When Game of Thrones wrapped up its sixth season, our collective jaws were on the floor. It was a run of episodes punctuated by long-awaited character deaths and stunning production values, all culminating in what is indisputably the best season the show has ever given us.
Still, there’s plenty of story left to tell. The plan right now is to divide the seventh book in George R.R. Martin’s series into two smaller seasons, with each episode reaching past the typical hour-long run-time.
It’s an approach that’ll ultimately give HBO more room to play around. Rather than a single 10-episode season, we’ll be getting around 12–13 episodes divided over two years. What we’ll be getting in that time though is anyone’s guess, leaving us free to wildly theorize while we wait for Season 7 to begin.
So what’s coming down the line? All signs seem to point toward a few large-scale events.
1- Cersei’s reign atop the Iron Throne won’t last long
It’s been a tough, long road for Cersei Lannister. But after blowing up the Great Sept and murdering everyone in King’s Landing who opposed her, she now sits victorious on the Iron Throne. Queen Cersei’s reign is likely going to be short-lived though, and the only real question is who’s going to topple her first.
First up we have Jaime, who’s returned home to find his sister was directly responsible for the death of their only surviving child. Infamously known as the Kingslayer, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time he’s killed a monarch.
If he doesn’t get the job done, Daenerys has a huge army and three dragons en route to take King’s Landing.
2- The Wall is coming down, and it’ll probably be Bran’s fault.
Before leaving Bran and Meera, Benjen Stark was sure to point out that the Wall was protected by ancient magic, much in the same way the Three-Eyed Raven’s cave was. That magic can be broken by the mark of the Night King, which just so happens to be branded right into Bran’s arm right now.
If Bran attempts to pass through the Wall, it could very well bring the whole damn thing toppling to the ground, allowing the White Walkers and their army of zombies the access they need to begin a full-scale invasion.
3- Jon, Daenerys, and the ‘prince who was promised’.
The Season 6 finale went out of its way to emphasize Jon Snow’s secret Targaryen heritage, while the only other surviving member of that family began to make her way to Westeros. This puts the two on a path that could potentially save the world from the coming invasion of White Walkers. In the Game of Thrones universe, that’s far from a guarantee, and for all we know they might end up destroying each other rather than teaming up. But as the only two Targaryens left, their shared lineage will play a huge role in whatever the show’s endgame might be.
This all brings us to the prophecy of the “prince who was promised,” Azor Ahai. The AWOIAF Wiki tells us the following: “According to the prophecy recounted by Melisandre, after a long summer, Azor Ahai will be reborn amidst smoke and salt wielding the flaming sword Lightbringer to defend the world from R’hllor’s nemesis, the Other.” This seems to point toward Jon’s resurrection, his White Walker-killing sword, and the impending war with the Night King. And now that we know about his royal blood, we might just have all the pieces needed to fulfill that prophecy.
4- Littlefinger and Sansa have their own plans for Winterfell.
Petyr Baelish has proven himself to be the ultimate schemer in the Game of Thrones universe, having successfully orchestrated his elaborate plan to install Sansa back in a seat of power at her ancestral home of Winterfell. This could only be the beginning of his scheming too, having already planted the seeds of doubt in Sansa concerning Jon’s role as the new King in the North.
She’s never been one to claw for power for the sake of power itself, but she’s also spent a long time submitting to the power of men. Having her home placed under the control of her bastard brother could represent the final straw.
5- The war to end all wars is coming.
While all the various houses of Westeros claw for power, there’s a much larger war looming on the horizon, and it’s one that could tear the entire kingdom to shreds. Once the White Walker army inevitably gets past the Wall, all bets will be off. Daenerys will have to rally her dragons into action, Jon will be the first line of defense at Winterfell, and the rest of the world will discover that the White Walkers are more than just a bedtime story told to children. And because it’s Game of Thrones, we’re not guaranteed a happy ending.
6- Euron Greyjoy has his own plans for Westeros
Euron Greyjoy is poised to make some serious trouble for Westeros, after seizing the Iron Islands through some good old fashioned fratricide. In the novels, he possesses a horn capable of controlling dragons, so if that MacGuffin rears its head at any point, you can bet he’ll be uniquely positioned for some vengeance against Daenerys for siding with his niece and nephew.
7- The Iron Bank is coming to collect.
As the primary money-lenders in the Game of Thrones universe, the Iron Bank is a formidable power, especially if you can’t manage to pay off your debts. Both the late Stannis Baratheon and the Iron Throne owe them a considerable sum of money, and with Mark Gatiss on board to reprise his role as the head of the bank, they could be coming to collect.
In the books, they’ve been known to overthrow rulers who renege on their debts, which could mean certain doom for Cersei’s soon-to-be short-lived time on the Iron Throne.
8- Arya is poised for an epic murder-spree.
In the books, the Red Wedding is avenged not by Arya Stark, but by her mother, Catelyn. Resurrected by Beric Dondarrion, she takes on the moniker of Lady Stoneheart, mercilessly killing everyone even passingly associated with the death of her son, Robb (including Brienne and Podrick).
Prevailing rumors seem to suggest that Lady Stoneheart won’t be appearing in the HBO series, but Arya’s recent mastery of murder could prove to be an apt replacement, beginning with the brutal killing of Walder Frey and his sons.
9- Westeros will either unite or be destroyed.
Westeros has proven itself to be nothing if not politically unstable, with the kingdom’s various houses making war and betrayal something of a national pastime. But with the war to end all wars looming on the horizon, eventually, the ruling houses will need to set aside their differences and unite. That said, it’ll be more than a little entertaining to see Lannisters, Targaryens, Starks, Tyrells, Martells, and Greyjoys all come together to fight the imminent White Walker siege.
It’s either that, or their infighting will lead to their complete and utter destruction.
10- Tyrion will get his own dragon.
We all know that Daenerys will be flying atop one of her dragons into King’s Landing. That leaves two dragons without riders. Luckily, Tyrion Lannister has recently been named Hand of the Queen, and has intimated his desire to have his own dragon since he was a small boy.
Game of Thrones rarely affords us moments of pure joy, but we still dream of a world where Peter Dinklage gets to ride a god damn dragon into
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