Game of Thrones season 8 is almost out, and that means time is running out for characters who will die in the show's final season - and Cersei Lannister is someone who's supposed to die at the hands of the Valonqar. While there are plenty of characters with a question mark hanging over their heads going into Game of Thrones season 8, there are a few who are almost certainly going to meet their end - and top of that list is Cersei (Lena Heady).

Over the years, several characters from Game of Thrones season 1 have perished, usually not by natural causes, and as the series continues to progress, it seems many high ranking people have started to die at the hands of Cersei. It's understandable given that she's either been Queen or Queen Regent since the very beginning, and she's someone who's fiercely loyal to her family - at least the ones that truly matter to her.

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And now, the scheming Queen is starting out Game of Thrones season 8 in a position of power; she's on the throne, her family's debts have been mostly paid off, she has several key alliances, and of course, she's pregnant with Jaime's baby. Should she win out over Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen, Cersei will have an heir to her throne, and everything she has ever wanted (except for her other children alive, of course). However, fans of the Game of Thrones books know that she also has the Valonqar prophecy to contend with - and one that says she will be killed very soon.

The Valonqar Prophecy: Why Cersei Has To Die

The Valonqar prophecy that predicts Cersei's death was given to her by Maggy the Frog when she was a young girl; she was hoping to see if she'd have children and become a queen in the future. Audiences saw this prophecy being delivered in a flashback in Game of Thrones season 5, which predicts Cersei's marriage to a king, the birth (and death) of three children, and her own death at the hands of the Valonqar.

Cersei: When will I wed the prince?

Maggy: Never. You will wed the king.

Cersei: I will be queen, though?

Maggy: Aye. Queen you shall be... until there comes another, younger and more beautiful, to cast you down and take all that you hold dear.

Cersei: Will the king and I have children?

Maggy: Oh, aye. Six-and-ten for him, and three for you. Gold shall be their crowns and gold their shrouds, she said. And when your tears have drowned you, the Valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.

The majority of this has already come to pass; Cersei did not marry the prince that she expected, but did marry King Robert Baratheon. He had multiple illegitimate children, while she had three with Jaime, not with the king. Of these children, two have worn golden crowns as king (Joffrey and Tommen), and Myrcella has had her fair share of golden circlets, although she was never officially crowned. And, of course, all three of her children have now died. Two younger queens have also appeared to "take all she holds dear," although whether the prophecy refers to Margaery Tyrell or Daenerys isn't entirely clear.

This leaves only one part to be fulfilled: the Valonqar strangling her to death. The word "valonqar" means "little brother" in High Valyrian, which has given rise to plenty of theories about which "little brother" will be the one to do the deed. However, there are several possible Valonqars in Westeros, and any one of them may be the one to choke the life out of Cersei before Game of Thrones season 8 ends.

Related: Game of Thrones: Why Cersei Needs The White Walkers

Does The Prophecy Even Matter To Game Of Thrones?

Although Game of Thrones fans and book readers seem convinced that there will be a Valonqar who kills Cersei in season 8, it's worth noting that Game of Thrones actually chose to leave out the Valonqar part of the prophecy in the flashback scene - which means that this may not make it onto the small screen at all. Plenty of A Song Of Ice And Fire has been cut from the show already, and it may be that the decision to leave the Valonqar out of the flashback means that Cersei's end will be very different. It could also be that we have yet to see the rest of the flashback, of course, or that the prophecy will be fulfilled without being explicitly referenced.

Whether Cersei dies at the hands of a "little brother" or not, though, it does seem like she will still not make it to the end of the Game of Thrones series. The rest of Maggy's prophecy has been fulfilled, and it included only three children, not four. Given that Cersei is now pregnant, it follows that she will not live to give birth (although she may also have a miscarriage). At this point in the game, it would be satisfying for book fans to see the prophecy be fulfilled in its entirety, but it's not necessary for that to happen for the show to wrap up her story in a gratifying way.

All that said, there's plenty of possible candidates going into Game of Thrones season 8...

Page 2 of 2: Who Kills Cersei In Game of Thrones Season 8?

Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister and Lena Headey as Cersei in Game of Thrones

Tyrion: Game of Thrones' Greatest Lannister-Killer

The most straightforward interpretation of the prophecy is that Tyrion will be the Valonqar - which is also the most popular fan theory. Tyrion is her little brother, both in age and in physical size. He's also the (self-ascribed) "greatest Lannister killer of our time." Tyrion has been blamed by his father, Tywin, for killing his mother when she gave birth to him, thus giving him his first Lannister kill. Since then, he has also killed Tywin with a bolt through the heart, and he has abandoned his family to support their rival, Daenerys.

Furthermore, Cersei hates Tyrion, and he hates her. Cersei herself has become convinced that Tyrion is the Valonqar, and she put a bounty on his head. In terms of motivation, Tyrion certainly has enough reasons to want his sister dead, and he's shown that he's more than capable of killing - and of choking someone to death, which is how he killed his lover, Shae, when he found her in his father's bed.

This is a simple theory, but not necessarily the most likely one. Although Tyrion has plenty of motivation for killing Cersei, he would find it difficult to get close enough to her to do so, especially as she already suspects that he will try, and he would have to take her by surprise in order to physically overpower her. Tyrion may hate her, but he may not hate her enough to abandon his queen and position as Hand in order to head to King's Landing on a murderous vendetta.

Related: Game of Thrones Theory: Tyrion Betrays Daenerys In Season 8

Jaime Becomes Kinslayer And Kingslayer

The other obvious character who could be the Valonqar is Cersei's other brother, Jaime Lannister. Jaime may be her twin, but he was born moments after her, thus making him a "younger" brother in the most technical sense. Jaime is also becoming increasingly unhappy with Cersei, according to actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and shocked by her behavior. He still loves her, but over the course of the Game of Thrones series, audiences have seen that love go from quite simple and devoted to something much more complicated. It's difficult to imagine the current Jaime pushing a boy off a tower for seeing them together.

Jaime is grieving the loss of his children, and may blame Cersei for Tommen's suicide - and he has some potentially complex feelings for Brienne, not to mention her straightforward honor and loyalty, which is in stark contrast to Cersei's scheming ways. Already a Kingslayer, Jaime may find himself forced to kill another ruler a second time. Like the Mad King, Cersei has started killing people en masse to get what she wants, using wildfire to do so, and if she continues to become more unhinged, Jaime may well feel that he has to kill her. However, there are some arguments against this theory, too. Appalled as he may be at Cersei's behavior, Jaime does love her, and she's currently carrying his child. It's difficult to imagine that their relationship has deteriorated so far that he would actually kill her with his bare hands, but it's possible nonetheless.

Arya The Assassin And Her List Of Names

Arya Stark and Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones

Next up on the possibilities list is Arya Stark. Although she's not Cersei's younger brother, she may still fit the Valonqar definition. In High Valyrian, many words are gender-neutral (like the word for dragon), which could mean that the Valonqar could be any gender. It also isn't entirely necessary that the Valonqar is Cersei's younger sibling, but simply any younger sibling - which Arya is, with multiple older brothers and sisters.

If we accept that the Valonqar could be any younger sibling, then Arya makes a lot of sense. She has plenty of reasons for wanting Cersei dead; Cersei is the first name on Arya's kill list after all, earning the top spot for her part in the death of Ned Stark. Revenge isn't her only motivation, though. Cersei is the primary enemy of the Starks, and the Jon/Dany alliance. Taking Cersei out would be a service to Arya's family and the woman that they want to see on the throne.

Related: Game of Thrones: Is Arya Stark Beyond Redemption?

In addition, Arya is physically extremely capable of killing the Queen. She has proven to be a ruthless killer time and time again, and her training with the Faceless Men gives her the ability to sneak into King's Landing and murder the Queen relatively easily. She also has no other demands on her time - she is not making a play for the throne or acting as Wardeness of the North, so there's nothing to stop her heading to the Capital to take out the Queen.

Other Possible Valonqars

Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane, aka the Hound, on Game of Thrones

There are a couple of other options, although these tend to be less popular as far as fan theories go. Sandor Clegane, the Hound, is another "younger brother" - to Gregor, the Mountain - that hates Cersei and would be more than capable of killing her. It's also likely that the Hound will head to King's Landing at some point in Game of Thrones season 8, specifically for the highly anticipated CleganeBowl showdown with the Mountain. Of course, if audiences accept that the Valonqar prophecy could refer to any younger sibling in Westeros, this also means that pretty much any character who hates Cersei and isn't a firstborn could fulfill it. Another Stark child might; Jon Snow might. This interpretation of Maggy's words leaves the playing field pretty wide open.

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