“Game of Thrones” is never short on character deaths.We lost some good ones including Hodor and the Starks: Ned, Catelyn, Robb and Rickon. We also rejoiced at the death of Ramsay Bolton and Littlefinger. With Season 8 still two years away, we shudder at the thought that we might say goodbye to another beloved character. A prevailing theory is that Sansa Stark becomes the next casualty and the events in the Season 7 finale only fuel her rumored death.
Season 7 finale recap
We saw Sansa live up to her role as the Lady of Winterfell when she sentenced Petyr Baelish aka Littlefinger to death.
She did not flinch when he begged for his life and when she saw Arya slit his throat. We saw a different Sansa, one who has matured and hardened by years of miseries at the hands of the manipulative Littlefinger.
However, with Littlefinger’s death comes the possibility of her end too. In the past seasons, Sansa lived under his shadow. In a way, her story continued because of Baelish. Now that he is dead, there are worries that she might meet her demise too in “Game of Thrones” Season 8.
Clues that hint at Sansa’s death in Season 8
Fans pointed out the connection between the Stark children to their direwolves. These magical animals are bonded to the children who raised them and they share their personality traits.
The Starks can all warg into their wolves although this knowledge is kept out of the show. The siblings’ fate is inextricably linked with their wolves. Among the siblings, Sansa lost her direwolf first in Season 1. According to Flicks & the City, the death of her wolf hints that she does not live a long life. This is not hard to imagine with the White Walkers and the Night King marching to the North.
Winterfell is the first line of defense. Sansa is not adept at sword fighting compared to Arya, so her chance of survival is slim.
Interestingly, Maisie Williams, who plays Arya, previously teased Sansa’s grim fate in a panel interview for Season 7. When asked about Sansa, the actress simply blurted out that she is dead. Sansa did not die in the penultimate episode, so perhaps this happens in "Game of Thrones" Season 8.
Moment goes by, then Benioff says, "Don't worry, they won't tell anyone." Uncomfortable laugh from the audience. #SXSW #GameofThrones
— A Storm of Spoilers (@StormofSpoilers) March 12, 2017
Likewise, in George R.R. Martin’s original storyline outline for the “Game of Thrones” trilogy, which spanned into seven books, there are only five survivors. Martin planned Arya, Jon Snow, Daenerys, Tyrion and Bran to live. If this holds true for Season 8, then it puts Sansa in the crosshairs.
