‘Game Of Thrones’ Season 8 Spoilers: Which Characters Still Have A Claim To The Iron Throne?

[Update, May 14, 2019]: Cersei Lannister is no longer a contender for the Iron Throne after her death in Season 8, episode 5 "The Bells."

[Update, May 7, 2019]: The Night King is no longer a contender for the Iron Throne after his death in Season 8, Episode 3 " The Long Night."

“Game of Thrones” has finally come to its final season—and at the end of these six Season 8 episodes, someone will be sitting on the Iron Throne and be the official rules of the Seven Kingdoms.

We’ve seen three other people sit on the throne before its current occupant, claims from several others who wanted it and schemes from even more who felt they might have a crack at it. While there are two wars that will be fought in the final episodes of the HBO series, one will be for the ultimate seat of power. To help give fans some perspective on who really still seems like they might belong there ahead of the show’s return, here are the current contenders to take it all.

Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey)

Her husband and children all died, and there was no one left to take the throne—leaving the Seven Kingdoms in Cersei’s hands starting at the end of Season 6. The first official Queen of the Seven Kingdoms has proven she is a force to be reckoned with, not only eliminating several enemies at once when she blew up the Sept of Baelor with Wildfire, but continuing her streak of luck when it came to successfully capturing and killing all of Daenerys’ allies due to her alliance with Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbæk). She’s managed to pay off the crown’s debts to the Iron Bank in full and seemingly re-secured The Reach. She also connivingly convinced Daenerys, Jon and everyone else that she was joining them in the fight against the dead and would dispatch her army to go North—when in reality, she and Euron once again struck a secret deal, and she is keeping her army where she needs them as he ferries the Golden Company over from Essos to help. Overall, she’s proven to be absolutely ruthless when it comes to holding her power.

However, her actions have had consequences for her. While Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) was once on her side, her one true ally is now against her and plans to fight for the other side. With no real friends on her side that she hasn’t either literally bought with gold or promises, her position could be weaker than it ever was before.

Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke)

Daenerys’ journey has always been about one day taking the Iron Throne and reestablishing the Targaryen dynasty as the rulers of Westeros. She’s come quite a long way since she was simply the bargaining tool for Viserys (Harry Lloyd) to get Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa) and his Dothraki horde to serve in his army. She’s become a ruler on her own, picking up one of the longest names in history ever since: Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, rightful heir to the Iron Throne, rightful Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms, the Mother of Dragons, the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt and the Beaker of Chains. She has made her way home to Westeros, taking up residence at Dragonstone, lost nearly all of her allies in the battle against Cersei, seen the Night King, and even seen one of her dragons die a brutal death. She also found herself once again in bed with another, as she and Jon seemingly found love with one another.

However, while she has been working towards this goal for seven seasons, Jon is the one who stands in her way and could prevent her from taking what has seemed to be rightfully hers. However, since he has previously been a little more reluctant to take such a powerful role, she could still take the Iron Throne if he defers to her (which he has technically already done by bending the knee).

Jon Snow (Kit Harington)

No one ever would have guessed that Ned Stark’s (Sean Bean) bastard would one day be in contention for the Iron Throne, but those same people also probably never guessed he would become the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, die, be brought back to life, and become the King in the North. That all happened too.

But the biggest things about Jon that he doesn’t know have also been revealed. Not only is he the son of Lyanna Stark (Aisling Franciosi) and Rhaegar Targaryen (Wilf Scolding)--but he’s also legitimized thanks to his father annulling his marriage to Elia Martell and secretly marrying Lyanna. As the legitimate son of Aerys’ oldest son, Jon is the true Targaryen heir—not Daenerys.

But would he take the Iron Throne once he knows the truth about who he is? Jon has reluctantly taken on some of his more powerful roles over the years and never has had designs for a throne—let alone THE throne. Since he bent the knee to his Aunt (before knowing she was that), would he, if they both make it to the end and the Targaryen dynasty is back in charge, stay off to the side to allow her to take the throne?

The Night King (Vladimir Furdik)

We still have no idea what exactly the Night King’s goal is or why he has even come to Westeros to begin with, but now that he’s there, we can’t discount that he wants to rule over the Seven Kingdoms as well, albeit seven kingdoms of dead people. While his taking the Iron Throne would be super depressing, at the same time, his claim is just as legitimate in terms of potential.

“Game of Thrones” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. EDT on HBO.