Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Entertainment
  3. News

‘Game of Thrones’ co-creators offer insight on four Iron Throne contenders

By

game of thrones iron throne contenders s6e9 5
Helen Sloan/HBO
The fight for the Iron Throne is nearing its end now that Game of Thrones has just two seasons left. Co-creators and showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss obviously want to keep the conclusion to the series’ epic power struggle under wraps until the last possible moment, but they are still willing to offer hints about who may be left ruling the Seven Kingdoms. The duo offered insight on some of the contenders’ strengths and weaknesses in a recent interview with Deadline.

The showrunners focused on four possible victors: Daenerys Targaryen, Cersei Lannister, Jon Snow, and the Night King. While they’re certainly not the only people in Westeros who could possibly grab power, they seem to have emerged as the front-runners. Their strategies and skill sets are very different, though, and that is part of what has made the series so intriguing.

Recommended Videos

If good is to triumph over evil, Daenerys Targaryen or Jon Snow should end up in power. (Maybe even both, now that we know — spoiler alert — that they’re related.) What Daenerys, in particular, brings to the table, according to Benioff and Weiss, is “boundless confidence in herself and her mission in this world.” It also helps that she has on her side “arguably the cleverest adviser on the planet,” three dragons, an army, and the Dothraki. What is a little ominous, however, is that the showrunners added, “What could possibly go wrong?” Somehow, we think we’ll find out.

Like Daenerys, Jon Snow is able to find followers. Benioff and Weiss pointed out his track record of leadership, including being elected as Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch (never mind how that turned out), winning over the Free Folk, and becoming King in the North. The downside, however, is that his honor can be a drawback.

“Jon’s honorable nature has proven a disadvantage in some regards: a man who plays by the rules will have a harder time defeating men and women who don’t,” said the showrunners.

Cersei Lannister, of course, is one of those who will fight dirty. Benioff and Weiss pointed out how her children were “the only factor limiting her ruthlessness” and teased that she has nothing to hold her back now that they’ve died. Scary as she may be, though, she can’t raise the dead. That’s for the Night King, so he’ll remain a threat.

Things change quickly in the Seven Kingdoms — except for the seasons — so we’ll see how the balance of power shifts when Game of Thrones finally returns.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Stephanie Topacio Long
Stephanie Topacio Long
Contributor
Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…
7 most underrated Game of Thrones episodes ever
A woman stands across from a man in Game of Thrones.

Can you believe it's been four years since Game of Thrones concluded its legendary run? While we won't speak about the final season, Game of Thrones remains one of television's most successful shows, with a record 59 Primetime Emmy Awards. Game of Thrones was a "can't-miss" television show, meaning the audience had to tune into the live airing of an episode or risk seeing spoilers on the internet. In the social media age of television, it's rare for a show to have as much power and influence on pop culture as it did.

A select group is unequivocally regarded as the best episodes of Game of Thrones, including Blackwater, Hardhome, The Rains of Castamere (more commonly known as The Red Wedding episode), and The Winds of Winter. For this list, however, we selected the seven most underrated Game of Thrones episodes ever.
Lord Snow

Read more
The Red Wedding at 10: How the groundbreaking episode changed Game of Thrones forever
Robb Stark's body with his direwolf's head in Game of Thrones.

The so-called Golden Age of Television reached its undeniable zenith during the 2010s. Shows like Mad Men, Veep, Breaking Bad, and Stranger Things took TV to new and exciting levels of visual and narrative quality. However, no show had more influence or acclaim throughout the 2010s than Game of Thrones. The HBO juggernaut became synonymous with prestige television, delivering a perfect mix of political intrigue, high fantasy, and sex that became irresistible for critics and audiences.

Game of Thrones wasn't an instant success; it was only in season 3 that the show became the must-see show on television. Two events helped the show achieve this elusive reputation. The first was Daenerys' sacking of Astapor in the fourth episode, And Now His Watch Has Ended. The second is, of course, the Red Wedding. The episode it was featured in, The Rains of Castamere, changed the series' course, altering the fate of multiple characters and radically shifting the power balance between the noble houses of Westeros. The groundbreaking episode showcased Game of Thrones operating at full strength, and, as a result, allowed audiences to truly understand what kind of show they were watching.
Game of Thrones sends its regards

Read more
HBO’s The Last of Us reinforces an important queer theme from the games
the last of us hbo show video game queer themes long time bill and frank

Spoilers for The Last of Us Part I, The Last of Us Part II, and The Last of Us HBO show.

The Last of Us video games put queer stories front and center in the narrative, and the HBO adaptation of the same name is following their lead with its focus on a gay relationship in its third episode, Long, Long Time, which aired recently. While the relationship between Bill and Frank was certainly present in the 2013 zombie action game, it was relegated to the background as Joel and Ellie navigate the beginnings of their complicated relationship. In the show, however, we're shown the couple's 20-year relationship as they grow from hesitant strangers to lifelong partners.

Read more