Sansa and Jon and Daenerys: Let’s speculate about the new Game of Thrones footage

"Don’t fight in the North or the South. Fight every battle everywhere, always, in your mind. Everyone is your enemy, everyone is your friend. Every possible series of events is happening all at once. Live that way and nothing will surprise you. Everything that happens will be something that you’ve seen before."

—Littlefinger, “The Queen’s Justice”

The Starks and Daenerys may have joined forces for now, but their conflicts of interest prevent them from being true allies. Daenerys wants the Seven Kingdoms, the North wants independence, and this could very well mean war after the White Walkers. This alliance cannot stand without a common goal in mind, and I’m not convinced it won’t splinter beforehand. In particular, the forthcoming reveal of Jon’s parentage poses a major threat to it. Dany often talks about her claim to the throne; learning that it is rightfully Jon’s would represent a direct obstacle for her.

Right now, Jon and Sansa acknowledge that the White Walkers have to be dealt with, but what comes after that? The Starks know the North, and they know there won’t be peace when one of their allies is set on taking it from them.

Granted, if the Northerners take a stand against Daenerys, it might not last long if she has dragons on her side. We saw how quickly she and Drogon decimated the Lannisters in the Loot Train Attack. But things could look very different by the time the war against the White Walkers is over. We’ve seen that the White Walkers have the means to defeat the dragons, and vice versa. Neither ice nor fire may triumph over the other, but rather destroy each other, making way for the true conflict: the fight for the throne, which has been the story from the beginning. Whether that means characters will actually fight for the throne or struggle to determine if the monarchy should persist at all remains to be seen. In any case, a Daenerys bereft of her dragons, which have been key in her rise in power, will be far more vulnerable than we’re used to.

As of now, we have three queens on the board, regardless of their official titles: Cersei, Daenerys, and Sansa. Each of them represent a great house: Lannister, Targaryen, and Stark. The former two want the throne, but the Starks only want independence, which has been a running theme since Ned Stark’s death, and an underlying issue in the series’ pre-history.

Cersei and Sansa will likely meet again in some fashion before the end; Joffrey’s death and Sansa’s escape from King’s Landing mean they have some unfinished business to settle. Then there’s Sansa’s claim that she will not set foot in King’s Landing while Cersei Lannister is queen. Will the show put a twist on her words?

Here’s one final, perhaps tinfoil-y supposition for your consideration: Looking at how the promos have framed Sansa, Jon, and Daenerys, are we in for a love triangle of sorts in season 8? Love triangles sell in major franchises, whether it’s the primary or secondary conflict. However you consider this angle depends on your perspective on Jon’s feelings for Sansa and Daenerys, respectively, which I’ve theorized about before.

Considering the above, as well as the imminent reveal of Jon’s parentage, we have to ask how all of this is going to affect both Jon’s relationships and his personal identity. In the end, will it be his Targaryen blood or his Stark nature that wins out? Will he follow in the steps of a father he never knew, or the man who dishonored himself by raising Jon as his own? Jon is going to have to make this choice, as is the audience.

Right now, it may look like the heroes of the story are on the same side, facing the White Walkers and Cersei Lannister, both of whom more closely resemble straightforward villains. But if Game of Thrones is going to continue to challenge fantasy tropes, it may ask fans to make hard choices about their heroes, as the future of Westeros hangs in the balance.

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