To say that Game of Thrones fans are waiting on the edge of their seats for the new (and final) season of the show would be the understatement of a century. Frankly, April 14th just can't come soon enough. The anticipation and anxiety that GoT fans are feeling all across the globe is the main reason why so many of them are scouring the internet for as many leaks and spoilers from the final season as possible. Unfortunately, the details of this season are some of the most tightly kept secrets around.
RELATED: Game of Thrones Season 8: Everything We Know About The Battle of Winterfell
This is unlike previous seasons which have been riddled with legitimate leaks, speculations, and theories based on piracy and early script releases. In this article, we'll go back in time and talk about some of the spoilers that have plagued the show in the past as well as ones that reveal the secrets of the final season. Without further ado, here is Game of Thrones: The Biggest Leaks & Spoilers From the HBO Series (So Far).
Cersei's Pregnancy
Season Seven revealed that Cersei became pregnant with a fourth Lannister child. However, this fact was actually spoiled before the season even aired. The information was posted on Reddit months before it aired on HBO. The only difference was that the leak contained details of a scene that never ended up in "The Dragon and the Wolf" as it was apparently supposed to. This scene saw Cersei wake up covered in red, suggesting that she had a miscarriage, which would have made things even worse for her and sent her down an even darker path. The change was probably made because the writers either wanted to propel Cersei in a different direction, as well as to catch those who thought they knew the ending off-guard.
Dany The Dothraki
Not long before the sixth season of Game of Thrones premiered, an anonymous user on Archive.4plebs.org claimed that they had information on multiple plot details of the new season. One of the details had to do with Dany's storyline. This included her being taken to Vaes Dothrak and ordered to be a subordinate to the Khals.
They also detailed how she would eventually get all of the Dothraki to bow to her. The leaker got all of these details right except for how Dany is able to do this. In the leak, it says that Drogon comes to rescue her and this solidifies the Dothraki's belief in her leadership. However, in the show, she does this by herself after taking down all of the Khals.
The Great Battle And Demise Of Winterfell
A colossal action sequence has been said to take place in and around the iconic castle of Winterfell in Season Eight. More and more this seems to be an upcoming reality. This has been speculated since photos of the castle up in flames were leaked onto the internet. And when we say "up in flames", we really mean it. The entire castle is probably coming down during the climax of this epic battle.
The battle sequence is reported to have has 400-500 extras as well as was shot at night over 55 days and three locations. It has been said by cast and crew members that this battle will dwarf the one in "The Battle of The Bastards".
The "Spoils Of War" Leak
"The Spoils of War" (otherwise known as the "Loot Train Battle") was one of the biggest episodes of season seven. Unfortunately for HBO, the entire episode was actually leaked online two days before it aired. This led a lot of GoT fans to download it and view it illegally. The leak traced back to one of HBO's distributors in India and led to the arrest of four individuals.
RELATED: HBO Hack: Game of Thrones Episode Details & Stars' Personal Info Leaked
This was a big jab to HBO as this episode was meant to be a landmark television event. The effect of the episode was ultimately lessened by its early release. And, without a doubt, it harmed the episode's ratings.
When We All Knew What Was "Beyond The Wall"
"The Spoils of War" wasn't the only episode to fully leak online ahead of its air date. But this time, HBO only had themselves to blame. HBO Spain accidentally made the penultimate episode of season seven available to their subscribers before they were supposed to. This made a mess that the rest of HBO had to clean up.
"Beyond The Wall" was easily the episode with the most twists of the season. Additionally, it acted as the climax for most of the main storylines throughout the season. Having it leak online ahead of time revealed many of the plot details to those who wanted it to be a surprise.
The Truth Of The Tarlys
Before the release of the sixth season of Game of Thrones, an anonymous user on Archive.4plebs.org let loose some leaked information about the happenings of the season. Among the vast array of plot details (some of which were untrue) was the very accurate Sam Tarly storyline. It was divulged ahead of time that Sam and Gilly would visit with Sam's dad and the family wouldn't exactly get along. It also stated that Sam would take his father's Valerian Steel sword on his way to the Citadel. Although many of the details from this leak proved to be untrue, this was exceedingly accurate.
The Identity Of Rhaegar Targaryen
Ever since the show premiered, fans of the books were wondering if the character of Rhaegar Targaryen would be included in a flashback sequence. Fans got their wish at the end of season seven, but they actually knew about it long before "The Dragon and the Wolf" premiered. This is because a user on Reddit got ahold of a leaked HBO file that revealed the name of the man cast to play this important GOT character, Wilf Scolding.
Based on the theories circulating the internet, dedicated fans knew that the casting of this character would lead to the reveal that Jon Snow is a Targaryen, and thus in conflict with Dany for the throne.
Arya's Blind Storyline
Ahead of the premiere of season six, that same anonymous user on Archive.4plebs.org revealed that they had many plot details for the show. One of the details that they shared had to do with Arya's training as a Faceless Assassin. The post told readers that Arya would spend some of the season completely blind, as Jaqen had taken away her sight at the end of the previous season. But it also claimed that Arya could earn her sight back through a series of tasks. This included taking out an actor in a play that reenacted the events of the prior seasons. Of course, all of this ended up being true.
The First Four Episodes Of Season Five
Although script leaks tend to be the most common for HBO, back in 2015, the network was actually dealing with full-on piracy. According to spokespeople at HBO, the first four episodes of the fifth season of Game of Thrones were leaked online ahead of the spring premiere of the show. These leaks originated from someone who was pre-approved to see the episodes ahead of schedule.
RELATED: Game of Thrones Theory: Tyrion Betrays Daenerys In Season 8
Obviously, this was a big disappointment for the network, as reviews for the episodes came out before they were aired. Additionally, those who wanted to watch them sooner could do so. This made it the most pirated show in history.
The Great Big Leak Of The Century
As reported by Complex, the biggest Game of Thrones leak of them all was that of the entire seventh season. Almost every detail of the show was spoiled by those who scoured Reddit. This is because all someone got ahold of all the leaked scripts, as well as a script from HBO and Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm. Of course, the production called these leaks "nonsense", but most of them ended up being true. Among the true leaks was the fact that The Night King would posses Viserion and that Jon and Dany would spend much of the season hanging out at Dragonstone.
Here's hoping that HBO can keep a lid on the most important spoilers of the final season.