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That's it. Game of Thrones season 8 is over... and yet. There's still so many Game of Thrones theories that have neither been confirmed nor denied by the show or its showrunners, leaving them open to interpretation, debate, and potential validity by the fanbase. I mean, what else are we going to do other than dive into the prophesies and potential hidden truths of George R.R. Martin's source material now that the show's over?
The Game of Thrones ending is deliberately open ended, but the following Game of Thrones theories could still be addressed by either R.R. Martin or HBO in a subsequent spin-off show, book, or interview. Even so, that hasn't stopped us from laying out the evidence and propositions we have so far, and making a case for some of the weirdest, craziest theories that are still on the cards beyond the airtime of everyone's favourite fantasy drama. Beware: There are Game of Thrones spoilers ahead, even if these predictions never come to pass.
1. Arya still has an unknown target on her kill list
Remember that prophesy from Melisandra about Arya shutting a pair of brown, blue, and green eyes forever? The youngest Stark daughter mostly fulfilled that prediction when she closed the brown eyes of Walder Frey and then the blue eyes of the Night King, but what about the last part? Throughout most of season 8, most presumed the green eyes belonged to Cersei, but the former Queen Mother instead succumbed to the rubble of the Red Keep, which means Arya technically still hasn't shut the green eyes of anyone.
The last we see of her, Arya is heading West of Westeros, beyond the known borders of the mapped world, setting the stage for one of the potential Game of Thrones spin-off shows reportedly in the works at HBO, which could focus on Arya's expeditions and eventually reveal a new, green-eyed foe for her to take down. Either that, or this young assassin has given up a life of violence for greater things; who cares about what the Lord of Light thinks?
2. Drogon is headed to Old Valyria, and could be about to lay more dragon eggs
One unresolved thread that left many Thrones fans confused by the season 8 finale was the sudden vanishing of Drogon, who picks up Daenerys' corpse and flies off from the Red Keeps to unknown lands after Jon Snow murders the Khaleesi in cold blood. We learn later in the episode that the last surviving dragon was spotted heading East of King's Landing, and there's a pretty compelling theory that his destination of choice is Old Valyria, the birthplace of the Targaryens and their infamous dragon pals.
What's more, while Drogon is male, there's an ancient myth in Westeros that dragons are able to change their sex, meaning there's still a possibility that Drogon isn't the last of his kind just yet, but could lay eggs to even more winged reptiles in, say, the next ten thousands years or so. Perhaps the Game of Thrones prequel TV show will reveal more about the nature of these majestic winged beasts, and whether there's still a future for Drogon and his species in Westeros just yet.
2. Tyrion Lannister is actually a Targaryen
Jon might not be the only secret Targaryen. Tyrion Lannister is also believed to be one of the prophesied heads of the dragon along with Dany and Jon. It comes from the theory that mad King Aerys Targaryen had an affair with Tywin Lannister's wife, Joanna, the mother of Tyrion, which might explain why Tywin hated him so much. And despite what happens in the books, the TV show is pointing in that direction, with Tywin saying "you're no son of mine" just before Tyrion shoots him with an arrow.
Although this could just be part of Tywin's constant rejection of Tyrion's suitability as a Lannister, it's something that's alluded to again and again throughout the first four seasons. We’ve also seen a strong connection develop between Tyrion and Dany, with her trusting him above almost anyone else. This is likely to be Tyrion showing loyalty to Dany (loyalty is a genuinely new thing for Tyrion, given his rather selfish nature) and vice versa, but some corners of the internet think it goes deeper than respect and friendship...
3. Jon Snow is Azor Ahai, or the Warrior of Light, or The Prince Who Was Promised
Here's the facts about Azor Ahai. Melisandre’s prophecy states that The Prince Who Was Promised will have the blood of the dragon and will be reborn in smoke and salt (in the books Jon's wounds smoke and his comrades cry salty tears all over him). Whenever the priestesss looked into the fires for Azor, she’s saw only things to do with snow, which can’t be a coincidence. In addition, Jon picked his Night's Watch post over his lady love (Ygritte), which ties into the original Azor Ahai and Nissa Nissa prophecy.
More interestingly, there's an alternative theory that Dany was the metaphorical darkness threatening the world, and the thing that Jon had to kill to save it. If that's the case, then Lightbringer (the sword Azor Ahai pulls from Nissa Nissa’s chest after he kills her) is actually Daenerys herself, who embodies fire, while Jon having to kill his lover is, again, incredibly reminiscent of the bond between Azor Ahai and Nissa Nissa. Yes, there's also a compelling case to be made that Arya emerged as the princess who was promised when she killed the Night King, but the truth is we'll probably never know for sure.
4. Bran is Bran the Builder
For those who don’t know, Bran the Builder is the Stark ancestor who created Winterfell and raised The Wall over 8000 years before the events covered in Game of Thrones. Some believe that our Bran and the former Bran are one and the same person because of his ability to influence the past. We already know Bran can see into the past and future, and he can influence events and 'warg' into people. “Hold the door,” anyone?
Seeing as he's aware of the White Walkers in the present day, maybe it's his responsibility to travel into the past and raise The Wall to keep them out. Also, in the books Old Nan mentions – on several occasions – that Bran's favourite stories are the ones about... yup, Bran the Builder. Is that an echo of the young Stark's future? Maybe. But hang on, if Bran builds the wall, but also gets marked by the Night King in the present and allows the White Walkers to pass it, does that mean he's wasted his time? Or does it mean he built The Wall to hold the undead at bay until mankind is ready to deal with them? Hmmm...
6. Sam Tarly exposed a conspiracy of Maesters
During his time at the Citadel, Samwell pleaded with the Archmaester to help him fight the White Walker invasion. However, despite admitting that he believed Sam, the Archmaester refused to act – even belittling Sam in a meeting when the raven arrived from Winterfell in Game of Thrones season 7, episode 5. It could just be that the Maesters are stubborn old fools, refusing to face impending disaster. After all, they've weathered countless wars and catastrophes. However, the Maester conspiracy theory suggests that they're in league with Cersei, who has paid them to help her win the PR war against Daenerys. After all, the common people will do as the Maesters tell them, so while they don't fight they remain a powerful ally.
Another branch to this theory suggests that the Maesters have an agenda to deny all magic in the world of Westeros, promoting fact and history over the unexplained. The existence of dragons and White Walkers would threaten this worldview, so the Archmaester will never publicly admit the existence of either. If that’s the case, they’re going to have a hell of job explaining the fall of the Wall and the hordes of shambling ice zombies that marched upon Westeros…
Check out our Game of Thrones season 8 recap to catch up on every episode, or watch the video below to find out what happened in the finale.
