[SPOILERS for those not caught up on Game of Thrones ahead.]
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A new Game of Thrones fan theory has emerged, positing that Bran and Sam could be vital in the final season of the HBO’s fantasy mega-hit. Of course, Isaac Hempstead Wright’s Brandon Stark and John Bradley-West’s Samwell Tarly reunited, after a lengthy separation, in the Game of Thrones season 7 finale.
It was this pairing (although Hannah Murray’s Gilly deserves a fair chunk of the credit) which finally clarified that Kit Harrington’s Jon Snow is the legitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. This gives Jon (aka Aegon) a hugely strong claim to The Iron Throne - though it’s clear that rightful succession has gone right out of the window, at this point.
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Regardless of whether Jon ends up on The Iron Throne (it remains to be seen whether he would even want to), this scene between Sam and Bran was an important proof-of-concept presentation. With Sam’s thirst for knowledge coupled with Bran’s ability to pluck facts out of history by sticking his hand in a tree, there’s no limit to what these two can uncover. That’s the gist of this new fan theory, which arrived on Reddit thanks to a user named kinboy. Here’s the summary:
“Bran is now Samwell's master codex. He is Encyclopedia BritBrannica. To have the most curious character meet and partner with the most omniscient character is to create the Internet in Westeros. Sam won't have to dig through books and tomes anymore. He can simply BRoogle the answer and away we go. [...] It certainly gives them the potential to be the most powerful/dangerous [characters in the show].”
It’s clear that Bran needs a bit of guidance: he can see all of history and everything unfolding in the present day, but he doesn’t always know where to look. Sam can help him separate the needles from the haystacks, pointing him in the direction of the vital information. Important things to uncover include written proof of Jon’s parentage, the details of Cersei’s current betrayal, and how to kill the Night King. Finding some tips on how to turn a mountain of Dragonglass into heavy duty weapons should probably be top of their to-do list.
However, it’s also interesting that kinboy’s theory throws in the word "dangerous". As fans learned in season 6, Bran’s time travel has the power to hurt people: Hodor’s mind was irreparably damaged by Bran’s “hold the door” stunt. Perhaps Sam will unwittingly send Bran into dark territory, endangering the Westerosi population in the process of trying to save them. Maybe this theory about Sam and Bran’s importance could connect to the one about Bran and the Night King being mentally linked. As ever, only time will tell.
NEXT: Every Major Death in Game of Thrones Season 7
Game of Thrones season 8 doesn’t have a release date yet, but you can expect every important update to be right here on Screen Rant.