'Game of Thrones’ Ending: 5 Fan Theories About The Major Secret

Few television shows generate fan fever online like HBO's “Game of Thrones.” Between the original books and the show, fans have a vast amount of source material for conjuring theories ranging from the innocuous to the absurd. So it comes as no surprise that, despite the saga being nowhere close to finished (author George R.R. Martin still has two books to go with no publication date set), a few dedicated fans have already solved the ending to the fantasy epic.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Martin spoke about the wide range of fan theories on the Internet at the Edinburgh International Literary Festival in Scotland, confirming that some savvy fans have figured out his clues. “At least one or two readers had put together the extremely subtle and obscure clues that I’d planted in the books and came to the right solution,” Martin confessed.

Martin, who delights in surprising his fans, also addressed how he dealt with such news, saying, “So what do I do then? Do I change it? I wrestled with that issue, and I came to the conclusion that changing it would be a disaster, because the clues were there. You can’t do that, so I’m just going to go ahead. Some of my readers who don’t read the boards, which thankfully there are hundreds of thousands of them, will still be surprised and other readers will say: ‘See, I said that four years ago, I’m smarter than you guys.'”

So what's the big secret? How will “Game of Thrones” end? While it is hard to theorize a definitive ending with so much plot still to unwind, most ideas center around which character will “win” the titular “Game of Thrones.” IBTimes compiled some of the more popular fan theories for who that may be:

Daenerys Targaryen

The “Mother of Dragons” is an obvious choice to come on top at the end. She’s more or less isolated from the petty politics of Westeros and she certainly has the military power to take over and rule. Plus, most theories center on “The Prince that was Promised” prophecy that Daenerys witnessed in the House of the Undying, which tells of a Targaryen hero who will rise up to rule. Daenerys, being a powerful Targaryen queen, seems like a worthy candidate.

Jon Snow

However, the prophecy says, “The Dragon will have three heads,” leading many fans to believe that there are multiple Targaryen candidates. The most popular fan theory on the Internet seems to be that Jon Snow is not, as has been suggested, Ned Stark’s bastard, but his sister Lyanna’s son with Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, making Jon a Targaryen. His prominence and growing influence in the story adds to this theory.

Tyrion Lannister

Another, slightly more obscure, theory is that Tyrion Lannister is not really Tywin Lannister’s son, but that of the Mad King Aerys with Tywin’s wife. In the books, his hair is said to be so blond that it looks almost white (like a Targaryen) and Tyrion’s central placement in the story has always been a bit peculiar.

Bran Stark

Bran is special. He has magical gifts, and Jojen and Meera have appeared solely to guide Bran to his magical destiny. Also, as the eldest living son of Ned Stark he is the rightful heir to the North. Down the road this whole story might just end up being Bran’s.

Arya Stark

Arya has sure grown up during the first four seasons and has become a cold and ruthless killer on a mission of revenge. It is hard to say where Arya Stark’s story is going in Season 5, but we wouldn’t put anything past her. It is doubtful she’s be ruling Westeros when the show is done, but it would be unwise to bet against her.

Who will win the “Game of Thrones?” Tweet your thoughts to @Ja9GarofaloTV.