As the characters in Game of Thrones gear up for the Battle of Winterfell, many fans are wondering how the crypts will factor into the fight. There are only a handful of episodes left for the HBO series, so time is running out to tie up all the loose ends. The impending battle between the North and the White Walkers has heavy implications for the future of the Iron Throne and the series as a whole.
It seems inevitable that many familiar faces will meet their end during the fight. Who dies during the Battle of Winterfell is anyone’s guess. Some characters are clearly more integral to the series than others but there will most likely be a few heartwrenching deaths. Now that there’s a plan of attack for the Winterfell fighters, viewers are speculating who is truly in danger.
Bran is using himself as bait, as he believes the Night King will target him for being the Three-Eyed Raven. This will expose the Night King in the hopes of taking him out to destroy him and his undead army. The plan will probably go awry, considering the White Walkers are highly intelligent. Most of those fighting have never even faced White Walkers or the dead, for that matter.
While some of Jon and Daenerys’ allies will be on the front lines of the fight, others have roles within the Winterfell grounds. The rest of the living will be hiding out in the crypts underneath Winterfell. This has many viewers scratching their heads because, when taking all the details into account, the crypts are one of the deadliest places to be during a battle against White Walkers.
Will The Night King Resurrect Starks For His Undead Army?
Various characters throughout the first two episodes of season 8 have referred to the crypts as the safest spot in Winterfell. That confidence has led fans to believe that the crypts are, in actuality, the most dangerous spot to hide out from the battle. Sure, hiding deep underground while the war is being fought sounds like a good idea. But the fact that Jon, Daenerys, and their forces are fighting White Walkers, a group that has the power to reanimate the dead, makes the crypts a horrific place to hide.
The massive labyrinth of crypts under Winterfell is home to centuries of Starks. There are tombs for many fallen members of the family, along with the bodies of all the Kings of the North who have lived since the castle was built. If the Night King can get inside the crypts, there would be enough Stark corpses to bring back for a new undead army. Even if the Night King isn’t in Winterfell for the Battle of Winterfell (some believe he is heading to King’s Landing), any White Walker could potentially bring back the Starks as wights.
If the White Walkers resurrect the bodies in the crypts, everyone hiding underground will be in grave danger. Most of the women and children were sent there for safety without much protection. Varys and Tyrion are told to take refuge in the crypts as Daenerys needs them to stay alive. In the teaser for the third episode, a bloodied Arya can be seen running through the underground passageways. Is her complete terror a sign that her ancestors are back in some form?
Would Undead Starks Fight With The Living?
There’s a chance that the Night King’s plan to resurrect the dead Starks could backfire. The Starks have spent centuries defending their family and Winterfell. Could it be possible that various Starks come back as wights, but fight with the living to defend Winterfell?
“The North Remembers” could take on a whole new meaning if a group of undead Starks automatically identify the White Walkers as invaders. Many ancient Starks have come face to face with White Walkers in the past. Brandon Stark, who is also the current Bran’s namesake, is known in history as Bran the Builder for his assistance in building the Wall with the Children of the Forest. He was a member of the First Men that teamed up with the Children to drive the White Walkers north. Bran the Builder went on to become the first King of the North and the founder of House Stark.
Could Bran the Builder led a group of fellow undead Starks to fight for Winterfell and protect the living? It’s certainly possible that Game of Thrones will wait until the final season to introduce some of their most legendary characters. This might even mean that previously shown Starks will once again appear, in some form. There is still mystery regarding the remains of some of the Starks, like Robb and Ned, and whether there is even anything in their tombs. That mystery would finally be solved if the series goes in this direction.
Does Daenerys Come Up With A New Plan?
Besides Arya’s terror, the latest Game of Thrones teaser also features Daenerys telling Jon that “the dead are already here.” At first thought, it seems like she’s just remarking on the arrival of the White Walkers and the army of wights. Her quote could actually be more of an idea for a new plan rather than an obvious observation. If for any reason, the White Walkers get the upper hand during the Battle of Winterfell, Jon and Dany could go into desperation mode. Their last-ditch effort could involve the use of their own dead as an advantage.
The world introduced in Game of Thrones is full of magic, much of which remains yet to be explained. Could any character currently in Winterfell have the ability to resurrect the dead? Melisandre and Thoros of Myr have both made pleas to the Lord of Light in order to resurrect a member of the dead. It’s very probable that other characters have an untapped magical ability not yet realized. Even if the Starks in the crypts aren’t capable of coming back, recent victims on the battlefield would be a good place to start in recharging the Winterfell forces.
What About That Dragon Theory?
If the Night King or the White Walkers decide to ignore the dead Starks, there could be another secret weapon hiding in the crypts. There has been a long-running theory that a dragon is hiding underneath Winterfell through evidence from the book series. Since Winterfell is kept warm from a hot spring underground, a dragon could surely find refuge in that kind of environment. The commotion of the battle will undoubtedly awaken anything hiding in the crypts. If the Night King encounters another dragon, he could add a new ice dragon to his army.
Another theory suggests that multiple dragon eggs were left in the crypts. Game of Thrones viewers have witnessed Daenerys hatch dragon eggs before, so who says she wouldn’t be able to do it again? Having a few more dragons on her side couldn’t hurt, but it wouldn’t be an immediate solution, since any new dragons would need ample time to mature. Considering time is not on the North’s side at the moment, it’s now or never for Jon and Dany to make their move. Whether or not the Winterfell crypts will come into play during the final episodes remains to be seen.
