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Might the Hound's bloody cloak come back to haunt him?


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16 minutes ago, Jaenara Belarys said:

They didn't actually. 

oh I know. as "far is she is concerned" I said. she thinks she kissed him, doesn't she? that belief will have implications eventually presumably. if I thought I kissed Sandor once, might make it easier to kiss him a second time (but really the first time). For Sansa to kiss him, unafraid, would be amazing for Sandor. he did abandon his post so a kiss of forgiveness, as referenced to by Cersei for kettleblack, is at least established and may be used to forgive his crime. I can't think of many more positive ways the un-kiss can be used in the aforementioned scenario.

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Sansa's arc is from naive romantic to perceptive power player.

Sandor's is bitter cynic to romantic hero. A true knight who will hold to his vows.

The two arcs are crossing each other. And in no small part will Sandor have become better for having met and loved Sansa. That's part of the point, the original Sansa attracted men of worth and inspired them to be better, it is in contrast to Cersei.

Sandor wasn't worthy of Sansa when she believed in the good in people and in the world. A romantic hero could have won her but despite the attraction he scared her.

Now Sandor is going to become the good that Sansa believed in, and in doing so he will unfortunately become too good for her. She will give him a Kingsguard cloak, but despite the feelings on both sides, true Knight Sandor will not break his Kingsguard vow and throw away his honour for his queen's love.

It's a tragedy, despite their feelings the two will never be in the right place at the right time. This is the contemporary Naerys and Aemon.

As Sansa's new nature becomes apparent to Sandor he will eventually turn from her to Arya in terms of allegiance (not romantically). Sansa will be the best liar the realm has ever seen, and Arya won't lie.

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20 minutes ago, chrisdaw said:

Sansa's arc is from naive romantic to perceptive power player.

Sandor's is bitter cynic to romantic hero. A true knight who will hold to his vows.

The two arcs are crossing each other. And in no small part will Sandor have become better for having met and loved Sansa. That's part of the point, the original Sansa attracted men of worth and inspired them to be better, it is in contrast to Cersei.

Sandor wasn't worthy of Sansa when she believed in the good in people and in the world. A romantic hero could have won her but despite the attraction he scared her.

Now Sandor is going to become the good that Sansa believed in, and in doing so he will unfortunately become too good for her. She will give him a Kingsguard cloak, but despite the feelings on both sides, true Knight Sandor will not break his Kingsguard vow and throw away his honour for his queen's love.

It's a tragedy, despite their feelings the two will never be in the right place at the right time. This is the contemporary Naerys and Aemon.

As Sansa's new nature becomes apparent to Sandor he will eventually turn from her to Arya in terms of allegiance (not romantically). Sansa will be the best liar the realm has ever seen, and Arya won't lie.

I had a similar thought that he’ll end up as her sworn shield, but I was thinking they’ll have a relationship more like Rhaenyra and Harwin. . . 
 

Hopefully we’ll find out someday :frown5:

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10 hours ago, Mister Smikes said:

There's really not much for him to know.  

I guess I meant more that she’s drawn to someone LF (or Tyrion, or anyone else for that matter) would never expect her to be. She’s a pawn in his game, but he doesn’t know her as well as he thinks he does. 
 

Also, it’s just funny to think about how indignant he’d be if he ever learned that his dream girl prefers someone like the Hound over him :lmao:

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To be completely honest, I don't want there to be any further involvement in the plot from Sandor. I don't want him to fight his brother, I don't want him to become Sansa's protector, etc. I really love what Martin did by having him become the gravedigger at the Quiet Isle, it's a very thoughtful and mature way to conclude that character arc. Certainly far more interesting than some cliche "final epic fight with big monster brother" or "come back at the last minute to protect the princess" nonsense that everyone else seems to be obsessed with. It's funny that everyone wants Sandor to continue with a life of violence and conflict when in reality he's actually already moved past all of that and has found some semblance of inner peace. Kind of shows what the deeper beliefs of a lot of readers are, in a way. Like, they think it's impossible to become a better person unless you do so through swinging a sword. Very bizarre. I don't think it's at all what Martin believes or wanted to say.

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6 hours ago, WhatAnArtist! said:

To be completely honest, I don't want there to be any further involvement in the plot from Sandor. I don't want him to fight his brother, I don't want him to become Sansa's protector, etc. I really love what Martin did by having him become the gravedigger at the Quiet Isle, it's a very thoughtful and mature way to conclude that character arc. Certainly far more interesting than some cliche "final epic fight with big monster brother" or "come back at the last minute to protect the princess" nonsense that everyone else seems to be obsessed with. It's funny that everyone wants Sandor to continue with a life of violence and conflict when in reality he's actually already moved past all of that and has found some semblance of inner peace. Kind of shows what the deeper beliefs of a lot of readers are, in a way. Like, they think it's impossible to become a better person unless you do so through swinging a sword. Very bizarre. I don't think it's at all what Martin believes or wanted to say.

I was never a fan of Cleganebowl, but I don’t think GRRM would have introduced the bloody cloak/Sansa’s false memories if he were done with the character. I also suspect (and hope) that his time spent on Quiet Isle will have tamed the rage in him a bit. Even if he doesn’t stay there permanently, that doesn’t mean it won’t have a profound effect on his character development.

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14 hours ago, chrisdaw said:

 

Now Sandor is going to become the good that Sansa believed in, and in doing so he will unfortunately become too good for her. She will give him a Kingsguard cloak, but despite the feelings on both sides, true Knight Sandor will not break his Kingsguard vow and throw away his honour for his queen's love.

 

Half of me just wants Sandor to be done with fighting. But the words true knight got me thinking about sir Gawain and the green knight and the parallels between Sandor and Brienne of Tarth. the green knight (king author and king cornwall) and Gawain are considered to be two of the greatest champions of Camelot. Just as well I think Bri might be being set up to be another hound (4th), and we know sansa needs a dog. either way bri seems to be the true knight sansa is looking for, while Sandor will be her green knight. does that make sansa Arthur, or is she Guinevere? who is the king of Cornwall, and what will be his seven headed monster? well the symbolism is all muddled, so maybe ignore this.

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2 hours ago, Targaryeninkingslanding said:

well the symbolism is all muddled, so maybe ignore this.

I think you're on the right track! A lot of the symbolism seems muddled because GRRM is trying to put a fresh spin on things and because we don't know the way the books will end. (Or, at least, I don't because I stopped watching the show.) He has also built a lot of layers into the details of the story, so it's difficult to sort out some of the points.

Our best clues for Clegane bowl and the Sandor / Sansa relationship come from the Hand's Tourney. After the first day of competition, Joffrey directs the Hound to walk Sansa back to the castle. As they walk across a field, they have a conversation that begins their intimate relationship. The next day, King Robert intervenes to stop the vicious one-on-one combat between Gregor and Sandor, awarding the victory to Sandor. The championship match was supposed to be between Ser Loras and Ser Gregor but Ser Gregor beheaded his own horse after it got all hot and bothered over the mare in heat that Ser Loras brought to the joust. When he then turned on Ser Loras, Sandor jumped in to stop his brother from massacring the Knight of Flowers. 

Your Sir Gawain and King Arthur notions are probably valid, but we might get closer to discovering GRRM's intent by asking whether there are parallels between joust characters and characters in Sansa's arc. Or other literary clues to tell us what is important: Sansa meets Littlefinger in the audience at the tourney. Sandor beats Renly and throws a piece of his gold antler into the stands for the small folk. There is a lot of presence of Thoros of Myr, Ser Beric Dondarrion and other future members of the Brotherhood without Banners. (Anguy wins the archery prize at the tourney and Thoros wins the melee.) 

As I'm writing this, a new insight has dawned on me. What if Ser Loras is a symbolic Joffrey? Ser Loras is the Knight of Flowers. Joffrey has at least two swords named for flowers: Lion's Tooth (another name for Dandelion) and Widow's Wail. (I haven't found a flower equivalent for Heart Eater, but maybe one will turn up.) Sansa has a big old crush on Ser Loras and has no idea that he is gay. Margaery and Loras are as close as twins. So Joffrey's two betrothals have special love relationships - neither of which is requited - with Ser Loras. The fact that Sandor jumps in to save Ser Loras might also be relevant: at this point in the books, he is Joffrey's personal body guard. He dislikes his brother, but he didn't jump in earlier to save Ser Hugh of the Vale. Why would he care enough to intervene on behalf of Ser Loras?

I know that's not a ton of evidence to infer a Joffrey / Ser Loras parallel, but I suspect there are more details if we look closely: handsome good looks, reliance on family support, status as pawns in the battle between Olenna and Cersei. I bet there is more.

Your green knight notion may fit in here: with his green armor and antlered helm (and other details) Renly seems to represent the green knight. The Tyrells pick up this identity when Renly dies: Ser Garland (a flower name) wears Renly's armor. And they already have Highgarden and the flower sigil. 

Ser Gregor is the Mountain that Rides. I suspect he represents land or maybe even the continent of Westeros. He is contrasted with Dany's baby, Rhaego, who is the Stallion that Mounts the World. There is a sort of yin / yang relationship of the mountain and the stallion and a struggle over who is on top. Maybe Ser Loras goes into that jousting match, not with the goal of winning at jousting, but with the intention of getting Ser Gregor to kill his own horse, ending the "Mountain that Rides" symbolism. 

Why have Ser Gregor and Ser Loras in competition? Earth vs. Flowers? I think this may come back to GRRM's use of the cycle of life and death for the earth: leaves fall and turn into topsoil, fertilizing the growth of the next generation of plant life which eventually dies and turns to compost, humus, topsoil and begins the next cycle. Flowers die and turn into topsoil; the earth gives up its nutrients so that plants can be reborn. The mountain rides; the stallion mounts the world. (Look for references to green and brown in the books for more on this motif.) 

Sandor defeats Jaime Lannister in the Hand's Tourney. I think Jaime represents the sun (maybe the setting sun) and Sandor represents the night. There is a lot of symbolism in the conversation between Sandor and Sansa as they walk together across the field. 

Quote

Sandor Clegane stopped suddenly in the middle of a dark and empty field. She had no choice but to stop beside him.

... 

The right side of his face was gaunt, with sharp cheekbones and a grey eye beneath a heavy brow. His nose was large and hooked, his hair thin, dark. He wore it long and brushed it sideways, because no hair grew on the other side of that face.

The left side of his face was a ruin. His ear had been burned away; there was nothing left but a hole. His eye was still good, but all around it was a twisted mass of scar, slick black flesh hard as leather, pocked with craters and fissured by deep cracks that gleamed red and wet when he moved. Down by his jaw, you could see a hint of bone where the flesh had been seared away.

In these lines, I think GRRM is telling us that Sandor is a meteor whose movement is somehow arrested in the night sky (the dark and empty field). 

We also have the wordplay on knight and night, with Sandor refusing to be a knight under any circumstances but seemingly embodying darkness.

Also interesting in Sansa's interaction with Sandor is this line: "He was mocking her, she realized." The line is followed by Sandor telling Sansa that she is like a little bird. Littlefinger's personal sigil is a mockingbird. Wouldn't it be fascinating if GRRM has set up a parallel between Sandor and Littlefinger? Both attracted to Sansa but coming at her in different directions (or so we readers are led to believe).

The role of the Brotherhood without Banners is already in play, with Sansa and Lady Stoneheart sharing some parallels and Lady Stoneheart now directing the BwB. Recall that Ned, as Hand of the King, initially sent Ser Beric and his men on their quest and that Ned declined to allow Ser Loras to lead the group.

You are right to point out that Brienne is part of this jumble of symbolism. She started out as a Renly fan girl, she hates roses, she swears her sword to the service of Catelyn, she revives after eating food provided by Thoros, she seeks Sansa and Ser Dontos (whose significance is connected to another tourney, the failed name day tourney for Joffrey) and she probably represents the blue fork of the Trident, although we haven't seen the blue fork play much of a role in the story yet. She also has strong parallels with Ser Barristan (who was in the Hand's Tourney) and with Dunk (whose name might be a play on the word "dunkel," which is German for dark.)

I think these conflicts will play out in some way in the resolution of Sandor's story. The long night has to end at some point, and he may personify the long night. 

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So I've had a little pet theory for a while regarding the Kingsguard cloaks. I surely haven't had time to gather legitimate support for it, if that even exists, but here it is...

The Kingsguard all wear white cloaks, with the exception of Renly's Rainbow guard. White light is made up of the colors of the rainbow, and this motif is used in relation to the faith of the seven repeatedly, from the crystals literally acting as prisms, to the seven gods each having a star (the red wanderer is associated with the smith), etc. 

We now have several examples of ex-Kingsguards (or Queensguards, or something sort of parallel), from multiple different kings/queens/princes/princesses. 

I suspect we will eventually see a Kingsguard made up of "stained" cloaks materialize in the series.

My first guesses at who they'll be:

Sandor Clegane and his bloody red cloak. Formerly serving Joff.
There was something slung over the back of his destrier, a heavy shape wrapped in a bloody cloak. 

Lem Lemoncloak, aka Richard Lonmouth, and his piss yellow cloak. Formerly squire to Rhaegar.
You're afraid all the piss will wash out and we'll see you're really a knight o' the Kingsguard!

Brienne of Tarth, the sapphire isle, the blue. Formerly serving Renly.
"Your Grace," Brienne the Blue corrected sharply. "And you should kneel when you approach the king."

Rolland, the bastard of Nightsong, castellan of Dragonstone, one of Davos's trusted king's men, and half brother to Bryce the Orange. Formerly serving Stannis.
"Flowers is a bastard name. So is Hill." "Yet both men rose to command the Kingsguard. Their tales are in the book. Rolland Darklyn is in here too. The youngest man ever to serve in the Kingsguard, until me. He was given his cloak on a battlefield and died within an hour of donning it."

Jorah Mormont, who's sigil is a bear on a field of green. Formerly serving Dany.
On his dark green surcoat, the bear of House Mormont stood on its hind legs, black and fierce.

Patrek Mallister, who was one of Robb's personal guard, and the colors of Seaguard are silver and indigo. Formerly Serving Rob.
Many of their sons had clamored for the honor of riding with the Young Wolf, as they had taken to calling him. Torrhen Karstark and his brother Eddard were among his thirty, and Patrek Mallister, Smalljon Umber, Daryn Hornwood, Theon Greyjoy, no less than five of Walder Frey's vast brood, along with older men like Ser Wendel Manderly and Robin Flint.

Gerold Dayne, the Darkstar, who shares Ashara's haunting violet eyes. Formerly "defending" Myrcella, and "serving" Arianne.
His eyes seemed black as he sat outlined against the dying sun, sharpening his steel, but she had looked at them from a closer vantage and she knew that they were purple. Dark purple. Dark and angry.

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2 hours ago, Targaryeninkingslanding said:

Half of me just wants Sandor to be done with fighting. But the words true knight got me thinking about sir Gawain and the green knight and the parallels between Sandor and Brienne of Tarth. the green knight (king author and king cornwall) and Gawain are considered to be two of the greatest champions of Camelot. Just as well I think Bri might be being set up to be another hound (4th), and we know sansa needs a dog. either way bri seems to be the true knight sansa is looking for, while Sandor will be her green knight. does that make sansa Arthur, or is she Guinevere? who is the king of Cornwall, and what will be his seven headed monster? well the symbolism is all muddled, so maybe ignore this.

Man, I have no idea what’s going to happen to Brienne. She was so insignificant during the show’s final seasons that it makes me think she’s a goner, but at the same time, GRRM loves in-universe parallels, and he did introduce Jonquil Darke as Alysanne’s protector in F&B. . . 

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4 hours ago, The Bard of Banefort said:

Man, I have no idea what’s going to happen to Brienne. She was so insignificant during the show’s final seasons that it makes me think she’s a goner, but at the same time, GRRM loves in-universe parallels, and he did introduce Jonquil Darke as Alysanne’s protector in F&B. . . 

that she's taken the shield of dunk suggest to me she needs to find her egg, and if pod is that egg, what does that entail for him? from an egg hatches a dragon. from a pod pops a... plant? flower? rose? And if their relationship persists I'll want bri to become the 4th hound all the more so, solely because pod once had a dog named hero. 

definitely some interesting parallels between Jonquil Darke and Brienne. Both could be considered symbolic of Joan of arc, the maid of Orleans. Jonquil dark is almost certainly named in homage to Jeanne d'Arc and became protector of the good queen after she was attacked in Jonquil's pool in Maidenpool. Bri has the epitaph, the maid of Tarth. this could just be homage though and not symbolic of their eventual roles. that bri, a true knight, might also be a "true christian knight" archetype as in a knight who upholds all knightly virtues seems not farfetched and it is the type of knight sansa wishes for. the extent of her upholding that role seems difficult to discern at this time. hopefully she is not burned at the stake, but perhaps she is doomed to die from her current trial by the brotherhood or later on. if the sansa gets kidnapped by Shadrich theory comes to fruition, that may at least be avoided, and I do want her and Jamie or Sandor to fight the headless Gregor together.

she seems a strong contender for Sansa's champion despite, as a stand in for Gawain, the maiden's knight, just as Sandor does as the green knight, if the green cloak theory can be believed. I wonder is sansa is always to be a maid? pegging sansa as Guinevere, faegon makes a fair enough Arthur, blackfyre as the king's sword excalibur, and I suppose Jon might as well be the king of Cornwall (corn king on the wall). in such a parallel situation she may be killed by faegon, but Guinevere means white fairy or white ghost, so maybe im looking at the roles wrong.

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46 minutes ago, Targaryeninkingslanding said:

that she's taken the shield of dunk suggest to me she needs to find her egg, and if pod is that egg, what does that entail for him? from an egg hatches a dragon. from a pod pops a... plant? flower? rose? And if their relationship persists I'll want bri to become the 4th hound all the more so, solely because pod once had a dog named hero. 

definitely some interesting parallels between Jonquil Darke and Brienne. Both could be considered symbolic of Joan of arc, the maid of Orleans. Jonquil dark is almost certainly named in homage to Jeanne d'Arc and became protector of the good queen after she was attacked in Jonquil's pool in Maidenpool. Bri has the epitaph, the maid of Tarth. this could just be homage though and not symbolic of their eventual roles. that bri, a true knight, might also be a "true christian knight" archetype as in a knight who upholds all knightly virtues seems not farfetched and it is the type of knight sansa wishes for. the extent of her upholding that role seems difficult to discern at this time. hopefully she is not burned at the stake, but perhaps she is doomed to die from her current trial by the brotherhood or later on. if the sansa gets kidnapped by Shadwell theory comes to fruition, that may at least be avoided, and I do want her and Jamie or Sandor to fight the headless Gregor together.

she seems a strong contender for Sansa's champion despite, as a stand in for Gawain, the maiden's knight, just as Sandor does as the green knight, if the green cloak theory can be believed. I wonder is sansa is always to be a maid? faegon makes a fair enough Arthur, blackfyre as the king's sword excalibur, and I suppose Jon might as well be the king of Cornwall (corn king on the wall).

We never found out what happened to Jonquil in the end. Something tells me it was remarkably similar to whatever is going to happen to Brienne.

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5 hours ago, Targaryeninkingslanding said:

Half of me just wants Sandor to be done with fighting. But the words true knight got me thinking about sir Gawain and the green knight and the parallels between Sandor and Brienne of Tarth. the green knight (king author and king cornwall) and Gawain are considered to be two of the greatest champions of Camelot. Just as well I think Bri might be being set up to be another hound (4th), and we know sansa needs a dog. either way bri seems to be the true knight sansa is looking for, while Sandor will be her green knight. does that make sansa Arthur, or is she Guinevere? who is the king of Cornwall, and what will be his seven headed monster? well the symbolism is all muddled, so maybe ignore this.

You don't need to look outside the text.

Quote

"Ser Galladon was a champion of such valor that the Maiden herself lost her heart to him. She gave him an enchanted sword as a token of her love. The Just Maid, it was called. No common sword could check her, nor any shield withstand her kiss.

Meanwhile in Sansa's vicinity there's a Valyrian sword currently owned by a paedophile (so soon to die) with the same name as her fallen protector Direwolf with a love heart ruby in the pommel.

Quote

 

Ser Galladon bore the Just Maid proudly, but only thrice did he unsheathe her. He would not use the Maid against a mortal man, for she was so potent as to make any fight unfair."

. . .

Brienne could not help but smile. "Perhaps," she allowed, "but Ser Galladon was no fool. Against a foe eight feet tall mounted on an aurochs, he might well have unsheathed the Just Maid. He used her once to slay a dragon, they say."

 

And Sandor has a brother nemesis with which he's destined to fight, who is about 8 foot and not exactly mortal anymore.

And he is deathly afraid of fire, meaning a confrontation with a dragon would be the truest test fo his courage and faith.

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4 hours ago, Mourning Star said:

I suspect we will eventually see a Kingsguard made up of "stained" cloaks materialize in the series.

OMG. I can't tell you how much I love this. 

I feel as if the Battle of the Blackwater was a game of "52 pick up" where cards were reshuffled and dealt into new hands - some of Renly's people going to the Lannisters, others going to Stannis. Many nobles died, of course, and others lost their lands by royal decree, opening up opportunities for new knights and lords to move up. Some players were imprisoned or taken hostage. 

So the Blackwater could work with your White Cloak theory - all color and no color come together to create new hues (or to reassign the old hues). I just re-read ACoK, Davos III, with the description of the battle. It begins with Davos noting whitecapped waves on the black water and ends with red-hot steel and swirling green flames. There are many colors in the names of ships (Black Betha, White Hart), the Red Keep, banners, flames, etc. 

After the battle, Selyse and Melisandre burn Lord Sunglass, who had supported Stannis initially but who broke with him over his devotion to R'hllor. The sunglass symbolism links back to rainbows because prisms cast rainbow-colored light. So Renly created a Rainbow Guard (almost - he never had indigo) and Stannis (or his women) destroy rainbows.

Your idea of the white-cloaked rainbow guard turning into an accidental or "school of hard knocks" version of the rainbow guard is just wonderful. Bringing together the white and the rainbow in a new way; restoring what was lost when Renly died. 

At one point, Davos describes the ships of Stannis' fleet: "From every stern streamed the fiery heart of the Lord of Light, red and yellow and orange." This contrasts with the green wildfire that soon overwhelms the red, yellow and orange ships. The author may be giving us an example of imbalance: lots of green overwhelms red, yellow and orange. This might fit with the account Ser Dontos gives of the battle's conclusion. He tells Sansa that "Renly" (strongly associated with green) rallied his supporters to defeat Stannis. 

If you are right about the slow, secret rebuilding of the Rainbow Guard, drawing on supporters of a variety of kings, this may serve as a future signal to us of how Westeros will achieve balance and stability under a new king. When the rainbow is complete, peace will be achieved.

When you listed Brienne as the possible blue representative for a reconstituted Rainbow / King's guard, my initial thinking was that this didn't seem right. But Brienne pledged her sword to Catelyn, and Catelyn is all about rainbows. So you might be right. 

A thought about TWoW upcoming action:

Spoiler

The effort to create a seven-member guard for Sweetrobin may provide more hints for us about a reconstituted Rainbow / King's Guard. I'll be interested to see which colors are represented in the sigils of the winning knights. If you are right about Sandor's bloody cloak representing the color red, maybe he will show up as a mystery knight at the Gates of the Moon and earn a place in the new guard before anyone knows who he is.

 

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15 hours ago, Seams said:

OMG. I can't tell you how much I love this. 

Really glad you like my half baked idea!

Especially because as you describe, I think it would be really nice to see a final Kingsguard made up of former servants of other kings, each having had to overcome something personal on their way there. Obviously, the examples I picked were mostly guesses and there would be plenty of other ways to go. 

As for Sandor, while I understand the appeal of letting him rest, I can’t believe his story is done. If nothing else, we need to see him face his fear of fire. And after being put to sleep by a song (Sansa’s), seeing the hound awaken and guard the gate to a flaming hell and consuming the dead who try to leave (his brother the undead), would seem fitting.

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1 hour ago, Mourning Star said:

As for Sandor, while I understand the appeal of letting him rest, I can’t believe his story is done. If nothing else, we need to see him face his fear of fire. And after being put to sleep by a song (Sansa’s), seeing the hound awaken and guard the gate to a flaming hell and consuming the dead who try to leave (his brother the undead), would seem fitting.

This deserves to come true - even though personally I think Sandor most likely has joined the non-combatants and will have to rely on his wits in the future (like Jaime). But - it would be a terrific manifestation of 'the human heart in conflict with itself' if Sandor has to sacrifice his hard-won peace and redemption in order to use the power of the Hound identity again.

No doubt Sandor will meet some kind of fiery disaster again - he always does.

1 hour ago, The Bard of Banefort said:

Also, someone’s gotten tell Sansa about how Littlefinger betrayed Ned lol. If I remember correctly, the Hound was present for that.

Would be one of those embarrassing conversations seeing as the Hound was front and centre of Cersei's coup. Certainly she consulted him. I suspect he planned the storming of the Tower of the Hand, which inconveniently had to wait for him to get over from the throne room so he could go in with the front wave, snatching any Stark girls before the slaughter. A red cloak commander could have done that job, and Sandor should be protecting Joffrey.

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1 minute ago, Springwatch said:

This deserves to come true - even though personally I think Sandor most likely has joined the non-combatants and will have to rely on his wits in the future (like Jaime). But - it would be a terrific manifestation of 'the human heart in conflict with itself' if Sandor has to sacrifice his hard-won peace and redemption in order to use the power of the Hound identity again.

No doubt Sandor will meet some kind of fiery disaster again - he always does.

One has to imagine the Quiet Isle doesn’t stay quiet forever, wether it is where Dany Lands (my personal guess, possibly after Dragonstone), or some other violence befalls it, I do think we will see Sandor forced back into action.

1 minute ago, Springwatch said:

Would be one of those embarrassing conversations seeing as the Hound was front and centre of Cersei's coup. Certainly she consulted him. I suspect he planned the storming of the Tower of the Hand, which inconveniently had to wait for him to get over from the throne room so he could go in with the front wave, snatching any Stark girls before the slaughter. A red cloak commander could have done that job, and Sandor should be protecting Joffrey.

I think there is still conflict left to resolve between Arya and Sansa, and the fact that Sansa betrayed Ned is a bigger revelation than that Littlefinger did as well.

Sandor may be able to bridge both the plot lines and the emotional gap between the sisters.

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19 hours ago, The Bard of Banefort said:

I personally don’t think Sandor will fight Gregor, but if he does I think it’ll be more like putting him to rest, kind of like I suspect Arya will do with Stoneheart.

I agree.  For Sandor to return to being driven by hatred of Gregor would be a reversal of his character arc.  The Elder Brother says (metaphorically speaking) that Sandor has moved past all that.  And if that is not the case, then is "the Hound is dead" remarks are not true in any sense, literal or metaphorical.  

If Sandor did slay Gregor, then, as you say, it would be for mercy.  But that would be inherently ambiguous, so I'd prefer Sandor not be the one to slay Gregor at all. 

I think Sandor's destiny is against an entirely different sort of foe -- the kind that breathes fire and burns crops and devours maidens and condemns peasants to starve in the long winter.   His terror of fire ironically foreshadows his ultimate nemesis.  Can a man be brave when he is afraid?  Ned already told us the answer.

I would not be surprised, though, if "the Hound" were to face off against Gregor.  But it will not turn out to be Sandor under the Hound helm.

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