'Game of Thrones' Theory Reveals Ghost May Be the Valonqar Who Kills Cersei

Cersei Lannister is standing tall going into the final three episodes of Game of Thrones, but there’s still that pesky Valonqar Prophecy to contend with. High Valyrian for “little brother,” fans have speculated that either Tyrion or Jaime could fulfill the prophecy and kill Cersei. However, nobody ever said the Valonqar needs to be Cersei’s little brother, and a surprising new theory suggests Ghost could be the one to land the final blow bite.

Ghost, Jon Snow’s direwolf and one of the last survivors of his pack, managed to live through the Battle of Winterfell. Chances are he’ll remain alive until at least the series finale. Having survived the White Walkers, the next step is defeating Cersei, and Ghost may just be the secret weapon no one saw coming.

Redditor u/bsellner2 believes Ghost is the missing piece from the Valonqar Prophecy. There are two key pieces to this theory. One, Ghost is the runt of the litter, discovered by the Starks in Season 1, so he’s technically a little brother (the prophecy didn’t say it had to be a person). And two, it’s easy to forget that Ghost has a reason to exact revenge on Cersei after she orchestrated the murder of his older sister Lady (Sansa’s direwolf).

Perhaps Ghost has simply been biding his time. Now that the Starks are set on taking down Cersei, he might finally get a chance to avenge his sister. Sure, the theory sounds a bit outlandish, but after all, the North remembers, right?  

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In short, the Valonqar Prophecy, part of a larger prophecy Cersei received from a fortune teller named Maggy the Frog, states that the little brother “shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.” This sounds like human hands will choke her, but prophecies are never fulfilled exactly the way they’re told. There’s definitely room for speculation, and Maggy the Frog’s prophecy about Cersei having and losing all three of her children did come to pass, so it’s safe to say the Valonqar Prophecy still has a fighting chance.

(Of course, it’s also worth noting that the show omits the whole “valonqar” bit, which only showed up in the books. So who knows?)

This prophecy fuels the hatred Cersei has always had for Tyrion, and he’s a viable threat considering he killed their father, Tywin. Now that Jaime has turned against her as well, he’s also in the running. An intelligent and tactical woman, Cersei’s already sent Bronn to kill both brothers, potentially eliminating the threat. Though Cersei is strategic, there are many other ways for this prophecy to be fulfilled. One theory even posits she’ll die during childbirth.

Though this particular prophecy has only appeared in George R. R. Martin’s books, A Song of Ice and Fire, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for Game of Thrones to include it without referencing it on the show. After all, it seems inevitable that Cersei will die (let’s face it, she has a lot of enemies), and there are plenty of potential valonqars willing to commit the crime. Stealthy and cunning (and with good reason), Ghost is just as likely a candidate as anyone.

Game of Thrones Season 8 airs Sundays at 9 p.m. Eastern on HBO.