So, there were some big ol’ Winds of Winter spoilers in the Game of Thrones season 5 finale, as everybody knows by now. The biggest: the seeming death of King Stannis Baratheon, First of his Name, Lord of the Andals and the First Men. It’s an event that hasn’t happened in the books… at least, not yet. Question is, is this one of Game of Thrones season 5’s many new story inventions, or is this real? Is Stannis going to die in Winds of Winter?
Will Stannis Die In The Battle Of Winterfell In Winds Of Winter?
Winds of Winter is supposedly coming out before Game of Thrones season 6, although that seems a little bit ambitious to us over at iDigitalTimes. But we knew in advance that Game of Thrones season 5 would start to spoil the books for us. The trouble is, the newest season changed so much that it’s hard to tell what’s a spoiler and what’s a change.
There are a few key differences between the Stannis storyline in the books and the one in the show. Okay, there’s basically one difference: In the books, Melisandre, Shireen, and Selyse aren’t even with Stannis. They’re safely at Castle Black. Also, Brienne and Podrick aren’t anywhere near Winterfell—they’re in the Riverlands. So, at the least, Stannis isn’t in a position to sacrifice Shireen, and Brienne isn’t in a position to kill him (or, y’know, not).
Of course, that doesn’t mean Stannis won’t lose the Battle for Winterfell. But I think it puts Stannis’s arc in Winds of Winter in significant doubt. They’ve changed so much this season that it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if they tweaked this as well… especially if Brienne actually did spare Stannis there, at the end.
On the other hand… would they really change something as big as Stannis losing his war? Sure, they killed Barristan and Myrcella, neither of which have happened in the show, but the former is relatively minor and the latter has been prophesied to happen. Not having Stannis lose that battle would be a huge, huge change. And considering that we know the idea of Shireen being sacrificed came from George himself—even if it isn’t necessarily in the books—things don’t bode well for poor ol’ Stannis.
