When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die; there is no middle ground
Remember this stark warning issued by a (then) fair-haired Cersei to a (then) alive Ned? As the story progresses, and summer turns into winter, it lurks in the shadows (not the Melisandre-born type) at every turn, leaving behind piles upon piles of bodies and ashes.
With a final season that’s only a month away and a trailer that took almost as much as winter to come, we’re all dying to know who wins and who dies.
So, naturally, I am claiming my bragging rights and I-told-you-sos in advance, praying to R’hllor my guesses for Game of Thrones’ final season are right.
The Targaryens
Prophecies
- In the books, the emphasis is put on the “the dragon has three heads” prophecy. However, this isn’t as prominent in the show. With Viserion now being an Ice Dragon, the options for the 3rd head are limited… either the Night King is a Targaryen (see below), another one will be revealed, or Maester Aemon comes back to life. Or it will simply be Daenerys and Jon against the world…
- The Golden Company, the mercenary army Cersei sends Euron to bring to Westeros, has never broken a contract. In the books, they do break their contract with the city of Myr, to then later pledge alliance to Young Griff (a young man who is revealed to be baby Aegon, the legitimate son of Rhaegar with Elia Martell). Could it be that in the show, they break their contract off with Cersei to join Jon/Aegon?
- J + D = The Prince(ss) that was promised / Azor Ahai Reborn. These two figures from the Dothraki and R’hllor lores might well be the one and the same. There are plenty of theories pointing towards both Jon and Daenerys being either of these two beings. If not, their child might end up being the (chosen) one. However, I doubt we will be seeing baby whatever-Targaryen-name-they-choose on screen, unless season eight takes place over a span of 10+ years, which seems unlikely. Not dismissing seeing a pregnant Daenerys or a newborn right at the end of the season, though.
Characters’ Fates
- Daenerys lives if she needs to deliver the baby;
- Jon lives as the whole plot has been driven by the Rhaegar and Lyanna’s love affair. He is a pivotal character;
- The dragons will live as long as their riders do. Viserion will probably die when / if the Night King is destroyed.
The Lannisters
Prophecies
- Say hi to Maggy the Frog! Cersei probably won’t, as she made the three prophecies that shaped the queen’s life: 1. “You will not wed the prince, but the king” (Robert Baratheon); 2. “Three children for you. Gold shall be their crowns” (Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen); 3. “When the tears have drown you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.”
- Prophecy #1 has come and passed. The second one is an interesting one as it means Cersei is either lying about the pregnancy or will miscarry. Either way, no more lion cubs here;
- The valonqar (little brother) prophecy is the central one, however. While one (including Cersei) might think it refers to Tyrion, the clues point towards Jaime more and more. Jaime is perhaps the most complex and well-rounded character of the series. Introduced to us as the kingslayer, it was later revealed that it was Aerys’s madness that drove Jaime’s sword through the king’s heart. As Cersei’s madness is getting close to that of Aerys’s, it’s only a matter of time until Jaime takes matters into his own… hand again. As a parallel, this is the guy who threw Bran off the window for the things I do for love. Similarily, he has now chosen to fight for the living, so the thing he does for love now might as well be killing Cersei;
- I am going on a limb here (pun intended), and link the “tears have drown you” part to the Tears of Lys which Jaime used to kill Olenna Tyrell. As yet another parallel, he might serve the same treatment to Cersei, but end up strangling her before the poison can make its full effect.
Characters’ Fates
- Tyrion dies. Peter Dinklage has mentioned it’s a satisfying character arch, which hints to dying. Then again, they can’t really spoil any deaths, so he might be throwing us off scent.
- Cersei dies at the hand (okay, I’ll stop…) of Jaime.
- Jaime lives. Or dies and now the rains weep o’er his halls with no one there to hear.
The Starks
Prophecies
- Things get complicated when it comes to the Starks, mainly due to the intricate character development of Bran.
- The original Three-Eyed Raven is Brynden Rivers, a Targaryen bastard, and Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, thought to have died Beyond the Wall. The fun part? His sigil was a white dragon… As such, it is very well plausible that the Three-Eyed Raven is the Third Head of the Dragon AND The Night King. So, where does Bran come into it?
- Remember the Night King used to be human once, so, as Jaime, he’d rather fight for the living. It is only fitting that the Night King is the only one who knows how to defeat the Night King, so through a series of wibbly wobbly timey-wimey stuff, old Brynden (human turned Three-Eyed Raven) has tasked Bran with leading the battle against new Brynden (human turned Night King) after his death.
- Could it be possible that in becoming the Three-Eyed Raven, Bran can now also ride a dragon?
Characters’ Fates
- Bran – I DON’T KNOW, OKAY? He’ll die as the Night King and perpetually live as the Three Eyed Raven.
- Arya – lives. She is a fighter and will survive.
- Sansa – Peter Baelish has taught her a thing or two about playing the Game of Thrones, which might come in handy if she survives the White Walkers. I see her taking over either The Vale or Riverlands once the war is over and one with.
The Seven Kingdoms
The finale has been teased to be unexpected and bittersweet. In reality, I think it’s going to be a bit more simple than that. It is obvious that the Game of Thrones will merge with the Song of Ice and Fire in a mismatch of everyone vs everyone vs White Walkers. A Song of Ice and Fire, and subsequently Game of Thrones, consists of parallels and full circles, so the chances are the Seven Kingdoms will once again be reunited under an Aegon, but not as a result of conquering, and instead coming together after the Long Night.
And as a fun little game, I predict the following…
The North – Jon/Dany – new seat (Jon being the main contender as there must always be a Stark in the North)
The Vale – Sansa Stark
The Stormlands – Gendry Baratheon
The Westerlands – Jaime Lannister
The Reach – Jorah Mormont (in the trailer, he is seen wearing the Heartsbane, which is the Tarly House’s Valyrian Steel sword).
Final thoughts
I, for one, am picky when it comes to theories – they have to be realistic (in a dragons-are-real type of Universe), make sense and just not be a bunch fangirl/boy-fueled nonesense. Yes, it would be all fun and dandy to say that Margaery Tyrell somehow survived and she’s simply waiting the war out, but that’s not going to happen (not in the TV show, at least).
…alternatively, everyone dies because of their inability to work together in the face of a common foe, symbolizing how the human kind will be the death of us. The end.