End of Thrones.

[QueenofThrones]

1. Dany ruling Elizabeth I style in KL, expands role of common folk (House of Commons like thing), naming an heir of her choice or transitions to abolish monarchy after death. Jon and Starks Living together as a team in WF. Jorah LC of NW (if still necessary). Tyrion gets CR and dies age of 80 etc. Jaime retires to Tarth w/ Brienne / lots of sex and babies. Sam is Grandmaester but Dany does away with the abstinence thing and Sam marries Gilly too.

2. Dany goes mad queen and burns Westeros to the ground, tries to kill all of Ned's kids because they are "Usurpers" and is ultimately killed by Jorah or something and Starks warg her dragons to stop her. Usually these theories also have the WW secretly the good guys.

3. Bran, Arya, Dany, Jorah, Jaime, Brienne and Jon die. But Tyrion is actually Aerys son, so before going to last fight, Queen Daenerys and King Jon recognize and legitimate Tyrion as their heir. After all is said and done, Tyrion king on IT. Sansa as last remaining Stark rules in WF.

I'd consider your #3 to be a good ending, but that's just me.

7/9 main characters die and you consider that a happy ending? That's grim!

Maybe you'd change your mind if I also added that Sansa would kill LF (or ensure he is killed via a plot).

[rphmom]

As for the ending, I'm sure it will suck

Interesting take. That's always been one of my favorite passages in the book and for some real have always thought it important. Guess time will tell and, yes, sir to suck. None of us will be truly happy

[Tensor the Mage]

My own speculation is that the human survivors will emerge from the wreckage to find there is no more magic in the world: giants, dragons, Children of the Forest are all gone, and Valerian steel is just really good metal. The Wall has come down too, as it must have magic to stand (ice melts under compression). They find the seasons are now short and regular (GRRM hath said the variable and long seasons are magical in nature).

Since Dany and Jon have complementary story arcs, they might rule together. But that sounds like a trope GRRM would love to subvert, now doesn't it?

[evenwind]

My own speculation is that the human survivors will emerge from the wreckage to find there is no more magic in the world: giants, dragons, Children of the Forest are all gone, and Valerian steel is just really good metal. The Wall has come down too, as it must have magic to stand (ice melts under compression). They find the seasons are now short and regular (GRRM hath said the variable and long seasons are magical in nature).

That's probably my least favorite ending. I hated it in LOTR and I'd hate it here. When I've been thoroughly immersed in a fictional world, I'd like it to still be there, waiting for me to re-read or for new stories to be written. When an author totally trashes the world I've enjoyed visiting, it saddens me - and definitely takes something away from any re-read. And I agree with you, I think that's what is going to happen.

[Tensor the Mage]

When an author totally trashes the world I've enjoyed visiting, it saddens me - and definitely takes something away from any re-read.

That's an interesting comment, given how prevalent a Ragnarok or Gotterdammerung is in Western fantasy stories (even the Christian Bible concludes with the bloody and violent end of the world).

I would take the removal of magic from the World of Westeros as simply a new beginning -- perhaps local versions of the Enlightenment, Age of Sail, Age of Reason, &c. can now take place. My own reading of Westeros says the society has been stuck in repetition ever since the Wall was erected, unable to move out of the feudal status quo for (supposedly) eight thousand years (!). It's time for a change.

When I've been thoroughly immersed in a fictional world, I'd like it to still be there, waiting for me to re-read or for new stories to be written.

Even if the Game of Thrones story ends the way we think it will, there's still an enormous amount of room in the World of Westeros: Age of Heroes, pre-Wall Westeros, Lands Beyond the Shadow, journeys from the Port of Ibben -- plenty of stories remain to be written, methinks!

(Also, I have to admit, I got "Bored of the Ring" -- to coin a phrase -- early on, and never bothered to slog all the way through to the end.)

[Wimsey]

1) What will be your favourite ending of Game of Thrones? It can be anything you want, what would you like to see.

2) What will be your least favourite ending of Game of Thrones? Like really eghhh.

3) And what do you think will be the most likely end of Thrones? What is the most likely end of this saga.

1. In general, one in which Jon & Daenerys (and, hopefully, Tyrion, Arya & Bran) are left in a situation or set of situations regarding the White Walkers and the final fate of the Seven Kingdoms in which all the possible choices are wrong ones. Ideally, it should build off of examples of "damned if you do, damned if you don not" moments we already have seen.

2. An "epic" one employing either Deus ex Machina plot devices (e.g., the Undead of Winterfell rise to fight for the good guys!) or arbitrary plot devices (it is all about getting a "Secret Weapon" to kill the Walkers).

3. The winners of this war will be like the winners of Robert's Rebellion: triumphant, but having seen the chances at the lives they really wanted lost, and probably bearing public dishonor (even if only perceived public dishonors) because of personal "Promise Me, Ned" moments in which they had to take a choice that was 4 parts right, 6 parts wrong over the choices that were 2 or 3 parts right, 7 or 8 parts wrong, but with much more public "rights" to them.

[Wimsey]

(Also, I have to admit, I got "Bored of the Ring" -- to coin a phrase -- early on, and never bothered to slog all the way through to the end.)

heh, Harvard Lampoon beat you to it by about 40 years: https://www.amazon.com/Bored-Rings-Paro ... 1451672667.

That stated, the ending will not be like Lord of the Rings, despite GRRM's comment. Yes, Frodo was broken: but I have no idea how anyone thinks that Aragorn was anything like that! Even in the films, he basically gets a happy ending: and more so in the books. (Tolkien hated literature like Game of Thrones, so there was no "character" ending of any sort of the type we can expect from a disciple of Faulkner.)

[trarecar]

What I want: Dany and Jon to defeat the WW and go on to rule Westeros together after the war, heirs and all. Tyrion goes on to actually be the head of House Lannister. Dany and Jon will not need a Hand. Cersei dead. Ayra finding peace. Sansa is the head of Winterfell. Bran is with Meera and not stuck in a tree. Brienne and Tormund together.

What I would hate: Dany or Jon having to kill themselves or each other to defeat the WW. Bran stuck in a tree for a thousand years. Brienne living the rest of her life alone, or with Jamie (let's be real). Ayra stuck at Winterfell because of family obligations. Sansa married to some idiot because that's what she's supposed to do.

What I think will happen: Jamie will kill Cersei and then himself. Tyrion will take over House Lannister. Sansa will be the Lady of Winterfell and won't be thinking about taking a husband any time soon. Ayra will leave Winterfell and become the commander of whatever form the new Watchers of the Wall will take. Tormund will die. Brienne will live out the rest of her life pining over her unrequited love for Jamie. Bran will either stay at Winterfell and be the Three Eyed Raven, or he'll do it at Meera's. I'm going for the later. Theon will die or he'll be the Hand of the King/Queen. Dany will die and Jon will rule, or Jon will rule and Dany will die. Fuck you, GRRM.

[evenwind]

When I've been thoroughly immersed in a fictional world, I'd like it to still be there, waiting for me to re-read or for new stories to be written.

Even if the Game of Thrones story ends the way we think it will, there's still an enormous amount of room in the World of Westeros: Age of Heroes, pre-Wall Westeros, Lands Beyond the Shadow, journeys from the Port of Ibben -- plenty of stories remain to be written, methinks!

(Also, I have to admit, I got "Bored of the Ring" -- to coin a phrase -- early on, and never bothered to slog all the way through to the end.)

I should have been more explicit when I mentioned "new" stories. I was thinking about stories that would move the timeline forward - find out what happens in the immediate or distant future. If magic is gone, then any "future" stories are about a basically different, mundane, and likely less interesting world.

And I was going to mention "Bored of the Rings", a very funny read when it first came out in 1969(?) (yes, I read it then) but probably not so funny now. Anyhow, Wimsey beat me to it.

[Flayed Potatoes]

No, it's going to end with Samwell writing a series of books where he records all the events in our story. His initial plan is to split everything into three volumes, but his trilogy turns into a 7-book series. After completing five books of his epic saga, Samwell gives up and sells the rights to the season 6 Braavosi theater troupe, who want to adapt the books into a series of plays. He retires with Gilly at Horn Hill and buys the neighboring castle to store all his memorabilia from the War for the Dawn.