Azor Ahai, The Prince That Was Promised, is one of the most mysterious figures within Game of Thrones. The Azor Ahai prophecy tells of a figure who can stop the coming of the White Walkers, which would come in real handy right about now. The White Walkers are fast approaching, and Game of Thrones needs to reveal who the chosen one destined to save Westeros is. Some suspect that Jon Snow is The Prince That Was Promised. Others believe that Daenerys Targaryen is meant to become Azor Ahai. But now there's a new candidate. Ed Sheeran could be Azor Ahai on Game of Thrones. Sure, it sounds a little too obvious to be true, but the evidence is SO clear.
Sheeran's arrival on Game of Thrones seemed like it could be a simple cameo. Game of Thrones has had musicians cameo before, including the bands Mastodon, Of Monsters and Men, and Sigur Rós. But while other musicians have cameoed in the past, Game of Thrones has really never had a star as big as Sheeran on the show before (Coldplay doesn't count). Is it any mistake, then, that the Azor Ahai prophecy states that The Prince That Was Promised will be born again "when the red star bleeds?" Ed Sheeran is a redheaded star, so what will happen when he bleeds?
The full prophecy reads: "When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone." Ed Sheeran said that he quit smoking after 10 years, effectively causing himself and his image (and his lungs) to be "born again" amidst smoke (or the lack of it, IDK). As if that wasn't enough, the Ed Sheeran song "Shirtsleeves" checks off the "born amidst salt" part, since the first line proclaims that "I can taste saltwater." As for waking dragons out of stone, if you have heard "Shape of You," then you know a jam like that could wake up even the grumpiest dragon and persuade it to the dance floor. Although in this case, the dance floor will be Ed Sheeran's character's army, which he will use to destroy the White Walkers and save Westeros.
With this in mind, it stands to reason that "When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone," most likely means: "If Ed Sheeran gets cut, this former smoker who sang a song about salt will get the dragons to dance."
The only problem with this otherwise-foolproof theory is that it all presumes that Ed Sheeran is playing himself in Game of Thrones. Rather, Sheeran plays one of many soldiers in the Lannister army, but the episode doesn't give him or any of the other singing men a name. Diligent fans may want to listen closely to future episodes, because if at any point someone refers to Sheeran's character as "Eddard Sheeran of Western Yorkshire," then this theory is essentially confirmed.
Of course, there are several other candidates for Azor Ahai aside from Chart-topping music sensation Ed Sheeran. The list includes Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, Jaime Lannister, Bran Stark, Beric Dondarrion, and and even Ser Pounce, among others. They all seem to have more experience in leading soldiers and dragons against an army of the undead, but can they sing? But can they produce a pop hit like "Thinking Out Loud"? What about a heartbreaking ballad like "The A Team"? They don't call the book series A Song of Ice and Fire for nothing.
