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For the first time ever, book readers and show watchers alike have no idea what to expect from Game of Thrones. With the sixth season right around the corner, HBO has released the latest official trailer and fans have already started studying every frame with the intensity of drug addicts who just can’t seem to get enough. Here’s everything we know so far:
1. Jon Snow is definitely still alive
At the send of season five, Jon Snow (Kit Harington) met a very sudden, yet very Game of Thrones-y demise. Despite HBO’s insistence that Jon is dead, fans are still in denial. Some eagle eyed hopefuls have even pointed to a shot in the trailer (around the 1:17 mark) where you can see a Night’s Watchmen that bears a striking resemblance to Kit Harington sporting Jon Snow’s trademark luscious locks.
2. And we know who Jon Snow’s mother is
As you might already know, one of the most popular Game of Thrones fan theories is R + L = J. It argues that Jon Snow is actually the son of Rhaegar Targaryen (Daenerys’ brother) and Lyanna Stark (Ned’s sister). This would make Jon the literal embodiment of both ice and fire and one of the most important characters in the series.
One of the main pieces of evidence for this theory is a flashback commonly referred to as the Tower of Joy. While Ned is imprisoned in season one, he recalls the death of his sister Lyanna. While the flashback was originally cut from the show, it seems it will finally be making an appearance in season six.
In the trailer, we see a group of Stark men (possibly led by a young Ned Stark) fight several Targaryen loyalists. It’s after this fight, that Ned finds his sister in a bed of blood. Lyanna’s final words are “Promise me Ned.” It’s widely believed that Lyanna died due to complications during childbirth and with her last breath asked Ned to raise the child as his own.
3. We’ll see more of the Greyjoys this season
It appears that Westeros’ most ruthless great house will have a bigger role in the upcoming season. Up until this point, the Greyjoy words have been “We do not show.” In the past we’ve seen Theon’s father and sister, but his uncles (or nuncles as the cool kids say) have been noticeably absent. In the trailer, we see a large gathering of Iron Born men (which book readers will recognize as the Kingsmoot), Theon’s uncle Euron standing on a rope bridge, and a shot of Euron being baptized (after all “no godless man may sit the Seastone Chair”).
4. Tyrion might get to ride a dragon
Sprinkled throughout the trailer are several shots of Meereen in disarray including a shot of what looks like Daenerys’ palace wall being blown up. Much like his tenure as Hand of the King, it appears Tyrion’s regency in Meereen will be consumed by civil war. However, the most interesting question is how Tyrion will respond to the violence.
While defending King’s Landing, Tyrion used wildfire to destroy Stannis’ invading ships. When it comes time to defend Meereen, we believe he’ll employ fire once again, but this time in the form of dragons. In the books, another character attempts to tame one of Daenerys’ dragons with mixed results. In the trailer, we see shot of Tyrion which then cuts to a dragon and leads us to believe it will be Tyrion who attempts to ride the dragon in the show. Oh.
5. We still have no idea what Jaime is doing
As book readers know, Jaime spends a large portion of A Feast for Crows and A Dance With Dragons bumbling about in the Riverlands, trying to clean up the last remaining parts of the Stark and Tully armies. However, that plot line seems to have been cut entirely. Instead, Jaime appears to be more involve in the politics in King’s Landing. At one point, we even see him leading an army of Tyrell men against the High Sparrow.
6. Bran Stark might be the bad guy
When talking about the upcoming The Winds of Winter, George R.R. Martin has said that the book will go farther North than any other installment. While fans are still waiting for The Winds of Winter, it seems that Martin’s promise will be fulfilled on the show this year. In the trailer, we see Bran Stark (most likely in a vision) meeting with the Night’s King, the leader of the White Walkers.
Some fans have already pointed out a physical similarity between the Night’s King and actor Isaac Hempstead Wright. What if Bran isn’t just meeting the Night’s King, what if he is the Night’s King? This wouldn’t be the first time an insane fan theory has involved time travel.
We don’t know much about the leader of the White Walkers, other a couple myths and legends which might actually support the theory. In A Storm of Swords, Bran recalls an old bedtime story about the Night’s King, “Some say he was a Bolton… Some say a Magnar out of Skagos, some say Umber, Flint, or Norrey. Some would have you think he was a Woodfoot, from them who ruled Bear island before the ironmen came. He never was. He was a Stark, the brother of the man who brought him down… He was a Stark of Winterfell, and who can say? Mayhaps his name was Brandon. Mayhaps he slept in this very bed in this very room.”
