There are only a few months to go before fans learn how Game of Thrones will end... and who will be seated on the Iron Throne when it does. The eight and final season premieres in April, and fan theories are flying as to who is most likely to become the final ruler of Westeros. Of course, there are some obvious choices - Daenerys Targaryen, the woman who has been aiming for the throne since the start. Jon Snow, aka Aegon Targaryen, who is the rightful heir.
But what about those people who are legitimate possibilities... but that most fans aren't thinking about when feverishly debating the eventual ruler of Westeros? Such as these ten players, who may surprise people with a serious shot at the Iron Throne in the end...
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Littlefinger
It would seem to be difficult for Littlefinger to take the Iron Throne, given that Arya Stark cut his throat in season seven... but hang on, because the fans of Game of Thrones have come up with an interesting possibility for this schemer. One fan theory suggests that he faked his own death, and that he got one of the Faceless Men to stand in for him in the Great Hall that day - which means that Littlefinger is at large, incredibly dangerous, still with the support of Robin Arryn, and nobody else knows that he's still alive.
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That would be a potent combination, and given how Littlefinger has been carefully manipulating his way to the Iron Throne from the very start, it's still a possibility that he manages to get his wish in the end.
Sansa Stark
Sansa Stark has come a long way from her early days as a pampered little girl who just wanted to wear pretty dresses and marry a Prince. Now, Sansa is powerful, capable, and surprisingly devious. As Wardenness of the North, she showed how good she could be as a ruler, and in the Battle of the Bastards, she showed that warfare is something she can handle as well. Sansa would be more than capable of rallying the North to her side and using that to get her to the Iron Throne (for a phenomenal revenge-on-Cersei moment, too).
Varys
Varys is definitely not someone who is gunning for the position of King, but he could be a surprisingly good choice - and it's not completely far fetched, either. Of all the people in Westeros, Varys has made it clear that his allegiance is not to a House, to a person, or to himself even, but to 'the good of the realm'. He's extremely well-informed, capable, and easily underestimated, but always close to power - and he knows the inner workings of King's Landing extremely well. Should Daenerys follow in her father's footsteps and go mad, Varys might be the one to step up and take her place.
Euron Greyjoy
It's hard to imagine someone who would be worse for the people of Westeros as ruler than Euron Greyjoy - but this is still a definite possibility. Euron has already been crowned the King of the Iron Islands and defeated the Dornish, and has somewhere to hunker down and wait out the Long Night, should he choose. He actually already (jokingly) suggested doing this, although Cersei revealed later that he was on the way to collect the Golden Company. However, with the Iron Islands and the Golden Company at his beck and call, why would Euron bend the knee to Cersei? He could just as easily take the throne himself.
Bran Stark
This is definitely one of the least likely scenarios, given that Bran Stark has no real claim to the throne, no use of his legs, and is now the Three-Eyed Raven, but it's still a possibility. In fact, it's his new role as Three-Eyed Raven that makes this likely.
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Bran could well use his visions and gifts to ensure that he makes it onto the Iron Throne (and stays there), as well as helping Jon defeat the White Walkers. Jon is unlikely to actually want the throne, and if Cersei and Daenerys both die in the final season, Bran may be able to take the kingdom for his own magical self - as a reward for saving them all.
The Night King
Euron Greyjoy on the throne would be a serious improvement on this one, but we can't discount the possibility that Game of Thrones will end with the fractured Kingdoms unable to stand up to the might of the army of the dead - and with the Night King and his resurrected dragon on the Iron Throne. Game of Thrones' official promo photos for the season did also include a shot of the Night King on the Iron Throne, although this doesn't mean anything more than the Night King is a huge part of the final season.
Samwell Tarly
Samwell Tarly may be the person least likely to actually want the Iron Throne, but he may have a claim to it even stronger than Jon Snow. According to some fan theories, Sam Tarly isn't a Tarly at all, but a Targaryen himself. Sam may well be Aegon Targaryen, the firstborn son of Rhaegar and Elia Martell.
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It is widely believed that the young Aegon was killed by the Mountain during the Sack of King's Landing. However, it's possible that Varys was able to get the child to safety and replace him with a nobody, and that Sam was raised with no clue as to his true heritage. If this is the case, he would have the strongest claim to the Iron Throne... even if he wouldn't know quite what to do with it.
Cersei Lannister
Given that Cersei is currently on the Iron Throne, this may not seem too 'out of the box' at first glance. However, it would seem strange for Game of Thrones to leave Cersei in power, where she has been (for the most part) since the start - even if this is the first time she is true Queen. The Valonqar prophecy also says that Cersei will die in season 8, so most fans have accepted the idea that Cersei is on her way out.
However, there is always a slim chance that Cersei won't actually die. The prophecy may have been false, her scheming to abandon the North to the White Walkers may work, and Cersei may still manage to win the Game of Thrones in the end.
Gendry Baratheon
Gendry Baratheon also has a claim to the throne - as the bastard son of Robert Baratheon, he could have claimed the throne when his father died (especially as Cersei's children were not actually Robert's). Now, this claim still stands - although he's hardly the only character with some kind of right to the throne, as we've already seen. Gendry is also an all-around good guy, currently fighting on the side of Jon and Daenerys, with his massive warhammer. It's unlikely that Gendry would actively try and overthrow Jon or Daenerys, but should they bite the dust this season, he has a solid chance of ending up on the Iron Throne.
Jon & Daenery's Child
It's been confirmed that the final end to Game of Thrones is going to be 'bittersweet' - and it's theorized that Daenerys is currently pregnant. It would certainly fit the idea of a bittersweet ending if Jon and Daenerys survive long enough to see their child born... and then die, without ever really getting a chance to rule the kingdom that should be theirs by rights. A fitting end would be for the new generation, Stark and Targaryen combined, to hold the throne - with a fan-favorite like Sansa or Tyrion acting as Regent until they come of age.
Who do you think will win the Iron Throne? Let us know in the comments.