The 'GoT' Creators Know Where Gendry Is

While perhaps not the most pressing mystery on the show, the question of where Gendry is on Game of Thrones has finally been answered by showrunners Dan Weiss and David Benioff. For those who might have forgotten, Gendry is the blacksmith and bastard son of Robert Baratheon who traveled with Arya in the HBO show's early seasons. After he was betrayed by the Brotherhood Without Banners and captured by Melisandre, Ser Davos freed Gendry and sent him back to King's Landing on a rowboat, despite Gendry's protests that he didn't know how to swim. That was the last fans saw of Gendry, way back in Season 3, and the question of what happened to him has been on our minds ever since.

There have, however, been some hints from behind the scenes about Gendry's fate. Joe Dempsie, who plays Gendry, hilariously tweeted "still rowin'...#GoT" in 2014. And now, this theory has jokingly been confirmed by Weiss and Benioff. When asked recently about Gendry's fate on the UFC Unfiltered podcast, the showrunners responded in jest:

Weiss: "He's still rowing."Benioff: "Yes, he's still rowing. It's a long, a very long..."Weiss: "He's coming up on Florida."Benioff: "He's getting in great shape. Think of the shape he's in after rowing for four seasons."Weiss: "Big lats."

While it might seem like their banter doesn't reveal anything, and that Gendry's fate is not that important, there are still those who think that Gendry will play an important role in the final seasons of Game of Thrones. Since most of the Baratheon house was killed off by the sixth season, Gendry is now the only Baratheon left, though he is neither a legitimate nor acknowledged member of that family.

Will Gendry return in the 13 or so episodes that Game of Thrones has left? The creators seem to be acknowledging in their banter that they haven't given that much thought to the character, so he likely won't play a role in episodes to come. They also could be jokingly hiding the presumed outcome that Gendry did not survive his voyage. However, the joke could also be a misdirection in the same way that many of those involved with the show attempted to hide the fate of Jon Snow.

Personally, I'm hoping that in the final episodes, when a frontrunner like Jon Snow or Daenerys is poised to take the Iron Throne, Gendry will emerge from the sea, with the muscles and wisdom of a long travel, to claim the throne. Given the twists Game of Thrones is known for, I wouldn't be surprised.

Image: HBO, Giphy