Some of the most controversial moments of Game of Thrones include the horrendous twist that was the Red Wedding, everything Ramsay Bolton ever did, Jon Snow's mutiny and subsequent "death", and Ed Sheeran's pop-up cameo in the latest season (*shudders*). But one thing that almost trumps it all was enough to make a lot of loyal fans turn off the show for good because of how awful it was – the sacrifice of Shireen. It happened in season five, when the little girl's father, Stannis Baratheon, finally decided to give in to the sexy priestess/witch Melisandre and give the A-okay to have his one and only child burned alive in a pre-war ritual. It was rough to watch. And now Stephen Dillane, the actor who played Baratheon (who died in the battle anyway), has spoken out about the show and how uncomfortable his experience filming it was. “I’ve flicked [the show] on [since leaving] to see if I could figure out what was going on, but I couldn’t,” he told The Times. He said that being killed off on the show was a relief, due to his own dissatisfaction with his performance – something many would argue against. His character may have been shitty in the end, but the acting wasn't. Dillane went on to explain how the filming experience was for him confusing and hard to follow, talking about how he depended on fellow actor Liam Cunningham to guide him through scenes. Cunningham plays Davos Seaworth, Stannis' trusty consigliere. “Liam Cunningham is so passionate about the show. He invests in it in a way I think is quite moving, but it wasn’t my experience. I was entirely dependent on Liam to tell me what the scenes were about — I didn’t know what I was doing until we’d finished filming and it was too late. “The damage had been done. I thought no one would believe in me and I was rather disheartened by the end. I felt I’d built the castle on non-existent foundations.” His "disheartened" feeling by the end of his time working on the show resonates with another interview he did in March this year, when RadioTimes.com asked what he got out of Game of Thrones. The actor replied: "Money". They prompted him by asking if he also got “professional and personal satisfaction” from the role, to which Dillane smiled faintly and said, “Er, no.” What's more, the actor barely even watches the show because he finds it too "overwhelming". “It’s pretty brutal I couldn’t watch much of that anyway. It’s hardcore. Too tough for me…. It’s just too painful. “It’s pretty intense, quite overwhelming, the whole world of it is pretty overwhelming.” But still, he didn't want to make it sound like he was dissing the show too much, adding that he thinks the show is "fantastic". “I don’t dismiss it at all. I think it’s fantastic. I think it’s an extraordinary thing. An amazing phenomenon. A really amazing phenomenon. “Money is the main thing I got out of it. It’s an odd situation. There is a kind of etiquette around these things. I think it’s extraordinary. I am not dismissing it at all.” While Dillane didn't have the best time working on the show, the way he talked his own performance down does no justice to the incredible portrayal of a complex character he pulled off so well. In any case, the actor is moving on with other projects, his next one being the Churchill biopic Darkest Hour out next year. Hopefully, he liked that role a bit more.

A lot of characters have died in Game of Thrones. Like, a ridiculous amount. But while it's easy to forget about the individuals once they're thrown onto the never-ending corpse pile, some of them have had a lasting effect on the show. Despite being killed off way back in the first season, Ned Stark is likely the most influential dead character in the show.

After all, his death was the first real shock of the series. Eddard Stark was built up to be the standard, morally righteous fantasy protagonist, but Westeros is an unforgiving place which rarely rewards loyalty or ethical behavior - leading to his execution for a crime he didn't commit, in front of his two young daughters.

In the subsequent seasons, his sense of morality has affected the lives of many in the show - from those that called him naive to others who wish to live an honest life like he did. His actions started off the 'War of the Five Kings', leading to even more big shake-ups to the world.

Sean Bean, the 58-year-old actor who played the character, has recently opened up about the role, saying he was "very proud" to play one of the few good men in Game of Thrones. Speaking to the Huffington Post, he said:

"He was such a fantastic character to play. He was one of the very few good men with principles and morals and values in the whole thing, because everybody’s backstabbing and poisonous people.

"He was an anchor to a lot of people, and of goodness ... I was just glad to play Ned Stark. I’m very proud of it."

It's been a long time since we've seen the Stark patriarch on screen, with plenty happening in that world in the six seasons released after the one the actor starred in. When he was on the show, there still weren't any dragons and the Stark children were completely vulnerable to the cruel world.

Now, we've got two fully grown dragons, and have seen a zombie dragon take down the icy wall of the North to lead an army of the undead to invade the world of the living. But Sean Bean doesn't know much about that, as he hasn't been keeping up to date.

"I think I got me head chopped off in the ninth episode, I stopped watching it then," he joked. Then, when he was asked about who he would like to eventually be victorious and make it to the Iron Throne, he said: "I think Jon Snow would be a good choice."

I think his opinion is shared by a lot of people out there, but it gets a little extra credence when it comes from poppa Stark himself. Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing Sansa or Daenerys take on the throne while Jon Snow rules the North. He is, after all, better suited to the cold.

In the most recent season of Game of Thrones, we saw the plot escalate as fan-favorite characters met for the first time and huge action spectacles that we never thought we would see on television took place. It's definitely come a long way since its first episode back in 2011, and, if the seventh season was anything to go by, the next (and final) season will be incredible. While we know that the armies of the Night King have breached the wall and are going to head into battle with the army of the living, there is still a lot that we can't be sure of. For one, given the show's penchant for twists and gut-wrenching tragic ends for beloved characters - truly anything can happen. These secrets are held away by the cast and crew of the show, but now apparently even Jason Momoa - whose character was offed back in the very first season - knows how things will turn out. [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BbItUk2Hud2/?taken-by=prideofgypsies]] Momoa recently caused a stir when he met up with the cast of the hit show while they were filming in Ireland. We first saw him reunite with Emilia Clarke, who played the "moon of his life" Daenerys Targaryen, when he was promoting his recent blockbuster Justice League in London. When he headed over to Ireland, he even seemed to start up a beautiful bromance with Kristofer Hivju, who plays the hilarious (and badass) Tormund. [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BbRBJ2VH7Yv/?taken-by=prideofgypsies]] Many fans started speculating that his appearance, having a drink with the likes of Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Liam Cunningham (Ser Davos), and Rory McCann (The Hound) during his brief stay, suggested a return of his character Khal Drogo. Whether that would be in flashback or in some kind of return from the dead, he set the record straight in a recent interview with EW: "I just showed up to see [producers David Benioff and Dan Weiss] and I just happened to see people on set. I haven’t been over there in a long time. You just want to see your friends and then you end up making headlines like, ‘Drogo’s back!’ and I’m like, ‘He’s dead! He can’t come back, it wouldn’t work.'" In the interview he continued, talking about what the final season will entail. Apparently, during his visit to the production he learned plenty of secrets about what's in store for fans: "Just knowing how amazing this season is going to be. It’s going to be the greatest thing that’s ever aired on TV. It’s going to be unbelievable. It’s going to f**up a lot of people. And it was a bummer because I’m a huge fan and I didn’t want to know what’s going on. I was like, ‘Damn, I didn’t want to know that!'" If Momoa thinks that the final season will "f*ck up a lot of people", you've got to believe him. We'll find out exactly what he means when it airs, which is looking to be all the way in 2019.

The cast, crew, and creators of Game of Thrones are remaining incredibly tight-lipped when it comes to information about the upcoming season of the hit fantasy series. We'll be seeing the numerous characters of the HBO show come together one last time in the final season, set to be released in 2019, and Thrones fans are getting pretty impatient about the wait in the meantime.

We don't know a whole lot about the series so far, but by all accounts not many characters will make it out unscathed - so it may be time to let go of your personal favourites. Each season of the show has been prone to obsessive fans leaking scripts they have obtained or torrenting episodes online before they get the chance to air, and the final episodes are going to be even more desirable.

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There have even been rumours going around that they are filming multiple endings to throw people off, but actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has disputed this fact. The actor, who plays Jaime Lannister on the show, has said that this doesn't make much sense to him - but has explained that the show has gone to some extreme lengths to avoid spoilers for its big conclusion.

Now, in a new interview with Vanity Fair, the 47-year-old has spoken about where his character may end up in the future. This is especially interesting given how we last saw the character, as he left King's Landing after a major dispute with his sister (and love of his life):

"Most people have moments in their life where you go, ‘Can I really, fundamentally change?’ The core of him has always been Cersei. When that’s taken away, what are you then? What’s left? Is there anything left? When he leaves, obviously he has no idea. He doesn’t know the answer to that question."

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When asked about the pivotal moment in which Cersei threatens his life, only for Jaime to respond that he "doesn't believe" she would have him killed, Coster-Waldau said:

“That’s, of course, said in a moment of passion. Who knows if it’s true?

"I’ve almost been married 20 years - 6 June will be our 20th anniversary - and I’m very, very lucky. I have a wonderful wife. But over 20 years, there are times where you have fights. You can be so angry that for a second in your passion and anger you can go, ‘Oh, f*ck this.’ Of course, three seconds later, you go, ‘No, no, no. What am I doing? What am I thinking?’

"I think the fundamental emotions are the same in every relationship. As a setup for the season we’re shooting now, it was just amazing.”

The actor has a firm belief in the direction of the show, and believes from what he knows about the ending, most of the fanbase will be satisfied with the conclusion.

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"The boys [Showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss] have done an amazing job with ending Game of Thrones," he said. "It’s definitely been the toughest season—by far—that we’ve shot, ever. But it’s also been the most fulfilling.”

Hopefully he's right, and we have a fitting ending to the show that's transfixed millions for years now. Either way, it's definitely going to be a rough road ahead for Jaime.

The release date for Game of Thrones' final season hasn't been confirmed, but we do know it will be coming in 2019. There were some quotes attributed to Maisie Williams (who plays Arya Stark on the show) where she seemed to imply that we'd be seeing the first episode in April of that year, but she quickly backtracked on those comments. However, I think it's a fair bet to say that it is now less than a year away.

The excitement that builds before each season of Game of Thrones is monumental, with fans all over the world having heated discussions with friends and on Reddit, trying to figure out what elaborate theory holds up the best. But as far as I can see, we don't really know much at all about the final season in terms of its story.

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Sure, we know that the armies of the living will have to face the undead soldiers of the Night King, who has now destroyed the wall and has his own zombie dragon to help wipe out all life. We know that Daenerys has made an alliance with Jon Snow and his Northern soldiers, but that Cersei is likely to betray them all at any minute.

But it would all be a little disappointing if we were given a predictable conclusion to the show - after all, that's never really been Game of Thrones' style.

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Speaking to Vanity Fair recently, Emilia Clarke spoke about the show and what it's like to play Daenerys, and even touched on how things would end. "It f***ed me up," she explained. "Knowing that is going to be a lasting flavor in someone's mouth of what Daenerys is... I'm doing all this weird sh*t - you'll know what I mean when you see it."

Many of Game of Thrones' castmembers have spoken about their feelings about the show coming to an end, mostly because it's all anyone wants to ask them at the moment. A lot of them talk about how emotional it was reading f the final episode's script, while others have hinted that they may even be filming multiple endings just to avoid spoilers.

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Yet recently we've heard from one of the former residents of Westeros - Richard Madden. Speaking to Men's Health recently, the actor - who played Robb Stark in the first three seasons of the show - talked about his career and how he feels about the show now:

"You know, I don't think I can quite feel the weight of it [ending]. But I am excited.

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"I'm excited for that story to come to an end. It played out so rich, so beautifully, so full. It's exciting when you're able to get to the end of a story and then you get to leave it. You get to say goodbye to something for good."

Reading between the lines, it seems that while Madden might be sitting down to watch it with the rest of us, he may have different reasons for doing so. I imagine that once it's all over, he'll be able to get on with his life without being bombarded with questions about a show he hasn't worked on in five years.