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Game of Thrones foreshadowed controversial ending in first episode

Game of Thrones fans were left unhappy about the ending of the hit show but there was a hint in the first ever episode about who would end up on the Iron Throne. WARNING: SPOLIERS

Game of Thrones cast farewell their characters

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS

Game of Thrones told fans that Bran Stark, and not Jon Snow, would win the Iron Throne in the first ever episode, claims a fan theory.

The Sun reports that showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss apparently hinted at the ending way back when Ned Stark beheaded a member of the Night’s Watch in episode one in 2011.

Isaac Hempstead as Bran Stark. Picture: HBO
Isaac Hempstead as Bran Stark. Picture: HBO

Ned (Sean Bean) recited the oath of execution before killing deserter Will and said: “In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon. First of His Name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm, I, Eddard of the House Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, sentence you to die”.

The camera cuts to Bran, as Jon is stood behind him out of focus, when

Ned says: “King of the Andals and the First Men” and some fans are adamant it was a major clue to the show finale’s.

But other disgruntled fans, who called the ending an “utter let-down”, aren’t as convinced.

Ned Stark (Sean Bean) and Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) in Game of Thrones. Picture: HBO
Ned Stark (Sean Bean) and Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) in Game of Thrones. Picture: HBO

Some begged to differ on Twitter, as one hit back: “That wasn’t planned from the beginning. It’s a happy coincidence”

Another said: “Yeah yeah yeah whatever” and one more moaned: “And I guess Bran breaking his legs at the end of that episode is the foreshadowing for breaking the wheel? 😅 Come on guys, you’re grasping at straws here.”

Even Game of Thrones actor Isaac Hempstead Wright thought Bran winning the throne was a “joke script”.

Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) and Jon Snow (Kit Harington) in Game of Thrones. Picture: HBO
Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) and Jon Snow (Kit Harington) in Game of Thrones. Picture: HBO

The 20-year-old admitted he understood their disappointment because he didn’t believe it himself when he first read the fantasy epic’s finale.

He said: “I genuinely thought it was a joke script and that [showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss] sent to everyone a script with their own character ends up on the Iron Throne. ‘Yeah, good one guys. ‘Oh s**t, it’s actually real?’”

Maisie Williams as Arya Stark, Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark, and Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark. Picture: HBO
Maisie Williams as Arya Stark, Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark, and Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark. Picture: HBO

Fans were not happy that Bran Stark, aka the Three-Eyed Raven, had ‘won’ the series by becoming ruler of Westeros and the Seven Kingdoms instead of show favourites Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow, Sansa Stark or Tyrion Lannister.

But Isaac says it would be impossible to finish a series like Game of Thrones without “p***ing some people off”.

He added: “Not everyone will be happy. It’s so difficult to finish a series as popular as this without pissing some people off.

Daenerys Targaryen met a grisly end in Game of Thrones. Picture: AP
Daenerys Targaryen met a grisly end in Game of Thrones. Picture: AP

“I don’t think anybody will think it’s predictable and that’s as much as you can hope for. People are going to be angry. There’s going to be a lot of broken hearts. It’s ‘bittersweet,’ exactly as George R.R. Martin intended. It’s a fitting conclusion to this epic saga.”

Although some fans may not be happy with the final decision, Isaac believes his character will make a “really good king”, because his vast knowledge as the Three-Eyed Raven will allow him to make fair decisions.

Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark. Picture: HBO
Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark. Picture: HBO

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, he said: “I’m happy. Though I kind of did want to die and get in one good death scene with an exploding head or something.

“I think he’ll be a really good king actually. Perhaps there will be something missing in having a real emotive leader, which is a useful quality in a king or queen as well. At the same time, you can’t really argue with Bran. He’s like, ‘No, I know everything.’”

This article originally appeared in The Sun and is republished here with permission

Originally published as Game of Thrones foreshadowed controversial ending in first episode

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/television/game-of-thrones/game-of-thrones-foreshadowed-controversial-ending-in-first-episode/news-story/8719f14c2573e76775d293c285935f17