‘Game Of Thrones’ Fans Have A Chilly Theory For Why Bran Isn’t In The Season 8 Teaser

Before the True Detective premiere, HBO released a new teaser for Game of Thrones season eight, showing the surviving Stark kids — Jon (sort of), Sansa, and Arya — wandering the tombs at the Winterfell before they’re interrupted by a blast of chilly air, signaling the arrival of the Night King. One member of the family was missing, though. Actually, many members of the family were missing, including Ned, Catelyn, and Rickon, but the absence of one still-alive Stark was alarming. Where is Bran The most obvious explanation is that he’s more Three-Eyed Raven than Stark now (and pushing a wheelchair through the tombs seems cumbersome), but Game of Thrones fans have another theory.

Certain members of the Thrones brother- and sisterhood have long suspected that Bran is the Night King (or the Night King is Bran Or maybe there’s a little Night King in all of us). “The theory states that Bran was, accidentally or otherwise, warged inside the body of the First Man while the Children of the Forest converted their victim into the Night King,” we previously explained. “The idea is that Bran stayed too long in the past and left part of his consciousness in the Night King. Then, over the centuries the version of Bran trapped in the Night King’s body bided his time to make sure events play out they way they’re supposed to.” But we also laid out why the theory is probably bunk. Isaac Hempstead Wright (the actor who plays the Bran King) also shut down the speculation, noting, “I think it’s less that they’re the same person and more that they’re two of the ancient beings of Westeros,” while others have pointed out that Bran can only “observe” past and present events. And yet:

— Læra Croft (@De_Lordess) January 14, 2019

Bran is there in the crypt as the Night King

I said it here first

— Cole (@__cole0) January 14, 2019

I’m calling it. Bran, aka the Night King, is walking towards them. #ForTheThrone https://t.co/BZpHY3IRnd

— BurN_Zie (@Burn_Zie) January 14, 2019

As exciting as this is, the first thing I noticed was the absence of Bran.

The only people in the crypt are the remaining Starks, Jon, Sansa, and Arya. So where’s Bran That’s when the cold rushes in, the Night King. https://t.co/aJzuKuivMA

— Walt (@UberKryptonian) January 14, 2019

Bran really might be the Night King. I hate y’all

— Prof. McGone Girl (@_Tamsey) January 14, 2019

so you're telling me all of the starks are there except bran that's it. bran stark is the night king and he'll kill them all #ForTheThrone pic.twitter.com/4t9eyZG7To

— leen (@bruceuwayne) January 14, 2019

bran is the night king, arya kills bran which then leads to all the white walkers dying and then kills cersei with jaimes face pic.twitter.com/ERW43oOk22

— armando (@theblackpanthcr) January 14, 2019

OKAY SO. I have been slowly allowing the Bran = Night King theory seep into my brain as time passes. And this trailer…

There's one living Stark who's not apparently "invited" into the Winterfell Crypt. But then, it seems that maybe he shows up, but he brings cold with him. https://t.co/pWY8naQUsL

— diet_glitter (@thelastglitter) January 14, 2019

You laughed at my ‘Bran is the Night King because they have a similar facial structure’ theory for years but who feels ridiculous now. https://t.co/uQKe3sQuZo

— james (@J__m__8) January 14, 2019

So Bran being Night King confirmed! He’s not in the reunion but a birds feather laid there & turned to ice… #gameofthrones https://t.co/llZZSzkZ72

— Maude Garrett (@maudegarrett) January 14, 2019

It’s also noteworthy that Bran appeared in the season seven marketing.

— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) May 25, 2017

As for the feather in the teaser, it’s a callback to the pilot.

— Austin Grant (@AustinPlanet) January 14, 2019

Bran is King Robert: CONFIRMED. Game of Thrones returns on April 14.