'Game of Thrones' Best Theories And Predictions To Consider For Season 8 Premiere And Series End

Winter is here, and with it, we're expecting some dramatic battles, devastating deaths and shocking, surprise twists. What, exactly, the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones holds is unknown. Without any new George R.R. Martin books to spoil the TV show plots, fans have used the last two GoT-less years to craft their own theories about what we can expect.

Here are some of the best, thought-provoking ideas that could find a way into the fantasy series.

Ned Isn't Dead

A theory, spurred by two different Reddit sources, XstarshooterX and AleksanderSnow. The first brought up the idea the Ned Stark, who died in Season 1 at the hand of King Joffery, may not be dead (despite the fact that thousands of people in King's Landing watched his beheading), and may actually be a faceless man who helped train Arya. In that concept, Stark had been training his own daughter to become a swift assassin. The idea that Ned would continue to school his youngest girl is, in itself, not too far-fetched, considering his support for Arya's less-than-ladylike interests in the first season.

But how do you get over the whole "public beheading" thing? The theory attempts to get past that minor concern by pointing out that if Ned were indeed a faceless man, he would have swapped places with some unlucky soul before his apparent execution. However, while faceless men can take on the appearance of others, it's not clear how Ned would have made someone else look like him at the execution, or why that person didn't put up a fuss and at least try to claim they weren't Ned Stark.

The second of the theories, which follows this format, claims the books hold further evidence Ned may be alive, as his daughter, Sansa Stark, said Ned's head on a spike looked nothing like him. Also, his wife, Catelyn Stark, said the body's bones looked much smaller than Ned's.

Bran is the Night King

A theory that Bran Stark is the Night King has been popular for both fans of Game of Thrones on television and in the books. The theory explains not only is Bran the Three-Eyed Raven, but took on the body of the Night King, knowing how the war against the dead would end. With knowledge of the future, fans argue Bran could have been the one to build the wall, and eventually, to take on the body of the Night King. There's also the concept that killing one white walker will kill all of it's proxies. If Bran, the Night King, is killed, the whole army of the dead could collapse. It begs the question, who, if anyone, will kill the Night King? Many fans think it could be Jon Snow, according to Cosmopolitan.

There's a Dragon Under Winterfell

Some claim if Bran is truly the one who built the wall, he also built Winterfell with a failsafe way to keep the town safe in the visitation of the White Walkers, as presented by Polygon. The theory claims a dragon is living under Winterfell, which would explain the heat source for the castle's hot springs. The dragon, per this theory, could apparently enter the eighth season as a surprise resource for the army of the living. A concept that supports this surrounds other places with heated springs. Only two were mentioned in the Game of Thrones books, beside Winterfell, and both have a history of harboring dragons.

Daenerys and Jon Will Have A Baby

Though it's been said Daenerys Targaryen is infertile and that her three dragons are her children, some hints point to that belief being false. Dany and Jon Snow, who don't yet know they're related (his real father was Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, who was Dany's oldest brother), began a relationship at the end of Season 7 that could point to the ultimate heir to the Iron Throne. This theory has run rampant on social media sites since 2017.

Cersei Will Be Killed By Jaime

Looking back on Cersei Lannister's prophecy, as presented in the books, it's said she'll be killed at the hand of the "little brother." Many assume this is Jaime, Cersei's lover who was born her twin, just seconds after her, according to Entertainment Tonight. The theory could also point to younger brother Tyrion Lannister as her eventual murderer, or it could be expanded to include Cersei's unborn child — fathered by Jaime — who, if it's a boy, would have been the little brother to the queen's other children, Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella (all now deceased).