Game of Thrones star Kit Harington has said mistakes were made in the show's controversial ending but is "not sure there was any alternative."

Speaking to GQ, the Jon Snow actor finally commented on the somewhat infamous Game of Thrones finale which has been criticized by fans for having unusual character decisions and rushed story beats. Harington suggested that, while the ending wasn't perfect, the team didn't have the energy to make it any better.

"I think if there was any fault with the end of Thrones, is that we were all so f**king tired, we couldn't have gone on longer," he said. Harington, alongside co-stars Emilia Clarke, Maisie Williams, and more, spent the better part of a decade in their roles, from 2011 to 2019.

"I understand some people thought it was rushed and I might agree with them," Harington continued. "But I’m not sure there was any alternative. I look at pictures of me in that final season and I look exhausted. I look spent. I didn't have another season in me.

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I think there were mistakes made, story wise, towards the end maybe. I think there were some interesting choices that didn’t quite work."

Harington was still willing to don his black furs for at least another season, however, as he signed on for a Game of Thrones spin-off focused on his character. This was ultimately scrapped, however, as Harington and the team couldn't find a story "worth doing."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Pokémon voice actress Rachael Lillis, who played Misty, Jessie, Jigglypuff and more in the original series, has died aged 46 following a battle with cancer.

Lillis was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2024 and a GoFundMe page was set up by her sister Laurie Orr to help cover medical costs. It was through this page that Orr confirmed Lillis had passed away on August 10, 2024.

"With a heavy heart, I regret to say that Rachael has passed away," the post said. "She passed peacefully Saturday night, without pain, and for that we are grateful. She is with God, the angels, and family that has passed before her, surrounded by infinite love."

She added: "My heart breaks losing my dear little sister, though I am comforted knowing she is free."

We all know Rachael Lillis from the many wonderful roles she played. She filled our Saturday mornings and before/after school hours with her beautiful voice, her terrific comic timing, and her remarkable acting skills. #RachaelLillis pic.twitter.com/XOjFqY0C1L

— Veronica Taylor (@TheVeronicaT) August 12, 2024

Lillis also played Vulpix, Venonat, and Goldeen in Pokémon. Her other roles included Princess Charlotte in Berserk, Haruka in Midori Days, Dr. Reese Drake in Dinosaur King, Amy in Bakuman, Mito Freecss and Cocco in Hunter x Hunter, and many more.

Original Ash Ketchum voice actress Veronica Taylor paid tribute to Lillis on social media. "Rachael was an extraordinary talent, a bright light that shone through her voice whether speaking or singing," she wrote. "She will be forever remembered for the many animated roles she played, with her iconic performances as Pokémon's Misty and Jessie being the most beloved.

"Rachael was so thankful for all the generous love and support that was given to her as she battled with cancer. It truly made a positive difference. Her family also wishes to thank you as they take this time to grieve privately. A memorial is being planned for a future date."

Eric Stuart, who as Brock completed the classic Pokémon trio and as James played Lillis' partner in crime James, also paid tribute to his friend.

So sad. She was one of the funniest, sweetest, kindest people. My dear friend for so many years. Celebrate her life by watching OG Pokemon, especially Team Rocket, she will always be my partner in comedic crime. RIP my friend. pic.twitter.com/jTWaI0d8pG

— Eric Stuart (@eric_stuart) August 12, 2024

"So sad. She was one of the funniest, sweetest, kindest people," he said. "My dear friend for so many years. Celebrate her life by watching OG Pokémon, especially Team Rocket. She will always be my partner in comedic crime. RIP my friend."

Update 8/12/2024 3:25pm PT: The Pokémon Company International has issued a statement mourning Lillis via its official Twitter/X account:

We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Rachael Lillis. Her performance in the Pokémon animated series will be cherished by the many fans who grew up with the characters she brought to life with her special talent.

She will be remembered for generations to come, and…

— Pokémon (@Pokemon) August 12, 2024

Original story continues below:

Orr noted the remaining GoFundMe funds will be used to cover the memorial alongside the last of Lillis' medical bills, and what's left will be given to cancer fighting causes in her name.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Deadpool & Wolverine has now earned more than $1 billion at the global box office and is therefore the best performing Marvel Cinematic Universe film since 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home.

The Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman led film crossed the milestone in just its third weekend available, crushing the records of the past two MCU films, The Marvels and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

The former earned just $205 million and became the lowest grossing MCU film of all time while the latter earned a little more at $476 million. Deadpool & Wolverine has also earned more than Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 (which ended its campaign at $845.6 million) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (at $859.2 million).

Spider-Man: No Way Home will be a much bigger challenge, however, as it finished its box office run at an eye-watering $1.923 billion. Deadpool & Wolverine currently sits at $1.03 billion, and while it's expected to cross the $1.079 billion earned by Joker and thus become the biggest R-rated movie of all time, it's unclear whether it can climb as high as Spidey.

Both films are full of cameos, perhaps adding to the appeal by pulling in several eras of Marvel fans. And while Patrick Stewart, Nicolas Cage, and Robert Downey Jr. weren't featured, Deadpool & Wolverine starred plenty of other Marvel legends.

It earned a 7/10 in IGN's review, as we said: "Deadpool & Wolverine is a hilarious superhero buddy comedy full of surprising, self-referential MCU humor and unsurprising plot and pacing problems."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Netflix and WIT Studio have released a deep dive into The One Piece, the anime remake of the long-running and beloved series from Eiichiro Oda.

Netflix uploaded a 20 minute video detailing the show in its early production stages and interviewing the key staff behind it. Concept art for the remake series —which will arrive in the seasonal anime style and not as a weekly release, essentially meaning lots of filler from the original anime will be cut — was also released and can be seen below.

The series was announced in a surprise December 2023 reveal, and even director Masashi Koizuka said he was shocked when he first heard about it. "I was still half in doubt," he admitted. "It started from, 'Were they really going to do it?' I was able to talk to Oda-sensei, and that was when I knew this is a happening for real."

Oda had told Koizuka and the team at WIT Studio he wanted them to create a version that didn't just didn't "copy and paste" his own work but allowed their own expression. The staff still studied Oda's style religiously, but looked to create the feeling of his manga rather than a direct scene for scene recreation.

It will still tell the same story, of course, but The One Piece may feature different angles or emphases in its scenes. WIT Studio even created a video game style 3D world map of each location to scope it out for interesting spots and angles.

As for the team itself, Koizuka revealed WIT Studio mostly assigned a young staff to The One Piece. This is because, having now run for 27 years, these team members all have an intrinsic connection to the manga and show as they consumed it growing up, and therefore know the importance of each element.

"The members we have today is [built] under the concept of having young staff," Koizuka said. "They grew up watching One Piece at a young age. Now, working on this project, still having joy and excitement as a reader, they have a strong sense of what they felt when they were younger because they were the target audience back then.

"I feel the strength of project and team is how people who felt excitement, who know the passion for a particular comic frame, and who've enjoyed reading, are all assembled as a team. So they tell us about it. 'It's this. This is the important part.'"

While the longevity and popularity of The One Piece was never particularly in question, thanks to many fans asking for this style of remake for years, Koizuka made clear he was ready to commit for the long haul.

"I'm facing this as a long series," he said. "If people like what we've created, we know we would be creating this in the long run. And if it does, it means the work is loved by many. I want to continue for a long period and create this forever."

No release date for the show has been shared yet, but as Netflix is seemingly drumming up the marketing campaign, it will perhaps come sooner rather than later.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Geralt of Rivia voice actor Doug Cockle has revealed the White Wolf will star in the next mainline Witcher game, codenamed Polaris, but not as the main character.

Developer CD Projekt Red has long made clear that Geralt's saga has come to an end, meaning a new protagonist was fully expected for Polaris, but this is the first confirmation he'll be in the next game at all — and fuels some rampant fan theories.

Cockle didn't share any specific details about Geralt's role in Polaris in an interview with Fall Damage but did confirm his involvement. "I can't say anything about [Polaris]," he said. "What we know is that Geralt will be part of the game, we just don't know how much, and the game won't focus on Geralt.

"It's not about him this time. We don't know who it's about. I'm excited to find out. I want to know. I have not seen any script yet. I mean, I couldn't tell you if I did. This is the thing, so I could be lying through my teeth. But I'm not. Or am I?"

Spoiler Warning: The following paragraphs feature spoilers for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Only a single teaser image has otherwise been revealed for Polaris, but it was enough to fan the fire of fan theories which believed Ciri would be the next mainline Witcher game's protagonist. What's considered the "true" ending of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, thanks to its story being continued in comics considered canon to CD Projekt Red's universe, sees her become a witcher herself.

The teaser image also showed a medallion of a lynx, and while this is a brand new witcher school not mentioned previously in the books, games, comics, or wherever else, Ciri wore a School of the Cat medallion in the books and its philosophy matches her nimble fighting style.

The lynx medallion being a combination of this and her wilder School of the Wolf side (as she was raised by its members Geralt, Vesemir, and so on), could make a lot of sense. In fact, Cockle himself told IGN in December 2023 this was "the best theory" he's heard, though this was before he knew about starring in it himself.

Geralt being featured in Polaris as a side character perhaps lends itself to this theory too, because just as the final quest of The Witcher 3 sees him give Ciri her sword, it would make sense for her to have a mentor character in some areas of the new game. "Maybe Geralt is the new Vesemir," said marktheshark124 on Reddit.

At the very least, the confirmation Geralt is in the game somewhat debunks fan theories for a prequel to the original Witcher saga, taking place decades, if not centuries, earlier when the Witcher schools were at the height of prominence. They, and witchers themselves, are dwindling during the events of the original saga.

It will likely be a while before more information on Polaris emerges, though it is the main project being worked on at CD Projekt Red. The developer hasn't revealed anything else, only that it will emphasize freedom and "intense gameplay."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.