The characters that are still alive for the final chapter of Game of Thrones have gone
through some monumental personal evolutions, but no character has had quite as shocking
a transformation as Bran Stark, whose metamorphosis into the Three-Eyed Raven rendered him more
cryptic than ever at the start of Game of Thrones season 8.
A peculiar line Bran uttered during the season premiere struck viewers as incredibly odd,
and people are debating its true meaning.
"What are you doing out here?"
"Waiting for an old friend."
The final moments of the Thrones season 8 premiere seemed to confirm that the not-so-dear
pal he was anticipating meeting again was Jaime Lannister.
Way back in the first episode, Jaime shoved Bran out of a Winterfell tower window when
Bran caught him and Cersei in the heat of passion.
When the two spotted one another from opposite ends of the Winterfell courtyard in the present,
it marked the first time they had laid eyes on each other since the incident that left
Bran paralyzed.
It seemed he sprinkled in some signature Stark sass in sarcastically calling Jaime an "old
friend."
But some Game of Thrones fans have a different idea about what Bran's comment truly meant.
One theory suggests that Bran wasn't talking about Jaime Lannister at all.
Instead, Bran may have been referring to another man whom he hasn't seen in years, who also
betrayed him and his family: Theon Greyjoy.
Once he rescues his sister, Yara, from their uncle Euron, Theon admits that he doesn't
want to go back to the Iron Islands and hold strong.
It would be simple to wait out the war between the White Walkers and the humans of Westeros
on a land that the monsters can't reach, but Theon has other plans: he wants to head to
Winterfell, where Theon was a ward to Ned Stark.
Theon wants to fight alongside the Starks, his second family.
"You want to go to Winterfell, to fight for the Starks.
Go."
Theon is absolutely an old friend of the Stark family.
Theon ultimately bit the hand that fed him, however, turning his back on Robb Stark during
the War of the Five Kings and taking his father Balon Greyjoy's side to carry out an invasion
of the North.
Things were made even worse when Theon tricked the people of Winterfell into thinking he
burned Bran and his younger brother Rickon alive after the Greyjoys seized control of
the castle.
Theon's betrayal sent him on a terrifying journey, which saw him become the tormented
servant-slash-pet of Ramsay Bolton before escaping by the skin of his teeth.
It's little wonder that now, after having gone through everything he did following his
double-crossing of the Starks, Theon would want to right his wrongs with the Starks.
In the Game of Thrones season 8 trailer, Bran is heard welcoming someone home.
"Everything you did brought you where you are now, where you belong."
Vanity Fair notes that it sounds like Bran is speaking of Winterfell.
While that line could be delivered to Sansa, Arya or Jon, those three are already at Winterfell
and feel safe there.
Theon, on the other hand, he has struggled to find his place in the world for many years,
and it sure would mean a lot hear that he can call Winterfell home again.
Theon may be taking his final step toward redemption and his imminent meeting with Bran
could be what seals the deal.
Theon already has forgiveness from Jon, who told him during the season 7 finale that he
is just as much a Stark as he is a Greyjoy, but receiving absolution from Bran would mean
that much more.
Then again, maybe there's no connection between what Bran says in the Thrones season 8 trailer
and his "old friend" line.
Bran isn't the person he used to be and has been saying all kinds of strange stuff since
he became the Three-Eyed Raven.
For example, when Jon hugs him and tells him he's a man now, Bran replies:
"You’re a man now!”
“Almost."
Is he just being cryptic for the sake of it?
Is he talking about being in a wheelchair, and how that may cause some to think less
of him?
Or does he mean he's something other than totally human because he's the Three-Eyed
Raven?
Everything that comes out of Bran's mouth can be interpreted a thousand different ways.
His comment about waiting for an old friend is no exception.
With only five episodes of Game of Thrones remaining, fans will hopefully find out the
truth about Bran's cryptic line soon enough.
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