A Brief History

If you are well versed in the history of A Song of Ice and Fire...you can skip this part.

Life is a cycle. "The Wheel"...the "Game of Thrones" was symbolic to the rise and fall of man as seen throughout our own history and ancient religious texts. As we see in season one, the "old gods" were the ancient deities who presumably either created man or were the ones who brought man to Westeros. Either way, they are worshiped by still-faithful families in the North. We learn later that the old gods were worshiped exclusively by the first men (the original humans of Westeros) as well as the children of the forest...non humans who had a mystical connection with the forest as well as the old gods (some would say they are one in the same). The first men went to war with these "Children of the Forest", but no side could win. They fought endlessly to a standstill and finally got together in order to make a peace agreement. The first men promised not to cut down the sacred weirwood trees, and in time, they too came to worship the old gods. These old gods were often called "faceless" symbolizing the fact that "they" could take any form, in any place at any time. "They" were not rulers, and there was no doctrine or formalities...but it would seem they are indeed all powerful.

Years went by and eventually, we reach the point in Game of Thrones history when the men of Esos sailed to Westeros and wreaked absolute havoc. These men...named "The Andals"...brought with them their own religion called "The Faith of the Seven". They invaded and corrupted the first men with this new faith and formed "The Seven Kingdoms" to mimic "The Seven Heavens" and "Seven Hells" of their faith.

Does this all sound familiar? It should be. The story of the Andals invading Westeros is eerily similar to the story of the Europeans invading the Americas and leaving massive amounts of death and destruction in their wake. They corrupted the once-pure natives with their religion, way of life, and economic systems. They even claimed the country and built an expansive empire founded on their religion after a revolution. Now this isn't terribly relevant, but I thought it was a cool little nod to American history.

Fast forward a few more years and we get the invasion and conquest of the Targaryens, who won the war with the Andals and started interbreeding within the family bloodline...which caused all of their offspring to go completely bonkers and murder a bunch of people for no reason. This madness and bloodshed eventually culminated in Robert Baratheon's revolution...which is of course where the show roughly begins.

Why Is This Important?

It is essential that we understand the history of Westeros in order to understand the series finale, because the finale....as well as the rest of the dang show....is built directly upon this history. The first thing you must realize about Game of Thrones, is that it's not about the Iron Throne, the houses, or even the characters themselves. Game of Thrones is about man's relationship with the old gods and the truce that was made between the first men and the children of the forest all those years ago. Most importantly, however, it's about the cycle of life and death and how the old gods keep ushering humanity forward despite this gruesome cycle. Throughout the show, the characters repeatedly refer to the Iron Throne as a "wheel" but we can also think of this cycle of life and death as a wheel in the symbolic sense. It is destined to repeat itself over and over until the end of time.

The entire point of the show...the overarching plot was the fall of man. After the Andals invaded Westeros, the old gods were slowly forgotten and then persecuted by the new false religion of the seven. One by one the Weirwood trees were chopped down, and the first men's promise was broken forever. Little by little, the realm of men grew further and further away from god, and the last remaining faithful...the children of the forest...were violently slaughtered by the Targaryens during their conquest. There was no one left to spread the word of the old gods, thus signaling the end of the cycle drawing near. The peace was dead. The old gods were dead....and soon the reign of men would be too.

"Winter is coming" = "The end is near"

You see, the end of the cycle can be seen when man completely abandons the old gods, forges false ones to replace them, and his reign becomes cruel and evil. At this point, in order to salvage humanity and its progress, the old gods chose to wipe it all out, while saving a chosen few to remember what happened and bring about a better age.

"But there are some who still keep to the old way. Worshiping the faceless gods of the children of the forest and the first men."

-Bran Stark

Winter Is Coming

Before the demise of the children of the forest, they created the Night King as a weapon against the humans if it ever came to it. This was done according to the will of the old gods of course. Many viewers of the show chose to treat the Night King as an actual character worthy of his own plot and resolution. I think this was a major misinterpretation. The Night King shouldn't be viewed as a character (in relation to the others), rather he should be viewed (in my opinion) as a raw force of nature akin to the apocalypse, as created by the old gods to be used to end the reign of man once it got too out of hand. Like the giant flood in the time of Noah, the Night King simply represented the the end of a major chapter of human history, but as with all cycles...the end only signifies a new beginning. For that reason, the Night King can only be seen as half of the puzzle in regards to the apocalypse.

The story isn't called "Game of Thrones"...it's called "A Song of Ice and Fire", and it's called that for a reason. The ice represents the fall of man and the death of the previous age...while the fire represents the birth of a new one. Two humans were chosen to carry the burden of the ice and fire, and they were the Night King (who was human at one point) and Daenerys Targaryen. Together they make "A Song of Ice and Fire", and together they brought about the death of man which had become evil and corrupted. The Song of Ice and Fire is literally the cycle of life and death and by extension...so is the story. It all traces back to the old gods, and in this respect, we can view them as active participants in the story rather than passive observers. Everything that happens in the show and the books happens exactly how the gods orchestrated it. Every single detail.

The Characters

Now some people might not be satisfied with this explanation because as with most characters embedded within modern pop culture...they are attached to them. Not to worry. Hopefully I can offer an explanation that forces you to reconsider your opinions.

I already explained the Night King and and Daenerys's roles as pawns of destruction unwillingly bent to the old gods' will, but what about the rest?

The old gods are called "the faceless gods" for a reason. They have no concrete form and have "many faces" meaning they live within everyone and everything. "They" can choose to manifest through any plant, animal, or object in existence, and it seems as if, for the majority of the show, they chose to manifest through the Stark children. They were chosen for a very specific and symbolic reason...their father Ned Stark.

You see, Ned Stark and the Stark family were perhaps the only major family in Westeros that remained faithful to the old gods and the old gods alone...earning their favor in a major way. If you had been paying attention during the first season (and the first book) you would have noticed that the old gods were prominent in that first season/book and little by little they became less relevant until they were barely mentioned at all. What changed during that first season that made the old gods force their hand on ending the reign of men?

Yep. That's right. Ned's execution.

It seems so long ago that we first witnessed perhaps the greatest injustice ever seen in modern literature (that might be a bit dramatic, but still). Ned Stark's execution remains the pivotal moment in the entire story. You see, while Ned remained alive, there was still hope that the old gods could find their way back into Westeros. By raising his children to remain faithful, they would have no doubt eventually reached the Iron Throne and re-established the ancient religion. When Ned died, however, all of that went out the window and the old gods knew that if man was to survive and continue to progress, it must not be allowed to abandon them. It was at this moment that the old gods gave up on humanity and set in motion their plan to wipe the slate clean and have the last remaining faithful...the Stark children....usher in the new age of peace and prosperity. Knowing this, you can now make the claim that Ned Stark is the most important character in the entire story outside of the old gods.

Now you may be asking, "well what about the other two Stark children? What about Rob and Rickon? They were Stark Children too! And Jon Snow isn't even a Stark for gosh sake! He's a Targaryen! How did he get chosen over the other two!?".

Now while those are very important and valid questions, they are relatively easy to explain given the context of the story up to this point. You see, the old gods had very specific roles for each of the Stark Children to play....and none of them could be played by Rickon or Rob.

Rickon

Unfortunately for Rickon, he simply had a minimal role to play in ushering in the new age. He was simply a pawn in the old gods' strategy for ending the reign of man. It sounds harsh, yes, but once you realize that everyone is a pawn, then it becomes a bit more tolerable. The Game of Thrones was only meant to be played by the gods...not man. Anyways, Rickon was an important part of Bran's journey to becoming the three eyed raven...and eventually the ruler of Westeros. In addition, it was important that Jon witness Rickon's murder at the hands of Ramsay Bolton...spurring the infamous Battle of the Bastards. So yes, Rickon's part was small, but it was an important one nonetheless.

Rob

Rob's case is a bit easier to explain. For starters, it's no secret that Rob was a bit rash, impulsive, and downright dumb at times. He was highly emotional...often letting his emotions outweigh his reason. Yes, at his core he was a good man, but he was far too invested in the politics of the realm and was raised in the broken world that the old gods were trying to destroy. In addition, he had shown the capacity to consider his own self interests over his people's needs, and if he were to survive the coming apocalypse, he would have claimed the crown. Because of his attachment to politics, as well as his own self interest, he was deemed unworthy of the throne by the old gods. They made sure neither he nor his child survived. Brutal, yes, but necessary for the new age.

The Chosen Ones

Now I mentioned earlier that each surviving Stark Child was left with a vital role to play throughout the remainder of the show. Every single one of those roles required that the chosen ones stay alive through all of the conflicts about to occur...including the long night. Throughout all the death and destruction we saw take place during the story, the chosen Stark children lived through it all. What are the chances of that?

Zero. Zero percent chance.

Here's a prime example: The Battle of the Bastards. This scene was shot as if it were continuous...following Jon Snow through the entire battle. This style was chosen very specifically by the directors of this episode, as well as the writers. I didn't have my "old gods" theory at the time I first watched this episode, but I do remember thinking that there was something a little odd about it. After going back and watching the scene with a new perspective, I realized something. Jon was being protected by the old gods during the battle of the bastards...the way it was written and shot made it look like Jon had some sort of "divine armor" protecting him from even the most direct of death blows. There were multiple points during the battle where Jon should have died but didn't due to divine intervention.

Obviously this is just one example of many. Once you start thinking about all the times the Stark children got "lucky" and escaped death (or worse), you start to realize that it wasn't luck at all. Jon Snow getting stabbed, Sansa escaping the capital, Bran and his incredible journey, Arya and her harrowing journey....the chances of them all making it out alive and going on to rule the entire continent of Westeros are absolutely zero. Unless they had been chosen by a higher power, of course.

No, it wasn't chance...it was destiny. It was prophecy. Once you see the story from this point of view, you start to see the characters pieces of an elaborate board game where the rules and narratives are directly controlled by the players (the gods). Some pieces are more important than others (like in chess) but all are absolutely essential in building a winning strategy.

Think about who lived as opposed to all who died. The ones that remained alive after the apocalypse (who also hold positions of power) all have directly helped the Starks through their journeys, and have helped guide them to where they are now. These, people, like the Starks, have all been handpicked by the gods to perform the duties involved in the great rebuilding of humanity. This is why Bran was so adamant that Tyrion be his hand. He has insight into the gods' will and knows what must happen in order to usher in the new age.

As for the Starks themselves....

Bran

Bran (the enlightened one) is the king of the realm. Since he has the ability to tap into the old gods' power and see their will, that combined with his naturally calm and thoughtful temperament make him the absolute perfect choice for the crown. Upon closer inspection, it would appear as if Bran's attitude and temperament mimics some of the great spiritual leaders of our own religions and mythologies such as Jesus and Buddha. He is the natural choice, and will almost always make the right decision with the help of the old gods. With their help, Bran will usher in a golden age of peace in Westeros.

Sansa

Sansa now rules the north, which is now separate from the other six kingdoms as it was during the time of the first men. This will ensure that the capital never again gains that level of power we saw throughout the story. Also, I have a sneaking suspicion that other kingdoms will eventually follow Sansa's lead and form independent kingdoms...eventually resulting in a free nation as it was before the invasion of the Andals. Sansa withdrawing from the kingdom was the first domino to fall in that respect.

Arya

Arya is Azor Ahai. The prince that was promised. The one to end the long night and initiate the second phase of the apocalypse. Her part in the Song of Ice and Fire is second only to Jon's in terms of importance. She represents the aspect of the old gods which is death. Arya's post-apocalyptic role is left up to the imagination...as we only know that she is heading for whatever is west of Westeros to see what lies beyond.

Jon

Jon now heads north with the wildlings. Since a knights watch no longer needs to exist, he feels okay with abandoning his post. Since most people in Westeros fear the "true north", he knows that he will be safe with the wildlings. As for his bloodline, it was absolutely essential that he be a Targaryen by name but raised by Starks. The gods made sure of this. It was the only way he could have ever gotten close enough to Dany to kill her. Otherwise, the apocalypse would have never ended with no army nearly powerful enough to stop Dany and her dragon army. Jon's role was perhaps the most important: To complete the cycle. Bring it full circle. Everything that happened in the show needed to happen in exactly that way in order for Jon to end up in the throne room alone with Dany at that exact time. It's why the gods couldn't let him die after being stabbed. He hadn't done his job yet. Now that he has, he is free to be the person he always wanted to be...a free man. A wildling.

So as you can see, each Stark child had/has a critical role to play in the cycle that is life and death... "A Song of Ice and Fire". Together they will restore the old gods back into Westeros mythology and spread word of what happened to all corners of the earth, so that they might not make the same mistakes. If you choose to view them as literal manifestations of the old gods, you can say that they descended upon the earth and brought about the destruction of the age of man, ushered in the new age of harmony, and are actively spreading their influence across the globe.

So again, the old gods are the main characters in this story. Not the Starks. Not the Lannisters. Not the Targaryens. When you boil it down, you are left with an ancient promise that was made by the first men to the stewards of the old gods...the children of the forest, and the fallout that ensued after that promise was broken. Power has been given back to the forest (the three eyed raven), and the blood of the first men courses through the veins of the Stark children who now control the fate of the realm. Poetic.

Final Thoughts

Although this might not have been the ending everyone was hoping for, I am personally glad that this was the ending we got. There are certain things I would have done differently...like the death of Cercei for example, but none of that matters now. No need to dwell on it. After the dust settled, and I looked at how the final season concludes everything the previous season set up, I realized it actually does a fantastic job. I hear a lot of gripes about the writing and execution of the final season...but to those people I ask: What did you expect? How else would you have done it? I would expect that any answer they give either wouldn't be consistent with the story, or would just be plain fan fiction silliness...not that fan fiction isn't fun, because it is. While I don't think the season was poorly written, I would say that the writers did make one crucial mistake.

They wrote it in a way that makes you think. It doesn't spoon feed you the ending. You gotta understand the story and the characters and the depth of the universe before you can fully appreciate this ending...and in today's culture filled with instant gratification and social media, people are simply too lazy to do all that. That being said, everything in this article is simply my opinion, and if you simply didn't like the ending to the story, then we can agree to disagree. You aren't right, and neither am I. That's the beauty of art. It's completely subjective. I can have my opinions and you can have yours. As for me, I think that Game of Thrones is one of the most complex, thought provoking, entertaining, and well written stories in all of literature, and the show does more than give it justice.

Did you like the season finale? Leave your comments below and let's get the conversation rolling!!

Until then....

-SAF