The 'Game of Thrones' series finale seriously divides fans

Warning: This article contains spoilers from the final episode of Game of Thrones

That’s it, Winter has come and gone, the watch has ended.

The final episode of Game Of Thrones aired in the US on Sunday night (and the UK on Monday morning) and proved to have been just as divisive as the previous one.

Fans have been celebrating and criticising episode 6, “The Iron Throne,” after a controversial plot twist saw an unexpected character put in charge of Westeros.

Internet personality Tim the Tat Man tweeted that Game Of Thrones "will go down as one of my favourite series ever", before adding: "That being said... I am STRUGGLING with the past couple episodes.

"Love the show, love the series, but I can't help but feel disappointed."

Read more: GoT fans spot plastic water bottles in finale

Riverdale actress Shannon Purser said she was "at a loss for words" over the finale.

One fan joked that the programme's writers David Benioff and DB Weiss were the "true villains of season 8", echoing a sentiment felt by many on social media that the writing had been a disaster.

American civil rights activist and podcaster DeRay Mckesson tweeted: "Now, I didn't want to be one of the people disappointed in the finale.

“But I legit don't know what's happening. It's like they just gave up on a storyline. #DemThrones."

Read more: Game Of Thrones is over, here’s what happened

American rapper T-Pain was supportive of the final episode, and criticised those who thought they could do better.

He tweeted: "I'd love to see the scripts to these shows that all these ppl that are criticizing GoT wrote. We might be able to get some money if you're that much better of a writer than the ones that kept you hype for 8 years."

He added: "Thank you guys for all the hard work and dedication to Game of Thrones. All the time spent away from your families and loved ones. All the shit we give you for just trying to please us all. Until next time."

Comic book writer Saladin Ahmed said there was "lots to be rightly mad about" with the ending, but that he is "choosing to walk away remembering all of the thrilling, previously unthinkable-for-TV things this show did right over the years."

Game of Thrones debuted in 2011 introducing a string of young actors including Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams.

The show is based on George R.R. Martin's series of fantasy novels, A Song Of Ice And Fire, which has two more books to go.

Martin is currently writing Winds of Winter which will be followed up by Dreams of Spring.

The critically-acclaimed fantasy drama has picked up dozens of awards over the years, and is the most-awarded TV series in Emmy Awards history.

A prequel to Game Of Thrones is being written by Jane Goldman (Kingsman, X-Men: First Class) and will star Naomi Watts with Josh Whitehouse (Poldark), Naomi Ackie (Lady Macbeth, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker), Denise Gough (Monday), Jamie Campbell Bower (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald), Sheila Atim (Harlots), Ivanno Jeremiah (Humans), Georgie Henley (The Chronicles of Narnia films), Alex Sharp (How to Talk to Girls at Parties), and Toby Regbo (The Last Kingdom, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald).

It will tell the story of the White Walker origins 8,000 years before the events of Game of Thrones and enjoy a similar big budget as the last two seasons of the fantasy series.

The Game Of Thrones finale will be repeated in the UK at 9pm on Monday on Sky Atlantic and Now TV.

Additional reporting from PA