Game of Thrones: How Do These Popular Fan Theories Stand After The Season 8 Premiere?

Published on April 15, 2019

Now that the highly anticipated final season of Game of Thrones has arrived, fans will be able to see how the many theories that were circling the web leading up to the premiere will pan out.

Few shows have been as secretive about the outcome of the final season as Game of Thrones. The web has been basically losing its mind over who will take the throne (or if there will even be a throne to sit on), but now that the show has started up again we’re revisiting some of the more popular theories that were floating around.

SPOILER ALERT: If you’ve just started watching the show you may want to stay away. Otherwise, read on!

Tyrion Is A Targaryen

Photo: Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister; (Credit Helen Sloan/HBO)

Perhaps one of the least likely outcomes of the series, but nevertheless a credible theory at that, is the suggestion that Tyrion is actually an illegitimate child of The Mad King, Aegon Targaryen. This theory started circling back when Tyrion first joined forces with Daenerys late in season 5. Tyrion is able to touch the dragons, which is something that’s been suggested to be reserved only for those with Targaryen blood running through their veins.

The credibility of this theory comes from the similarities in Jon Snow, Daenarys Targaryen, and Tyrion Lannister’s births. All three of them killed their mothers during childbirth, which is something that’s reiterated throughout the show to link the three together. However, once the third dragon was killed and resurrected by the Night King, the likelihood of the three characters riding off into the sunset together on the backs of dragons is extremely unlikely.

Ned Stark Is Alive

Maybe even more unlikely is the theory that Ned Stark is still alive after 7 seasons of being presumed dead on Game of Thrones. The theory goes like this: In the book, Arya’s point of view is the chapter in which Ned gets beheaded. Since Arya is in the crowd during the beheading, some of the details remain a little ambiguous (that, and the fact that shes a literal child).

The theory is that Arya’s sword fighting trainer, Syrio Forel, from the first season was actually Jaquen H’gaar disguised as a faceless man. The theory speculates that Lord Varys carefully conducted an escape route for Ned when they met in the dungeons of the Red Keep where Ned begged Varys to help him. Since Varys serves the realm and not technically the king, he would have had a reason to help Ned escape being unjustly sentenced to death.

Varys organized for Jaquen H’gaar to take the face of Ned Stark (which, according to the books, can somehow be done to someone that’s living) before being beheaded. If that’s so, does that mean that the Jaquen H’gaar that helped Arya out for the rest of the show is actually her father in disguise? They do have the same hair. There’s really no reason for Ned to suddenly come back so late in the game. So it seems unlikely that this theory could pan out, especially considering the fact that Ned definitely couldn’t have stayed away from Westeros in the wake of the Red Wedding.

Bran Is The Night King

Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark (Credit: Helen Sloan/HBO)

This one was maybe the most popular theory leading up to the premiere. Unfortunately, it was debunked by Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) himself before the first episode aired on Sunday night. In an interview with Radio Times, Wright described the theory as his least favorite because of its popularity. While that doesn’t technically dispute the theory altogether, he does go on to describe it as “cheesy” and “obvious.” It seems unlikely that this one will pan out. Not because of its popularity (the theory that Jon Snow was actually a Targaryen was one of the biggest theories and did, in fact, turn out to come true). But because it would imply that the two characters could be in the same place at the same time.

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Julia Sachs is a former Managing Editor at Grit Daily. She covers technology, social media and disinformation. She is based in Utah and before the pandemic she liked to travel.

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