Game of Thrones Season 8 Battle of Winterfell Recap and Fan Theory

Some weekends are just too overwhelming to take in, and this one certainly fits the bill. After surviving the finality of Avengers: Endgame, I threw myself into Episode 3 of Game of Thrones with reckless abandon.

If you read my predictions for The Long Night, you probably already know that I fully expected Game of Thrones levels of carnage. Maybe this show has numbed me to the effects of killing characters.

But before I begin, if you haven’t watched The Long Night yet, I should warn you.

Actually, the entire episode was dark, which a lot of fans are already complaining about on social media. We had to turn off the lights and watch it in the dark to be able to see everything that happened, and even then some of it was hard to decipher.

The first thing I feel like I need to do is to review my previous predictions on who lived and who didn’t, and how accurate some of my predictions were.

The Survivors

By the end of the episode, there were clearly more than a few characters who survived the battle.

Jon Snow

Aegon… whatever. As I predicted, Jon survived the battle in his usual lucky bastard way. There were several moments when he should have died — any other character would have — but someone or something always came to his rescue. Too many unresolved conflicts still existed for him to die in this one.

Daenerys Targaryen

Sorry to all those fan theories out there that she would become the Night Queen. Just didn’t happen. To be honest, I was on the fence about her now that we have Jon to be the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. But in the end, she did survive the Battle of Winterfell thanks to her loyal dog, Jorah.

Arya Stark

Okay, was anyone really surprised by what happened? I predicted that she would kill the Night King. My theory was a little off on how she would do it, but I knew it had to be her. She is the only character with the skills, means, and motivation.

What surprised me was the fact that so many people were shocked when she showed up to kill him. Melissandra’s vision told her it would happen, if not directly, and when she runs out on The Hound and Mel after being told she would kill many eyes, “brown eyes, green eyes… and blue eyes.” Did anyone else hear that dot-dot-dot when Mel said it in The Long Night? And at that moment, Arya knew exactly what she had to do, what she always had to do. And she ran off to do it. The whole thing was a blatant slap in the face. Nothing coy about it.

With this prophecy in mind, along with Arya’s remaining list, I sincerely hope no one will be so shocked when she kills Cersei.

Bran Stark

I will admit I wasn’t really sure he would make it. But I suppose Bran always knew. He even smiled at the Night King, just a little, when the two came face-to-face. Bran already knew what would happen. He sees all, after all. He knew that Arya would come and kill the Night King, which is why he doesn’t freak out or panic in any way. Arya always would be there to save him in this scenario. No sweat off his brow.

I was disappointed that he didn’t warg into the dragon though. Let’s be real, guys. You were disappointed, too. Especially when he said he had to go, warged into the ravens, and found the Night King on the dragon. So what the hell was he watching that whole time while Theon’s men fell?

Tyrion Lannister

Okay, so maybe the crypts weren’t so safe, and I bought into some fan theories that the Lord of Winterfell were not susceptible to the Night King — a special Stark superpower sort of like Benjin. But it came as no surprise that Tyrion survived the battle. His story isn’t over yet.

Varys

While his death is coming, I didn’t expect it to be here in this battle. Like the other major characters in the crypt, he is standing at the end, watching the dead fall. So how do we think he will die? If I had to guess, it will be Cersei. Maybe death by wildfire.

Tormund Giantsbane & Gendry

I wasn’t sure about these two. Tormond I didn’t expect to survive. He’s a great fighter, but I’m not sure what more besides his fighting skill he has to offer in the story at this point.

But he does survive, alongside Gendry, who I expected wouldn’t fall just yet. When the Walkers start to fall after Arya kills the Night King, we get a shot of Tormond and Gendry standing on a pile of bodies, watching the Walkers fall.

Sansa Stark

No surprises here. This isn’t a death I’m expecting any time soon — if at all. She’s the Lady of Winterfell, and as long as it stands she will as well. At the end of the battle, we get to see her alongside the other survivors in the crypt as the dead suddenly fall.

Missandrei

Yes, she makes it through. Though I wasn’t sure she wouldn’t, being in the crypts and all. I just thought it was worth mentioning that she’s there with the others when the Walkers fall.

Ser Davos Seaworth

Again, I thought for sure he would die. All he has to contribute at this point, like Tormund, is his fighting skills. I suppose that’s worthwhile. And you could argue that he had to see the Red Lady die before his story arc would be fully completed.

And he does survive. Ser Davos comes out of the woodwork when Melisandre walks out of Winterfell toward the sunrise. For a moment I thought he would kill her, but he just watches as she goes all Mother Gothel and dissolves away to nothing but bones.

Samwell Tarly

Maybe I missed it, but I watched those final moments several times and didn’t see a glimpse of Sam anywhere at the end of the battle. However, we do know he survives. If you weren’t sure about this one, you can see a glimpse of him for a split second in the Episode 4 preview right behind Daenerys at the walls of Winterfell.

His survival makes sense because, I stated in my predictions, he is the one who can prove that Jon is the rightful heir.

Likewise, we know that Gilly and little Sam survived in the crypts as well.

Greyworm

I really was ready to call it on this one, but Greyworm does survive the fight. When the battle ends, we don’t see him anywhere on the field of battle. The last shot we have of him is fighting off Walkers in the courtyard. The episode leaves his fate uncertain, but the preview for the next season shows him at the wall of Winterfell with everyone else, so he does survive.

But will he make it through the next battle?

Jamie Lannister, Podrick, & Ser Brienne of Tarth

What? All three survived? I really thought Brienne was a goner when Jamie Knighted her. We see Jamie with his back pinned to the wall, Brienne at his side. Then he’s hit and goes down, and a crowd of Walkers descends on him. A few takes later, he is on his feet again with his back to the wall, still fighting with Brienne and Podrick, but things don’t look good. When the Walkers fall, these three are standing together with their backs still against the wall.

The Hound

I wasn’t expecting him to die in this. First of all, everyone is waiting for #Cleganebowl to happen. I don’t think it will — at least not to the extent they are expecting — but I do believe he has to face off against his brother. We also haven’t seen him and Sansa have a reunion moment. Please, GoT writers, tell me this happens. It must.

And he does survive here, stumbling out of the woodwork like everyone else when the Walkers fall.

Ghost

When the Dothraki rode at the Walkers, Ghost was right there, outrunning the horses. But when the survivors return, Ghost is not among them, leaving us to wonder, once again, #WhereisGhost? But he does survive, somehow. We see him in the preview for Episode 4 for a fraction of a second at the wall of Winterfell.

The Dead

While the death toll isn’t confirmed as high as I expected, this battle still put a significant dent in Daenerys’ army and some of our beloved characters.

The Dothraki

Let’s just take a moment of silence here for the death of an entire race. The strong, fearless, and sometimes reckless Dothraki charged at the army of the dead, and one by one their lights were snuffed out to the last man. Or were they?

We did see some of them ride back to the line like the devil was on their heels. Did any of them survive the battle that followed? Only time will tell, I suppose, but it doesn’t look good.

Ser Jorah Mormont

Okay, so maybe he didn’t die defending Tyrion, but he did die defending Daenerys, which is pretty close to what I predicted. His life has always been in her service, and it is the most fitting end he could have had, saving her from the undead army. And standing in her defense after taking multiple swords through the stomach is pretty stinking impressive if I do say so myself. It was a noble end to a noble man.

Lyanna Mormont & the Bear Island Men

I hate to say I told you so, but… well you saw the show. The moment that giant stepped through the gate and Lyanna looked up at it, all I could think about was David vs. Goliath. If the look on her face doesn’t say it all, I don’t know what does.

Lyanna and her men died with honor defending Winterfell, just as I predicted. Almost exactly as I predicted, actually, which is a little scary.

Theon Greyjoy

Honestly, I really hoped it would be Sansa he died in defense of. I know he volunteered to defend Bran at the Weirwood tree, but I thought he would find his way to her, or she to him, and he would lay it all down for her.

Still, dying in defense of a Stark is exactly what he needed to redeem himself. He said he wanted to make up for his mistakes, and he certainly did. He bought Bran a few more moments for Arya to arrive. It was the best death they could have given him.

Beric Dondarrion

I didn’t make a prediction on this one because, well there are too many to even try, TBH. But it did seem appropriate that he died saving Arya. The Lord of Light brought him back over and over again for a reason, a purpose, and over the seasons it has been a mystery to everyone what that purpose was. But as he and The Hound fought to save Arya, that purpose became abundantly clear long before Melisandre said it out loud.

Eddison Tollett

Jon’s most loyal friend from the Knight’s Watch — well, aside from maybe Sam, that is. I never expected him to survive, so his death wasn’t much of a shock to me. I did like that he died saving Sam — in a roundabout way. It was a good death, if not the most noble.

What do you all think? Is there something I missed? Let me know our thoughts in the comments below!