Ice and fire are coming. That's what the first teaser poster for Game Of Thrones Season 7 revealed — and, honestly, that was about it. HBO hinted at what's in store for the show's next season at SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, with a straight to the point image of, you guessed it, ice and fire: the hashtag #GOTS7 printed across a block of ice with just a little bit of an orange glow peeking through. With the HBO series heading into its final stretch with two shortened seasons — Season 7 will be seven episodes, Season 8 will be six — this is what Game Of Thrones fans have been waiting for.
It's also what they've been expecting since the George R.R. Martin book series GOT is based on is actually called Song Of Ice and Fire. The show's first poster doesn't give much away, but there is a lot fans can infer from this new image without being the Three-Eyed Raven.
For starters, Martin's prophecy of Fire and Ice will finally be fulfilled. The belief is that Daenerys Targaryen is Fire, since, hello, she was reborn in massive blaze of glory, and Jon Snow is Ice since he's actually taken on the White Walkers. The fact that previously leaked photos of GOT Season 7 reveal Khaleesi and Jon Snow together also seem to confirm that the two are connected just like the two elements Martin is so fond of.
Look at the poster, though, and you'll notice that fire is creeping up on the ice, which could be a hint that Jon Snow is the real focus of this season. Specifically, Season 7 could focus on figuring out who the heck he is. Last season, we learned Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen are Jon Snow's true parents (Yep, R+L does equal J), but only Bran knows this. Jon Snow still thinks he's a bastard child. Turns out, he's not a Snow at all, but a Targaryen, the nephew of Dany, who could be in line for the Iron Throne.
Focusing on Jon Snow's lineage would also answer the question of whether or not he has a twin. Some point to the amount of blood lost by Lyanna in the scene fans see in Season 6 as being proof she had more than one child. Many believe Meera Reed is Jon Snow's sister and that Ned Stark asks his friend Howland Reed, who is at the Tower of Joy with him, to take the other child. This way, the twins are separated and hopefully out of harm's way. If Jon Snow has a twin, this could also mean that we know the third rider of Dany's dragons, a pretty important piece of the GOT puzzle.
In the books, Daenerys' brother Rheagar tells her in a vision that, "The dragon has three heads." It's believed that Khaleesi's three dragons will help her conquer Westeros. Each one, though, needs a rider, and, since the Targaryen family crest features a three-headed dragon, it's believed that members of her family will help her take back the throne. Jon Snow is already believed to be one of the riders, and the third could very well be his mysterious twin.
There's an even more important question that has yet to be answered: is Jon Snow Azor Ahai? After being raised from the dead, it's believed that Jon Snow is the mythical figure who was brought back to life to take on the darkness that is taking over the world. Azor Ahai saves the day by fighting against darkness with a flaming sword called Lightbringer. The fact that Jon has become the chosen leader to take on winter and the White Walkers that go with it certainly makes him a logical candidate. Plus, he's got his own sword, one made of Valyrian steel called Longclaw, which can kill White Walkers, adding a little more juice to this whole theory.
Let's not forget, though, that in Game Of Thrones with Ice comes Fire, and when we last saw Khaleesi she was making her way to Westeros. She is definitely looking to take the throne, which is currently being occupied by Cersei. Some fans think these two are going to go head to head, which could lead to the biggest battle in the show's history.
The poster may not give much away, but it implies that the connection between ice and fire will finally be revealed. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Isaac Hempstead Wright (Bran) also used the word "connections" to describe this upcoming season. "Take that how you will," Wright told the magazine. I take that to mean that this teaser poster is just a tip of the Game Of Thrones iceberg.
