Game of Thrones season 8 is nearly here, and that means an answer to all the fan theories that have been swirling around the show for the past eight years. While there are plenty of theories to consider, one of the biggest has to be the identity of the Valonqar.
For those in need of a refresher, the Valonqar prophecy was given to Cersei as a young woman by the sorceress Maggy the Frog. It predicted her rise to Queen, the birth of her children… and her death. “Gold shall be their crowns and gold their shrouds. And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you”. Although the Valonqar line didn’t actually make it into the show, fans are assuming that this person is coming for Cersei in the final season.
Tyrion Lannister
Tyrion Lannister, the greatest Lannister-killer of the age… this is certainly who Cersei believes the prophecy refers to! The word ‘valonqar’ is usually translated from High Valyrian to mean ’little brother’, and Tyrion is Cersei’s younger brother - not to mention physically little. Cersei has always hated Tyrion, and he has already proven his willingness to kill family members, so this is one of the most obvious options. However, could it be a little too obvious?
The Hound (Sandor Clegane)
While Cersei may believe that the prophecy is referring to her ’little brother’, there’s nothing to say that the valonqar has to be related to her at all. It could well refer to any younger brother - and that opens the possibilities up to characters like Sandor Clegane, aka The Hound. While the Hound started out on the show as Joffrey’s bodyguard, he’s since teamed up with Jon and Daenerys, while his hated older brother (The Mountain) is acting as bodyguard to the Queen. Having the Hound kill Cersei could also mean that fans get Cleganebowl - the battle of the Clegane brothers.
Arya Stark
In a final twist on the interpretation of the Valonqar theory, Missandei pointed out that in High Valyrian, ‘valonqar’ doesn’t actually have a gender. That means that although the prophecy uses the word ‘him’ and refers to a ’little brother’, it could also actually be a woman. And the ’little sister’ who would be first in line to take out the Queen has to be Arya Stark. Since the end of the first season, Arya has been determined to kill Cersei - she was one of the first names on her kill-list. Arya was even on her way to kill Cersei when she learned that Sansa and Jon were at Winterfell, and decided to go home.
In addition, Arya might be the most capable when it comes to actually getting the deed done. Her training with the Faceless Men has made her an incredibly talented assassin, and she knows King’s Landing and the Red Keep like the back of her hand, thanks to her time there when Ned was Hand of the King. This would definitely be an epic conclusion to Arya’s story.
Daenerys Targaryen
Another very strong possibility is Daenerys Targaryen herself. The younger sibling of Rhaegar and Viserys, she fits the definition of valonqar… and she certainly has motivation to want Cersei dead! Since season one, Daenerys has been determined to return to Westeros and take the throne, and seeing as Cersei is currently sitting on that throne, Dany would be more than happy to take her out.
However, there is one potential issue with this; the idea that the valonqar will choke Cersei to death. While Daenerys is certainly deadly, she’s not quite that hands-on. The Dragon Queen is a big fan of barbequing her enemies, and would be more likely to land in King’s Landing with Drogon and burn Cersei in a blast of dragonfire than sneak up on her and strangle her enemy. At the very least, she would have one of her bloodriders or Unsullied do the actual deed…
Brienne Of Tarth
Brienne may be the oldest living child of Lord Selwyn Tarth, but she did have an older brother as a child (Galladon, who died at the tender age of eight). This means that she may well be the ’little sibling’ of the prophecy. She also has plenty of motivation to kill Cersei - whether that is because she was loyal to the Baratheons and then the Starks (and Cersei has slaughtered plenty of both houses), whether she kills Cersei in order to protect one of the Stark women, or whether this may end up being about Brienne’s feelings for Jaime (and his for her).
Brienne is also physically more than capable of killing Cersei, who may be a plotter, but who isn’t physically the most powerful character - whereas Brienne is one of the best fighters in the series.
Bran Stark
Bran, aka the Three-Eyed Raven, might not seem like the biggest threat to Cersei - after all, he is crippled and in Winterfell, while Cersei is in King’s Landing and would be (presumably) capable of overpowering a skinny boy like Bran. However, Bran has plenty of reason to kill Cersei - and his abilities as a Greenseer and Warg could allow him to do it.
Whether Bran wants Cersei dead for what she’s done to his family, or (now that he’s the slightly emotionless Three-Eyed Raven) because he can use his gifts to see what will happen if she is allowed to continue ruling, he could potentially learn how to warg into The Mountain, and use Cersei’s own zombie-bodyguard to kill her. Unlikely, maybe… but it would make for an absolutely incredible scene!
Cersei’s Unborn Child
For a little while, fans were theorizing that Tommen could end up as the Valonqar - appalled by his mother’s actions, he would kill her himself. A fitting end… but now that Tommen has leapt to his death, not something that is about to happen.
However, another child of Cersei’s could be the one to kill her - because it has now been confirmed that Cersei Lannister is pregnant. While some argue that this invalidates the entire Valonqar prophecy, and means that no one will kill her, another possibility is that Cersei will die in childbirth. The one major flaw in this theory is that dying in childbirth is definitely not being strangled to death.
Jaime Lannister
Finally, of course, we have the fan favorite: Jaime Lannister himself. Although Jaime and Cersei are twins, Jaime was born second (if only by moments) making him technically her ’little brother’. And although Jaime loved his sister at the start of the series, by this point, things have certainly soured. Jaime is distraught at the loss of all their children, appalled at what Cersei is doing, and unhappy about what happened with Tommen. He’s definitely physically capable of killing Cersei, and has shown himself willing to kill, and even break vows, in order to do what he thinks is right. Could Cersei’s doom come at the hands of the man she loves?
