Many fans are still digesting (and rewatching) season 7 of Game of Thrones, while others have moved on and are already crafting season 8 theories. We don't know much about where the show is going, but we do know one thing for certain: more beloved characters are likely to be killed off before the finale. This theory puts Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) in the crosshairs.
Fans of the books may have read George R.R. Martin's original story outline to his publisher, HarperCollins, when it was revealed in a tweet in August. The plan, written in 1993, outlines a trilogy story that has since exploded into seven books. As Vanity Fair details, the only characters Martin planned on surviving in the books are Arya Stark (Maisie Williams), Jon Snow (Kit Harington), Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright), and Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage). If that holds true — which is a big if, as some plot points he proposed have not come to pass, like an illicit romance between Arya and Jon (ew) — then Sansa may not be long for this world.
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In a video breaking down the surviving character's chances to make it out of season 8 alive, Flicks & the City point out that Sansa's direwolf, Lady, dying early on could be a sign that she's not going to live a long, full life. The show has largely written them out, so it's hard to grasp what an important connection the Starks, who can all warg into their wolves, have with animals. Collider breaks it down nicely, reminding us that direwolves are not normal animals but magical. They were thought to be extinct, just like Dany's dragons. And they are bonded to the children who raised them, sharing personality traits. Arya's direwolf, Nymeria, is like the wilderness version of Arya: staunchly doing her own thing (and probably acting as a ruthless killer). Without Lady, Sansa has no magical abilities.
Here's why we're more concerned for Sansa's life than anyone else at this point: she and Winterfell are the most robust line of defense against the White Walkers, who are now marching past the wall. With Jon, along with Dany's army, in Westeros and everyone guarding the Wall now presumed dead and thus unable to get a raven out, the only hope is that Bran sees what happened. If so, Sansa and Jon are able to communicate via raven. Our sense of how long it takes to get to places is totally thrown off after season 7, so maybe the Unsullied and the Dothraki could get to the North in time? If only she had Lady to warg into and get out of there if the going gets tough.
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