We had ChatGPT write 10 alternate endings to Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones ended back in 2019. After eight seasons of backstabbing, betrayal, and battle, fans’ expectations were high, and many were not pleased. The backlash to the ending was nigh-legendary. Fans complained that things were rushed, that figures like Daenerys Targaryen acted out of character, and so on. Nearly two million people signed a petition to remake the whole thing. It was wild.

Four years out, time has muted people’s feelings. Folks have moved on to the prequel show House of the Dragon and not many are still raging about how the original series ended.

But we can still ask: would there still have been a backlash if the ending was different? How different? Harnessing the power of AI chatbot ChatGPT, we tried to find out. We asked ChatGPT to write a number of new endings to Game of Thrones, each based on a different prompt, some serious, some goofy, all very important. Would fans have enjoyed the ending of Game of Thrones had it gone down like this? Read on and decide for yourself.

First up, we just asked ChatGPT point blank if it could write an ending that would have pleased as many fans as possible. Hence, our first prompt was:

“Write a different ending to Game of Thrones that would have pleased as many fans as possible”

And this is the result:

In this alternate ending to Game of Thrones, after the final battle against the White Walkers, the surviving characters come together to forge a new path for the Seven Kingdoms that would please as many fans as possible.

First, they hold a council to choose a new ruler. The surviving leaders of the Seven Kingdoms agree to elect a new king or queen by democratic vote, with each region having equal representation. The vote is held, and a leader is chosen to unite the Seven Kingdoms and guide them into a new era of peace and prosperity.

The new leader acknowledges the mistakes of the past and commits to making amends. They establish new laws and policies to protect the rights of all citizens, and work to rebuild the kingdoms and restore order.

The surviving characters are given the opportunity to rebuild their lives and find happiness. Some choose to retire to a life of peace and quiet, while others continue to serve the new leader and the Seven Kingdoms.

In the final scene, we see the Seven Kingdoms united, with the surviving characters working together to build a brighter future. The people of Westeros look forward to a new era of peace and prosperity, with hope in their hearts and a new sense of unity.

This ending would please fans by offering closure to the characters they have grown to love and hate. It acknowledges the mistakes of the past while offering a new hope for the future. By introducing democratic governance and policies to protect the rights of all citizens, it offers a sense of progress and positive change.

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I like how ChatGPT parrots back my suggestion at the top there. You’ll notice that happen a few times.

So this is pretty vague — it doesn’t mention a single specific character — and actually not that dissimilar from what we got on the show, at least in the broad strokes. As this exercize continued I learned that the more specific you are with the prompts, the better the outcome tends to be. But for now, let’s try some more general queries. For instance, who doesn’t love a…