Since the final episode’s release, a number of theories have been circulating as people try to predict who will finally end up sitting on the Iron Throne.
Here's what we know so far and what we can expect from the final (sob!) season of Game of Thrones.
The release date
Earlier this year Maisie Williams accidentally revealed in an interview with Metro that the release date for the first episode of Game of Thrones season 8 is April 2019. "We wrap in December and we air our first episode in April [2019]," the actress said however now it seems thats not the case.
According to the show’s visual effects supervisor, Joe Bauer, the hit show will be in the running for the 2020 Emmy Awards - meaning the show is likley to miss the cut off for the 2019 Emmys which is May 31, according to The Sun.
Also speaking to the Huffington Post, he said: “In two years we’ll be eligible for the Season 8 work. We’re going to be toiling away on season 8 until May of 2019, so it’s eight or nine months away.”
Noooo.
The first look
That said, our friends at HBO must have felt out frustration as they have given us our first (albeit fleeting) look at the new season as part of their 2019 line-up - and it looks good, real good.
The budget is $15m per episode
The final season could be the most expensive season of Game of Thrones with a budget of $15 million per episode. Compare that to the show's previous expenses: Season 2 reportedly cost $6 million per episode, and Season 6 apparently cost $10 million per episode. Moreover, while episodes have traditionally been an hour long, the ones in Season 8 are clocking in at 80 minutes or more. One thing is certain: GoT’s final season is gonna be insane!
Jon Snow will learn his true parentage
As a reminder, Samwell Tarly and Bran Stark in the season seven’s final episode have both confirmed that Jon Snow is, in fact, the legitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Jon’s real name is Aegon Targaryen.
While this revelation makes Jon the legitimate heir to the Iron Throne, it also makes Daenerys Targaryen - his new lover - his aunt.
Jon and Daenerys will head to Winterfell
The last time we saw Jon and Daenerys, they were sailing north. We expect that their eventual arrival in Winterfell will cause some troubles. How Sansa and Arya would respond to the fact that Jon has bent the knee to a woman they have never met, let alone a Targaryen, without consulting anyone?
And, lest we forget, the fact that Bran and Samwell resolved to inform Jon that he's a Targaryen when returns to Winterfell. This news will inevitably, if not separate them, will create real problems.
Theon Greyjoy will try to rescue his sister Yara
In the season seven finale, Theon rallied a group of Iron Born to help him find and rescue his sister Yara from their awful uncle Euron.
The last time Theon saw Yara, his uncle had taken hold of her after seizing their ships. Theon, instead of trying to rescue her, has panicked and ran away. However, it seems that Theon is slowly starting to overcome the trauma he's endured the past couple of seasons because of Ramsey, and we'll hope to see him more brave and confident in the final season.
Jaime and Cersei Lannister will go from lovers to enemies
In the season seven, Cersei revealed her intentions to betray her commitment to Daenerys and Jon as long as it means her own survival. Jaime instinctively knows this is wrong, and finally decided to walk away from his sister.
It would appear that Jaime is now switching sides. We expect to see him on the side of the heroes during the final season. We also believe this “breakup” had to happen imminently in order to set up the stage for the Valonqar prophecy – the prophecy comes from Maggy the Frog, the fortune teller in a season five flashback, who tells a young Cersei predictions about her future, all of which have proven to be accurate so far – So maybe Jaime could be the one to take Cersei's life next season.
There’s *Another* Secret Targaryen
It turns out, Jon Snow isn't the only undercover Targaryen kicking around Westeros. That's right, there's yet another character who has claim to the throne: Gendy, the blacksmith and bastard son of Robert Baratheon. Gendry is not just Robert's only living son, he's also cousin to both Jon and Daenerys. It's also rumoured that his mum is Cersei Lannister, which, if true, would mean he has the blood of three of the most powerful houses there is.
Sansa Stark lives 'til the end of the show
Sophie Turner revealed that reading the final episode of the series was "a shock to the system," simultaneously revealing that her character, Sansa Stark, lives right to the end of GoT.
There's a theory Sansa and Tyrion will rule the Iron Throne
And it actually makes a lot of sense.
