Valar Morghulis. Whether you’re familiar with the television show or the books upon which it is based (or indeed both), that phrase will ring a bell to fans of Game of Thrones. It’s a Valyrian phrase oft uttered on the sun-kissed sands of Essos, translating to “All Men Must Die.” Foreboding, sure, but it’s an adage that perfectly encapsulates the unforgiving world of Westeros and author George R.R. Martin’s writing style.
But during a recent interview at the Writers Guild West Awards, the fantasy genius hinted that the same mantra may apply to the show’s upcoming fifth season. Traditionally speaking, fans who have read the books had a general framework for the adaptation in mind before it airs each year — albeit with some exceptions — though R.R. Martin cautioned that the show’s producers may make a move to kill off characters who are still alive in the books.
“People are going to die who don’t die in the books, so even the book readers will be unhappy,” Martin told Showbiz411. “So everybody better be on their toes. David and D.B. are even bloodier than I am.”
Given that the Winds of Winter has been postponed indefinitely, HBO’s fantastical drama has caught up quickly on its source material. In fact, early last year, R.R. Martin touched upon the duality of the two platforms, and how the show may even overtake the novels in due time.
“This is the fifth season, the sixth season HBO picked up last year. We will have a 7th, 8th or 9th, no one knows. They only renew one or two seasons at a time. After we do season 6, maybe we’ll get a renewal for 7th and 8th. That all depends, Television is a very changeable medium…I have two more books, the one I’m writing right now, ‘The Winds Of Winter,’ and after that the last book, ‘The Dream of Spring,’ so those will be the two final books. But we’re talking 3000 pages of material. How many seasons that translates too? That’s up to D.B. And David.”
Game of Thrones will return for a fifth season on April 12. In the meantime, let us know what you make of R.R. Martin’s cryptic tease via the comments section below.
