Taking the world by Stormborm: 4 Game of Thrones theories you should read up before July

The return of the record-smashing HBO series Game of Thrones is now visible on the edge of the horizon (only two months). As leaked set pictures and stories flood the internet, fans around the world are fervently beginning to speculate on what the penultimate season will bring.

People have reverted to their usual pastime of crafting theories, ranging from probable to impossible to insane. Let’s take a look at a few of the most popular fan theories (apart from the Varys being a merman, which is so true that there’s no point writing about it):

1) R+L=J

This one is possibly the most widely known theory. Jon Snow is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. For those less well versed with the history of Westeros, Rhaegar Targaryen, after winning a tourney, bestowed upon Lyanna a laurel, declaring her the Queen of Love and Beauty. This was while he was married to Elia Martel, and Lyanna was betrothed to Robert Baratheon. Shortly after this, he kidnapped Lyanna, triggering Robert’s War of the Usurper.

In season 6, Bran’s vision of the events at the Tower of Joy was revealed, where the King’s Guard defended the Tower. Why would the King’s Guard be there if not to protect the Prince’s heir? Lyanna’s dying words were muted, but the mounting evidence points this theory to being the most probable one by far, everything but explicitly confirmed. Perhaps in season 7, Bran will cross the Wall and inform Westeros about this? And will the illegitimate union be good enough for Westeros to accept Jon’s claim to the Iron Throne?

2) Tyrion Targaryen

On the subject of secret Targaryen children, Tyrion Lannister is another possibility. Tywin Lannister detested Tyrion for his appearance, or at least that was what was claimed. It is exceedingly possible that Aerys Targaryen (the Mad King) had seduced or raped Tywin’s wife and Tyrion is his child.

This can be shown through Tyrion’s matched eyes and dark hair, as opposed to Tywin’s mismatched eye colour and the Lannister blond hair. Additionally, Tywin’s possible misuse of a drug for abortion could be the cause of Joanna Lannister’s death and Tyrion’s dwarfism. Tywin even said that Tyrion was ‘no son of his’, and refused to make Tyrion his heir.

Maybe Tyrion’s Targaryen blood is why he has such an affinity with dragons (remember him calming Viserion and Rhaegal down?). This could have a huge impact on events to come, with him, Jon, and Dany being the last three Targaryens, and possibly uniting to the delight of pretty much every viewer out there. Either way, it’s an exceedingly interesting theory which may be explored in the season to come.

3) Jon and Daenerys

‘BUT THEY ARE RELATED’, they scream. Intra-Targaryen marriages are not very scandalous and help ‘preserve their pure bloodline’. The easiest way to cement an alliance against both Cersei and the White Walkers would be a wedding, and it practically is the title of the book series: A Song of Ice and Fire. Ice being Jon, fire being Dany. It seems the most fitting way forward for the two of them. However, seeing the geographical distance between them, it is rather unlikely that they will even meet in the first half of the season. But wouldn’t it make a brilliant the season 7 finale?

4) Jamie kills Cersei

In season 5 Cersei was given a prophecy that she would become queen, only to be cast down by one ‘younger and more beautiful’, and where Robert would have 20 children, she would have 3, because of their infidelity, and her children will have golden crowns and golden shrouds, referring to either their hair or literal crowns, and the shrouds they were buried in: in Tommen’s case, the golden cloak he wore, in the Myrcella and Jeoffrey, the actual shrouds that covered their bodies.

However, the final part of the prophecy was edited out of the show for reasons unknown. In the book, the prophecy was “when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.” Valonqar meaning little brother. The obvious choice is Tyrion, but Jamie seems to actually have a far stronger case to be the ‘Queen Slayer’ now, having significantly changed since doing ‘the things we do for love’.

The look he gave Cersei in season 6 finale says it all and a further indication will come when season 7 commences- will Cersei die at the hands of her own lover?

Whether or not these theories carry any weight with the producers, they certainly are credible and interesting theories, worth reading up if you’re craving some Game of Thrones before the season premiere on July 16.