Everything That Needs To Get Wrapped Up In The “Game Of Thrones” Series Finale
The highly-anticipated series finale for Game of Thrones is right around the corner and it's safe to say there are still a lot of questions left to be answered. In the final season, we've watched some pretty epic battle scenes, watched the rise (and demise) of certain characters, and collectively cried when Jon didn't give Ghost a goodbye pet.
Here are all the people that are somehow still alive going into the finale, and all the things in the storyline that will need to be wrapped up. Hopefully, they can do it all in 79 minutes.
Daenerys Has Gone Full Mad Queen
At the end of "The Bells" we saw Daenerys light up King's Landing—despite the city surrendering first—so we can all assume she's lost her moral compass and become a full-blown Mad Queen. While this means Daenerys has achieved her lifelong goal of taking over the Iron Throne, it's not going to go as planned.
Daenerys' choice to burn thousands of innocent people left a lot of her closest allies questioning her power. The finale will need to show if she truly ends up like her father.
Jon Snow Might Not Be So Devoted To His Queen Afterall
Jon learned of his true Targaryen parentage just before the Battle of Winterfell. He foolishly shared it with basically everyone. While Sansa, Arya, Bran, Sam, Varys, Davos...the list goes on and on, have seemed to pledge their support to Jon taking the Iron Throne instead of Daenerys, he's been adamant that he doesn't want to be King.
That all might change after "The Bells." Jon watched his queen burn thousands of civilians. He was in the thick of it all and we saw him retreat in fear of his own queen. Will his strong moral compass force him to finally make a claim for the throne?
Arya Is Ready For One Final Mission
Arya might be the one character that no one knows what to expect from anymore. She shocked us all by being the one to kill the Night King. She was supposed to go kill Cersei for us but then turned back after The Hound made her realize that life isn't about redemption.
But just like Jon, Arya witnessed all the death and destruction in King's Landing. At the end of the episode, we saw her ride off purposely on a white horse. Is she off to live a quiet life with Gendry or is she going to fulfill her prophecy of closing green eyes forever? Remember, Daenerys has green eyes.
Tyrion Is Definitely Questioning His Loyalty
Tyrion has been one of Daenerys' most loyal followers. Even when he found out about Jon's claim to the throne, he stood by Daenerys and even ratted out Varys' plans to betray the queen. Tyrion did all this because he truly believed Daenerys wasn't like her father.
That's all definitely changed now that he witnessed her burn King's Landing to the ground despite the bells ringing for surrender. We all saw the shock and pain on Tyrion's face as he watched thousands of innocent people burn to death. He might try to go against Daenerys, but he also might end up being punished by his queen after he set Jaime free.
Sansa Is Watching Smuggly From Winterfell
Sansa was one of the few who stayed behind at Winterfell. She has never been a fan of Daenerys and the Mad Queen doesn't like her either. Sansa is also the reason why Tyrion and Varys learned of Jon's Targaryen heritage.
Sansa has proven time and time again to be right and it seems like her worst fears about Daenerys have finally come true. She's been planting the seeds to take down Daenerys but a face-off between the two women will force others like Tyrion and Jon to pick a side.
Bran Must Still Have Some Bigger Purpose
Bran is basically the most powerful person in the Seven Kingdoms. As the Three-Eyed Raven, he has the all-knowing ability to see the past and future. He was the one who gave Arya that Valyrian steel dagger knowing she would use it to kill the Night King and he was the one who helped Sam reveal Jon's parentage.
Bran has a lot of pull so he knows how it will all end. That being said, he's been seriously under-appreciated this season. Will we see Bran take charge and put a good ruler on the throne, or will he just sit in his wheelchair by the Weirwood tree forever?
Greyworm Is Still A Major Supporter Of Daenerys
The one person Daenerys still has on her side is her trusty fighter Greyworm. It was Greyworm who led the attack on King's Landing and did not want to retreat with Jon and Ser Davos when Daenerys started burning it all down. It's obvious that Greyworm is fueled by anger now that Missandei was beheaded in front of him.
Greyworm and the Unsullied troops will be a major protector of Daenerys in the finale. It will be interesting to see if the emotions and morality that Missandei brought out of Greyworm will resurface.
Gendry Might Still Matter If He Wants The Throne
Last we saw of Gendry was in "The Last of the Starks" when he was named the Lord of Storm's End by Daenerys. She made it clear to Tyrion that appointing Gendry was to keep him on her side, since being a Baratheon bastard child gives him a claim to the throne.
Gendry doesn't seem all that interested in invoking his royal parentage. His first priority after being appointed Lord of Storm's End was proposed to Arya. Still, it will be important to see if his loyalty lies with the Arya and the rest of the Starks, or with Daenerys.
Bronn Will Be Waiting For Tyrion
We can't forget about Bronn, who is patiently waiting with a crossbow to see which Lannister makes it out the King's Landing alive. He was promised Riverrun by Cersei and Highgarden by Tyrion. Highgarden belonged to House Tyrell and is known for its riches, so there's no doubt that Bronn will be looking to collect his prize.
Now that Cersei is dead, he'll want Highgarden, but will Tyrion have the power to hand it over if he turns against Daenerys? Bronn might end up killing a major character just because he's so nefarious.
Seriously, Who Is Azor Ahai?
Azor Ahai is one of the most legendary figures in Game of Thrones but we still haven't figured out who it is. The prophecy of Azor Ahai was introduced by Melisandre in season two. It is also known as "The Prince That Was Promise" and is supposed to be a messianic hero that is reborn whenever Westeros needs saving.
For years people assumed it was either Jon Snow or Daenerys Targaryen since Azor Ahai was said to "wake dragons from stone and defeat the darkness." After Arya killed the Night King, people began to wonder if it's her. It seems like the focus going into the finale is who will sit on the Iron Throne, but fans will want this major plot-point wrapped up.
Will Daario Naharis Return?
Daario Naharis was last seen on Game of Thrones in season six. His last act was declaring his love for Daenerys. In response, she asked him to lead the Second Sons, tasking him with keeping peace in Mereen.
For two seasons, Daario has been absent, but with seemingly few allies left at Khaleesi's side, will the lovestruck warrior make his grand return? Was he supposed to end up with her all along?
There's A New Prince Of Dorne
During season eight, Varys mentioned briefly that there was a new Prince of Dorne. More importantly, he said the new Prince supported Daenerys. Since that moment, the subject has never been brought back up.
If you've followed the show, though, then you know there is still one new character being introduced. Toby Osmund was added to the cast recently, and our speculation is that he might be playing royalty. If this is true, then Khaleesi might just be finding herself with two new allies after destroying King's Landing.
The White Walkers Had No Motivation
Game of Thrones always promised that "Winter was coming," and teased fans for seasons with the arrival of The Night King. The thing is, the show never actually explained what The Night King and the White Walkers were even trying to do.
Were they simply trying to wipe out all living things? Did they have motivations beyond destruction? The Night King never spoke, leading fans speculating what his final goal was. Now with him out of the picture, we may never know.
Closure On Cersei's Prophecies
Now that Cersei is gone, so are her prophecies, which feels odd. The writers cared enough about the prophecies to give Cersei one of the show's only flashback sequences revealing just how grim her future would be.
The only problem is, with Cersei dead, the prophecies can never be fulfilled. The only one that appears to have come true was another female "replacing her as ruler." She definitely wasn't killed by one of her "valonqars!"
Howland Reed Is Waiting In The Shadows... Maybe
Howland Reed has only ever been in one episode of Game of Thrones but is a surprisingly important character. Along with Ned Stark, he was the only other character who knew Jon Snow's real parentage.
We say "was" because that parentage is no longer a secret. That probably means he won't show up in the series finale, but we can't help but feel his character was introduced for a reason.
How Was The Wall Really Built?
At the end of season seven of Game of Thrones, Viserion was commanded by The Night King to take down the wall. The shocking destruction of the wall allowed the White Walkers to begin their invasion. Now that the wall is down, we'd like to know how it was built in the first place.
The story told is that Brandon the Builder erected the wall 8,000 years before the events of the first novel. It was built from ice and rock, and was supposed to keep The Night King out of Westeros. Is that really how the wall was built, though?
The Plan For Illyrio Mopatis
All the way back in season one, we met Illyrio Mopatis. He served a critical role in shaping the story of Daenarys, but has not been heard from for seven seasons. Varys has mentioned him in passing, so we know he's alive, but we don't know where he is.
Is it possible that this long hidden ally of Khaleesi will return to her side? Viserys did promise to make him the Master of Coin, after all. His knowledge of wealth and loyalty would be a welcome asset to her new kingdom.
How Far Does Tyrion's Loyalty Go?
You already know that Tyrion has been loyal to Daenarys -- to a fault -- in Game of Thrones. Now that he's questioning his loyalty, we wonder if perhaps he has also harbored more romantic feelings towards her as well.
It's not a strange thing to contemplate. Throughout the history of the series, several of the men who have fallen in line with Khaleesi have also fallen madly in love with her. Her heart is unavailable, though, and Tyrion might be finding that out the hard way.
Meera Reed's Character Closure
Meera Reed has been through a lot on Game of Thrones, and the character deserves proper closure. The last time we saw her, she left Bran to be by her family's side in case Winter reached them.
With the trajectory the show has taken this season, it's hard to imagine there will be enough time to feature her character in the finale. Unless she shows up with her father, Howland Reed.
The Direwolves Are Missing
Aside from Ghost showing up in the final season and leaving, the direwolves have mostly become an afterthought in Game of Thrones. The most stunning one missing is Nymeria, the pup that belongs to Arya.
Arya has become one of the most important characters in the final season of the show, and a reunion with Nymeria would be fitting in the finale. Unless of course, the show's writers never really had a plan for the direwolves to begin with.
There Is A Maester Conspiracy
During the time that Sam is studying to be a Maester at the Citadel in Oldtown, he repeatedly pleads with the Archmaester to believe him about the White Walkers. However, Sam's concerns fall on deaf ears with the Archmaester, as well as other Maesters, laughing at him.
While you could argue that the Maesters are a group of stubborn old men, some believe that there is something called "The Grand Maester Conspiracy" at work. The assumption is that the Maesters are indirectly controlling the realm by acting as the keepers of the histories and knowledge of Westeros. So, they are attempting to deny that magic exists to keep the realm reliant on them for essentially everything.
The Many-Faced God Is Money?
The Iron Bank and the Faceless Men are arguably the two most powerful institutions in Braavos, and possibly the world. So, it wouldn't be out of the question to assume that the two are somehow connected. We know that for a high price, the Faceless Men will kill anyone, but where does all of their money go?
It's possible that they give it to the Iron Bank who in turn lend it to powerful people, making them incredibly powerful. Together, the two organizations essentially control the world as they control the money and the ability to kill anyone they choose. This could mean that the Many-Faced God is a reference to money, as money runs the world and coins have different faces on them and multiple sides. This would make sense why Jaqen gave Arya the coin.
Bran Drove King Aerys Mad
After Ned Stark hears Bran at the Tower of Joy and what happened to Hodor, it's clear that Bran has the ability to influence the past, and therefore, the future. After realizing the extent of his power, it's not unreasonable to think that he would go back in time and try to prevent certain things from happening.
This has led some to believe that Bran drove King Aerys mad by whispering to him, "burn them all." While Bran may have been referring to the White Walkers, his plan backfired and Aerys became the Mad King because of it. This led Aerys to start Robert's Rebellion and everything that has happened since is because of Bran
Will The Story End With Sam Writing The Book A Song Of Ice And Fire?
Many people believe that the story we are watching is an in-universe history written by Sam titled A Song of Ice and Fire. Sam's love for reading and history isn't mentioned frequently for no reason, so it would only make sense that Sam would chronical the events after they happened.
One hint viewers picked up on is when Sam suggests that the Archmaester's book title should be something more "poetic." Well, A Song of Ice and Fire is about as poetic as it gets. George R.R. Martin has also said that he associates most with Sam, so perhaps we'll see an elderly Sam completing his book at the end of the series.
Could Tyrion Be A Targaryen?
There are some fans who are convinced that Tyrion Lannister is also a secret Targaryen. This is known as the Aerys plus Joanna equals Tyrion theory, which claims that the Mad King Aerys impregnated Tywin's wife Joanna, whom he lusted for, and Joanna died as a result.
This would make sense why Tywin's last words to Tyrion were "you're no son of mine." Also, it was incredibly suspicious how calm the dragons were around Tyrion when he freed them from their chains. Could that be his Targaryen blood?
The Iron Throne Still Has No One To Sit In It
Although numerous characters have been squabbling over the Iron Throne for the entirety of the series, there's a good chance that nobody will sit in it as King or Queen. Up to this point, everything Daenerys has done is to get her one step closer to reclaiming the Seven Kingdoms. Yet, she may never achieve her dream.
In her vision at the House of the Undying, she sees the throne but never touches it, a hint that it isn't her destiny. Furthermore, Daenerys talks a lot about "breaking the wheel" of power in Westeros. This has led fans to believe she will end up melting down the Iron Throne with dragonfire and establish a new form of government.
Who is Jagen H'gar Really?
In the first season, Arya's "Dancing Master" Syrio Forel is killed off-screen by Meryn Trant. However, one theory suggests that Syrio Forel is a faceless man and has been living as Jaqen H'gar. After Arya escapes the Lannister guards, it is assumed that Syrio easily escaped the clutches of Trant and changed his face to become Jaqen Hagar.
Both characters are skilled in combat, are from Braavos, and refer to Arya as "boy." It's also possible that Syrio saw potential in Arya and decided to set her on the path to becoming a Faceless man.
What About Eddard?
While Eddard Stark was beheaded in season one, kicking off our story, some fans refuse to believe that the honorable Eddard Stark is actually dead. In the books, it's referenced several times that the Stark's blood gives them the ability to warg into animals. The children, including Jon, do this with their wolves. This begs the question if Eddard could warg into animals too.
Moments before his execution, Eddard appears to be whispering a prayer to himself with a flock of birds to flying over the moment he is killed. Did he warg into one of the birds? Has Eddard been witnessing the story unfold with a literal bird's-eye view? Some fans believe so.
Bran's Dreams
Some people even like to comfort themselves by saying the events in the story are a dream that Bran is having while he's in his coma. This theory is definitely out there, and most people who subscribe to it are those who refuse to believe that their favorite characters died or just want a happy ending.
Some believe that Bran will wake up from his coma and the Starks will live happily ever after. Others claim it was a vision sent to him by the Three-Eyed-Raven to prepare him for the events to come.
Will Arya Be The One To Take Down Daenerys?
Arya Stark is a cold-blooded assassin. If she can take out the Night King, surely she put an end to the Mother of Dragons. The signs also point to this possibly coming to fruition.
Arya already doesn't trust Daenerys to be queen. She's also destined to slay someone with green eyes and that obviously isn't Cersei since she's gone now. If anyone was built for this moment it's the Stark that fans have grown to love.
THIS Is Jaquen H'ghar
What is up with that mysterious white horse at the end of episode five? Seemingly coming out of nowhere to aid Arya, many have had their theories, but one thought comes to mind. That horse could very well be Jaquen H'ghar.
Many have wondered if the Faceless Man who trained the young Stark in Braavos would ever show his face again. One theory is that H'ghar will reveal himself in the final episode, and honestly, we can't wait.
The Throne Is For Sansa
Ever so cleverly, Sansa has been planting those seeds for the downfall of Dany. Since Jon Snow doesn't want to rule (so he says) and many believe Daenerys is going to die in the finale, it makes sense.
Sansa has made an unbelievable transformation from a naive little girl to one of the best strategists in the show. It would be a fitting ending to her character arc if she takes the Iron Throne.
Dany And Jon End Up Together...
Everyone loves the violence that comes with Game of Thrones. It's the foundation of the show. We must also remember that strategy is involved. That could be a major point for the finale.
One theory is that because one last episode isn't enough to kill off Dany and her legion of forces (including a dragon), Jon and Daenerys will instead end up getting married. That would make everything come full circle.
Tyrion Is Fed Up
The loyalty Tyrion has for Daenerys might not be reciprocated if you haven't noticed by now. She quite literally threatened to kill him if he were to fail her again -- ouch. Many believe that he is going to end Dany by literally stabbing her in the back.
That's what his brother did when he killed Dany's father, the Mad King. She went mad in episode five, so things are shaping up for Dany to have a few enemies in the final episode, including her loyal Tyrion.
Breaking The Wheel
One of Daenerys' goals was to "break the wheel." The Mother of Dragons wanted to put an end to the cycle of tyrannical rulers who killed people for their own needs. Then she went mad and it looked like cycle was back going again.
The wheel can still get broken by tying back to an earlier theory about Jon and Dany getting married. If that were to happen, then Daenerys' original goal could still come to fruition.
Is Arya The Azor Ahai?
Let's be honest, we've seen Arya Stark survive some pretty bad things that most people would have perished from. Like that time she got stabbed multiple times in the gut, and more recently in episode five where she survives explosion after explosion. Then a white horse magically appears.
All of these can be signs pointing to Arya being the legendary Azor Ahai. With Cersei already dead, she might wield that flaming sword to take on Daenerys.
Protecting Jon
We know that Arya walked into King's Landing with the utmost confidence in order to kill the queen, but some think that she had a side mission appointed by her sister Sansa. Did Sansa send her in there to protect Jon as part of her plan to claim the throne?
We've already said that the prophecy about the eyes could come true if Arya takes out Dany, but that wouldn't matter as much if Jon were to die, because Sansa needs someone like Snow on her side if she were to rule.
