Season 8 Predictions?

[Rhaegar Targaryen's Ghost]

I'd imagine that almost everyone will die. Perhaps Samwell, Daenerys, Sandor, and Sansa will live? 

 

I think Jon, Jaime, Cersei, and Arya are as good as dead already. 

[zugzwang]

On 9/9/2017 at 5:58 PM, #teamNightking said:

100k Dothroki horses. Trick is to get them butchered and eaten before they become horse-wights ; )

Forgot about that. Could probably use them for milk too.

 

[#teamNightking]

Well, it's not like the Dothroki will happily feed the Westerosi with their beloved mounts. Haha

I think the most realistic scenario is 80-90 percent of the Dothroki when confronting the cold cold winter and the lootless/un-rape-able dead army, turn southward and/or eastward... This isn't their fight and they are not loyal to Danaerys in the same manner which the unsullied are. Yes, she killled all their Khals and yes she can't be burnt. Is that enough to hold them?... I think not. 

 

[zugzwang]

Also a good point. Makes me wonder if Dany has a plan for the Dothraki. Can't picture them settling down and farming the land. Hopefully they'll just go back home (but I imagine it won't be so easy)

[MinscS2]

I'll quote myself from a different thread:
 

Quote

I didn't think this would actually happen, but the more I think about it and after reading GRRM's stance on the LotR-ending, the more I actually believe that we might get a ending that many viewers (and by extension, readers) in general would consider "happy". It won't be a Disney-ending where everyone live happily ever after, but it most certainly won't fall into the "if you think this has a happy ending you haven't been paying attention"-category either. (Yes, I know a lot of people seem to want this saga to have a tragic ending where either the Nightking or Cersei wins. It won't happen unless GRRM has been misdirecting us all along.)

GRRM seems very influenced by LotR in general, and there are alot of similarities between the two sagas (and differences as well, thankfully.)
He's gone on record saying that he likes the LotR-ending and considers it bittersweet, and it's that sort of ending he has in mind for ASoIaF.
I personally don't agree with the man, or rather I didn't at first. In my opinion, LotR's ends in a way that I'd consider happy, but he's right that there are some very sad/tragic elements to it, so in a way it is bittersweet, just more sweet than bitter:

Sweet: Sauron is defeated and the lands of middle earth are finally safe from his looming threat. A long history of bloodshed and war has finally come to an end. Now is the time to finally build a better world, and not only hope for it. The rightful king has finally returned, and alongside his new queen they will usher in a new age of prosperity and peace. All of the main characters of the story even survive this ordeal, the only ones who die in the final battles are minor characters.

Bitter: Sauron was the big villain of the story, but ultimately he wasn't the last. The movies didn't bother with the Scouring of the Shire, but in the books, the horrors of war doesn't end for the hobbits just because Sauron died. After the big threat to the world is eliminated and everything thinks they are safe, the hobbits arrive home to find their homeland desecrated, and a final battle with Saruman and his thugs waiting for them. They ultimately win this fight and cleanse the Shire, but the entire thing makes the major victory against Sauron seem a little hollow (even if it isn't.)
In addition, many of the main characters are forever scarred, both mentally and physically from their experiences. Some will recover with time, but for some there will be no happy ever after in the life they once enjoyed and wanted. Ultimately this leads to Frodo (and Bilbo, and later Sam), the most scarred of them all, leaving his friends and middle earth behind forever. The hobbits are the true heroes of the story, but they are prevented from having their happy ever after, due to the trauma they've suffered. 

So how can the influences from LotR affect the ending of ASoIaF?
Well, most of the sweet and bitter parts of the LotR ending can actually end up happening in ASoIaF, or at the very least something very similar. This would lead to ASoIaF having a bittersweet (mostly sweet) ending as well.

Sweet: The Nightking and the AotD are defeated and Westeros is finally safe from the threat of the long winter. Unlike LotR, the future doesn't look bright yet, they still have to deal with Saruman Cersei in The Shire Kings Landing. After this Westeros will finally be at peace, many years of war and bloodshed will come to an end. The rightful king and/or his queen has returned to usher in a new age of prosperity and peace in a united Westeros, possibly with the help of their small council. No one expects all of the currently living "good" main characters of the story to survive, but just as Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Aragorn, Gandalf, Legolas and Gimli survived the events of LotR, we might very well see Jon, Daenerys, Arya, Sansa, Bran, Tyrion, Samwell and Theon survive the events ASoIaF. Of course, some of them or even all of them might end up dying before the end, we don't know yet, but I personally believe that they wont. This will fit well with the supposedly "safe characters" from the original outline as well, not that it's any form of guarantee. A lot of minor/side/secondary characters will probably die in the Great War though, just as in LotR.

Bitter: Just as Sauron being the big threat to human life, the Nightking is the big threat in ASoIaF, but neither will be the last. There was no time to rejoice after the Battle of Minas Tirith, and there will be no time to rejoice after the Great War, there are still enemies to fight.
Just as with LotR, the events in ASoIaF will leave many of the main characters scarred for life both mentally and physically, and put them in a position where they won't be able to go back to the life they once had and enjoyed, nor have the happy-ever-after that they might or might not deserve. Heck, we have 1 more season to go but we can already see how many of the main characters in the show are so scarred and changed by what's happened during the last years that they are no longer the same person they where in season 1, and the chance of them going back to that life is slim and none even if they wanted it.

I wouldn't want for anyone to go trough what Arya, Sansa, Bran, Jon, Danerys, Tyrion and Theon have been trough.
The Stark-children lost their parents and 2 siblings at a young age which is enough to traumatize anyone.
Arya wanted to grow up to be a knight, instead some traumatizing events made her become a psychopathic assassin who might or might not be able to readjust to the new world order instead. Maybe she'll take the boat west, just like Frodo did.
Sansa wanted to grow up to be a princess and sit next to a king, living a relaxed life in luxury. 5 traumatizing years and a few rapes later, she ends up in a position where she rules herself, something she never expected to do (being a girl and not being the oldest child). Sansa isn't as broken as Arya, but she is damaged goods for sure as well.
Bran is essentially dead at this point, he became a different entity altogether.
I don't think I have to go further into detail how Theon and Tyrion have been scarred for life: The Theon and Tyrion from season 1 are dead and will never come back.
Jon is about to have a revelation that will shake his identity to the core, and might very well end up doing a thing he hates for the rest of his life: rule. He has also been trough some extremely traumatizing events and seen some shit he won't be able to forget. Can you spell post traumatic stress?
Dany is also about to have a revelation that will shake her identity to the core, and has also been trough some extremely traumatizing events. The show has done a poor job of showing this, but Dany's real dream is having a loving family and a home, something that she's been denied all her life.
I know a lot of people hate the idea of Jon and Dany ending up as co-rulers, but I can't see either of them as good and efficient rulers without having each other to complement the flaws of the other. Aragorn and Arwen needed each other, and Jon and Dany need each other.
This leaves Samwell, who is basically the only "good" main character that hasn't (yet) been trough some massively traumatizing events, but who still is far from the coward he was in season 1. Sam of season 7 is a brave intellectual, willing to perform forbidden experiments and fight White Walkers.

So there's my take on the "bittersweet" ending LotR-style.
The world is saved from total destruction, Westeros is united against the threat and under their new rulers, the wheel is broken (perhaps only temporarily), the future for the realm looks bright, most of the good main characters who are still alive will survive, but they are forever changed and traumatized by what they've been trough, and the persons they once were are long gone.

[Super Mario]

Dany reveals she is pregnant no later than Ep 2.

Jaquen H'Ghar & Melisandre both make appearances

Cersei blows up King's Landing

Theon dies fighting Euron, but injures him badly and sees Yara finish him off then dies in her arms

Jon smiles (this one is iffy)

Tormund & Beric survive Eastwatch by running along the top of the Wall only to later die defending Winterfell

Jon gets grossed out by the thought of banging his aunt, but takes another look at that kickin' booty and keeps on doing it

Jaime dies a heroic death, perhaps saving Bran

Bronn goes North with Jaime

Arya & Gendry do what young folks do (no, not get high & eat Doritos)

[Tagganaro]

32 minutes ago, Super Mario said:

Dany reveals she is pregnant no later than Ep 2.

Jaquen H'Ghar & Melisandre both make appearances

Cersei blows up King's Landing

Theon dies fighting Euron, but injures him badly and sees Yara finish him off then dies in her arms

Jon smiles (this one is iffy)

Tormund & Beric survive Eastwatch by running along the top of the Wall only to later die defending Winterfell

Jon gets grossed out by the thought of banging his aunt, but takes another look at that kickin' booty and keeps on doing it

Jaime dies a heroic death, perhaps saving Bran

Bronn goes North with Jaime

Arya & Gendry do what young folks do (no, not get high & eat Doritos)

.  I think it would be amazing if Bran and Sam dropped the truth to Jon with nobody else around and Jon just responds with a "Cool story bros...Can we keep this on the down-low and not tell anyone else about it?  I got a good thing going here, don't screw it up for me."

[jcmontea]

5 minutes ago, Tagganaro said:

.  I think it would be amazing if Bran and Sam dropped the truth to Jon with nobody else around and Jon just responds with a "Cool story bros...Can we keep this on the down-low and not tell anyone else about it?  I got a good thing going here, don't screw it up for me."

Lol. That would be amazing. 

[jcmontea]

https://mobile.twitter.com/DanyUnburnt/status/907204640675991559/photo/1

[Faint]

In all seriousness, I do wonder how many people will find out. Right now we are at Sam, Gilly and Bran. Jon, obviously, will be informed and from what we have been told by the people involved in the production, it looks like Daenerys will know as well.

Does it go any farther than that? 

If I had to take a guess, I would say no. 

Everything we know about Jon's character is an argument against the news spreading, much as how he wants as few people as possible to know about the resurrection. 

[Nowy Tends]

4 hours ago, jcmontea said:

https://mobile.twitter.com/DanyUnburnt/status/907204640675991559/photo/1

JON:    “The things I do for love”…

[Deadlines? What Deadlines?]

6 hours ago, Faint said:

In all seriousness, I do wonder how many people will find out. Right now we are at Sam, Gilly and Bran. Jon, obviously, will be informed and from what we have been told by the people involved in the production, it looks like Daenerys will know as well.

Does it go any farther than that? 

If I had to take a guess, I would say no. 

Everything we know about Jon's character is an argument against the news spreading, much as how he wants as few people as possible to know about the resurrection. 

I wouldn't be surprised if Sam convinces Bran not to tell him.  If Jon is happy vis a' vis Danerys and they are otherwise occupied with the army of the dead, why inject another complication into things?  Jon will ultimately learn the truth, but it will be exposed in some novel way.  Being bathed in unViserion's blue flame and miraculously surviving might push him to start asking the relevant questions of his omniscient, paraplegic cousin.

I think Danerys will die by the time it's done.  Thinking back to GRRM's comments about how the story is heavily influenced by the War of the Roses, with the Starks and Lannisters representing the Yorks and the Lancasters, I think the story is ultimately about them.  Dany is a major, consequential character in that story, but ultimately it isn't about her.

I think Lyanna's crypt will be opened.  They might find something in there.  A dragon egg would be an interesting reveal.

I think the Iron Bank will be reduced to ash after the army of the dead is dealt with. They've made common cause against someone with a weapon that isn't bothered by Braavos' formidible defenses. The North remembers.

Mel is dead. Varys is dead. Cersie is so dead.

It might be an interesting twist if the Night King decides for march his army south, bypassing the north altogether to attack KL.  It would make a more tempting target and no one there has dragon glass. Then Jon would be faced with having to save KL after Cersei's betrayal.  That would make for an interesting wrinkle.

 

[MinscS2]

7 hours ago, Faint said:

In all seriousness, I do wonder how many people will find out. Right now we are at Sam, Gilly and Bran. Jon, obviously, will be informed and from what we have been told by the people involved in the production, it looks like Daenerys will know as well.

Does it go any farther than that? 

If I had to take a guess, I would say no. 

Everything we know about Jon's character is an argument against the news spreading, much as how he wants as few people as possible to know about the resurrection. 

It's an interesting question.
Do you mean who will find out initially or the total of people who will know about by the end of the series?
Daenerys seems a given, it's would almost be cruel not to tell her about her last remaining family member, even if it complicates things between them.
I can't imagine that Arya and Sansa won't find out at some point, whether they find out early or later on is anyone's guess.
Tyrion will probably end up knowing at some point too. 

It's not impossible that it won't be common knowledge by the end of the series as well, this is not something Jon should be ashamed of letting people know (depending on how he handles the revelation of course), and I don't think this falls into the same can-we-please-not-tell-anyone-category as his resurrection: He's reluctant to tell people about his resurrection because not only is the topic a reminder of his own failure and mortality, but also because it's so incredibly rare and unbelievable, that people would just assume that he's full of sh!t if he told them.

[MinscS2]

10 minutes ago, Deadlines? What Deadlines? said:

Being bathed in unViserion's blue flame and miraculously surviving might push him to start asking the relevant questions of his omniscient, paraplegic cousin.

This would be weird if it happened imo.
Jon is not immune to fire and nothing leaves us to believe that his resurrection somehow would activate this immunity.

Sam won't be able to convince Bran not to tell Jon. As soon as Bran sees Jon (their meeting will probably be at the heart tree in Winterfell) his 3ER-mode will be triggered and he'll blurt it out. As Bran stated himself, "he needs to know", not "he should know".

[jcmontea]

43 minutes ago, Deadlines? What Deadlines? said:

I wouldn't be surprised if Sam convinces Bran not to tell him.  If Jon is happy vis a' vis Danerys and they are otherwise occupied with the army of the dead, why inject another complication into things?  Jon will ultimately learn the truth, but it will be exposed in some novel way.  Being bathed in unViserion's blue flame and miraculously surviving might push him to start asking the relevant questions of his omniscient, paraplegic cousin.

I think Danerys will die by the time it's done.  Thinking back to GRRM's comments about how the story is heavily influenced by the War of the Roses, with the Starks and Lannisters representing the Yorks and the Lancasters, I think the story is ultimately about them.  Dany is a major, consequential character in that story, but ultimately it isn't about her.

I think Lyanna's crypt will be opened.  They might find something in there.  A dragon egg would be an interesting reveal.

I think the Iron Bank will be reduced to ash after the army of the dead is dealt with. They've made common cause against someone with a weapon that isn't bothered by Braavos' formidible defenses. The North remembers.

Mel is dead. Varys is dead. Cersie is so dead.

It might be an interesting twist if the Night King decides for march his army south, bypassing the north altogether to attack KL.  It would make a more tempting target and no one there has dragon glass. Then Jon would be faced with having to save KL after Cersei's betrayal.  That would make for an interesting wrinkle.

 

I don't think this is historically true that the story is not about Dany because of the war of the roses. 

Check out this video for an explainer. Dany is most like Henry Tudor who ended up winning the War of the Roses. Henry Tudor grew up in exile and secured a marriage alliance with the Yorks. If the War of the Roses is truly the outline for this story, it should end with Daenerys ruling instead of dead. 

 

[MinscS2]

3 minutes ago, jcmontea said:

I don't think this is historically true that the story is not about Dany because of the war of the roses. 

Check out this video for an explainer. Dany is most like Henry Tudor who ended up winning the War of the Roses. Henry Tudor grew up in exile and secured a marriage alliance with the Yorks. If the War of the Roses is truly the outline for this story, it should end with Daenerys ruling instead of dead. 

 

Great video, haven't seen that one before actually. A lot of interesting parallels.
What she said about Dany/Hendry Tudor, in combination with the "Safe 5" and the alleged LotR-ending that GRRM has in mind makes me fairly positive that Dany will survive actually. Guess we'll know for sure in 18 months.
 

[Deadlines? What Deadlines?]

17 minutes ago, jcmontea said:

I don't think this is historically true that the story is not about Dany because of the war of the roses. 

Check out this video for an explainer. Dany is most like Henry Tudor who ended up winning the War of the Roses. Henry Tudor grew up in exile and secured a marriage alliance with the Yorks. If the War of the Roses is truly the outline for this story, it should end with Daenerys ruling instead of dead. 

'

There's another character who also grew up in exile (of sorts) who's "not a Stark".

As i said, Dany is a hugely consequential character, but I don't see her surviving. 

[jcmontea]

6 minutes ago, Deadlines? What Deadlines? said:

There's another character who also grew up in exile (of sorts) who's "not a Stark".

As i said, Dany is a hugely consequential character, but I don't see her surviving. 

All Jon needs is to marry Arya and he is Henry Tudor come again. 

[Deadlines? What Deadlines?]

45 minutes ago, MinscS2 said:

This would be weird if it happened imo.
Jon is not immune to fire and nothing leaves us to believe that his resurrection somehow would activate this immunity.

Sam won't be able to convince Bran not to tell Jon. As soon as Bran sees Jon (their meeting will probably be at the heart tree in Winterfell) his 3ER-mode will be triggered and he'll blurt it out. As Bran stated himself, "he needs to know", not "he should know".

Bran seems to be more himself at the end of the season than at the beginning, especially with Sam. 

It's probably splitting hairs as to whether Jon's hand was burned by the fire of the lamp or the hot lamp itself.  But this happened before Dragons reappeared in the world. Magic is ascendant. He's also died and been resurrected since then (by a fire god no less).  His immunity to fire, particularly under the right circumstances, is an open question.

[jcmontea]

21 minutes ago, MinscS2 said:

Great video, haven't seen that one before actually. A lot of interesting parallels.
What she said about Dany/Hendry Tudor, in combination with the "Safe 5" and the alleged LotR-ending that GRRM has in mind makes me fairly positive that Dany will survive actually. Guess we'll know for sure in 18 months.
 

Yea. There is certainly a lot of good solid evidence pointing towards her surviving. 18 months is cruel.... lol 

although, there is the foreshadowing this year suggesting she takes an arrow and Tyrion talking about her not surviving. So enough possible foreshadowing for it to go the other way. But at this point my best guess - hope - is that it is false foreshadowing to create the impression she is not safe. 

I would recommend the other screen prism GoT videos if you have not seen them yet. They have good family ones and this one on Jon and Dany is pretty interesting.