Oh boy, do I remember finishing A Dance with Dragons for the first time. It was late, my eyes were burning, and I felt like I’d just run a marathon. My heart was pounding, honestly. As I turned that very last page, I literally gasped. It wasn’t just one cliffhanger; it felt like George R.R. Martin had taken every major character, dangled them over the edge of a precipice, and then just… dropped his pen. It left me, and countless other fans, absolutely reeling, staring blankly at the wall, wondering, “What in the blazes just happened?”
To cut right to the chase, the end of A Dance with Dragons left virtually every major storyline hanging precariously, with several beloved (and some not-so-beloved) characters facing dire, life-altering circumstances, most notably Jon Snow’s apparent assassination, Daenerys Targaryen stranded in the Dothraki Sea, and Tyrion Lannister poised on the brink of a massive battle. It wasn’t a neat wrap-up by any stretch; it was a detonation of narrative bombs, setting the stage for what promised to be an explosive future, albeit one we’ve been waiting for a fair spell now.
This book, the fifth installment in the saga, truly cranked up the tension, didn’t it? It pushed its characters to their absolute limits, exposing their vulnerabilities and forcing them into corners with no clear way out. For us readers, it was a masterful, if agonizing, exercise in suspense. Let’s really dig into the nitty-gritty of those final moments, character by character, and truly appreciate the sheer audaciousness of how Martin chose to leave us.
Jon Snow: For the Watch!
Let’s just start with the big one, the one that probably had most of us picking our jaws up off the floor: Jon Snow. Our beloved Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. He spent the entire book trying to balance his vows, his conscience, and the ever-growing threat of the Others beyond the Wall. He made some tough calls, truly trying to do what was right for the realm, even if it meant alienating his own men.
In the end, it was those very men who betrayed him. After his controversial decision to allow wildlings south of the Wall, his desperate plea for help from the lords of Westeros, and then his audacious announcement that he intended to march on Winterfell with the wildlings to confront Ramsay Bolton and rescue ‘Arya Stark’ (who was actually Jeyne Poole), his authority snapped. His Night’s Watch brothers, led by Bowen Marsh and Wick Whittlestick, saw this as the ultimate betrayal of their sacred vows. They cornered him, calling out “For the Watch!” with each stab of a dagger.
Jon collapses into the snow, bleeding from multiple wounds. His loyal direwolf, Ghost, is locked away, unable to come to his aid. This scene is brutal, shocking, and leaves his fate completely ambiguous. Is he dead? Genuinely gone? Or will Melisandre’s presence at the Wall, and her fascination with him, play a role in some form of resurrection or transformation? The prevailing theory, which has been debated fiercely for years, suggests that his story isn’t over. But as the book closes, all we know is that the Lord Commander lies dying, or dead, in the cold snow, a victim of the very institution he swore to protect. It’s a gut-wrenching end to his arc in this particular volume, leaving an ache in your chest, I tell ya.
Daenerys Targaryen: Lost in the Dothraki Sea
Across the Narrow Sea, the Mother of Dragons, Daenerys Targaryen, was having a truly rough time in Meereen. After trying to rule a city she didn’t fully understand, making peace with her enemies through a marriage pact with Hizdahr zo Loraq, and facing constant political intrigue and a deadly plague, her dragons had become increasingly wild and uncontrollable. Drogon, her largest and most favored, finally returned, causing chaos in the fighting pits.
In a moment of sheer desperation and animal instinct, Daenerys mounts Drogon amidst the frenzy and flies away, abandoning Meereen and her people. She finds herself completely lost and alone in the vast, arid expanse of the Dothraki Sea. Wounded, starving, and delirious, she eventually encounters a new Dothraki khalasar. And not just any khalasar, mind you, but one led by Khal Jhaqo, a former bloodrider of her deceased husband, Khal Drogo, who had deserted her after Drogo’s death. This is a truly terrifying prospect for a lone woman, especially one who once claimed the title of Khaleesi.
Her final chapter sees her confronting the Dothraki, who are utterly bewildered by her appearance and her dragon. She’s tired, hungry, and has just consumed some wild berries that upset her stomach, which really adds to her vulnerability. The ending leaves her captive, or at the very least, in a deeply precarious position with a vast, unknown Dothraki horde. Her carefully constructed political power in Meereen has completely evaporated, and she’s back to square one, albeit with a fully grown dragon somewhere nearby. It was a stark reminder of how quickly power can be lost, and how isolated she truly was.
Tyrion Lannister: Betrayal and Battle on the Horizon
Our favorite Imp, Tyrion Lannister, had a long, harrowing journey throughout A Dance with Dragons. After escaping Westeros and the death sentence for patricide, he endured enslavement, betrayal, and a deep existential crisis. He eventually found his way to Penny, Jorah Mormont, and then the Second Sons, a mercenary company. His sharp wit and strategic mind quickly made him invaluable.
At the book’s close, Tyrion is with the Second Sons, who have been hired by the Yunkai’i to fight against Daenerys’s forces at the siege of Meereen. However, Tyrion has no intention of fighting against Daenerys. He’s made it his goal to join her, to offer his counsel and help her claim the Iron Throne. His plan, crafted with sellsword acumen, is to betray the Yunkai’i during the impending Battle of Slaver’s Bay. He has carefully sown discord and secured the loyalty of some key figures within the Second Sons.
The book ends with the battle about to begin, a massive clash of armies and cultures outside the walls of Meereen. Tyrion, for all his cleverness, is still in a highly dangerous position. He’s surrounded by sellswords and enemies, relying on his wits and the fragile loyalty he’s cultivated. His fate, and indeed the outcome of the entire siege, is left up in the air, leaving us to wonder if his gamble will pay off, or if he’ll simply become another casualty in the brewing storm. It’s a tense, nail-biting conclusion for his storyline, no doubt about it.
Bran Stark: Beyond the Wall and Becoming a Warg
Bran Stark’s journey into the mystical heart of Westeros is one of the more unique storylines. After trekking north for two books, he finally reaches his destination: the cave of the Three-Eyed Crow (or rather, the Three-Eyed Raven, as he’s later confirmed). Here, deep beneath the earth, he begins his intense training.
Under the tutelage of the ancient, tree-bound sorcerer, Bran learns to delve deeper into his greensight, experiencing visions of the past and future. More significantly, he hones his warging abilities, not only into his direwolf, Summer, but into other creatures and even, chillingly, into Hodor. The Three-Eyed Raven explains that Bran will never walk again, but he will learn to fly, in a manner of speaking, through his magical abilities.
The ending of his storyline in A Dance with Dragons isn’t a cliffhanger in the traditional sense, but more of a profound transformation. He is literally becoming something more than human, shedding his former self to embrace the ancient magic of the Children of the Forest. His path is set, his training begun, and he’s now deeply intertwined with the magical and supernatural elements of the world. He’s no longer just a boy; he’s a budding seer, a powerful warg, and potentially a key player in the fight against the encroaching Others. His tale ends with him fully immersed in his new, terrifying, and awe-inspiring destiny.
Arya Stark: Blindness and the Faceless Men
Arya Stark’s path in Braavos has been one of intense, often brutal, identity dissolution. Under the tutelage of the Faceless Men at the House of Black and White, she’s been striving to become “no one,” shedding her Stark identity and learning the art of assassination and disguise. She’s been given various personas, tasks, and has even carried out a contract killing for the Guild.
However, Arya struggles to fully let go of her past, her anger, and her list of names. She uses her warging abilities to see through her cat, Syrio Forel-style, showing she still has some of her old self clinging on. As a consequence of using her own judgment and taking a life that wasn’t assigned to her (Dareon, a Night’s Watch deserter), the Faceless Men take away her sight. Her final scene shows her blind, dependent on her other senses, forced to navigate the world without her most vital tool. This is a severe test, a further stripping away of her former self, and a push towards deeper mastery of the shadowy arts.
Her blindness isn’t a permanent condition, as we later learn from samples of her storyline in the next book. But at the close of A Dance with Dragons, she is effectively incapacitated, left vulnerable and reliant on her training to adapt. It’s a harsh punishment, but one that undeniably makes her stronger and more attuned to the subtle world of the Faceless Men. It leaves you wondering what kind of weapon she’ll become once her sight is restored, or if it ever truly will be.
Theon Greyjoy (Reek): Escaping Winterfell
Theon Greyjoy’s story in A Dance with Dragons is, without a doubt, one of the most harrowing. Traumatized and broken by Ramsay Bolton, he has been completely subsumed by the persona of “Reek.” He’s a shell of his former self, forced to participate in Ramsay’s depraved games and witness horrific acts in Winterfell.
His storyline takes a crucial turn when Stannis Baratheon marches on Winterfell. With the help of the mysterious “Abel” (Mance Rayder in disguise) and the spearwives, Theon is coerced into aiding in the escape of “Arya Stark” (Jeyne Poole), Ramsay’s traumatized bride. The escape is fraught with danger, involving a leap from Winterfell’s walls and a desperate run through the snowy woods.
The book leaves Theon and Jeyne Poole in a desperate flight, trying to reach Stannis’s forces, who are themselves bogged down in a brutal blizzard. Theon is still deeply damaged, haunted by Ramsay’s conditioning, but there are faint glimmers of his former self beneath the surface. His loyalty, or lack thereof, is constantly questioned. He’s headed towards Stannis, the man who wants him dead for treason, but also potentially his only hope for salvation. His arc ends in a frigid, uncertain flight, heading directly into another perilous situation, setting the stage for a dramatic confrontation with Stannis’s army and the ultimate Battle of Ice.
Stannis Baratheon: The Battle of Ice
Ah, Stannis. The King Who Cared. After his victory at the Wall, Stannis Baratheon decided to march on Winterfell to reclaim it from the Boltons and secure the North. His journey, however, is depicted as an incredibly arduous and brutal one. His army, ill-equipped for the harsh Northern winter, is bogged down by heavy snows, dwindling supplies, and desertions. Morale is low, and the conditions are deadly.
Despite the immense challenges, Stannis remains resolute, his iron will unbroken. He refuses to give in, even as his men freeze and starve. He’s a man of duty, convinced of his righteous claim, and determined to fight for it. His final chapters show him strategizing in a remote crofter’s village, his forces dwindling but still poised for battle. The infamous “pink letter” arrives at the Wall, supposedly from Ramsay Bolton, claiming a decisive victory over Stannis and the capture of Reek and ‘Arya’. However, the veracity of this letter is highly suspect, and it arrives *before* the actual battle is described.
The book ends with Stannis and his beleaguered army on the precipice of battle with the Bolton and Frey forces entrenched in Winterfell. The outcome is completely unknown, and given the state of his army, it’s a truly grim outlook. Yet, you never really count Stannis out, do you? He’s a survivor, and his determination is unmatched. His storyline ends with the ominous threat of a major confrontation, the “Battle of Ice,” hanging heavily in the frigid air, leaving us to wonder if the Mannis will finally break the Boltons or be broken himself.
Cersei Lannister: The Walk of Atonement and Vengeance
Cersei Lannister’s storyline in A Dance with Dragons is a descent into public humiliation and a burgeoning thirst for vengeance. After her arrest by the Faith Militant for various alleged crimes (incest, regicide, fornication), she undergoes a grueling imprisonment and interrogation. To secure her release and await trial by combat, she’s forced to undertake a Walk of Atonement.
This is a truly horrific public spectacle, where Cersei, stripped naked and shorn of her hair, is paraded through the streets of King’s Landing, enduring the jeers, insults, and filth of the common folk. It’s a devastating blow to her pride and her carefully constructed image of power. She is utterly broken and humiliated by the experience.
However, Cersei’s spirit, while wounded, is not entirely crushed. She returns to the Red Keep, weak but seething with fury. She is determined to exact revenge on all who wronged her, especially the High Sparrow and the Faith Militant. Her champion for the upcoming trial by combat is revealed to be Ser Robert Strong, a monstrous, silent, heavily armored knight, strongly implied to be the reanimated corpse of Gregor Clegane, brought back by Qyburn’s dark arts. The book leaves Cersei burning with a cold, terrifying rage, her mind already plotting her bloody retribution, and her formidable champion ready to do her bidding. It’s a shocking end, demonstrating how humiliation can forge an even deadlier resolve in a person like Cersei.
Jaime Lannister: Lady Stoneheart and the Riverlands
Jaime Lannister spent much of A Dance with Dragons trying to bring peace and order to the war-torn Riverlands, dealing with the remnants of the Brotherhood Without Banners and various lords. He’s trying to uphold his vows and reconcile with his past, particularly after his sister’s increasingly erratic behavior.
His storyline concludes with a truly shocking encounter. He receives a summons from Brienne of Tarth, who, after her own harrowing journey, claims to have found Sansa Stark (though it’s a lie orchestrated by the Brotherhood) and needs Jaime’s help. She leads him into the woods, where he is ambushed by the reconstituted Brotherhood Without Banners, now led by the vengeful, reanimated corpse of Catelyn Stark – Lady Stoneheart. Lady Stoneheart, mute and horrifyingly disfigured, is consumed by a desire for vengeance against the Freys, the Boltons, and anyone she perceives as complicit in the Red Wedding.
She offers Jaime a choice: hang for his crimes, or kill Brienne for her alleged betrayals. The book ends with Jaime making a decision, but we’re not explicitly told what that decision is. It’s a truly heart-stopping moment, pitting Jaime’s evolving sense of honor against the terrifying spectral figure of the woman he once loved, now twisted into an embodiment of pure revenge. It’s a dark, morally complex cliffhanger that leaves you desperate to know what choice the Kingslayer made.
Other Notable Characters and Their Fates
While the focus is often on the main POVs, several other key players also face intense, unresolved endings:
- Davos Seaworth: The Onion Knight, after being imprisoned, is tasked by Lord Manderly of White Harbor to retrieve Rickon Stark from the cannibal-haunted island of Skagos. His mission is a desperate longshot, offering a faint glimmer of hope for the Stark line in the North.
- Victarion Greyjoy: The Ironborn captain sails his Iron Fleet towards Meereen, intending to abduct Daenerys and claim her for himself, fulfilling a prophecy from Moqorro. His fleet is nearly annihilated by storms, but he perseveres, arriving just as the Battle of Slaver’s Bay is about to erupt. He’s a wildcard, a brutal force heading directly into the heart of the conflict.
- Aegon Targaryen (Young Griff): Introduced as a potentially legitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen, smuggled out as a baby. He lands in Westeros with Jon Connington and the Golden Company, quickly taking Griffin’s Roost. His arrival throws a massive wrench into the political landscape, offering a new claimant to the Iron Throne, complicating Daenerys’s eventual return. The book ends with him firmly establishing a foothold in the Stormlands, a shocking new contender.
- Areo Hotah: The captain of Doran Martell’s guards, witnesses the assassination of Myrcella Baratheon at the hands of the Darkstar. This act of violence, intended by a rogue Sand Snake (Arianne’s attempt to crown Myrcella), deeply complicates Dorne’s already delicate plans for vengeance against the Lannisters. The end of his arc signifies a deepening of the Dornish plot and a new cycle of blood to be paid.
- Quentyn Martell: Poor, misguided Prince Quentyn. His ill-fated mission to Meereen to marry Daenerys ends tragically. He attempts to tame one of Daenerys’s dragons (Rhaegal) and is burned to death. His fiery demise is a stark reminder of the dangers of ambition and the immense power of dragons.
The Thematic Undercurrents: Despair, Transformation, and Lingering Hope
What truly hit home at the end of A Dance with Dragons was the pervasive sense of despair and transformation. Many characters were stripped of their identities, their power, or even their lives. It felt like a deliberate move by Martin to break down everything we thought we knew about these individuals and the world itself. Jon’s death wasn’t just a shock; it was a statement about the fragility of leadership and the cost of doing what’s right. Daenerys’s isolation wasn’t just an inconvenience; it was a profound stripping away of her queenly facade, forcing her to confront her roots and her power in a raw, primal way.
Yet, amidst all this darkness, there were faint flickers of hope and the promise of monumental change. Bran’s transformation, Arya’s painful mastery, Tyrion’s cunning, and even the introduction of Young Griff all hinted at new directions and powerful shifts in the ongoing struggle for Westeros. The book wasn’t just about ending stories; it was about tearing them down to rebuild them into something entirely new and, potentially, even more dangerous. It’s a bold narrative choice, leaving a reader with a mixture of dread, excitement, and a whole lot of unanswered questions.
It’s this deliberate ambiguity and the sheer number of cliffhangers that made the ending of A Dance with Dragons so unforgettable, and so utterly frustrating in the best possible way. It cemented the series’ reputation for unpredictability and Martin’s willingness to put his characters through hell, knowing full well that fans would be clamoring for the next chapter. And boy, have we been clamoring.
Frequently Asked Questions About the End of A Dance with Dragons
Given the dramatic conclusions of A Dance with Dragons, a lot of questions have naturally bubbled up over the years. Here are some of the most common ones, along with some in-depth thoughts.
Is Jon Snow really dead at the end of A Dance with Dragons?
Ah, the million-dollar question that has fueled endless discussions, fan theories, and sleepless nights for fans across the globe. As the book explicitly ends, Jon Snow lies bleeding in the snow, stabbed multiple times by his Night’s Watch brethren, with the chilling cry of “For the Watch!” echoing. From a literal, in-text perspective, yes, he is “dead.”
However, Martin is known for his narrative sleight of hand, and several compelling clues suggest his story is far from over. For one, the presence of Melisandre, a powerful red priestess capable of resurrection and blood magic, at the Wall is highly significant. We’ve already seen her abilities, albeit perhaps not directly for resurrection. Then there’s the possibility of Jon warging into Ghost, his direwolf, a common ability among the Stark children, allowing his consciousness to persist even if his body perishes. Furthermore, the overall narrative arc strongly implies Jon’s importance to the larger war against the Others, and his potential Targaryen heritage (R+L=J theory) positions him as a pivotal figure, too important to simply be dispatched without further impact. So, while literally dead, most fans firmly believe this is a temporary state, a transformative death that will lead to a new, perhaps darker, Jon Snow.
What happens to Daenerys Targaryen after she flies away on Drogon?
Daenerys finds herself in a truly vulnerable and isolated position after flying away from Meereen on Drogon. She is completely lost in the vast, arid expanse of the Dothraki Sea, far from her armies and advisors. She’s injured, starving, and disoriented, grappling with the raw power of her dragon and the harsh realities of the wilderness.
Her final chapter ends with a fateful encounter: she stumbles upon a large Dothraki khalasar. The truly alarming part is that this khalasar is identified as being led by Khal Jhaqo, one of Khal Drogo’s former bloodriders who had previously abandoned and robbed her after Drogo’s death. This puts her in an incredibly dangerous predicament. She’s a lone woman, once a Khaleesi, now found by a powerful warlord who likely holds no loyalty to her, and perhaps even resentment. Her status and future are entirely uncertain, setting up a dramatic confrontation that could see her reassert her power among the Dothraki, or face capture and humiliation.
Will Tyrion Lannister successfully betray the Yunkai’i and join Daenerys?
As A Dance with Dragons concludes, Tyrion Lannister has meticulously laid the groundwork for his betrayal of the Yunkai’i, the slaver army besieging Meereen. He has ingratiated himself with the Second Sons mercenary company, who are fighting for the Yunkai’i, and cultivated alliances with key figures like Brown Ben Plumm. His plan is to switch sides during the heat of the imminent Battle of Slaver’s Bay, aiding Daenerys’s forces from within.
While the book leaves his success ambiguous, the implication is strong that he will at least *attempt* this maneuver. Tyrion’s sharp mind and strategic cunning are his greatest assets, and he has a track record of pulling off improbable schemes. However, war is chaotic and unpredictable, and even the best-laid plans can go awry. The sheer scale of the battle and the presence of other wild cards, like Victarion Greyjoy’s Iron Fleet, means that Tyrion’s fate is far from guaranteed. His intention is clear, but whether he can execute it amidst the chaos, and if Daenerys will even be there to accept his service, remains a significant cliffhanger.
What is the significance of Lady Stoneheart’s return for Jaime Lannister?
The reappearance of Lady Stoneheart – the reanimated corpse of Catelyn Stark, resurrected by Beric Dondarrion – is a truly chilling development and has profound significance for Jaime Lannister. For Jaime, this encounter forces him to confront his past in a terrifying, supernatural way. Catelyn, as Lady Stoneheart, is a twisted, vengeful entity, consumed by a thirst for retribution for the Red Wedding and the deaths of her family.
Lady Stoneheart holds a deep-seated hatred for the Lannisters and anyone associated with the atrocities of the war. Her confrontation with Jaime, orchestrated through Brienne of Tarth, puts him in an impossible moral dilemma: either he hangs for his perceived crimes against the Starks (and his role in Catelyn’s initial capture of Tyrion which started the war), or he sacrifices Brienne, a woman he has grown to respect and whose life he has sworn to protect. This moment is designed to test Jaime’s evolving sense of honor and loyalty. It highlights the lingering, bitter consequences of the war and the way it continues to haunt and reshape its survivors. His choice, which is left ambiguous, will undoubtedly define his character arc moving forward.
Who is Young Griff, and what is his claim to the Iron Throne?
Young Griff, also known as Aegon Targaryen, is introduced in A Dance with Dragons as a significant new claimant to the Iron Throne. He is presented as the son of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell, believed to have been murdered by Gregor Clegane during the Sack of King’s Landing. However, his mentor, Jon Connington (Rhaegar’s exiled friend), claims that the baby killed by Clegane was a different child, swapped in secret, and that Aegon was smuggled out of Westeros and raised in secret.
His claim is formidable if true: he would be the legitimate heir to the Iron Throne, preceding even Daenerys in the line of succession. He arrives in Westeros with the Golden Company, a formidable mercenary army, and quickly establishes a foothold in the Stormlands, taking Griffin’s Roost. The crucial ambiguity, of course, is whether he is truly Aegon Targaryen or an elaborate imposter, a “blackfyre” pretender. His appearance drastically complicates the political landscape, offering another powerful player in the game of thrones and potentially diverting support and attention away from Daenerys. The book ends with him poised to conquer more of Westeros, creating a major new front in the ongoing wars.