Game of Thrones Creator George R.R. Martin Teases More Deaths of Characters—Find Out What He Said!

Author of the books that inspired the series has killed off more than two dozen characters, both loved and loathed

By Corinne Heller Aug 22, 2014 9:55 PMTags
Game of Thrones, Lena Headey Helen Sloan/HBO

There may be more brightly colored weddings in the Game of Thrones realm...

George R.R. Martin, franchise creator and author of the A Song of Fire and Ice books on which the HBO series is based, recently spoke about a sore subject for fans: Character deaths—of major characters, no less! He made his comments on Tuesday at a public book discussion in London, which also included fellow fantasy writer Robin Hobb.

"The way my books are structured, everyone was together, then they all went their separate ways and the story deltas out like that, and now it's getting to the point where the story is beginning to delta back in, and the viewpoint characters are occasionally meeting up with each other now and being in the same point at the same time, which gives me a lot more flexibility for killing people," Martin said, according to Buzzfeed.

The most recent book in the series, A Dance With Dragons, was released in 2011 and contains storylines Game of Thrones has yet to show. Martin is working on the sixth novel, The Winds of Winter, and also plans to write at least one more.

At least two dozen notable characters, including fan favorites and despised villains, have died on Game of Thrones, which stars the likes of Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner, the latter two of whom play sisters who have been separated.

One of the show's most controversial episodes, "The Rains of Cashmere," aired during season three in 2003 and showed two characters who have appeared on the series since its 2011 debut, get murdered at a "Red Wedding." The episode was nominated last year for two Emmys.

The show has won 14 Emmys overall, including one for Peter Dinklage for his role as the cunning Tyrion Lannister. And as of the season-four finale, his character remains very much alive.

Courtesy: PictureGroup

This year, Game of Thrones earned a whopping 19 nominations, including one for Dinklage, a first for Headey and a nod for Outstanding Drama series (check out a full list of 2014 Emmy nominations).

Martin said on his Livejournal on Friday that he is wondering if the show will "somehow shock the world by coming up ahead" of Breaking Bad, which ended its five-season run last fall and took home the big prize at the 2013 Emmys, and True Detective, HBO's sleeper hit crime mystery miniseries starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.

The 2014 Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony airs on NBC on Monday at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. ET.