George R.R. Martin has finally revealed that a major Game of Thrones character is still alive.
But no, it’s not Jon Snow. According to Martin, Stannis Baratheon is definitely still alive in the books. After a fan commented on Martin’s Livejournal page this week asking whether Stannis is alive or dead, Martin responded, “In my books? Alive, beyond a doubt.”
Of course, just because the character is alive in the books doesn’t necessarily mean he is alive in the series, as David Benioff and D.B. Weiss frequently have deviated from the plot of the books. However, the camera did cut away just as Brienne of Tarth was about to deliver the final blow to the contender for the Iron Throne.
Fans of the series have been wondering on Stanns’ return since the season finale, after his army was defeated by the Boltons at Winterfell. But the speculation regarding Stannis has been nothing compared to the speculation surrounding Jon Snow.
Fans have been speculating as to how Jon Snow could return to the show, with a number of theories going viral online. Among the most popular is that Lady Melisandre will bring back Jon Snow after he was killed by his fellow soldiers of the Night’s Watch.