All good things must end. Sadly, that maxim holds true even for HBO's Game Of Thrones , which may be winding down sooner than any of us expected. If showrunners David Benioff & D.B. Weiss, the epic fantasy series will come to an end after only two more shortened seasons totaling 13 episodes together. But, if you're not ready to say goodbye to GoT just yet, don't worry — neither is George R.R. Martin, the author of the novels on which the show is based. According to Entertainment Weekly, Martin already has ideas for a Game Of Thrones spinoff, so let's just hope HBO is as interested as he is.
Speaking to the publication, Martin said that there were approximately "eight million stories in Westeros left to tell, "and even more in Essos and the lands beyond." So, what are some of those countless stories? Martin suggested adapting "The Dance of Dragons" — the war of succession fought amongst the Targaryens during their rule of Westeros — if HBO wished a hypothetical spinoff to remain similar in tone to GoT. He also mentioned the possibility of moving even farther back in the history of the fictional continent covered in the encyclopedic A World Of Ice And Fire; perhaps all the way back to Aegon the Conquerer's invasion of Westeros… including the "Doom" that drove the Targaryens from Valyria in the first place?
But Martin's favorite idea for a GoT spinoff wouldn't have to travel so far back in time — and would provide a change in tone from the frequently grim series. "The most natural follow-up would be an adaptation of my Dunk & Egg stories," he told EW, referencing a series of three novellas featuring Ser Duncan the Tall (future legendary member of the Kingsguard) and his young bald-headed squire Egg (future king of Westeros, King Aegon V Targaryen) that take 90 years before the events of GoT. The novellas are much more light-hearted in nature than A Song Of Ice And Fire, featuring more of an quest/adventure tone than the grim death and destruction that has come to define its parent series.
So far, most of the chatter surrounding spinoffs has centered on stories that take place in the same world of GoT, but that don't actually connect to the series itself. But is there anything within Game Of Thrones itself that could lend itself to an offshoot, any characters that disappeared or storylines that were dropped or plots that could be expanded upon? How about…
1. Robert's Rebellion
The spinoff could be a direct prequel to GoT, showing us the infamous Mad King and Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark's war to overthrow him — and exactly how Jaime earned the nickname "Kingslayer."
2. Qarth
The most exotic locale GoT has yet visited… and Dany left it quite a shambles when she departed for Slaver's Bay, with all of the Thirteen dead. What happened in her wake? Who's ruling now? What's up with those blue-lipped warlocks?
3. The Brotherhood Without Banners
By spinning off the Brotherhood that Arya spent some time with in Season 3, we could see the War of the Five Kings from a completely different perspective as Beric Dondarrion, Thoros of Myr, and Anguy the Archer tour the countryside, cleaning up after the wolves and the lions.
4. The Faceless Men
Dude. A whole series about these unstoppable assassins? How cool would that be?? And since we never see their real faces, this spinoff could still star the awesome Jaqen H'ghar no matter when it takes place.
5. Gendry
Where did Gendry row off to? It's about time we caught up with Robert's hunkiest bastard.
6. Ser Pounce
From your lips to HBO's ears, George R.R. Martin.
Any of these series would be one I would gladly watch.
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