SJ Longthorne

Real!Jon approaches Dany’s corpse, coming face to face with the grieving dragon. A look of some understanding passes between them and Drogon kicks into the air with a final sorrowful cry, flying up and away from the ruined city; this is a place of men, not dragons.pic.twitter.com/oxptIUNmtK

In releasing Drogon, Jon has chosen not to assume his kingmaker heritage – he never wanted to be part of the game (of thrones), so the name ‘Targaryen’ doesn’t give him an identity. He is already Snow, a bastard of the north.pic.twitter.com/46qvcBJ6dc

Later, when the ash settles and a new monarch is called for, Jon kneels as he did for the Night's Watch. ‘I pledged to protect you, but I am not your King.’ Sansa is appointed Queen of Westeros with the support of the major houses and the Free Folk.pic.twitter.com/gNThgIIu0W

Since the Wall isn’t strictly necessary anymore and the Night's Watch has disbanded, Sansa appoints Jon Warden of the North.pic.twitter.com/aqCud5PDy8

Tyrion pledges to serve Sansa if she’ll have him; they trust one another and rule closely, tempering one another’s weaknesses – Tyrion’s optimism (as shown by him trusting Cersei/Jaime in previous episodes), Sansa’s suspicion and mistrust of people.pic.twitter.com/gvKzg9M1wK

Arya learns to let go of her vengeance, realising it’s more important to work on building a better future than try to atone for the past. She takes Varys’s place in the new kingdom. #TheEnd #GoT #GOTS8E5pic.twitter.com/ckLeC9yocA