There Aren’t A Lot Of Great Ways To Make Game Of Thrones Season 9, But I’m Convinced These 6 Theories Would Work

Redeeming Game of Thrones with a ninth season would be a nearly impossible task, but there are some interesting possibilities worth considering. Almost everyone who’s seen season 8 has strong opinions about the Game of Thrones ending, and the diversion from George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice & Fire novels after season 4 is often credited as the pivotal moment that led to its downfall. While it’s too late to fix the divisive aspects of the TV show, adding on new material could bolster what we already saw, reinforcing those choices.

First, it’s worth briefly mentioning what exactly went wrong with Game of Thrones season 8. The major talking points include the narrative with the White Walkers, which had been built up for years as a terrifying, existential threat but then concluded in a rather anticlimactic manner in just one battle episode. Next, Daenerys Targaryen’s descent into madness was criticized for being contrived, and Bran Stark becoming king was underwhelming compared to more popular options. Most narrative possibilities will work around expanding on the final season’s downfalls.

6. Bran Stark Will Be The Real Villain

The Three-Eyed Raven Could Have Been Manipulating Events All Along

Bran Stark began Game of Thrones as a compelling character, but not one that many had imagined sitting on the Iron Throne. By the later seasons, he had lost much of the charm that defined him earlier on, and this is to no fault of actor Isaac Hempstead Wright. When Bran returned to the series after not being in season 5, he was a colder, distant shell of his former self, fully embracing his destiny as the Three-Eyed Raven. That coldness prevented audiences from resonating with him, making it a jarring choice to see him on the throne over others.

With this in mind, playing into the inhuman aspects of Bran Stark by making him an antagonist could be a solution. Having Bran turn on the Seven Kingdoms due to some connection with the Night King, the children of the forest, or for an entirely original reason could lead King’s Landing toward someone like Tyrion to become king, allowing the Lannister lord to finally earn his due respect after saving the city multiple times.

5. Dorne And/Or The Iron Islands Will Rebel Against The King

Why Didn’t They Want Their Own Independence Like The North?

There are several regions of the Seven Kingdoms that were notably glossed over during the final seasons of the show, but two of them include Dorne and the Iron Islands. This concept stems from the fact that Sansa Stark claimed the North as an independent kingdom at the end of the series. While that might have been a fulfilling ending for her character, it disregards the fact that the North wasn’t the only region that desired independence. Balon Greyjoy rebelled as King of the Iron Islands, while Dorne resisted the Iron Throne for nearly two centuries after Aegon the Conqueror.

An excellent way to test a new king’s merits is an uprising, and while Bran Stark may have powers that make him pretty threatening, those forces could potentially be aligned with foreign support and potentially the return of Drogon and the Unsullied. The armies of Westeros are severely depleted, and Dorne is the only region that went through the War of the Five Kings and the Last War without any military involvement. This could also be a way to incorporate removed book characters like Victarion Greyjoy and Arianne Martell.

4. Daario Naharis Comes For Revenge After Daenerys Targaryen’s Death

Daario Could Lead Forces From Essos To Avenge His Love

Daario Naharis was heartbroken after Daenerys left him behind in Meereen, but his passion for the Targaryen queen could still drive him to seek revenge. Daario’s Second Sons wouldn’t be enough to assault the Seven Kingdoms alone, but combined with the Unsullied or other armies from Essos, he could make a dent in a weakened version of Westeros. Daario Naharis might not be the most compelling antagonist alone, but as the leader of an allied group, he could work.

Daenerys Targaryen’s turn to madness may have lost some love from Westerosi supporters, but there were still many from her travels in Essos who would have followed her through anything. A season that turns Daenerys into a martyr, leading to outbreaks of violence and destruction, could perfectly align with George R.R. Martin’s themes related to prophetic heroes. Even though Daenerys turned out to be a mass murderer, the legends of her life could be distorted, making her out to be a fallen hero whose death is worthy of retribution.

3. Drogon Returns With A New Dragonrider

A New Dragonrider Could Emerge From Essos

Drogon flew off with Daenerys’s body at the end of Game of Thrones, and there are several possibilities of where he might have taken her. Dragons aren’t sentient creatures, but we know from previous examples that they’re mystically drawn to Old Valyria. Drogon could return to Essos with Daenerys, ending up with a new rider. That rider could ultimately be Aegon Targaryen, the son of Rhaegar and Elia Martell, who was cut from the TV show.

It might be odd, given that Jon was Rhaegar’s Aegon Targaryen in the TV version, but part of the appeal of Young Griff in the A Song of Ice & Fire books is that theories point to him being a Blackfyre posing as a Targaryen. The scorpions repelled Daenerys’s dragons decently well, but it’s still evidently clear from “The Bells” that one dragonrider is worth an army on their own. Having Aegon, possibly supported by the long-forgotten Illyrio Mopatis, Jon Connington, and Dorne, could be fantastic.

2. Arya Discovers What’s West Of Westeros

There Could Be New Threats Beyond The Sunset Sea

Arya’s journey into the Sunset Sea could be exciting to explore, showing the more mythical aspects of the Game of Thrones world. The World of Ice & Fire states that the Sunset Sea is home to krakens, leviathans, and potentially even sea dragons. The fact that no one knows what’s west of Westeros poses an endlessly appealing mystery, and seeing Game of Thrones explore some possibilities could be enjoyable. There are plenty of options for new threats against Westeros.

Of course, a show following purely Arya would be a spinoff rather than just a ninth season, so this would have to be one component of a larger story. Perhaps a combination of several of these ideas could work to some capacity, exploring the world further and following new conflicts. It’s hard to top an event called the “Last War,” but Martin’s writing implies a cyclical nature to his events, meaning violence will surely come again.

1. Jon Snow Faces Horrors In The True North

There Could Still Be More To The White Walker Mystery

A Jon Snow sequel series was something HBO toyed with for a couple of years, and while the reaction to the idea was split, there’s some merit to the concept if handled correctly. For this to be Game of Thrones season 9, it would have to incorporate more than just Jon Snow’s adventures and involve some narrative in Westeros, but expanding on the North plotline would certainly have to be part of any continuation. First, let’s get the idea of “Somehow, the Night King returned” out of the way, as that would be egregious.

Exploring the deep North wouldn’t be about reverting what happened in season 8, but about providing additional context. Many have theorized that the children of the forest are the true antagonists of A Song of Ice & Fire, and playing into a new angle that expands upon what we know about the White Walkers. The aim should be to evoke a similar sense of mystery to what we felt experiencing the Game of Thrones prologue sequence beyond the Wall or the horrors of Hardhome for the first time.