Obviously, anyone still breathing in the final season of Game of Thrones is going to have
a pretty huge impact on the story, but one man, Sandor Clegane, might end up being a
little more than just another tough guy with a sword.
This is why the Hound might be more important than you realized.
One of the reasons the Hound has become such a fan favorite over the years is that he's
eminently relatable — in a world of dragons, ice zombies, and Machiavellian sociopaths,
the only thing he really believes in is himself and his sword.
But as the show has ramped up its fantasy tropes from the relatively grounded early
episodes, the Hound's continuing atheism has become more and more of an important plot
point.
After his near-death experience at the hands of Brienne in season four, the Hound recuperated
under the watchful eye of Brother Ray.
"It’s never too late to stop robbing people to stop people and stop killing people and
start helping people.
It's never too late to come back."
Shortly after, Ray is brutally killed by roving members of the Brotherhood of Banners... because
it is Game of Thrones, after all.
Still, the Hound's brief connection with the man seems to have been setting up an about-face
for the consistently amoral swordsman.
After all, it's only after Ray's death that the Hound gets involved with the unkillable
zealot Beric Dondarrion, which leads him into the path of the Night King and his unstoppable
zombie army.
With Ray's religious teachings fresh in his mind, the show has primed us for a powerful
moment when the Hound realizes there are things bigger than him in the world — and no, we're
not just talking about this guy.
Between the books, the television show, and the many, many fan theories swirling around
the plot and its characters, you'd be forgiven for losing track of some of the various prophecies
floating about in the Game of Thrones universe.
Still, there's at least one that you should definitely be thinking about before the final
season hits.
That would be the prophecy that concerns Azor Ahai, or the Prince That Was Promised.
The basic gist is that Azor Ahai was a legendary swordsman who was able to forge a sword so
powerful that it would routinely burst into flames.
This hero eventually fought against, and defeated, a terrible darkness that threatened the entire
world.
Just about every character on the show has been theorized to be Azor Ahai reborn, although
Jon Snow and Daenerys are two of the fan favorites by a mile.
However, it also could be possible that the Hound is Azor Ahai.
The main crux of the theory is that it would be poetic for the Hound — a man who believes
in nothing and has a paralyzing fear of fire — to wield a holy flaming blade against
the Night King in a grand show of selflessness.
While it might be a bit of a stretch to suggest that the Hound is reborn nobility, his relationship
to the current wielder of a flaming sword, Beric, definitely gives this theory some credence.
The two have had a long history, and if Beric were to actually die for good, it would only
be fitting for the Hound to pick up his flaming sword in battle.
Okay, so there’s a good chance that the Hound isn’t actually the fabled Prince That
Was Promised; in fact, that would be a pretty late and unexpected twist for a show that's
generally been adept at setting up its plot points before they unfold.
Still, it's almost certain that the Hound will resolve his phobia of fire, and there's
good reason to believe he'll do so by picking up Beric's flaming sword.
As fans of Game of Thrones will know, the Hound has a deathly fear of fire that began
after a childhood encounter with his older brother.
“It’s just like you said, a while back, he pressed me to the fire like I was a nice,
juicy mutton chop.”
It's character building 101 for a character to overcome trauma over the course of their
arc, and the Hound's long overdue for some flame-based exposure therapy.
And it can only help that there’s already a god in the world of Game of Thrones with
something of a penchant for fire… who has already been in contact with the Hound.
“The dead are marching past… thousands of them.”
A number of other characters in the show have expressed their faith in the Lord of Light,
but the Hound is the first non-follower we've seen receive a vision from the god.
It all adds up to the near certainty that the Lord of Light is maneuvering a man terrified
of fire into doing his divine bidding.
How poetic.
If there's one single thing that Game of Thrones fans truly want from the show’s final season,
it has to be Cleganebowl.
A fan term for the long-awaited battle between the Hound and his brother, Gregor Clegane,
Cleganebowl has been demanded, doubted, and in season seven, seemingly confirmed.
“That’s not how it ends for you brother.
You know who’s coming for you, you’ve always known.”
The two brothers might have had a short-lived duel back in season one, but they've both
been through the wringer since then.
The Mountain was poisoned by Oberyn Martell, which led to him becoming a mute, zombie-esque
slave to Cersei Lannister.
Meanwhile, the Hound's been practically all the way up and down Westeros in search of
purpose.
But even after everything they’ve been through, Sandor and Gregor don't seem to have forgotten
their childhood enmity for each other.
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