It's been a long time coming: Game of Thrones Season 8 is set to debut in April 2019. The clock is ticking, and fans only have one more season of Game of Thrones to say goodbye to their favorite characters. Whether that farewell is happy or soaked in blood is yet to be seen, depending on the direction taken by showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
No matter what happens with Jon, Daenerys, Arya, Sansa, Jaime, Cersei, and the rest of the heroes and villains of this show, one thing is for sure: Game of Thrones's final season will be the most powerful one yet. Expect major conflicts, significant losses, and a tearful (if impermanent) farewell to Westeros.
Season 8 of Game of Thrones finally sees the Night King and his white walkers cross into Westeros on a path of doom, presumably one that leads straight through Winterfell to King's Landing. Additionally, the characters may finally learn the truth about Jon's true lineage and his right to the Iron Throne. The way this all plays out is anyone's guess, but it's possible to make predictions based on what we know so far.
Game of Thrones co-creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have a history of constructing Spotify playlists to accompany respective seasons of the show. On April 9, 2019, just days before season 8 premires, Benioff, Weiss, and Spotify’s Head of Rock, Allison Hagendorf, released "Game of Thrones: The End Is Coming" on the streaming platform and promised, "The answer to the ending is one hundred percent hidden in the playlist choices."
"The End Is Coming" includes songs from Rage Against the Machine, Led Zeppelin, Pixies, Prince, Thrice, and many, many more.
In a press release, the show runners explained, "We were looking for songs that made us feel the way the show made us feel. There’s variety in there - Rage is not Johnny Cash. But they both have a deep inherent power."
The Official Trailer Teases The Final Battle
Photo: Helen Sloane/HBO
The official trailer for Season 8 was released in March 2019, one month before the final episodes are set to premiere. The two tense minutes tease an unexpected alliance and the final battle against the Night King. Hypebeast suggests the scene will be the "longest-ever battle sequence on film."
The trailer also features familiar faces, including Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, the Lannisters, the remaining Starks, and, of course, the dragons.
The Teaser Hints At A Literal Battle Between Ice And Fire
Photo: Courtesy of HBO
HBO dropped the first official teaser for the final season of Game of Throneson December 6, 2018. While the trailer didn't give away any specific plot points, it did allude to a climactic battle that will likely put the most epic fights of the show to shame.
The trailer features the table at Dragonstone of House Targaryen. Certain pieces - like a wolf and a dragon - freeze over as ice sprawls over one side. On the other end, flames engulf a lion and make their way to the center of it. The teaser ends with the two elements clashing.
The one-minute clip parallels aspects of what we already know. There will be a giant battle against the white walkers - likely with the aid of Daenerys's two remaining dragons. It relates to the two biggest heroes of the series: the aforementioned Mother of Dragons and Jon Snow, her now-lover (and unknown relative), who is King of the North.
The First Episode Airs In April 2019
Photo: Helen Sloane/HBO
For the longest time, Game of Thrones fans only knew the final season of the epic series would air sometime in the "first half" of 2019. On November 13, 2018, HBO announced a last season start date of April 2019. HBO released a teaser trailer for Season 8 comprised of pivotal moments from the past seven seasons. The preview set the stage for what is sure to be a tremendous end to the saga.
It also marked a marketing effort for the company relating to the last season, which is promoting the hashtag #ForTheThrone to pump up fans.
It Starts And (Likely) Ends At Winterfell
Photo: Helen Sloane/HBO
In November 2018, Entertainment Weeklysat down with Game of Thrones stars and learned Season 8 opens in Winterfell and heavily references the pilot. As the end of Season 7 suggested, Sansa is not exactly thrilled her brother Jon Snow swore allegiance to Daenerys - although the impending war with the white walkers might change her mind.
"It's about all of these disparate characters coming together to face a common enemy, dealing with their own past, and defining the person they want to be in the face of certain death," said co-executive producer Bryan Cogman. "It's an incredibly emotional, haunting, bittersweet final season, and I think it honors very much what [author George R. R. Martin] set out to do - which is flipping this kind of story on its head."
By the end of the 7th season, it seems as though all the show's faction are converging on Winterfell. The white walkers start with a takedown of the very wall that kept them out of Westeros. They are likely heading for Winterfell. Meanwhile, Cersei plans to end her alliance with Jon and Daenerys, so that she can take them out while the North is busy fighting the Night King.
Recent set photos also confirm something is up in Winterfell. Fires can be seen from a distance, teasing what could be a harsh fate for the remaining Starks.
A New Set Built For King's Landing Could Reveal A Major Spoiler
Photo: Helen Sloane/HBO
While Game of Thrones has traditionally filmed the King's Landing sequences on location in Croatia and Northern Ireland, the production team has built a reproduction of the set at Titanic Studios in Belfast, according to Elite Daily. It's one of the most detailed sets ever made for the show and re-creates both the streets of King's Landing as well as the outer wall that protects it.
Based on pictures of the set, FanSided theorizes the new King's Landing will be used for a conflict to take place in the city. Since the show has traditionally used real pyrotechnics for these sequences, it makes sense that they would build a whole new set for King's Landing with the sole purpose of taking it out.
