Winds of Winter Theory: The Fate of Stannis Baratheon

[@SpiralSine6]

If Stannis has a million followers, I am one of them. If Stannis has 100 followers, I am one of them. If Stannis has _one_ follower, it’s because I died protecting my king and Davos.

[@eiran_o_ddwywent]

Nothing can ever kill Davos Seaworth, the Onion Knight

[@SirBoggins]

And in the name of R'hllor, Lord of Light! ❤‍🔥

[@cxxcxxcxcable]

Hahahahahaha

[@warlordofbritannia]

He is the Mannis, by right. All who deny his claim are our foes!

[@eiran_o_ddwywent]

@@warlordofbritannia For we are the King’s Men

[@retroverdrive]

"Glowing like sunset, a red sword was raised in the hand of a blue-eyed king who cast no shadow."

[@QuinnTheGM]

Honestly i think that’s my favorite prophetic line in the series

[@AerysIIFirstofhisname]

I’d still support even if he became the nights king

[@realdaggerman105]

@@AerysIIFirstofhisname One True King’s final form

[@toxichater69]

For me, this prophecy confirms Stannis will live to meet Dany somehow, whether that be as a revenant Night's King or otherwise

[@three-eyedmonkey7344]

@@QuinnTheGM great line but not one that refers to Stannis, in my opinion. Really enjoyed the video tho. I always look forward to your uploads.

[@eyalsi1070]

The Mannis will Gallop his way to the gates of winterfell alone And slay Roose Bolton with his left hand and the Bastard with the other.

[@danieldelaney1377]

Lmao

[@legs5775]

Then after he kills the night king he will find everyone guilty of some crime or another. Eventually everyone will be either straight up executed or missing a tongue or some fingers or an eye and Tyrion will love it because everyone will be a cripple, bastard or otherwise broken thing. The end. Was that so hard George? 😅

[@legs5775]

But Tyrion will also be dead

[@Forever_1923]

That would certainly be worth the 11 years wait for TWOW

[@neroangelo736]

Imagine jaywalking, getting your legs broken by Batman, then after leaving the hospital getting your toes cut off by Stannis.

[@Czuubiii]

‘Then rise again, Davos Seaworth, and rise as Lord of the Rainwood, Admiral of the Narrow Sea, and Hand of the King.' For a moment Davos was too stunned to move. I woke this morning in his dungeon. 'Your Grace, you cannot… I am not fit man to be a King's Hand.' 'There is no man fitter.' Stannis sheathed Lightbringer, gave Davos his hand, and pulled him to his feet. 'I am lowborn,' Davos reminded him. 'An up jumped smuggler. your lords will never obey me.' 'Then we will make new lords.’

[@zaviersyed8483]

Honestly Stannis has no right talking shit about Renly not bedding Margaery Tyrell considering his relationship with Selyse and this relationship with Davos 😂 I ship it tho STAVOS FOR LIFE

[@BigBoyBillSneed]

In a sense, I'm glad that GRRM will never finish Winds cause I can still headcanon Stannis winning

[@Outis402]

I just read this chapter today. So good. Stannis reminiscing about his brothers and his feelings about the Iron Throne. Such good writing.

[@hsgame4088]

I got goosebumps the first time i read this.

[@garrettbaratheon567]

That and “I was trying to win the throne to save the kingdom, when I should have been trying to save the kingdom to win the throne” are some of the hardest lines in the entire series.

[@SirBoggins]

"I know the cost! Last night, gazing into that hearth, I saw things in the flames as well. I saw a king, a crown of fire on his brows, burning… burning, Davos. His own crown consumed his flesh & turned him into ash. Do you think I need Melisandre to tell me what that means? Or you?" Sums up Stannis I going fourth.

[@Vmac1394]

It also sums up the fire visions because he saw Viserys being killed by having molten gold poured on his face. Everybody always thinks the visions pertains to them but they rarely do.

[@SirBoggins]

@@Vmac1394 Tis the way of Azor Ahai!

[@SirBoggins]

@@Vmac1394 Also, Happy Halloween!

[@akechijubeimitsuhide]

I just can't imagine a scenario where sacrificing Shireen makes sense. If the Wall is crumbling and the Others are about to invade, and Stannis believes sacrificing "king's blood" is really their only hope, wouldn't he feel it his duty to be the sacrifice himself? A commander, even a king, is replaceable, and there are other capable men who can lead the armies - like a resurrected Jon. In any case I don't think Brienne will be anywhere near him, no matter how and when he dies. She's busy with Jaime, Stoneheart, and the probably-upcoming Red Wedding 2.0, she doesn't have Show Teleport Abilities.

[@shireenbaratheon6955]

I am a fervent supporter of both Brienne and Stannis, and I can almost confirm that whatever show shit will not happen in the books. It's interesting that the brutal murder of our King was set up from what Cat says to Brienne after Renly is killed. (Book: "Protect the living" / Show:"you can't avenge him if you're dead"). Book Brienne's POV is full of mentions of Sansa and Jaime and Cat; if she were burning with vengeance, why would Stannis only be recalled once, when she remarks on how similar Gendry and Renly look? ("Stannis was right"). What made me "warm" up to the idea of the burning, was that, holed up in Winterfell, it becomes an even more dangerous siege of Storm's End. We know how even a seventeen year old stannis was headstrong and stubborn enough to eat shoes, so it would have to be something biiiiig. Wights and walkers are not tyrells feasting outside the walls. Plus, there's Mel whispering in his ear. It would be sheer desperation. If it came down to it: what is one child against an entire kingdom?

[@shaunw9092]

I kinda like the theory of Stannis going back to The Wall, just because he's the only powerful character who takes the Others seriously, and after Jon is resurrected there's a real leadership vacuum at The Wall that the show doesn't really address.

[@tylerreis-sanford5234]

Plus it makes sense for Azor Ahai to be at the wall 😎 (Go Stillers)

[@shaunw9092]

@tylerreis-sanford5234 For sure. What I don't agree with is that Stannis has a 10% shot at most of surviving the books IMO. Dude would never bend the knee to Jon, let alone a Targ. I was kicking around the notion in my head of him essentially being replaced by still alive Beric Dondarrion in the show (flaming sword and all) but I just can't see it.

[@mymaynee5963]

what u mean? edd is gonna be the best lord commander in history 😈

[@shaunw9092]

@mymaynee5963 Haha I love Edd, and he may be temporarily in command in Winds, but I thought a big plot problem in the show was the Nights Watch and the Wall are so important until Jon leaves, and suddenly, they're not.

[@mymaynee5963]

@@shaunw9092 lol i know. he says himself that he would be a terrible lord commander in storm. hes just my fav in jons chapters

[@MetalheadSapling]

Stannis will survive because he always lives in our hearts.

[@janjanbinks1710]

Ahhhh Stannis. The Mannis. Agamemnon. The King Who Cared. As Mitski once put it: "I bet on losing dogs I know they're losing and I pay for my place by the ring where I'll be looking in their eyes when they're done, I'll be there on their side" That's kind of how I feel about Stannis. I watched the show first and I used to hate him, but then when I've read the books I found myself having sympathy for the man and kind of rooting for him. He has this air of tragedy that I find very endearing and interesting, and it also helps seeing him through Davos' perspective too. I honestly don't care if he wins, I just want him to go out with a bang instead of the whimper of the show. Fly high, Stannis. Make Proudwing proud.

[@hsgame4088]

I love the underdog story,i love even more an underdog whos fighting for justice.Stannis is a personification of justice in the cold,corrupt and dark world of ASOIAF.The guy has no preferences,no wants or desires,no ambitions.His only drive is to do his duty.That is admirable.

[@janjanbinks1710]

@hsgame4088 He is an underdog amongst all of these other factions and the only one that went to face the threat of the Others which is way bigger than the throne squabbling. Luthen Rael's monolog from Andor reminds me of him: "I burn my decency for someone else's future, I burn my life to make a sunrise I will never see and the ego that started this war will never have the light of gratitude or an audience What do I sacrifice? EVERYTHING" That's kind of him. He's burning himself for a sunrise he may never get to see

[@prajawalgurung6121]

I remember being so disappointed in season 5 episode 10, brought me into the books

[@hsgame4088]

@@prajawalgurung6121 show stannis:uhh a little snow,guess i gotta burn my daughter for power or smth idfk. Book stannis:"Half my army are made up of unbelievers,I will have no burnings.Pray harder!"

[@garrettbaratheon567]

@@prajawalgurung6121oh man don’t get me started. I totally disregarded Stannis and then read the books between seasons 4 and 5. I went into S5 so hyped for Stannis, and then in 2 episodes they destroyed his entire arc. For years anytime I would post a comment about Stannis anywhere, some Daenerys cringe fan would come out of the woodwork to talk shit. So, when she burned KL in S8 and everybody lost their minds, I had absolutely no sympathy for them.

[@LeopardMessiah13]

My theory on why TWOW is taking so long is because GRRM is figuring out how to correctly finish the story with Stannis standing victorious as The One True King!

[@pieterhofkens7259]

Nah, thats easy, it would be harder to kill Stannis of in a realistic way. He's just to strong, physically and mentally

[@suns3tn1ghtmar3]

@@pieterhofkens7259Right? Like in the show it made no sense because everyone was fed and all the horses were in perfect condition to ride. They acquired the loan, all the sell swords were being paid. And the snow wasn’t even bad. Yet next time we see Stannis it was “Oh it’s basically FULL winter ALWAYS, all his horses are dying, oh and all the sellswords left because… well idk”

[@noamias4897]

I love Stannis because he embodies duty and justice, not ambition. He believes that it’s his duty to save Westeros, and no one person is important in the face of that task. He always does what is asked of him and does it well. His dedication to justice for everyone, lowborn, highborn, queens and kings alike is illustrated by his treatment of Davos. We also see it in how he always shares the hardships of his men and refuses better treatment for himself. When holding Storm's End he starves with his men, and when approaching Winterfell he marches with them. Kingship is a responsibility, not a privilege for him, and he inspires loyalty in people by his actions, not words. He's also realistically portrayed, being stubborn and filled with doubts. In the beginning he’s focuses on slights and mistreatment, but he learns and adapts to keep doing his duty. He’s irritable and sharp, but his dry humor and bluntness also make him hilarious.

[@hsgame4088]

The absolute growth of stannis from Clash of kings to dance with dragons is very satisfying to see,especially for a stubborn man as stannis is.The guy goes to now even entertaining the idea of marrying his daughter to Robin arryn,to going to Hill clansmens feasts to gain their support. "Go to their feasts,praise the beauty of their daughters and the strength of their sons and you will have their support,command them to follow you and they will look to one another and say:Who is this man? He is no king of mine"

[@sebastianholden4759]

As a person who had read the series countless times. It would be absolutely amazing if Stannis somehow survived. There is no shot, but the thought is glorious. Stannis deserves better.

[@ThommyofThenn]

Also want to just express my appreciation to the Manderleys. They might be 'newcomers' to the North as far as ancient aristocracy is concerned, but they seem to have adapted to their adopted home well. Wyman seems to be the lastest in a long line of ride-or-die folks who actually value loyalty. What makes Wyman so interesting is that while he has the loyalty of a Northman, he knows how to plot and scheme with the best of Southron vipers. And all while maintaining the convincing ruse of being a jolly thicc boy

[@jakobbenes6292]

Wake up babe, new Quinn The GM video dropped!

[@ThommyofThenn]

"Mmm is it another Jaime or Stark video? I'm gonna sleep a few more min" "No sweetling, it is a video of His Grace Stannis." *bolts up in bed* "make me some coffee baby"

[@espadarte_ex]

Stannis would never burn Shireen. He always put duty in front of everything and withou Shireen he as no heir, legacy or purpose. I can see Shireen beeing burned under her mother's command for what ever reason but I think that would finally break Stannis.

[@johansmallberries9874]

Plot twist: Mel burns Stannis to resurrect Jon. He doesn’t die in glory because none of the 5 kings do, and he’s got the most potent kings blood in the realm currently.

[@bennett4789]

this makes a ton of sense to me. surprised i haven't seen it brought up before!!

[@johansmallberries9874]

Come to think, all of the 5 kings to die so far have died from treachery. George doesn’t let his ‘war lords’ die in battle.

[@xx_toasterreturns_xx1166]

I prefer this theory

[@michaelbayer5094]

Wow. Very good. Also, it's practically dogma that Jon must survive. If so, how can Stannis?

[@michaelbayer5094]

@@johansmallberries9874 re: treachery good point. Also, George doesn't let heros survive or be correct. Stannis is all about honor and duty. By being betrayed, George will undercut those noble traits.

[@randalthevandal4170]

No matter what direction George will push stannis towards, it will always be better than what the show gave him

[@benethrax]

Really interesting stuff. My feeling is still that if Shireen is murdered it will not be Stannis. Why would he instruct Massey to fight on for her otherwise? The entire survival of the royal Baratheon line - the legal royal line - resides in Shireen. The drama will come, I think, from Melissandra wrongheadedly burning Shireen while Stannis is away. But either way, I absolutely agree his eyes are turned north. He will have the remaining forces in the North, possibly the Crannogmen, his sellswords, the wildlings and the Night’s Watch. Not enough so how does he square accepting help from Targaryens, mummers or not? Can’t wait to find out!

[@arronjerden915]

I think that Shireen dies because the greyscale that is dormant in her awakens and kills her and Stannis "burns" her by cremating her to try to stop the spread of the grayscale.

[@benethrax]

@ Yeah I could see her being torched because of grayscale but it’s as likely that Val and the wildlings would do it, probably with Melissandra’s connivance.

[@jennifera.4511]

My only hope he survives is because Martin had once said in an interview that "I think one of the fundamental things in a good king is someone who regards being king as a duty rather than a privilege they are entitled to", Stannis is the character that best fits this description no matter how showrunners force other characters into this archetype. On the other hand, though, Martin is so fond of "the ephemeral aspect of life" that I'm afraid Stannis will not survive just to satiate his thirst for literary melancholy...

[@stfnknbb]

Oh man. Ive always assumed the best i could hope for my boy was for him to become lord commander. But him ruling storms end (perhaps with gendry or edric storm as his heir in place of shireen) would still be tragic, but also beautiful. Bittersweet indeed.

[@shireenbaratheon6955]

I was going to say that you can tear "the Mannis as 1000th Lord Commander" from my cold/warm dead body, then you drop that last part of your video. Having lost everything but getting his birthright, that's pretty interesting. Also, saying that Theon 1 is from over a decade ago made my life flash before my eyes

[@phantomimmortal9962]

Great video! I like you bringing in Cain and Abel and will provide a small correction/elaboration - based on Genesis Cain does have many descendants (including the first makers of weapons for war) BUT Adam and Eve's lesser known 3rd son (Seth, whom Eve had after Abel's death) ends up being the ancestor of everyone who survives down the line via Noah and the flood.

[@annacarollina7703]

I do love when people referencing cain and abel they remember seth and the other siblings

[@thebign2398]

With no base in the scripts whatsoever, I like to believe that Noah's wife is a decendent of Cain. [And there's also the question of Seth's and Cain's (sister?-)wives]

[@jclaburn]

Let’s go!!!! Loved your Battle of Ice video. Stannis will end up switching places with Jon and fighting the Others in The Long Night-leading human armies just as Melisandre saw in her flames-either as the last Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch or as Hand of the King to Jon, Young Griff, or Dany. He’ll keep serving humanity even after his army is destroyed and he recognizes someone else as a legitimate Targaryen or Stark heir toll be monarch. He’ll be relieved to serve another king. -A Theory of Ice & Fire discussion space on Quora

[@nicholaspiper98]

I take the “who cast no shadow” to mean he will be unremarkable, or rather- he will not achieve anything he set out to. Stannis will fade away into the histories of Westeros, achieving nothing; a “king who cast no shadow.”

[@eiran_o_ddwywent]

Glory to the One True King!

[@Bigyeet1106]

random note - you should be proud of all your videos, I love them all !

[@noamias4897]

I was always happy whenever Stannis was shown on page, hate what the show did to him. No matter what happens to him I hope he's present a lot in Winds

[@JW0522]

Quinn: We’ll just have to wait hundreds of days until GRRM releases TWOW to find out. Stannis: Thousands

[@H20No]

Saruman: Tens of thousands…

[@iknowyouhavebugs3524]

This series is one of my favorite things on KZbin. Thank you for these!!

[@jordanford9320]

The new paperback books that you use as reference. I just got them in yesterday. And I just started my reread with them. They are so cool!! I love the artwork!

[@josephyoung2593]

The idea of Stannis ending up as a high-ranking member of the Night's Watch never occurred to me before but it'd be a perfect ending for him. He'd fit right in.

[@SeanORaigh]

Stannis is actually still on dragonstone and the version of Stannis we see is Edric Storm glamoured to look like Stannis. Naturally, Stannis is scheming with the Tyrells, his well known allies, so he can sneak into the red keep in disguise as a disfigured Loras. Then he'll ring those bells that make the dragons spawn in and burn the city.

[@Nalhirrim]

The moment Stannis dies is literally the same moment I close the book and leave the fandom for good.

[@TonttuTorvinen]

Stannis needs to die. He is the justice but has tainted himself with kinslaying. He himself knows that being a good man does not excuse crimes. Also the world is cold and uncaring and will slay the justice. I love the man but his story works better as a tragedy.

[@shireenbaratheon6955]

​@@TonttuTorvinenI love the man, and the idea of him being forced to live with the bad things he's done is more interesting (to me). "Do a bad thing (for whatever reason: good or bad) , you die" is kinda boring

[@RyenPacino]

Stannis WILL be the King of Westeros, these pardoned lords would do well to reflect on that.

[@921Ether]

I believe Stannis will unsuccessfully fend off the White Walker invasion in the North, which will lead him to realize that only the true Azor Ahai can secure victory. This compels him to make the ultimate sacrifice-ordering the burning of his own daughter to resurrect Jon Snow. The prophecy of 'waking a stone dragon' could metaphorically refer to reviving a frozen Jon Snow, who is a confirmed Targaryen

[@Ray_D_Tutto]

Holy Shit this is good.

[@MaegorExposition]

What if he becomes Nights King?

[@Martino-xj6oj]

Quinn making the case for Stannis surviving the entirety of the show is going to give us Stannis shills a new breath for the next 10 years waiting for Winds

[@imean5399]

I really believe he will die in the first act of Dream of Spring

[@shireenbaratheon6955]

I know right, this is simply something I had never considered

[@markhenzel4637]

I still think Melisandre going to see a vision in the fire and realizes Jon Snow is the real Azor Ahai while Stannis battles the Boltons and decides to burn Shireen with the help of Stannis's fanatic wife to revive Jon Snow. Plus, A Game of Thrones conflict is about Eddard Stark wants to put Stannis as king because he's rightful heir, ended with Stannis's victory to sit on Iron Throne in A Dream of Springs would be more poetic. Edit: I mean come on, it's like watching Lord of The Rings where they tease Aragorn to be King of Gondor only to end with Aragorn NOT ended up as King of Gondor.

[@johnreynolds2512]

I think Ghost is Jon's Nissa Nissa, there's a line in ADwD's prologue about a warg and his wolf being tightly bonded together.

[@markhenzel4637]

@@johnreynolds2512 Alright. I see your point. That's a good point. But in the prophecy said Azor Ahai needs to bury his sword in 1) water, 2) lion and 3) his wife. Jon probably needs to do the first two before the third.

[@mrlaw2729]

Prophecy does not have to be literal or accurate lol​@@markhenzel4637

[@NerdAlert78]

not knowing how the Battle of Ice ends is really the only reason I would cry if Winds of Winter never comes out. Actually not true there are many reasons but this is the big one. 😂

[@thedevilluis]

"My name is Darkstar, and i am of the night." lol

[@arturleperoke3205]

Stannis the Mannis, The True Steel, The King who cared, The One True King of Westeros - not by mere succession but by Action, Compassion, Duty and Righteousness!

[@jclaburn]

I really like the Cain and Able theory and agree with it. I also think it goes even further. I think Stannis and Renly actually foreshadow Jon fighting Robb! I am one of the theorists who thinks Lady Stoneheart is more likely than not to reanimate Robb Zombie as a Night’s King figure. Robb is probably the younger borther. He was essentially a high lord who declared himself king, with the support of a lot of people who liked him, like Renly, not an actual heir as Jon is to the Iron Throne. Robb and Jon have been play fighting their entire lives. After Robb dies, Jon dreams that he he is the final person he fights at the Wall in a nightmare. I think Jon will be in the role of Stannis and Robb of Renly after Robb comes back from the dead and takes leadership of the army of the dead for the Others! Cain and Able is a theme that runs through the entire story, including the Stark family. Even the feud between Arya and Sansa in the first book can be construed as a gender swapped Cain-Able rivalry. It also ties into Ice & Fire, as Robb and Sansa are the emotional Fire figures with Tully red hair within the Stark family, and Jon and Arya are the icy, isolated, disfavored, loner figures in the family with the grey eyes, dark hair, and long faces of the ancient Starks. -A Theory of Ice & Fire discussion space on Quora

[@MrHalstedt]

11:34 to "cast no shadow" is to not leave your mark on the world. Noel Gallagher (yes that Noel Gallagher) uses it in one of their lesser known bangers referencing Richard Ashcroft, a man born in the wrong place and time

[@Nelo736]

My Winds of Winter theory is that we‘ll never see the book

[@ПетрБонюк]

I have an idea about burning Shireen in the book It would be a mistake to think that burning Shireen would be an act of sacrifice. There are just so many people of royal blood in the north that it would be strange if Stannis or someone else burned Shireen. Manse, Val, Jon Snow, supposedly Manse's son, supposedly a descendant of Raymond Redbeard, his three daughters. There are so many people here Bowen Marsh's betrayal was largely provoked by a letter from Ramsay. It was full of threats, and when Stannis allegedly lost, the Boltons could unleash their might against the Night's Watch. And Shireen would be their main target, since she now lays claim to the Iron Throne. So, if the mutiny in Castle Black is successful, Bowen Marsh and the conspirators will capture Shireen. The attack on Jon is clearly a reference to the Red Wedding. And if Bowen Marsh captures Shireen. He could arrange an act of loyalty to the Boltons and Lannisters by burning Shireen. Death by fire would be a mockery of the manner of execution of Stannis and the red priests. Just as throwing Cet's body into the river was a mockery of the Tully rite In that case, the drama would be preserved. And Stannis is also responsible for the brutal death of his daughter, especially if the idea of ​​the pink letter was his. But at the same time, Stannis does not do anything out of character.

[@CameronEvenstar]

My only hope is that when Stannis takes Winterfell the glass gardens can be restored, so he can finally eat a peach.

[@gothicsoldier]

I'd had a similar thought that George's hinted character change would be Stannis surviving the war - possibly as the actual Baratheon king on the iron throne at that. George has long seemed to have a certain fondness for Stannis as his misunderstood and more complex character than the others around him ever seem to think. And he'd be the sort of hard man who'd be ideal for rebuilding after the world had ended. There's the old joke that every time you ask when Winds will be done, George kills another Stark, but of course, he's killed very few Starks. But maybe every time D&D misunderstood Stannis, he elected to make Stannis live longer and be cooler

[@billychops1280]

The only things I want to say about this is that, if people think Stannis died up north not much would change politically, most of the realm has forgotten about him and are behind Tommen, there are a few lords who still consider him a threat like Randal Tarly but the rumour that he’s dead is ultimately going to work in his favour because his enemies will lower their guard. And as for the casualties he sustains in the upcoming battles, it’s almost guaranteed that the Manderly’s join him and fall on the freys from the Rear while Stannis and his men use their lighthouse to cause massive casualties from the front, they will then most likely loot all the provisions the freys brought and start a brief period of recovery before Moving to winter fell. Stannis had around 6K men before Deepwood, he’s likely lost 1000 to the elements and hunger. He will suffer light casualties at the battle, maybe 200 men at most. Which will be blustered by Manderly and his 1500 men, Wyman will also have lost few troops. Since it’s a surprise attack and as Ramsey showed us when he attached Rodrick Cassel and Cerwyn, it’s easy to route an unsuspecting army. So Stannis is going to wintefll with between 6.5K to 7K if he meats up with whatever Umber men are left and also other defectors along the way, Roose has 3K inside winterfell, so the site itself will probably be where most of Stannis Casualties take place.

[@hypatiakovalevskayasklodow9195]

12:40 agree that Shireen will be burned. But I fear that it will be due to gray scale. I don’t think Stannis will be the one to give the order. He wants her to rule, remember? He did everything to stop the gray scale once, he would do it again, he wouldnt just give up

[@SayakMunshi]

There should be an official petition for GRRM to release a few more preview chapters of Winds atleast, if not the Winds in whole 😂

[@ryanmartin4452]

Always happy to see a video from ur channel on my feed ❤

[@albdamned577]

I really hope we get a better end. I would love for “lightbringer” to be shown as false and stannis shrug it off like an old cloak. He is one Valyrian steel sword swing away. I can’t imagine the glamour standing up against whatever magic makes Valyrian steel.

[@darthJ9]

Only issue i see with this theory is why would a group of sellswords from another continent come all the way to fight for Westeros at the wall against a supernatural force of death? They signed up to face regular human beings in a generic civil war for the throne of Westeros which would grant them fame, fortune, land, titles etc. Things a mercenary would benefit from. If anyone's going to stand up to the Others its going to have to be the armies of Westeros, mainly the Northern armies. And for that, there will have to be a ruler on the iron throne who acknowledges the Others as an actual threat and Winter needs to settle in. The Citadel and the capital are the southern-most strongholds of the kingdom. There would need to be some major calamitous event like an asteroid impact or the wall coming down (via an Asteroid ? ) for there to be a percieved threat. Either that or Stannis/Jon/Dany need to go South first to bring the kingdom to heel before going back north to deal with the Others. Either that or the threat has to be dealt with in the north completely before anyone realise the Others exist so none of the people who fought the war for living will get their due credit for saving the world and everything will reset to the way it was. Maybe that could be the bittersweet ending George keeps talking about.

[@mavenous22]

I can't see Stannis burning Shireen...notes aside, I'll believe it when I see it on the printed page. Stannis is snowed in, in the small village, and it took almost the entirety of book 5 for him to get there. The road back to the wall is under 10 feet of snow and they're hundreds of miles from the sea. Instead, I think Mel goes rogue and burns Shireen in an act of desperation when the others attack the wall and she realizes Jon switched the babies.

[@steelepartridge6954]

Been on a roll of bangers, keep it up!

[@donnish7472]

Stannis is such a great character, many aspects of his story are heavily inspired by the heroes and tragedies of Antiquity.

[@ohnoitsaxel5150]

Considering this is not strictly a "Winter Is Coming For..." video, can we look forward for one regarding Stannis? I really enjoy his character, and would love to see a comprehensive exploration of his fate. Great video, as always!

[@Tobuuuu]

So sad we’ll never hear Roy Dotrice voice those ravens from the Theon chapter :( CORN

[@shireenbaratheon6955]

Damn, now I'm sad(der)

[@linkos2540]

If the last part of the series is supposed to be the great war against the others, the alliance of men needs the best possible commander available to win. My guess is this is exactly why Stannis is moved to the north and is gaining control over it, to be the general against The Others. He will most likely die in this war tho, and this solves problem with his claim on the north (and the kingdom as a whole)

[@JohnnyJohnnyGalt]

Come to think of it, it'd be a nice bit of irony if Stannis spends the rest of his life as a wandering sellsword, the very thing Robert fantasized about.

[@pckrichards7980]

My personal theory is that shireen or myrcella ends up with Jon or faegon, a la Henry 7 and Elizabeth of York, and this totally fits with that!

[@jeremyj8153]

Would love a video detailing how well the Starks match up with the faith of the seven and if you can find any deeper implications this has/could have on the story. Ned - father, Cat - mother, Robb - warrior, Sansa - maid, Bran - smith, Arya - stranger, and then it falls apart a bit with Rickon because I think lady Stoneheart is the Crone, but that’s a shaggy dog for you I guess

[@rebeccam7051]

One thing regarding your Cain and Abel theory: it was Cain who was the farmer and Abel the shepherd. Still, it's an interesting theory anyway!

[@Rebel_Lord_Taron]

You nailed it with stannis and Renley with that comparison to Cain and Abel.

[@noamias4897]

“A sacrifice will prove our faith still burns true, Sire,” Clayton Suggs had told the king. And Godry the Giantslayer said, “The old gods of the north have sent this storm upon us. Only R’hllor can end it. We must give him an unbeliever.” “Half my army is made up of unbelievers,” Stannis had replied. “I will have no burnings. Pray harder.”

[@chummycho3140]

Personally I think that Stannis will burn shireen to resurrect Jon. "waking dragons from stone" means Jon is the dragon and shireen is the stone. Jon's hair will also turn white which is the "waking" and will put him closer to his targ heritage and it will be a cool parallel with lady stoneheart.

[@robslebowski6776]

I might have a cool addition: I think the Battle of the Bastards will still happen in ASOIAF. As Stannis reclaims Winterfell by sneaking in with his men. Roose and Ramsey before left with a large chunk of the Bolton army, heading to the wall, to kill all the wildings. How and wether Jon gets resurrected, but lets say he will (which is very likely), he executes the ones who stabbed him, leaves the NW behind and marches south with the wildlings to fight the Boltons. In my theory, Stannis will save Jon like the Kights of the Vale did in the series. While I agree, that Stannis is destined for a tragic fate and probably ending - I do hope he actually has enough time to head south, become King while the Lennister/Tyrells and Aegon deplete themselves - reunites as much of the Kingdom as he can and then proceeds to march to the wall and prepare for the long night with Jon. I mean thats probably what I want as a Mannis follower. Shits going to be beyond unpredictable after Stannis actually takes Winterfell and doesn't die like in the show. Danys arrival, as well as the others will decide so much. I do think Stannis could gather an army of atleast 30K men (considering the Iron Bank is backing him) and actually really become king, atleast temporarily. I know this universe is not about "fan service" or anything, I just think Stannis can become king (which isnt't necessarily fan service as it would be having a purpose) and still have the tragic end he's destined for. We also can't forget about Littlefinger, Euron or Mance. Thats what I mean, it will be so unpredictable, it's really insane.

[@BeteBlanc]

There are interesting questions around Stannis and I feel most people have too shallow a view of his purpose in the story. Fake deaths. On the topic of sacrificed fakes, there is an interesting character in his grasp. While everyone assumes the sacrifice of his daughter will be just that, they fail to take into account exactly the point you made. Stannis also has Jayne who he may believe is Arya. What's interesting is that as an heir to Robb, she is kingsblood. Should Stannis pull another rattleshirt, he can swap his daughter for Jayne and burn Jayne pretending she's his daughter. If she were actually Arya then it should work. In the show it fails, but is this because Jayne is not actually Arya and a proper sacrifice? Purpose in Plot. Is his purpose in the plot as straight forward as being a king and a flaming sword? Take special note of his description in the sample chapter and contrast this with the core descriptions of these other pairs. Brynden/Bran (skeletal with broken boy), Selmy/Quent (old skeletal with broken boy), LSH/Brienne (dead with broken girl). All of these are a riff on the fisher king trope. This doesn't mean I think he'll die, but it does mean that I think you should consider the point of his character in the narrative less on its own and more as a parallel tool that will play a role morw like BR, LSH, and Selmy. Bran is hanging from a tree, Theon is hanging, Brienne is hanging. He appears to be set up as a judge of sorts. It's hard to figure out as no one will ever engage with the topic.

[@originalgal76]

I believe the no shadow part has something to do with varys' metaphor and the opposite of tyrion's large shadow in moqorro's vision. That casting no shadow meams having no political influence

[@martind5653]

We stand with Stannis. One true king!

[@thanos_karagiannhs5320]

He will survive in out hearts regardless of his fate

[@The_Left-Hand_Path]

Interesting take, I think George's allusions to Stannis' parallels with Richard III are also worth considering, but overall your take is the same one I've got.

[@SonicMan2007]

I hope he at least survives to fight the Others, since he's the only southerner character who sees them as the real threat that they are. I think his arc would be fulfilled dying in battle against them.

[@danielleeskelton]

I think you are wrong on Stannis burning his daughter. I can't see him ever doing that. I think Mel will do it though, in an attempt to save Stannis.

[@imean5399]

I think thats the entire point though. Stannis will do 'the unthinkable' due to his religious fervor. Once Daenarys comes along, on dragon back, Melisandre will unceremoniously abandon Stannis which will make the sacrifice of Shireen hit him like a truck.

[@mrmr9420]

Feel like he will only be recognised as king posthumously, a bitter sweet victory.

[@logical_hawk]

I think he won't get Winterfell. As far as we know, George said that it will be Stannis' decision to burn Shireen, and if he manages to win he will be in a very good position to commit such an act. For me, this journey he made from CB to Winterfell It's part of the tragedy that will lead him to burn his own daughter. Something like even after all the efforts and all the tricks still lose, and this will be the end of our one true king... So maybe he loses or has a pyrrhic victory, returning defeated to the Wall (it would make strategic sense to return and wait for the mercenaries) and burning his daughter at Nightfort because of the threat of The Others I think maybe some agreement with the Manderly to allow him to return to the wall, presenting his sword to the Boltons. I always thought the ‘seven days of battle’ would be like a pursuit of Stannis’ army as they try to retreat to the Wall, because it's too long to be a single battle

[@Swatyo]

The problem is that there's no time for him returning to the wall + the weather is getting worse. In order to burn shireen he must either win the battle or somehow miraculously escape with some sort of supplies for the journey back, and since this isn't the show, he won t just teleport there.

[@logical_hawk]

@@Swatyo To be fair, there is no time to finish the story in only 2 books... I hope this is not delaying George, trying to fit everything into only 2 books, it would be better if he just wrote as much as it took to finish the work. He had told HBO that it would take 13 seasons to adapt the series, so it doesn't make much sense that only 2 books are enough

[@Swatyo]

@@logical_hawk True true, Preston is also saying this and it's 100% correct, the story has grown into something so massive (but satisfyingly realistic i would say) that it's impossible to finish up in only two books.

[@vincenthickey8622]

Very profound speculation. What is so intriguing about Stanus is duty compells him and not desire for power or recognition. He would be a much better king than Robert. Thoughtful, long term thinking and not dictated by his emotions. His weakness is he doesn't understand being popular really matters. His unfounded expectations is people will act silly on duty. Not being honorable means you die. He would rule more justify and harshly but not compassionately.

[@Robert399]

I agree about Daenerys' vision about Stannis. For as much as he likes misinterpreted prophecies, GRRM tends not to do Nostradamus-type stuff. For the _reader_ their meaning is usually pretty obvious in hindsight and clues are usually kept pretty close by, not hidden away. So I'm pretty sure the "no shadow" thing refers to his use of shadow magic in the same book, not him becoming an Other in 4 books' time.

[@BearusAurelius]

I love the tie-in to Cain and Able. I have always thought that Stannis would return to the wall at some point to lead the fight against the Others, but my guess is he would perish doing so. That being said your bible reference really does seem on-point. I think Stannis surviving until the end could be very fitting for his character.

[@imean5399]

I like the idea that Stannis does sacrifice Shireen to R'hollor and being pretty confident in Mels interpretation that he is the prince who was promised ... until Daenarys comes along, making Melisandre turn her back on Stannis and supporting her claim. This will be Stannis' ultimate undoing, realizing he killed the one person he actually loved due to a scam artist who appealled to his ego. Or at the very least losing his grip on power in a melancholic downward spiral. At this point he will be on the Iron Throne, but with the Faith Militant he is very much on shaky ground. He will be executed by the faith militant in Kings Landing, bringing his story of religious fanaticism full circle. Thats the arc I see for Stannis. He will take Winterfell before marching on Kings Landing, without realizing its a death trap for him right now. I dont see Tommen actually beating Stannis any more than I see the people of Kings Landing seeing him as anything but a heretic.

[@averagefsherman]

Surely the casting no shadow is a reference to the Sam chapter where Aemon makes Stannis showcase lightbringer and asks Sam if it cast any shadow or if he felt any heat?

[@rsmlinar1720]

Could Stannis not having a shadow in Dany's vision mean to tell he is false Azor Ahai. Mel says shadows are servents of the lord of light, if Stannis doesnt have it what does that suggest?

[@jbailey5061]

15:40 Or.....Arya wears his face. His loyalty seems shaky now and she's already killed one deserter (albeit from a different institution she has a connection to).

[@jordymontes95]

There is a youtube channel called Moon Man with the same idea for Stannis to survive till the end

[@mappingshaman5280]

Stannis burning shireen makes no sense, especially if, as you say, he fake executed mance and will fake execute theon. Like he's not willing to sacrifice other kingsblood holders, but he's willing to sacrifice his own daughter and heir for her kingsblood?

[@aabbccdd4710]

Great video, Quinn! I was wondering, what are your thoughts on Rickon's story potentially turning out to be a "shaggydog story" like it was in the show?

[@calebbarrick1983]

Another note on the story of Cain that might tie in interestingly to Stannis’ story. After God exiles Cain to wander the earth, Cain fears retribution from the other inhabitants of the earth recognizing and seeking to kill him for Abel’s death. God places a mark on Cain as protection so that he would not be killed.

[@Snakie747]

I actually think that Stannis and Renly are more an echo of Esau and Jacob- another brother duo in the Old Testament. Esau was born first and should have received the blessing of his father, but Jacob is more well loved by his parents than Esau. Long story short- Jacob manages to trick their father into giving HIM the blessing instead of Esau. In other words- Jacob steals Esau's birthright. When the error is revealed, their father (Isaac) refuses to take back the blessing, and only gives Esau a lesser blessing- much like Stannis getting Dragonstone instead of Storms End despite being older.

[@ingen_nate_kenny6588]

I do think if nothing else is that him being in the vision at the Undying means that he will be there at the end, whether alive or not I cannot say. Stannis, Aegon, and Euron. There would-be kings, would-be dragonlords, would be-prophetic figures. All second children, all tied to the color blue, and all seemingly important to the end of this story.

[@drewpydrewdrop3841]

Casts no shadow, to me that means has no children. Oooooof.

[@Reptilia222]

Stannis certainly has more staying power and role in the story than the Boltons.

[@jeremyj8153]

In the south it is said that Jon Con and the Aegon cause is planning to take Storms end with guile as well. I think George planned to parallel Aegon and Stannis’s story moving forward as both believe to be the one true king.

[@DaBogDweller]

Another banger

[@jacobwhelan45]

Honestly he deserves a good ending, whether that’s alive or dead, but I think him ending the long night and becoming King is so far fetched

[@barrone71]

You’ll need to watch the D&D interview again. They do not say Stannis will burn his daughter/Shireen. They say Shireen is burned Based off where the people are it’s the end of ADOD and what will be going on (war with the Frey’s and Ramsay then a mutiny at Castle Black) it’s pretty clear Stannis won’t be able to burn Shireen unless he defeats the Bolton’s (unlike the show) and goes back to The Wall. Maybe he burns her at Winterfell as a sacrifice vs the WW, that’s possible. But D&D specially did not say Stannis burns Shireen. That appears to be the result of them giving his storyline to Jon Snow (battle of bastards).

[@toniitormenta]

i don't want stannis to die without him knowing that davos is still alive :(

[@akechijubeimitsuhide]

My dream would be them reuniting and then fighting their final battle, dying side by side, but that might be too heroic for GRRM.

[@williamkline7922]

I like the idea that he dies in winds. Something along the lines of him and those of the army who choose to follow him to act as a rearguard or something for Jon. Stannis confirms to Jon and his men that he is the king performing his duty to protect his subjects and will fight to the last man. Jon and the army recognize him as king of the seven kingdoms and he holds of the others with his trademarked bitter determination. He is iron he does not bend.

[@ucnguyenanh9414]

He'll drown in the lake he is luring the Boltons and Freys to. A Follower of the Fire God, died an icy death. Pretty poetic.

[@jaqobini2382]

GRMM mentioned that WoW will take us further beyond the Wall than any other of the previous books. I wonder what that will be. Could you make a video about it?

[@booyakuhsha24]

Talking Dunk and Egg will indeed be fun

[@zaviersyed8483]

I can’t help but imagine Stannis as a Benson from Regular Show 😂 his constant teeth grinding gives off the vibes of a manager with high blood pressure