Who WILL Be on the Iron Throne at the End?

[Hodor's Dragon]

There's another thread about who you would like to see on the Iron Throne. I don't much care about that, but I'm interested in seeing who people think is likely to be on the Iron Throne at the very end.

I'm going to put a top 10. Put as many as you like, but consider also saying who you think is a contender as well as a favorite. Explain if you like.

Here's my top 10:

1. Jon

2. Dany

3. Aegon

4. Littlefinger

5. Stannis

6. Tyrion

7. Euron

8. Tommen

9. Victarion

10. Davos

Davos is my dark horse. There's absolutely no reason in the world to think it would be him and hard to imagine how he would be - except that I think he would probably be the best king of the bunch (at least if he can get hold of a dragon somehow), and OK, he does get an extremely positive portrayal from the author. I can see somebody like him picking up the pieces after the spectacular, dramatic ending where Jon and Dany go out together defeating the Others with a last, romantic goodbye scene as they both lie dying in the snow. (George can find a way to jigger it if he wants to. . . .)

Other contenders: Rickon, Myrcella, Sansa, Varys

EDIT: OK, let's make it parimutuel odds, with a little bit of jiggering of who the favorites are based on other responses in the thread:

Jon 2-1

Dany 5-2

Nobody 3-1

Aegon 4-1

Littlefinger 6-1

Stannis 7-1

Tyrion 12-1

Jaime 14-1

Euron 15-1

Tommen 25-1

Victarion 50-1

Shireen 60-1

Davos 75-1

Rickon, Myrcella, Sansa, Varys each 100-1

There is no odds-on favorite.

SECOND EDIT:

Coming back on 2015, since Bovada has now rendered odds!

Here's what Bovada thinks (note that this after the deaths (or "deaths") of Stannis and Jon:

Daenerys Targaryen — 5/2
Jon Snow — 3/1
Aegon VI Targaryen — 6/1
Tyrion Lannister — 15/2
Petyr Baelish — 15/2
Margaery Tyrell — 14/1
Euron Greyjoy — 20/1
Varys — 20/1
Stannis Baratheon — 25/1
Sansa Stark — 25/1
Night’s King — 25/1
Cersei Lannister — 40/1
Trystane Martell — 40/1
Bran or Rickon Stark — 50/1
Arya Stark — 50/1
Ramsay Bolton — 50/1
Hodor — 500/1

Personally, I'm a little mind-boggled that people like Cersei, "Night's King," Trystane and Arya are on the list: but the current King isn't!

[Mr. ASoIaF]

Stannis will always be my number one choice

Tommen wouldn't be too bad if Cersei dies

Someone like Roose Bolten or Walder Frey would be a curveball

I can imagine Littlefinger sliding his way onto the throne too

[JonCon's Red Beard]

The King.

[Mr. ASoIaF]

The King.

I have a feeling you might be right

[PirateVergo]

Hopefully it will be Stannis.

Anyone but Dany/fAegon would be fine for me.

No more targ on the IT so the madness can finally stop;

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

I don't think it will even exist as an institution at the end. Or rather, I don't think there will be one person ruling over every kingdom; I expect there to be devolution on some scale. So in that sense, my answer is, "No one."

Failing that, I don't think that anyone who is actively seeking it will end up on it (they might be the monarch temporarily, but they won't end the series as such). So by that metric, I'd strike Dany, Aegon, Stannis and anyone in the Lannister-Tyrell bloc from the list, and, depending on what their goals really are, guys like Littlefinger and Euron.

[Hodor's Dragon]

Ha! Come on, folks, predict!

ASoIaF: kinda looks like a preference, not a pick? Maybe part of each?

Red Beard: A "pick," and > 50% likely to be right, but in the final analysis, boil it down to its constituent elements, and finely weigh the results: it's a dodge

Vergo: sheer preferences

Martini: interesting post, but you're still not saying who. I get it, you tell us already why you didn't, but still. . . .

The field is open for the bold.

[Mr. ASoIaF]

Ha! Come on, folks, predict!

ASoIaF: kinda looks like a preference, not a pick? Maybe part of each?

Red Beard: A "pick," and > 50% likely to be right, but in the final analysis, boil it down to its constituent elements, and finely weigh the results: it's a dodge

Vergo: sheer preferences

Martini: interesting post, but you're still not saying who. I get it, you tell us already why you didn't, but still. . . .

The field is open for the bold.

I admit Stannis is kinda a preference

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

Martini: interesting post, but you're still not saying who. I get it, you tell us already why you didn't, but still. . . .

I said who: No one.

And given that, based on what I've seen, nearly everyone thinks that someone will be on it, I think "No one" is in and of itself a fairly bold prediction. I certainly don't see it come up as often as the usual Dany/Jon/Stannis/Aegon picks.

[TheSpymaster]

Jaime lannister .....

[Fat Mac]

I'm with AM on this one. I don't think anyone will sit the throne.

[RoamingRonin]

I'm with AM on this one. I don't think anyone will sit the throne.

She said Jon.

[Good Guy Garlan]

Ok, here's a thought:

Aegon showed up pretty late to the game but I doubt Martin brought him back all the way from the land of the dead for shits and giggles. The kid will be a decisive factor in the war to come.

But, I don't think he'll be king, because that's not how Martin rolls. I think he'll pull a reverse Dance of the Dragons: Dany (or someone else, really) will kill Aegon, but he will knock someone (Sansa. There, I said it) up, so his kid will eventually be on the IT.

And on the surface it would look like a Targaryen restoration (which sucks) but we readers will know he's a Blackfyre (which rocks). So the series will end echoing Varys' speech about power being an illusion, etc, etc.

So, yeah, Aegon's kid is my choice. I'd also say Myrcella and Trystane if it weren't for that stupid prophecy

[King of Vaes Tolorro]

Edric Storm! Son of Robert Baratheon! Ward of Storm's End! Blood of Kings and the Dragon! Edric the Storm will be King.

[Señor de la Tormenta]

stannis

[The_Greatest_Walrus]

My Top 10:

1. Dany
   
2. Jon
   
3. Aegon
   
4. Tommen
   
5. Stannis
   
6. Myrcella
   
7. Euron
   
8. Tyrion
   
9. Willas Tyrell
   
10. Robert Arryn
    

[TheReal_Rebel]

The Lannisters of Casterly Rock with maybe exception of Tyrion are about to make themselves extinct.

Ser Barristan kind of started an incipient democracy, true it's in Mereen, but I think Dany would approve, so the beginning of King/Queen & proto- Parliament is likely.

If I had to pick--Dany. But not for long. Or she might have Drogon melt it down

[+cassius]

Stannis

[Mycah Bluth]

In order: Tommen, Myrcella, Aegon, Daenerys, and then Kings' Landing is destroyed. Sorry, Stannis.

[Red Tiger]

Shireen