Phenomenon Game of Thrones returns to our screens on Monday. Emily Wind predicts what might happen in the final six episodes.

Note: this article contains major spoilers for all seasons of Game of Thrones.

Game of Thrones returns for its final season on Monday and I could not be more excited. There hasn’t been a new episode since 2017, and the cliff-hanger ending we were left with has made the wait feel even longer. It’s always fun to make predictions about Game of Thrones because as we know, anything can happen and no one is safe. So with that in mind, here are some of the most popular fan theories and some of my own guesses about what may happen in Westeros this season.

1. The dead will rise from The Crypts of Winterfell

The Crypts of Winterfell, where the Stark’s ancestral burial chambers are, was seen multiple times in the season 8 trailer and will likely play a large role in the plot. With the Night King and his army on the way to Winterfell, some fans believe he could raise the buried Stark’s to join his army. In the first book, Jon Snow dreams about dead kings “stumbling from their cold black graves”, so it’s definitely a possibility and could lead to one of the most intense battles we’ve seen yet.

2. Sansa will become the Queen in the North

When Jon went to visit Daenerys last season, we got the chance to see Sansa become a true leader in Winterfell. She listens to those around her and values their opinions, makes decisions in the best interest of the North and has gained the trust of her people. Love her or hate her, it is undeniable that her character has gone through major developments since season 1 and has grown into a capable ruler with political finesse. It would be natural for Sansa to take on the role of Queen in the North if and when Jon becomes unable to do so, depending on how the season unfolds.

3. ‘The dragon has three heads’ prophecy

In the book series, Daenerys has a vision in the House of the Undying where Rheagar Targaryen says “the dragon has three heads.” The Targaryen sigil features a three-headed dragon, and when Aegon Targaryen originally took Westeros, he did it on three dragons alongside his two sisters. So that leaves us wondering, who will be the three riders this time?

We already know that Daenerys is a rider, having first ridden Drogon in season 5. That leaves two dragons – Rhaegal and Viserion.

Jon and Daenerys are seen visiting Drogon and Rhaegal in the season 8 trailer. Rhaegal is named after Jon’s biological father Rhaegar, so it would make perfect sense for him to become the dragon’s rider and learn to fly as the only other remaining Targaryen. Plus, it would give them a big advantage in the war against the Night King.

As for Viserion, he is now an ice dragon after being struck by the Night King’s spear in the season 7 finale. His rider could be the Night King, but there’s also a chance it could be Bran Stark, who has the ability to warg into anything (even dragons).

4. Daenerys is pregnant with Jon’s baby

Because of Daenerys’ experience with Mirri Maz Duur back in season 1, she has always believed she can never bear children. This has been referenced to many times throughout the series, with Daenerys saying her dragons are the only children she’ll ever have. However, certain events in season 7 lead us to believe otherwise.

Throughout the season there were three specific mentions of children – there was Tyrion and Daenerys’ talk about succession, Jorah suggesting Jon pass his sword Longclaw down to his children, and Daenerys telling Jon that she can’t have children, not too long after they slept together. This is foreshadowing if I’ve ever seen it. Incest is no big deal in Game of Thrones, and who knows, a child of Jon and Daenerys could be the prince that was promised?

5. Brienne will find love, but who with?

Brienne of Tarth is one of the most loyal characters on GoT and although she doesn’t need a man, she definitely deserves one. The show has given us a kind of love triangle between Brienne, Jaime Lannister, and Tormund Giantsbane, so it’s very likely she will fall for someone. It’s just a question of who.

She and Jaime have a complicated relationship. Over the course of their season 3 road trip the pair developed a mutual respect and trust, but in season 7 had a tense reunion. However, after Brienne pleaded with Jaime to join in the fight against the Night King, he listens to her, leaves Cersei and travels North.

Then there is Tormund, another fan favourite whose affection seems to be one-sided but very strong nonetheless. He is constantly awestruck in her presence and even declared how he wants to have great big monster babies with her that will conquer the world. I don’t think he could make his feelings any more obvious.

So, who will Brienne end up with? Personally, I would love to see her with Jaime and Gwendoline Christie, who plays Brienne, seems to agree. Speaking with the New York Times she said that “when Brienne and Jaime are together, something incredibly magnetic seems to occur…I’m endlessly fascinated by their dynamic”.

6. Jaime will kill Cersei

Back in season 5, we saw a flashback to Cersei visiting Maggy the Frog–a fortune teller–who told her that she would be queen until a younger, more beautiful one came along, and that she will have three children who will all die. The latter came true, and the former would have if Cersei hadn’t of blown up the Sept with wildfire and killed Margery Tyrell. There was a third part to the prophecy which was left out of the show, which states that Cersei will die at the hands of her younger brother. She always believed this referred to Tyrion, but it would make much more sense for Jaime to be the one to kill her. This could give him a chance to redeem himself to those in the North by ending the Mad Queen (just as he ended the Mad King), and complete his character arc that has been developing since season 1.

Side note: there is always the possibility Arya will kill Cersei whilst wearing Jaime’s face. This would kill two birds with one stone – Arya ticking another name off her list, and a fulfilment of the prophecy.

7. Nymeria will return with an army of direwolves

In episode 2 of season 7, Arya was finally reunited with her direwolf Nymeria who she hadn’t seen since the shows first season. Arya wanted Nymeria to follow her to Winterfell, but Nymeria refused and Arya reflected “that’s not you” before the direwolf left. This interaction would not have taken place if something bigger wasn’t planned, and George R. R. Martin has already spoken about Nymeria’s “important” role in the final two unreleased books. Let’s just say, if an army of direwolves led by Nymeria shows up on the battlefield this season, I will not be surprised.

8. Sam will be shown writing ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’

There is a fan theory that the books are actually a series of in-universe historical texts written by a character, and season 7 seemed to suggest this character is Sam Tarly. While Sam was at the Citadel, Archmaester Ebrose shows him a book he is currently working on named ‘A Chronicle of the Wars Following the Death of King Robert I’, heavily implied to be the story we are watching right now. Ebrose tells Sam that writing with style and accuracy is the key to making your work readable. But Sam infers that the title is equally important, suggesting it be named “something a bit more poetic”. There was also a scene in season 6 which revealed the hanging lamp at the Citadel to be the one seen in the show’s opening theme–another clue backing up this theory. Even if Ebrose was the one to start writing the story, Sam may very well be the one to finish it (and publish it under a more poetic name, perhaps A Song of Ice and Fire?)

No matter what happens this season, it is bound to be incredible and leave fans with much to discuss.

So, let’s enjoy these final six episodes as much as we can because before we know it, this chapter of Westeros will be over.

Feature Image: Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen via HBO/Helen Sloan, no changes made.