The conclusion of HBO’s Game of Thrones is a wound that still runs deep, but many hope that this can be rectified. When David Benioff and D.B. Weiss first developed the adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire franchise, they were under the impression that the author would have finished the books by the time they concluded. This unfortunately wasn’t meant to be, leaving many threads hanging in the air.
Weiss and Benioff had to conclude the series without the blueprint of the books, leading to a finale that was less than ideal for fans who had been watching for almost a decade. One of the main disappointments was the lack of resolution on the prophecy of The Prince That Was Promised. In the books, this figure was named Azor Ahai, who was supposed to be reincarnated so he could save Westeros from the Long Night. Game of Thrones depicted the anticipated battle against the White Walkers and the Night King, but it remains unclear who exactly Azor Ahai was supposed to be.
In the early days of the series, the Red Priestess, Melisandre (Carice van Houten), thought it was supposed to be Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane), one of the many claimants to the throne. Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) was also a contender, especially after being brought back from the dead. The final few seasons even considered Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) a contender with her crop of dragons. Ultimately, Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) ended up killing the Night King anticlimactically with no confirmation on the prophecy side of things. There were many disappointments in the final few episodes of the series, and this was only one of them. However, there is always hope that fans could be vindicated in the end.
‘The Winds of Winter’ Could Come Out At Any Time
Though it has been over a decade since the last A Song of Ice and Fire book was published, it is the only hope that fans have for the future. George R.R. Martin continues to defend the timeline of the next installment, The Winds of Winter, though many have lost hope. For book fans and even fans of the series, the release of the book may be the only thing that could heal the wound of the rushed ending of Game of Thrones.
One of the many plotlines to turn around is Azor Ahai. The bar is somewhat low for this to come to fruition. All Martin would have to do would be to name just one person as The Prince That Was Promised and have them fight in the battle against the dead. Even if it was predictable like Jon or Dany, it would still be more satisfying than what fans have already seen.
However, knowing Martin, the answer is probably much more complicated. Fans have diligently been working on a theory that has spread on the internet of whom the real prophesied hero is, and it is much more interesting than any consideration that has come before. Many have deduced that Azor Ahai is none other than the Kingslayer himself, Jaime Lannister.
Portrayed by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in the series, Jaime had one of the more impressive arcs in the series. Starting as a selfish and arrogant knight of the Kingsguard, his time with Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) opened him up to new experiences that turned him into a better person. This element was pulled from the books, but that isn’t just why Jaime has been marked for heroism. His character arc is only one reason he may be the perfect candidate for The Prince That Was Promised.
Jamie Could Resolve Two Prophecies
There are a lot of moving parts in The Prince That Was Promised prophecy, which is why many characters are good contenders for the role. According to the books, Azor Ahai reborn is a hero who would pull his flaming sword named Lightbringer from the flames and fight off the Long Night. Some have supposed that Dany fills this role and Lightbringer is her dragons. Jaime offers a more interesting answer that actually would fulfill two prophecies.
In the legend of Azor Ahai, it states that he created Lightbringer with the heart’s blood of his beloved wife, Nissa Nissa. First, however, he tried to temper his blade in two different ways. These methods could be a metaphorical reference to Jaime as well. The first step was to temper the blade in water, which shattered the blade. This could be a reference to Jaime’s early life, where his battles with swords got him into trouble, namely, losing his hand. The second, he tempered it in the heart of a lion, which is the sigil of House Lannister. This could refer to the death of Tywin (Charles Dance) or even the destruction of his relationship with Tyrion (Peter Dinklage). The final time, he tempered the blade in the heart of Nissa Nissa.
This was meant to be a sacrifice that allowed him to become a great hero. Though Jaime has no wife, his Nissa Nissa could be his twin sister, Cersei (Lena Headey), with whom he was genetically and emotionally the closest he was with. If he killed her, this would be a great sacrifice that would also coincide with the Valonqar prophecy. Like The Prince That Was Promised, Valonqar wasn’t given its due in the show. This prophecy was given to Cersei by Maggy, a fortuneteller in Lannisport. She predicted that Cersei’s death would come at the hands of Valonqar, which is translated into “little brother.”
“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 foretold. Cersei obviously took this to mean that it was Tyrion, but Jaime also falls into the category of her little brother, since he was born minutes after her. This prophecy is a little more cut and dry, but also portends Cersei’s death at the literal hands of her beloved brother. This would stay consistent with his character arc since, in the books, he has drifted farther away from his sister than ever before.
After his tie with Brienne, Jaie came to realize how toxic Cersei was, and even when she cried out for help after being arrested, he ignored her pleas. In typical George R.R. Martin fashion, these two plots could dovetail to reveal the former Kingslayer as The Prince That Was Promised. It would also complete the best character arc in the entire series. Jaime could go from an emotionally removed knight who was wrapped up in incest and attempted child murder to become the greatest hero Westeros had ever seen. The only one who knows for sure, however, is Martin, and fans may have to wait years to get a satisfying end to this tale. Until then, all eight seasons of Game of Thrones are streaming on HBO Max.
