SPOILER WARNING: Hey, if you’re here, we’re assuming you’re up-to-date with Game of Thrones because this post will contain some big ol’ Tormund-sized spoilers for the Game of Thrones finale. If you’re not caught up, come back once you’re ready to properly debrief.
Hearts feel that little bit heavier today as the realisation sets in that Game of Thrones is officially over. That’s all, folks.
In an ending that shocked, well, a large chunk of the internet, Bran Stark took the coveted position of King of the Six Kingdoms (whittled down from Seven after his sister Sansa decided that The North would rule themselves as a separate Republic).
While reactions to the Game of Thrones finale have been very divided, there’s one thing for certain: some of the clues were there all along.
We were just tricked to believe a different narrative, swept away by a billion fan theories and blindsided by red herrings in the show – particularly the over-emphasis placed on the Night King’s significance, Jon being Aegon Targaryen etc.
Need to debrief on the Game of Thrones finale? Mamamia’s Holly Wainwright and Clare Stephens unpack every confusing, surprising and infuriating detail on The Recap podcast below. Post continues after audio.
Bran was such an interesting character this season (or the polar opposite, depending on your prerogative), because he was just so… odd. Being the Three-Eyed Raven turned him into a bit of an all-knowing, all-seeing weirdo.
And by all-knowing, all-seeing weirdo, we mean he has the ability to warge into animals – and even people – to see the past, the present and even glimpses into the future. But we haven’t seen many of his visions of late. During season eight, he basically just creeped people out by staring at them and coming out with zinger one-liners.
We’d started to view him completely as the Three-Eyed Raven and made our peace with the fact Brandon Stark was gone. Until Tyrion proclaimed him ‘Brandon the Broken’ and hey presto, Bran was back, albeit royalty and still a bit creepy.
Of course, with Bran’s special abilities, some are questioning whether he already knew that he’d take the top job.
There was also some pretty clever foreshadowing that we’ll be the first to admit we didn’t notice.
Here are all the clues that Bran would be King all along.
The deserter scene in Game of Thrones, episode one.
The very fact Game of Thrones opened on Bran should’ve been a dead giveaway he’s the main protagonist to watch. But, it’s the scene in episode one where he is forced to witness his father execute a Night’s Watch deserter that’s got everyone calling: “Foreshadowing!” It was already a memorable scene as Ned Stark’s lesson, “The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword” is a recurring theme throughout the whole show.
