Game of Thrones may be ending this year, but more adventures in Westeros and beyond are right around the corner. With the massive success of the show, it’s no surprise HBO is eager to keep the brand going. A prequel series, rumored to be called The Long Night and set thousands of years in the past, is the first spin-off. It is also ramping up its production as we speak.
As with anything Game of Thrones related, the secrecy surrounding the new series is high. However, small details about the show have trickled out, giving us an idea of what’s involved. Here’s what fans can expect from the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel series.
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10. A Time Before Dragons
Since their rebirth into the world at the end of the first season, dragons have been a major part of Game of Thrones. They have helped Daenerys Targaryen rise to power and will be very valuable in the war against the White Walkers. However, this new series takes place in a time before dragons were in the world.
The Targaryens brought dragons to Westeros and used them to conquer the new land. However, the prequel is set many years before any of this took place. Still, there will likely be hints to them and how they first came into the world.
9. A Diverse Cast
A common complaint about Game of Thrones has been the lack of diversity in the cast. While the setting complicates how diverse the cast can be, it has been something the show has struggled with. Not only is diverse representation becoming an important topic in the entertainment industry, but projects like Black Panther and Crazy Rich Asians have shown it can lead to tremendous success.
The new series seems to be conscious of those facts as the main cast is much more diverse than that of the original series. This doesn’t mean it’s better than the previous show but it’s a nice change of pace for this world.
8. Essos
Most of the action in Games of Thrones has taken place in Westeros, yet we have seen other parts of this world as well. Daenerys’ journey in the first six seasons explored Essos, which is the land east of Westeros.
Essos introduced us to different cultures and people which is where much of the existing diversity comes from. Based on the confirmed cast for The Long Night, many have speculated much of the series will be set in Essos. While nothing is confirmed, such a setting is full of exciting history the show could have a lot of fun with.
7. The Andal Invasion
While the official synopsis seems to confirm that Essos will play a large role in the new series, it also confirmed we will be exploring the past of Westeros. This means we’ll likely see the Andal Invasion which helped shape the Westeros we’re all familiar with.
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The Andals are a group of warriors who fled Essos and attempted to conquer Westeros. This led to a brutal war between them and the First Men who inhabited the land. This seems like a perfect subject for the prequel show to tackle.
6. No Iron Throne
The battle for the Iron Throne has been the central struggle of Game of Thrones since the beginning. Even now, when much larger threats emerging, some characters are still mainly concerned with that throne. However, in the time of The Long Night, the Iron Throne didn’t even exist.
The Iron Throne was created by Aegon Targaryen after he conquered Westeros. While we’ll certainly see war over the land of Westeros, this takes place before it had a king. It will be interesting to see a show in the universe of Game of Thrones without one of its most iconic symbols.
5. Prominent Ancestors
It has already been said this prequel would not feature any characters from Game of Thrones. Given the time period, that makes sense. However, that doesn’t mean there won’t be connections to our favorite characters.
The official synopsis mentions the Age of Heroes which is a period when many of the famous Westerosi houses were established by heroes of the time. Bran the Builder, a Stark ancestor and builder of the Wall, will likely appear. We may also see Lann the Clever, the founder of House Lannister, and possibly the role Naomi Watts is playing.
4. Strong Female
There has been much talk about how women are depicted in Game of Thrones. Sexual violence against female characters has always been a part of the show which turns some viewers off. But it also true the show has given us a lot of powerful women, such as Daenerys, Arya, and Cersei.
It seems the new show is dedicated to continuing that theme. Along with Naomi Watts, there are many other up-and-coming actresses in the cast. HBO’s president of programming Casey Bloys also stated that with showrunner Jane Goldman at the helm, we’ll continue to see strong females in this world.
3. A Dark Past
One of the messages Game of Thrones and George R.R. Martin seems to be trying to get across is that fairy tales are lies. The books and shows have continuously shown that the romantic and heroic stories of the past are often much darker than what is told as a bedtime story.
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The official synopsis for the prequel teased that this is not the story we expect. With it taking place in the past where so many of these stories originated, expect to see a dark reality to be shown. This could change everything we think we know about this world.
2. The Children Of The Forest
The Children of the Forest were a small part of Game of Thrones' Season 6, revealing they were the ones responsible for creating the White Walkers and are now working with the race of men to defeat them. However, there is much more of their history that could be explored.
During the period of time the prequel seems to be dealing with, the Children of the Forest played a prominent role. Expect to see them featured heavily in the new series. It would be nice to see them in the foreground of the stories as their history is both fascinating and tragic.
1. The White Walkers
The very first scene of Game of Thrones introduced audiences to the White Walkers, foreshadowing them as a major threat in the future. While they remained in the background for the majority of the series, they are now very much at the forefront for what’s to come. But this is not the first time the White Walkers emerged.
The Long Night specifically refers to the first time White Walkers invaded Westeros and nearly took it over. This new series will most certainly explore them even deeper. Expect to see their beginning, their motivations and the man who would become Night King.