"Game of Thrones" season 5 finale left viewers with at least six dead characters, but in the world of Westeros, life--and death--can be a little bit too ambiguous. Fans know better than to presume a character's death until they see his head chopped off. Even then, there's always a sliver of hope in resurrection. This is, after all, "Game of Thrones."
An upcoming book by HBO entitled "Game of Thrones: The Noble House of Westeros Seasons 1-5" gives finality to the fates of two major characters who presumably died in that last tragic episode: Stannis Barratheon and Jon Snow (played by actors Stephen Dillane and Kit Harrington, respectively).
Stannis Barratheon's death seems unbelievable for most fans. The last time they saw the proud commander, he was at the end of a losing battle when Brienne of Tarth found him. "Go on, do your duty," Stannis says to the female warrior. Brienne swings her sword, then the camera cuts to another scene. Since viewers didn't see an actual death, most are keeping a vigil that Stannis is still alive and is returning to season six. To raise their hopes, Stannis is still very much alive in George R.R. Martin's books.
The upcoming HBO book has answers for avid viewers. While the book is yet to be released, Susan Miller, editor in chief of the popular "GoT" fansite Watchers on the Wall, got a sneak peek of some of the key chapters. In the paragraph describing Stannis, it reads:
"Stannis was killed outside of Winterfell by Brienne of Tarth, who wished to avenge Renly's death."
Forget it though. One more nail in Stannis's coffin. From Game of Thrones: The Noble Houses of Westeros pic.twitter.com/6jLChXNZQZ
— Sue the Fury (@Thrones_Fury) October 22, 2015
To double-confirm this fact, the paragraph pertaining to Brienne concludes, "Brienne kills Stannis."
Stannis Barratheon, the strong and able commander, can finally rest in peace.
As for Jon Snow--who is the biggest cliffhanger in the history of the show--he was stabbed multiple times by his own men at the Night's Watch. He drops to the bed of snow, seemingly breathless but his eyes remain open.
HBO's official book has this to say about the young Lord Commander: "...for that he was murdered at Castle Black by his own men, including Alliser Thorne and Olly."
"Murdered" is synonymous to "killed." This play on words could mean Jon Snow, sadly, is really dead. However, recent sightings of actor Kit Harrington at the film set of season six all but add to the confusion. His real fate, it seems, can only be resolved once season six airs in April 2016.
"Game of Thrones: The Noble House of Westeros Seasons 1-5" hits the bookstores on Dec. 8. According to Variety, the hardbound also contains information on various House sigils, family trees, character profiles, props, costumes and more.
