The Game of Thrones series is rife with romantic possibilities, both beautiful and terrible, but "shipping" fans of the show are most excited to see several potential pairings play out in the final season.
Spoilers ahead through the end of Game of Thrones Season 7.
Fan fiction surrounding Game of Thrones or any other popular series frequently takes on the imaginative task of "shipping," a term derived from the word "relationship," in which enthusiasts pair up any two characters they'd most like to see together either sexually or romantically. Countless blogs, forums and subreddits have paired up a wide range of GoT characters who have yet to hook up—Jaime Lannister / Brienne of Tarth, Arya Stark / Gendry Waters—while others cheer for a happy ending for duos who already have hooked up—Jon Snow / Daenerys Targaryen and Samwell Tarly / Gilly.
It should be noted, however, that many past power couples have already met their demise including Daenerys / Khal Drogo and Jon Snow / Ygritte (whose real-life counterparts, Kit Harrington and Rose Leslie, got married last year).
The show's devoted fandom routinely creates portmanteaus for their favorite potential relationships, with both Brienne and Jaime appearing in several of the most popular pairings outside of their own "Braime" and "Lannistarth" nicknames. Jaime and his twin sister's incestuous relationship is frequently dubbed "Lannicest,' while Brienne and Tormund Giantsbane have been nicknamed Briemund or Torienne.
Here are some of the show's most sought after relationships heading into Game of Thrones' final season, according to fandom polls and the most common online speculation.
Jaime Lannister x Brienne of Tarth
Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth first met under tense circumstances when Catelyn Stark placed the Kingslayer into Brienne's custody. Tasked with exchanging Jaime at Kings Landing for the safe return of the Stark daughters, the two were captured and instead find themselves exchanging favors to save each other's lives. The pair's adventure through Westeros sees the hard-nosed duo slowly softening their attitudes toward each other.
Jaime and Brienne meet the criteria for potential star-crossed lovers, given they find themselves on opposing sides. And the tension between the two is palpable as they constantly challenge each other using both swords and wit.
Gendry Waters x Arya Stark
Gendry Waters first meets Arya Stark after he sees through her disguise as a boy and the two spend most of their time together constantly fleeing new foes. Although the two frequently exchange barbs about their disparate social classes, the curmudgeonly blacksmith apprentice only appears to smile and laugh when he's around Arya. During their stint in Harrenhall, even the tomboy Stark cant resist sneaking a sly peek at Gendry's shirtless torso as he works in the forge.
When Gendry elects to travel with the Brotherhood Without Banners, Arya's clearly heartbroken. "I can be your family," she pleads with him.
"You wouldn't be my family," he replies. "You'd be my lady."
Is Gendry referencing his common roots and Arya's noble background here, or is he making a sly reference to making her his potential wife? Watch the scene above and decide for yourself.
There's hints of a possible Arya / Gendry romance in the Song of Ice and Fire books, as well. "Gendry had his own secret, though even he didn't seem to know what it was," Arya narrates in Chapter 3 of A Storm of Swords. While likely an overt reference to Gendry's Baratheon heritage, but many Gendrya shippers also hope that secret has something to do with the younger Stark sister.
Jon Snow x Sansa Stark
Jon Snow and Sansa Stark, dubbed "Jonsa," is a widely discussed pairing among Game of Thrones fans, despite their dubious half-sibling / cousin status and Jon's budding romance with his (secret) aunt, Daenerys Targaryen. Sansa and her mother appear to share their distaste for Ned Stark's bastard son while at Winterfell in the debut episodes of Season 1, but the two appear quite comfortable together by the time the two are reunited at Castle Black in the show's sixth season.
Sansa was critical in motivating Jon to retake Winterfell when his sprits were low after the mutiny at Castle Black. Sansa delighted in Ramsay Bolton's defeat at the Battle of the Bastards and Jon being declared King in the North. Despite being placed into multiple forced marriages, Sansa now rules side-by-side with Jon in Season 7, as Lady of Winterfell. Once a shy and naive girl, Sansa clearly feels more at ease in a position of authority, and has no trouble telling Jon when she disagrees with his decisions.
Do you think Game of Thrones fans will see any of their hoped-for ships come true in Season 8? We'll find out when the debut episode airs April 14 on HBO.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Benjamin Fearnow is a reporter based out of Newsweek's New York City offices. He was previously at CBS and Mediaite ... Read more
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