Analyzing every detail from the new ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 8 photos

Image: HELEN SLOAN/HBO

By Jess Joho and Alexis Nedd2019-02-06 23:50:49 UTC

The secrets of Game of Thrones‘ upcoming Season 8 may be guarded more carefully than Lyanna Stark at the Tower of Joy, but with the final episodes’ release date looming closer, HBO has graced us with a handful of promotional stills. 

Although most of them are relatively close shots of characters, a close look at some of their details reveals some potential for analysis that’ll get fans looking forward to the Throne Zone. 

Let the wild speculation begin.

Jon Snow/Aegon Targaryen and Daenerys Targaryen

• The temptation might be to assume that snow immediately means these two are Beyond the Wall, but last season’s wall-breaking finale showed that winter (and the White Walkers) has finally come for all of Westeros. Since they bring the cold and snow with them, most of Westeros will look like a winter wonderland. Jon and Dany could be anywhere, but the rocky background suggests the terrain of the North, or potentially the Vale.

• If they are Beyond the Wall, there’s a lot up there that could help these two learn crucial info about their undead enemies. Now that the White Walkers are marching south, it’s the first time it’s somewhat safe for man to venture into their territory. It’s possible they’re in or heading to the Lands of Always Winter, the White Walker stronghold we saw back in Season 4 where they transformed Craster’s baby into one of them. Theorists think the location is key to understanding what the White Walkers plan and want. Of course, the chilly boys probably have left some security measures in place to protect it, though.

• I swear to god if Dany takes her dragons beyond the wall again, I will scream. In the new Fire and Blood Targaryen history book released by George R. R. Martin, it’s implied that dragon magic is affected if not all-out weakened by whatever’s Beyond the Wall. Dany’s down to two dragons now, so keep your babies safe and warm!

Jon Snow/Aegon Targaryen and Daenerys Targaryen (but happy)

• Okay, so wherever they are, shit is not hitting the fan because they apparently have enough peace and quiet to exchange longing looks.

• Question: Is this before or after they learn about being related? Because if it’s after, clearly neither of them care about carrying on the long Targaryen tradition of incest. Keep that dragon blood pure!

Daenerys Targaryen

• This is  the second winter outfit we’ve seen Dany in, so we know her stay in the North will be an extended one. Or we’re seeing yet again how everything south of the Wall has been taken over by the winds of winter brought by the Walkers’ march. Remember in Season 2 when Dany had a vision of the throne room in King’s Landing covered in snow? 

• This is actually great news, everyone’s 2019 F/W fashion lewks are going to be on display all season regardless of location. Polar vortex be damned!

Sansa Stark

• In every new morsel of Game of Thrones Season 8 content, we’ve seen Sansa serving some fire looks. Will she be the winter fashion queen? Stay tuned. 

• In that brief HBO Golden Globes clip, we saw Sansa reluctantly telling Daenerys that Winterfell was hers (Dany’s), but the chain around Sansa’s neck indicates that she’s still acting as Wardeness of the North — despite Jon being crowned King in the North. Will Daenerys support Sansa’s claim to Winterfell if she bends the knee? Jon certainly has better things to do than run a castle. 

• Also she looks pissed, and wouldn’t you be? She let Jon go on one trip to find dragonglass and he comes back with a new girlfriend/aunt/queen who says she’s the captain now. 

Varys

• Varys is, as ever, looking like he’s up to something we cannot trust. The show has largely lead us to believe that Varys serves the realm loyally – but what exactly that means remains to be seen. It seemed clear from Season 1 that he was conspiring to put a Targaryen back on the throne, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Daenerys, who already showed signs of mistrusting him in Season 7. 

• In the books there’s a prophecy that Dany will be betrayed three times, two of which have been accounted for (shout out to Mirri Maz Dur and Jorah Mormont). Will he be her final and most fatal one?

• Don’t forget that Melisandre told Varys in Season 7 that she and Varys would both die in the “foreign lands” of Westeros. We don’t know when, but suspect the Spider doesn’t have too high of a chance of making it out of the wintry war alive. 

Jon Snow/Aegon Targaryen 

• Not much to be gleamed here, other than that Jon really knows how to wear that beard. Digging the scar, too — very Lion King.

Tyrion Lannister

• While some speculate that Varys will be the one to fulfill Dany’s prophesied betrayals, others think Tyrion is much more likely. He’s still wearing his Hand of the Queen pin here, but remember that we still don’t know what he and Cersei agreed upon in that little post-Dragonpit meeting of theirs. 

• He’s also had a rude awakening about how brutal Daenerys can be since she arrived in Westeros. He had to watch his own brother almost lose his life in the Loot Train Attack of Season 7, and seen her burn the Tarlys alive for refusing to kneel. 

• That’s not to mention the very dubious look he gave in the Season 7 finale while Jon and Dany were getting it on.

Davos Seaworth

• Ha, Davos is straight chilling. He’s probably in Winterfell. Since set leaks have hinted that Winterfell might be flamingly vulnerable to an ice dragon attack soon, it sure is nice to have the one guy with extensive experience dealing with supernaturally strong fires hanging around the castle. If the White Walkers come for Winterfell first (very likely), they’ll need everyone on deck.

Brienne of Tarth

• Alright, so it’s a bit hard to make out, but the background of this picture appears to show Stark bannermen in their new colors, which were switched in order to represent their new King in the North, Jon Snow. 

• Before, House Stark’s colors were a grey direwolf on a white background. But the White Wolf’s sigil will reverse that to a white wolf (awww, it’s Ghost) with a grey background. Will we see this new banner on the map in the title sequence, along with a newly destroyed Wall?

Cersei Lannister

• Cersei’s looking as unsympathetic as ever, decked out in the armor-inspired outfits she’s preferred ever since becoming queen. Funny how back in Season 1, she mocked Robert by saying she “should wear the armor, and [Robert] the gown.” Replace gown with shroud and she was spot on. Foreshadowing!

Jamie Lannister

• This is one of the first times we’ve ever seen Jaime not in Lannister colors (either gold or red). He’s very decidedly in the black/brownish armor of the North, implying he’s in Winterfell or Castle Black. From the looks of it, Jaime has kept his promise to finally leave King’s Landing and his sister’s side to fight the real battle along with everyone else.

• Imagine the banter we’ll get with Jaime and Brienne finally fighting for the same side. Will they make out?! We ship it.

• Love the smell of a series-long redemption arc in the making.

• Remember when he pushed a kid out a window?

Arya Stark

• These days, not much gets Arya to look this shook. Her expression looks like she’s either seeing someone on her list, a dragon, or maybe even her long-lost direwolf Nymeria! 

• Or, it could be she’s finally reunited with Jon, who will be delighted to know she’s moved far past learning to stick ’em with the pointy end as an unstoppable, face-stealing murder machine.

• It’s also important to note that she not only still has Needle, but on her right-hand side appears to be carrying the Valyrian dagger that was used in the Season 1 attempt on Bran’s life (which Catelyn, RIP, stopped). That blade has passed through a few characters, but Arya was the last to use it — when she slit Petyr Belish’s throat.

• Notice the sleeve on the guy standing behind her. The guy with the dynamite head of hair. That appears to be the quilted armor of the Night’s Watch, indicating that Arya is either at Castle Black or the black brothers have established a presence at Winterfell.

• Maybe they retreated to the next big castle after the wall fell! 

Bran Stark

Samwell Tarly

• We literally have no idea what could make Sam smile at a time like this, but he’s always been kind of a happy guy. Maybe he’s about to see Jon again. He loves Jon. 

• He’s still wearing his quilted Night’s Watch armor despite failing his mission to become their new Maester, but that armor is probably warm as heck so who can blame him? 

Cersei Lannister, again

• The most metaphorically telling of all the new images, Cersei is in every way alone. She is the only character who still appears to be at King’s Landing, while everyone else is fighting the dead up North. How long will that last? What destruction will she reap upon the world while all her enemies are distracted? 

• Some even believe that it won’t be the White Walkers that fulfill Dany’s vision of a destroyed throne room. They believe it will be Cersei’s final act as the Mad Queen, once more using wildfyre to destroy the entire city. 

• Also, notice anything missing from Cersei’s silhouette? She revealed in the Season 7 finale that she’s pregnant, but if so she’s not even close to showing in this picture. She could have miscarried her and Jamie’s child, or been lying about it all along. Or maybe Season 8 simply spans less than the three or so months Cersei would take to show her pregnancy. 

April 14 is coming slower than the Walkers but we’ll keep waiting anyway!