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George R.R. Martin also wouldn't have ended Game of Thrones that way.

The season 8 finale of HBO's megahit fantasy project famously wrapped up in a way that many fans found underwhelming, still others absolutely aggravating. But if what upset you about the final episode of the show was its death and destruction, then you might want to be cautious about putting all your hopes on Teh Winds of Winter, author Martin's long-awaited next installment in A Song of Ice and Fire, the epic upon which Game of Thrones is based. 

Because according to George himself, the ending of Game of Thrones was happier than he had in mind.

The story comes out of an expansive interview Martin did with The Hollywood Reporter, published January 15. The Winds of Winter, and by extension, the end of the Song of Ice and Fire saga, was a frequent topic of conversation during the interview, and as it was winding down, Martin shared how what happened on screen was very different than what he had in his head.

"I was going to kill more people," said Martin. "Not the ones they killed [in the show]. They made it more of a happy ending. I don’t see a happy ending for Tyrion. His whole arc has been tragic from the first. I was going to have Sansa die, but she’s been so appealing in the show, maybe I’ll let her live..."

(I gotta say, the fact that he trailed off at the end of that statement does not give me much confidence in Sansa Stark's survival.)

Of course, Martin's interviewer couldn't help but try to turn the conversation away from hypotheticals to practical matters at several points. They'd covered what you might've had as a different ending, George, but what about that ending as it currently stands? Not one to spoil his own works (because they are his works, remember), Martin's last clue as to where he stands with The Winds of Winter came after his interviewer asked about his plans for the 2025 holiday.

"I have to write more Dunk and Egg," Martin concluded the chat. "There’s supposed to be another Fire and Blood book, too. I do think if I can just get some of these other things off my back, I could finish The Winds of Winter pretty soon. It’s been made clear to me that Winds is the priority, but... I don’t know. Sometimes I’m not in the mood for that."

We wish you all the best, George.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is bringing all of us back to Westeros, and Popverse has got more Game of Thrones articles than could fit on a spiky chair. We've got everything you need to dive into the series, including:

• How to watch through the Game of Thrones saga in order 
• How to read George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones books in order 
• The biggest differences between The House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones
• The history of Westeros's greatest houses & families
• Every single dragon in The House of the Dragon so far

Plus much more coming as it gets announced!