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Sorry, 'Game Of Thrones' Fans, But Gendry's Probably Going To Die In Season 8
Gendry has got a heart of gold and he's a fan favorite, but nobody in George R.R. Martin's universe is deathproof. That makes it all the more important to explore the reasons Gendry could die in Game Of Thrones Season 8 — because they're very convincing. While the fans were ecstatic to see that Gendry wasn't still rowing, but had instead successfully made his escape, they shouldn't get too happy while they wait for the next season. After all, given the fact that many of the characters that have been brutally killed off have been the most popular voices of the show — Ned Stark, Robb Stark, Catelyn Stark, Margaery Tyrell, Olenna Tyrell — it's probably safe to say that nobody's too beloved to die (well, aside from Jon Snow, perhaps).
So, while it might seem as if there are boat load of reasons why the smith should be a central part of the eighth installment of the show — to show Arya his abs again; to fight alongside fellow self-proclaimed bastard Jon Snow and to weld some weapons of mass White Walker destruction — there are also all the reasons that he might meet a grisly, sudden end. Heck, he might even be dead already. These reasons will really make you wonder.
1'Game Of Thrones' Doesn't Do Romantic Happy Endings
Khal Drogo and Dany. Ygritte and Jon Snow. Shae and Tyrion. Robb and Talisa. Those are just a few of the couples that haven't made it so far. While the actor who plays Gendry, Joe Dempsie, expressed his discomfort with the idea of Gendry and Arya getting together to The Hollywood Reporter, he also acknowledged that his character had played a formative role in Arya's sexual awakening (by smithing in front of her without any top on). Given the show's casual attitude toward taboos like incestuous pairings, it seems unlikely that the age gap would stop the creators of the show from putting the pair together romantically.
But this wouldn't necessarily mean good things for Gendry. Since historically, the main characters' squeezes have been killed off, it would be reason enough for the character to meet his maker — and motivation for the younger Stark sister to become even more savage.
2It Would Raise The Stakes
You've got to admit that it's all a little neat. That whole conversation between Jon Snow and Gendry where they talked about both being bastards, the fact that the King in the North badly needs a blacksmith with experience in forging weapons out of dragonglass and the fact that Gendry's virtually the only character we've come across who has that experience. Given the series' addiction to high stakes and keeping it unclear which side will win, one way to radically change the power dynamic would be for Gendry to start forging weapons for Dany's new boy-toy and for viewers to invest in the upwards trajectory of Team Snow. Oh, and then, naturally, the important figure would abruptly meeting a grisly end thanks to Cersei to hinder the Snow-Targaryen collective.
3Because He Could Be A Rival For The Iron Throne
One fan theory argues that Gendry is Cersei's son. According to winteriscoming.net, in Season 1, Episode 2, Cersei tells Catelyn Stark that her firstborn was a son, a "little black-haired beauty" who died after his birth. The theory suggests this second part may have been a lie and that, although she may have felt enough about her then-husband Robert Baratheon to carry his child to term, she may have sent him away in order that her son with Jaime, Joffrey, would take the throne.
So here's the trick: Cersei swaps her healthy baby for a dying one while her husband is away hunting and would have presented this child to Robert when he returned from the hunt. This would explain how Gendry somehow gets a job with the most impressive armorer in King's Landing, since we learn that Tobho Mott took the boy in after a stranger paid twice the usual apprentice fee.
If all of the above is true, then, in a typical Game Of Thrones plot twist, the smith may meet his end at the hands of the very people he's supposed to be allied with: either Dany or Jon.
4He's Already Perished, Or Is About To Do So
The last we saw of Gendry in Season 7, he'd collapsed outside of the Wall after running there from north of the Wall to send a raven to Dany asking for help. We see him sink to his knees just before the gate, suggesting his health was the worse for wear. It's also worth noting that he wasn't with Tormund and Beric on top of the Wall, so there's every chance that he was inside Castle Eastwatch when the Night King came flying up on the Ice Dragon and started destroying the Wall.
While it seems unlikely that they reintroduced the long-absent character just to kill him off, it could be that his hammer is the instrumental aspect of his return, rather than the smith himself. Why else in a season seemingly unconcerned with practical details like the amount of time it takes to travel places would there be so much emphasis placed on Gendry leaving his hammer with The Hound because he'll be lighter without it? And, besides, very little fanfare was given to the death of the other major Baratheon character on the show, with Brienne of Tarth beheading Stannis abruptly in Season 5. As such, it could be business as usual for the Baratheon family, with the smith perishing at the beginning of Season 8 in an anti-climactic fashion.
He's got the bluest eyes, the best weapon know-how, and a soft spot for Arya. It would be a crying shame if he expired in Season 8 — but, given Martin's predilection for murdering characters when we least expect it, the best way we can save Gendry is by expecting his sudden death.
