'Game of Thrones' Season 8 Theories, Plot: A Close Ally Could Betray Dany

Tyrion Lannister has every reason to hate his sister Cersei as we head into Game of Thrones Season 8, but a compelling new theory argues that he could turn around and betray his new queen Daenerys Targaryen instead. It might sound farfetched, but a closer look at some recent Game of Thrones moments suggest Tyrion might be working against Dany’s best interests already — even if he doesn’t realize it.

Possible spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8 ahead.

As redditor u/Bcallies402 notes in a recent post to the Game of Thrones subreddit, there’s plenty of evidence to support this theory. Remember, it was Tyrion’s idea to send the Unsullied to Casterly Rock, which played directly into Cersei’s plan. He also seemingly saved his sister by convincing Dany not to attack King’s Landing head on with an army of Dothraki and dragons.

Even Olenna Tyrell warned Daenerys that Tyrion might not be trustworthy, calling the him clever before adding that the Mother of Dragons should “stop trusting clever men.” When you add in the fact that we still don’t know what Tyrion said to Cersei after he found out she was pregnant, it all starts to make sense.

Then again, would that really be enough to convince Tyrion to switch sides? Maybe not, but it’s possible he could be manipulated by Cersei without realizing it. If the Queen at King’s Landing is feeding her brother false information, it could have big ramifications in Game of Thrones Season 8. At least, that’s what one commenter suggests.

“This will set him up to think he is giving Dany accurate information, and then Cersei will betray his trust,” they write. “This will set him up to LOOK like a traitor to Daenerys and cause some problems.”

As another commenter points out, there’s also some precedent set for Tyrion to betray Daenerys in the original books. A prophecy given to Dany in “A Dance with Dragons” hints that a lion will betray her:

“Soon comes the pale mare, and after her the others. Kraken and dark flame, lion and griffin, the sun’s son and the mummer’s dragon. Trust none of them.”

As a Lannister, Tyrion could easily be the lion in that prophecy. Then again, it might also refer to Cersei, who’s already set to betray Dany and Jon after forming an uneasy truce with them at the end of Season 7.

Regardless, we can probably expect some sort of betrayal in Game of Thrones Season 8 as Daenerys continues to gather power in her quest for control of Westeros. Whether that comes from a trusted advisor like Tyrion or an enemy like Cersei remains to be seen.

Game of Thrones Season 8 premieres Sunday, April 14 at 9 p.m. on HBO.

Related video: Game of Thrones Season 8 Official Teaser