Game Of Thrones : The Best Fan Theories For The Epic Conclusion

As the world awaits the second episode of the final season of the most epic and the biggest TV show ever, fans across the globe have conjured up numerous theories as to how the show would end.

Going by the depth of analysis and the effort to search for clues and minute details through re-watches by the fans, you can be pretty sure it was a tough one but I did it, anyway. Here's a list of the best fan theories out there regarding the Epic Conclusion. Thank me later !!

Ned Stark is alive and will return

Okay, I know this sounds crazy, but there's a lot of evidence out there that this could possibly happen. People die all the time on this show and come back. Jon Snow, The Hound, Beric Dondarrion, The Mountain, and, in the books, Catelyn Stark—they all are resurrected in some form or another. Who would be more unexpected than Ned Stark ?

Yes, everyone watched as Ned's head was very clearly severed from his body and placed on a spike on the ramparts of King's Landing. But, what if that wasn't actually Ned Stark who was beheaded in front of his entire family, the fancy royalty, and a bunch of angry, dirty commoners?

According to the theory, Jaqen H'ghar of the Faceless Men and Ned Stark were being held prisoner in the Red Keep at the same time. If you recall, back in Season One, Arya first meets Jaqen when he's being transported out of the Red Keep as a prisoner. Now, it seems strange that a Faceless Man would be so easily imprisoned. So it's logical to believe that he was captured on purpose.

That purpose was for Varys to pay Jaqen to replace Ned Stark at his execution with an imposter. Ned has had to stay in hiding and travel away from Westeros where he won't be discovered. He's also working for Varys to help pay off the debt owed to the Faceless Men.

Tyrion is actually a Targaryen, too

Now that we know Jon Snow is a Targaryen, the next surprise sibling will be none other than Tyrion. This comes from the popular A + J = T theory, which means Aerys plus Joanna equals Tyrion. The books detail the Mad King Aerys's obsession with Tywin Lannister's wife, Joanna.

According to the theory, Aerys impregnated Joanna, who died when giving birth to Tywin (similarly, so did two other Targaryan siblings: Jon and Daenerys). It would also explain Tywin's final words to Tyrion—"you're no son of mine"—along with his general disdain for his youngest son. And remember how chill Tyrion was with those two dragons?

Arya kills Cersei

Arya has had Cersei on her kill list for a long time now. She will finally get her way in the final season, according to multiple fan theories. One points to a clue about Arya’s sword-holding hand. Maisie Williams ( the actress playing Arya's character ) is right-handed but was insisted to practice with her left hand.

As a fan explains, the show creators have been liberal about making other changes from the book, so there must be a reason they insisted on Williams training with her left hand. Could it be because she will take on the identity of Cersei’s brother and former lover Jaime Lannister to kill her? Jaime lost his right hand in Season Three, so he’d have to kill Cersei with his left hand, thus making seasons of left-handed sword fighting make sense.

Jon and Dany will betray each other

Okay, so we know that nothing good can come from noted aunt and nephew Daenerys and Jon sleeping with each other. Besides the fact that it's just some light incest, politically this isn't likely to work out well for everyone. As we've already seen from early trailers, this union of dragon and wolf is already causing a divide among the ranks. And if things continue to get worse, it could lead to an ultimate betrayal. In a vision in the book version of the House of the Undying, Dany is given this prophecy: "three fires must you light... one for life and one for death and one to love... three mounts must you ride... one to bed and one to dread and one to love... three treasons will you know... once for blood and once for gold and once for love..."

As we await this third betrayal, it seems very likely that it could be Jon doing the betrayal for love or visa versa. In the show, back in Season Two, a scene shows Dany in an empty King's Landing approaching the Iron Throne. But, before she can get there, she is interrupted by the cries of her dragons. This also has sparked theories that she will abandon her fight for the Iron Throne to be with her dragons again, possibly becoming the Night Queen in the process.

Sam is actually the Prince That Was Promised

In George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, Azor Ahai is a legendary figure "who fought against [the darkness] with a red sword" and "arose to give courage to the race of men and lead the virtuous into battle with his blazing sword Lightbringer." According to prophecy, "When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone."

As one Game of Thrones theory outlines, Sam could very well be a secret Targaryen—the child of Rhaegar and Elia Martell (his first wife whose marriage he had annulled). This child was smuggled away by Varys and sent to one of the most faithful Targaryen families the Tarlys.

Jaime will kill the Night King

He is the Kingslayer, after all. Wouldn't it be clever if Jaime's dishonorable title was actually a hint to the ultimate endgame? Jaime actually has a few options at his disposal to do the deed. Remember, he has in his possession Widow's Wail, a Valyrian steel sword that he took from Joffrey after his death. Jaime also has the knowledge of the giant scorpion arrow launcher that Cersei had built to attempt to kill dragons. Put a Valyrian steel arrow in this bad boy and you have yourself a hell of a Ice Dragon/Night King slaying toy.

The Night King is a Stark

This gives a whole new meaning to the "There must always be a Stark in Winterfell" saying. The Long Night - AKA, the last time Winter came to Westeros - ended with theBattle of the dawnwhere Dragonglass was used against the White Walkers, but some think it's unlikely that such a massive force was defeated by mere arrows alone. After all, White Walkers can raise the dead, which means almost endless foot soldiers.

Instead, some fans theorise it ended with a pact – that the North would belong to men as long as there was a Stark in Winterfell. The Starks are an ancient line so this is entirely plausible, and we've seen inGame Of Thrones season 5 how White Walkers can transform babies into blue-eyed versions of themselves. Maybe before the Battle for the Dawn they captured a Stark child and turned it into a White Walker in an effort to emotionally blackmail the Starks to stop fighting. The babe would have inherited the Night King title and struck a deal that it would stay away from Winterfell as long as Starks lived there. It’s the sort of fiendishly nasty twist that we can imagine George R. R. Martin coming up with…