Game of Thrones fanatics, author George R R Martin should not be blamed for the death of your favorite characters in the 7 seasons of the show. Martin has revealed the main reason why the characters meet their fate — Lords of the Rings author J R R Tolkien is responsible!
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Tolkien wrote death for Gandalf in the series and Martin draws inspiration from it. Interacting with PBS, the author talked about how the Tolkein’s writing affected him. The author of A Song of Ice and Fire said, “Tolkien’s greatest invention was the characters who struggle with the temptation of the Ring and what to do with it. They’re all fighting these battles inside their hearts. That can take place anywhere, at any time, in any space in all of human history.”
“…and then Gandalf dies. I can’t explain the impact that had on me at 13. You can’t kill Gandalf! Conan didn’t die in the Conan books. Tolkien just broke that rule,” he added.
Martin went on to talk about the impact of that turning point, saying: “And I love him forever for it. The minute you kill Gandalf, the suspense of everything that follows is a thousand times greater because now anybody could die. It’s had a profound effect on my own willingness to kill characters at the drop of a hat.”
According to a Washington Post investigation, there have been more than 1,200 deaths on Game of Thrones in past 7 seasons. The last season of the show would reportedly air in the first half of 2019.
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Talking about the upcoming season, Sophie Turner, who features as Sansa Stark in the HBO series, said, “It’s going to be bloodier and more death and more emotionally torturous than all the years before.”
Seems like we are going to witness a lot of heartwrenching demises in season 8 too.