Game of Thrones’ seventh season saw the culmination of numerous character arcs that fans have been following intently since HBO’s hit series first premiered back in 2011. However, the character who experienced one of the most abrupt changes from the first season to the latest was Isaac Hempstead Wright’s Bran Stark, who fully embraced his newfound duty as the Three-Eyed Raven.
For better or worse, Bran’s eagerness to take up this new mantle subsequently fed fan speculation that he may actually be the dreaded Night King. According to Wright, though, fans shouldn’t be too quick to assume that Bran’s evolution is fueled by sinister intent.
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“I think it’s less that they’re the same person and more that they’re two of the ancient beings of Westeros,” Wright said in an interview with Vulture. “The Three-Eyed Raven has been around for God knows how long, and White Walkers have been reported since the beginning of time. As we’ve seen, they were created by the Children of the Forest, so we can’t get much more ancient than that. Perhaps we can think of it as these are two characters with a huge amount of power, but one is a Frankenstein’s monster who is driven by nothing but hatred and violence. Then there’s Bran, who uses his powers for good. I want to find out why the Night King is so obsessed with destroying mankind. We’ll see whether they have any kind of explanations in the next season. Hopefully we’ll find out cool stuff about both of those characters.”
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Hempstead Wright’s claim should be taken with a grain of salt. As the actor was quick to mention, the show’s cast is currently in limbo. The final episode of the penultimate season might have aired, but that doesn’t mean scripts for the eighth, and last, season have been handed out yet. In reality, Hempstead Wrightand the rest of the Game of Thrones cast are just as in dark about the events of the final season as everyone else.
Game of Thrones’ final season doesn’t yet have a release date, but the penultimate season is now available in full on HBO Go and HBO Now. Based on George R.R. Martin’s bestselling fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, the hit drama stars Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister, Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister, Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen and Kit Harington as Jon Snow.