[TWOW Spoiler] Night's King - A Turn From Fire to Ice: The Story of Stannis Baratheon

[MtnLion]

i believe Stannis will bend the knee for Danaerys, he will see her as the rightful heir to the iron throne. he has said multiple times that he did not wish to be a king, but he sees it as right, and his duty.

Stannis is not evil, but just.

Stannis sees being king as his right,and duty. There is no way on the world that Stannis will bend his knee to a woman. And, by the succession laws of Targaryens Stannis has more right to the throne than Daenerys, anyway.

[DExit]

Again on the part where Melsandre tells Stan he'll betray his own family etcetra, i just thought of it again:

Mel is not what I would call good at interpreting prophecies, she thinks stan is AA but most likley he isn't. As she said the line in the show, she was thinking of Stannis as AA, thus she meant that AA wil betray his own famly. BUT WHO IS AA?

If it's Jon, this would actually be the exact replay of the first Nights king story: Jon who can be considered as Stark after rob meant him to be his heir, would work in leage with the others,cmon thats betraying the other Starks the way I look at it, untill he is defeated by a coalition including the king-beyon-the-wall and the ruler of the north-king in the north but this need not be his title.

I know this would mean the whole AA as the savior part is wrong, which is very unlikly, but it would also be very awesome.

Don't go to hard on me, afer having two days of exames and one day working my ass of I just realised my favorite character/hero isn't going to survive twow- Stan being the night king means that he is better off dead in my opinion, and even the far fetched theory I posted above would mean Stan will lose his head.

Sh*t, who am I supporting now? House Baratheon will end in the male line, I like aegon, but he isn't stan.

[The Sunset King]

It might be possible that a new Night's King will not be quite as bad as the original one is popularly portrayed in Westeros (or at least the North; is the legend well known outside of that region?).

The issue of Melisandre's true appearance is very interesting, kind of like Euron's mysterious eye. There must be a considerable amount to the backstory that Melisandre has declined to divulge so far.

[BericDondarrion]

I am expecting Stannis to buy the farm within the first third of TWoW. Even if he retakes Winterfell his troops can't match Aegon's. And why would the Others make a pact with him? They don't even know him. What could they gain from it? Unless Melisandre is in league with the Others I can't see this happening.

If anyone we have seen so far becomes a leader of the Others I assume it will be Jon.

About his host vs Aegons, it said the GC is 10000 strong. Well Stannis has 1500 knights, + 3000 from thr northern clans. When he beats Bolton he will Have Manderlys, umbers, glovers etc which should be another 5000 total. Add in wildlings (which Stannis was originally going to do with Sigorn of Thenn leading them and then 20000 sell swords coming to supplement Stannis Host Faegons GC will soon be outnumbered 3-1

[seppuku]

About his host vs Aegons, it said the GC is 10000 strong. Well Stannis has 1500 knights, + 3000 from thr northern clans. When he beats Bolton he will Have Manderlys, umbers, glovers etc which should be another 5000 total. Add in wildlings (which Stannis was originally going to do with Sigorn of Thenn leading them and then 20000 sell swords coming to supplement Stannis Host Faegons GC will soon be outnumbered 3-1

GC is well rested and they have these things called elephants which would wreck those knights. Plus they will have what ever they can muster from the Stormlands, which is pretty much conquered already and any other secret Targ loyalists that will declare for him (which should be quite of few according to Semly). Plus what whatever they can get in a marriage alliance. Dorne has 50k according Quentyn.

Besides that, Stannis' host is slogging slowly through the icy North attritioning quite rapidly. Aegon is in much superior strategic position. Stannis will most likely never leave the North (alive).

[BericDondarrion]

GC is well rested and they have these things called elephants which would wreck those knights. Plus they will have what ever they can muster from the Stormlands, which is pretty much conquered already and any other secret Targ loyalists that will declare for him (which should be quite of few according to Semly). Plus what whatever they can get in a marriage alliance. Dorne has 50k according Quentyn.

Besides that, Stannis' host is slogging slowly through the icy North attritioning quite rapidly. Aegon is in much superior strategic position. Stannis will most likely never leave the North (alive).

Well, we shall see.Stannis Baratheon is a hardened soldier and great leader.The GC failed how many time with the Blackfyres to take Westeros?Who is to say there is anyone of fighting strength even LEFT in the Stormlands?Why would they flock to a Targaryen (not even a Targ a fake) when the Stormlands have been Baratheon lands since the conquest?As for elephants, Jon Snow is coming down from the wall with his wildlings, Giants + Mammoths >Elephants.Jon will figure out a way to fit the Mammoths through the wall.Jon is Stannis' man.I would place my bet on Stannis and Jon over any other faction/army.

[Veltigar]

And as much as I loathe this theory, the show convinced me that it's true. Unless anyone can come up with any other reason for Melisandre's little dialogue to Stannis in Valar Morghulis.

That was about killing Renly. The viewers who don't reed need some sort of reason why he'd kill Renly apart from Renly usurping

[seppuku]

Well, we shall see.Stannis Baratheon is a hardened soldier and great leader.The GC failed how many time with the Blackfyres to take Westeros?Who is to say there is anyone of fighting strength even LEFT in the Stormlands?Why would they flock to a Targaryen (not even a Targ a fake) when the Stormlands have been Baratheon lands since the conquest?As for elephants, Jon Snow is coming down from the wall with his wildlings, Giants + Mammoths >Elephants.Jon will figure out a way to fit the Mammoths through the wall.Jon is Stannis' man.I would place my bet on Stannis and Jon over any other faction/army.

How is Jon Stannis' man? He's not.

A united North under Jon would be scary, yes, but you were talking about Stannis. A Stannis which is heading towards his inevitable failure. Maybe his undead host will have better luck.

[Mist Isle]

House Baratheon will end in the male line, I like aegon, but he isn't stan.

House Baratheon may eventually encompass a legitimized Edric Storm (I personally think that this is likely). Perhaps Edric Baratheon will help restore the house. If so, whether he will just be a lord or place claims on the Iron Throne remains to be seen though.

[IMustRememberMyName]

Awesome. Well thought out and I appreciate anyone going out on a limb to suggest a knuckleball that would turn the whole story on its head. Besides, ain't that the whole point?

[Mrs.Grumpy]

That was about killing Renly. The viewers who don't reed need some sort of reason why he'd kill Renly apart from Renly usurping

and how do you know that ?

[DExit]

House Baratheon may eventually encompass a legitimized Edric Storm (I personally think that this is likely). Perhaps Edric Baratheon will help restore the house. If so, whether he will just be a lord or place claims on the Iron Throne remains to be seen though.

I hope that'll happen, but it still isn't the same as Stannis the second on the IT. Would only support him over Shireen if Stan himself legitimises the lad, but it isn't that unlikly. However, if Stan would make the boy a Baratheon, he would be Roberts heir, so in that case Stans claim to the IT is at an end. The solution may be to adopt edric as a son, Stan will do this when he knows for certain he isn't gonna father a son of his own, or to marry the boy to Shireen.

[The Bastard of Walton]

I like this theory, would be unexpected & shocking.

I think Ramsey will be the ultimate villian in the end though. Hes like the anti-Jon & I think he'll be the one to bring down the wall after he learns how from turning Mance into the new Reek.

Stannis is one of my favourite characters & I'm hoping he'll make it to the end of the series. I think with his thoughts on duty & honour, that he'll accept Daenerys as queen. But saying that, i'd be happy to see him go super villian.

[~Shiera Seastar~]

Yes. He'll freeze to death and then they'll burn his body.

:lol: If this topic is in the general book forum.....

i believe Stannis will bend the knee for Danaerys, he will see her as the rightful heir to the iron throne. he has said multiple times that he did not wish to be a king, but he sees it as right, and his duty.

Stannis is not evil, but just.

I would like to see how it will happen.

[DExit]

I like this theory, would be unexpected & shocking.

I think Ramsey will be the ultimate villian in the end though. Hes like the anti-Jon & I think he'll be the one to bring down the wall after he learns how from turning Mance into the new Reek.

Stannis is one of my favourite characters & I'm hoping he'll make it to the end of the series. I think with his thoughts on duty & honour, that he'll accept Daenerys as queen. But saying that, i'd be happy to see him go super villian.

It just occured to me: Ramsay is such a fascinating character, maybe George wants to keep him on board for as long as possible. Perhaps he manages to escape the battle, Ramsay on the loose in the North would dominate half the northern pov's: theon fearing for his life, Jon hunting for him, Davos as Stan's man perhaps. He managed to outlive almost certain defeat and capture earlier in the stories.

[The Bastard of Walton]

It just occured to me: Ramsay is such a fascinating character, maybe George wants to keep him on board for as long as possible. Perhaps he manages to escape the battle, Ramsay on the loose in the North would dominate half the northern pov's: theon fearing for his life, Jon hunting for him, Davos as Stan's man perhaps. He managed to outlive almost certain defeat and capture earlier in the stories.

Spot on. Always been in the back of my mind. He is the villianous villian in the whole story & doesnt seem to care about power, just causing pain. What better way to inflict pain on the people of Westeros than bringing down the wall.

[noSer]

Got a new theory that may tie into this one. The idea is that Stannis sees something that makes him change his mind. Well what does he see? In the chapter where Asha flees from Deepwood she recalls a story she heard as a child where the CotF turn the trees to warriors. The ironborn might have their own Old Nan as well. What if Bran takes physical control of a Weirwoods to save Theon, and this turns Stannis completely to the dark...eh hem i mean ice side?

[KingHodorTargaryen]

A thing I haven't seen in this discussion are character arcs. GRRM loves these, they're his bread and butter with turning Catelyn bad and Jaime good. They are what make stories interesting. Everyone has one. Except Stannis. So what is his character arc? Well, it's either going to win the throne (which is to say nothing) or it's accepting a horde of demonic hell beings as your army to reign justice (an interesting one) So we either get boring old grinding teeth, or hell demons.

[chris999]

I think that Jon is more likely to become the Night's King than Stannis.

Old Nan emphasized that the Nightsking was probably a Stark, and almost certainly it was a Northman. She didnt mention Baratheon.

I think that the Nightsking will arise again, and I also think that the ancient Stark family is somehow associated with the Others and the 'Ice' side of the paradigm.

I do not think that Jon is a bad guy, but now that he is most likely dead, I think that it is time for the Others to show some more of their kind of revival magic again instead of the Red God. I think that Jon's POV might live on as Ghost, and that the Direwolf will team up with Summer and Bran in their endeavor, while Jon's lifeless reanimated 'body' will belong to the Others to be their 'King of Winter'. I know that there is something with the Starks being the 'Kings of Winter', I just havent been able to figure out how.

I know a lot of people would hate this, but it would provide a cool way to get Jon/Ghost up into the lands of Always Winter to give us a look at what is going on up there. GRRM promised us that the next book is taking us there. It also gives Martin another one of his serious plot swings that he loves to deliver, and sets up the Wall to be in chaos, perfect time for the Others to strike.

Plus I am really gaining respect for Stannis, and I think that against all odds, he may really be the AA/PTWP.

[Ben Blackfysh]

Stannis is so hell-bent (no pun intended) on getting the Iron Throne that he would never sign his life away and vow to protect the Wall. He is nothing if not honorable, and would not resume his pursuit if it meant breaking his vows. And if he's not a brother of the NW, he would have no reason to communicate with the Others, much less sign a pact to let them through.

Also, the Horn of Joramun is still allegedly out there somewhere. If the Others are just let through through the Wall, what would be the point in its existence? The giants are already awake.