I’m 100% Positive A Targaryen Will Become King Or Queen In The Winds Of Winter, But I’m Not Convinced It’ll Be Daenerys

Daenerys Targaryen’s quest to become Westeros’ queen will continue in The Winds of Winter, but there will likely be another who sits on the Iron Throne before she does. Daenerys didn’t start A Song of Ice and Fire driven by her desire to rule and belief it’s her destiny. That was her brother, Viserys Targaryen, while all Dany wanted was to go home. The part of Dany who longs for the house with the red door still exists, but there’s also now the character who will take what is hers with fire and blood, as seen in Game of Thrones‘ ending.

In Game of Thrones season 8, while Daenerys did defeat her rival for the crown, Cersei Lannister, she never got to sit on the Iron Throne and her reign was short-lived. I think things will be a bit different in the books, both in terms of how long she reigns and the order of events that lead to her taking the throne, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be straightforward. Certainly, when The Winds of Winter releases, she’s not the Targaryen I most expect to win the crown.

Who Will Become King Or Queen The Winds Of Winter?

Tommen May Not Hold On To The Iron Throne For Much Longer

King Tommen Baratheon currently sits the Iron Throne, but he’s little more than a puppet king, and the Lannisters’ grasp on power is rapidly loosening. Tywin Lannister’s death was already a huge blow, but now there’s the growing influence of the High Sparrow, Cersei Lannister’s walk of atonement and looming trial, and perhaps most pertinently, the deaths of Kevan Lannister and Grand Maester Pycelle at the hands of Varys and his little birds. The crown is now fully engulfed in chaos, opening the door for a new claimant.

That’s the political situation into which Aegon Targaryen, aka Young Griff, will enter. As per The Winds of Winter‘s preview chapters, Aegon, Jon Connington, and the Golden Company have not only landed, but already taken Storm’s End. That’s one of the strongest castles in Westeros, and provides a good base for their campaign, from which they can plan their attack on the capital after (presumably) defeating the Tyrell army.

It’s unknown if Young Griff really is Aegon Targaryen, but what will matter is that the people believe he is. Aegon has been raised as the perfect prince, someone who will be beloved by the smallfolk, which the Lannisters do not have. Add in that he has the most famous and ostensibly greatest sellsword company anyone knows of, an alliance with Dorne and House Martell on the horizon, and the skill of Varys and backing of Illyrio Mopatis, all weighed against a crumbling Lannister rule and Cersei’s incompetence. With all that, it’s difficult to see how Aegon won’t become king.

All the setup tells me Aegon will take the Iron Throne, perhaps before Daenerys even reaches Westeros. One of her visions from the House of the Undying in A Clash of Kings, while possibly teasing Aegon is indeed a fake, also suggests he’ll take the Iron Throne: “A cloth dragon swayed on poles amid a cheering crowd.” If Aegon is indeed the cloth dragon, then I’d say it’s pretty fair to surmise the cheering crowd is him being crowned king.

I’m Sure Daenerys Targaryen Will Become Queen Eventually

Could The Winds Of Winter Be Too Soon?

Although Daenerys may not be the one to restore the Targaryen reign, I’d still expect her to become queen at some point, given how big a part of her arc it is. This definitely could happen in The Winds of Winter, my only concern is whether there’s enough time. After all, the book would need to:

• Have Aegon Targaryen gather support and, eventually, take the Iron Throne from the Lannisters.
• See Daenerys return to Meereen and ensure the conflicts there are resolved, including her meeting Tyrion Lannister.
• Then have Dany sail for the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, and make some strong political alliances to help her when she arrives.
• Culminate with Daenerys facing off with Aegon and defeating him to take the Iron Throne.

It’s not impossible all that happens in The Winds of Winter, because it’s already set to be the longest A Song of Ice and Fire book, but it is a lot, especially when Daenerys’ story has typically moved so slowly. That’s not me ruling it out by any means, but I can see a world where Dany heads to or arrives in Westeros at the end of the sixth novel, setting up the conflict to happen early in A Dream of Spring.

I also very much buy into the theory that this is why Daenerys burns King’s Landing in the book, rather than her Mad Queen turn from Game of Thrones season 8. It may not even be fully intentional, given the caches of wildfire in the capital. But Dany finally making it home, only to discover another Targaryen has taken her birthright and destiny, thus leading to another Dance of the Dragons, is a very compelling idea. I’d love to see it, so maybe, hopefully, George R.R. Martin can pull it off in The Winds of Winter.