Stephen Dillane, Carice van Houten.
photo: Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO
Stannis Baratheon is still alive
Stannis Baratheon is a major contender for the Iron Throne during the first few seasons of Game of Thrones, and his downfall and death was one of the hardest to witness. However, some fans believe that Stannis is still alive, though where he’s been and what purpose he’ll serve during season 8 remains a bit hazy.
The belief that Stannis might return is mostly based on the fact that Stannis’ death occurs off-screen, something that’s fairly uncommon when it comes to Game of Thrones. Given that HBO has no problem showing character deaths, even gory ones like Oberyn Martell’s, fans have questioned the stylistic choice to have the scene fade out before Stannis is beheaded by Brienne.
And since Brienne is merciful on top of being dutiful, fans suspect that she might have spared him. For one thing, Stannis is Renly’s brother—even if he had a hand in his murder. Stannis is also so lost by the time Brienne finds him, that he openly accepts death. “Do your duty,” he tells her. And while she normally does just that, it’s possible that she shows him mercy—or that she believes remaining alive after killing his family and army would be a worse punishment than death.
Either way, until fans see a body, it’s safe to assume that the show can bring anyone back. We’ve seen this happen already with the Hound, and it’s possible Stannis still has a role to play in the coming war. What that role could be remains to be seen.