‘Game of Thrones’ made shocking choices in its season 8 finale that are still debated today

Maisie Williams, Isaac Hempstead Wright and Sophie Turner in season 8 of ‘Game of Thrones.’. Photo: Macall B. Polay/HBO

Warning: Game of Thrones Spoilers ahead!

Game of Thrones is regarded as one of the best shows of all time, but the fantasy series’ controversial ending left fans with a mixed reaction.

After a legendary run that earned the show 59 Primetime Emmy Awards — the most ever for a drama series — its conclusion was less well-received. Many viewers expected Jon Snow or Daenerys Targaryen to become king or queen of Westeros, but when Bran Stark was named the next ruler, questions ensued.

The 2019 finale, titled “The Iron Throne,” ended up as the lowest-rated episode of the critically acclaimed series. A group of fans were so outraged with the episode as well as the final season’s abbreviated runtime and episode count — consisting of six episodes compared to the usual 10 —that they began a petition to remake Game of Thrones’ entire final season, which received over 1.8 million signatures.

“I think we knew it would be controversial. I think we hoped that it would be a little more 50/50,” series co-creator David Benioff said on Happy Sad Confused in 2024. “I think you hope for a better proportion of [reactions] … definitely didn’t want it to be quite so much hate. [We were] prepared for some of it.”

Of course, the show wouldn’t have received such a polarizing reaction if it weren’t so beloved in the first place and not everyone had an issue with the season 8 finale. Despite the passionate fan response and mixed critical reception, it was the most Emmy-nominated season of any show in history. Shortly after, the show’s cast shared their thoughts on the matter, and they had different perspectives.

“It was a surprising level … the absurdity of the online petition,” Nikolaj Coster-Waldau said at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con. “Every season we had huge controversies. From Ned Stark being killed and then there was the Red Wedding … So obviously when it comes to the end it’s gonna piss you off no matter what, because it’s the end.”

Here’s everything to know about the controversial conclusion of Game of Thrones.

How did Game of Thrones end?

Emilia Clarke in season 8 of ‘Games of Thrones’.Courtesy of HBO

In Game of Thrones‘ penultimate episode, Daenerys follows her father Aerys II Targaryen’s footsteps as she burns down King’s Landing to take the Iron Throne, despite Queen Cersei Lannister surrendering. Although Jon previously pledged his fealty to Daenerys after learning of her many noble conquests — including freeing slaves in Meereen — he realizes that she not only murdered many innocent civilians in the fire but will continue to do so in her quest to “liberate” Westeros.

When Jon sees Daenerys after she takes the Iron Throne, he understands the lengths she’ll go to and kills her while they kiss. Afterward, a council of the remaining members of the great houses of Westeros debated who should rule the Seven Kingdoms.

When Tyrion Lannister is asked for his opinion, he presents his case for Bran having the best story in all of Westeros, saying that great stories unite people as there is nothing more powerful. The rest of the council votes and agrees that Bran is the best choice, but his sister Sansa Stark requests that the North — where they grew up — become an independent kingdom with Sansa as the Queen of the North.

Bran agrees and becomes ruler of the now-Six Kingdoms of Westeros while choosing Tyrion as his hand. Tyrion proclaims that Daenerys’ famous intent of “breaking the wheel” was to stop the great houses from constantly ruling in a cycle and that the high council should choose rulers, replacing the monarchy with democracy.

Tyrion sits on the council with King Bran, Bronn of the Blackwater, Davos Seaworth, Grandmaester Samwell Tarly and Brienne of Tarth to discuss various needs of the realm.  Samwell presents a book called A Song of Ice and Fire — the same title as Game of Thrones’ real-world source material, the book written by George R.R. Martin — chronicling everything since Robert’s Rebellion ended the Targaryen dynasty.

Meanwhile, Arya Stark decides to explore beyond where the maps stop and discover “what’s west of Westeros” as she embarks out to sea with a full crew on her ship. As for Jon, he’s banished to the Night’s Watch beyond the wall for killing Daenerys but ends up reuniting with the Wildlings, where his character always felt most free.

Why was Bran Stark chosen to rule Westeros?

Isaac Hempstead Wright in season 8 of ‘Game of Thrones’.Helen Sloan/HBO

Although viewers thought Jon would end up on the Iron Throne or as the king consort with Daenerys as queen, Bran was named the new ruler.

After Tyrion was brought before a council in Westeros, he said there should be a vote, but his choice would be Bran because of his narrative and special skills.

“Who has a better story than Bran the Broken?” he said. “The boy who fell from a high tower and lived. He knew he’d never walk again, so he learned to fly. He crossed beyond the Wall, a crippled boy, and became the Three-eyed Raven. He is our memory, the keeper of all our stories. The wars, weddings, births, massacres, famines, our triumphs, our defeats, our past. Who better to lead us into the future?”

While Bran was missing for nearly a season, and other characters appeared more frequently with complex character arcs, Martin himself originally proposed the youngest Stark take over as king.

During an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2019, Isaac Hempstead Wright — the actor who portrayed Bran — shared that the series’ co-creators told him such.

“[Creators] 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.”

According to Entertainment Weekly, Martin discussed the ending with Benioff and Weiss years before the finale, but the show took undiscussed narrative detours.

What were the cast’s reactions to their characters’ fates?

Kit Harington in season 8 of ‘Game of Thrones’.Helen Sloan/HBO

Most of Game of Thrones’ actors were satisfied with their characters’ endings, while some found it a tough pill to swallow when their plot lines were abruptly cut.

Maisie Williams, who played the vengeful, strategic and determined Arya, was particularly thrilled that her character had a happy ending, where she would get to explore Westeros and stop having to fight.

“We had such a blast. We loved it. I was so happy with my ending, and it was just a beautiful end to a decade of my life,” Williams said. “I couldn’t be happier with it, honestly.”

Meanwhile, there were hints that Jon could become the King of Westeros or rule alongside Daenerys as king consort to her queen, but when neither came to fruition, fans were upset. However, Kit Harington loved the ending chosen for his character and felt Jon was finally free, returning to the place where his character began the series.

“Seeing him go beyond the Wall back to something true, something honest, something pure with these people he was always told he belongs with — the Free Folk — it felt to me like he was finally free,” Harington told The Hollywood Reporter. “It was a really sweet ending. As much as he had done a horrible thing [in killing Daenerys], as much as he had felt that pain, the actual ending for him was finally being released.”

On the other hand, Emilia Clarke told Entertainment Weekly that she was initially flabbergasted and cried at her character’s ending, but she came around to appreciate it. Regardless of Daenerys’ tyrannical actions, Clarke felt conflicted and still stood by her characters’ reasoning, just as Daenerys had in her final moments.

“I feel very taken care of as a character in that sense. It’s a very beautiful and touching ending. Hopefully, what you’ll see in that last moment as she’s dying is: There’s the vulnerability—there’s the little girl you met in season 1. See? She’s right there. And now, she’s not there anymore,” Clarke said. “But having said all of the things I’ve just said … I stand by Daenerys. I stand by her! I can’t not.”

Five years after the finale, she reflected on the series in an even more grateful and less conflicted manner during an interview with PEOPLE.

“The more distance I have from Game of Thrones, the more I can quantify it. … When I started, you don’t know what you’re doing, you don’t know what you’re surrounded by and you don’t know what you’re taking part in,” Clarke explained. “Now, as more and more time goes between it and me doing it, the more I’m like, that was incredibly special and that was incredibly rare.”

Are there any Game of Thrones spinoffs?

Elliot Grihault, Harry Collett, Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith and Phoebe Campbell in ‘House of the Dragon’.Liam Daniel/ HBO

Game of Thrones fans have plenty more to look forward to as a plethora of spinoffs are in production and development.

The first spinoff to Game of Thrones is House of the Dragon. The show is focused on the Targaryen civil war entitled the Dance of the Dragons from Martin’s book Fire and Blood.

There was a sequel series in development about Jon Snow, but Harington told Screen Rant that his character’s future on-screen had been shelved for the time being.

“Currently, it’s off the table, because we all couldn’t find the right story to tell that we were all excited about enough,” the actor said. “So, we decided to lay down tools with it for the time being.”

Another Game of Thrones spinoff is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, based on Martin’s series of novellas Tales of Dunk and Egg. The series is set to premiere in 2025 and takes place 90 years before the events of Game of Thrones.

It will tell the story of Ser Duncan the Tall (Dunk), a squire who pretends to be a knight and his young squire Aegon V Targaryen (Egg), who eventually becomes king.

Other shows in development include Aegon’s Conquest, focusing on Aegon Targaryen conquering — and subsequently becoming — the first king of Westeros, per The Hollywood Reporter.

The Sea Snake is another project being developed based on House of the Dragon’s Lord Corlys Verlaryon’s past adventures at sea before becoming Lord of the Tides.