10 Major Events Confirmed to Happen in George R.R. Martin’s The Winds of Winter That Fans Can’t Wait For

It feels like everyone is getting increasingly pissed at George R.R. Martin for taking so long to finish The Winds of Winter. And after more than 15 years since A Dance with Dragons, it is easy to understand the frustration. Still, there is reason to remain optimistic. Good things take time, and Martin has had more time than ever to untangle the enormous narrative, correct mistakes and clean up the story. The ending of Game of Thrones has also given him valuable hindsight, while the freedom to rewrite any chapter should allow him to fix things that do not work — even if that same freedom may also be part of the reason the book is taking so long. There is no guarantee that The Winds of Winter will arrive soon, but I remain hopeful that we will get it before Martin decides to give up or is unable to finish it. But till then, here are 10 major events fans cannot wait to see. (Read All Sample Chapters Here)

1. Jeyne Westerling Will Appear in the Prologue

Martin has confirmed that Jeyne Westerling will appear in the prologue of The Winds of Winter, although she is not necessarily the POV character. Her appearance could also connect to the possible return and rescue attempt by the Blackfish (Brynden Tully), who disappeared after escaping Riverrun. As always, fans should probably expect something terrible to happen to the prologue narrator.

2. Four Major Battles Will Begin the Book

The Winds of Winter is expected to open with the Battle of Ice and Battle of Fire, with Stannis’ army and Daenerys’ forces entering major conflicts in the North and Mereen respectively. We have already seen a lot of glimpses of these battles or events leading up to them in the sample chapters released so far including Theon Greyjoy, Tyrion, Ser Barristan Selmy, and Victarion Greyjoy chapters. Aside from these 2 major battles, we have the Battle of Blood involving Euron Greyjoy’s dark and sinister plot against Oldtown (as seen in Aeron Grejoy sample chapter) and the Battle of Steel involving Jon Connington and Aegon’s quest against Storm’s End (as seen in Arianne Martell sample chapters). In other words, Winds should waste very little time before delivering Fire, Ice, Blood and Steel.

3. The Others and the Land of Winter

The Others have remained one of the biggest mysteries in A Song of Ice and Fire, but that is expected to change significantly in The Winds of Winter. Martin has promised that readers will see more of them. And considering the book’s title, fans are hoping that the long-awaited undead invasion finally begins in earnest.

4. Jon Snow Will Be Resurrected

Jon Snow’s fate after being stabbed by his own men remains one of the biggest questions in the series. His resurrection is widely expected and confirmed by Martin, but the important question is what kind of Jon will return. His connection with Ghost and the nature of resurrection in Martin’s world could result in a much darker and more changed version of the character.

5. Bran Will Become the Lore Finder

Bran’s story is about to become incredibly important. Through his abilities, we could finally learn more about Jon Snow’s parentage, the Tower of Joy, the Children of the Forest, the Others and the ancient history of Westeros. Bran may ultimately become the character who connects the scattered mysteries of the entire saga and give Martin the freedom to explain the lore without POV boundations.

6. We Will Learn Hodor’s True Origins

Martin has confirmed that Hodor’s story will happen differently in the books, even though the basic idea behind his fate came from Martin himself. There will still be a connection between Bran, Hodor and the phrase “hold the door”, but the circumstances will reportedly be very different although time travel aspect is still expected to play an important role.

7. Long-Awaited Character Meetings Will Finally Happen

After five books of characters constantly missing one another, The Winds of Winter should finally bring several major characters together. Tyrion, Victarion, Jorah, and Daenerys will meet each other, while Arianne Martell is heading toward Jon Connington and Aegon. Aside from that, Jaime is expected to meet Lady Stoneheart, while Stannis and Theon have already met in the sample chapters. These meetings could dramatically change the direction of the story.

8. Old Characters Will Return

Several characters who disappeared from the main narrative could return in Winds. Rickon Stark and Osha are expected to re-enter the story, while the Dothraki will once again become important to Daenerys. Meanwhile, Bran’s visions could bring figures such as Eddard Stark, Lyanna Stark, Rhaegar Targaryen, Ser Arthur Dayne, Ser Gerold Hightower, Sir Oswell Whent and Howland Reed back into the story.

9. Shireen Baratheon’s Fate

This is one of the few major events we know is coming because Martin confirmed that Shireen’s death was one of the important plot points he revealed to the creators of Game of Thrones. However, the circumstances are expected to be very different from the show. Stannis’ situation, Melisandre’s position and the events around Winterfell are all dramatically different in the books.

10. More Magical Creatures and Ancient Artifacts

The final books are expected to lean much further into the fantasy side of Westeros. We have been hinted to see the Green Men, krakens, wyverns and unicorns, while mysterious artifacts such as the Horn of Winter and Dragonbinder would finally become important to the main story. After five books of gradually increasing magic, The Winds of Winter could finally reveal just how fantastical this world really is. And considering how HBO butchered most fantasy elements in the TV Show, fantasy fans expect a lot from Winds.

Winter Is Coming

It is perfectly fair to be frustrated with George R.R. Martin. But after waiting this long, there is little point in assuming the book is never coming. Martin has had years to rewrite, restructure and rethink the story. If that extra time ultimately produces the book he wants to write, it may be worth the wait. And hopefully, once The Winds of Winter is finally out and receives the reception it deserves, A Dream of Spring won’t feel quite so impossible anymore. For now, we wait. Keep calm as Winter is coming. Or will soon enough.

If you have any questions regarding The Winds of Winter, feel free to ask in the comments below. For more updates, stay tuned and stay HIGH ON CINEMA!