Will Gendry Inherit the Throne on Game of Thrones?
Game of Thrones: If This Theory Is True, Gendry Is Destined to Sit on the Iron Throne
After three long seasons spent rowing, Game of Thrones season seven finally answered the question of what happened to Gendry. Everyone's favourite blacksmith was chilling in King's Landing while he waited for someone to invite him back into the action. Now that he's returned to the fold, Gendry could play a major role in the final season. In fact, if this fascinating theory from The Nerdist is right, then Robert Baratheon's bastard could end up sitting on the Iron Throne when the final episode arrives.
The idea of Gendry inheriting the Iron Throne may sound ludicrous on the surface, but the theory has merit. Sure, he's a minor character, but he has a powerful connection to one of Westeros' oldest families. Even though he's not Robert's legitimate son, he's technically the last remaining Baratheon that we know of. That made him enough of a threat for Joffrey to want him (as well as all of Robert's other illegitimate children) dead in season two. With the help of Ned Stark, Gendry is spared from that massacre — but that's only the beginning of his lucky streak. In season three, Melisandre attempts to sacrifice the young blacksmith because he possesses the powerful king's blood in his veins, but this time, Davos comes to his rescue. Against all odds, Gendry survives, and he survives for a reason.
By now, fans know that the Game of Thrones writers never do anything without a plan. And it seems that Gendry has a fairly large role to play in season eight. In an April interview with Digital Spy, actor Joe Dempsie admitted that the show's creators always planned for him to return. He also added, "I've done well out of it this year, for sure." That suggests Gendry's final arc could be a big one.
The Nerdist also points out that Gendry's great-grandmother on Robert's side is Rhaelle Targaryen. Technically, this makes him at least part Targaryen, which along with being the last of the Baratheon line, would give him a claim to the Iron Throne if Daenerys, Jon, and Cersei all die during the battle against the Night King. In a scenario where all three of those major players dies, Westeros likely wouldn't be too bothered by the fact that the man sitting on the Iron Throne isn't Robert's legitimate son. Besides, with so many battles rageing, it's safe to say that the people of Westeros will be dealing with major changes to their traditional ways in the wake of the war. If Gendry proves himself to be a warrior like his father, then it's hard to imagine there being much objection to him taking the throne.
In true Game of Thrones fashion, there could be one more twist to Gendry's story. There's a chance that he's not a bastard at all, and that he's instead the first born (and only) son of Robert and Cersei. Reddit user roniza pointed out that way back in season one, Cersei tells Catelyn that she gave birth to a dark-haired son before she had Joffrey. She claims that the child died, but there's also a possibility that Cersei sent him away. Remember, the Lannister Queen's devotion to Jaime is unwavering, and she took care to make sure that he fathered all three of the children she passed off as Robert's heirs. It's a stretch for sure — Cersei also says they had to take the child out of her arms because she wouldn't let him go — but it is curious that after he loses his mother as a child, Gendry ends up so well taken care of.
It seems that all of his life, Gendry has been dealing with brushes with death, but he keeps on surviving, and whether he's a legitimate child of Robert and Cersei or simply the king's bastard son with a touch of Targaryen blood, his youth, connection to the common folk, and strength as a soldier all make him a viable candidate to sit on the Iron Throne if the major players don't make it to the end of the series. Gendry as king would be a shocking twist, but it definitely wouldn't be an unreasonable one.
