GRRM Teases the Perfect Ending for One Game of Thrones Character — After The Winds of Winter in A Dream of Spring
George R.R. Martin is still miles from A Dream of Spring, but he already has one character’s final scene locked in—and he said so in a 2022 Game of Owns interview, while keeping the identity under wraps. Cue the speculation over which fan favorite gets the curtain call.
George R.R. Martin still has to get The Winds of Winter across the finish line, but he already knows exactly how one character exits the stage in the book after that. Yes, he has an ending planned for A Dream of Spring while the penultimate novel is still in progress. That is... bold. And kind of encouraging.
The tease: a final-book ending came to him out of nowhere
Back in 2022, on the Game of Owns podcast, Martin said a fully formed sendoff for a specific character hit him like a lightning bolt. He would not say who it is, but he was confident it is the right move and it belongs in the series finale, not the next book.
"About a month ago, just out of nowhere, the perfect ending for a particular character came to me. It would be in A Dream of Spring. Not Winds of Winter... And wait, why are you giving me ideas for Dream of Spring? I'm not there yet. Shut the f--- up, Muse. But it's there and I'm gonna remember it... I think it's gonna be strong. It's gonna be powerful. It's what I need to do, it's appropriate."
He did not name the character. He did signal he is thinking beyond Winds, which lines up with what he keeps saying: he intends to finish the story.
So... is there hope for Winds of Winter?
The Winds of Winter has been hanging over the fandom since around 2011, and yes, we are 14 years into the wait. Martin has not offered any big, concrete updates lately beyond the usual: he is working on it. In the meantime, he has been popping up at conventions and in interviews.
Oddly enough, that 2022 Spring tease has fans feeling a little more optimistic. The logic goes like this: if he figures out the big moves in Winds, the last book could flow faster. There is even a running fan theory that he might be holding pages back for a two-book dump, which would help explain the marathon delay. To be clear, that double-release idea is speculation, not a promise.
Seven books, not eight (if he can help it)
When the Game of Owns hosts asked if he would expand A Song of Ice and Fire beyond seven books, Martin's answer was short: "I hope not." The catch is page count. He has said Winds might run roughly 300 pages longer than his already hefty A Storm of Swords and A Dance with Dragons. If the publisher insisted on splitting it, that would technically push the series past the seven-book plan. He does not like chopping a novel in half, and frankly, most readers do not either. First things first, though: he wants to finish the book before that call gets made.
Where we are in the saga
- A Game of Thrones — 1996
- A Clash of Kings — 1998
- A Storm of Swords — 2000
- A Feast for Crows — 2005
- A Dance with Dragons — 2011
- The Winds of Winter — TBA
- A Dream of Spring — TBA
The bottom line
Martin has a specific, final-book ending locked for one character and believes it is the right move. Winds of Winter remains the mountain in front of him, but he is still climbing. Make of that what you will, but I will take any sign that the finish line is still in sight.