Bran Stark becoming the king at the end ofGame of Thronesmay have come as a shock, but the clues are there when going back to rewatch. HBO’s fantasy epic is adapted fromA Song of Ice & Fire, the prolific series of novels written by George R.R. Martin. After nearly half a century of fantasy books mimicking the works of J.R.R. Tolkien,Martin’s books presented a compelling counterargument, combining fantastical elements with a bleak, less hopeful worldmore akin to actual history. This perspective is crucial to understanding why Bran would end up on the Iron Throne.
Game of Throneswas, in many ways, the biggest TV show of all time, which is why season 8’s ending was met with such a loudly divisive response. Among the most controversial aspects ofGame of Thrones’endingwere Daenerys succumbing to madness, the conclusion of the Long Night, and Bran Stark becoming king. Common arguments against these choices suggest that the decisions were contrived, butthe books and show provide thematic reasoning and direct foreshadowing. This doesn’t mean Bran’s arc was handled well on the show, but it could still work out in a fascinating way in Martin’s novels.
8Bran Stark Is The First Main Character Shown In Game Of Thrones
Bran’s POV Introduces Readers To Winterfell
In a series likeGame of Thrones, it’s impossible to make the case for one apparent main character. It could be Daenerys, Tyrion, Jon Snow, or whoever else, depending on how the reader views the books or show. That said,Bran Stark is the first member of the main ensemble to be introduced in both the show and inA Game of Thrones. After the prologue scene set beyond the Wall, Bran is the first point of view audiences get as he climbs around Winterfell, witnesses the execution of the Night’s Watch deserter, and later discoversthe Stark direwolves.
The first episode and first sequence of events in the books are primarily centered around Bran, leading up to his fall, and Martin loves to write circular arcs.
As mentioned, there’s no distinctive lead inGame of Thrones, but it does mean something that he’s the first character introduced. The first episode and first sequence of events in the books are primarily centered around Bran, leading up to his fall, and Martin loves to write circular arcs.Bran, being the first character and, in a sense, the last, is significantto the story. Martin has said that the first piece of imagery that came to him forASOIAF was about finding direwolf pups in the summer snows. From its origination, it’s always been Bran’s story.
7George R.R. Martin Built His Story Around Subverting Expectations
Bran Is A Poetically Unlikely Candidate
The notion of “subverting expectations” became a source of divisive reactions, particularly surrounding how theGame of Thronesshowrunners used it as an excuse to create contrived moments like Arya killing the Night King. However, while George R.R. Martin does have crucial tones of romanticism in his books, subversion is still a major component of their identity.These books are meant to be antithetical toThe Lord of the Ringsand other fantasy sagas that came after, so following in their footsteps with the expected candidate becoming king at the end is too simple.
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Jon Snow or Daenerys Targaryen might bethe Prince That Was Promised, but it wouldn’t feel right for either of them to become king. Jon Snow, in particular, has so many parallels with Aragorn in that he’s the hero turned lost-king archetype with a secret Targaryen heritage. He’s the lost heir to a broken line, and for him to become king would work against Martin’s themes, even if it is what so many readers want.Bran Stark is unexpected, and if Martin can make the decision feel earned, it will perfectly suit the storyhe’s spent decades crafting.
6Game Of Thrones Foreshadowed Bran Becoming King In Episode 1
“King Of The Andals And The First Men”
This is purely an element that pertains to the TV series, but there’s a fairly direct moment of foreshadowing in “Winter is Coming,” the first episode ofGame of Thrones, that ties to Bran eventually becoming the king. During the execution scene in which Lord Eddard Stark beheads the Night’s Watch deserter, he does so in the name of “Robert of the House Baratheon, the first of his name, King of the Andals and the First Men.“As Ned says, “King of the Andals and the First Men,” the camera is set on Branand Jon Snow.
In this moment, Jon advises Bran not to look away, showing that, like in the book, readers are still witnessing this moment from Bran’s perspective. It’s a clever moment, if intentional, as it accomplishes two goals.It sets up Jon to be a Red Herring as a candidate to be the future king, but it also shows the true future king in the same frame. In retrospect, this feels like a fairly obvious clue as to who would end up on the Iron Throne.
5The Kingslayer, Jaime Lannister, Tried To Kill Bran
Jaime Almost Killed Two Kings
Jaime Lannister is a complicated figure inA Song of Ice & FireandGame of Thrones, as his redemption arc is largely debatable. Long before readers even got a deeper glimpse into Jaime, though, the vital aspect of his character is that he’s a knight who’s tarnished his reputation by killing the king he was intended to protect.Jaime Lannister is the Kingslayer, and it’s fitting that he should be the one who attempts to kill Branat the end of the first episode, serving as one of the primary catalysts for the narrative’s events.
He killed Aerys Targaryen and also set Bran on his path to becoming king.
In a sense, Jaime Lannister is the Kingslayer and also the Kingmaker, as it’s his actions that push Bran toward eventually becoming king. This has a compelling circular quality to it as well, asJaime played a critical role in both the fall of the Targaryen dynasty and the future of Westeros. He killed Aerys Targaryen and also set Bran on his path to becoming king. No matter his morality, his two most important actions contributed to the fate of Westeros.
4A Song Of Ice & Fire Is A Critique Of Feudalism & Monarchy
The Targaryen Reign Returning Was Never An Option
Aside from just being about the subversion of fantasy tropes,A Song of Ice & FireandGame of Thronesdon’t paint monarchy in a kind light. Not to sayThe Lord of the Ringsis necessarily monarchist, as it pertains to the idea of a king closer to Arthurian legend than a real-world monarch, butthe idea of Aragorn ending on the throne isn’t something that wouldn’t happen in Martin’s books, again canceling out someone like Jon Snow.
Not to mention, George R.R. Martin spent plenty of time examining the Targaryen dynasty, and the purpose of this wasn’t just to create cool lore. The reasonFire & Bloodmatters is thatthe Targaryen dynasty was an ultimately horrific and tumultuous period for Westeros. To have Daenerys arrive at the end ofA Song of Ice & Fireto reclaim the Iron Throne and bring back her family’s reign wouldn’t make sense. Ending with some semblance of a democratic election for rulers, which is what will likely happen after Bran’s reign, seems more likely.
3Bran Is Unable To Father Children
Bran Can’t Create A New Dynasty
Expanding upon the idea of what happens after Bran’s reign, the fact that he’s unable to father children makes him thematically perfect. There will never be a Bran Stark II, also known as Bran the Cruel, because he will not have heirs to reign after him as Aegon did.Bran Stark’s reign isn’t the start of a new dynasty for Westeros; it’s the start of an entirely new erathat progresses the Seven Kingdoms further.
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Bran Stark’s life changes entirely after his fall, and it’s crucial to his story that he’s unable to fulfill his intended purpose in a feudal society. As the second son, he would generally be a candidate to become a soldier, like he often dreamed. If something were to befall Robb, his next role would be to inherit Winterfell and father heirs, which he also can’t do.His primary purpose in this society became null and void when Jaime Lannister pushed him out of the tower, and that makes him perfectly suited to end up king in Martin’s story.
2Brandon Stark Is A Historic Name Of Northern Kings In Game Of Thrones
Brandon Stark Was The First King Of Winter
Bran’s full name is Brandon Stark, tying him to several members of theStark family tree. Of course, Ned Stark likely named Bran due to the loss of his older brother Brandon, but it’s also notably common for names to be re-used throughout history. There were five Targaryen kings named Aegon, and similarly,at least nine Stark Kings named Brandon prior to Aegon’s Conquestwhen the North was an independent kingdom.
Brandon the Builder is primarily a subject of legend in the North, but he’s also ambiguously believed to be the first King of Winter and the man who built the Wall and Winterfell. It’s also the name of several others, nicknamed Brandon the Breaker, Brandon the Shipwright, Brandon the Burner, Brandon Ice Eyes, Brandon the Bad, and Brandon IX. Given that it’s a historic name, this could easily be perceived as a coincidence, but again, Martin writes in circles.
1Bran Stark Has Parallels To A Real-World Mythological Figure
Bran The Blessed Was A King In Mythology
Aside from in-world historical parallels, Bran Stark also ties to a real-world figure named Bran the Blessed. In Welsh mythology, Bran the Blessed was the King of Britain. Importantly,“Bran” is translated to crow or raven in Welsh, so it’s hard to chalk this one up to coincidence, especially given how many historical parallels there are in Martin’s text. Both Bran the Blessed and the Fisher King, a figure in Arthurian legend who’s believed to be derived from Bran the Blessed, suffer a nearly fatal wound but continue to persevere.
In the myth of Bran the Blessed,the character was beheaded but continued to live on as a severed head, using prophetic powers to protect his kingdom. The mythology behind this character is worth researching further, as the parallels to Bran Stark and his eventual role inGame of Thronesare uncanny. This was the primary reasoning behind fan theories suspecting Bran would become king years before it actually happened in the TV adaptation.
