It's nearly time for Game of Thrones season 8, which will bring the story to a close, and HBO has finally unveiled a full-length trailer that's packed with tantalizing reveals. We're here to break down the major beats of the trailer, as well as a few things you might have missed.
Based on the A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R. R. Martin and adapted for TV by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, Game of Thrones has attracted record numbers of viewers, and also won a record number of Emmy awards. It's been almost two years since season 7 premiered, as the six-episode final season required the series' longest stretch of production in order to give the story a suitably epic send-off. In season 8, Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen have united, along with other allies, to face the coming threat of the Night King, the White Walkers, and their army of wights - who threaten to wipe out all life in Westeros. Back in King's Landing, however, Queen Cersei is making her own plans.
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Game of Thrones returns to HBO on April 14, and there are sure to be casualties in the war between the living and the dead. We may also see some mysteries solved, like the origins of the Night King and the White Walkers... or perhaps those answers will be saved for the upcoming spinoff series. Let's take a close look at the trailer, to see what lies ahead in Game of Thrones season 8.
- This Page: Robb Stark's Return, The Golden Company, and More
- Page 2: Daenerys Arrives in Winterfell, Jon Visits His Roots, and More
- Page 3: The Lannister Brothers, The Night King's Arrival, and More
10. Arya Injured Inside Winterfell
The Game of Thrones season 8 trailer opens with an intriguing sequence in which young Arya Stark - stripped of her cool assassin demeanor - is hiding in the darkness. We then see her running through the halls sporting a nasty head wound, apparently fleeing someone or something. This doesn't seem to fit with the battle sequences that we see throughout the rest of the trailer, since there's no one else around. It's possible that the Faceless Men have caught up with her, and plan to take her out for using the skills she was taught to take her own revenge instead of worshipping the Many-Faced God. Or perhaps the battle ends poorly for Winterfell, and this is a scene from its conclusion.
19. Robb Stark Watches Over Winterfell's People
As a spymaster, Varys' talents have never been much use on the battlefield, and it unsurprisingly looks like he'll be sitting out the battle with the Army of the Dead. We see him in the Game of Thrones season 8 trailer with the women and children of Winterfell - and there's someone else with them as well. The statue in the background of this shot can only be Robb Stark, with his faithful direwolf, Grey Wind. Both were brutally murdered at the Red Wedding back in season 3, and since Ned Stark has his own statue below Winterfell, it makes sense that one would have been erected for the former King in the North as well. There's certainly something poignant about the people of Winterfell huddling around Robb's statue as they listen to the battle overhead. Seated right by Robb's feet is Gilly, along with Little Sam.
18. Arya Stark Welcomes Death
Like the other surviving Stark children, Arya Stark has changed a great deal since she was first introduced as a scrappy tomboy in season 1. Now an assassin who has trained with the Faceless Men, Arya has finally returned to Winterfell to check some more names off her list, and help her siblings in the fight against the Army of the Dead. We see her examining a roughly-made weapon - most likely one of the dragonglass blades that has been made for the upcoming battle - and saying, "I know death. He's got many faces. I look forward to seeing this one." Unfortunately, Arya's usual sword, Needle, isn't made from Valyrian steel, so she'll have to use dragonglass if she wants to kill a White Walker.
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17. Euron Greyjoy's Fleet and the Golden Company
While almost everyone else is making plans to stop the Army of the Dead from killing everyone, Cersei naturally only has her own interests at heart, and she has a dangerous ally in Euron Greyjoy. Towards the start of the Game of Thrones season 8 trailer we see ships with Euron's kraken sigil and, on board, the Golden Company - sellswords hired from Essos to bolster Cersei's forces in her planned assault on whoever survives the upcoming war. The blond-haired leader looking over the troops is their leader, Harry Stickland, who is played by new cast addition Marc Rissman. It's a powerful reminder that even if Jon and Daenerys succeed in defeating the Army of the Dead, there's still a dangerous enemy to the south who is ready to pounce while they're weakened.
16. Tormund, Beric, and Edd Face the Night
For a while Game of Thrones had reason to be very worried about Wildling leader Tormund and Brotherhood Without Banners leader Beric Dondarrion, as they were on the Wall when the Night King destroyed it with his Ice Dragon. However, this shot confirms that they're still alive and well, and Beric still has his flaming sword - which should prove useful in the upcoming fight. They're accompanied by Jon's old friend Edd, who was left in charge of the Night's Watch after Jon's departure. It's unclear where exactly they are in this scene, though it's possible that Tormund and Beric headed to Castle Black after surviving the assault on Eastwatch.
Page 2 of 4: Daenerys Arrives in Winterfell, Jon Visits His Roots, and More
15. Bran and Sam Looking Concerned
In Game of Thrones season 7, Bran and Sam pieced together the truth about Jon Snow's true parentage. Following a vision, Bran was able to reveal that Jon is actually the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Sam, having read a High Septim's diary while studying at the Citadel, uncovered the fact that Rhaegar's marriage to Elia Martell had been anulled, and that he married Lyanna Stark - which means that Jon isn't just an illegitimate offspring, but a rightful heir to the Iron Throne. Bran said last season that Jon "needs to know the truth," but knowing the truth could spark a struggle for power between Jon and Daenerys. In this shot we see Bran and Sam together, with Sam looking worried - perhaps because he has learned about Jon and Daenerys' relationship.
14. Cersei Watches the World Burn
Amid the terror and dread of the imminent war, one person seems to actually be looking forward to it. In the two close-up shots we get of Queen Cersei in the Game of Thrones season 8 trailer, she looks pretty confident that things are going her way (more so in the above shot; in the second she looks more conflicted). Accompanying her in the above shot is Ser Robert Strong, the reincarnation of the Mountain, and Cersei's Hand of the Queen, Qyburn. Cersei's costume here features armored shoulders and chains, indicative of a monarch who is ready for war, but Cersei is all too happy to let the battle between the living and the dead play out without getting her own forces involved. This over-confidence may well prove to be her final downfall.
13. Daenerys' Army Arrives at Winterfell
Much of the start of the Game of Thrones season 8 trailer is dedicated to showing the arrival of Daenerys Targaryen's army arriving at Winterfell - or at least, the Unsullied. The Dothraki, who make up the bulk of Daenerys' army, are largely absent from the trailer. It's possible that Daenerys sent them elsewhere (they're unlikely to be fans of the freezing cold of the north). Jon and Daenerys are shown riding side-by-side amid the Unsullied as a symbol of their new alliance, and an amazed Sansa watches as the dragons fly overhead. Clearly Jon has succeeded in bringing a formidable fighting force back to Winterfell, but tensions may arise as a result of the new arrivals - whether from farmers unhappy about dragons eating their livestock, or a struggle to provide food and shelter for tens of thousands of soldiers.
12. Jon and Daenerys Visit the Stark Crypts
Jon Snow isn't yet aware of the truth that was revealed to audiences last season: that his mother was Lyanna Stark, and his father was Rhaegar Targaryen (which means that his new girlfriend is, unfortunately, his aunt). In one shot in the Game of Thrones season 8 trailer we see him in the tombs below Winterfell, which were also the main setting of the "Crypts of Winterfell" teaser trailer. Daenerys approaches and appears to comfort him, but it's unclear who exactly Jon is visiting. Has he gone to pay respects to his adoptive father, Eddard Stark, or has he found out the truth about his mother and gone to visit her final resting place?
Related: Game of Thrones: Every Character Confirmed For The Battle of Winterfell (So Far)
11. Gendry Gets Back To Smithing
The illegitimate son of former King Robert Baratheon, Gendry spent several seasons rowing a boat and returned in season 7 with some serious upper body strength. Davos found him making weapons for the Lannisters, having been hidden right under Cersei's nose, and recruited him for the upcoming fight against the Army of the Dead. Gendry now wields a warhammer, and very effectively, but in the Game of Thrones season 8 trailer we see he's also putting his smithing skills to good use at Winterfell.
Page 3 of 4: Winter Reaches South, Jaime Reaches North & More Of Our Game Of Thrones Trailer Breakdown
10. A Battle in Flames
The main battle shown in the Game of Thrones season 8 trailer is hard to make out, not only because it takes place at night but because everything seems to be on fire, with the air filled with smoke and ash. Brienne, Arya and Jaime are all seen in the thick of the fighting. Fire is, of course, one of the only ways of killing wights, the undead thralls of the White Walkers, so the armies at Winterfell may well use it as a weapon against them. There are also two dragons fighting on their side, who are bound to start a few fires when they leap into battle. However, fire can kill ordinary men just as easily as wights, and this battle seems like a dangerous place to fight. Moreover, will Winterfell be able to withstand the flame, or will the ancestral home of the Starks be one of the casualties of season 8?
9. Cersei Keeps The Throne Room Warm
As the ice and snow creep down from the north, King's Landing has continued to enjoy sunny days while the rest of Westeros freezes over. However, in the shot of the throne room in the Game of Thrones season 8 trailer we see that Cersei has redecorated, filling the hall with massive braziers. This shot also highlights the extent of Cersei's isolation. After blowing almost the entire Royal Court to smithereens in the destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor, the Queen's has been left with just a few loyal allies - as well as a formidable fighting force. Cersei seems happy to wait out the coming war, but the fact that she too is having to fend off the chill suggests she may have overestimated how safe King's Landing will be.
8. Jon Prays at the Weirwood Tree
In season 1, Ned Stark used the weirwood tree as a place for quiet contemplation, and always visited it after carrying out an execution. In the Game of Thrones season 8 trailer, we see his adoptive son continuing the tradition, standing in front of the tree and its weeping face. While we don't know the context for this scene, it seems like the sort of place where Jon would go on the eve of the battle with the Army of the Dead. As Game of Thrones' story comes to a close, we can probably expect quite a few callbacks to season 1 in order to highlight how the world and its characters have changed since then, and the weirwood tree has powerful connections not only to the Stark family and their legacy, but also to the Old Gods and the mysterious history of the North.
7. A Hound in the Dark
Some parts of the Game of Thrones season 8 trailer are hard to make out, because it turns out that season 8 is literally dark and full of terrors, but we do get one brief look at Sandor Clegane a.k.a. the Hound. Now allied with Jon Snow and prepared to join the battle against the Army of the Dead, the Hound will presumably be part of the upcoming fight - but when we see him here, he is somewhere inside and appears to be injured. Could this be part of the same sequence where we see Arya running for her life? The two haven't seen one another since Arya left the Hound for dead, so their reunion is unlikely to be a pleasant one.
6. Jaime Pledges Allegiance to the Living
It took a long time, but Jaime Lannister's toxic relationship with his sister finally broke down when he found out about her plans hold her own armies back and let Jon and Daenerys' break against the approaching hordes of wights. In the Game of Thrones season 8 trailer we see Jaime promising to fight for the living, and then doing so in a fiery battle, looking bloodies and exhausted. Despite only having one hand left to fight with, Jaime is still a formidable warrior - but he also seems like one of the characters most likely to bite the dust in Game of Thrones season 8. After all, what better way to conclude his long redemption arc than by having him sacrifice his own life for the cause - perhaps even to protect the family he once tried to destroy.
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Page 4 of 4: Jon Snow in Action, A Tyrion Mystery & More Of Our Game Of Thrones Trailer Breakdown
5. Jon Runs Into Battle
We don't get to see much of Jon Snow in action in this trailer, but in the one shot we do get he's running like hell itself is on his heels. Interestingly he appears to be alone, as the following shot of a group of soldiers running through a gate looks like it's from a different scene. One character that's noticeably absent from the trailer is Jon's faithful direwolf, Ghost (who is often missing from the show because of the difficulty and expense of including a Northern Inuit dog in a scene and then using CGI to turn it into a giant). However, it seems likely that Ghost will get in on the action, and it's possible (as many fans fear) that he will end up joining his late siblings Grey Wind, Lady, Summer, and Shaggydog.
4. Jon Snow: Dragon Rider?
As revealed in season 7, Jon Snow has both Stark and Targaryen blood, making him an elegant blend of the ice and fire themes. Since he is part Targaryen, it seems fairly likely that we'll see him ride one of Daenerys' two remaining dragons in season 8. A shot from the Game of Thrones season 8 trailer of Drogon and Rhaegal flying over an extremely wintry landscape bolsters existing evidence from filming details that Jon and Daenerys will take a trip north of the Wall this season, and what better way to travel than by dragon? The shot of the two lovers approaching Daenerys' two dragons seems like obvious set-up for Jon becoming a dragon-rider as well.
3. Where in the World is Tyrion Lannister?
Considering he's one of the most prominent characters in the series, Tyrion gets surprisingly little screen time in the Game of Thrones season 8 trailer. The one shot we do get of him shows him sporting the brooch that marks him as Hand of the Queen to Daenerys, but he's not standing in the wintry landscape of the north. It looks as though he may be on a beach, perhaps back at King's Landing - gone to implore his sister to help in the war, perhaps? In any case, the absence of Tyrion throughout much of the trailer is arguably as telling as the one time we do see him; whatever he's up to this season, clearly showing any more of it would be a spoiler.
2. Brienne, Pod, Jorah, and Grey Worm on the Front Lines
It looks like the final battle with the Army of the Dead will begin at night, and on the front lines are four supporting characters who have so far survived the Game of Thrones grinding mill of deaths and made it to the final confrontation: Brienne of Tarth, her faithful squire Podrick, Jorah Mormont, and Grey Worm, commander of the Unsullied. Brienne is still under an oath to protect Arya and Sansa, and is therefore a natural ally in the upcoming battle, while Grey Worm and Jorah are both fiercely loyal to Daenerys. The fact that they will be among the first to face the White Walkers and their army seems ominous: which of them, if any, will survive the battle?
1. The Night King Arrives at Winterfell
One popular Game of Thrones fan theory is that Winterfell didn't get its name from its geography (a "fell" is an upland moor or hill), but because of its historical significance - that it's where winter fell at the end of the Long Night, the last time the White Walkers were driven back. If true, then it's an appropriate setting for this final battle between the gathered forces of Westeros and Essos, and the Night King and his Army of the Dead. The Game of Thrones season 8 trailer concludes with an ominous shot of skeletal hooves stepping into view, with Winterfell in the distance, surely marking the arrival of the Night King on his undead steed. Could Jon and Daenerys end the invasion by taking out the leader of the White Walkers, or will he emerge victorious instead?