'Game of Thrones': Eight Questions That May Finally Be Answered 

The end is coming for the eighth-and-final season of Game of Thrones, and before the iconic HBO series wraps up, there a few questions that the series should answer, like what’s next for Arya, who does the Jon Snow’s story end, and will we ever see what the Mountain’s face looks like?

If Arya Survives Game of Thrones, What Will She Do Next?

Arya Stark spent most of the series reciting her kill list every night before she went to bed, and her training as a Faceless Man was all in the pursuit of killing characters like Ilyn Payne, the Mountain, and Cersei Lannister. Arya made it clear by rejecting Gendry Baratheon’s proposal in Episode 4 that she’ll never be a “Lady.” What will “a girl” do once her list is complete? She won’t take any traditional political position like Sansa or Jon, so it seems likely she might return to Braavos or turn professional assassin at the end of the series. No matter what, her ultimate fate will be one of the more interesting to see play out. (Corey Plante)

Will the Monarchy Persist in Westeros After Game of Thrones Ends?

Whatever happened to Daenerys Targaryen’s rant about wanting to “break the wheel”? At the end of Season 6, she talked about how the shuffling power dynamics between the great houses of Westeros functioned like a wheel. “This one’s on top, then that one’s on top, and on and on it spins, crushing those on the ground,” she said. This moment speaks to Dany’s desire to end the cycle of violence and oppression of the commoners. It also kind of sounds like she wants to burn down the existing system to build something new out of the ashes. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one of many people hoping that Game of Thrones might end by establishing democracy in Westeros. Maybe the only happy ending is to destroy the Iron Throne, free the Seven Kingdoms, and allow the people of Westeros to rule themselves? (Corey Plante)

What Will Happen to Jon Snow After Game of Thrones Ends?

Jon Snow is a man who has never been that sure about his place in the world. In Game of Thrones’ eighth and final season, Jon learns about his true identity as Aegon Targaryen but struggles with its implications on Daenerys’s claim to the Iron Throne. Dany has already asked Jon to hide his identity. It seems like Jon is poised to give up his claim and let someone else take over as king or queen, but what does that mean for Jon if he survives the Battle at King’s Landing? Could he return to the North and resurrect the Night’s Watch? Would he retreat to Winterfell? Will he leave Westeros for good and set his sights on a new part of the world? Right now, your guess is as good as ours. (Allie Gemmill)

Does the Wall Need to Be Rebuilt After Game of Thrones Ends?

With the Night King defeated and the White Walkers (presumably) gone for good, is there really a need for a Wall in Westeros? The Night King used Viserion to bring down a sizeable chunk of the Wall in the Season 7 finale, decimating the Night’s Watch in the process and leaving the surviving members of the Night’s Watch to get picked off at the Battle of Winterfell. But with one of the biggest threats the Wall was protecting against now gone and harmony between Westerosi citizens and Wildlings intact (as symbolized by Jon Snow and Tormund’s friendship), is there a need for a Wall? Will the final episode of Game of Thrones tease a new threat worthy of rebuilding the Wall to protect Westeros once more? (Allie Gemmill)

Does Daario Still Exist?

Everyone’s favorite sellsword hasn’t been seen since Season 6 when Daenerys ordered Daario Naharis to stay put in Essos while she sailed to Westeros with the rest of her crew. 11 episodes later, we still haven’t heard much of anything about the once-important character, but is it possible he could still make a last minute appearance? Dany could definitely use some help in the fight against Cersei, so maybe Daario will swoop in just in time. At the very least, we hope the final episode offers fans a bit of closure on the character and, more broadly, the legacy Daenerys left behind in Essos. (Jacob Kleinman)

What Does the Mountain’s Zombified Face Look Like?

Ever since his resurrection from near-death, Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane has hid his decaying face behind a large iron helmet. Is it just me, or do we all want to know what he looks like under there? Hopefully, with #Clegane Bowl all but a certainty, we’ll finally get a look at the Mountain’s zombified face after the Hound cuts his head clean off. (Jacob Kleinman)

Are the Wildlings and Dothraki Really Gone?

Much of Game of Thrones was about unification, not just of the Seven Kingdoms and its gossipy houses but of the world outside the North. The Wildlings being willing to fight for Winterfell was the payoff for Jon Snow’s long, difficult journey as a ranger for the Night’s Watch. But now that that’s over, my question is: Really? Are we really to expect the Wildlings were totes okay with hustling all the dang way to Winterfell, sacrifice their people, and then peace out? I don’t care if the free folk don’t fight in “The Last War” — they wouldn’t do well in the summer. But it is ridiculous that they’re not even maintaining some presence in either Stark HQ or Castle Black.

Ditto for the Dothraki. While the Dothraki horde were (unceremoniously) wiped out by the Night King’s undead army, there’s still at least a handful of Dothraki remaining. Same question: Are they really just gonna go out as an extinct culture? They seem ready to gear up and fight to their last breath on behalf of Daenerys, who is the entire reason why their numbers have depressingly dwindled. Stick around and make babies, y’all! Game of Thrones needs more diversity in its gene pool. (Eric Francisco)

How Long Will Winter Last?

I’m going to come right out and say it: At some point, winter stopped making sense. “Winter Is Coming” started as a cool narrative device that made the Starks come off as the cautious, paranoid ant while the rest of Game of Thrones were hot-headed grasshoppers.

But with winter technically having passed after the White Walkers, well — is it still winter?

The obvious answer is yes, of course. And in some ways, the worst is still yet to come. (I fully expect the war against King’s Landing to be a brutal one.) But also, is it though?

There’s more to this winter stuff than the literal climate of the show. When Game of Thrones ends, will a Stark sit on the Iron Throne (thus, it’s still winter)? Or will someone else? (“Winter is over”) Or will the Seven Kingdoms finally agree that this monarchy business is B.S. and — as my colleague Corey Plante just theorized — “de-throne” to start a new era? Maybe an era of fire and ice. (Eric Francisco)