Kristofer Hivju Is As Worried About Tormund As You Are After The Game Of Thrones Finale

Tormund Giantsbane narrowly escaped death once before in the latest season of Game Of Thrones, but can he do it again? That's the question fans were left with after the season 7 finale ends with The Wall coming down and Tormund and Beric Dondarrion helplessly watching. And it turns out, not even Kristofer Hivju is sure about Tormund's fate.

When The Hollywood Reporter asked Hivju if he would be back for season 8, he laughed and said, "I don't know either! Pretty scary, right?" But, when questioned whether Tormund going down with The Wall is a satisfying end for his character, who's become a GOT fan favourite, he made lemonade out of the lemons he was given.

"If this is my way out...well, it's the huge cliffhanger of the season," he said. "So, in that way, that people might have to wait two years to know whether he's dead or alive? If I was [showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss], and I wanted to kill Tormund and Beric off, I wouldn't end the season with the death. I would end it with the cliffhanger."

Of course, Hivju doesn't run Game Of Thrones, which means he isn't sure if this cliffhanger is a good or bad omen for the leader of the Free Folk. But, he was quick to note that if this was real life, Tormund would probably be a goner. "Realistically speaking," Hivju said. "If you're on top of an ice wall and it's many hundreds of meters tall ... I was a competitive climber when I was younger, and that fall, I must say, it doesn't look good, man. It really doesn't look good."

Game Of Thrones is certainly not a show that focuses on reality. Hello, dragons. So we won't worry too much about that. But, knowing that watching The Wall fall could be his last scene ever on Game Of Thrones, Hivju now wishes it happened a bit differently.

"I wish he could have whispered something into one of those crows' ears before it happened," he said. "But, you know, when the Wall is down, they won't need the Night's Watch or the Free Folk at the Wall anymore. It's a hell of an ending.”

Fans will have to wait until 2019 to figure out if Tormund survived, but for those that can't wait that long, keep an eye on Hivju's beard. Last year, Hivju told Vulture that HBO owns his facial hair. "If you look at my beard, there’s a small 'R' there, for the registered trademark symbol," he explained. "It’s not even my property anymore. I look forward to the day when I can shave it, when I can change my look to something fresh and new. But now, it’s how it is."

Sorry, Hivju, but we're hoping for just a little bit longer we'll get to see you in that red scruffy beard.