Why Bran Has to Kill the Night King on Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones: Bran Is on a Collision Course With the Night King According to This Theory
Since Game of Thrones began, Bran Stark has been key to setting major events in motion. When Jaime throws him from the tower in season one, he puts Bran on the path to becoming the Three-Eyed Raven, and Bran's injury is the start of the Starks' downfall. It's always been clear that Bran's an important character, but a new fan theory suggests that he's even more important than anyone realised.
One of the big questions going into the final season is who will defeat the Night King and his army? A lot of people are betting on Jon Snow, because he didn't come back from the dead for nothing. But Reddit user juligen makes a compelling argument for why Bran is the one destined to end the Night King's reign. For quite some time now the show's been playing up the idea that Bran and the Night King are connected. From the scene where the young Stark is out warging when he realises the undead king can not only see him, but also touch him to the Night King sending a portion of his army to the cave in an attempt to kill Bran, these two characters are connected. And given the actions of the Night King, it's no stretch to speculate that he could be scared of Bran because he knows he's the only one capable of defeating him.
The Reddit theory notes the sheer amount of times that characters like Jojen, Meera, and the former Three-Eyed Raven have emphasized how important it is to keep Bran alive. In season three, Jojen tells Bran, "I have seen the only thing that matters . . . you." Then in season six, the Three-Eyed Raven says to the Stark boy, "You think I wanted to sit here for a thousand years, watching the world from a distance as the roots grew through me? . . . I was waiting for you." Even Bran's undead Uncle Benjen seems to know what's up when he says in season six, "One way or another, he [the Night King] will find his way to the world of men. And when he does, you will be there waiting for him. And you will be ready."
It's hard to ignore so many quotes pointing toward Bran and the Night King facing off against one another before the series ends. The bigger question is how will Bran defeat the Night King? Now that he's the reigning Three-Eyed Raven, he has the ability to visit the past, and he can also warg. So far, his ability to time travel has confirmed Jon Snow's parentage and revealed the tragic secret behind Hodor's name, but it seems unlikely that the answer to stopping the Night King will involve Bran time travelling. Some fans seem to think it will involve him flying instead.
Another Reddit user, ded_a_chek, posits that Bran warging into Viserion and taking control of the dragon will be the turning point in the war against the Night King and lead to his fall. Since Bran's been dreaming of flying since season one that would be a poetic way to bring his story full circle. But maybe his role in the final war will be even bigger — Game of Thrones has been hinting that Bran and the Night King's connection runs deep for a long time. Now fans will just have to wait and see if Bran truly is the only one who can stop the Night King's reign of terror.
