Two members of House Mormont perished during the Battle of Winterfell in Game of Thrones season 8 which had viewers wondering about the future of the noble family. Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) was the most prominent figure from the lineage but young Lyanna Mormont (Bella Ramsey) served as the fan-favorite. Here's what happened to the house following the tumultuous battle.
House Mormont resided in the North on Bear Island, their ancestral home. Jorah once served as the Lord of Bear Island until he participated in the slave trade forcing him to flee to Essos. The family was extremely loyal to House Stark, which was reiterated multiple times throughout the series. The family was in possession of the Valyrian sword, Longclaw, but Jeor, the former Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, gifted the weapon to Jon Snow. When the house fell into the control of Lyanna, she stood by the allegiance to House Stark by assisting in the Battle of the Bastards as well as the Battle of Winterfell.
Lyanna wasn't a fan of Daenerys Targaryen or the fact that Jon bent the knee to her. Despite the reluctance, she lent her army to the efforts in the North. When Jorah and Lyanna reunited in Winterfell, they argued about the future of House Mormont. Seeing as Lyanna was so young, Jorah wanted his cousin to flee to safety so that she could carry on their lineage. She fiercely disagreed and stayed to fight alongside her allies. Jorah and Lyanna bravely put their lives on the line during the battle and ending up getting killed. Seeing as they were the last surviving members of the lineage, House Mormont went extinct. The fate of Bear Island was never clarified in Game of Thrones.
Game Of Thrones Rarely Explained What Happened To Extinct Houses
House Mormont certainly wasn't the first noble house to be completely wiped out in Game of Thrones. House Bolton, House Tyrell, and House Karstark were just several lineages that ended due to no living family members. The series didn't spend much time explaining what happened to certain regions after houses went extinct. Even when House Martell was in danger of going extinct, an unknown Prince acquired the lordship of Dorne; even that wasn't thoroughly explained.
More than likely, Bear Island would have been bequeathed to a distant family member outside of the Mormont lineage. It would be someone who married into the family at some point who didn't carry the Mormont ancestry by blood. With no interested parties directly involved with House Mormont, maybe Sansa Stark, the Queen of the North, had the chance to decide the fate of the island. She could place another noble family in the area or use it as an extra stronghold in the North. The status of House Mormont in Game of Thrones is drastically different in George R.R. Martin's book series since several members of the family, including Jorah and Lyanna, are still alive. That could soon change in The Winds of Winter, if it ever releases.