What are the chances of House Bolton being wiped out in TWOW?

[Floki of the Ironborn]

I'm personally hoping that this conflict is done away with as soon as possible so that Stannis, Jon (assuming he isn't actually dead), and the rest of the North can turn their attention to the far north with all the strength that they can muster.

That said, knowing GRRM, I imagine only one of the Boltons will die in TWOW, while the other will somehow survive at least until the last book. It could really go either way but I'll arbitrarily guess that Ramsay will survive while Roose gets killed somehow. 'Cause Ramsay is far too clever to be caught out in the snow in a pitched battle with Stannis. He knows he won't stand a chance in a straight up fight.

[Gibzit]

I think Roose and Ramsay will die but Fat Walda's kid might survive and rule the Dreadfort in the end.

[Direwolves of The Night]

Personally, I'm hoping they all get killed off.

[Floki of the Ironborn]

Personally, I'm hoping they all get killed off.

Well, the baby doesn't have to die. It can be warded to the Starks or the Manderlys and get a proper upbringing. Hell, you don't have to give it the Dreadfort to rule, or even let it keep its name, just name it Snow, raise them to be a septon/septa or something. But killing it just because it's got Bolton and Frey blood? Not necessary.

Ramsay, Roose, and Walder, on the other hand, should all be killed by blood eagle. While this plays in the background, hee hee https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spUOHX0aRWc

[Jon Dovahkiin Snow]

I don't see Ramsay as being any more clever than Roose. Anyway, I suspect that one of them (probably Roose) will survive until the last book. In a perfect world Theon would kill Ramsay and/or Arya would kill Roose in the last book. The world they live in is far from perfect, though.

There's a few other plotlines I'd rather see end sooner. The Bolton/Winterfell plotline is great, imo.

[Floki of the Ironborn]

The Bolton/Winterfell plotline is great, imo.

I agree, but for the sake of the characters I'm rooting for, I want the Bolton threat out of the way as soon as possible with minimal cost.

[Magnar of Skagos]

I agree, but for the sake of the characters I'm rooting for, I want the Bolton threat out of the way as soon as possible with minimal cost.

I am kind of embarrassed to admit that I believe the whole "Roose is some magical vampire type guy" theory. I think he'll go out with a bang, if he ever does die.

[Jon Dovahkiin Snow]

Well, the baby doesn't have to die. It can be warded to the Starks or the Manderlys and get a proper upbringing. Hell, you don't have to give it the Dreadfort to rule, or even let it keep its name, just name it Snow, raise them to be a septon/septa or something. But killing it just because it's got Bolton and Frey blood? Not necessary.

Ramsay, Roose, and Walder, on the other hand, should all be killed by blood eagle. While this plays in the background, hee hee

I had to look up what "blood eagle" was because at first I thought you meant Bloodraven or some Asoiaf/lotr hybrid creature. What a ruthless method of execution, though. Wow.

[LordPathera]

There are only two living Boltons left.

Everyone hates them.

Everyone is either trying to kill them or content to let them die.

They are about to face one of the best military commanders in recent Westeros history.

Did I mention that half of their "men" are waiting for a chance at revenge?

There only other allies are a House that everyone hates just as much.

Go figure.

[Gibzit]

There are only two living Boltons left.

Everyone hates them.

Everyone is either trying to kill them or content to let them die.

They are about to face one of the best military commanders in recent Westeros history.

Did I mention that half of their "men" are waiting for a chance at revenge?

There only other allies are a House that everyone hates just as much.

Go figure.

2.5 Boltons alive actually.

[Bustard]

I hope Roose survives but I'm not very optimistic... Ramsay can die the worst death imaginable.

Not to leech off your thread here but let's assume either Roose or Ramsay survives TWoW (only 1 of the 2). Who is that more likely to be?

[Jon Dovahkiin Snow]

I am kind of embarrassed to admit that I believe the whole "Roose is some magical vampire type guy" theory. I think he'll go out with a bang, if he ever does die.

I don't think he's a vampire type creature, but I agree that there is more to him than we know of (in a supernatural way), which is part of the reason I think he'll survive until the last book. Another big reason is I would just love to read Arya reminding him that she was his cupbearer and then revealing who she really is right before she kills him. I know she kind of already did that to someone, but I would still love to read it. She could start it off by being all "Oh I heard you found Arya Stark."

[Floki of the Ironborn]

I had to look up what "blood eagle" was because at first I thought you meant Bloodraven or some Asoiaf/lotr hybrid creature. What a ruthless method of execution, though. Wow.

If you don't mind spoilers for "Vikings", here's the scene where they carry out the blood eagle torture on a certain character. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSMBBa3ZeN4

[Floki of the Ironborn]

Not to leech off your thread here

I see what you did there :cheers:

[kimim]

I hope Roose survives but I'm not very optimistic... Ramsay can die the worst death imaginable.

Not to leech off your thread here but let's assume either Roose or Ramsay survives TWoW (only 1 of the 2). Who is that more likely to be?

I don't think either will make it, but I'd pick Roose to survive. Ramsay is a garden-variety psycho. Roose is a weird psycho, way more interesting (to me).

[LordCouture]

Ghost and/or Shaggydog beats up Ramsay's hounds before eating him alive.

It is known.

[John Doe]

I think Roose is more likely to survive than Ramsay.

[Floki of the Ironborn]

While we're on the subject, I'm willing to bet that Theon will not be the one to kill Ramsay. It's too fitting, and GRRM never likes that. So I'm betting it'll be the other way around. Ramsay will be the one to kill Theon at long last. Maybe Theon takes Ramsay down with him, but either way he won't get to enjoy his newfound freedom/revenge.

[SacredOrderOfGreenMen]

I think Roose will finagle his way to some kind of survival. If any antagonist can get out of the coming mess in Winterfell with their skin still on their flesh, it's Roose.

The Starks and their loyalists will be too occupied with the Others' invasion and sheer survival to bother with Roose and the Dreadfort.

I believe that the major powers of Winterfell, Casterly Rock, the Eyrie and Storm's End and others will be spending the rest of the New Age of Heroes rebuilding their kingdoms. The Red Kings of the Dreadfort will be independent for a time.

[Yukle]

There are only two living Boltons left.

This is really strange, and has always been hard for me to accept. Even accounting for the ambiguity of how much time has really passed since the Andals invaded and the First Men arrived, House Stark is indisputably the oldest ruling house in Westeros. They've been warring with the Boltons for at least 1,000 years, possibly longer.

Both families should have far more descendants than they do in the series. The Lannisters and Freys have heaps of cousins - where are the cousins of the Starks and Boltons?! They can't all have joined the Night's Watch or been killed in battle. Surely at some point in the past 1,000 years both families had a man like Walder Frey, who determinedly pumps out 100 descendants.

BACK TO THE QUESTION! :P

And to answer the original post - I think it unlikely that the Boltons will actually die out. It'd be a more incredible and unlikely story if Roose Bolton led his massively diminished forces into a retreat and then later on joined the Night's Watch, the Free Folk and Stannis' dwindling forces to make a last stand at the Wall.

I'm all for Roose dying while fighting the Others, just for the literary reasons of making his character so incomprehensibly fascinating - evil in some respects, honourable in others. The more I think of it, I think both Stannis and Roose are destined to die fighting against the Others.