The lightning-quick seventh season of HBO’s Game of Thrones revealed more information than we ever could have imagined. Now, we can only dream of everything that might happen in Season 8. Though the final season of George R. R. Martin’s fantasy epic seems light-years away — 2019 is a super long time to wait — we can already make predictions of what might happen when we see Westeros again.
With the downfall of The Wall and the arrival of The Long Night, an immense amount of bloodshed is in store for the final season of GoT. Neither GRRM nor the series showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have ever shied away from killing off adored and beloved characters. (We still haven’t recovered from the beheading of Ned Stark during Season 1.) The final season of GoT should be no exception.
Since GRRM has always been the king of foreshadowing, we can already predict the 10 characters who might never see the sun again when the Great War is over and done (No. 8 could be turned by the White Walkersbefore he even reaches Winterfell).
1. Daenerys Targaryen
Back in 1993, GRRM wrote a letter that included the names of five characters who would survive until the end of his saga: Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, Arya Stark, Bran Stark, and Daenerys Targaryen. However, times have changed, and GRRM has been vocal about the bittersweet ending of his A Song of Ice and Fire series. If we could guess we would assume everyone on Martin’s original list might not endure until the end. We’d put big money on Daenerys not surviving Season 8.
The Night King has murdered Viserion, so it’s clear that Dragons aren’t exactly invincible. With that in mind, we’re now more convinced than ever that Jon Snow is the prince who was promised. To save Westeros from The Long Night and White Walkers he’ll have to fashion a sword from the heart and the soul of the woman he loves. Right now that woman is Dany. If Jon is truly Azor Ahai reborn, Dany’s death might be the hardest thing Jon has had to face. But in the end, it might be the only thing that saves Westeros.
2. Sansa Stark
We’ve watched Sansa Stark grow from the annoying teen who was obsessed with pretty dresses and Joffrey Baratheon to the steadfast and strong woman who has taken the reins of Winterfell in her brother Jon’s absence. Like she told Littlefinger before her sister Ayra executed him, “I’m a slow learner it’s true. But I learn.” We’ve come to love and respect Sansa for all she’s had to survive over the past seven seasons, but this could also be a nod toward her end. If Sansa is killed during the final season of GoT we’re certain she’s not going down without a fight.
3. Cersei Lannister
We doubt anyone around here would shed a tear if Cersei Lannister met her end during the final season of GoT. In fact, her demise had been predicted for decades at this point. Though Cersei is sitting pretty (and pregnant) in King’s Landing on the Iron Throne, she has just alienated the last person who truly had her back. After reneging on her vow to help Dany and Jon defeat the White Walkers, she accused her twin brother Jaime Lannister (who also happens to be her baby daddy) of treason. Finally, standing up to his terrifying lover/sister, Jaime left King’s Landing and headed North (we’re assuming).
When Cersei was a child, the witch Maggy the Frog predicted the death of all three of Cersei’s children. Her prophecy also included this piece: “Gold shall be their crowns and gold their shrouds. And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.”
“Valonqar” in High Valyrian means little brother. Though we’ve always assumed that Tyrion would be the one to murder Cersei, after the events of the Season 7 finale it looks like Jaime will the one to finally crush the life out of her. After all, wouldn’t that be the most poetic imagery?
In the Season 7 finale, when Jaime and Cersei were speaking in the room with the maps, Cersei stood on a piece of the map often referred to as the neck, while Jaime stood on a section called the fingers. Let’s just hope “the stupidest Lannister” steps up before Cersei gives birth. After all, he is the Kingslayer.
4. Melisandre
The Red Woman has stirred up a lot of drama on Game of Thrones. Though she did bring Jon Snow back to life after he was stabbed to death by his Night’s Watch brothers, we will never forgive her for persuading Stannis Baratheon to murder his precious daughter, Shireen Baratheon. Davos Seaworth — Stannis’ friend and Shireen’s trusted companion — hasn’t forgotten or forgiven either.
The last time the older gentlemen saw the Red Priestess of the Lord of Light in Winterfell, he promised her he would kill her if he ever saw her again. When The Red Woman left Dragonstone, she told Varys she would be returning to Westeros one last time and upon her return, she would die. We are simply awaiting the time and place.
5. Davos Seaworth
Our beloved Davos Seaworth has been a constant companion over the years, and now that he’s teamed up with Jon and crew we’d be devastated to see him lost to The Long Night. However, we wouldn’t be true GoT fans if we didn’t think the real reason Davos has survived this long is to bring Gendry (Robert Baratheon’s last living heir) back into the fold after several seasons.
During Season 7, Davos said something extremely cryptic to Gendry. He said all he’d ever done is live to a ripe old age. Foreshadow much? Still, there is hope that Davos won’t be the first to die during Season 8. He promised to kill Melisandre if he ever saw her again, so before he dies he’ll at least have to fulfill his promise.
6. Varys
There are very few in Westeros more crafty than Varys. Littlefinger thought he was the king of manipulation, but that only got his neck on the pointy end of Arya’s Valerian steel dagger. Just before Melisandre left Dragonstone she told Varys he would die in Westeros. Though Varys is seemingly loyal to Daenerys (at least for now) past seasons have shown Varys’ true loyalty is with himself. None of this bodes well for him because The Mother of Dragons has promised to burn him alive if she ever discovered he had betrayed her. Yikes.
7. Euron Greyjoy
We don’t know about you, but we think Euron Greyjoy is a hoot. Drunk with power and his desire to marry Cersei, Euron had murdered his brother, kidnapped his niece Yara Greyjoy, and humiliated his nephew Theon Greyjoy, so he could rule the Iron Islands. Though we assumed Euron had simply run home after witnessing the terrifying wight at Dragnsonpitt, we now know the most diabolical Greyjoy has sailed off to Essos to bring Cersei The Golden Company.
However, now that Theon has grown a pair and vowed to free his sister from Cersei’s chains the depraved Euron might have found himself a worthy adversary. If Theon doesn’t have the guts to kill his uncle when they meet again, we’re sure Yara won’t have a problem slicing him to the white meat. Euron’s death also means Yara would once again rule the Iron Islands.
8. Jaime Lannister
After his sister Queen Cersei accused him of treason, Jaime narrowly avoided execution. He left King’s Landing for Winterfell to join Jon and Dany in their war against the dead. However, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, the actor who plays Jaime, recently said something very intriguing to Esquire magazine. He said, “You know some of the main characters are going to get turned. There are going to be some blue-eyed main characters running around. And, god, I hope it’s not me. That’s three hours of make-up in the morning.”
Could Jaime be turned by the White Walkers before he even reaches Winterfell? It appears that Coster-Waldau isn’t exactly optimistic about his character’s future, but we’re hoping Jaime at least kills Cersei before he meets his maker.
9. Beric Dondarrion
Tormund Giantsbane and Beric Dondarrion were hanging out on The Wall when Viserion took down The Wall with his icy blue flames. Though there is some hope the duo made it to the side of The Wall that didn’t fall into the seas below it, we’d guess if only one of these guys will live to see Season 8 it’s our beloved Tormund of the Free Folk. After all, Beric said in “Beyond the Wall” that he is on his last life.
Even GRRM hinted that Beric’s time is running out. In a recent interview with Time, Martin said:
Poor Beric Dondarrion … every time he’s a little less Beric. His memories are fading, he’s got all these scars, he’s becoming more and more physically hideous, because he’s not a living human being anymore. His heart isn’t beating, his blood isn’t flowing in his veins, he’s a wight, but a wight animated by fire instead of by ice, now we’re getting back to the whole fire and ice thing.
If we don’t get to see you again, it’s been real Beric.
10. The Mountain
Oh, Cleganebowl, where art thou? For years, GoT fans have been desperately anticipating the battle between the Clegane brothers, Sandor “The Hound,” and Gregor “The Mountain.” It’s been clear since the first season that there is no love lost between the two. In fact, the reason The Hound’s face is disfigured is that his brother pushed him into a fire when he was a child.
Though the two brothers have gone down separate paths throughout the seven seasons of GoT (The Mountain literally died and was brought back to life after being killed by Oberyn Martell), they faced each other once again during the meeting at Drangsonpit at the end of Season 7. The Hound approached The Mountain and said rather cryptically, “This isn’t how it ends for you, brother.” We can only assume we will finally see the epic duel that is Cleganebowl in Season 8. If we had to put money on it, The Mountain won’t be resurrected when The Hound finally kills him for good.
Source: The Cheat Sheet
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