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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Jack Shepherd

Game of Thrones: Bran actor reveals George RR Martin's plans for A Song of Ice and Fire's ending

Isaac Hempstead Wright has revealed what George RR Martin told Game of Thrones showrunners about the character Bran Stark’s story arch on the show.

**Spoilers for the ending of Game of Thrones ahead**

Speaking to HBO’s blog Making Game of Thrones, the actor spoke candidly about what the show’s creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss had been told about the unpublished ending to Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series.

“David [Benioff] and Dan [Weiss] told me there were two things [author] George R.R. Martin had planned for Bran, and that was the Hodor revelation, and that he would be king,” Wright said. 

“So that’s pretty special to be directly involved in something that is part of George’s vision. It was a really nice way to wrap it up.”

The Hodor revelation came in season six, when it was revealed that Bran’s time-travelling and warging antics led to a young Hodor only being able to say Hodor – or “Hold the door”. 

Fans have pointed out that Bran becoming at the story’s end king makes for a nice parallel with the opening of the first book, which was a Bran chapter.

The final season of Game of Thrones received a mixed reaction. The Independent’s critic called the finale “misjudged and hammy”, and criticised the episode for “lacking emotional resolution”. Emilia Clarke, whose character Daenerys finally perished during the episode, has said “it was a f***ing struggle reading the scripts” but that the character’s final moments were “very taken care of… it’s a very beautiful and touching ending”.

You can find a ranking of every character – from worst best – here. Flick through the below gallery for our ranking of every episode.   

Game of Thrones has come to an end. You can stream previous episodes of the show on NOW TV.

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