"Game of Thrones" fans aren't strangers to plot lines left by the wayside. Season three in particular had a wave of characters who never appeared in the subsequent two seasons — Balon Greyjoy chiefly among them. But another minor character has drawn more attention than any other: Gendry. 

The bastard son of King Robert Baratheon came under threat when the red priestess Melisandre discovered him. Her plan was to burn him alive as a gift to the Lord of Light, utilizing the "king's blood" in him for her own power. Davos Seaworth, ever the moral man, helped Gendry escape in the season three finale. Davos put the young man in a boat, instructing him to row down to King's Landing.

Though it's logical to assume Gendry made it alive, and has kept a low-profile among the poor peasants of King's Landing, many fans are craving direct closure. Without seeing the bastard boy actually land on shore, many believe he's still out there to this day, rowing his boat gently down the sea. 

Some even joke — whenever a dark ocean shore appears in a new episode — that he's actually about to land. For example, this GIF uploaded by Redditor SimpleRy splices together Gendry's departure with the chaotic scene of season five's "Hardhome" episode. 

Gendry last appeared when the season three finale aired on June 9, 2013. As recently as March 2016, Redditors were posting theories about his possible reappearance. Redditor AcoupleofIrishFolk's guess was a clear joke: "Gendry is a blacksmith, so obviously he is going to have one stronger arm than the other. His dominant hand is rowing slightly stronger than the other. Poor bastard has been rowing in f---ing circles around the narrow sea since he left Dragonstone."

Others have taken to rewriting the classic nursery rhyme "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." Here's Redditor el-toro-loco's take:

Row, row, row your boat
Across the Narrow Sea
Aimlessly, aimlessly, aimlessly, aimlessly
It sucks to be Gendry

Another Redditor, backnblack92, wrote a little diddy to the tune of "Ridin'" by Chamillionaire (featuring Krayzie Bone):

They see me rowin'
They hatin'
Floatin' ... Tryin' not to die of scurvy

Even Joe Dempsie, the British actor who played Gendry, is in on the joke. Immediately following the season four finale, he tweeted the following message:

Still rowin', indeed. Dempsie held with tradition one year later, and tweeted a reference to his character after the season five finale. This time he added in the YouTube video for The Lonely Island's "I'm on a Boat."

With season six approaching, fans are once again trying to guess if Gendry will ever appear. Our guess? Not likely. In the book, the whole subplot with Melisandre and Davos never happens. Gendry is simply among the Brotherhood without Banners, presumably fighting off Lannister soldiers in the Riverlands.

Author George R.R. Martin didn't make him out to be particularly significant in the same way the show did. So for now, we'll assume Gendry made it safely to King's Landing and is hiding out as instructed by Davos. But keep the memes coming, Redditors. Nothing passes time between seasons like a good running gag. 

Season six premieres April 24 on HBO. Tune in to see the returning cast of characters (probably sans Gendry), and keep a look out for Dempsie's next season finale tweet about Gendry's never-ending boat adventure.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This popular 'Game of Thrones' fan theory could come true in the next season

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones" season six.

The total character death count in "Game of Thrones" is shockingly high, and that number will only get bigger as we head into the show's sixth season. Certain characters, like the season six hot topic Jon Snow, have many fans who firmly believe they'll be alive and well. Actress Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) actually spilled the beans, and confirmed she survives the season. But there are several men and women of Westeros that we're pretty sure will get the axe soon.

Scroll down to read more about their pending doom.

Tommen Baratheon is out of siblings, and might be next on the chopping block.

In the first episode of season five, a flashback to young Cersei visiting a creepy fortune-teller was the opening scene. The witch lady, named Maggy, told Cersei that she would have three children. "Gold will be their crowns, and gold their shrouds," the woman tells Cersei. 

This scene, straight out of the book, has fans believing that all three of Cersei's children are destined to die prematurely. So far, the prophecy is two for three. Joffrey was murdered in season four, and Myrcella died at the hands of the Sand Snakes in the season five finale. The odds of the youngest Lannister bastard making it to the end of season six are low.

Balon Greyjoy's days are definitely numbered.

Back in season two, Melisandre had Stannis burn leeches filled with Gendry's blood and say the names of every "false king" he wanted dead: Joffrey, Robb, and Balon. Within the next two seasons, both Joffrey Baratheon and Robb Stark died, proving Melisandre's power to Stannis. But somehow Balon Greyjoy was forgotten over the years, but now he's back in season six. At least for a little while. 

We're pretty certain Balon's death is coming this season. He wasn't featured in the new trailer, but we did get a glimpse of his brother Euron. Based on events in the books, Euron's should assassinate Balon and try to take the Iron Islands for himself.

Jorah Mormont is a walking greyscale bomb.

Jorah the Explorer (as some fans call him) contracted the deadly disease of greyscale in season five. Based on our knowledge of the ailment, his survival would be basically impossible. Plus it feels like Jorah's character arc is coming to a close. He served Daenerys well as her advisor and friend, but that bond may have been broken beyond repair when she learned of his earlier betrayal. 

Knowing Jorah, he'll make some grand gesture or heroic act in the final days or moments of his life. We just hope he doesn't spread greyscale around too much before he dies.

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones" season six.

With each new "Game of Thrones" trailer released by HBO, fans have taken it upon themselves to analyze the footage frame by frame (us included). One eagle-eyed viewer has found a curious connection between a shot in the newest season six trailer, and a scene from season one. 

In episode three of season one, titled "Lord Snow," Ned Stark arranges for Arya to learn sword fighting from Syrio Forel.

As she begins her first lesson, Ned walks into the room and watches the two practice with wooden swords with a grin on his face. But the sound effects of the fake swords quickly turns to metal clashing, and Ned's face goes from amused to concerned. 

He appears to be having some sort of PTSD moment, a callback to a fight or battle in his past. The scene, and episode, ends with no explanation of his mood-change.

But now, we might have an explanation. Redditor funkyfish posted their findings to the /r/asoiaf subreddit, a common landing ground for fan theories and spoilers. Funkyfish points out that people in the past have drawn connections between Arya and Ned's sister Lyanna, who died years ago during Robert's Rebellion. Arya and Lyanna are described in the book series to have similar features, and Ned recalls Lyanna sparring with other children when she was younger. 

So what does this have to do with the new trailer?

Based on similarities between the fight choreography in Arya and Syrio's scene, and an image from the trailer, fans now believe that Ned's emotional reaction was due to a memory about the Tower of Joy— the place where Ned found Lyanna dying in a bed of blood.

Here's the Tower of Joy shot in question:

Based on context clues, including the attacker's Targaryen armor, we're pretty sure this violent moment from the trailer is part of a flashback sequence we'll see next season. In the book series, Ned has dreams about the day he found his sister Lyanna in a castle called the Tower of Joy, where Ned and several companions have a brutal fight with Targaryen kingsguard men in order to rescue her.

Only Ned and one other man, Howland Reed, survived the small battle. Ned went inside the castle, only to find Lyanna in her last minutes of life. The most popular theory in the "Game of Thrones" fandom is known as "R + L = J," and it postulates Lyanna was at the Tower of Joy because she was pregnant with Jon Snow. Lyanna and Rhaegar Targaryen (the prince at the time and man who allegedly kidnapped Lyanna, sparking the war that made Robert king) were likely in love, and stole away to the Tower of Joy to hide their secret lovechild. But Lyanna died from complications of childbirth, and Rhaegar was killed in battle by Robert Baratheon. 

Ned's memory of this day would of course bring him nothing but sadness. He lost his sister, several friends, and was burdened with the greatest secret he would ever carry — Jon Snow's true parentage.

Take a look at the scene of Arya and then this scene from the trailer side by side:

The combination of seeing Arya, his youngest daughter who bears a strong resemblance to his dead sister, combined with the memory of one of his men being killed in this exact same way was probably gut-wrenching.

While its of course possible this is all a coincidence, we'd like to think the direction of "Game of Thrones" has been this attentive to detail from the beginning. 

Watch the full scene with Ned, Arya, and Syrio on YouTube (the PTSD flashback moment happens right around 3:05).

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This popular 'Game of Thrones' fan theory could come true in the next season

Warning: There are spoilers ahead if you're not caught up with "Game of Thrones." 

HBO's marketing campaign for the "Game of Thrones" season six has kept fans talking about the show's biggest mystery: Is Jon Snow alive or dead?

At the end of season five, Jon Snow was left for dead after a mutinous attack by his Night’s Watch brothers. Since then, fans have been in an inescapable debate of whether or not Jon Snow has been permanently killed off the HBO series.

Many of those working on the show, from producers to actors to the president of HBO programming himself, have insisted he’s dead and never coming back. 

But die hard fans refuse to believe the claim.

Theories of Jon's survival have been circulating ever since 2011, when the last book, “A Dance With Dragons," was released. When the show finally caught up to the books in season five, TV viewers joined in with wild speculation. We wrote up a lengthy overview explaining theories of how Snow could still be alive right after the season five finale. The short of the argument is that Melisandre, the red priestess, will probably revive Jon through a fire-magic ritual that has precedent in the series.

But at this point, fans are looking beyond the books for clues. Instead, they’ve turned to denouncing every statement and action made by those involved with the show’s production. These are the top six reasons fans are refusing to believe Jon Snow is totally dead. 

1. The semantics game

When asked plainly if Harington was released from his contract, showrunner Dan Weiss told Entertainment Weekly: “Dead is dead.”  The director of the finale episode, David Nutter, also told President Obama himself "Jon Snow is deader than dead." 

The latest insistence came from HBO programming president Michael Lombardo. “Dead is dead as dead as dead. He be dead. Yes. From everything I’ve seen, heard, read, Jon Snow is indeed dead,” he said.

This may have dispelled casual watchers from believing the hype, but the zealots have continued to brush these off as lame cover-up attempts. When you look at these quotes back to back, it's almost comical how intent everyone is on using the words "dead" and "Jon Snow" in the same sentence. 

This brings us to the semantics-based argument that devoted followers have begun circulating.

Sure. Jon Snow may very well be dead. BUT, he's most likely going to be resurrected or reborn next season. Technically, HBO can put word out there that he's "dead" without being deceptive. 

Because, really, what else would HBO representatives say? “Well, you’ve figured it out! You’re right, he’s totally coming back.” Of course not. They have to try and maintain some semblance of mystery, however thinly veiled.

Just minutes after the season five finale, Entertainment Weekly ran an interview with Kit Harington, the actor who plays Jon Snow. When asked about the possibility that his character might not truly be dead, Harington was adamant. “They said, ‘Look, you’re gone, it’s done.’ If anything in the future is not like that, then I don’t know about it – it’s only in David and Dan and George’s heads. But I’ve been told I’m dead. I’m dead. I’m not coming back next season.”

Blowing right past the insistence that he is dead, readers latched onto the technicality of that last sentence. So Harington isn’t coming back next season. Does that mean he may come back the season after that? Some fans think so.

If anything, Harington's comments just put internet detectives on alert for potential news of his appearance on set for the next season. "Game of Thrones" works on a tight schedule. Just weeks after the season five conclusion, actors and crew members began assembling in one of the set locations, Belfast. 

2. #HairWatch is in full effect

Harington's precise location isn't the only detail that fans are obsessing over. The length of his hair has become a focal point of many believers. 

In December 2014, The Independent reported Kit Harington regretted being contractually obligated to keep his hair long for the role of Jon Snow. Harington said he planned to "cut it off quite soon. As soon as I'm allowed." If he truly isn't returning as Jon, and has fulfilled the HBO contract, surely he'll turn up with short hair. And yet, week after week, every photo snapped of Harington shows those long locks intact.

Above is a photo taken in early July, when Harington attended Wimbledon and created a hair-related frenzy of speculation. 

Each one of his appearances in Belfast has inspired fans to reassure their co-conspirators that his hair has undergone no changes.

3. A "quite spectacular" slip

Carice Van Houten, the actress who plays Melisandre and Jon Snow's would-be savior, said in an interview after the finale aired "you feel that [Melisandre] is concentrating more and more towards Jon Snow … there are slight hints that something’s going to happen." These words had a much more dramatic implication coming after Harington's statements regarding the finality of his death. 

Van Houten also teased that something "quite spectacular" was in the works for next season, but she wasn't able to elaborate. 

It feels as though Van Houten is referring to the hints fans have grabbed onto as a basis for their theories that Melisandre will be involved with Jon's return from the dead. One commenter pointed out, "She's not being terribly subtle."

4. The telling history of San Diego Comic-Con 

The final clue that fans have focused on came from the highly-anticipated "Game of Thrones" panel during the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con. These panels often feature both of the show's creators, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, as well as several prominent cast members who were killed off in the most recent season.

In 2013, the panel included Michelle Farley and Richard Madden; the actors who played Catelyn and Robb Stark, respectively. Their deaths at the Red Wedding massacre in season 3 were among the most shocking and game-changing of the entire series. 

Then, in 2014, the fan favorites Rose Leslie (Ygritte) and Pedro Pascal (Oberyn Martell) were also present at Comic-Con. Ygritte was Jon Snow's love interest, and had been killed during a battle at the Wall. Oberyn Martell had an iconic death against the Mountain. Both were on hand for the "Game of Thrones" panel to answer questions about their experiences on the show.

When the 2015 panel participants were announced, dedicated followers immediately noticed three major absences. Both show creators AND Kit Harington were missing from the line-up. This sparked plenty of conversation around the logic behind this decision, and whether it was a clear move on HBO's part to avoid direct questioning about Jon from fans.

5. The incomplete "In Memoriam" toy collection

Mid-July, HBO announced a new collections of "Game of Thrones" character merchandise. The group of toys was dubbed: "Honor the Fallen: Game of Thrones™ In Memoriam." The tribute includes the likes of Stannis Baratheon, Oberyn Martell, and Ned Stark.

Jon Snow was noticeably absent from the set. 

More conspiracy conversations were sparked from this HBO announcement. Since many iconic characters were included, why not Jon? Perhaps it's because his death is not as permanent as the those who were included.

6. Snow has been spotted on set

Popular "Game of Thrones" news community Watchers on the Wall has reported multiple sightings of Harington among cast members in Northern Ireland. They referred to Jon's return as "the worst-kept secret in Game of Thrones land."

The argument can be made that he is merely on set to film a funeral scene, but this isn't entirely convincing for one reason: Back in September, Harington was spotted on the show's set in Northern Ireland — and it was no funeral being filmed. 

Watchers on the Wall claims Harington was seen filming a big fight, one where he may be leading Northern armies against the Bolton family.

As of November 16, the site reports there is a scene being filmed between Snow, his sister Sansa, Ramsay, and Littlefinger.

The fact remains that, as far as anyone has been informed, only three individuals actually know whether Jon Snow is alive or dead. The author of the book series, George R.R. Martin, and the two creators of the HBO series David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. Martin has reportedly told Benioff and Weiss how the series ends, which means they should know Jon Snow’s true fate.

Until the series returns — or author George R.R. Martin publishes the sixth book, “The Winds of Winter” — dedicated followers of both the book series and the show are stuck in an frustrating but hope-filled purgatory. 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This popular 'Game of Thrones' fan theory could come true in the next season

Warning: There are major spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones" season six. 

Fans were stunned Sunday evening when the "Game of Thrones" writers threw a huge curve ball into the already crazy and magical world of Westeros and beyond. But it turns out, some fans have been guessing this plot twist for more than four years.

Turn back now if you haven't watched Sunday's season six premiere of "Game of Thrones."

The first episode of season six ended with the reveal that Melisandre is actually a wrinkly old woman who was disguising herself as a young, beautiful, red-haired priestess.

Yep. That happened.

Fans went bananas online as Melisandre removed her dress (something we're all used to by now, seeing as getting naked and serving the Lord of Light are two of Melisandre's favorite activities) and transformed into a bent and ancient old lady.

The episode ended with no elaboration on Melisandre's plans at Castle Black, though the running theory is that she will somehow resurrect Jon Snow. Episode two, titled "Home," will probably expand more on Melisandre's role in the situation with Jon Snow's body.

While the twist came as a surprise to many, there were some fans who saw this coming. Here's why some fans had guessed Melisandre's youthful appearance was a farce all along.

Hints in the show

The first time viewers were introduced to Melisandre was in season two, when Stannis was burning effigies of the seven gods from the Faith of the Seven — the common religion in southern Westeros. The maester in Stannis' employ was a man named Cressen, and he considered Melisandre and her foreign god R'hllor (the Lord of Light) blasphemous.

Cressen tried to poison Melisandre by offering her a drink. He drank from the same glass first, a gesture of good faith, but as he fell to the floor dying Melisandre showed no sign of distress. She drank the poison, and nothing happened. As she stood over Cressen's dead body, Melisandre says simply: "The night is dark and full of terrors, but the fire burns them all away."

The red jewel in her necklace glowed as she said this.

So based on this scene, we clearly learn that Melisandre is somehow immortal or immune to life-threatening poisons. The glowing jewel also seemed significant from the get-go. But then, the actors themselves provided even more hints.

Cast interviews reveal more

Redditor and moderator of /r/asoiaf BryndenBFish put together an overview of Melisandre's known character attributions for a discussion on the red priestess. Included in the round-up is a quote from Oliver Ford Davies, the actor who played Cressen. 

During a 2013 interview with Flicks and the City, Davies described his initial confusion when acting out the poisoning scene with Carice Van Houten (Melisandre): "In between takes I said to her 'I'm not quite up to speed on this, why don't you die?' And she said, 'I'm 400 years old.'"

Van Houten herself also said something similar during an Access Hollywood interview back in 2012. When a reporter asked where Melisandre's power came from, and specifically if it had to do with her necklace, Van Houten replied: "She definitely has certain powers. I don’t how old she is, but she’s way over 100 years, so she is a wiser spirit, in a way."

So both Davies and Van Houten had spilled the beans nearly four years ago, and fans immediately began putting two and two together. 

Fan theories pinpoint the truth

The series — both on TV and in the books — has multiple characters who are essentially "undead." The leader of the Brotherhood without Banners, Berc Dondarrion, is one. And in the written series, Catelyn Stark is resurrected and becomes a revenge-seeking zombie. Back in 2013, Redditor DarthGregor postulated that Melisandre may be another "undead" character.

In the books, Melisandre reveals to Jon Snow that she's used a type of magic called "glamouring" in order to disguise a man as a different person. This hasn't been brought up in the show, but fans used this book factoid to point to the idea that Melisandre herself may be using her necklace to "glamour" herself.

A wrench was tossed into this idea when, during the season two finale, Melisandre was shown naked in a bathtub without her necklace on. She was speaking with Selyse, and still looked totally normal. It's possible that the showrunners simply blanked, and this is a a continuity error.

One person guessed that Selyse's ardent belief in the Lord of Light meant Melisandre didn't need to magically alter her appearance. Selyse saw Melisandre as a beautiful young woman without the help of additional tricks, only her faith. 

Either way, the significance of Melisandre's appearance in relation to her necklace has been a longtime focus of fan theories for years.

Season six build-up stokes the fire

Most people spent the time between season five and six debating about Jon Snow's future in the series. Many people (ourselves included) are convinced he will be resurrected somehow, and odds are this will involve Melisandre's powers. 

A few weeks before the premiere of season six, Liam Cunningham (Ser Davos Seaworth) and Van Houten made an interesting comment in regards to the first episode. During an interview with IGN, Cunningham said: "The first episode, the kick-off with her [points to Van Houten], is astonishing."

Van Houten jumped in and said: "Yes…! But it’s not what you think it is, it’s something else. I knew it was coming at some point, people had talked about it before to me, but I wasn’t sure when it was going to happen"

The "what you think it is" comment was probably referring to theories about Jon's resurrection. But now that we've seen the episode, they were clearly alluding to the reveal about Melisandre's true age.

Redditor jamieandclaire guessed this well before the episode aired by connecting this comment to a scene in the released trailer: Melisandre undressing with a strange look on her face.

"[Season six] opening scene with Mel will reveal her to be 400 years old," jamoeandclaire wrote earlier this month. "I think that may be what the scene with her undressing is. She's revealing her true form to Davos, hence the hesitant look on her face."

Though she was alone in the room, no Davos or Night's Watch men to witness the change, this prediction was very close. The closing scene showed Melisandre doing a sort of nightly routine, removing her clothing and then necklace to unveil what she really looks like underneath that iconic red dress.

In HBO's "Inside the Episode" segment that aired right after the credits, showrunner David Benioff confirmed what fans had believed all along. "There have been a few hints before that Melisandre is much older than she appears," he said. "[This is] going back to a very early conversation with George R.R. Martin about her: she’s supposed to be several centuries old."

So what does this mean? 

The creep factor of Melisandre sleeping with Stannis (and trying to seduce Jon) aside, her real age is an indicator that she's more all-knowing than we thought. Sure, she interprets her visions incorrectly from time to time. She erroneously identified Stannis as Azor Ahai, a prophecized hero reborn. But her age would give her a general leg-up when it comes to understanding the bigger picture of the war between humans and the White Walkers. 

More importantly, if she was somehow gifted the power of life after death, is this something she can pass on? We know the Lord of Light has the ability to bring people back from the dead, as evidenced by Beric Dondarrion. But maybe Melisandre will sacrifice her own eternal life to awaken Jon Snow. This could be a more powerful version of the resurrection seen with Thoros and Beric.

No wonder this episode was titled "The Red Woman"— fans are sure to be discussing Melisandre nonstop in the week leading up to episode two. We'll have to wait and see what becomes of Melisandre in future episodes, but hopefully her powers can be channeled towards the hero everyone wants back: Jon Snow.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This popular 'Game of Thrones' fan theory could come true in the next season

Warning: Major spoilers ahead if you have not watched the season six premiere of "Game of Thrones."

The sixth season of "Game of Thrones" started with a huge reveal that many fans didn't see coming, despite the previous hints on the series. Melisandre, the red priestess who previously served Stannis Baratheon, removed all of her clothing and jewelry to reveal that she's actually a withered old woman.

Though some dedicated fans had already worked out the truth, many people were surprised to see Melisandre in her real form. Carice Van Houten (Melisandre) spoke with Entertainment Weekly about this revelation and how she learned about it.

Though Van Houten had previously alluded to Melisandre's wizened state, she told EW that it wasn't until last year that she knew for certain. "I was really happy when I read that we were going to reveal that this year," Van Houten said. "I don’t think a lot of people will see that coming. It makes her immediately more vulnerable, but also more wise and even more mysterious. There’s also a vulnerability in her age."

The showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss — who also wrote this episode's script — also spoke about the Melisandre twist in a behind-the-scenes interview on HBO.

"There have been a few hints before that Melisandre is much older than she appears," Benioff said. "Going back to a very early conversation with George R.R. Martin about her: she’s supposed to be several centuries old. We always wanted to show her true age and we’re waiting for the right moment and this was it for us."

The "right moment" seems to have coincided with Melisandre's realization that she was wrong about Stannis the whole time. He was not the hero the Lord of Light had shown her in the flames. 

"Her appearance is a lie just as the Lord of Light’s supposed promises and messages to her were lies," Weiss explained. "At the end of episode one, she’s in a place where she really needs to look her real self in the eye and comes to terms with where she stands now."

Van Houten expanded on this idea of Melisandre's changing attitude in season six. "We see her from a really different side of her now,"she told EW. "We see somebody whose whole belief system is tumbling down. She’s completely confused, and I really like to play that. After all the security and strength and pride, now we see something completely different. I’ve been really waiting for this moment."

Since Benioff and Weiss have strategically positioned this reveal, viewers can infer some meaning behind the sudden shift in Melisandre's personality.

Her loss of faith is a result of realizing that she misinterpreted signs from the Lord of Light. We've seen her magic — surviving being poisoned, birthing a shadow baby, concealing her true appearance — so clearly not everything was a lie. 

In Sunday's episode, Melisandre stands over Jon Snow's dead body and says "I saw him in the flames, fighting at Winterfell." She looks horrified, at a loss for understanding how her vision was wrong. But here's the thing — it probably wasn't wrong.

Based on running fan theories, Jon Snow will be resurrected and go on to be a leader in the North. We know from leaked set photos that Kit Harington was seen on set wearing Stark armor, probably participating in a battle against the Boltons. Melisandre's vision of Jon Snow fighting at Winterfell is almost certainly going to happen.

Her faith in the Lord of Light just needs a little stoking. Perhaps she will be granted a new vision? A stroke of magical inspiration to revive Jon Snow? We'll have to wait until next Sunday to find out.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This popular 'Game of Thrones' fan theory could come true in the next season

One of the most persistent theories in the Star Wars universe may have some grounding in reality. We asked Astrophysicist Dave Minton about the 'Endor Holocaust', the fan theory that the exploding Death Star would have annihilated the moon forest of Endor at the end of 'Return of the Jedi'. It turns out to be far worse than anyone expected.

Produced by Corey Protin and Rob Ludacer

Original Reporting by Dave Mosher

Graphics by Skye Gould

Follow TI: On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Sunday's "Game of Thrones" episode.

The fourth episode of "Game of Thrones" season six began with an emotionally charged reunion between Jon Snow and Sansa Stark. After settling into each others' presence, Sansa launched into a pitch for the two of them to retake Winterfell by attacking the Boltons.

At first, Jon was adamant about not fighting anymore. He's had enough killing for one lifetime. But by the end of the episode, he had a change of heart thanks to a gruesome letter written by Ramsay Bolton. 

This letter arriving to Castle Black is a storyline taken directly from the books. But, naturally, things on the show have played out a little differently. Let's take a look at the significance of what many call the Pink Letter.

We'll start with the books. In George R.R. Martin's fifth "A Song of Ice and Fire" installment, "A Dance with Dragons," Jon Snow receives the Pink Letter before he is assassinated by his own men. There are other significant differences too.

Mance Rayder was not dead in the books — instead he was planted at Winterfell by Jon to rescue his "sister." A girl named Jeyne Poole was being passed for Arya Stark (neither Arya or Sansa are near Winterfell in the books). Jeyne was married to Ramsay, and word spread in the North that the Bolton bastard had married Arya. Jon doesn't realize the girl isn't really his sister.

So. Jon is Lord Commander, he's let the wildlings through the wall and now he's learned that Arya is at Winterfell with Ramsay Bolton, and he sent Mance Rayder to retrieve her. Also worth noting is that Stannis has not yet attacked Winterfell in the books. The last time book readers saw him he was about to start a siege outside the castle walls.

Here's what the letter says in the books:

Your false king is dead, bastard. He and all his host were smashed in seven days of battle. I have his magic sword. Tell his red whore.

Your false king's friends are dead. Their heads upon the walls of Winterfell. Come see them, bastard. Your false king lied, and so did you. You told the world you burned the King-Beyond-the-Wall. Instead you sent him to Winterfell to steal my bride from me. 

I will have my bride back. If you want Mance Rayder back, come and get him. I have him in a cage for all the north to see, proof of your lies. The cage is cold, but I have made him a warm cloak from the skins of the six whore who came with him to Winterfell. 

I want my bride back. I want the false king's queen. I want his daughter and his red witch. I want his wildling princess. I want his little prince, the wildling babe. And I want my Reek. Send them to me, bastard, and I will not trouble you or your black crows. Keep them from me, and I will cut out your bastard's heart and eat it. 

Ramsay Bolton,
Trueborn Lord of Winterfell

Hoo boy. A lot to unpack there. The letter clearly states that the Boltons have defeated Stannis' army. Ramsay also says he imprisoned Mance Rayder, and now has a hostage request list which includes Melisandre, Selyse and Shireen Baratheon (who are at Castle Black in the books), along with Mance's wildling wife Val and their baby. Plus, Reek/Theon has escaped Winterfell and taken Jeyne with him (Ramsay's bride). 

But here's the thing: Book readers have long speculated that the letter was not written by Ramsay, and the stated events are therefore unconfirmed. There are a number of hypothetical letter writers, including Mance Rayder himself.

Regardless of who wrote it in the books, the Pink Letter is Jon Snow's motivation for leaving Castle Black to respond to the threat. In the books, this is why several Night's Watch men stab Jon. Not just because of the wildlings, but because he was about to break his vows and ride south to engage in warfare with Ramsay. 

"A Dance with Dragons" ends shortly after the Pink Letter and Jon's assassination chapter. We don't get another point-of-view written in the North, so there's no way for book readers to know for certain that Ramsay has already defeated Stannis, or captured Mance. 

This brings us to the show's version of this letter. 

First off, and most importantly, the letter is unarguably written by Ramsay Bolton. We watch as a Bolton rider arrives to Castle Black, with a wax-sealed letter bearing the Bolton sigil (not just a "smear of pink wax" as it's described in the books). 

Plus it's written after Jon is assassinated (and resurrected) and after viewers watched Stannis lose the battle at Winterfell. Sansa is Ramsay's actual bride in the show, and Mance Rayder is dead. 

Here's what the show version of the letter read: 

To the traitor and bastard Jon Snow

You allowed thousands of wildlings past the Wall. You have betrayed your own kind, you have betrayed the North. Winterfell is mine, bastard, come and see. Your brother Rickon is in my dungeon. His direwolf’s skin is on my floor, come and see.

I want my bride back. Send her to me, bastard, and I will not trouble you or your wildling lovers. Keep her from me, and I will ride north and slaughter every wildling man, woman, and babe living under your protection. You will watch as I skin them living. You will watch as my soldiers take turns raping your sister. You will watch as my dogs devour your wild little brother. Then I will spoon your eyes from their sockets and let my dogs do the rest. Come and see.

Ramsay Bolton Lord of Winterfell, and Warden of the North.

In the show canon at least, writers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have done away with any ambiguity about the author of the letter. In a season six teaser, we heard Ramsay say "Winterfell is mine, come and see"— clearly reading from this letter script. Listen below:

And with Mance dead, there's no character in Winterfell who knows all the information contained in that letter and has motivation to impersonate Ramsay. Some people thought Sansa could have crafted the letter, since a fight against the Boltons is what she wants and this letter motivated Jon to agree. But how could Sansa possibly know about Rickon? 

Based on behind-the-scenes interviews from Benioff and Weiss, we know they consult with Martin on key plot points. If they've spoken with him about the letter, the show may have just proved several fan theories wrong. If not, book readers have more mystery to look forward to in the next installment, "The Winds of Winter."

One this is for certain — Jon and Sansa are headed south together on the show. Their plan is to visit the other northern houses previously sworn to House Stark, and hope they can gather a force large enough to match Ramsay Bolton in the battlefield. Snowbowl — or the Battle of the Bastards — is coming. 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 3 details you may have missed in the fourth episode of 'Game of Thrones'

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones" season six, including speculation of future events.

"Game of Thrones" actors tend to be extra-careful during interviews these days, since superfans can draw conclusions from even the most cryptic of clues. The latest incident comes from Faye Marsay, the actress who portrays Arya's nemesis in the House of Black and White: the Waif.

Marsay appeared on British television program This Morning, where she had a very interesting conversation with hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby about Jon Snow. 

Jon Snow, Arya Stark, and the Faceless men?

Schofield and Willoughby brought up the "secret" of Jon Snow's resurrection, and Marsay admitted that she was one of the few cast members who knew he was returning. But why? As Schofield pointed out to her, even Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) didn't know right away. "But how did you know, because you're not even —"

Marsay cut him off: "I can't tell you how I know … I can't tell you." Schofield, clearly confused, prodded the actress a bit. "Is it like something to do with what's coming up?" he asked.

"I'm just going to leave that one there," Marsay said.

This could be major news. Logic follows that Marsay knew about Jon's return because the Faceless Men are somehow aware of the resurrection. Perhaps the show might go so far as to have Arya sent out on an assassination mission to kill Jon again. 

"I'm not in the same part of the country," Marsay said. "But anything can happen in 'Game of Thrones.'" 

Fan theories and clues

Anything, indeed. Even before Marsay's comments, fans had speculated that Arya could be tasked with killing her beloved half-brother. Why? People believe Arya will eventually return to Westeros. Having such a badass character like Arya actually shed her identity and remain in Braavos forever would be too anticlimactic. 

Three years ago, a Redditor posed the idea to the /r/asoiaf subreddit: "As we all know Arya is training to be a faceless man and [in my opinion] will soon be given a mission to kill one of the main characters. My question is who? I think it will be (tinfoil) Jon Snow ..."

But people weren't very receptive to the idea. First of all, in the books we know that Faceless Men cannot be hired to kill someone they know. This is just part of their code. Secondly, the motivation is shaky. Why would a Faceless man need to kill Jon Snow? 

In the books, Jon submits a request for a loan from the Iron Bank of Braavos. People thought perhaps the bank would hire the Faceless Men if he didn't pay them back, but that's a stretch. The loan hasn't even been given yet in the books, let alone needed collecting on. 

Another thin reason would be that the Many Faced God, the God of Death, commanded Jon be killed because his resurrection was unnatural, and Melisandre technically "stole a life" from the God of Death. But again, that's not very likely. We know other characters (Berric Dondarrion and Catelyn Stark) who have been reborn in the books, and so far no Faceless Men were sent after them. 

Which brings us to Ramsay Bolton. We know that Westerosi people are aware of the Faceless Men and the service they provide. In season one, Littlefinger proposed hiring a Faceless Man to kill Daenerys Targaryen on behalf of Robert Baratheon. 

The most logical reason for a Faceless Man to be ordered after Jon Snow comes down to Ramsay. The new Lord of Winterfell has a major reason to want Jon Snow dead, since Jon has now left the Night's Watch and intends on retaking Winterfell with Sansa by his side. If Ramsay hired the Faceless Men to assassinate Jon Snow, the task could very well fall to Arya.

If this is true, what will Arya do?

Let's assume this will happen. In the preview for episode five, "The Door," Jaqen asks Arya "Does death only come for the wicked, and leave the decent behind?" If theories are correct, he's referring to Jon as the "decent" person who death must come to. 

Then, episode six's description says "Arya faces a difficult choice." In what is probably not a coincidence, that episode is titled "Blood of My Blood." Arya's difficult choice could be the decision to kill her "blood," Jon Snow. But will she go through with it?

HBO's description for episode seven, "The Broken Man," has another vague hint about this plot: "Arya makes a plan."

We hope her plan involves not murdering Jon Snow, and escaping from the House of Black and White for good. She has her sight back, and based on episode three's training montage it looks like Arya is getting better at playing games with the Waif.

In the full-length trailer released back in April, Arya was seen leaping from the rooftop of a building. She was clearly being chased — perhaps by the Waif? (This image doesn't look exactly like Arya, but we know she used body doubles while filming season six.)

Then, in a follow-up trailer, we get an ominous shot of that same scene with Arya wearing a blue-sleeved tunic, smearing a bloody hand along a wall. 

Did she just assassinate a person while following the orders of the Faceless Men? Or did she kill the Waif as part of her plan to escape?

Then again, we could be speculating over all of this for no reason. Perhaps Marsay simply got a script that included the Waif telling Arya about the goings-on in Westeros, including Jon and Sansa's fight for Winterfell. Then, knowing her siblings are alive and battling, Arya decides she has to join the fray. 

No matter the storyline, we're guaranteed to see some interesting developments in Braavos coming up. Arya finally has her sight back, and is ready to get her hands bloody again. 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The Mountain from 'Game of Thrones' took a break from his intense workouts to run with his tiny dog

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones," including speculation of future events. 

The eighth episode of "Game of Thrones" featured Jaime Lannister prominently as a devoted partner to his twin (and lover) Cersei. He literally threatened to kill a baby in order to get back to her, which was brutally similar to the time he pushed Bran Stark out of a tower in order to protect himself and Cersei. Can their love really last, though?

So far on the show, Jaime and Cersei are more committed than ever to one another. But all that could change if this theory is correct. 

In the books, Cersei's murder is prophesied by a witch. And not just any witch, but a woman who correctly predicts two other important details of Cersei's future. Some people believe this prophecy subtly names Jaime Lannister as the person destined to kill Cersei. 

We've seen this fortune teller in the series, back in the premiere episode of season five.

Season five opened with a flashback to young Cersei seeking out a fortune teller named Maggy the Frog. In both the books and show, Cersei is told she can ask three questions of the witch. For fans of the novels, this seemed like a pretty clear cut scene to adapt. However, there was a big omission from the interaction between Cersei and Maggy. 

Cersei's questions for Maggy

The first question and answer were almost word for word from a scene of the fourth book, "A Feast for Crows." Here's how the conversation played out on screen:

Cersei: I'm promised to the prince. When will we marry?
Maggy: Never. You will wed the king.
Cersei: But I will be queen?
Maggy: Oh yes. You will be queen, for a time ... until there comes another, younger and more beautiful, to cast you down and take all that you hold dear.

Many fans of the books have analyzed the last line from Maggy over and over again.

For a long time, the standing theory was that the "younger, more beautiful" person was another queen. Margaery Tyrell was a clear candidate and the most obvious choice. She was about to marry Tommen and become Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, and this means bad news for Cersei. 

But the wording from Maggy is tricky, and it's never specified that this other figure is another queenor even in fact a woman. (Though some believe this could be Daenerys, Sansa, or even Brienne of Tarth.)

Back in the show's opening scene, Cersei moves on from this disconcerting answer, and asks her second question: "Will the king and I have children?" Maggy responds with: "The king will have twenty, you will have three." Cersei tried to interrupt, clearly confused.

Readers and viewers alike now understand that she and the former king, Robert Baratheon, never conceived together; all of his children were bastards and all of hers were born from the incestuous relationship she has with her brother, Jamie Lannister.

Maggy continues, stating "Gold will be their crowns, and gold their shrouds," before devolving into hysterical laughter.

This line can be interpreted in a few different ways. The gold crowns could be literal crowns, since Joffrey and Tommen were both crowned king. Plus, in the books, there is a plot centered around women in Dorne crowning Myrcella queen. But it probably simply refers to their hair color: blonde, like their parents.

"Gold their shrouds" is more direct: all of Cersei's children will die. Joffrey and Myrcella have already both been murdered, and each was shown in golden funeral garb. Tommen's days are likely numbered.

In this moment of the show, book fans knew exactly what Maggy was going to say next. Or so they thought. Instead, the scene quickly ended, cutting to present-day Cersei on her way to her father's funeral.

She's clearly musing over how recent events seem to be playing out along Maggy's predictions. And here is where many book readers were left dismayed.

The book text has a third, and crucial, line in Maggy's answer.

The "valonqar" prophecy

Before Cersei leaves the witch's tent, she is told one final and foreboding thing. "And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you," Maggy says.

This is huge in the realm of Cersei-centric theories. Not only does the text make it clear that her children are going to die before her, but it also predicts her murder at the hands of "the valonqar." In the High Valyrian language of the east, "valonqar" means "little brother." Maggy is telling Cersei that her death will come at the hands of a younger brother.

Knowing that, all minds may jump to Tyrion, the youngest of the Lannister children. He's currently in exile after being persecuted unfairly by Cersei for the death of her son Joffrey. But, just as with Maggy's first prediction, there are alternate interpretations to this line.

The case for Jaime Lannister

Jaime — Cersei's twin, lover, and father of her children — was the last to leave their mother's womb, making him younger than Cersei by mere minutes. He is technically another of her "little brothers." Could he turn on Cersei in the future, and strangle her to death?

Their relationship was tense in season five. Cersei loathed Jaime's missing hand, and therefore fighting skills, and then he blundered by releasing Tyrion and consequentially allowing his father to be murdered. Jaime is also becoming impatient with Cersei's insistence on terrorizing Tyrion and her increasing paranoia. We have seen Jaime grow from the narcissistic "kingslayer" to a more compassionate and nuanced man.

However, season six has shown Jaime reverting back to being Cersei's number one man. Despite Myrcella's death, the twins seem closer than ever. Jaime has assured Cersei that nothing else in the world matters except them. So were the "valonqar" theories wrong? 

We know from the books that Jaime does eventually become disillusioned with Cersei. This is partially due a major falling out he has with Tyrion, during which Jaime learns about Cersei's lack of faithfulness to their relationship. 

But since the show left out that significant scene between Tyrion and Jaime, it's unclear whether we'll ever see Cersei lose her twin as a steadfast companion.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The 15 best quotes from 'Game of Thrones'

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones" including predictions and speculation of future events.

George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy series "A Song of Ice and Fire" isn't just the source material for HBO's television adaptation "Game of Thrones" — it's the basis for literally hundreds (if not thousands) of fan theories. Discussion hubs like /r/asoiaf and Westeros.org are home to some of the most popular predictions for the future of the series. 

After all, we still have two seasons of the show to go, plus Martin's final two books: "The Winds of Winter" and "A Dream of Spring." 

We've rounded up some of the theories that could still be revealed as true on "Game of Thrones." The only one we've left off the list is "R + L = J," because at this point fans have accepted that theory for fact.

Scroll down for a look at these mind-bending predictions, and decide for yourself what their likelihoods are.

Daenerys is actually the villain, and will wreak havoc in Westeros.

Though Daenerys is a strong leader character who generally appears to be a champion for the common people, there is a running theory that she isn't the hero people think.

As Tech Insider Culture editor Megan Willett explained, both the show and the books have provided evidence that she could be headed down a darker path. There have been many analyses throughout the years that support this idea as well. 

The idea boils down to this: Daenerys is going to arrive in Westeros and be seen as a vicious conqueror — not the savior she thinks she is. Daenerys is beginning to see the benefit of full-blown war and violence over politics. And besides, there's another character who is being set up as the true hero of Westeros — Jon Snow.

Jon Snow may broker a peace with the White Walkers to restore peace to the realm.

One of the top posts of all time is a theory about the "true nature and purpose of the [White Walkers]." The thought starts with Martin's open affinity for grey-area characters. He doesn't believe in pure evil or pure good. Which begs the question: How are the White Walkers anything BUT pure evil?

Redditor c_forrester_thorne guessed that perhaps the White Walkers forged an ancient pact with men long ago, and helped build the Wall as part of their agreement. But now Daenerys and her dragons are a part of breaking that pact — hence their attack on Westeros. Here's part of the theory summary:

[The White Walkers] are hostile towards men because of [...] their incursion into the Other's agreed on territory, and the danger the Targs and their fire magic pose to the Others and the world at large. Rhaegar fathered a son by Lyanna to unite the blood of the dragonriders and the Other-kin, whether he knew it or not. Jon is that son and will bring peace between the Others and the realms of men.

Bran will warg into a dragon to help fight the White Walkers.

We've seen Bran grow from a young Stark boy into a teenager with more powers than he ever could have imagined. Not only is he a powerful greenseer capable of traveling throughout time and influencing events, but he can warg/skinchange into animals and humans alike. Warging, the act of transferring your consciousness into another being, is a relatively unexplored aspect of "Game of Thrones." 

Three years ago, Redditor svenhoek86 asked the /r/asoiaf community if warging into dragons was a possibility. There is a line from Bran that might be important foreshadowing. In both the show and the books, Bloodraven tells Bran that he'll never walk again, but he "will fly."

Daenerys has three dragons, and in the books there is a prophetic statement in a vision which states "the dragon must have three heads"— interpreted by book readers to mean there must be three dragon riders. Daenerys is one, and some believe either Jon Snow or Tyrion could be the second, leaving Bran the third dragon to "ride."

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones" season six.

No fandom loves their theories like the "Game of Thrones" followers, but every now and again some very divisive predictions crop up.

The hottest theory this week was that Sansa Stark is currently pregnant with Ramsay Bolton's baby. 

Gross, right? This would mean that Sansa became pregnant as a result of being brutally raped by the sadistic son of her family's murderer. 

But we can all rest easy, because there is virtually no chance this theory is correct.

The latest evidence some believers of the theory spotted was one of the final lines Ramsay said to Sansa before his hounds ate him alive in season six, episode nine. "You can't kill me," he told her. "I'm part of you now." 

Some fans took this line to mean that Ramsay knew Sansa was pregnant with his child — that there was a literal part of him inside her. But actor Iwan Rheon, who plays Ramsay on "Game of Thrones," debunked this guess in an interview with Bustle.

"What he's saying to her is that his mind, his mark, will be on her," Rheon told Bustle. "Very much like if you look at Theon now, he's not the same man as he was [...] So I think what Ramsay's saying is, 'You'll never be able to shake me off. No matter if I die, I'm always gonna be a part of you, because of what I've done to you.'"

This is a much more straightforward interpretation of the line, and it makes more sense from Ramsay's point of view. Sansa is literally about to kill him in the same way he's killed many other people (death by hounds). She has taken on a bit of his personality, and been molded into a more calloused person because of the trauma she experienced at his hands.

To further debunk the theory, it's unlikely Ramsay could know about a possible pregnancy, anyways. Plus, Sansa carrying his child would be a really great way for showrunners to undo all the progress her character has made so far in season six. We just don't see D.B. Weiss and David Benioff choosing to put Sansa through another significant trauma like that. 

Fans have been speculating about Sansa's pregnancy ever since the first promo images came out and people thought her stomach appeared to be a bit rotund.

Her conversation with Littlefinger in episode five fueled the flames even more when she said, "I can still feel what he did in my body, standing here right now." Then, she sewed herself a new dress after arriving at Castle Black, which others took to mean she was hiding a baby bump.

But these are all very open-ended pieces of evidence that can have multiple meanings. While there are often great bits of foreshadowing hidden in the series, we just don't think this is the case here. 

Furthermore, Sansa's body underwent significant trauma when she jumped from the walls of Winterfell and waded through a frozen river. She's probably malnourished, since food options at Castle Black and in a military camp couldn't have been very robust. The odds of her having a viable pregnancy are low.

Sansa sewed herself a new dress because she wanted to shed the identity of "Mrs. Bolton the Rape Victim" and reclaim her Stark name. She isn't wearing new furs and a new gown with a direwolf sewed into it because she's hiding a pregnancy — it's because Sansa took charge at the end of season five and needed a new wardrobe to convey that message to the North (and to viewers). 

Much like the creative Arya theories that cropped up earlier this season (only to be debunked later), the "Sansa is pregnant" prediction probably won't pan out. Instead, we should all be relieved that Ramsay Bolton is finally gone, and no piece of him survives to torment Sansa. 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why Sunday’s episode of ‘Game of Thrones’ was the best yet

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones" season six.

"Game of Thrones" just gave book readers a huge reason to celebrate. We're much closer to learning who Jon Snow's parents really are. The season six finale made it pretty clear that the newly crowned King in the North is likely the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. That's a big deal because it would make Jon Snow the descendant of two of the greatest historically important houses in Westeros. 

The reveal came through one of Bran's greenseeing visions. He traveled back to the Tower of Joy, first teased in season six episode three, where he watched as young Ned Stark discovered his sister Lyanna dying from a childbirth gone wrong. Bran watched as she begged Ned to protect her baby, because Lyanna knew Robert Baratheon would never let a Targaryen child live, and so Ned was forced to pretend the baby was his own bastard son.

While the reveal wasn't quite as direct as fans might have hoped, the edited shot from a baby's face straight to Jon Snow was the most confirmation fans have had yet.

Fans who have closely read George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series and spent time on fan forums like Westeros.org and the /r/asoiaf subreddit believed this theory (called "R + L = J") was a surefire thing. The earliest mentions Redditors have cataloged go back to 1998 on old chat logs and discussion boards. The fierce debate over the last two decades has cemented "R + L = J" into one of the most widely believed fan theories in the whole series.

Some people allege that Martin's editor, Anne Groell, figured out who Jon's real parents were when editing the first book of the series, "A Game of Thrones," before it was published in 1996. This would make sense, because many clues about Jon's real mother and father were given through Ned Stark's point-of-view chapters in "A Game of Thrones."

The fandom aside, learning Jon Snow's real parentage, as the show hinted at heavily in the finale, should have a huge impact on the series itself moving forward. 

What this means for Jon Snow

First off, if the reveal is true it makes Snow the literal "Song of Ice and Fire," because of his ties to the northern Starks and the dragon-riding Targaryens. This also means he is technically Daenerys' nephew and Sansa's cousin. In terms of claims to the Iron Throne, it would depend upon whether or not Rhaegar actually married Lyanna, making Jon a legitimate royal child.

Rhaegar was already married to Elia Martell, but Targaryens have a history of taking multiple wives, so it is possible he married Lyanna too. If he did, Jon's claim to the Iron Throne is technically stronger than Daenerys' claim. He's the direct male descendant of the Mad King, whereas she is the sister of the former prince.

Furthermore, this reveal would really cement Jon as the focal point of the series. Daenerys, Tyrion, and Jon are often pointed to as the three main characters, but it's becoming more and more apparent that Jon has all the makings of an archetypal hero. 

Jon Snow has quite the résumé in Westeros. He was born into royalty, but whisked away and given a different identity for his protection. Then he was raised among highborn and trained to fight despite his bastard status. He joined the Night's Watch, and became a double agent among the wildlings. Then he held Castle Black against the largest army of the wildlings the North has ever seen before being elected as the youngest Lord Commander the Night's Watch has had in centuries.

After brokering a peace with the wildlings, he was assassinated and then magically brought back to life by a red priestess. He then assembled a sparse but loyal army and bravely battled the Boltons, eventually defeating Ramsay and retaking his family's castle. 

Jon owns a pet direwolf, one of the only two left known to mankind in Westeros. He carries an ancestral Valyrian steel sword — a weapon capable of killing White Walkers. Oh, and of course, Jon is one of three living people to ever fight a White Walker and survive. 

Now he's been crowned the King in the North and will lead the inevitable war against the White Walkers.

Jon is clearly being set up as the opposite of Daenerys, the Mother of Dragons who represents fire and destruction. She is a conqueror, headed to Westeros to reclaim the seat of power her family held for centuries. Daenerys has heroic qualities and certainly has overcome a lot of adversity to get to where she is today, but Jon's lack of awareness about his past is the key difference here. He never meant to rule, but it might be his only path forward.

Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark's union set a war in motion, the effects of which are the basis of the entire "Game of Thrones" series. Jon is the probable song of ice and fire, and his time has finally come. Now he just has to find out for himself.

Join the conversation about this story »

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones" season six.

Sunday's beautifully bloody "Game of Thrones" finale was made even better when Arya Stark unexpectedly appeared at the Twins'. Using the face of a girl (one she presumably stole from the Hall of Faces before leaving Braavos), she managed to murder three Freys and personally avenge the death of her mother and brother back in season three. 

Arya not only killed the Freys, but two of them (Lothar and Black Walder) were carved into pieces and baked into a pie. Arya then served the pie to their father, Walder Frey, before revealing herself as a Stark and slitting his throat.

This is a plotline adapted from the books, only Arya has nothing to do with "Frey Pies" in George R.R. Martin's writing. In the books, a character named Wyman Manderly is the main focus of the Frey Pie theory. Manderly is the Lord of White Harbor, a house that has been loyal to the Stark family for a thousand years. He's one of book readers' favorite minor characters due to his fierce loyalty to the Starks.

We saw him in the season six finale, but only briefly and there was no mention of his involvement with the Frey Pies. In both the books and the show, one of his sons was present at the Red Wedding and was killed fighting to defend Robb Stark from the Freys.

In the books, Manderly's other son was captured by the Lannisters, who was held until Manderly proved himself loyal to the Boltons and Freys. He allows three Frey men to live under his roof, and betroths one of them to his granddaughter. But eventually readers come to find out that his show of fealty to the traitorous Walder Frey and Roose Bolton were all a ruse.

In a stirring speech to Davos Seaworth, Manderly reveals his true feelings:

"My son Wendel came to the Twins a guest," Manderly says. "He ate Lord Walder's bread and salt, and hung his sword upon the wall to feast with friends. And they murdered him. Murdered, I say, and may the Freys choke upon their fables. I drink with Jared, jape with Symond, promise Rhaegar the hand of my own beloved granddaughter ... but never think that means I have forgotten. The north remembers, Lord Davos. The north remembers, and the mummer's farce is almost done. My son is home."

Manderly then travels to Winterfell for Ramsay Bolton's wedding. In the books, Ramsay doesn't marry Sansa Sark. Instead he marries a northern girl who used to live at Winterfell, Jeyne Poole, but she is being passed off as Arya Stark. Manderly arrives at the wedding feast, claiming that the three Freys living at White Harbor had been riding ahead of him. 

Their absence is suspicious, but Manderly plays dumb. Then, at the wedding feast, Manderly reveals his contribution: Three gigantic savory pies. "The best pie you have ever tasted, my lords," Manderly tells the group. "Wash it down with Arbor gold and savor every bite. I know I shall."

The three missing Freys were killed and cooked into those pies. At least, that was always the running fan theory. Arya's fulfillment of this scene in the show effectively confirms the Manderly plot in the books. 

At Ramsay's wedding feast in the books, Manderly proceeds to eat six servings of the Frey Pie whilst getting extremely drunk. Then he requests a song from the feast's bard: "Singer, give us a song about the Rat Cook."

The Rat Cook is an old fable, and it was actually told to show viewers by Bran back in the season three finale.

"[He was] a cook in the Night's Watch," Bran says to Meera, Jojen, and Hodor. "He was angry at the king for something, I don't remember. When the king was visiting the Nightfort, the cook killed the king's son and cooked him into a big pie with onions, carrots, mushrooms and bacon. That night, he served the pie to the king. He liked the taste of his own son so much he asked for a second slice. The gods turned the cook into a giant white rat who could only eat his own young. He's been roaming the Nightfort ever since, devouring his own babies. No matter what he does, he's always hungry."

The link between the Rat Cook and Manderly is undeniable foreshadowing, something many book readers picked up on years ago. When Meera mocks Bran's concern about a common murderer being turned into a rat, Bran corrects her.

"It wasn't for murder the gods cursed the Rat Cook, or for serving the king's son in a pie," he says. "He killed a guest beneath his roof. That's something the gods can't forgive."

The timing for this tale wasn't coincidental — Bran tells this story right after Walder Frey and Roose Bolton kill the Starks at the Red Wedding. Walder Frey gave Robb, Catelyn, and their men bread and salt, the symbol of guest right in Westeros. By killing the Starks under his roof after feeding them, Walder violated guest right. 

Now, three seasons later, Walder was punished for his crime against the Starks and the gods. But instead of Wyman Manderly serving up revenge, the showrunners opted to give Arya the honor. This way she was able to cross a name off her list and make a grand re-entrance to Westeros. Hopefully we'll see her learn about Jon and Sansa's victory in the north and head back to Winterfell in season seven. But until then, fans can savor the moment Walder Frey finally got what was coming to him.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 'Game of Thrones' fans are convinced Sansa’s pregnant — here's why they’re wrong

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones" season six, including speculation of future events.

The "Game of Thrones" finale came just shy of explicitly confirming the series' biggest fan theories of all time. "R + L = J" is the super popular theory that states Jon Snow is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. 

Rhaegar Targaryen was the son of the Mad King Aerys and older brother to Daenerys. He's never been seen on the show, not even in a flashback. Viewers did finally get a look at Lyanna in the finale. She was Ned Stark's younger sister, betrothed to Robert Baratheon before running away with Rhaegar and bearing his secret lovechild, Jon Snow. At least that's how the (probably true) theory goes. 

In the finale, fans were given a glimpse of Lyanna Stark handing off a baby to Ned, begging him to protect it from the wrath of Robert Baratheon. We've written out an extensive look at the extended context given for Jon Snow being the likely son of Rhaegar and Lyanna. But for now, let's look at specific instances from the show that support the theory as well.

Scroll down for a complete list of moments from "Game of Thrones" that prove "R + L = J" is true.

Ned Stark purposefully didn't call Jon his son, but instead said "my blood."

Ned kept Jon's true parentage a secret his entire life, choosing to raise Jon as his own for the boy's own protection. But Ned is an honorable and moral man. He avoided lying outright when he could help it. So when Jon asked Ned about his mother in season one, Ned replied carefully: "You are a Stark. You might not have my name, but you have my blood."

The Stark family blood does indeed run through Jon. It just happens to be Lyanna's blood, not Ned's.

Daenerys had a vision of "Snow" in the Throne Room.

When Daenerys enters the House of Undying in Qarth she experiences a series of prophetic visions. One of these was when she saw snow in the Throne Room of King's Landing. Immediately afterwards she walked through a door and found herself at the Wall. This was heavy foreshadowing of Jon Snow's true family history and ties to the royal Targaryen family. 

Oberyn Martell explicitly says that Rhaegar and Lyanna had an affair.

Before running off with Lyanna, Rhaegar Targaryen was married with Elia Martell — the sister of Oberyn Martell. The running story in Westeros was that Rhaegar kidnapped and raped Lyanna, but Oberyn seems to know about a different version of events. "The last time I was in the capital was many years ago," Oberyn told Tyrion. "Another wedding: my sister Elia and Rhaegar Targaryen, the last dragon. My sister loved him. She bore his children … and beautiful, noble Rhaegar Targaryen left her for another woman."

This was the first time in the series that viewers were told anything other than the kidnap and rape narrative. A significant moment for theorists watching.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones," including speculation of future events. 

The "Game of Thrones" finale stunned viewers when Cersei Lannister not only pulled off one of the greatest character massacres in series' history, but then proceeded to claim the Iron Throne after her last living child committed suicide. The idea of a motherless Cersei ruling King's Landing is quite frankly horrifying, but if this fan theory is correct then her days are numbered.

In the books, Cersei's murder is prophesied by a witch. And not just any witch, but a woman who correctly predicts two other important details of Cersei's future. Some people believe this prophecy subtly names Jaime Lannister as the person destined to kill Cersei. 

We've seen Cersei's fortune teller in the series, back in the premiere episode of season five.

Season five opened with a flashback to young Cersei seeking out a fortune teller named Maggy the Frog. In both the books and show, Cersei is told she can ask three questions of the witch. For fans of the novels, this seemed like a pretty clear cut scene to adapt. However, there was a big omission from the interaction between Cersei and Maggy. 

Cersei's questions for Maggy

The first question and answer were almost word for word from a scene of the fourth book, "A Feast for Crows." Here's how the conversation played out on screen:

Cersei: I'm promised to the prince. When will we marry?
Maggy: Never. You will wed the king.
Cersei: But I will be queen?
Maggy: Oh yes. You will be queen, for a time ... until there comes another, younger and more beautiful, to cast you down and take all that you hold dear.

Many fans of the books have analyzed the last line from Maggy over and over again.

For a long time, the standing theory was that the "younger, more beautiful" person was another queen. Margaery Tyrell was a clear candidate and the most obvious choice. She was about to marry Tommen and become Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, and this means bad news for Cersei. 

But the wording from Maggy is tricky, and it's never specified that this other figure is another queenor even in fact a woman. (Though some believe this could be Daenerys, Sansa, or even Brienne of Tarth.)

Back in the show's opening scene, Cersei moves on from this disconcerting answer, and asks her second question: "Will the king and I have children?" Maggy responds with: "The king will have twenty, you will have three." Cersei tried to interrupt, clearly confused.

Readers and viewers alike now understand that she and the former king, Robert Baratheon, never conceived together; all of his children were bastards and all of hers were born from the incestuous relationship she has with her brother, Jamie Lannister.

Maggy continues, stating "Gold will be their crowns, and gold their shrouds," before devolving into hysterical laughter.

This line can be interpreted in a few different ways. The gold crowns could be literal crowns, since Joffrey and Tommen were both crowned king. Plus, in the books, there is a plot centered around women in Dorne crowning Myrcella queen. But it probably simply refers to their hair color: blonde, like their parents.

"Gold their shrouds" is more direct: all of Cersei's children will die. Joffrey and Myrcella were both been murdered, and each was shown in golden funeral garb. Tommen killed himself by jumping out of a window. He was wearing a golden jacket. 

In this moment of the show, book fans knew exactly what Maggy was going to say next. Or so they thought. Instead, the scene quickly ended, cutting to present-day Cersei on her way to her father's funeral.

She's clearly musing over how recent events seem to be playing out along Maggy's predictions. And here is where many book readers were left dismayed.

The book text has a third, and crucial, line in Maggy's answer.

The "valonqar" prophecy

Before Cersei leaves the witch's tent, she is told one final and foreboding thing. "And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you," Maggy says.

This is huge in the realm of Cersei-centric theories. Not only does the text make it clear that her children are going to die before her, but it also predicts her murder at the hands of "the valonqar." In the High Valyrian language of the east, "valonqar" means "little brother." Maggy is telling Cersei that her death will come at the hands of a younger brother.

Knowing that, all minds may jump to Tyrion, the youngest of the Lannister children. He's currently in exile after being persecuted unfairly by Cersei for the death of her son Joffrey. But, just as with Maggy's first prediction, there are alternate interpretations to this line.

The case for Jaime Lannister

Jaime — Cersei's twin, lover, and father of her children — was the last to leave their mother's womb, making him younger than Cersei by mere minutes. He is technically another of her "little brothers." Could he turn on Cersei in the future, and strangle her to death?

Their relationship was tense in season five. Cersei loathed Jaime's missing hand, and therefore fighting skills, and then he blundered by releasing Tyrion and consequentially allowing his father to be murdered. Jaime was also becoming impatient with Cersei's insistence on terrorizing Tyrion and her increasing paranoia. We have seen Jaime grow from the narcissistic "kingslayer" to a more compassionate and nuanced man.

Season six initially showed Jaime reverting back to being Cersei's number one man. Despite Myrcella's death, the twins seemed closer than ever. Jaime assured Cersei that nothing else in the world matters except them. 

But all that changed in the season finale. Jaime seemed angry and disappointed as he stared Cersei down in the Throne Room. He left King's Landing to represent House Lannister in the Riverlands, and by the time he returned Cersei had gone full Mad Queen. Tommen was Jaime's son, and Cersei effectively gave up on him the moment Tommen sided with the High Sparrow and denied her a trial by combat. 

We know from the books that Jaime does eventually become disillusioned with Cersei. This is partially due to a major falling out he has with Tyrion, during which Jaime learns about Cersei's lack of faithfulness to their relationship. 

But since the show left out that significant scene between Tyrion and Jaime, this final season six decision of Cersei's might be the new reason for Jaime finally breaking ties with his sister.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The 15 best quotes from 'Game of Thrones'

Warning: This post contains spoilers for "Mr. Robot."

"Mr. Robot" paints a complex psychological web. Given its heavy influence from "Fight Club," it practically begs you to believe that everything we see is in Elliot's (Rami Malek) head.

Indeed, in season one, it was revealed that the hacker (Christian Slater) who Elliot blindly followed was actually the ghost of his dead father. In season two, the show has given even more hints at the possibility that Elliot's entire reality is an illusion. Indeed, every poster and billboard for the show is plastered with the line "Control is an illusion."

Naturally, Redditors on r/mrrobot have been trying to back up this theory. Some surmise that Elliot is actually in prison or a psych ward, and everything we see on the show is an illusion. 

Reddit user jerryrock333 laid out all the clues:

"The bars and vertical lines, Leon's constant talking about Seinfeld reruns, the basketball game, Gideon looking over his shoulder during their meeting, Elliot telling us he can't trust us, etc. All of it really is good evidence supporting the theory."

This theory is really convincing.

When reading those clues out loud all I can think about is how convincing it sounds.

Elliot is currently staying in a place outside of Manhattan that looks like a prison. He talks about being on a very strict schedule. The show itself is shot in a hazy way that makes it seem like somebody's dream. And again, Elliot is an unreliable narrator. As a show that enjoys tricking the viewer, it clearly has another big twist up its sleeve.

But would be really hard to make this theory work.

Some Redditors are perpetuating this theory and at the same time calling it out. Again, the idea that Elliot has been imagining everything is fairly plausible, given that it's happened before. In short, the real issue is how uninspired this idea is. 

The "it's all a dream" or "it's all in my head" storytelling trick is, let's face it, a cop-out.

When your story is running out of steam, it's one way to throw in a quick shock. This kind of twist worked in "Fight Club" and "Memento." If you're going to use the device, it must either say something thematically, or the story must still hold up even after the twist is revealed. "Fight Club" and "Memento" pass on both of these levels. Meanwhile, you can look at most of M. Night Shyamalan's work and see that sometimes, a story as a whole doesn't hold up following a twist ending.

The twist from season one of "Mr. Robot" worked: Finding out that Mr. Robot was both Elliot's father and a ghost added an extra layer to both Elliot and his messed up family dynamics. Plus, season one still works as a whole.

If this theory did come true, it would ruin the show.

Putting Elliot into prison or an asylum could boost the show thematically by saying that dependence on technology has caused us to lose all control over our lives. That's interesting, but the show has already said this loud and clear, given that Elliot can't even seem to remember whether or not he actually pulled off the huge E-Corp hack. 

It would be both too big of a risk, and too easy, for the show to pull the rug out this much. When a show has as good of a first season as "Mr. Robot" had, there is a lot of pressure for the second season to live up to the hype. This is what caused shows like "Homeland" to succumb to the sophomore slump. While "Mr. Robot" is still full of promise, the reviews for season two so far have been mixed, and the season premiere experienced a ratings slip.

Suggesting that almost everything we've seen so far isn't real would be less of a great, mind-blowing twist, and more of a lack of confidence in the world and characters that captivated viewers in season one. 

This whole theory sounds very convincing. And that's what worries me the most.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A nutrition expert reveals how often you should eat to look better

There are a lot of '80s pop culture references in the Netflix original series "Stranger Things," but there's one subtle Easter egg in particular which could explain some of the show's mysteries. It's sparked a popular fan theory about the main character that seems to make perfect sense, at least in the fantastical reality in which the show is set. There's more to "Eleven" than you might think.

Follow TI:On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »

One of the most persistent theories in the Star Wars universe may have some grounding in reality. We asked Astrophysicist Dave Minton about the 'Endor Holocaust', the fan theory that the exploding Death Star would have annihilated the moon forest of Endor at the end of 'Return of the Jedi'. It turns out to be far worse than anyone expected.

Produced by Corey Protin and Rob Ludacer

Original Reporting by Dave Mosher

Graphics by Skye Gould

Follow TI: On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »

The INSIDER Summary

• "Breaking Bad" and "The Walking Dead" take place in the same universe. 
• Mac, Dee, and Dennis from "It's Always Sunny," don't look like the actors who play them. 
• "Friends" and "Parks and Recreation" also allegedly take place in the same universe. 

SEE ALSO: THEN & NOW: What happened to the stars of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer,' 20 years later

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Terry Crews explains how intermittent fasting keeps him in shape