New point-of-view characters we want in the final Song of Ice and Fire novels

8) Sandor Clegane

Let’s address the elephant in the room first: I’m assuming here that Sandor Clegane did not in fact perish after Arya Stark left him for dead in the Riverlands. For the purposes of this slide, let’s say he is living a quiet (for now) life as the gravedigger at the Quiet Isle, a popular theory made more likely by his return on HBO’s Game of Thrones. I’m also assuming he won’t simply stay there to live out his days in peace, wise a choice as that might be.

Sandor Clegane has arguably the most interesting journey in the novels, both in terms of his literal journey all over Westeros and his moral and personal development, turning from a brutal bodyguard who gave little thought to the people he hurt to someone who can at least entertain the possibility of feeling empathy for someone else, like Arya Stark. Leaving him on the Quiet Isle would leave a big part of that journey unexplored. Also, it’d be fun to be inside his head for a while. I’m guessing he thinks fouler things than he says, and he says a lot of foul things.

As for how Sandor’s journey could continue in the books, we’re not sure. He could reemerge as a better man or even a holy man, or he could leave the simple life of a humble gravedigger disillusioned. Both would be interesting ways to go, and we won’t get to see either if Martin doesn’t give him his own point of view chapters.