The Night King's goal is by far the biggest mystery in the "Game of Thrones" community right now. As fans are patiently waiting for Season 8, they often come up with all sorts of wild theories about the fearsome White Walker leader. Does he want to destroy humanity out of revenge? Are the Winterfell Crypts his final destination? Is it the Isle of Faces?
We'll have to wait a little longer than a year to find that out.
Until then, we are left with the filming news, and theories, lots and lots of theories to get us through this "Game of Thrones" withdrawal period, otherwise known as the Long Night. And even though today's theory is based on an idea that has been circulating the web for a while, it is now presented in a new and unique way. So bear with me, and you'll find out why the Night King's goal will turn out to be something no one could expect.
What story is 'Game of Thrones' trying to tell?
Given the fact that George R. R. Martin already told the show-runners how the story is going to end, it's safe to assume that the ending of "Game of Thrones" will be similar to that of the "A Song of Ice and Fire" books.
However, the Night King is not a character in the books, and even though I think he will be introduced at some point, let's just focus on the White Walkers in general and the supposed fight between good and evil.
First off, the characters George has created in his books are not, by any means, black and white. Even the supposed bad guys are white. So ending the series in one huge bloodbath where the prophesied hero who happens to have a royal bloodline secretly leads a vast army that will triumph over the evil Others, is not something we would expect from George R. R. Martin. That would be a glorification of war. And this is, above all, an anti-war story. The title of the series is "A Song of Ice and Fire" not a conflict between ice zombies and fire-breathing dragons.
With that in mind, let's talk about the Night King and what he might really be up to.
What is the Night King's final destination?
According to Reddit user MrSilenceT, the Night King's final destination is the main Weirwood tree on the Isle of Faces, a mysterious location in the middle of Westeros. That's the main source of magic that created him in the first place. And he is trying to tell people that in the only way he can, through symbols. Let's explain.
The theta symbol in the first episode actually represents the Isle of Faces at the center of God's Eye Lake.
And then there is the spiral symbol.
The spiral symbol represents the stone formation around the Weirwood tree where the Night King was created.
But, as you will see, it might also represent the main Weirwood on the Isle of Faces. The screenshot is taken from the "Game of Thrones" Season 6 Blu-ray video where Max Von Sydow a.k.a. The Three-eyed Raven talks about the Isle of Faces.
Now that we know where the Night King is heading let's see how he will get there.
The Night King's mark explained
In "Game of Thrones" Season 6, Episode 5, The Night King left the ice mark on Bran's arm, and we have been wondering ever since what it could mean. Everyone thought that the mark would allow the Night King to go through the Wall. But in the end, he breached it with the help of the dragon. So, what is it?
The way I see it, thanks to that mark, the Night King will always know where Bran is.
That would mean that he only attacked the Three-eyed Raven's cave because Bran was there. But the kid got away, and he is now in Winterfell. So in "Game of Thrones" Season 8, the Night King will attack Winterfell just because Bran is there.
Why is the Night King so obsessed with Bran?
The Night King is obsessed with Bran because he is Bran, in a weird sort of way. Let's explain.
According to MrSilenceT, something will happen during the battle at Winterfell that will make our heroes realize that the Night King can't be killed with dragonglass. Jon Snow and Jaime will then go to King's Landing to ask Cersei for help, Daenerys will stay behind, and Bran will go to the Isle of Faces to try to learn more about the Night King.
Once on the Isle of Faces, Bran will connect to the main Weirwood and go back in time to see what happened during the first Long Night. He will learn that there were multiple Night Kings during that time and that the combined forces of men and the Children of the Forest defeated all of them, except for one, the one we see today. But with knowledge like that, what is Bran to do?
Well, according to this theory, Bran will realize that the only way to defeat the Night King is to stop his creation. So he will go back in time and warg into one of the First Men. But here's the thing: During that time, First Men and the Children of the Forest were enemies. The Children would then capture this man with Bran's consciousness and turn him into the Night King.
That's how Bran's decision to go back in time will be the reason why the Night King was created in the first place. And Bran will be forced to spend thousands of years trapped in the body of the White Walker who was programmed to kill everything in his way, without the ability to kill himself and end the suffering. Because the Night King will only be destroyed once Bran is dead in the present day, he would have to wait 8,000 years.
How will the Night King die?
Back in the present day, the Night King will find Bran on the Isle of Faces thanks to that ice mark. He will then kill the boy, and as a result, he and all the White Walkers and wights will be destroyed as well. And that's how the living will be saved by the dead.
In my opinion, this would be the perfect way to end "Game of Thrones." After all, this was never supposed to be the black and white story about the fight between good and evil, or ice and fire for that matter. This is a story about the human heart in conflict with itself.