Season seven ended and left us with some old questions answered as well as new questions forming. Who will survive the impending bloodshed against the White Walkers in the North?

Who will survive Cersei’s merciless slaughter to the South? Who will rise above all others and rightfully sit in the Iron Throne, rebuilding the Seven Kingdoms as we know it and hopefully restoring peace?

While we can only speculate and draw theories from the show as well as what was left behind from the A Song of Ice and Fire books, somethings can be expected to definitely happen before it’s all over.

Following some of the patterns we’ve seen in the HBO show, it can be said that the eighth and final season will not only cut loose ends but leave us wondering what will happen in Westeros, Essos, Sothoryos, and Ulthos once it’s all said and done.

There are major spoilers for the A Game of Thrones show as well as the books in this article, so heed this warning and do not scroll down if you’re not caught up to season seven!

16 – Cersei’s Prophecy

In the show, we saw Maggy the Frog give Cersei only 3 prophecies that have come true, in one way or another – she’d marry the King, she’d be Queen until a more beautiful one took over, and she’d have 3 children, all of which would die.

There is one more prophecy in A Song of Ice and Fire that didn’t make it to the show, one that states “and when your tears and drowned you, the Valonqar (little brother in High Valyrian) shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.”

We ended season 7 with Cersei currently pregnant with her fourth child produced by the incestuous relationship between her and her twin brother, Jamie. In a twisted way, that child could be how her “little brother” Jaime kills her – maybe she’s killed because she’s pregnant, maybe she dies due to childbirth complications.

Another few possible theories state that Tyrion Lannister could be the Valonqar in questions, killing her later on, or that Jaime himself will kill her while trying to prevent a Mad Queen from reigning. Yet another twist on the prophecy would be if Arya Stark managed to kill either of her brothers, then wears their face and kills her.

15 – Drogon vs Viserion

We all cheered when Daenerys’ obnoxious and abusive brother Viserys died with his “golden crown”, a gift from her husband Kahl Drogo.
After Daenerys became the Mother of Dragons, she named all three of them after real people in her life: Drogon was named after her husband Drogo, Rhaegal was named after her older brother (and Jon Snow’s father) Rhaegar, and Viserion was named after her crazy brother Viserys.

As we saw at the end of season 7, Viserion is killed and raised by the Night King, becoming an Undead Dragon. The chances of history slightly repeating itself and us seeing Drogon kill the Undead Viserion are very high, especially because it’d be a symbolic end to a now very dangerous Dragon – just as Viserys had become dangerous and overly greedy and then laid to rest by Drogo.

This could almost be a guaranteed scene as the both the HBO show and the books themselves have a love for symbolism and references.

14 – Daenerys Will Get Pregnant

When Daenerys first encountered Mirri Maz Dur, a self-proclaimed midwife who had never lost a babe, she was pregnant with her first son.

We remember how that whole fiasco ended – Daenerys’ son was supposedly stillborn (and a monster), and that caused her to believe she had been cursed by Mirri and could no longer conceive children. But why would she think that for such a long time and with such certainty?

If we look deeper in the books, there was no proof that Rhaego (her son) had been stillborn, much less born a monster – he could’ve very well been born an adorable, healthy baby boy and killed by Mirri – and taking in the fact Mirri wanted Kahl Drogo to die, it’s safe to assume she’d want his son to die as well.

Mirri could have also given Daenerys a poison or a natural abortifacient while she was in labor – she recounts it as drinking sour milk and something thick and bitter.

Something else to take into account in the books: Daenerys seems to get pregnant again, only to seemingly have a miscarriage after eating some green berries that tasted bitter and familiar.

With all that said, what’s to say she really can’t have children? Fear not, Jon Snow’s “watch me try” attitude will most likely end up in the cutest baby Westeros will ever see.

13 – Jon And/Or Daenerys Will Die

Westeros’ hottest (and accidentally incestuous) couple will most likely meet their ends in this upcoming and last season. Why? Let’s think for a minute:

Firstly, this is Game of Thrones, and secondly, they’re two of the biggest targets currently in the story. There are a few predictions of how it’ll happen – together in battle, perhaps after being betrayed by a close friend, maybe Cersei will get to them before they expect her to – but it’s almost certain that this will happen.

A very likely scenario would be if Daenerys did indeed become pregnant and died in childbirth, or if she was killed shortly after giving birth, after her safe place being invaded by enemies.

Whatever the case, it will most likely be after her child is born since we’ll need that precious baby alive (we’ll get back to that in a little bit).

As for Jon, it could be White Walkers, Jaime Lannister, or even more brutal – he could die by Undead Viserion’s cold (or hot?) icy-fire breath. Or by wildfire.

It’d make more sense if their inevitable deaths happened apart and after they have their child, as their parts in this Game of Thrones will be finished and influential.

12 – Theon Will Die to Save Yara

When it comes to Best Brother Awards, Theon is the least likely winning nominee. He had already let his sister, Yara (Asha in the books), down in an embarrassing way – he refused to be rescued by her when she bravely headed to Ramsay Bolton’s lair with only a few men and almost got her killed – so it was no surprise when he let Euron take her away.

In a way, that was actually an excellent idea. We all know that he’d be dead if he had tried to intervene and save Yara from their maniacal uncle.

In the season finale or season 7, it felt like Theon was awakened as a reflection of the Drowned God himself – he was already dead inside after what Ramsay Bolton put him through, and after remerging from the waters and showing that no punch or strike could take him down, he was victorious and proved his God’s motto: what is dead may never die.

With all this newfound strength and motivation, he sets out to find and rescue his sister, willing to die to see it through. Though he was in a completely different state of mind as Reek, he never forgot Yara coming to save him from Ramsay.

He never forgot how his sister tried to lift his spirits and get him back in track over and over, and he will never forgive himself for allowing Euron to take her.

We are talking about Game of Thrones, so a happy reunion and House-rebuilding involving Yara and Theon will definitely not happen. He will risk and give his life for hers, the rightful heir to the Iron Islands.

11 – Jon Will Ride Rhaegal

Did anybody else notice that Jon Snow made a point of not riding Drogon to safety during the White Walker attack? If you know what Daenerys says in the books, the fact he avoided that will hit you like a ton of bricks – Dany states that no dragon rider has ever ridden two different dragons before.

Now that we know Jon Snow is really Aegon Targaryen, it makes a lot of sense to us why he was prevented from doing that by the writers – riding Rhaegal, who was named after his father and Dany’s older brother Rhaegar, could very well be his destiny.

With the writers killing off Viserion and making him a new addition to the Undead army, we are now left with two dragons and two Targaryens. How convenient is that?

Even though he is completely unaware that he is a Targaryen (and Daenerys’ nephew), the fact that the almighty Drogon was completely at peace while Jon touched him in Dragonstone only makes this scenario more possible.

Daenerys will completely trust him with Rhaegal, either before or after finding out they’re related, and we will see two dragon riders before the end of this story.

10 – Jamie Lannister Will Fight With Jon Snow

Could the season finale of season seven mean that the Lannister incest is over? Could it be that Jaime is finally seeing Cersei’s true color and has become tired of being a pawn in her game? With Jaime defying a direct order with a side of death threat from his twin sister and leaving King’s Landing, we could definitely see a Jon-Jaime alliance in the future.

Sure, he’s completely willing to help the North with the White Walkers, but could he take it a step further and fight alongside his long-time enemies to bring down the reign of terror that is incoming with his sister’s ruling?

Absolutely! We’ve see Jaime’s character grow, going from Lannister brat to a responsible and mature man, able to see wrong from right.

Though he truly does love Cersei and does her bidding because of it, it was easy to see that Olena Tyrell’s words got to him – “You love her. You really love her. You poor fool. She’ll be the end of you.”

When he replies “Possibly”, we see the gears turning in his head. Has it really sunk in? One can only hope. It’d be a shame to see a character who had such an amazing development and arc to go back to his old ways, and I think that we’ll be pleasantly surprised with him rioting against Cersei.

09 – Cleganebowl Will (Finally) Happen

This is the most hyped fan theory out there when it comes to this show. It involves the brothers Sandor “The Hound” and Gregor “The Mountain Clegane fighting each other to the death. Though this has been hyped ever since it was established that the brothers truly hate each other, the season finale for season seven gave us hope that we might actually get to see them fight in the last season.

Admit it, you held your breath when The Hound arrived in King’s Landing and saw his brother standing next to Cersei. We all expected a fight to break out, but we got an interesting one-way dialogue instead, with The Hound saying, “What did they do to you? Doesn’t matter. That’s not how it ends for you, brother. You know who’s coming for you. You’ve always known.”

If that doesn’t mean Cleganebowl 2018 (or 2019, unfortunately) is happening and we should get the popcorn ready…

08 – Sansa and Gendry Will Get Together

This may seem far-fetched, but give me a chance to explain. Remember that scene in the very first episode where King Robert Baratheon told Ned Stark that he wanted one of his sons to marry one of Neds’ daughters, aligning the Baratheon and Stark Houses forever?

Even though he was talking about his “son” Joffrey and Ned’s daughter Sansa, there’s still hope for that Stag-Direwolf union – King Robert’s bastard, Gendry, and Sansa Stark. You might be asking “why not Arya, who already offered to ‘be his family’?”

But let’s face it, Arya is beyond the realm of becoming Head of her House, as ruling does not tickle her fancy. But Sansa is not only amazing at being a leader, she’s also beautiful and could use a healthy relationship – one that will be much different from Joffrey, her forced marriage to Tyrion, her creepy Littlefinger stalker, and the insane Ramsay Bolton.

With Gendry needed as a blacksmith to forge Dragonglass into Valyrian Steel swords so the North can protect themselves against the White Walkers, it is inevitable that Sansa and Gendry will meet.

Since he and Jon Snow are friends now, the chances of Jon legitimizing him and making him Head of House Baratheon are high, and a romance between him and Sansa could definitely see light.

07 – Arya and Jon Could Reunite

Jon and Arya’s reunion will be one to bring tears to the viewer’s eyes. Remembering how close they were in season one (and in the books), the pair seeing each other again will be a tender moment. Arya still carries Needle, a sword gifted by Jon back in season one, with her to this day and has even killed to get it back.

There are a few questions regarding how she’ll react when she finds out he’s not really her half-brother, and some more troubling theories that Jon and Arya won’t see each other at all – a good ol’ case of just missing each other.

As we bat those awful words aside, Arya and Jon reuniting would be a refreshing scene, full of hopes and relief. It’d be interesting to see Jon’s reaction to who Arya’s become and her fighting skills, as well as Arya’s reaction to the new Jon. Arya had only seen Jon mistreated as a bastard, and seeing him as King in the North and a Targaryen, one can only hope a girl remains loyal to him.

06 – Lady Lyanna Mormont Will Die

There’s a lot of talk on who will live and who will die, and our beloved Lady of Bear Island, Lyanna Mormont, is not probably not safe from the writers. In a story where the majority of favorite characters get killed, Lyanna seems to be on the path to her death.

She’s very outspoken and respected in the North, and this very young yet fierce ruler has earned everyone’s hearts. But how can we expect her to live when A Song of Ice and Fire’s own author, George R. R. Martin, has said he will be killing her off in gruesome ways – even by Game of Thrones standards?

Hopefully, we won’t even see her death on screen and it’ll be relayed information. Maybe she will die honorably in battle, after taking down many enemies before she dies. Or maybe she’ll even die the way Olenna Tyrell died, gently poisoned, only to attempt to take as many enemies as she can before collapsing.

However they choose to do it, you can expect our mighty Lady to fall before the end.

05 – Daario Could Lead the Golden Company

By the end of season seven, Cersei revealed her plans to have the Golden Company, made up of about 20,000 merciless assassins, join her army and fight for her cause against her enemies. But, knowing that the Golden Company was in fact started out by a Targaryen bastard years ago, it makes you wonder if they’ll truly be loyal to Cersei and her gold when a real Targaryen (or two, now that we know better) is fighting her way to the Iron Throne.

Better yet, remember Daario Naharis, Daenerys’ steamy, sellsword-turned-advisor-turned-lover? He could very well intercept word of what Cersei is hoping to achieve with the Golden Company and turn it around, even possibly lead the Golden Company to fight alongside Daenerys instead. It’d be a welcome twist in Cersei’s seemingly flawless plan, and it’d prove to Daenerys that Daarios truly does love his Queen, whether she returns the affection or not.

04 – Wildfire Still Exists in King’s Landing

Though it did seem like Cersei used up all of the Wildfire in King’s Landing in order to escape her trial by the Faith, it’s safe to assume that she saved some for a rainy day.

And even if she didn’t,when the Targaryens ruled the Seven Kingdoms they used Wildfire instead of Dragon fire once their dragons started to die out, and it is rumored that it’s still somewhere in the city – most likely Dragonpit, where the anxiety-inducing scene where Cersei, Jon, and Daenerys get together took place.

This is also supported by some of Bran’s visions, as he saw in a cluster of them a few alchemists pouring wildfire into a container and then an underground explosion that was not the one Cersei carried out.

If this is true, then we can expect the biggest battle for the Throne to take place in Dragonpit. We can also fear for Jon, Jaime, and literally everyone who will be caught in this brutal explosion that will very likely take place towards the end of season eight.

03 – Bran is the Night King

Yes, the actors who play Bran and the Night King look eerily familiar. Yes, we all saw the (fake) picture of Bran wearing the Night King’s brooch. No, I am not exactly saying that Bran is the current Night King – the Night King hasn’t even yet appeared in the books.

Here’s a spinoff from the current crazy fan-theory – Bran will die in season eight, but we will see him become the new Night King, restarting the cycle beyond the Wall. We saw Bran inevitably stabbed by Dragonglass when he warged back to when the Children of the Forrest made the first Night King, and at one point the Night King even touched him, leaving a mark.

It could be that he knew too much and the Night King desired to have Bran lead an Undead army after this war, continuing the war against men. This spinoff aside, if Bran does turn out to be the Night King, it’d be easier to understand why he’s able to go back to the past and sometimes change it, and it’d answer the question “why did the Walkers form a Wolf while marching past the damaged wall?” Either way, you can almost bet Bran and the Night King will be one in the end.

02 – Arya and Melisandre Will Meet Again

“I see a darkness in you. And in that darkness, eyes staring back at me – brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes. Eyes you’ll shut forever. We will meet again.”

Back in season 3, we were left with those words as a prophecy by Melisandre to Arya. She could be referring to Arya’s hit list, and all her victims who have already and will have their eyes shut by her, but she could also be talking about Arya and her many faces, with Arya completely stepping away from that and becoming a Stark again, which is kind of what we’ve seen happen.

Now, Arya and Melissandre will meet again if her prophecy is true – which has been the case so far – and that would mean she will die by Arya’s hand. And so could Varys, as Melissandre says in yet another prophecy just to him, “I have to die in this strange country, just like you.”

Could Arya be the one to fulfill this by killing them both? We know the Red Woman is in her hit list, but what about Varys? Would the Spider attempt to intervene or play too nicely, getting himself killed in the process?

It’s very safe to believe in Melisandre’s words when she says she and Arya will meet again, and this mystery-filled reunion must definitely happen before the end.

01 – How Will it All End?

There are a lot of speculations regarding who will be the one to not only survive this brutal, incoming war, but who will sit on the Iron Throne following all the bloodshed. Some say Jon and Daenerys will, others say Jon and Sansa will, and there are even those who believe either Arya, Cersei, or Tyrion will sit on it.

However, we must remember that this is Game of Thrones, and in Ramsay Bolton’s words, “if you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention”.

While it is feasible that Sansa will be in a leadership position, she will not be the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms – it is much safer to assume she’ll be the Warden of the North under a peaceful overall ruler.

Tyrion would be an excellent King, but it is not in the cards for him and he knows it.

Cersei is a scary nomination, and thought it could happen with a cruel plot twist, we shouldn’t bank on it.

Sorry, J+D fans, they will both inevitably die – but probably not before Daenerys has their child. And this is why that child is so important – he or she could very well be the one to sit on the Iron Throne, being guided and taught by Tyrion Lannister until he/she comes of age, being shaped into the ideal mix of a loving, leading, and knowledgeable ruler.

Even if Tyrion won’t be the one standing by Jon and Daenery’s child, someone else will. The point is, this is a story where you can expect anyone of importance killed off, so what better way to end it with someone we’ve never met before? I suppose we will all find out in a year or two.