The countdown until the final season of Game of Thrones which starts on April 14 has already started for superfans all over the world.
Before the final games begin and our favourite remaining characters face off one more time for the throne, here are some theories as to who will claim the seat.
HBO president Casey Bloys has already hinted that the final season will be “emotionally thrilling”. And we are all waiting anxiously to see what happens.
Here is a short catch-up for those of you that are not super fans. The war for the Iron Throne (a literal throne made of swords) has been ongoing since the first season when King Robert Baratheon died unexpectedly which shook the whole of Westeros.
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Before Robert, the throne was ruled by the Targaryen family, and the remaining heir to the family fights to get the throne back. There are more than one Targaryen heirs left though, and one more Baratheon (that we know of), and of course other families have come in to play the Game of Thrones where its either you win or you die.
Throughout the season a lot of people have died but we have some hope for the remaining characters. Here are some predictions as to who will sit on the throne;
1. Jon Snow (what some would call the obvious choice)
In a perfect world where happy endings are a norm, Jon Snow would end up on the iron throne. Even though he does not know this, yet, the throne is his birthright. The only thing is, even though Jon has a lot of qualities that would make him an honorable king he has never displayed an interest in the iron throne. He has always cared more about defending the wall and ensuring that humans succeed against the “real war” against white walkers. Jon’s good heart makes him a fan favourite for the throne but to be honest that ending would not be that much fun to watch.
2. Daenerys Targaryen (Mother of Dragons)
For Khaleesi to finally end up on the iron throne would be righteous after everything she has been through. Her journey has been paved with a lot of hardships but she has fought through them with the sole purpose of claiming the iron throne. She is a Targaryen after all. And through her challenges, she’s proven to be the epitome of women power, keeping all her promises except for one, ruling the seven kingdoms, which might be what she does in the final season.
3. Gendry (remember him?)
Gendry is basically the dark horse in this race, most people don’t expect him to claim the throne even though he is the last known son of King Robert Baratheon, one he got on the road of course. The claim of the Baratheons on the throne can be argued in itself but you never know with GOT. The young blacksmith could be seen swinging his hammer all the way to the iron throne. Also, this guy was kept out of the season 8 posters, now I do not want to sound crazy but what if he was kept out because he actually ends up on the throne? Crazier things have happened.
4. Sansa Stark
Most people (not me) believe that lady Sansa possesses the qualities to rule the iron throne. Sure she gives a good side eye and has come a long way from being the girl that dreamed of living happily ever after in a castle but can she handle the throne? She has proven that she can be a team player and learned the hard way to stand up for herself so maybe she could rule the seven kingdoms, right? Well, we will have to wait and see.
5. Cersei Lannister
Cersei is a strong contender for the iron throne as she has kept the seat warm for quite some time but is she a good queen? If a fearful, selfish queen is what you want then she is the best. It is not hard to predict that Cersei has the makings of a mad queen but it cannot be denied that when faced with difficulties she knows how to step up. But she might soon meet her match in the mother of Dragons or even any of the Starks, which will be beautiful to watch.
6. Beric Dondarrion
Do you remember Beric’s sword trick when he joined Jon on the trip beyond the wall? That is something to be noted and on top of that, he has the Lord of light on his side. He may not be the obvious choice for the throne and he may be a bit rugged but he has died and come back to life more times than anyone else on the show, that must count for something. Beric ending up on the throne might be a bit of a stretch but let us not rule him out completely just yet.
7. Nobody at all
What if no one ends up on the Throne? Khaleesi has been very vocal about wanting to change the world order and Jon is the same in not really being a fan of the iron throne and what it represents so what if the ending is a new world order? No Iron Throne at all?
8. Night king (fingers crossed)
In my head, the night king will be the one that walks away with it all. I can just see him now, walking slowly towards the iron throne. He turns around, sits down carefully, almost as to not break a bone. His accomplices join him, two on each side, he has all three (undead) dragons chilling outside of a now very cold Westeros.
The world is in an ice age and right before the credits fill the screen, the camera zooms into the night kings face (some say he’s Bran but that’s a whole different story). The camera stops right on the king’s face and I imagine him trying to form a smile. Blue eyes piercing through the screen and I imagine him saying something to the effect of, “The eternal winter has come”. Cue the credits, cue the tears, cue it all.
What about Arya and Bran you ask?
Well, Arya has always seemed more interested in avenging those that did her and her family wrong, and she does much better as a faceless assasin than I think she would as a queen. Bran, on the other hand, has been rumored to be a lot of things but a king on the throne? I’m not so sure.
And even if the night king does not sit on the throne and neither does Khaleesi, Jon or Sansa, the ending will be something we will all remember because after all, Game of Thrones has been one of the best shows of the millennium.
