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There are so many theories online about Game of Thrones, from crazy fan-fiction romances to those that are plausible or have been proven (hello, L+R=J!), that fans probably think they have heard everything. Yet the show and the theories around it still surprise fans. There are also some theories that may sound crazy at first, but might just be crazy enough to be true — like the "Bran is the Night King" theory.
While this hypothesis may make zero sense at first, it's actually totally plausible according to Reddit User turm0il26, who neatly laid out the "Bran is the Night King" theory which has been propagated online. But how could this be? Well, the answer (of course) is time travel. What if the timeline of Game of Thrones isn't what it seems? If Bran can warg through time and become the Night King, then a lot of other storylines also make sense too. Plots that are supported by this idea range from the Mad King's paranoia to the existence of the now-confirmed ice dragon.
Still need some convincing? These quotes help explain the popular Reddit theory while foreshadowing Bran's existence as the Night King. After reading these quotes and explanations, you'll be a believer.
"Father!"
According to a Nerdist piece about Bran being the Night King, fans first realized that Bran had the ability to affect the past when he called out to young Ned Stark, and Ned reacted. Bran wasn't just seeing the past — he was there.
"Hodor."
The Nerdist piece also sites the Hodor situation as foreshadowing Bran's actions throughout time and history. If the Hodor time loop could happen, what else is possible?
"Burn Them All!"
OK, here is where the theory picks up speed. Bran is a good kid. He isn't going to turn evil without a reason. The aforementioned Reddit theory explains that Bran is trying to prevent the war with the White Walkers by traveling back in time. He first tries to tell Aerys II to burn the White Walkers, but the whispers drive Aerys mad and he burns people instead. Then Bran would go further back and construct the wall as Bran the Builder — to keep the White Walkers out. Lastly, Bran would go back to the war between the Children of the Forest and humankind to try to stop the creation of White Walkers altogether. But then...
"It Is Beautiful Beneath The Sea; Stay Too Long And You Drown."
This is a warning to Bran explaining that it may be tempting to stay in another body or place or time, but that he should be careful, because he could get trapped there.
So if this theory is true, when Bran warges back to stop the creation of the White Walkers, he either does so as the Night King or this is where he becomes the Night King. Bran is then trapped as the Night King for thousands of years.
"You Will Never Walk, But You Will Fly."
This quote from the Three-Eyed Raven is as cryptic as ever when considering the Night King's new pet: an ice dragon. Was the Three-Eyed Raven foreshadowing that Bran would fly on the back of a dragon as the Night King?
Redditor turm0il26 also theorizes that when Bran as the Night King realized the information that the Three-Eyed Raven had kept from him — being trapped as the Night King, White Walkers, etc. — Bran/the Night King would have motive to kill the Three-Eyed Raven.
"It Means I Can See Everything, Everything That's Ever Happened To Everyone. Everything That's Happening Right Now."
When Sansa reunited with her siblings this season, it wasn't exactly the meeting she was likely dreaming of all of these years. Arya returned as an assassin with a list of people she wants to kill (and a bag of faces), and Bran is a cryptic prophet who talks about Sansa's darkest moments. Maybe the Stark kids can't go home again? Whatever the case, Bran's words and actions this season have been telling that he has a better understanding of his abilities and his future, supporting the Night King theory. Bran explains his abilities to Sansa, in Season 7, Episode 3, saying:
"I can never be Lord of Winterfell. I can never be lord of anything. I'm the Three-Eyed Raven... It's difficult to explain... It means I can see everything, everything that's ever happened to everyone. Everything that's happening right now. It's all pieces now, fragments. I need to learn to see better. When the Long Night comes again, I need to be ready."
Let's not forget that Bran also quoted Littlefinger's "chaos is a ladder" to Littlefinger's face this season. Bran is back and planning and brooding. This sounds like the exact mindset that Bran would need to be in to set off the Night King theory, or is it already in motion? Fans will just have to watch and see if this theory continues to hold water. And, remember to listen carefully.
