Stannis Baratheons next move.

[The Mother of The Others]

It's just so nasty up there, with Boltons and snarks and horrible conditions, and you're already a waif, how do you come out of that alive?

That's his challenge, and something about the fact he's hung in there this long makes me think there's a finish line we'll see him cross. Maybe.

the BWB are devout Lord of Light worshipers complete with their own red priest.

Hey, that's right. If the BWB take out the Lord Paramount and are willing to gift wrap the region for someone to wield against the crown, the Riverlands could become the next contiguous piece of Westeros for Stannis to add to his holdings. He could set up shop at the castle Petyr is currently avoiding, holding that and the Twins as his southernmost fortress, with plans to extend his sphere to include the Iron Islands when Asha & Co. get their kingsmoot reboot plan in full swing. Then he'd be nothing to sneeze at, and could send ships against the capital while also marching on it, land and sea pincers.

[Lala]

I completely agree, Stannis has one of the most transformative arcs of anyone in the series. I think he definitely will get a heroes end. But i'm a lil' biased. In my gut I just see some sort of sacrificial/matyr action defending the realm he's bound by duty to defend, whether it be against the Others or some other Iron throne pretender.

I don't want him to end that way :crying:

I want Stannis to live a long long life and to watch Shireen grow up and be married happily and see his grandchildren grow tall around him. I want him to grow old surrounded by people who finally respect him for his sense of justice and honor~ Basically I just feel so sad thinking that he will live and die the "unloved middle child"

[Usrnmhsnomning]

As for this nights king theory, im not sold. Part of the problem is that we know next to nothing about the nights king and what his motives were.

To put another cog in the wheel of the Stannis-as-Nights-King theory, Jon Snow dreams himself as wielding a fiery-red sword while armored in ice. Interestingly, the dream starts off as Jon defending the Wall against dead Wildling wights in normal Nights Watch attire, then when his sword turns red and he becomes armored in ice the enemies turn into friends and family that are quite blatantly alive as he kills them.

[StannisBamfatheon]

I don't want him to end that way :crying:

I want Stannis to live a long long life and to watch Shireen grow up and be married happily and see his grandchildren grow tall around him. I want him to grow old surrounded by people who finally respect him for his sense of justice and honor~ Basically I just feel so sad thinking that he will live and die the "unloved middle child"

Hey you'll not find a bigger Stan fan than me, I would love it. Get him a little cottage by the sea. If ADOS ends with Stannis fishing and sipping some ale I'll be delighted.

[TheMysteriousOne]

I don't want him to end that way :crying:

I want Stannis to live a long long life and to watch Shireen grow up and be married happily and see his grandchildren grow tall around him. I want him to grow old surrounded by people who finally respect him for his sense of justice and honor~ Basically I just feel so sad thinking that he will live and die the "unloved middle child"

I feel like that's part of Stannis' tragedy. He's a very conflicted person, who wants to do what's right, and has a strict sense of duty and justice, but almost no one appreciates it, and that's part of how I think he might become the NK. Each time he tries to do something right for the realm, the people are ungrateful and his acts only further alienate him from the people and the Iron Throne.

[Lala]

Hey you'll not find a bigger Stan fan than me, I would love it. Get him a little cottage by the sea. If ADOS ends with Stannis fishing and sipping some ale I'll be delighted.

With Davos =D

I honestly feel like Stannis' ending is one of the most ambiguous ones in that he could really go so many different ways depending on a number of variables. I'm still studying up on him so I don't want to make any predictions until I'm finished with that xD

ETA: Mm~ I agree with the point MO made about how that's Stannis' greatest tragedy. If things don't end well for him, my mental epitaph for him would probably be something along the lines of "Stannis Baratheon: the best king the 7K never had"

[Lost Melnibonean]

I know the GNC folks think the lines of commo among the northern lords and their small folk are perfect and they're all going to turn on Stannis or Roose as soon as Manderly says pie but I don't recall reading Manderly say mayhaps when he swore to Davos that he would pledge fealty to King Stannis if Davos returned with Rickon.

[E-Ro]

With Davos =D

I honestly feel like Stannis' ending is one of the most ambiguous ones in that he could really go so many different ways depending on a number of variables. I'm still studying up on him so I don't want to make any predictions until I'm finished with that xD

Yeah, I agree. At this point, it can go anywhere. But the biggest factor in his end will be what he does after he takes bolton out. North, or south, whats it gonna be. Im so fucking anxious to find out.

I know the GNC folks think the lines of commo among the northern lords and their small folk are perfect and they're all going to turn on Stannis or Roose as soon as Manderly says pie but I don't recall reading Manderly say mayhaps when he swore to Davos that he would pledge fealty to King Stannis if Davos returned with Rickon.

Oh yeah, thats one of the aspects of the northmen turning on stannis. Manderly will just use his iphone to call all his northern homies and tell them to turn on stannis because he has rickon. It will all go very smoothly.

[StannisBamfatheon]

With Davos =D

I honestly feel like Stannis' ending is one of the most ambiguous ones in that he could really go so many different ways depending on a number of variables. I'm still studying up on him so I don't want to make any predictions until I'm finished with that xD

ETA: Mm~ I agree with the point MO made about how that's Stannis' greatest tragedy. If things don't end well for him, my mental epitaph for him would probably be something along the lines of "Stannis Baratheon: the best king the 7K never had"

Maybe I'm naive but....he's the only one of the five kings still alive for a reason. Always scraping and clawing for every inch of manpower, that indelible iron will that has endeared him to so many readers. I think that will eventually pay off. Call me hopeful but i believe he still has a tremendous part to play and wont just sorta fizzle outta the story.

[thewingedwolf]

Yeah, I agree. At this point, it can go anywhere. But the biggest factor in his end will be what he does after he takes bolton out. North, or south, whats it gonna be. Im so fucking anxious to find out.

You and me both man.

[The Mother of The Others]

He should start adding muscle now and the rest of it will fall into place. Just pack on the pounds Frey Pie style for the time being. Take care of #1. Let Manderly show him the way to a fuller figure.

Jon's dream wasn't of having to put down wights wearing his loved ones' faces?

[Lala]

At this point, Stannis may also be one of the few remaining kings who is actually poised to reconcile the North and South (as some posters have already pointed out upthread). If he successfully liberates the North and Davos "rescues" Rickon, Stannis is in the unique position of being the only "southron" ruler who would have the trust and respect of the North. I highly doubt anyone in the North will really care for fAegon so ...

[Señor de la Tormenta]

He needs to go back to the wall and put order after jons being mourdered. Probably theres some kind of civil war between the night watch men. Also big trouble with the wildings.

[Lady Tippy Wolfsbane]

I don't want him to end that way :crying:

I want Stannis to live a long long life and to watch Shireen grow up and be married happily and see his grandchildren grow tall around him. I want him to grow old surrounded by people who finally respect him for his sense of justice and honor~ Basically I just feel so sad thinking that he will live and die the "unloved middle child"

Maybe, sacrificing himself for the greater good of the realm will finally give him the inner peace he deserves. He will finally respect himself, and his sacrifice will earn him the respect of the people and his name will be remembered for years to come. I feel that GRRM has something big in store for Stannis, and it will be pleasing to his fans.

I actually wrote a brief skit about him and Davos fishing a while back, I wish I could remember it. :D

[StannisBamfatheon]

Maybe, sacrificing himself for the greater good of the realm will finally give him the inner peace he deserves. He will finally respect himself, and his sacrifice will earn him the respect of the people and his name will be remembered for years to come. I feel that GRRM has something big in store for Stannis, and it will be pleasing to his fans.

I actually wrote a brief skit about him and Davos fishing a while back, I wish I could remember it. :D

That's all I want, for Westeros to respect/revere Stannis towards the end, you know, game recognizing game.

[Pinkie Baelish]

Stannis will be killed by his own men and his naked body will be dragged on a horse along the streets of King's Landing a la Richard III because it's been over a decade since Martin last tasted some fresh fan tears.

[Lady Tippy Wolfsbane]

Stannis will be killed by his own men and his naked body will be dragged on a horse along the streets of King's Landing a la Richard III because it's been over a decade since Martin last tasted some fresh fan tears.

Oh NOOOO...I can't get this mental image out of my head. That would be horrible. Hopefully, Stannis will completely abandon Mel asap, and shape his own destiny with the new knowledge he has received.

[StannisBamfatheon]

Stannis will be killed by his own men and his naked body will be dragged on a horse along the streets of King's Landing a la Richard III because it's been over a decade since Martin last tasted some fresh fan tears.

Sadly you may be onto something there, I think when GRRM originally conceptualized stannis and wrote him he never dreamed he would spawn legions of fans. And he does love his fans tears. If Stannis gets murdered and then his corpse desecrated by a kangaroo it very well might be our fault.

[ejhawman]

Given that Stannis wins Winterfell...

Roose Bolton is probably snookered into thinking Stannis is dead; he returns to the Dreadfort. On the way he gets news of the reversal, Ramsey is dead or fled, he has no choice but to keep going back to the Dreadfort as he does not have the men to retake Winterfell. He is smart and subtle, and will wait for the right time (which will never come).

Stannis, sitting pretty in WF, would like to go south. The Northmen with him would like to go as far as the Twins for revenge on the Freys, and after a judicious amount of rest may start moving in that direction.

The BWB is coming up from the south, as reported in ADWD. The crannogmen welcome them; Howland Reed explains to UnCat about R+L=J. They continue on toward WF, either reaching there or meeting Stannis on the way. Stannis may have his own evidence of R+L=J from Lyanna's tomb, but surely the word of the BWB that Lannister forces are strong near Moat Cailin probably deters him from moving further. So he sits in WF until things cool down, perhaps leaves a garrison at Moat Cailin to stuff the Lannisters while he goes for the Northmens' other target, Roose. But the Dreadfort is also strong. Theon may come in handy here, finding a secret way in.

It is entirely possible, however, that news of events at the Wall summons him there, or Jon Snow is sent by Mel to meet him at WF. It is also possible that various delays conspire to keep him in the north until the Wall falls to the Others. Massey seems to be heading to Eastwatch to take the ships there to Braavos; once at Eastwatch, he finds the ships have gone to Hardhome and not come back. After waiting a bit, he heads to White Harbor, incurring further delay, so Stannis will not get his mercenaries by the end of TWOW.

Eventually, the Wall falls. Most likely, Stannis is kept in or near the north until then, at which point he goes forth to battle them, with a good chance of falling. If he survives, he will stage a fighting retreat down to the Riverlands, where Dany arrives. He would want to oppose Dany's claim on the IT, and would draw the support of whatever nobles disagree with the notion of a Targaryen return. This may figure into the DoD 2.0. I don't see him surviving to the end of the series. Either he becomes another footsoldier in the army of wights, or he roasts in dragonfire.

[Nezzer]

I want Stannis to sit the Iron Throne, but I don't want him to march South to KL now that the Others are about to invade. I'll lose a lot of respect for him if he does, especially after the coup against Jon. The problem is that I can't see him surviving the war against the Others, so I don't think I will ever see him on the Iron Throne. I hope he is given a great death, at least.

If the Northeners betray Stannis after he restores the Starks back in power, I will lose all the respect I have ever had for the Northeners and I will start rooting for the Others, hoping for the complete destruction of Westeros (unless Roose Bolton survives, of course, because Roose deserves a cottage in the coast of Dorne).