Best Guess what is Baelishs' goal/endgame

[Azai]

I know it is hard to tell since the books aren't finished but I am have a hard time figuring where he is going.

He turned the Starks against the Lannisters, maybe as an old grudge.  He has kept the Vale out of the war, I suppose to retain its strength. He obviously wants power for himself, and we know sometimes he does actions that don't make sense to throw his enemies off his trail.

But what is the endgame? Does he just want the seven kingdoms to destroy themselves in war, and then swipe in conquering it for himself? Maybe even giving the Iron throne to himself? 

[DarkSister1001]

Welcome!  I think he knows he's too lowborn to sit the IT.  But he'd like the power that comes with being the Hand.  He seems to want all the Nobles Houses in his debt.  Hell, even Cersei in ADwD was missing him in KL. 

[Azai]

Thank you! Yeah, he wants to be of importance. But now being Lord Paramount of the Riverlands and Protector of the Vale? Correct? It seems he has gathered a lot of power. And isn't the  finding money was just borrowing it from others. I am curious if Petyr was purposely doing this to make the crown in incredible debt and perhaps weaken it. 

I just have a hard time figuring out why he is doing all this beyond gaining power.  It doesn't seem like Varys who according to him he is trying to serve Westeros and seemingly restore the Targaryens to the Iron Throne. His end game.  But Petyr just seems like a power grab at the moment but I feel like there has to be more to it than that. 

[Light a wight tonight]

I think he wants to put a puppet on the Iron Throne and rule Westeros through him (or her). 

[Knight and Dayne]

I think you might want to check out @thought_criminal22's discussion here.

[enoofu]

Are we sure that Baelish isn't the one being played?

Seem odd that both he and Varys seem to have the same goals at least at the start of Game of Thrones

Varys end up endorsing Aegon Targaryen who is the so called Prince that Promised that both Priest of Rhilor believe in and Wood Witches (Maybe Maegi) in Westeros and either of those parties could of been the one that was called forth in his de balling, right before his amazing rise for power

Could Baelish be played by the other side after he got kicked out of Riverrun?

 Also to note one of the biggest religion in Braavos (Littlefinger ancestral homeland) is the Many-Faced God which worships the Children of the Forest of the Old God religion, Harrenhal would be on the road back to the Vale from Riverrun and outside of Harrenhal is the God's Eye which is where the Pact was formed.

Also seem odd that he wanted Harrenhal from the start since he had a decent chance of asking for Riverrun during the Tully's mutiny with the crown.

[Good Guy Garlan]

2 hours ago, Light a wight tonight said:

I think he wants to put a puppet on the Iron Throne and rule Westeros through him (or her). 

This. I don't think he wants to sit the throne himself, so Regent or Hand is as far as he wants to go. 

I think his immediate ten step plan for success is:

1) Get rid of Sweetrobin

2) Marry Sansa to Harry

3) Have Harry and his armies reclaim Winterfell and Riverrun in Sansa's name

4) Crown Harry and Sansa as King and Queen of Vale, Riverlands and North

5) Invade other kingdoms/claim the Iron Throne

6) Wait till Sansa gives birth to Harry's son

7) Get rid of Harry

8) Marry Sansa

9) Rule as Regent of Harry and Sansa's son

10) Bathe in fans' tears

[Dorian Martell]

23 minutes ago, Good Guy Garlan said:

10) Bathe in fans' tears

Erry day 

 

[Greg B]

Littlefinger is about as realistic a character as The Joker. Things happen that turn the plot, and it turns out later that Littlefinger is responsible for them because whatever. I wouldn't think about it too much.

[BRANDON GREYSTARK]

Revenge of the Blackfyres .He is either A Blackfyre or A descendant of Quickfinger .

[House Beaudreau]

54 minutes ago, Good Guy Garlan said:

This. I don't think he wants to sit the throne himself, so Regent or Hand is as far as he wants to go. 

I think his immediate ten step plan for success is:

1) Get rid of Sweetrobin

2) Marry Sansa to Harry

3) Have Harry and his armies reclaim Winterfell and Riverrun in Sansa's name

4) Crown Harry and Sansa as King and Queen of Vale, Riverlands and North

5) Invade other kingdoms/claim the Iron Throne

6) Wait till Sansa gives birth to Harry's son

7) Get rid of Harry

8) Marry Sansa

9) Rule as Regent of Harry and Sansa's son

10) Bathe in fans' tears

The one problem I see with this is that he clearly wants Sansa for himself. Harry is part of his plan but I doubt he would ever let Sansa marry him.  

[Good Guy Garlan]

1 minute ago, House Beaudreau said:

The one problem I see with this is that he clearly wants Sansa for himself. Harry is part of his plan but I doubt he would ever let Sansa marry him.  

She'd only need to marry him for a while, then Harry would suffer an unfortunate and convenient accident. 

[House Beaudreau]

12 minutes ago, Good Guy Garlan said:

She'd only need to marry him for a while, then Harry would suffer an unfortunate and convenient accident. 

Yes but the Mariage would only make sense if they produced an heir that could claim the vale and the North. 

[Azai]

2 hours ago, Knight and Dayne said:

I think you might want to check out @thought_criminal22's discussion here.

I did indeed checked out this discussion and while it was amazingly helpful it didn't exactly cover everything I was looking for.

Though one thing about the discussion that I could humor is Baelish wanting to bring down the great houses of westeros and be the only man left standing. Just because he wants to, and the vindication that he can. To me it seems he is weaving destruction through every great house, as if to bleed them dry. Then use the Vale for his own means to pick up the pieces

 But still I feel like there has to be something else. But maybe I am comparing him to Varys as Varys has a "higher calling" for his cause.. 

[House Beaudreau]

1 hour ago, Good Guy Garlan said:

This. I don't think he wants to sit the throne himself, so Regent or Hand is as far as he wants to go. 

I think his immediate ten step plan for success is:

1) Get rid of Sweetrobin

2) Marry Sansa to Harry

3) Have Harry and his armies reclaim Winterfell and Riverrun in Sansa's name

4) Crown Harry and Sansa as King and Queen of Vale, Riverlands and North

I recently created the thread "Does Harry the Heir even matter?" I have now decide that he really doesn't, not to littlefinger anyways. 

I believe that Littlefinger is really just buying time until their is news of Tyrion's death. He no longer has to hide Sansa if she becomes a widow. He could have the High Septon set the marriage aside but i really don't think this is an option for a number of reasons. 

Once Sansa is widowed she is free to marry who ever she chooses. Littlefinger plans to marry Sansa once she is available.

1. Sansa has a good Claim to the North

2. Littlefinger was made Lord Paramount of the Riverlands as Lord of Harrenhal. 

3. Sansa has natural allies in the Riverlands with the Blackfish. Sansa is not the heir to Riverrun or any houses in the Riverlands but a child by Littlefinger could be considered the Heir to Winterfell and Harrenhal. 

4. Harry the Heir isn't that important because 1) Sweet Robin is still alive 2) Harry could easily died leaving no "Arryn" heir besides the minor branches in Gulltown. 

5. Littlefinger already has the Vale. He doesn't need Sansa to marry Harry or Sweet Robin to secure something that he already Controls. He controls Sweet Robin and He has bought up the Waynwood debt for Harry the heir to basically be his ward. At this point their is no reason for the Lords in the Vale that support Littlefinger to Stop supporting him. 

6. If stannis and the Boltons basically destroy themselves in a War. That means Sansa could rise up and Bring Northern houses to her Cause. The Blackfish would most likely Come with her and possibly other house in the riverlands. 

7. If Sweet Robin and Harry the heir don't Marry Sansa that leaves them free to marry someone else, all to the benefit of littlefinger. Littlefinger could easily sway the support of a large house to his and Sansa cause by brokering a Marriage to Sweet Robin or Harry. Imagine if Littlefinger was able to get the support of the Hightowers or the Martells(both have Daughters that have not wed). Offering a chance at having a Grandchild that is heir to the Vale is something almost any lord would jump at and pay a huge price and not just Gold. 

Heres My WildCard. I have my Theories that Littlefinger staged the Riot in Kings landing during ACOK to Kidnap (Rescue) Tyrek Lannister. Tyrek Lannister has the same Grandfather as Jamie and Cersi. Jamie Cannot inheirit Casterly Rock, Cersi Cannot claim it if she is found guilty in her trial. Kevin Lannister is Dead, Lancel has given up his inheiritance, Tyrek has the best claim to Casterly Rock.  If Littlefinger does have Tyrek and has somehow brainwashed him to his a Sansa cause, that would mean that littlefinger controls the heirs to four or the seven regions of Westeros. 

I think LittleFinger is a man with a lot of patience. His is willing to wait for what he wants. I have said this before and I still believe that Littlefinger is Chasing a Prophecy like a lot of other Characters in our story. I think that he sees himself as Bael the Bard stealing a Daughter of Winterfell Creating the Prince that was Promised. I think the Red hair and Sansa's First men Blood and Harrenhall all have something to do with his twisted plan but at this point his actions have been pretty calculated.