The final episode of Game of Thrones answered the one question that fans had been desperate to determine since the very first episode: Who would win and who would die? The answers were Bran Stark, who was named King of the Six Kingdoms, and Daenerys Targaryen, who was stabbed by her lover-slash-nephew Jon Snow.
However, the finale didn't answer some of the series' biggest questions. In fact, there are quite a few hanging threads left unresolved that we still need answers to, so with that in mind let's dissect a few of them.
WHY WAS JON SNOW KEPT ALIVE?
In the wake of killing the queen, one has to wonder why the ruthless Unsullied Master of War Grey Worm and his Dothraki allies kept Jon alive. They didn't know, nor would they have cared, that he was Aegon Targaryen and, honestly, given their nature, they should have killed him on the spot.
After all, anyone who betrayed the hostile Daenerys was immediately executed, and it was obvious, with the blood on the ground, that Jon was her murderer. At this point, Dany's armies wouldn't have been about diplomacy but rather carnage and chaos, so, with the woman they would have followed to their deaths now gone, it stands to reason they should have taken Jon's head off then and there. We'll never know why mercy was offered, especially right after Grey Worm made it clear his legion was not about second chances.
WHY IS THERE STILL A NIGHT'S WATCH?
Jon has been sent to the Wall to assume duty under the Night's Watch again, but we have no clue why this guard still exists. The threat of the White Walkers is gone, unless Bran knows something else possibly lurks there beyond the snowy North. It may be a case of preventative measures and Bran being proactive, but seeing as we've had no clues of monsters, giants or rogue wildlings there again, it could be Bran was offering Jon a way out and a chance at haven with Tormund's people
Still, seeing them wandering North left fans asking if they were simply trying to find a home, foraging for food, exploring to see if new enemies were around, or possibly just going out for a morning waltz. Either way, the Night's Watch is there for some big mission but, as it stands, that mission doesn't really exist anymore and we're none the wiser as to their, and Jon's, true purpose at Castle Black.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PROPHECIES?
"The Prince Who Was Promised" was another major turning point where the show seemingly lined up with George R.R. Martin's books. When Melisandre brought Jon back to life, we all believed he was this prince who'd kill the threat of the "other," the Night King in the show, and then bring light to Westeros by freeing and ruling it. That prophecy never came true, as Jon ended up with the wildings, making this seem like nothing more than a bedtime story.
As for Arya's prophecy of killing the "green-eyed" threat, we assumed that'd be Daenerys, as Arya already killed the blue-eyed enemy in the Night King. Yet once more, Melisandre's clairvoyance came to naught as Arya simply decided to leave and roam "west of Westeros." Last but not least, the "Valonqar" prophecy Cersei was blighted with about her sibling wrapping hands around her neck when she died seemed to have been reworked so she could die with Jaime trying to comfort her, but, again, it felt like a total cop out and another meaningless piece of drama from a prophecy that meant nothing.
WHAT HAPPENED TO DROGON?
After seeing Jon with Dany's dead body, instead of roasting Aegon, Drogon melted the Iron Throne and flew away with his mother. Sam reported he was last seen heading East, which left Bran eager to use his powers to find the dragon, but fans are already theorizing where the beast went, as the show offered no resolution to Drogon's true destination.
Some believe he went to Pentos, where Dany first experienced liberation with Khal Drogo; others think he went back to Dragonstone to rest with no more Targaryens left to rule there; while others believe he went back to Valyria in Essos, where his ancestors came from. Truth is, no one knows for sure, although there's good money Drogon may have "buried" Dany at one of these places and returned to Meereen where he loved to wander the wild countryside, stealing livestock and flaying kids.
WHERE DID THE DOTHRAKI GO?
Grey Worm, heartbroken and somewhat defeated after losing Dany and Missandei, took his Unsullied to Naath, the home where Missandei promised they'd have better days. But as the ships sailed off, we're not sure if the Dothraki soldiers were on them, too.
They're a wild army, so it's hard to also see them assimilating into Westeros and abiding in an orderly fashion, especially after their queen was assassinated. The show really doesn't give them closure and treats the warriors like plot tools just meant to further Dany's ambitions, similar to good ole' Daario Naharis, whose storyline was dropped like a hot potato and never returned to the fray. Ultimately, the Dothraki deserved a better ending, especially after they were the first to be massacred in the war at Winterfell
WHO FILLS OUT BRAN'S COUNCIL?
The small council under Bran the Broken comprises of Tyrion as Hand, Lord Davos Seaworth as Master of Ships, Lord Bronn as Master of Coin, what appears to be Maester Samwell Tarly and, last but not least, Lord Commander Brienne of the Kingsguard. But, as Bran indicated at the meeting, the council was still missing a few key positions: Master of Whisperers, Master of Laws and Master of War.
Grey Worm abdicated his role as new Master of War when Bran took over, and Tyrion will definitely be looking for someone worthy to fill the void Varys the Spider left as Master of Whisperers. In short, it seems these posts were left vacant as there simply weren't enough significant characters (sorry, Ser Podrick) lingering around to justify a promotion. Still, fans would have loved to know who'd complete the inner circle because, clearly, Bran and Tyrion need people they trust as they rebuild the wheel.
WHY DIDN'T DORNE JOIN THE WAR?
The Martells suffered greatly under Cersei and the throne on the whole in years gone by. When Oberyn had his head squashed by the Mountain and Ellaria Sand was taken prisoner by Cersei to pay for her daughters' sins and poisoning Myrcella, we were eagerly waiting for the spear-wielding Dorne army to join Jon and Dany's alliance and add to the list of those who wanted Cersei dead.
Yet Dorne's treated as an afterthought, with Varys making a passing comment in the final season about a new prince being appointed. This unnamed leader shows up in the finale to vote for a new king, but we're left with no clue as to what Dorne's been up to lately and why the kingdom pops up randomly when the war is done. The Dornish army was revered for producing soldiers like Oberyn, so some explanation as to why they didn't come to the fore would have been nice, even if it's because they wanted an uneasy peace with King's Landing and Cersei at the time.
Why did Drogon melt the Iron Throne?
I understand symbolically why Drogon melted the Iron Throne: Daenerys’ unwavering pursuit of that single seat of power turned her from a ruler with a kind heart (as Jorah Mormont so often reminded her) into the Queen of the Ashes. Drogon destroying the throne paved the way for Tyrion and Bran to usher in a slightly different version of monarchy to Westeros.
But was this Drogon’s actual intention? Or was he just venting because Jon just murdered his mom and left him all alone in the world? Dragons are supposed to be smart, perhaps smarter than humans, but Drogon hadn’t previously demonstrated an interest in deploying fire as metaphor.
A related question: Where is Drogon going with Dany’s body? Likely he’s headed back to Valyria to put the queen to rest with her ancestors and take a well-earned nap after burning up a whole kingdom. Bran says that he’s going to try to find the dragon, possibly by warging into him — which of course begs yet another question: Why didn’t Bran warg into Drogon in the penultimate episode and stop the slaughter of thousands of innocent people?
Why didn’t the Night King kill Jon Snow?
Why? The army of the living surely would have fallen apart if Jon was not running around Westeros raising the alarm about the White Walker threat. The Night King could have waltzed down to King’s Landing.
Some fans speculated that the Night King himself might have thought that Jon was the Prince That Was Promised (more on that in a second) and thus avoided direct confrontation with him. But we never found out for sure.
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