Daario Probably Won't Be In 'GoT' Season 7

In the Season 6 finale of Game of Thrones, Daenerys didn't just manage to finally set sail for Westeros after years of being trapped in Essos, but she also dumped her boyfriend/side piece Daario Naharis, leader of the mercenary fighters the Second Sons. Even though Daario seemed pretty desperate to continue the relationship, Dany insisted that he stay behind and rule Meereen. But will Daario return for Game of Thrones Season 7? He has appeared before without any other major characters, but not since his introduction. Since then, he's always been either Dany or Jorah's scene partner, with him acting as the expert in the Essos slave trade and culture.

Actor Michiel Huisman remained cryptic about Daario's return in a post-finale interview with The Daily Beast. When asked if he was disappointed to miss out on a blood-spattered death scene, he said, "I am disappointed. But he’s still out there, you know. It’s a big world. He got left behind, but who knows?" That's pretty typical Game of Thrones character coyness, but he does make a good point. Unless you see someone's disembodied head, you don't know that they won't return. Maybe Huisman knows something that no one else does.

But, maybe even he's not sure about whether or not he'll be back. After all, Season 6 marked the return of a lot of beloved characters once thought dead. The Hound returned after a two-season absence, and Bran after one season MIA. And Jon Snow, who the cast and creators insisted was seriously, permanently dead, wound up being resurrected after just a few episodes. So even with a confirmed kill, there's no way to know whether or not the character is definitely coming back.

But if I had to guess, I'd guess that he won't be back. Sorry, but Dany telling him that she wants him to be the leader of Meereen is basically a quicker way to say, "You're being written off the show." Now that Dany, Tyrion, and Varys have moved on to Westeros and Arya left the House of Black and White, there's only one other character left in Essos: Jorah, who is probably still wandering around wondering exactly how he's supposed to cure greyscale. While the show devoted a few scenes to the Jorah-and-Daario Dothraki Road Trip, it was all in service of finding Dany and bringing her back to the main storyline.

Now that she's moved on, my prediction is so will Game of Thrones. Unless Jorah somehow causes a pandemic or something seriously changes in Meereen that threatens Dany's hold on her territory, that breakup scene is probably going to be the most official goodbye Daario Naharis gets.

Image: Macall B. Polay/courtesy of HBO; Giphy