Game of Thrones season 6 went pretty well for a lot of the characters. Daenerys set sail for Westeros, Jon Snow and Sansa kicked Ramsay out of Winterfell, Cersei got revenge on the Sparrows…but the good times aren’t likely to last, particularly on a show like this. We’re getting towards the end of the series, and it’s time for showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss to raise the stakes before the big finish. How do they do that? Author Vladimir Nabokov has a suggestion: “The writer’s job is to get the main character up a tree, and then once they are up there, throw rocks at them.”
Expect some rocks in season 7. Expect gut-punches. Expect the worst, because that’s the way the story has to go if it’s going to have a satisfying ending. We should be prepared for a thrilling experience, but also an emotionally devastating one.
So what’s going to happen? What follows are 13 distinct story possibilities, all of them the worst case scenarios. (I don’t look at spoilers, so these predictions are SPOILER FREE.) What’s the worst that can happen? Let’s find out.
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1) HODOR RETURNS AS A WIGHT
Pretty much everybody is worried abut this one, but it has too much dramatic potential for the writers to pass up. It’ll be a crime against goodness if poor, simple, horribly-manipulated Hodor returns as a blue-eyed zombie-thing that has to be put down for good, but Game of Thrones isn’t afraid to go there. Poetic justice might demand that it be Bran who has to ultimately bring an end to Hodor’s suffering.
The scary part of this scenario is what the powerful wight-Hodor might do on a rampage. We hope Bran’s brave protector Meera Reed doesn’t meet her end fighting him. We could also see wight-Karsi as well.
2) BRAN IS CAPTURED BY THE NIGHT KING
If the writers want things to go really badly in the far north, having Bran fall into the clutches of the White Walkers would be a good start. Fans wondered why the writers left Bran and Meera stranded north of The Wall at the end of season 6, and there may be a good reason. Bran has been marked by the Night King, so one assumes he’s easy to find. And if the Night King can nab he new Three-Eyed Raven before he manages to get south of the Wall, he’s stopped a major player from joining the northern forces gathering against him.
Beyond its obvious dramatic potential, there are a few other advantages to having Bran captured. The northern forces are crippled without Bran’s presence, since his information about how the White Walkers were created (not to mention Jon Snow’s lineage) could prove important in the wars to come. Also, we note with much trepidation that none of these storylines bode well for Meera Reed’s survival, bound up as she is with Bran’s story.
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3) BRAN REMOVES THE MAGIC PROTECTING THE WALL
If the White Walkers do capture Bran, they may not necessarily kill him. The Three-Eyed Raven possesses powers so great, it might be advantageous for them to break him down with torture rather than murdering him or bringing him back as a mindless wight.
If Bran is seized by the Night King and Jon Snow finds out about it, that could inspire Jon to mount a rescue mission. How would Jon find out? If Meera Reed survives (yay!) Bran’s abduction, then could would race straight south to Castle Black. Once Meera explains Bran’s predicament to Jon and company, Jon would waste no time in trying to rescue his little brother, perhaps with the assistance of his Uncle Benjen.
Jon’s courageous mission will fail, and the Night King will eventually find a way to make Bran suspend the magic enchantment protecting the Wall from the army of the undead. By the last frame of the Season 7 finale, the White Walkers—with Bran still under their thrall—will have smashed through the Wall, destroyed the Night’s Watch and be marching south. Helluva cliffhanger, huh?
4) ARYA STARK DESCENDS INTO WHITE WALKER HELL AND CAN’T COME BACK
Arya is a deadly wild card in this story. She’s likely to arrive at Winterfell only to learn of Bran’s predicament north of the Wall, and after some quick hugs with Jon and Sansa, heads north in an attempt to rescue him. This is a big reach, but it would be fascinating to see if Arya could take on the appearance of a wight or a White Walker in order to infiltrate their ranks. The magics of the Faceless Men are ancient, but can they can fool the undead?
If so, Arya might also find an opportunity to get close to the Night King and try to assassinate him. It’s even possible that Jaqen H’ghar, sensing danger on the horizon, was specifically training Arya for something like this — he did let her leave the House of Black and White without complaint.
We all know how good intentions get characters into a lot of trouble on this show, so if Arya does manage to wear the face of a wight, there’ll probably be a twist. Perhaps she wouldn’t be able to separate herself from it, and would have to roam the northlands as a pseudo-wight until somebody arrives on the scene with the knowledge to transform her back. Or kill her. Either way, things could get bleak.
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5) THE HOUND DIES
Sandor “the Hound” Clegane has joined the Brotherhood Without Banners, and the company is heading north. They could well link up with Team Stark, although Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr might also follow their own course of action, depending on what omens their beloved R’hllor has sent them. And while the Hound is accompanying the outlaw brotherhood for now, he’s as independent as they come, and might break away at any time for a host of reasons.
So here’s my prediction: Obeying the signs from their Lord of Light and ignoring the pleas of Jon Snow and Sansa Stark, the Brotherhood embark on an expedition north of the Wall. Later, during an intense blizzard, the company is surrounded by wights and slaughtered but for the Hound and Thoros of Myr, who escape into the snowfall. Once they’ve reached shelter, the Hound dies of his wounds, and a desperate Thoros resurrects him. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go quite right, and Sandor rises as a half-wight monstrosity, ready for Cleganebowl.
6) SANSA STARK BETRAYS JON SNOW
Sansa and Jon love each other (let’s leave that in the Platonic Zone for now) and each would die to protect the other, but what if one must betray the other in order to save everybody and everything? With Sansa’s covert deal-making with Littlefinger leading up to the Battle of the Bastards, the writers have already showcased her willingness to secretly operate against Jon’s wishes if she deems it the best course of action.
After all she’s suffered, Sansa Stark is basically a new person. Jon was literally resurrected, Sansa metaphorically. The nature of Sansa’s transformation is important: the strong, calculating woman she has become is the result of her having been used as a political pawn and subjected to physical and emotional abuse. In some ways, her outlook is now more like Cersei Lannister’s than anyone else. She is all about survival now, and survival in Westeros requires control and power. She will do everything necessary to ensure the survival and ascension of House Stark.
Jon Snow is older and wiser and a bit darker, yes—but he still functions under the stiff moral and ethical codes instilled in him by Eddard Stark. These qualities make him a respected leader of soldiers but also hamstring him and leave him vulnerable when it comes to the kind of cloak-and-dagger antics that define the Great Game. (He’s like Eddard Stark in that way.) Sansa, meanwhile, is more ready to cut any deal (or throat) to win. If Sansa ultimately believes that Jon is being outmaneuvered in a life-or-death struggle, she will once again secretly act against his wishes.
7) THEON AND YARA GREYJOY DIE
Daenerys Targaryen has put together one hell of a powerful alliance, but no storyteller worth their salt will let her sit the Iron Throne without taking a few lumps first. That means Team Targarye will suffer some serious blows. The first disaster could occur when Daenerys deploys her Ironborn navy to survey the shores of Dragonstone before she lands the rest of her fleet. She sends one of her dragons — not Drogon — with them to provide an escort.
Picture it: Euron Greyjoy and his thousand ships appear, taking Yara and Theon Greyjoy unawares. A furious sea battle ensues. In the Song of Ice and Fire novels, Euron has possession of a horn that can control dragons. He uses it, and the dragon incinerates Yara and Theon’s warships, along with everyone aboard.
There’s been no mention of Euron’s horn on the show, but if it’s introduced, he could be a real threat indeed.
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8) VARYS IS ASSASSINATED
In addition to losing some of her allies, Daenerys could lose members of her Small Council. Varys is a definite candidate. His loss would cripple Dany’s intelligence department, relying as it does on Varys’ spy network.
But who would want to kill Varys? There are a bunch of contenders — Qyburn, who’s now in command of several of the Varys’ little birds, comes to mind — but I see the threat coming from the inside. Varys’ killer will be Melisandre.
Thanks to the trailer, we know that Melisandre will be at Dragonstone, which is where Dany will set up shop in season 7. Recall that Varys is deeply mistrustful of people in Melisandre’s line of work. When the Red Woman cozies up to Daenerys upon her arrival, Varys does some digging and uncovers information regarding Melisandre’s ulterior motives and what kind of creature she truly is. But Melisandre, like the High Priestess Kinvara, can find out things about Varys, as well, and learns how to circumvent whatever safeguards he has in place to protect himself from attack. A few carefully placed drops of the Tears of Lys later, and our favorite neighborhood Spider will fall from his web.
9) JORAH INFECTS GILLY WITH GREYSCALE
Jorah is on a quest to stop the spread of his greyscale. We know the knowledge is out there, since Stannis Baratheon was able to stop it from killing Shireen after consulting experts from around the Known World. It’s stands to reason that Jorah, seeking that kind of knowledge, would seek out the biggest seat of learning in Westeros: the Citadel in Oldtown, where maesters are trained.
Jorah has to be quarantined, especially if his affliction is starting to affect his brain and personality, in order to keep the attending maesters safe as they attempt to cure him. Enter the bored and sympathetic Gilly. She tries to ease Jorah’s suffering, but a chance brush with literally any part of his body her to become infected. This devastates Sam, who must now abandon his study of the White Walkers to turn all of his attention to curing his beloved Gilly (and ultimately, Jorah as well).
But things won’t be easy for the desperate Sam—he’s researching a way to fight the White Walkers, and if he uncovers something critical, the Grand Maesters may order him to travel north and relay the information to Jon Snow. It would be heart-wrenching to watch Sam leave the distraught Gilly, quarantined and separated from her child, in the hands of the Grand Maesters, whom he suspects are more interested in clinical trials than Gilly’s best interests.
10) IT’S A TRAP! MELISANDRE DUPES DAENERYS
Ever since Melisandre’s first appearance at the beginning of Season 2, she’s been all about alerting the world to the fight against the true enemy in the far north, even if she didn’t realize the form that fight would take until later. She thought Stannis was the man to lead the forces of humanity in that fight, but she misread the signs, and he died. Now, she’s certain that Jon Snow, whom she brought back from the dead, is her man — the Prince Who Was Promised — and he’s banished her from the North. At the beginning of season 7, she’s likely at a low point.
Still, Melisandre is ancient and patient, and will doubtlessly try anything and everything she can to get back to Jon and assist his crusade against the coming dark. That may involve working with and manipulating Team Daenerys.
As we said above, we know Melisandre is at Dragonstone in season 7, which means she’ll interact with Dany and company. Acting on Dany’s behalf, Tyrion already called upon members of Melisandre’s order during his time running Meereen, so there’s already an alliance of sorts in place. Melisandre can easily hype Daenerys’ emergence from Drogo’s funeral pyre as a sign that she is chosen by R’hllor. Dany, wanting good PR ahead of her invasion, will be all too happy to let Melisandre proselytize for her.
But all of this is a ploy. Melisandre has no purpose other than to see Jon Snow safe and triumphant. She will play her part as Daenerys’ loyal supporter until circumstances open a path back to Jon. The Red Women can be dark, pitiless and wicked, and woe to anyone in the Targaryen contingent, including Daenerys herself, who might stumble across her true purpose or appear to threaten Jon Snow.
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Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen. HBO/Entertainment Weekly
11) DROGON DIES
This is a difficult one to write. We’ve known Drogon and his dragon siblings since they were hatchlings, and despite his occasional murderous missteps (roasting shepherd children in Essos), we’ve grown quite fond of him and respect his wild-creature loyalty to the Dragon Queen. But since my low-point-at-the-end-of-Season 7 theory demands it, the currently powerful Daenerys must lose and lose big.
Drogon is going to prove himself an indispensable weapon in the battles of Season 7, so if the tides of fortune are ever going to turn against her, he almost has to fall. It would feel like something of a cop out if only Viserion or Rhaegal die, because let’s be honest: they’ve been playing second fiddle to the big black-and-red guy all along.
I believe that Drogon’s death is inevitable. At least his final moments should be magnificent. Game of Thrones isn’t big on heroic deaths, but I desperately hope they let Drogon go down in a courageous attempt to protect his mother on the battlefield. However it happens, we’ll all be crying.
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12) HOUSE LANNISTER COLLAPSES AND JAIME KILLS CERSEI
One of the big three houses left — Lannister, Stark and Targaryen — has to suffer annihilation, and I’m predicting the Grim Reaper comes for House Lannister.
With the Lannister armies devastated on the battlefield (perhaps thanks to a Targaryen-Stark alliance), Cersei opts for her nuclear option. She and Qyburn plan to lure their victorious enemies into King’s Landing and then blow it up with enough wildfire to make the Sept of Balor detonation look like a 4th of July sparkler. Cersei and her retinue, including her brother Jaime, will of course quit the city just before the doomsday device is ignited.
Enter Jaime and his faulty code of ethics. Just like he did with the Mad King, Jaime will be forced to kill Cersei (and perhaps the Frankenmountain and Qyburn) before they act to obliterate every soul in the city. Of course, when the much-maligned Jaime kills his beloved twin sister, he also pretty much destroys himself. Though he will have saved the population of King’s Landing twice, he will never be remembered as a hero. He will walk away from Cersei’s cold body a man ready for death.
13) BRIENNE KILLS JAIME
This one is brutal, just brutal, but as House Lannister collapses in the face of a Targaryen-Stark alliance, it sets up a Jaime-versus-Brienne final confrontation for the ages.
Having lost his army and just murdered his sister Cersei, Jaime will be in a funk of rage and self-destruction. When the Targaryen and Stark representatives arrive in the Throne Room to accept the Lannister surrender of King’s Landing, Jaime will see Tyrion and go ballistic, recalling his oath to kill Tyrion the next time he saw him (“Sons of the Harpy” S5, Ep4). It’s the perfect opportunity for Jaime to go down in a kamikaze attack.
Tyrion won’t be alone. Brienne of Tarth, there on Sansa’s order, will protect him. Recognizing the reality that Jaime does not want to live, Brienne — as someone who cares about Jaime — takes it upon herself to kill him. Although Jaime and Brienne are heartbroken by having to fight each other, they go at it, and after a savage duel, Brienne strikes a killing blow.
The instant the dying Jaime falls, Brienne rushes to cradle him in her arms. There won’t be a dry eye in all of TV Land.
See you July 16.