If you follow our blog, you know that we’re all big TV fans at Fish, and there is nothing we’re more passionate about than Game of Thrones. For the past few weeks, the Fish group Skype has been LIT every Monday as we all recap the insane things that happened in the most recent episode and share our theories on what insane things might happen next (I had a theory the Night King was going to kill Cersei in King’s Landing, and I’m still genuinely disappointed that didn’t happen).
With the second to last episode of the entire series just a few days away, we’re anxiously counting down the minutes until Sunday night brings us more answers on the fate of all of our favorites and least favorites (#TeamSomeoneKillCerseiASAP). From Ned Stark’s beheading to the Red Wedding, if these past eight seasons of Game of Thrones have taught us anything, it’s that no one is safe in Westeros, and the bad guys winning is absolutely a possibility. After only four episodes, we’ve already lost a slew of characters, including Missandei, Lyanna and Jorah Mormont, and even another dragon – and unfortunately, with this show’s track record, it’s likely that many more cast members will join them before this series concludes.
Until Sunday finally rolls around, all we can do to pass the time is theorize on what we think might be the Game of Thrones end game. Here are a few of the most compelling theories floating around the internet.
1. Jamie will kill Cersei. This has been the most popular theory about Cersei’s death for a long time. They’re twins, but Jaime was born after Cersei, making him her “little brother”. Given their fraught and intense history, and the fact that they’re now enemies – with Cersei even ordering Bronn to kill Jaime – the idea that Jaime will kill Cersei seems more likely than ever. He’s talked about wanting to die in her arms in the past. I could see them mutually destroying each other and leaving the world as they came into it – together.
2. Khaleesi is going to go Mad Queen. This theory says that Daenerys Targaryen will follow in the footsteps of her father, Aerys II Targaryen, and go crazy. After the brutal beheading of her closest advisor Missandei, the harrowing clipping of her beloved dragon Rhaegal, and the tragic death of her sworn protector Jorah Mormont, Daenerys has been pushed to the edge. (Don’t forget: She also recently discovered her lover was actually her nephew.) Could the madness that consumed her father be on the horizon? What’s the dividing line between a fearless military leader and a destructive tyrant hellbent on clearing out anything that stands in her way?
3. The Hound will kill his brother the Mountain. Cleganebowl has been teased by the show for years, and if it doesn’t happen by the end of the series, fans will likely riot in the street. Let’s just hope the Hound has a better fate than Oberyn did when he faces off with his zombie-psychopathic brother.
4. Arya will kill Cersei. In the sixth episode of season three, Melisandre happens upon Arya and drops this characteristically cryptic prediction: “I see a darkness in you. And in that darkness, eyes staring back at me. Brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes. Eyes sealed shut forever. We will meet again.” Cersei, many fans are quick to note, has blazing emerald eyes. Arya, the newly-crowned queen of stealth attacks, could easily pounce on Cersei with her blade of Valyrian steel — perhaps, as some internet theorists believe, disguised as the queen’s twin brother and ex-lover, Jaimie Lannister.
5. It’s all Bran’s fault. Some fans think that Aerys Targaryen, the “mad king,” was driven mad by Bran. Like how Bran affected Hodor’s mind by interfering with the past, he could have done the same with Aerys, by warning him of White Walkers — driving the already unstable Aerys to insanity, until he burned everything down just to be free. That would mean that all the events of the series are Bran’s fault and also that he knows it. That’s probably why he’s so quiet now and also why he let Jon be the one to share his secret (and let Sam be the one to tell Jon) instead of outright stating it to everyone. He learned his lesson about interfering.
6. Jon kills Khaleesi. If Dany goes full “Mad Queen,” Jon may have no choice but to sacrifice his love for the greater good of the people. In doing so, he’d also fulfill the Azor Ahai prophecy, which many fans have speculated he’d do since the show’s beginning.
