Game of Thrones ending explained: Revisiting the shocking finale of the GRRM classic (and why it left fans unhappy)

It has been a few years since the HBO epic drama Game of Thrones wrapped up delivering its final season 8, but the bruise it left on the hearts of its fans is still fresh. Yes, despite being the most popular show, the finale did disappoint its fans, mostly for its pace-up finale and rushed character arcs.

Daenerys Targaryen burned King's Landing, completing her transformation to a tyrant, and to end this, Jon Snow had to kill the love of his life. After this brutal climax, fans were expecting Jon to become the ultimate King of Westeros, and why not? The show has been dropping information about his inheritance now and then all this time. But fans were shocked to see Bran Stark as the King.

Read on to know more about the ending of Game of Thrones and why it left fans unhappy.

What happened in Game of Thrones by the end?

Season 8 finale ends with Jon Snow taking the most difficult decision of choosing his responsibility for his people over his feelings for Daenerys. Daenreys was killing civilians of King's Landing, and Snow kills her to stop the tyranny. This yet again proved him to be the rightful king who has all the capability to rule Westeros.

Jon proved that what we heard about his values and inheritance was true, and he can become a powerful and rightful King. But the show again disappointed the fans by making the surviving lords and ladies choose the king eventually.

The council abandons the monarch while Tyrion suggests that Bran is the elected King of Westeros. For the makers, this becomes a symbol that the throne is now not of the powerful but of the knowledgeable.

Why does this ending disappoint the viewers in Game of Thrones?

The show was known for its details and a kind of storytelling that takes its time to set the world and its characters. This is what made it popular among the fans. However, the final season seemed too rushed with the character arcs, especially when it showed Daenerys' descent.

Moreover, Jon Snow was suggested as the King of Westeros. He was the rightful heir with all the abilities to be a powerful King. But the ending had nothing to do with that. Bran, who was not even that involved in the final political conflict, was made the King of Westeros. White Walkers, who were posed as a narrative threat all this time, were resolved too early in the season, which reduces their narrative weight.

George RR Martin confirmed that he shared the ending that was in his brain with the showrunners, a scratch version. However, even if the plot points might be the same in the book as well, the events and nuances must have been different. Well, many fans are waiting for Martin's unfinished books as they expect that they can offer a better ending.

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