Warning: Contains Spoilers
The remaining characters on Game of Thrones are all driven by something, whether that be power, revenge or the promise of a castle.
But what of the Night King, with his silence and penchant for creating gruesome wall hangings? What gets him leaping out of bed in the morning, ready and pumped for another day of freaking the crap out of everyone?
We have long suspected that there were ambitious – and undoubtedly sinister – plans whirring away behind those icy blue eyes, but the specifics were never exactly stipulated.
However, it would appear we can kiss goodbye to any hope that the Night King will be rocking up to Winterfell Jaime Lannister style, repentant and resolving to do better. This dude has the sort of diabolical, destructive plans which even Queen Cersei might perceive as a bit strong…
Fresh revelations about the the Night King’s intentions were dropped, unsurprisingly, by the show’s very best amateur detective duo, Bran Stark and Samwell Tarly.
Speaking at a strategy meeting, Jon Snow stated:
The Night King made them all, they follow his command.
Getting to him may be our best chance.
Seasoned Knight Jaime Lannister noted:
If that’s true, he’ll never expose himself.
It is at this point that Bran chimes in, with the sort of sharp, straight-to-the-point speech pattern we have come to expect in recent seasons:
Yes, he will. He’ll come for me.
He’s tried before. Many times, with many Three-Eyed Ravens.
When quizzed further, he adds:
An endless night. He wants to erase this world. And I am its memory.
Now, given that Bran is right about a lot of things since becoming the Three-Eyed Raven, we know this startling revelation is way more than just mere speculation.
It is then that Sam lends his bookish brain to the conversation, reasoning as to why Bran – and not say a person in a leadership position – would be the Night King’s first port of call murder-wise:
That’s what death is, isn’t it?
Forgetting, being forgotten. People forget where we’ve been and what we’ve done, we’re not men anymore, just animals. Your memories don’t come from books, your stories aren’t just stories. If I wanted to erase the world of men, I’d start with you.
Winter is well and truly coming for Bran…
You can now – finally – watch the new season of Game of Thrones on HBO or Sky Atlantic.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.