is the brilliant military commander dying in a great battle. That was never to be Stannis’ fate.

    The only thing surprising to me about Stannis’ death was that it wasn’t the result of slipping on a leech and falling down the stairs. Instead they used it to further Brienne’s story, which I think was a brilliant choice.

    Luka Nieto,

    Luka Nieto: I was going to offer my two cents on the subject but you said exactly what I intended. So I can only say: I agree completely! Those who say that Stannis and Barristan were dishonored by not having them die in a great battle kinda miss the point of GRRM’s writings, don’t they?

    I fear people use GRRM’s name whenever they want. But it’s not GRRM’s style. To quote the man: ” It’s easy to do things that are shocking or unexpected, but they have to grow out of characters. They have to grow out of situations. Otherwise, it’s just being shocking for being shocking. ”

    It’s totally DD’s style to do meaningless deaths though.

  31. Hoderes,

    I actoully had a disscussion with one of my friends on this subject.

    I liked the way he put it. Stannis was far too black/white to be a good king.
    For example: Let’s say a thief stole some apples and was brought before Stannis what would he do? Cut the thiefs hand or send him to the Wall. That’s the law.

    But what if the thief had too steal too feed his family? What if his family would suffer now that he has no hand or how would they survive if he was sent to the Wall?
    Stannis wouldn’t think about it. Not because he doesn’t care but because he is simply not able too think beyond his black/white perception of justice.

    While Robert, may have been a drunkard he would have been able too compromise, he had a heart, and that is reflected in the peace that lasted all troughout his rule.
    Same with Ned and Tyrion. They both tried to do what is just, but they both had a heart and understood there is more too this world then black and white.

    Stannis would simply not be able to do so. Varys put it best:”There is nothing as terrible as a truly just man”

    A king has too look past written laws and many times compromise.
    Even him cutting Davos’s fingers say’s a lot. He was lucky that it was Davos any other person would have been furious that the reward for saving someones life if getting your fingers choped off.

    Stannis could have ruled, but he would find that his ”justice” wouldn’t bring him friends like it did with Davos but rather a very large numbers of enemies.

  32. I didn’t like the way Stannis’ death was rushed in the show, and I don’t believe he will be the one to burn Shireen in the books, but I also don’t think he will make it out of TWOW alive. There are many people who think he will live throughout the books, or at least till the final book, and be one of the leaders against the WW. I just don’t see it. Even before season 5 I believed he was doomed in TWOW. I love the character, but there’s not much room for him once

    Jon is resurrected and turns his focus to uniting the North and perhaps all of Westeros for the battle against the Others. People will say that is what Stannis is doing, and that it is his role, but Stannis is in no way equal to Jon in importance, and it’s pretty damn clear that Mel sees Jon instead of Stannis in her flames now. Jon isn’t going to be Stannis’ sidekick or sit at the Wall while Stannis is off uniting the kingdom.
  33. TFT,

    Stannis received the death of his own making. His death and way of death derived as a consequence of his actions. He was always too obstinate, too rigid in thinking, too caught up in believing himself the “rightful” king and a prophesied hero. He murdered family members for “duty”, he went forward with his untimely attack on the Boltons for “duty” and so what was left of his army got slaughtered. He murdered his younger brother Renly and so he died by the hand of the one who had vowed revenge for that death. And I thought Dillane did a fabulous job with the character, he acted Stannis out just as I had read him in the books.

  34. Danny,

    Totally forgot about Renly.
    Even if his rabid ”fans” don’t want too admit, this guy is a kinslayer, and as was said many times in the books, kinslayers are doomed.

  35. Mihnea,

    When you declare yourself king when it should be your older brother by law, you kind of asked for it.
    Also if Kinslayers are doomed, that means Tyrion and Daenerys won’t survive winter (which is unlikely)

  36. Euron,

    Ah here come the people who try to justify Stannis killing Renly.
    Not suprised at all, I fully expected this.

    I’m not going to enter a debate with you here, I do not have the patiance and will for it, so let’s simply agree we disagree.
    And agree that different people have different ways to interpret characters and stories and that ours differ.

  37. Stark Loyalist,

    Ugh what? Don’t know where the feminist remark came from….anyway that isn’t really a insult and some people here, well more like one women, would very much disagree with you and call me sexist and that I like rape….

    Also I’m a guy.

  38. Euron:
    Mihnea,

    When you declare yourself king when it should be your older brother by law, you kind of asked for it.
    Also if Kinslayers are doomed, that means Tyrion and Daenerys won’t survive winter (which is unlikely)

    By law, it was his nephew. And by extension, the mother of madness. Rely feared for his life and since Ned won’t help him take control of Joffrey, he had to make a different plan.

  39. Still find the Stannis death odd. I mean I think he’s dead and all and will die in the books ( who won’t?!). I’ve even come to terms with him dying at the hands of the god-awful show version of Brienne because she had a crush on Renly because he called her pretty ( is this the same women who told Jaime to stop complaining after he’d just had his hand cut off?!). The one thing I still don’t get is the cut away so you don’t see him die. Only thing I can think of is they were trying to leave a bit of mystery in case GRRM got TWoW out before the next season so Stannis wasn’t fully dead beforehand. Hope his end in the books is a little better done as thought the show one was a little corny.

  40. Mihnea,

    He’s just mad that the show killed off Stannis. The book will probably kill him off, too, though in a slightly different way, I suppose.

    I expect to hear a bunch of whining in the future as season 6 airs. D&D have been given the basis of the entire plot and ending by the author. Granted, things may happen a bit differently, but the overall outcome will be the same. Frankly, I like the show better. In several places in the books, I skim chapters, because they’re so tedious with unneeded words. I stopped reading half way through book 5. Its been a couple of years since I’ve last read it, but honestly, I can’t get hyped to read the rest of it.

  41. Pounce:
    Jack Bauer 24,

    Season 3 trailer came out 5 weeks before the premiere.We’re 7 weeks away. There’s plenty of time.

    True. I wish they hadn’t regressed to Season 3’s marketing though and kept in line with Seasons 4 and 5. So 5 weeks from the premiere will be not next week, but the week after. I could see a trailer dropping then considering the Season 5 Blu ray/DVD launches next week.

  42. Mihnea,
    Well, it’s called legitimate defense. When someone’s attacking your rights, you fight back.
    If Renly would have win -which was most likely to happen seeing each others armies- he would have either get his brother killed or jailed him.
    I’m not saying it’s a cool deed of Stannis. But it was the thing he had to do (talking about show stannis of course, since in book it’s more ambiguous)

    If Renly cared for another thing than his ambition, he would have stayed with Eddard. Once he knew he would not back him, he left.

  43. Hawk,

    Same here. The books simply don’t interest me anymore.
    Martin simply lost what made me love books 1-3 and what brought me into fantasy too start with.

  44. Euron,

    Doesn’t matter if he had no choice he’s still a kinslayer.
    Same as Ranly would have been one if he killed Stannis.

    I’m out. I hate this subject and I don’t wan’t too disscuss it further.

    Also:

    Mihnea:

    so let’s simply agree we disagree.
    And agree that different people have different ways to interpret characters and stories and that ours differ.

  45. Icewalker: By law, it was his nephew. And by extension, the mother of madness. Rely feared for his life and since Ned won’t help him take control of Joffrey, he had to make a different plan.

    No. Joffrey isn’t son of Robert (and you know it); it has been proven by Eddard Stark, by Stannis, by Jon Arryn. By law it’s the elder brother who inherits.

  46. Mihnea,

    I watched the show before reading the books. At first, I loved how the books provided extra insight into the minds of the characters, but right around book 3 in certain parts, and in a lot of book 5, I’d have several areas where I would skim the pages and think, “eh, the show’s explanation was good enough.”

  47. Mihnea,

    He’s as much a Kinslayer as Daenerys and Tyrion who are terrible persons if we don’t care about the reasons of the deed.

  48. Also what I find hilarious is that Stannis’s ”fans” are just as stubborn and black/white as Stannis himself.

    Euron,

    Too qoute on of my favourite youtuber: ”Bigger army diplomacy”

    I’m out! See you all in the EP3 thread later!

  49. What Stannis was is a secondary, near tertiary, character. A character with no POV of his own. His usefulness to the plot had run its course. So he was killed off.

    The end.

  50. Euron,

    I don’t know about the show, but in the books Renly definetly knew of Cersei’s incest. He and Loras were conspiring to marry Robert to Margaery, and there’s no way Mace Tyrell would relegate his daughter to “Mother of Third-Borns”.

  51. Euron,

    How is Dany a kinslayer? Viserys was killed by Drogo and Viserys’ own stupidity bringing a weapon into Vaes Dothrak. Rhaego? Miscarriages possibly influenced by someone else using black magic don’t count. Her own mother? Dying in childbirth is not murder. Putting Drogo out of his misery? Doesn’t count as kin.

  52. Mihnea,

    If I was stubborn I wouldn’t take the time to talk here kindly. It’s easy to say your arguments and let no right to answer to the people you’re talking to.

    Stannis had no POV. Aye, well, Robb didn’t too. Stannis never has been unuseful to the plot (saving the Wall, giving Jon wildings, the northern conspiracy, having Melisandre north, etc..) and it’s my personnal opinion here, but I see more reason for not seeing his thoughts than simply because he’s a “secondary character”; not giving him a POV let the mystery about the “color” of his character; a few get/understand him in the lore, and not giving him a POV represents him well.

  53. Euron: No. Joffrey isn’t son of Robert (and you know it); it has been proven by Eddard Stark, by Stannis, by Jon Arryn. By law it’s the elder brother who inherits.

    I know it. You know it. All the book readers and show watchers know it. We are talking about Renly and the rest of Westeros. Stannis went into hiding didn’t utter a word until after Renly and Robb were crowned Kings.

  54. Tywin of the Hill:
    Euron,

    I don’t know about the show, but in the books Renly definetly knew of Cersei’s incest.

    Hmm.. No. Everyone in Renly’s camp including him believed that the claim was a lie and self-serving.

  55. Tywin of the Hill:
    Euron,

    I don’t know about the show, but in the books Renly definetly knew of Cersei’s incest. He and Loras were conspiring to marry Robert to Margaery, and there’s no way Mace Tyrell would relegate his daughter to “Mother of Third-Borns”.

    Aye, well seen. I’ve never see it from this perspective.

    Exit81:
    Euron,

    How is Dany a kinslayer? Viserys was killed by Drogo and Viserys’ own stupidity bringing a weapon into Vaes Dothrak. Rhaego? Miscarriages possibly influenced by someone else using black magic don’t count. Her own mother? Dying in childbirth is not murder. Putting Drogo out of his misery? Doesn’t count as kin.

    Dude, she could have stopped the death of her brother if she wanted.
    We could do the other way around if we’re looking from your POV:
    It’s Melisandre who killed Renly, not Stannis.

  56. Euron,

    Yes, Tyrion is a Kinslayer, Dany isn’t. Drogo killed her brother, not her. Maybe she could have stopped him from doing so, but whatever the case she didn’t do the slaying.

  57. Euron,

    With Stannis’ knowledge and permission and his own shadow-baby with his face to do it. Stannis is guilty of kinslaying, the books and the show make that clear. Dany is not.

  58. Exit81,
    Books do not make it clear at all; you can believe one thing or the other, but it’s intended to be ambiguous.
    Series on the contrary do it. Still, what you say concerns alsos “Dany”; she knew what was coming and allowed her husband to kill her brother. It’s exactly the same base.
    Either you see both of them authors of kinslaying, either you don’t. But you can’t pick one and leave the other, it’s not honest.

    HotPinkLipstick:
    Euron is DAVOS!

    #CONFIRMED!!!

    #LOSEHYPE

    I’m Benjen. It is known.

  59. Robert was only the first of what could have become a dynasty – yet didn’t. How did any one of his brothers have a better claim than the other if you consider ruling a matter of descent?

    In an established dynasty rulers push their claim on the basis of descent from a former ruler – neither Stannis nor Renly descended from Robert (had their father been the one to end the Targaryen rule, it would’ve been a different story).

    Since Robert had no trueborn heirs, anything was fair game, meaning both Stannis and Renly had equal right to the throne – equal to any other contender – by right of conquest.

    Stannis killed his brother. Even if you managed to somehow frame it as treason, he still. killed. his. own. brother. You’re free to like him regardless, just don’t pretend it was perfectly justified or law.

  60. Matthew The Dragon Knight:
    Jack Bauer 24,

    The week after next is the apple event I think.
    That’s when they released the second trailer for season 5.

    They were promoting the release of HBO NOW, which was a timed exclusive for Apple. There really would be no point in debuting the trailer with Apple this time around.

  61. Kosten,
    Sorry but no, you’re biased on how medieval (and got) law works. If a King dies, someone must take it. Otherwise, there would be a hole, leading all men to kill themselves to get the throne. So laws take the thing and give it to the brother if lacking of a son. When Robert took the throne and saw Stannis wasn’t succesful to arrest Rhaella and his son, he gave him Dragonstone instead of Storm’s End saying he was the siege of the heir of the throne (even if an excuse to piss him)
    So definitely he should inherit in absence of an heir.

    Right of conquest isn’t legitimate as long as the rebells didn’t win.

    Also Stannis has Targaryen blood; through his grandmother and the fact his lineage comes from dat brother bastard of Aegon.

  62. Kosten,
    I don’t think it works that way. In the books, everyone and their mother consider Stannis to be Robert’s heir after Joffrey and Tommen, just like they consider Bran to be Robb’s heir, and then Rickon, and then Sansa, and finally, Arya.

    Euron:
    I’m Benjen. It is known.

    Liar. You’re Daario.

  63. Euron: “Dany”; she knew what was coming and allowed her husband to kill her brother

    Come on now… I’m not saying Dany didn’t approved of what Drogo was proposing with his look, I think it’s save to say that he wanted Viserys to die at this point, but she didn’t allow it to happen, she was simple in know position to do so.
    Let’s forget for a minute that her brother had just threatened the life of the unborn child of the greates Khal in the world, he did it in Vaes Dothrak were it is forbidden to even carry a blade. Under penalty of death that is. Viserys was pretty much done for at this point. Maybe Dany could have saved his life somehow, but that really is a big if (as in we can be 100% sure that she couldn’t have). Drogo was willing to bend the roles for Dany here and there, but sparing Viserys would have done some serious damage to his reputation. He would have been the Khal, who is so much under the control of his Khaleesi, not only did he let her brother threaten his unborn child he also let Viserys do it with a blade in the holy city of all the Dothraki. That’s a flat out sacrilege.

  64. Hey, someone was going to put me in the Hall of Faces, but I’m far too chickeny to send off a photograph. Everyone would know then that I’m Peter Dinklage’s drag persona.

    And no one quite loves Stannis the way you seem to Euronipopples. Only Davos drops to his knees faster for the guy who is absolutely not the one true king.

  65. HotPinkLipstick: I’m Peter Dinklage’s drag persona.

    In that case, I’ve seen you in person! In 2012, Peter Dinklage appeared in apron and mobcap as the maidservant Toinette in a production of Moliere’s The Imaginary Invalid directed by his wife, Erica Schmidt, at Bard College in upstate New York. He was very funny.

  66. Firannion: In that case, I’ve seen you in person!In 2012, Peter Dinklage appeared in apron and mobcap as the maidservant Toinette in a production of Moliere’s The Imaginary Invalid directed by his wife, Erica Schmidt, at Bard College in upstate New York.He was very funny.

    I’ve evolved and improved since then. I’m like RPDR level good rather than college play level good. Shashay shante.

    *runs fingers through totally awesome wig*

  67. Tyrion the Myrions: TFT

    Or you can just shut your dumb mouth or maybe try to actually read before making the most prejudiced comment I’ve ever seen? Where did I say I’m a Stannis fanboy? A good storyline activates a butterfly/domino effect after it ends. I just can’t see how this one will influence other storylines. My main problem is not how Stannis died, it’s that almost all of his storyline of seasons 3-5 were a waste of time.

  68. Thought Dillane was utterly superb as Stannis. Grim, determined, and would break before he bends.

    Also, this happened in the interview. Well, at least it should have..

    Interviewer: ‘So, internet rumours about Stannis’ survival…could you not care less?’

    Dillane: ‘FEWER’

    Interviewer: ‘…w..w..what?’

    Dillane (shakes head, knowingly)

  69. I concur with Tyrion Pimpslap that Stannis’s demise was a bit rushed. Perhaps if they’d taken a little more time to show us just how desperate his situation was that he would seriously consider sacrificing his own daughter, that there had been more to Ramsay’s raid than setting some stuff on fire and disappearing (I would’ve liked to see a brief clash between Stannis and Ramsay and thought that’s actually what would happen), and correct a few annoying plot holes like Melisandre having a horse when they were all supposed to have been taken… then perhaps it would’ve gone over a little better with some people.

    Anyway, it’s done now. Stannis is no more. He has ceased to be. He’s expired and gone to meet R’hllor. He’s a stiff. Bereft of life, he rests in pieces. He is an ex-Stannis.

    Probably dead in the books as well. I believe the Pink Letter to be authentic after the events of the show.

  70. I wonder what the Stannis lovers will say when (another instance of, yes, of course it’s really an if, but I think it’s more a matter of when) Stannis’ world ends not with a bang, but a whimper in the books.

    That’s not to say I think it was all handled perfectly on the show. I also seriously doubt Brienne will be the one to swing the sword. However, I really don’t see Stannis going out in some blaze of glory.

  71. You know, most Stannis “lovers” know he seems doomed (he got visions of him dying/burning, still doing his work anyway); it doesn’t mean one can’t like the character even if he has little chance of success.
    The “rage” against the series was the fact that he, with the Sand Snakes, were (very) poorly handled, not the fact that he died.

  72. lp:
    Tyrion the Myrions,

    Out of curiosity, when the character of Stannis is brought up, which is worse? The “annoying Stannis fanboys” or the subsequent stream of posts complaining about the “annoying Stannis fanboys”?

    Yes.

  73. Are Stannis fanboys a thing? Can I hire a posse of them to follow me around and correct my colleagues’ grammar? Can I rent them out as Immodium substitutes?

    I don’t suppose they peel grapes and wear loincloths though?

  74. Euron: You know, most Stannis “lovers” know he seems doomed (he got visions of him dying/burning, still doing his work anyway); it doesn’t mean one can’t like the character even if he has little chance of success.

    If you could kindly point to where I implied anything of the sort, I’d appreciate it.

    I disagree with your assessment of why some of the Stannis lovers were so upset. Some were absolutely upset he died, at all. I also remember reading at least a few insisting he wouldn’t lose that particular battle. Moreover, some were certainly distraught he did not die, as I already said, in some blaze of glory. I acknowledged it’s quite unlikely Brienne will be the one to kill him in the books, so for those who were upset particularly about that, I can understand that. That doesn’t change the fact those who were disappointed he did not die some glorious death could also be quite disappointed with the death GRRM writes for him, since he may not have Stannis go out in some “Mannis” fashion, either.

  75. Dillane was perfect as stannis but he is dead so watch the tunnel because series 1 was excellent.

  76. I answered your question of how would they react; they won’t be that much surprised.
    Stannis’s arc is full of plot holes, burning kiddos and plot armor in S5. It’s the main issue.

    For the fight one can’t know the issue in the book yet; seeing how different both format are it won’t surprise me the issue fluctuate. For instance: the northern conspiracy will be featured with Jon in S6 while in books it already happened with Stannis. So it could be like DD did it à la Jorah/Connigton: switching an arc of a character to another one to staying a little true to the first material.

    Most complained not because he died but how ridiculous it was: no scout sent, no formation made by one of the most known commander..

    Also book Stannis doesn’t lead his men as in series; so for the glorious death, I don’t know why book readers would expect it.

  77. Euron,

    He’s a B+ character,either live with it or cry some more because it’s very entertaining . Judging by this thread i think we can see who is more loud and annoying,definitely the Stannis fanboys,the 2,3 of them .

  78. I’m not crying. GRRM created several POV, several characters. He never meant to do main protagonists as in the series, which lead to have some with the emphasis on Jon and Daenerys.
    But even if GRRM intended to do him a B+ character then I don’t care, it won’t change my like for the character.
    Why so hateful mate?

  79. Euron,

    Ok, it seems rather pointless to continue this (which I should have known by virtue of you arguing if Stannis is a kinslayer, so is Dany), so I’m just going to go ahead and step away from it.

  80. Euron,

    Don’t argue with trolls. They’ll drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.

  81. Nymeria Warrior Queen:
    Euron,

    Ok, it seems rather pointless to continue this (which I should have known by virtue of you arguing if Stannis is a kinslayer, so is Dany), so I’m just going to go ahead and step away from it.

    Whenever you have no argument or one doesn’t agree with you, the discussion becomes pointless? Alright.
    Nice cliché btw. I don’t get all the hate I get from here, but nevermind.

  82. TFT,

    Ahh,did someone’s feelings get hurt ? Don’t worry,i’m sure his storyline in TWOW will prove his storyline was so useful when he dies in the first chapter .

  83. Euron,

    It’s not that he has no argument,the problem is that he is talking to a fucking brick,which is you and that is not worth anyone’s time .

  84. Euron,

    I find it pointless to debate with someone who will not even consider anything which goes against their view. As for any so-called hate, in the event you were referring to me, if you want to categorize someone who tries to debate rather politely with you, then chooses to step away instead of going around in circles, which, yes, I consider pointless, well, that’s your prerogative, as well.

  85. Stannis was never gonna make it to the end. Hell, there’s a good chance none of the major characters will make it to the end.

    One thing we’ve all been doing, is kinda losing sight of just what Stark/Baratheon victory in the North really means in the end. In truth, I expect most of the North will get completely decimated by the Others in a matter of weeks after the Wall finally comes down, as the Northerners will in all likelihood fail to repel the Night’s King and be forced to flee south (but not before donating thousands of new corpses to his army), meaning the impending victory against the Boltons will be short-lived.

    The bloodshed from the attempts to retake Winterfell will also have devastating long term consequences, as a lot of the dead soldiers from the Baratheon, Bolton, and other Northern forces will probably be raised as wights to further bolster the Night’s King’s army.

    So as nice as it’ll be to see the Boltons finally bite the dust, by Stannis’s hand (unlikely) or not, it sadly will probably not matter in the grand scheme of things. I could be wrong, but the odds are not looking good just based on what we know.

  86. Exactly. Rather than protecting the North against the real enemy, Stannis’ victory in against the Wildlings simply creates more wight-fodder and weakens the human forces.

    Like most battles, the ultimate cost makes the victory meaningless.

  87. Mihnea,

    I know! I feel the same and this makes me sad because I adore reading and TSOIAF has been no exception but the way this author writes it´s just too much slow for me 🙁 I came to read the books after the first season ended and was lucky enough to catch ADWD…I imagined the following book was not far because I didn´t know he publishes his stories every six years! I am positive TWOW is at least TWO years behind and honestly I am not cut out for this never ending/always growing unnecessarily story…So,sadly,it will be the show´s story for me

  88. Robb Snow:
    One thing we’ve all been doing, is kinda losing sight of just what Stark/Baratheon victory in the North really means in the end. In truth, I expect most of the North will get completely decimated by the Others in a matter of weeks after the Wall finally comes down, as the Northerners will in all likelihood fail to repel the Night’s King and be forced to flee south (but not before donating thousands of new corpses to his army), meaning the impending victory against the Boltons will be short-lived.

    The Wall is definitely coming down, probably at the end of this season, right? And this will launch the Long Night.

    I haven’t read many theories on what will happen then, but I’m with Nan that we will see the spiders, at least in the book if not in the show. I do think that with all of the disbelief of the Northerners and the Southroners for all things WW, we will see at least some WW raiding the South, breaking through all Northern defenses.

    However, at the same time, some of the best hope for stopping the Others beyond the dragons lies in the North, at and around Winterfell. The army of dead kings in the crypts of Winterfell will be led by a Stark, I feel fairly certain. And I’m wondering if all those bodies entombed in the barrows of the barrowlands will follow a Stark, as well. Either that or they’ll fall to the others.

    But maybe all of these forces will be devastated, and it will be down to the three-headed dragon to stop the Others once and for all: after Dany flies west to go east; after the sun sets in the east and rises in the west; when the Others drain the seas so they can cross to Braavos and battle the Titan; and when the Mountain blows in the wind like leaves. Then the dragons will come. Then the fire will burn. Then the blood will run.

  89. hi, thanks for this wonderful article. I’ve been trying to lose fat for about 10 months and I’ve come to the decision that it all depends on eating good. I found this video that gave me a great diet plan, and I actually lost 22 pounds. All I did was follow the guide completely. If you want to view the video, here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFTR8xetNu4 I hope this can motivate people to lose some weight. Good luck!

  90. TFT: Or you can just shut your dumb mouth or maybe try to actually read before making the most prejudiced comment I’ve ever seen? Where did I say I’m a Stannis fanboy? A good storyline activates a butterfly/domino effect after it ends. I just can’t see how this one will influence other storylines. My main problem is not how Stannis died, it’s that almost all of his storyline of seasons 3-5 were a waste of time.

    He saved the Wall. And if his storyline was pointless, so was Ned’s and Robb’s.

  91. TFT: My main problem is not how Stannis died, it’s that almost all of his storyline of seasons 3-5 were a waste of time.

    His storyline was our main source of information on that whole Azor Ahai business and introduced us to Braavos. He brought Davos and Melisandre over to the Wall and let Jon negotiate with the Wildings from a position of power. He was an inspiration for Mel to initiate the three leeches ritual and for her to seek out Gendry and learn that Thoros can resurrect.

    It wasn’t a waste of time. It was a tragedy in the ‘ended badly’ sense of the word – but it told us and moved along a lot of things.

  92. Young Dragon,

    The ones they always talk about. The story they didn’t like automatically has plot-holes.

    But I would advise against this debate, especially with ”fanboys” who are very close too being trolls, they have a very different meaning for ”plot-holes”.

  93. Lord Parramandas,

    Stannis story was pointless! Everything is pointless if he doesn’t sit on the IT and isn’t crowned by R’hllor himself as Stannis the Mannis I.

    If you can’t see this is sarcasm then let me tell you, this is sarcasm.

  94. Nymeria Warrior Queen,

    I didn’t mean you. I was referring to Tyrion the Myrion, a guy who only in this thread has said
    “that’s what you delusional folks believe right ?”
    and
    “He’s a B+ character,either live with it or cry some more because it’s very entertaining”

  95. Tywin of the Hill,

    The Myrion can be somewhat abrasive, yes.

    As to Stannis, I’d rather attack the argument than the person, and I see his story as rather poignant. Others have talked about his life: I’ll talk about his death.

    Stannis was so rigid that he never bent. Until he broke. Stannis was so righteous that he never wronged. Until they could write songs about how wrong he was. Stannis sacrificed everything: Family, duty, honor. Until he turned around and realized he had nothing left to live for.

    There is a beautiful irony in how Stannis lived and how Stannis died. I know it is hard to see the beauty that is written if it is different from the beauty we envisioned, but it is there, nonetheless.

  96. Ginevra,

    When Stannis died, the only thing that I taught about was the quote from the books:” Stannis is iron, he’ll break before he’ll bend” and that is exactly what I saw in his final moments.
    Plus of course his final words witch summed up Stannis’s character perfectly.

    In my opinion Stannis’s death is one of the strongest and best moments in GOT.

  97. Nymeria Warrior Queen:
    I wonder what the Stannis lovers will say when (another instance of, yes, of course it’s really an if, but I think it’s more a matter of when) Stannis’ world ends not with a bang, but a whimper in the books.

    That’s not to say I think it was all handled perfectly on the show.I also seriously doubt Brienne will be the one to swing the sword.However, I really don’t see Stannis going out in some blaze of glory.

    Whatever death GRRM will chose for him, it will be executed so much better than what happened in the show, that’s not hard to do.
    The “battle” was cringeworthy, that marching randomly toward Winterfell not noticing a huge army of mounted soldiers until they are 10 seconds from clashing… and of course BrienneGPS as icing on the cake.
    It competes with “bad pussy” or Yara running away form the dogs for worst writing on GoT.

  98. Hi, lalla. If you love bitching about the show, I have the perfect site for you: http://asoiaf.westeros.org/. You’ll find hordes and hordes of folks there who love nothing more than to tear the television series down and worship how much better GRRM has done or is about to do things. On here, on the other hand, you won’t find much support for that sort of thing.

  99. My view has always been that the most fervent supporters of Stannis believe him to be a one-dimensional robot when in fact he’s a nuanced, complicated and conflicted character. Apparently when they read they are able to just skim past the material that shows him this way. But the same adapted material is portrayed on the screen they can’t help but see it and are forced to re-evaluate their simplistic understanding of the character. Cue cognitive dissonance. And, inevitably, loud claims that TV character is a complete travesty, because the only other option is to accept that they simply read the books in a biased and fundamentally incorrect way.

    Bravo Mr. Dillane on an exceptional performance of a incredibly adapted, subtle, and fascinating character with GOOD and BAD characteristics. His ending was perfect (even if I think the Shireen burn was rushed). I hope the Tunnel continues to be good! I quite enjoyed watching S1 (binged watched about 4-5 eps during a plane trip).

  100. Ginevra,

    Eh there are a lot of us over there that are critical of GRRM/AFFC/ADWD & love the TV series. I’d say close to a majority in the book forums actually enjoy discussing the currently written material and yet are pessimistic about the books going forward.

    However I stay clear of the show forum on that site – it’s silly to talk about the show on a book forum anyway.

  101. Ginevra:
    Hi, lalla.If you love bitching about the show, I have the perfect site for you:http://asoiaf.westeros.org/.You’ll find hordes and hordes of folks there who love nothing more than to tear the television series down and worship how much better GRRM has done or is about to do things.On here, on the other hand, you won’t find much support for that sort of thing.

    oh I’m sorry to have upset you.
    The show is always perfect, the writing’s always been top notch, there are no scenes that are better than other ones because all the scenes are 10/10, every second of them, and if anyone thinks otherwise is an idiot.

    There. Better?

  102. lalla,

    No, I appreciate critical evaluation when both the advantages and disadvantages are explored rather than purely one-sided evaluation. And I wanted you to find kindred spirits. But if you insist on remaining one-sided, please be true to who you are.

    Queenofthrones,

    I apologize. I did exaggerate when I said, “hordes and hordes,” as I am wont to do. However, I certainly didn’t mean every member of the site: I’m an inactive one.

    Here are some quotes about Stannis from the thread for Mother’s Mercy, http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?/topic/131070-book-spoilers-ep510-discussion/&page=10 (through Page 25):

    HBO, you just pissed on the Stannis fans. You won’t live tomorrow.

    Wow this is lame……….the odds of Brienne meeting Stannis….with no one around…..what hack writing. GRRM is an idiot for letting the show turn into this.

    What a way to fuck up a character, HBO. Burn in hell. Assholes.

    Stannis dont even get a death on screen!!! im done fuck this.

    If you ever wanted any evidence D&D hate Stannis, there it is.

    D&D let Ramsey defeat Stannis. WHAT A FUCKING TRAVESTY.

    I’ve long since become numb to D&D’s treatment of Stannis. At least they stayed consistent.

    Brienne kills Stannis off screen. Ramsay defeats Stannis? This is really bizarre. Uh, this is bad fan fiction.

    [D&D] have never captured his book character. They failed him until the end. Not surprised either.

    that thing is not stannis anyway. Its D&D punching bag.

    Satannis, darling. Satannis.

    On 6/15/2015 at 8:40 PM, Señor de la Tormenta said:
    that thing is not stannis anyway. Its D&D punching bag.

    ITS A JOKE. HOW MUCH CAN THEY DESTROY HIS CHARACTER WITHOUT KILLING HIM

    they killed him slowly in every scene since day one.

    Stannis died when D&D started writing him

    And that is only 15 pages out of 100, in only one thread of thousands on the forum.

  103. lalla,

    You suck so much at sarcasm that it’s hard to even feel sorry for you but somehow i still do .

  104. Tywin of the Hill,

    So because i said some bad stuff about your fictional boyfriend,i’m somehow a troll,yet this Euron guy who keep spamming this thread because he’s still upset that his arguments are laughable and no one takes him seriously except fellow Stannis fanboys,is not,ok !

  105. The snow art is beautiful! Especially guven that its a direwolf 😉 I can’t even draw a heart in the snow and have it look equal in both sides so kudos to anyone that can engineer something their mind and execute it on such a massive scale.
    I’m sad to see Stannis gone for good. Stephen Dillane took a great book character and made him more lifelike, not to mention very sexy, lol. And that voice…. *sigh* Thank goodness for rewatches! Just another one of those amazing actors that I’m glad GOT introduced me to!

Comments are closed.