How will a Song of Ice and Fire end?(Theories)

[Louis XVI]

OY!

Salt and smoke!

Iron Islands!

Theon is the chosen one! He will save the world and ect.!

This suddenly struck me as possible a couple of months ago, pretty unexpected a hated and deformed ironborn saving everyone; and unexpected is George's thing.

[Mount Suribachi]

You know whats just occured to me - if R+L=J is true, then doesn't that make Jon no longer Jon Snow, but Jon Blackfyre?

And there's some foreshadowing there when Catelyn gives Robb the big speech about not legitimizing Jon, citing the Blackfyre Rebellion. Hmmm.....

[Gandalfus]

Why the hell, would that make him a Blackfyre? More likely to be Jon waters, or wherever he was born.

[Mount Suribachi]

Because he would a Targ bastard

[ccllnply]

Because he would a Targ bastard

Targaryen bastards don't automatically become Blackfyres. Blackfyre is the name of one of the great Valyrian swords owned by the Targaryens. Aegon the Unworthy gave it to his bastard son Daemon instead of his legitimate son Daeron II. When Daemon went to war with his half brother Daeron II in the Blackfyre Rebellion, he created his own house with him as the head and named it Blackfyre after the sword his father had given him.

So Blackfyre is the name of the house started by Daemon Blackfyre and that name goes to all his descendants. Blackfyre does not mean a Targaryen bastard

[Gandalfus]

Thank you.

[ByzantineCaesar]

Jon Sand, in fact.

[deusvult6]

Or even Flowers, depending on where they draw the line. But since Eddard claimed him noone has a problem calling him Snow even though he was obviously not born in the North, so maybe it has more to do with parentage or even where they're raised as with Mia Stone. Or maybe it's just whatever people feel like calling them as they're all bastard names anyway.

[Mount Suribachi]

Targaryen bastards don't automatically become Blackfyres. Blackfyre is the name of one of the great Valyrian swords owned by the Targaryens. Aegon the Unworthy gave it to his bastard son Daemon instead of his legitimate son Daeron II. When Daemon went to war with his half brother Daeron II in the Blackfyre Rebellion, he created his own house with him as the head and named it Blackfyre after the sword his father had given him.

So Blackfyre is the name of the house started by Daemon Blackfyre and that name goes to all his descendants. Blackfyre does not mean a Targaryen bastard

OK, ta.

[ButtSwag]

Is a Bastard named for where they are concieved, who they were concieved by, or where they were raised?

[deusvult6]

Is a Bastard named for where they are concieved, who they were concieved by, or where they were raised?

I think it's the choice of whoever is naming them. It matters less which name it is and more that they are designated as unable to inherit. I imagine that the only reason they vary by region at all is that it's a leftover of the old 7 sovereign kingdoms, with each one having their own designator.

To illustrate the naming scheme I have some examples of mixed naming criterias:
Mia Stone daughter of Robert and some random Vale woman born and raised in and around the Eyrie
Edric Storm son of Robert and a Florent raised in Storm's End
Jon Snow son of Ned and ? born somewhere south of the Neck and raised in Winterfell
Obara Sand daughter of Oberyn Martell and an Oldtown whore born in Oldtown mostly raised in Dorne
Brynden Rivers son of Aegon IV and a Blackwood
Aegor Rivers son of Aegon IV and a Bracken
Shiera Seastar daughter of Aegon IV and a Valyrian noblwoman from Lys with an otherwise unknown surname, probably self-styled

The home region of the father seems to dominate when the child is claimed but where they are raised fits all the bastards I can think of whose histories can be verified.

[Valden]

My two cents: A Song of Ice and Fire is a revenge tragedy; a constant cycle of violence. Take Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus or Richard III. What happens is a war within a particular group will go on and on, with the players changing but the war staying the same. In one instance, the wars of the roses, and the other, Roman civil war. These cycles are only ended with the establishment of a new order. In the case of Richard III, a new Tudor dynasty to replace the old Plantagenet line that had degenerated into a lengthy civil war, and in the case of Titus Andronicus a new Caesar. I know it isn't a theory based on quotations/events from A Song of Ice and Fire per se, but the revenge tragedy structure is quite clear so far in GRRM's novels: a cycle of war has errupted within a specific group of powers, and it will only be ended by the establishment of a new order. In other words, none of the Westeros 'factions' will win the Iron Throne. My guess is this means Daenarys; in her the classic fantasy trope of the lost heir returning and the revenge tragedy's return of order are embodied. Maybe GRRM is planning on subverting these old die hards and having a completely different ending, but I'm not sure how satisfying that would be, and whether or not it would really resolve the story. Revenge tragedies are structured thus for good reason after all.

EDIT: It also sort of ties in the with Ned/Robert feud over having the Targaryan heirs assassinated. Perhaps a resurgent House Stark will be recompensed by the new Dragon Queen?

[Mount Suribachi]

I like your cycle of violence theory, but I think you've got the protaganists wrong. Its The Great Other and Rh'lor. It is after all the song of ice and fire. Targaryen, Lannister, Stark, NW.....they're all just pawns in the greater game.

[Archon Patriarch]

My two cents: A Song of Ice and Fire is a revenge tragedy; a constant cycle of violence. Take Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus or Richard III. What happens is a war within a particular group will go on and on, with the players changing but the war staying the same. In one instance, the wars of the roses, and the other, Roman civil war. These cycles are only ended with the establishment of a new order. In the case of Richard III, a new Tudor dynasty to replace the old Plantagenet line that had degenerated into a lengthy civil war, and in the case of Titus Andronicus a new Caesar. I know it isn't a theory based on quotations/events from A Song of Ice and Fire per se, but the revenge tragedy structure is quite clear so far in GRRM's novels: a cycle of war has errupted within a specific group of powers, and it will only be ended by the establishment of a new order. In other words, none of the Westeros 'factions' will win the Iron Throne. My guess is this means Daenarys; in her the classic fantasy trope of the lost heir returning and the revenge tragedy's return of order are embodied. Maybe GRRM is planning on subverting these old die hards and having a completely different ending, but I'm not sure how satisfying that would be, and whether or not it would really resolve the story. Revenge tragedies are structured thus for good reason after all.

EDIT: It also sort of ties in the with Ned/Robert feud over having the Targaryan heirs assassinated. Perhaps a resurgent House Stark will be recompensed by the new Dragon Queen?

Hahahahah...No. The day I see Dany on the throne is the day I lose faith in literature. She is the most obvious choice from the start and makes sooo many mistakes and generally seems like she gets everything given to her on a plate...Now if say Stannis, hell even if Jon got it... That would be a revenge cycle and fair. As Mount suri said it's not about them anyway mwahah As for recompensing the starks, that is a fools dream. We already have evidence for the contrary. She'd sooner outlaw or execute all Lannisters, Starks, Baratheons, Tullys and Arryns. Bet she'll put the freys in charge, after all the late lord was on the targs side, honest...

[SoulGamesInc]

Bastards have the right to inherit their farther's name and land if all of the legitimate sons/heirs are dead. Jon Snow could take up the name Stark if he was not sworn to The Nights Watch. (That claim would be broken if Rickon or Bran return into the public light) If it is proven that Jon's farther was Rhaegar Targaryen his name would be Jon Waters. (If Rhaegar had lived its not outrageous to assume he'd legitimize Jon, as he loved his mother dearly. There is also the Theroy that Rhaegar and Lyanna got married when they went South, this would make Jon a legitimate Targaryen) If Aegon is truly a Blackfyre, Jon would have every right to claim his farther's name as Jon Targaryen.

The Ashara Dayne theory means he would still be Jon Snow as he was raised in The North. (I don't mind that idea, i like House Dayne)

Personally i like to believe Prince Rhaegar loved Lyanna, married her in secret and Rhaegar named the boy Jon in honor of his close friend Jon Connington.

[ButtSwag]

Now wouldn't it be funny if we found out in later books that Jon was indeed the son of Eddard?

[Prophet1331]

Now wouldn't it be funny if we found out in later books that Jon was indeed the son of Eddard?

I think we're getting to the point where him being Ned's son would be a bigger surprise than him being a Targaryen

[Mount Suribachi]

Only amongst the <1% of fans who frequent AGOT internet message boards. Millions have read the books and watched the TV series with no idea whatsoever that R+L=J.

[SoulGamesInc]

Now wouldn't it be funny if we found out in later books that Jon was indeed the son of Eddard?

If all of the facts that point towards it turn out to be "nope sorry, all coincidence"... funny? not really, more of a huge flat disappointment from something that could have been very interesting.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

More likely Jon's dead, Howland Reed has a heart attack and we never learn the truth.

[RayFinkle]

That is GOLD.