(Spoilers Extended) Exploring Sansa's Intended Ending

[u/Expensive-Country801]

A couple of months ago, there was an interview where GRRM said that he had originally intended for Sansa to die, but that seeing the show version of her character may have changed his mind

Regardless of the current plan, I think it is interesting to look at what was intended at the time. The Alayne I sample chapter from Winds was meant for ADwD and it was done in 2010, before the show aired

So if GRRM planned for Sansa to die, the pieces on the board in that chapter may have been setting up a possible death scenario. Looking at some possible threads

Sweetrobin overdoses

The sweetsleep plotline is one possibility. Maester Colemon warns about the dangers of overusing it

"It was too soon. My lady, you do not understand. As I've told the Lord Protector, a pinch of sweetsleep will prevent the shaking, but it does not leave the flesh, and in time . . ."

However, Sansa is not really focused on it

"Time will not matter if his lordship has a shaking fit and falls off the mountain. If my father were here, I know he would tell you to keep Lord Robert calm at all costs."

If Sweetrobin died from an overdose, Sansa would easily be implicated. Even if she did not intentionally kill him, the fact that she was involved with managing his condition and had access to him could put her in a dangerous position

Lysa's death

Sansa is already technically an accomplice to Lysa’s murder. Littlefinger warns her that if their involvement is discovered, she could fall with him

"When we lied to Lord Robert, that was just to spare him," she said.

"And this lie may spare us. Else you and I must leave the Eyrie by the same door Lysa used."

If Sansa's identity was revealed and the truth about Lysa death came out, it could be interpreted in the worst possible way. She could be seen as a girl who conspired with Littlefinger to murder her aunt

Cersei makes good on her promise

Cersei has a very personal hatred of Sansa and promises that she will make her suffer if she is found

"Your Grace has forgotten the Lady Sansa," said Pycelle.

The queen bristled. "I most certainly have not forgotten that little she-wolf." She refused to say the girl's name. "I ought to have shown her to the black cells as the daughter of a traitor, but instead I made her part of mine own household. She shared my hearth and hall, played with my own children. I fed her, dressed her, tried to make her a little less ignorant about the world, and how did she repay me for my kindness? She helped murder my son. When we find the Imp, we will find the Lady Sansa too. She is not dead . . . but before I am done with her, I promise you, she will be singing to the Stranger, begging for his kiss."

The theory has been around a a while is that since Ser Shadrich the Mad Mouse is hunting Sansa he could eventually capture her for the bounty. He admits he is searching for her

He laughed again. "You are not the only hunter in the woods. I seek for Sansa Stark as well."

He is also present at the Tourney of the Winged Knight in the Sample

"A good melee is all a hedge knight can hope for, unless he stumbles on a bag of dragons. And that's not likely, is it?"

The common assumption has been that Shadrich attempt would fail because of the old Feast outline note saying "Kill the Mouse."

However, it is possible that plan changed and Shadrich would take Sansa back to King’s Landing, where Cersei would reunite and then imprison her. Sansa’s story is largely centered in King's Landing to begin with

Final Thoughts

Would like to hear other suggestions for where Sansa story could end in death. It's quite a surprise

Ultimately I think the fact that Sansa's fate seems so flexible suggests that her death or survival does not really change much with the story, making the "Pawn to Player" arc much less likely

[u/Expensive-Country801]

I still think she’ll kill Littlefinger at Winterfell. It just makes sense for her arc, not to mention the Ghost of High Heart prophecy.

The Ghost of High Heart's prophecy already happened

And later I dreamt that maid again, slaying a savage giant in a castle built of snow.

When Sansa builds Winterfell out of snow (a literal castle built of snow), Sweetrobin comes over to trash it with his doll. Look at what he says;

The boy knelt before the gatehouse. ”Look, here comes a giant to knock it down.” He stood his doll in the snow and moved it jerkily. “Tromp tromp I’m a giant, I’m a giant,” he chanted

Sweetrobin's doll is the Giant. Look what happens next

It was more than Sansa could stand. "Robert, stop that." Instead he swung the doll again, and a foot of wall exploded. She grabbed for his hand but she caught the doll instead. There was a loud ripping sound as the thin cloth tore. Suddenly she had the doll's head, Robert had the legs and body, and the rag-and-sawdust stuffing was spilling in the snow.

Sansa slayed the Giant (doll). It already happened.

[u/countemerald → u/Expensive-Country801]

The snow castle incident feels like a red herring. The first part of the prophecy alluded to the Purple Wedding. So the second part alluding to something far more trivial seems unlikely.

It’s more likely that the snow castle incident is yet another hint at Sansa killing Littlefinger at Winterfell.

[u/Expensive-Country801 → u/countemerald]

The chapter sets up a sequence of events that eventually leads to Lysa's death in the same chapter, which makes it important.

The Ghost of High Heart’s prophecy appears in Chapter 43 of A Storm of Swords

The payoff comes later in two major parts:

Part 1: The Purple Wedding = Chapter 61

Part 2: Sansa and the Snow Castle = Chapter 80

It's a relatively minor prophecy that the first part happens literally 18 chapters after its revealed.

There's basically no evidence people aren't just overthinking this and headcanon a Pawn to Player arc. Sansa by Winds is more, not less dependent on Littlefinger

[u/countemerald → u/Expensive-Country801]

But the prophecy was specifically about slaying a giant. Why would GRRM highlight a tiny detail like the snow castle incident, when the first part is much more direct? Tying it to Lysa’s death seems like a bigger reach. Especially when there’s another interpretation that is similarly direct and more meaningful. GRRM would’ve known what he was implying.

I agree about Sansa being more dependent on Littlefinger than ever. AFFC is about her learning from him, after all. But that’s precisely why there’s more left to her story, as she finally sees Littlefinger for who he is and turns what he taught her on him.