Small Council: What’s your favorite Game of Thrones fan theory?

Game of Thrones takes place in a richly detailed universe populated by layered characters with complex histories. This makes it fertile ground for theorists who take it upon themselves to explain some of the many mysteries that inevitably crop up in the wake of so much detail. This week, the WiC writers will single out their favorites. Be sure to vote for your own pic below!

For help deciding, feel free to visit this Top 30 Game of Thrones Fan Theories article. Also, be aware that some of these theories could include SPOILERS.

LEXI: We know that the dragon has three heads, and clearly Dany is the first. Assuming Rhaegar + Lyanna = Jon Snow is true, then that makes him the second. So who is the third head of the dragon? Between Jon and Young Griff, there’s no shortage of secret Targaryens, but I’m tossing Tyrion’s name into the ring too. For me, there are too many clues he’s actually the illegitimate son of Aerys the Mad King, so my favorite fan theory is that Tyrion is actually a Targaryen and the third head of the dragon.

Why do I believe this? Let’s rewind to before his birth. It’s no secret that even once Tywin and Joanna Lannister were married, Aerys was still infatuated with her. He drunkenly joked about how it was a pity the first night tradition was banned. Ser Barristan Selmy also seemed to corroborate that Aerys took unwanted liberties with her during the bedding ceremony. Aerys’ lust for Joanna was a constant source of friction between he and Tywin.

According to those who knew Tywin and Joanna, the only time he smiled was when she was present. And when she died during Tyrion’s birth, the best part of Tywin died with her. If his love for Joanna was so great, despite her death why would he hate Tyrion so much? Especially given that Tywin’s sole focus is on family and legacy. Even though his eldest son Jaime is a member of the Kingsguard and cannot marry, Tywin still refuses to consider Tyrion his heir, even though he’s the only one who can legitimately further Tywin’s branch of House Lannister.

Tywin says, “Men’s laws give you the right to bear my name and display my colors, since I cannot prove that you are not mine. I will let myself be consumed with maggots before mocking the family name and making you the heir to Casterly Rock.” This is an obvious sign that he knows Tyrion isn’t his son, but because they’re lacking Maury Povich-style DNA tests, can’t prove it.

Besides, Tywin is constantly insinuating that Tyrion isn’t his son. On multiple occasions, Tywin accosts him with insults, including that he’s an “ill-made spiteful little creature full of envy, lust, and low cunning.” Again, if Tywin loved Joanna, why would he call Tyrion ill-made? However, it is logical that Tywin would call Tyrion that if he was the product of an unwanted relationship between Aerys and Joanna. Since this act ultimately resulted in Joanna’s death, it’s a double whammy for Tywin. I liken Tywin’s resentment of Tyrion to Catelyn Stark’s resentment of Jon.

To further the evidence, in A Feast for Crows, Tywin’s sister Genna tells Jaime that “I once said to your father that Tyrion is Tywin’s son, not you. He would not speak to me for half a year.” Genna was likely referring to the fact that Tyrion’s intellect is similar to Tywin’s, but obviously likening them to each other infuriated Tywin.

In addition to denying that Tyrion is his son, Tywin is itching to dispose of him. Whether it’s assigning him to the vanguard in a battle or sentencing him to death for Joffrey’s murder, he wants him out of the picture. Finally, before Tyrion kills Tywin, he admits that he always wanted Tyrion dead, and his dying words are that Tyrion isn’t his son.

Tywin’s hatred of Tyrion’s womanizing is also curious. In Westeros, it doesn’t seem uncommon for the nobles to visit a brothel or two (or a hundred, in King Robert’s case). But if Tyrion is Aerys’ son, he likely inherited this trait from him, thus another ugly reminder to Tywin of the Mad King.

Moving on to Tyrion’s appearance, his hair color and mismatched eyes also provide evidence that he’s a Targaryen, who are well-known for their purple eyes and silvery white hair. One of Tyrion’s eyes is green and the other is black, and he has a mixture of pale blond hair that’s described as almost white. Tyrion’s appearance is in contrast to Jaime and Cersei, who have classic Lannister looks: green eyes and golden blonde hair. To me, Tyrion’s green eye represents Joanna while the black eye represents Aerys. Another probable secret Targaryen has a similar eye color. Jon’s eyes are described as grey, but so dark they border on black.

Another clue to Tyrion’s real heritage is that, like many other Targaryens, he has an affinity for fire and dragons which is mentioned throughout the books. Particularly of note is a conversation with Jon in A Game of Thrones. Tyrion says, “When I was your age, I used to dream of having a dragon of my own. Oh, yes. Even a stunted, twisted, ugly little boy can look down over the world when he’s seated on a dragon’s back. I used to start fires in the bowels of Casterly Rock and stare at the flames for hours, pretending they were dragon fire. Sometimes I’d imagine my father burning. At other times, my sister. Don’t look at me that way, bastard. I know your secret. You’ve dreamt the same kind of dreams.”

Speaking of dragons, in A Dance with Dragons, Tyrion crosses paths with the red priest Moqorro. Like Melisandre, Moqorro can see the future in the flames, though his predictions are markedly more accurate than hers. He tells Tyrion he sees, “Dragons old and young, true and false, bright and dark. And you. A small man with a big shadow, snarling in the midst of it all.” Most importantly is that Moqorro is speaking only of dragons and associates Tyrion in that group. To me, Moqorro’s prophecy implies that there may be a whole cache of undiscovered Targaryens, which makes Tyrion being one even more plausible.

So where does all this leave Tyrion when it comes to the end of our story? I believe a hint lies in A Game of Thrones, when he gives Bran Stark the schematics for a specially designed saddle, like his own, that will allow Bran to ride a horse despite his disability. This detail may seem inconsequential, but I believe Tyrion will eventually utilize his own specially designed saddle once again, but to ride a dragon instead of a horse.

It’s said that dragons are very selective about who they’ll allow to ride them, and having Valyrian blood may be a factor. If Tyrion is a Targaryen, he may be one of a few people the dragons will allow to ride them, thus making him the third head of the dragon. Along with Dany and Jon, I believe he’ll ride a dragon into war against the White Walkers. Once the dust settles, hopefully the three united heads of the dragon will lead Westeros back to peace and prosperity.

DAN: Okay, so that was awesome. Beautifully detailed explanation of the Tyrion theory, Lexi.

As long as we’re talking about Sekret Targaryens, my pic is a bit of a twist on Lexi’s. What if it’s Jaime and Cersei, not Tyrion, who were the product of Aerys Targaryen forcing himself on Joanna Lannister?

A bunch of the reasons Lexi cited still apply—Aerys was said to be infatuated with Joanna, and took unwanted liberties with her during the bedding ceremony at her wedding to Tywin. Given Aerys’ resentment over the abolishment of the king’s right to bed a bride on her wedding night, this would seem like the opportune time for Aerys to push his luck. Horrifying as the thought is, it’s possible that Aerys raped Joanna that night, which would have led to the birth of her first children: Jaime and Cersei.

While Jaime and Cersei don’t share Tyrion’s so-blonde-it’s-almost-white hair, they do have other Targaryen traits. Specifically, they share a fondness for incest, which the Targaryens used to keep their bloodlines pure for hundreds of years.

Cersei, in particular, seems like a Targaryen, on account of her being…well…kind of insane. Remember what she herself said to Tyrion in Season 2. “Half the Targaryens went mad, didn’t they?… What’s the saying? ‘Every time a Targaryen is born the gods flip a coin.'”

She was talking about Joffrey there, but Cersei has quite the rap sheet herself. In the books, she’s a paranoid mess after Tywin dies, fearful that Tyrion is hiding inside the walls of the Red Keep and torching the Tower of the Hand to rid herself of the bad memories she associates with it. Furthermore, she really enjoys watching the tower burn. Weird fondness for fire = possible evidence of Targaryen lineage.

I’m not saying that Cersei is a full-bore psycho, but I could see her getting there, especially if her kids continue to die. That brings me to another fan theory: Jaime will be the one to kill her.

In A Feast for Crows, Cersei remembers a childhood experience in which a witch woman tells her that she would be killed by the “valonqar,” which is Valyrian for “little brother” (that particular bit didn’t make it into the corresponding scene from Season 5). Cersei assumes the valonqur is Tyrion, but it could just as easily be Jaime (Cersei beat him out of the womb by a few minutes), with whom she has been on the outs lately. Just imagine if Cersei slips deeper into madness and decides to do something crazy, like light the city on fire, and Jaime is the one who has to stop her. It would be the Mad King all over again! The ironing irony would be delicious.

RAZOR: Let’s see…there’s the Time Traveling Fetus, A Dragon Under the Wall, and a Dragon Under Winterfell. Oh, and one of my personal favorites: Varys is a Merman. However, if there were one fan theory that I absolutely subscribe to, it would probably be that Lord Commander Mormont’s Raven is actually a vessel for Brynden Bloodraven Rivers, aka the Three-Eyed Raven.

In the first book of the Song of Ice and Fire series, A Game of Thrones, we learn that the Three-Eyed Raven (Bloodraven) is guiding Bran Stark through his dreams. Much later, we learn that Bloodraven is actually situated far north of the Wall, so he can extend his conscious a ways south.

When Jon arrives at the Wall and is introduced to Lord Commander Mormont, he also meets the Old Bear’s raven. The bird is seemingly intelligent, and is constantly quorking for corn. However, it’s when the dead rangers reanimate and attack the Lord Commander that we get our first clue that something mysterious going on, as the bird begins to scream the word “burn,” which is the only way to kill a wight. This could be Bloodraven intervening on Jon’s behalf.

Because Jon saved the Lord Commander’s life, the Old Bear gives the Bastard of Winterfell a Valyrian steel sword called Longclaw. Jon later uses this sword to destroy a White Walker on the show, at Hardhome.

When the men of the Night’s Watch are choosing their new Lord Commander, the raven once again makes his presence known, and quorks the word “Snow!” Another time, the bird utters the word “King” when referring to Jon, who is letting wildlings through the Wall at the time. Many people who believe this theory claim that Bloodraven was trying to tell Jon that he was the new King beyond the Wall.

There are plenty of fan theories about Game of Thrones/ A Song of Ice and Fire, and it’s hard to nail down my favorite. That’s why I choose an obscure one.

KATIE: Okay, that’s it. Once the show’s over, I’m reading the books, if only to get a better grip on these theories. Sure, we’ll have our answers by then, but it’ll still be fun to think about. In the meantime…

In case anyone missed it, I’ve been biting my nails over Sansa since day one, so my favorite fan theory is this one, which speculates about her future and suggests the possibility that her last suitor will be a Targaryen. Now, not having read the books, some of this makes next to no sense to me, but I’m able to put the pieces together enough to like where this is going.

I am, however, more inclined to believe that the Targaryen mentioned is Jon—book-reader or not, by this point I’m pretty sure we all know the theory that Jon is the bastard son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen, not Ned and some random woman.

I’ve also heard the theory that Jon and Daenerys will hook up and take Westeros together, but that one doesn’t jive with me. I don’t think either of them will take the throne on their own or with each other. I’ve never seen an endgame where Daenerys wins and, much as I love Jon, he’s not the best leader, either. He couldn’t rally the Night’s Watch to any one cause, and he didn’t inspire confidence with his leadership; that’s the general theme of why he got stabbed silly (and since I’m in the Jon Snow Lives camp, his apparent death doesn’t hinder my theory). Jon and Daenerys both have a smattering of what it takes to rule, but they have more to learn about themselves and the land they’d be conquering.  

Sansa, meanwhile, has learned a great deal from Littlefinger, Cersei, and Margaery, not to mention she’s been groomed to rule since Season 1 when, via her betrothal to Joffrey, the queenship was in reach. Unlike Jon, she is of unquestionably noble birth, and unlike Daenerys, her family wasn’t stripped of power and she wasn’t exiled. She has the resources to rise to power, and at this point she might end up on the throne based on good ol’ fashioned land acquirement. While everything is pretty up in the air right now, Sansa at least has her toes in Winterfell, the Vale, and Riverrun, respectively.

If Sansa’s last suitor is a Targaryen, I say let it be Jon. If the R + L = J theory is to be believed, Sansa and Jon are nothing but cousins, so let ‘em kiss. Jon’s the handsome, honorable man Sansa deserves. She needs someone on her side, and I can ship that. (I had to read up on who Aegon VI is in order to definitely throw my hat in Jon’s corner, but so far he hasn’t appeared on the show. Unless he’s somehow actually Trystane, which is a theory that cropped up in my studies that would explain my suspicion of that particular Dornishman…But that is a whole other theorizing venture that I don’t feel qualified to explore.)

Admittedly, this theory is mired in a lot of maybes, and my Westerosi politics are probably skewed, but my tireless optimism has me hoping for the best. If I can take dragons seriously, I don’t see why Sansa the Mansa couldn’t win this thing. Realistically, it probably won’t come to pass, but I’m betting on Sansa to come out of this with something. If it’s not the Iron Throne, so be it; I’ll just write fanfiction about it.

ANI: I want to quibble with that list linked above. L+R=J is not fan theory—it is fact. Same with Azoh Ahai not being Stannis. We can ask Stannis’ head, but he’ll tell you to believe what you want, he’s super dead.

Then there’s the “dragon has three heads” one. Once again: not theory. The show may have cut the prophecy scene, because during the front half of the show, when they were still running up the plot lines and bringing things to a head, they didn’t want to tie themselves down to any one image later on down the line. (How I Met Your Mother should have taken notes.) But as book readers and wikipedia studiers know, although many of Dany’s experiences in the House of The Undying Scene were cut in favor of chasing after baby dragons, Dany opens doors and sees many things:

• Four dwarves with rat faces are raping a beautiful woman.
• A feast of corpses, where many of the bodies were savagely slaughtered, and many of the corpses have cups or spoons in their hands; above them sits a dead man on a throne with the head of a wolf, wearing an iron crown and holding a leg of lamb like a king would hold a scepter.
• Ser Willem Darry at the house with the red door from when she lived in Braavos.
• An old man with long silver hair on a barbed throne in a great hall with dragon skulls, and says “Let him be the king of ashes.”
• A man who looked like Viserys, but taller and with darker eyes, who says to a woman nursing a baby, “Aegon…What better name for a king…He is the prince that was promised, and his is the song of ice and fire.” And when the man’s eyes meet Dany’s, he says either to her or the woman with the baby, “There must be one more…The dragon has three heads,” and he picks up a silver harp and begins to play.
• Pyat Pree telling her the visit was over, and to follow him into a garden.
• The Undying of Qarth, who tell her, “We sent the comet to show you the way (to Qarth)…shall we teach you the secret speech of dragonkind?” But it turns out to be sorcery.
• Viserys dying.
• A tall lord with copper skin and silver hair bearing the banner of a fiery stallion.
• A dying prince with rubies flying from his armor whispering the name of a woman with his last breath.
• A blue-eyed king with a red sword in his hand who cast no shadow.
• A cloth dragon amidst a cheering crowd.
• A great stone beast flying from a smoking tower, breathing shadow fire.
• Her Silver horse given to her by Drogo at her wedding.
• A corpse at the prow of a ship, eyes bright in his dead face, smiling sadly.
• A blue flower growing from a chink in a wall of ice.
• Shadows dancing in a tent.
• Herself as a little girl running toward a house with a red door.
• Mirri Maz Duur shrieking in the flames as a dragon bursts from her.
• A corpse being dragged behind a silver horse.
• A white lion running through grass taller than a man.
• A line of naked crones emerging from a lake, kneeling before her beneath the Mother of Mountains.
• Ten thousand slaves crying “Mother” as she rode by.

Now, some of this stuff was cut, including Illyrio’s house having a red door, and Willem Darry being her father figure. Some are just memories, like Mirri Maz Duur, and the Silver horse. Others we’ve gone through. The four men raping the woman is a metaphor for the War of the Five Kings. The feast of corpses is the Red Wedding. Pyat Pree and the Undying are the treacheries she’s living through at the moment. The Blue Eyed King we met at Hardhome. The freed slaves calling her mother we saw at the end of Season 3. Then there are the bits of history. The old man on the barbed chair is Mad King Aerys. The dying prince with the rubies flying from his chest is the death of Rhaegar.

And finally there are the pieces that we don’t know, and this is where “The Dragon Has Three Heads” comes from. Some we can guess: The Tall Lord with the coppery skin is probably a vision of what could have been if her son with Drogo lived. The cloth dragon (a False Dragon, if you will) is probably the cut characters who would have traveled with Tyrion last season, known as the Griffs. The White Lion is probably Tyrion Lannister. Some we can’t guess. The great stone beast? A corpse at a prow of a ship? (Is that a faceless man?) Shadows dancing in a tent? The naked crones?

Then there are the two relating to this theory: the blue flower in the chink of the wall of ice is Lyanna Stark, and her blue rose crown and the love growing despite the winter cold after the year of the False Spring. And then this:

A man who looked like Viserys, but taller and with darker eyes, who says to a woman nursing a baby, “Aegon…What better name for a king…He is the prince that was promised, and his is the song of ice and fire.” and when the man’s eyes meet Dany’s, he says either to her or the woman with the baby, “There must be one more…The dragon has three heads,” and he picks up a silver harp and begins to play.

Note that Martin does not describe the woman nursing the baby. But some believe that what we are seeing here is the birth of Aegon, Rhagar’s son with Elia Martell. Now, as far as we know, the Mountain killed both of Elia’s children. But some believe he survived (and the books play into that theory, though so far the TV show has declined to add it into the mix.) If he survived, he would be the second dragon rider with Dany. So then, since there are three dragons, there must be three riders. Rhaegar then picks up his harp and begins to play. The same harp he will play that will make Lyanna Stark fall in love with him, bringing forth L+R=J, the real prince who was promised, and one more rider.

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