Why Game of Thrones Killed Off Stannis Before The Books Did
Stannis Baratheon died in Game of Thrones season 5, but he continues to live on in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire book series. Baratheon met his demise at the beginning of the show’s fifth season finale, receiving his comeuppance from Brienne of Tarth. In the books, however, Baratheon’s battle against House Bolton has yet to occur and may not have the same outcome as the show at that.
Stannis Baratheon was the middle child of the Baratheon brothers but became hostile towards his younger brother, Renly, when King Robert Baratheon died and the War of the Five Kings was initiated. With the help of Red Priestess Melisandre, Stannis used blood magic to kill Renly removing an obstacle in his goal of usurping Joffrey Baratheon (in truth, the bastard son of Jaimie and Cersei Lannister) on the Iron Throne. Despite his ruthless determination, Stannis would never take King’s Landing.
Related: Game Of Thrones: Why Shireen Baratheon’s Death Was The Most Tragic
In the Game of Thrones episode “Mother’s Mercy,” Stannis and his troops marched on Winterfell (now under the control of House Bolton), despite the demoralizing deaths of Stannis’ wife and daughter and the sabotage from Bolton forces. Stannis’ forces were routed by House Bolton’s, and Stannis sat wounded against a tree, allowing Brienne of Tarth to execute him, avenging Renly Baratheon. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books haven’t caught up with the now-concluded Game of Thrones at this point, so not only is Stannis Baratheon still alive, but he might also survive the Battle of Winterfell. Granted, there are key differences between the literary and live-action versions of Stannis Baratheon. Fundamentally, the Stannis of the books seeks the Iron Throne out of a
Read more on screenrant.com
