Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones" season seven.
The "Game of Thrones" season seven finale left us with a lot of unanswered questions, but more importantly we were left wondering how this fantasy epic will come to an end. The eighth and final season of "Game of Thrones" might not air until 2019, so in the meantime let's take a guess at how this fantasy epic will tie up its major loose ends.
Keep reading for a look at our predictions for the final season of "Game of Thrones," including our devastating guess that Daenerys Targaryen won't survive until the end.
Daenerys and Jon are on a boat heading for White Harbor, where they'll land and then head to Winterfell. Given that the Night King just broke down the Wall, we can't see the showrunners dillydallying when it comes to getting Jon and Daenerys (and their armies) prepared for the big showdown.
Team Daenerys will arrive at Winterfell in time to hear the news about the Night King's imminent march on the north.
We had been hoping for a Jon/Arya reunion on season seven, but the two cousins (who think they're half-siblings) just missed each other.
This is one meeting that has to happen in the eighth and final season. Jon and Arya were very close growing up. Jon was the one who had Needle made for Arya as a goodbye present. It's only fitting for them to see each other again before the Great War begins.
Sam must know Jon was killed and subsequently resurrected, since he was sending ravens to him at Winterfell, but we haven't seen these two together since season five. Sam will likely be a part of the Rhaegar and Lyanna reveal to Jon, since Bran isn't exactly the best with delicately handling emotional conversations these days.
Bran last saw Jon on season four, when he was traveling north of the Wall and passed through Craster's Keep. He saw Jon from afar, fighting the mutineers, but couldn't say anything. Jon knows now that both Bran and Arya are alive, and will be eager to speak with them both.
"If they breach the Wall, the first two castles in their path are Last Hearth and Karhold," Jon said when he was addressing the northern lords on the first episode of season seven.
Last Hearth and Karhold are the Umber and Karstark castles, currently being overseen by the young Alys Karstark and Ned Umber. Odds are high that those two castles fall first before the Night King sets his sights on Winterfell.
We're also expecting to see a familiar face among the army of the dead before the series' end. A "wight Hodor" would be the most devastating, but it's also possible that another beloved character dies and is resurrected in the course of the battle for the living.
Viserion is named for Daenerys' brother Viserys, and Drogon is named for Khal Drogo. It would make thematic sense for Drogon to kill Viserion — just as Khal Drogon killed Viserys on the first season.
Jon's intimate moment with Drogon on season seven foreshadowed a more important dragon scene for season eight. Daenerys only has two dragons left, and since she only ever rides Drogon it would fit for Jon — the other last living Targaryen — to ride Rhaegal into battle at some point.
Season seven was very heavy-handed with exposition about Daenerys being infertile. Combine that with the telling line from Jorah about Jon Snow passing his sword onto his children, and it feels like the showrunners are setting the stage for a surprise Daenerys pregnancy.
The tougher thing to predict is how this will play out. Will Daenerys actually live to carry the baby to term? How is Jon going to feel about being the father to an incest-baby? So many questions. But one thing feels certain — a pregnancy is coming.
We're positive that of all the prophecies the show has introduced, Cersei's "Maggy the Frog" prophecy is the most ironclad. When she was a girl, Cersei was told by Maggy that she would only have three children. "Gold their crowns, and gold their shrouds," the witch said.
This means Cersei's current pregnancy will likely end in tragedy. Exactly how this will play out, we're not sure, but don't bet on seeing a Lannister baby alive and well at the end of the series.
Reformed-Jaime meeting Three-Eyed Raven "Bran" is one conversation we're really hopeful about seeing. We also believe Brienne and Jaime will be able to have a more poignant talk in Winterfell, and fight side by side with their twin Valyrian steel swords (both of which are made from the metal in Ned Stark's old greatsword, Ice).
Yes, more reunions. Season seven had so many great ones — it's only natural for season eight to bring more. We can't wait to see the Hound meet the Stark sisters once again, especially since both Sansa and Arya have evolved so much in the years since they were last with Sandor Clegane.
Arya and Gendry developed a special bond while traveling together from King's Landing to Harrenhal, and we can't wait for them to riff on each other again in Winterfell.
Even though we haven't seen Gendry since his marathon run to Eastwatch in "Beyond the Wall," he should be safe and sound at the start of season eight.
We haven't seen the last of Arya's fierce direwolf, Nymeria. Their reunion was cut short on season seven, but it set the stage for a bigger triumphant direwolf return on season eight. We wouldn't be surprised if Nymeria and her wolf pack charge into battle to help Arya and company fight the White Walkers.
Of all the remaining Stark children, Arya feels most at risk for dying a hero's death during the Great War. It makes the most sense for Sansa to be left as the Lady of Winterfell and leader of House Stark, while Bran will survive as the Three-Eyed Raven.
But Arya's storyline feels like it's coming to a close. What's left for her, once the fighting is done? Perhaps we're wrong and she'll sail off to see what is west of Westeros, but that feels too easy. The Starks are connected to their direwolves, and it makes narrative sense for both Nymeria and Arya to have one final badass moment of glory before dying in the fight for humanity.
Though the circumstances around both Varys and Melisandre's death are still hard to predict, we believe the red priestess when she says they will both die in Westeros.
Cersei said Euron is going to Essos to bring the Golden Company to Westeros. Theon said he's going to save Yara. If Yara is with Euron, then where is Theon headed? The Iron Islands? Maybe they'll have another sea battle, but either way this will be a messy rescue mission.
In the end, we think the odds are high that Theon survives but Yara is killed in the process, leaving Theon as the ruler of the Iron Islands.
It would be risky to bring a new character into "Game of Thrones" so late in the series, so if Euron really does get the Golden Company to Westeros, we think Daario is the most likely candidate for being their leader.
This fits with Daario's sellsword backstory, and it might set the stage for Euron turning the tables on Cersei and joining Team Daenerys instead. Then again, maybe Euron is already planning on ditching Cersei and we won't see the Golden company at all. Both are likely scenarios.
Cleganebowl has been teased for two full seasons now. When Sandor and Gregor Clegane came face-to-face on the seventh season finale, people thought that would be it. But we think the writers are saving the best for last, and we'll get the Cleganebowl we deserve on the final season.
On the season seven premiere, Gilly picked up a book about the Long Night and began reading. In promo photos, we could tell she was reading about the prophecy of Azor Ahai. We believe this will resurface on season eight, and Bran will be able to look back in time and see what happened the last time the White Walkers came to Westeros.
This is how Sam and Bran will help Jon and Daenerys strategize for their fight against the Night King. This will also likely involve cool flashbacks where we learn more about the White Walkers' origins and motivations.
We doubt both Jon and Daenerys survive the series — it'd be too happy of an ending for a show like "Game of Thrones." Especially since they've both been tied to the Azor Ahai prophecy, which includes a historic legend of a hero sacrificing his love in order to defeat the coming darkness.
Melisandre told Daenerys she had a role to play in the prophecy, along with Jon Snow. We believe that "role" is her eventual sacrifice. Whether intentional or not, Daenerys will die during the battle against the Night King and leave Jon as the last Targaryen. Jon never wanted to rule, but he'll be left to shoulder that burden for the good of the realm.