George R.R. Martin hints at a tragic end for Tyrion in A Song of Ice and Fire books
George R.R. Martin's plans for the end of his A Song of Ice and Fire series are much bloodier than the end of Game of Thrones.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter about HBO's upcoming A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Martin discusses the conclusion of A Song of Ice and Fire. While he hasn't finalized the ending of his epic saga — fans have been waiting since 2011 for The Winds of Winter, book six of seven — he does have thoughts on how it will differ from Game of Thrones. The series, created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, surpassed the source material in Season 5.
"I was going to kill more people," Martin told The Hollywood Reporter. "Not the ones they killed [in the show]. They made it more of a happy ending."
Fans of Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) may say differently, but several fan-favorite characters received kinder sendoffs. Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), for example, became Hand of the King to Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright). For Martin, though, that ending is not in the cards for book Tyrion.
"I don’t see a happy ending for Tyrion," Martin revealed. "His whole arc has been tragic from the first."
That statement doesn't necessarily confirm Tyrion's death in A Song of Ice and Fire. He could be imprisoned, or tortured, or all manner of horrifying things. Still, the future doesn't look bright for him, should Martin ever finish his series.
However, Game of Thrones may have saved one book character from a similarly tragic fate.
"I was going to have Sansa [(Sophie Turner)] die, but she’s been so appealing in the show, maybe I’ll let her live," Martin said.
In Game of Thrones, Sansa winds up as the Queen of the North — a far cry from whatever death Martin may have originally been planning. Given the long wait for The Winds of Winter, it may take years before we find out whether Martin actually changed his mind about Sansa's fate, or what tragedy he has in store for Tyrion. But there's also a very good chance that we'll never find out at all.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres Jan. 18 at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.