Arya

[longest night]

4 minutes ago, Lord Godric said:

They said "they've known it would be Arya for three years" that doesn't necessarily mean they made it up. But, as someone reminded me in another thread, there is no NK in the books. 

They said right after that that it was their decision to do it because it would defy the expected. They even hinted it was suppose to be Jon. GRRM told them the ending a long time ago. Just in a recent interview he said that as they were running out of book material, they all had a long sit down to go over his notes for the rest of the books.

[Wik]

1 minute ago, longest night said:

You can't even break the ranks of a mass of undead, a cavalry charge is pointless.

Sure is!!!! And then to hear them talk about it, "We've seen in the past how devastating a Dorthraki charge can be," oh PLEASEEEEEE apparently all our leaders are some of the most incompetent military commanders any world has ever seen hahah

[Lord Godric]

Just now, longest night said:

They said right after that that it was their decision to do it because it would defy the expected. They even hinted it was suppose to be Jon. GRRM told them the ending a long time ago

You're interpreting things they said beyond what I think can be read. They said that traditional tropes would lead someone to think Jon should be the one to kill the Night King, not that GRRM told them Jon was going to kill the NK. As I said before there is no Night King in the books. So therefore the question of "who is going to kill the NK" isn't one that GRRM would answer for them. 

[no_one_...]

2 minutes ago, longest night said:

You can't even break the ranks of a mass of undead, a cavalry charge is pointless.

I brought that and other foolishness in the rate thread.  Getting back to Arya, I'd rather seen her ride Ghost as I alluded to earlier in the thread.

[longest night]

9 minutes ago, Wik said:

Sure is!!!! And then to hear them talk about it, "We've seen in the past how devastating a Dorthraki charge can be," oh PLEASEEEEEE apparently all our leaders are some of the most incompetent military commanders any world has ever seen hahah

The Dothraki are also known for the ability to skirmish with arrows. Might be effective against undead that can only run. I couldn't take the episode seriously after we saw Melissandre light up all their swords only to see them charge and get snuffed out. I thought maybe they dug the pit in front of the catapults, but nope. Fired them once and then got swamped.

I knew something wasn't right when I saw their battle formations in episode 2.

[BlackLightning]

1 minute ago, longest night said:

The Dothraki are also known for the ability to skirmish with arrows. Might be effective against undead that can only run. I couldn't take the episode seriously after we saw Melissandre light up all their swords only to see them charge and get snuffed out.

Yeah that was not only bad writing but it was tactically stupid.

You're commanding the Dothraki cavalry to charge into complete darkness? And for them, not to show us what it was that they faced. And yes they faced things. Giants, mammoths and other undead monsters from the looks of it.

[Bran the Shipper]

12 minutes ago, Lord Godric said:

You're interpreting things they said beyond what I think can be read. They said that traditional tropes would lead someone to think Jon should be the one to kill the Night King, not that GRRM told them Jon was going to kill the NK. As I said before there is no Night King in the books. So therefore the question of "who is going to kill the NK" isn't one that GRRM would answer for them. 

GRRM would need to answer the question of who Azor Ahai Reborn would be (or at least personally know the answer), which would thematically be the same person as who would kill the Night King in the show.  From what we know Azor Ahai Reborn can't be Arya in the books based on all the prophecies, so the writers for the show made that up.

[Lord Godric]

4 minutes ago, Bran the Shipper said:

GRRM would need to answer the question of who Azor Ahai Reborn would be (or at least personally know the answer), which would thematically be the same person as who would kill the Night King in the show.  From what we know Azor Ahai Reborn can't be Arya in the books based on all the prophecies, so the writers for the show made that up.

As GRRM himself has said, "Prophecies are, you know, a double edge sword." He never makes them as straightforward as they seem, for good reason. He intentionally plays with reader expectations and what readers are accustomed to due to fantasy tropes. If you expect Azor Ahai to save the entire world single handledly, I think Martin will subvert your expectations. 

"Prophecies come true in unexpected ways" - GRRM

[longest night]

"For...three years now or something, we've known that it was going to be Arya who delivers that fatal blow... We hope to kinda avoid the expected and Jon Snow has always been the hero, the one whose in the savior, but it just didn't seem right to us for this moment."

To me this reads like they made a decision to not have it be Jon. They have been upfront with us when it's a GRRM decision such as what happened with Hodor.
Three years? That's season 7. They decided in season 7 when they reintroduced the cat's paw dagger.

[Lord Godric]

1 minute ago, longest night said:

"For...three years now or something, we've known that it was going to be Arya who delivers that fatal blow... We hope to kinda avoid the expected and Jon Snow has always been the hero, the one whose in the savior, but it just didn't seem right to us for this moment."

To me this reads like they made a decision to not have it be Jon. They have been upfront with us when it's a GRRM decision such as what happened with Hodor.

You're ignoring the point that there is no Night King in the books. Therefore no one in the books is going to be the one to kill the Night King. 

[longest night]

Just now, Lord Godric said:

You're ignoring the point that there is no Night King in the books. Therefore no one in the books is going to be the one to kill the Night King. 

So how do you think the white walkers will be defeated in the books?

[lomiller]

22 minutes ago, longest night said:

They even hinted it was suppose to be Jon. GRRM told them the ending a long time ago. Just in a recent interview he said that as they were running out of book material, they all had a long sit down to go over his notes for the rest of the books.

They explain why it isn't Jon.  This doesn't necessarily mean GRRM intends it to be Jon, maybe he is using similar reasoning and intends Arya for that role.  If things play out like this in the books she's a good candiate.

[longest night]

Just now, lomiller said:

They explain why it isn't Jon.  This doesn't necessarily mean GRRM intends it to be Jon, maybe he is using similar reasoning and intends Arya for that role.  If things play out like this in the books she's a good candiate.

Oh come on, he outright let it slip it was suppose to be Jon. When has Jon ever been in the hero role? It wasn't Battle of the Bastard? That got pawned off to Sansa somehow. It wasn't the defense of the Wall, that wasn't led by Jon.

[Lord Godric]

3 minutes ago, longest night said:

So how do you think the white walkers will be defeated in the books?

hell if I know LOL

[lomiller]

11 minutes ago, Bran the Shipper said:

GRRM would need to answer the question of who Azor Ahai Reborn would be (or at least personally know the answer), which would thematically be the same person as who would kill the Night King in the show.  From what we know Azor Ahai Reborn can't be Arya in the books based on all the prophecies, so the writers for the show made that up.

The books don't present this as a single person, it's 3 people.  Presumably Jon Dany and 1 other, Arya being a leading candidate.

[Lord Varys]

Obviously Arya is the promised princess now. She defeated the Others. And they wouldn't go against the book in such a great scene, would they? Not to mention that it is also clear that Lyanna Mormont is most definitely going to be killed by some wight-giant. I mean, there is buildup for this in the books, it is not?

[longest night]

Just now, Lord Varys said:

Obviously Arya is the promised princess now. She defeated the Others. And they wouldn't go against the book in such a great scene, would they? Not to mention that it is also clear that Lyanna Mormont is most definitely going to be killed by some wight-giant. I mean, there is buildup for this in the books, it is not?

At first I thought you were serious. Sarcasm is often hard to detect.

[Damon_Tor]

8 minutes ago, longest night said:

So how do you think the white walkers will be defeated in the books?

They won't.

[Lord Godric]

7 minutes ago, longest night said:

Oh come on, he outright let it slip it was suppose to be Jon. When has Jon ever been in the hero role? It wasn't Battle of the Bastard? That got pawned off to Sansa somehow. It wasn't the defense of the Wall, that wasn't led by Jon.

You're reading into these things what you wanted them to say. You want Jon to be the hero that Martin has planned to save things, so that's what you think they said. 

[longest night]

2 minutes ago, Lord Godric said:

You're reading into these things what you wanted them to say. You want Jon to be the hero that Martin has planned to save things, so that's what you think they said. 

"For...three years now or something, we've known that it was going to be Arya who delivers that fatal blow... We hope to kinda avoid the expected and Jon Snow has always been the hero, the one whose in[been?] the savior, but it just didn't seem right to us for this moment."