The final season of Game of Thrones is, unfortunately, still a few months away. It’s been an exhilarating ride so far. We’ve had compelling characters who have been excellently developed for multiple seasons, wedding-themed plot twists that would bring a tear to your eye (or burst out in joy depending on the occasion), stunning episode-long battles, and time-travel revelations that could unearth more family secrets than a 23andMe ancestry kit.
Throwing around theories has been a big part of Game of Thrones since the show’s first season. Although we’re gearing up for the final run, there’s no reason for that to change now. Here are my 5 Game of Thrones Fan Theories That Could Still Happen.
(None of the theories listed below are mine as I found them all on this wonderful place called the internet. I’ll leave a link to where I got each individual theory in case you want a more in-depth breakdown. And this should probably go without saying but, MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD)
1) Tyrion Lannister is a Secret Targaryen
(Matt Fowler of IGN: “Game of Thrones: Is Tyrion a Secret Targaryen?”)
Everyone’s favorite Lannister had a rough childhood growing up in Westeros. His mother died during childbirth, his sister tormented him, and he had a father who despised his mere existence. On top of that, Tyrion was always ridiculed by the public because of his dwarf status.
This Game of Thrones theory states that the main reasoning behind Tywin’s hatred for his youngest son is not just from the death of Tyrion’s mother but because he doesn’t actually believe Tyrion is his kid at all.
There is some evidence throughout the show that could potentially prove this theory correct. Tywin has questioned Tyrion’s true lineage with lines like “Men’s laws give you the right to bear my name and display my colors, since I cannot prove that you are not mine” (“Valar Dohaeris”) and “You’re no son of mine” (“The Children”). That last one was pretty on the nose.
Then who is Tyrion’s biological father? Well, that man may very well be the Mad King himself. According to the books, Aerys II Targaryen was obsessed with Joanna Lannister (Tyrion’s mother). Barristan Selmy claimed that Aerys drunkenly joked about how it was a pity the First Night tradition was banned and took too many liberties during Joanna’s bedding.
If true, this means that Tyrion would be Daenerys’ half-brother and Jon Snow’s uncle. Although this would make logical sense considering his relationship with the dragons, this is probably one of the least likely fan theories that are still alive. Also, by “relationship with the dragons”, I mean the fact that the dragons did not eat him at first sight.
2) Bran Stark Will Become Bran the Builder
(Nidhi Goswami of WikiofThrones: “Here’s the proof that Bran Stark and Bran the Builder are the same person”)
Bran Stark was one of the first characters to realize the true threat coming to Westeros. Maybe at some point during the final season, he travels to the past to prepare the North for the impending apocalypse.
Now, you would still have to figure out the details regarding how Bran gets stuck in the past but, I’m not a writer for the show. I’m just a fan with way too much time on his hands and a platform to spew my crazed opinions out to the world. Thanks, Nerd Stash!
For those of you who don’t know, Bran the Builder was the architect behind The Wall. He also built Winterfell, other major northern structures, and was the first King in the North. As shown in “Oathbreaker”, Bran has the ability to affect the past so it wouldn’t be too far-fetched for the new Three-Eyed-Raven to use this ability sometime soon.
There are so many different theories about this subject (including one where Bran eventually becomes the Night King) but this seems like the most sensible Bran Stark theory out there.
Well, the second most sensible. You’ll definitely be seeing Bran on this list again soon.
3) The White Walkers Will Attack King’s Landing First, Not Winterfell
(Various Reddit threads such as this one by u/thetripleb. Also as a side note, I kinda like this Redditor’s theory on how the show ends.)
Season 7 ended with the White Walkers breaking through the wall and Cersei betraying everyone (Never would have seen that coming). The final season is set to start with the Great War between the living and dead, but how would Cersei and her army fit into all of this? Will she be the final villain?
According to this Game of Thrones theory, the White Walkers won’t be heading to Winterfell like most believe but to King’s Landing instead. After taking King’s Landing, the Night King will take Cersei as his queen and the northern armies will have to march south for the final battle.
This is a theory that I hope turns out to be true. In the season seven finale, they set up the groundwork for something like this by pointing out the overpopulation of King’s Landing. Also, Cersei is one of my favorite villains of all time and turning her character into the Night Queen would just shine on her cold demeanor (Sorry, couldn’t help myself) more than ever before.
4) Bran Caused the Mad King to go Crazy, Setting the Entire Game of Thrones Plot Into Motion
(Various Reddit threads such as this one by u/NegativeKarmaSniifer and for a full breakdown, check out The Wrap’s Jeremy Fuster: “Game of Thrones: Did Bran Stark Cause the Mad King’s Downfall?”)
What if the Mad King wasn’t completely insane? Well, centuries of incest and all that certainly wouldn’t help anything in that department. But, what if good-ole Bran Stark is actually the one who creates “The Mad King”, putting this entire series into motion?
We’ve seen Bran affect the past before. While witnessing the events of the Tower of Joy, Bran shouted at his father and it seemed that Ned actually heard him. Bran also caused Hodor to go into his simplified state (R.I.P. Hodor. Hopefully you never come back as a wight. I don’t think I could handle that.).
The Mad King believed that he was hearing voices telling him to “burn them all” before Jaime killed him. Aerys thought that the voices were telling him to burn all of his citizens using wildfire but what if it was Bran putting the thought in his head?
Now, it is very unlikely that he would do this intentionally. This would most likely be like the Hodor scenario, albeit much more impactful to the main story. Still, it’s a twist that would stun viewers for weeks on end.
5) Jaime Lannister is Azor Ahai/Will Kill Cersei
(YouTube Channel New Rockstars: “Game of Thrones: Is Jaime Lannister the REAL HERO?”)
Yeah, I kinda cheated here by mashing two theories together but I feel like these two go hand-in-hand.
The Kingslayer may be the most interesting character in Game of Thrones. That is quite an accomplishment. Jaime Lannister started the series as the good-looking, overconfident knight that you just wanted to see die a gruesome death.
I mean, look at this guy. How can you not want to punch him in the teeth?
You know what, I would like to apologize to Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who plays Jaime Lannister. This is not an indictment of your acting ability (it’s actually the exact opposite). You just have a very punchable face.
Unlike other detestable villains, Jaime got his comeuppance rather quickly. He was captured, tortured, and mutilated over the course of the show’s first three seasons. The loss of his hand and the epic bath scene shortly after, which sounds weird out of context, stand out as catalysts for Jaime’s turn from villainy.
Since then, The Kingslayer now resembles characteristics of heroes like Jon Snow or Ned Stark.
I can already hear you saying “Yeah, Jaime’s changed. So what man? What does this have to do with Azor Ahai?” For those of you who don’t know, Azor Ahai (or the prince that was promised) was a legendary hero who led the fight against the White Walkers using a burning sword called Lightbringer. The show has heavily teased that this prophecy would come true again, either with Daenerys or Jon.
You can see a video detailing this theory in full down below from New Rockstars.
I’m going to try and sum it down to its most simple terms for those of you who did not watch the video.
Azor Ahai supposedly created Lightbringer in a 3 step process. First, he crafted his sword for 30 days and 30 nights. He then plunged the sword into water. The sword broke. So then, Azor Ahai went through this process again for 50 days and 50 nights. He plunged the sword into the heart of a lion (Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. That’ll come up in a second). The sword broke again. Finally, he forged his sword for 100 days and 100 nights. Told his wife to come into the room and he proceeded to stab her in the heart. The sword merged with her soul and created Lightbringer.
It’s important to note that the series has already established that the Azor Ahai prophecy is extremely ambiguous. So, Jaime doesn’t have to craft his sword for 100 days or actually stab a lion. For the most part, this is symbolic.
He was “reborn” in the bath scene (water). He helped destroy the Lannister family by freeing Tyrion, leading his little brother to kill their father (lion). The only thing left to do is to kill the love of his life, Cersei (wife). The popular Valonqar theory would come in play here as well (if you aren’t familiar with this theory, click here).
I could go on about his golden hand becoming Lightbringer, what this would mean for Jaime after the Great War, and how Cersei could die but here are the basics to remember. Jaime kills Cersei, gets Lightbringer, saves Westeros, and becomes Azor Ahai. However how cool this would be, I would align this with “Tyrion is a Targaryen” as one of the least likely theories on here to come true in the final season. It’s still possible, just unlikely to happen.
There you have it. Those are 5 Game of Thrones Fan Theories That Could Still Happen. Yes, some are outside-the-box but that’s part of the fun for shows like this. We just have to wait a few more months but rest assured, Winter is almost here. I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist one last cheesy line.
What do you think about my list of possible Game of Thrones fan theories? What is your favorite fan theory that is still alive? How do you think the show will end? Let us know in the comments below!
