‘Game’ over
WHO WILL TAKE THE IRON THRONE IN TONIGHT’S FINALE?
Night gathers, and now our watch ends.
After eight seasons of epic battles, countless deaths, endless heartbreak and incredible triumphs, “Game of Thrones” comes to an end Sunday night and fans will finally find out who gets the Iron Throne. But guessing who wins to rule over Westeros is anything but predictable.
Characters who have been built up as favorites since the blockbuster HBO fantasy show launched in 2011, like Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow, are now more likely to lose their lives than lead. Sansa Stark, who started out least likely to take the throne, now seems like a shoo-in. Don’t underestimate long shots like Arya Stark, Tyrion Lannister and Gendry Baratheon either.
Here’s a breakdown of the major players left going into the series finale, premiering at 9 p.m., and what their chances are of ruling the Seven Kingdoms. DAENERYS TARGARYEN Beloved since the beginning, the Mother of Dragons all but blew it in last week’s episode. Like her father, the Mad King, she morphed into a Mad Queen and unleashed dragon fire throughout King’s Landing, burning the city to the ground and slaughtering innocent women and children.
Sure, Dany had her motives. Between Missandei being beheaded on Cersei’s orders, Jorah dying in the Battle of Winterfell, Lord Varys betraying her and Jon Snow rebuffing her romantic advances now that he knows she’s his aunt, she’s lost nearly everyone close to her this season. But her King’s Landing killing spree may be unforgivable, especially in the eyes of Jon and Tyrion, who always look out for the underdogs.
If one of them don’t take Daenerys out, look for Sansa or Arya to do it since they both want Jon on the Iron Throne after learning he’s the true heir.
There’s still a chance Dany will succeed though since she still has Grey Worm by her side, the army of slaves she set free and her last dragon.
JON SNOW
He’s the rightful heir to the throne, but he doesn’t want it.
Jon was brought up believing he was Ned Stark’s bastard, but we — and then he — learned he’s actually Aegon Targaryen, the son of Ned’s sister Lyanna and Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. Since Rhaegar was the firstborn child and heir of the Mad King, Jon is further ahead in the line of succession than Dany, who is Rhaegar’s little sister.
Though Jon has repeatedly told Daenerys and others that he doesn’t want to rule, he’s beloved by many for his good heart and for uniting former enemies to defeat the White Walkers and their undead army. Of course, his wants have gone ignored before. He was elected Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch after pal Samwell Tarly spoke of his bravery and leadership skills, saying, “He may be young, but he’s the commander we turned to when the night was darkest.”
But even if Jon doesn’t immediately punish Daenerys for killing innocents, the power-hungry Dragon Queen may strike him first for being her biggest rival for the throne — and for dumping her. It’s likely one, or both, won’t come out alive.
SANSA STARK
Sansa’s had more character growth than anyone else on the show. She went from being a star sewing student, fawning over Joffrey and counting down the days till she’d marry him in Season 1 to being a real power player.
She’s endured more heartache and trauma than most. Sansa was engaged to the monster that was Joffrey, watched her father be beheaded, was married to Tyrion against her will and was raped and tortured by her next husband, Ramsay Bolton. Not to mention years of manipulation by Littlefinger.
Sansa overcame it all. Her strategy helped Jon win the Battle of the Bastards. She got revenge on Ramsay and Littlefinger and became Lady of Winterfell, advising Jon and gaining allies in the north. She’s rightfully skeptical of Daenerys and told Tyrion that Jon is the heir to the throne, ensuring word spreads.
If Dany and Jon are no longer in the picture, and even if they are, Sansa’s got a shot at the throne.
ARYA STARK
She killed the Night King — enough said. After saving Westeros from his murderous zombies, who wouldn’t want the hero of Winterfell on the Iron Throne? Not Arya, for one. She’s been training for battle since she was a child, from swordfighting classes to archery practice. She’s used those skills and her lessons with the Faceless Men, to get revenge against those on her “list,” including Walder Frey.
She was out to get revenge on Cersei before The Hound assured her the queen would die in her crumbling castle and begged Arya to save herself and get out. He also advised her not to end up like him, with a life bent on revenge.
Arya turned down Gendry’s proposal, so if he ascends to the throne, she won’t be queen. But she could be the Hand to her sister Sansa’s Queen.
TYRION LANNISTER
Tyrion is the last living Lannister, assuming Jaime and Cersei were crushed to death by the Red Keep. He’s also always been the smartest and most empathetic Lannister.
If Cersei, the last person to sit on the Iron Throne, is gone and the other contenders are counted out, Tyrion has a claim to it as her closest remaining relative. While he’s earned the respect of Sansa and others, he’d much prefer guzzling wine than ruling Westeros.
He’s also made a series of bad decisions while advising Daenerys, who warned him, “The next time you fail me will be the last time you fail me.” He’d be lucky to survive her wrath after he freed his brother to save Cersei.
GENDRY BARATHEON
As the illegitimate son of King Robert Baratheon, Gendry spent much of his life in hiding so the Lannisters wouldn’t kill him and stop his succession to the Iron Throne after his father’s death.
Things will get complicated if he has to choose between allegiance to Daenerys and the Starks in the final episode. While Gendry loves Arya and proposed to her, she turned him down, and Dany legitimized him and made him Lord of Storm’s End, hoping for his loyalty in return.
CERSEI AND JAIME LANNISTER
And what about the incestuous Lannisters? While Lena Headey has confirmed that Cersei is a goner, her on-screen brother/lover Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has only posted what reads like a tribute to Headey on social media, “That was a fun decade.”
BRAN STARK
The youngest Stark, Bran seems the unlikeliest to rule the Seven Kingdoms, he doesn’t even want to be lord of Winterfell.
Paralyzed since the first season after Jaime Lannister chucked him out a window for catching him doing the deed with his sister Cersei, Bran has bounced around Westeros. He went beyond the wall with Hodor and Meera, met the ThreeEyed Raven and came face to face with the Night KIng.
His return to Winterfell as the clairvoyant, time traveling ThreeEyed Raven led to the death of Littlefinger and the revelation of Jon Snow’s parentage.
With his ability to possess people and animals, there are questions about his role in the Battle of Winterfell and the burning of Kings Landing. His next move is anyone’s guess.