Here are ten theories about the final season of Game of Thrones that, if true, would've been better than what the show gave us. It is safe to say that the eighth season of Game of Thrones was not overwhelmingly well-received. The HBO series has one of the largest fanbases of any TV show, as evident by record-setting ratings, and they each brought their expectations with them. Thanks to the large cast, multiple storylines, and stakes of the series, there were many different ways that fans hoped to see Game of Thrones conclude.
However, Game of Thrones is known for subverting expectations and shocking fans at every turn, and that is precisely what the final six episodes did. Unlike previous surprises, though, the reactions to many of the decisions made have been extremely negative. Daenerys Targaryen becoming a villain, Bran becoming king, and more left many fans angrily buzzing about how the show ended.
The dissatisfaction with the finale may partially be because of the execution, but fan theories also played a part in many getting their hopes up that certain events would happen. Unsurprisingly, Game of Thrones didn't use many of these theories to chart the course of the final episodes, which is somewhat of a shame, though, as there were some great theories about the last season. In Screen Rant's latest video, we'll highlight a few of the best, which you can learn about by watching the video at the top of this post.
The theories about Game of Thrones are fascinating alternatives to the story we got, if nothing else. Jaime Lannister being the Lord of Light would be quite the revelation to get in the final episodes and may have helped close his arc more heroically by killing Cersei. Meanwhile, other fans hoped to see Jaime kill his sister, but for it to truly be Arya wearing Jaime's face to trick her. There were even some fans wondering if Cersei's backstory could get fleshed out a bit more by having Gendry be revealed to be her and Robert Baratheon's son.
While these theories could've made for exciting twists in Game of Thrones' final season, these last few episodes can't be criticized for not using them. As much ownership as fans like to have over different properties, it is ultimately the responsibility of the creators to mold the story. Series showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss took some liberty with the source material in adapting George R. R. Martin's books, but they stuck his planned landing with Bran on the throne. So, don't expect the final books to incorporate any of these Game of Thrones theories or have a drastically different ending.