Game of Thrones’ ending is ‘bigger than the throne’

Hearing the cast speak about the final season of Game of Thrones, one takeaway stands out: The conclusion is about far more than who ends up on the throne.

With the final season of Game of Thrones approaching, showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have been working harder than ever to ensure the big finale is as epic as fans expect it to be. And part of assuring that the last season is as exciting as possible is keeping spoilers under wraps. The showrunners have been selective when it comes to what information they release, wanting to keep the ending a surprise for viewers.

But given that the series filmed scenes for its eighth season in Spain, Spanish magazine XLSemanal was able to snag exclusive content regarding the show’s final season—including promotional set photos and interviews with the cast members. Watchers on the Wall unpacked the materials released by the publication, speculating on what it could tell viewers about what’s to come.

Watch some of the cast interviews below:

Listening to the cast speak about filming the final season of the show, one takeaway stands out as being the most important: The conclusion of this series—a series that quite literally revolves around major houses grappling for the Iron Throne—is about far more than who ends up on the throne itself.

This sentiment comes from the Mother of Dragons herself, as Emilia Clarke told XLSemanal, “We’re asking a very big question about power, and I think this season has gone far and beyond who’s sitting on the throne. It’s bigger than that. The discussion, what we’re bringing to the table is bigger than the throne.”

Clarke’s words echo Jon Snow’s sentiment from last season, when he tells Daenerys that they’re all acting like children, squabbling over a throne that won’t matter if the Night King and his army overrun Westeros. With the Night King actually arriving in Westeros this season, the truth of that statement is clearer than ever.

But it’s possible that Clarke’s statement goes even beyond the Night King’s assault. After all, assuming the characters do find a way to keep the army of the dead at bay, they will eventually need to decide who sits on the Iron Throne. This discussion will certainly spark some interesting questions, especially when it’s revealed that Jon is the one with the true claim to the throne—at least if we’re going by Westeros’ usual standards.

With that knowledge, Jon will be forced to decide whether he even wants the Iron Throne. And Daenerys, who has worked for seven seasons to return to Westeros and lead its people, might need to determine whether she respects a claim to the throne based solely on parentage. Hard as it is to imagine, the topic of democracy may soon need to be addressed by the people of Westeros.

Of course, the series will also ask what’s more important than power. In his interview, Jacob Anderson, who plays Grey Worm, stated that “there’s always time for love.” He continued by saying, “In times of war—in desperate times—that’s when you most want to connect to the people you love.”

With our characters facing perilous times, they all might be forced to take a moment from thinking about crowns and power in order to appreciate the people around them. Cersei’s lost the people most important to her, while the Stark siblings have finally been reunited with their loved ones. Such things are a big deal, especially with the possibility that all of them may die soon.

But don’t worry, things won’t get too sentimental. It’s Game of Thrones, after all, and Sophie Turner has confirmed that, during the final season, “There will be more blood, treason, and death than ever before.” Iain Glen, who plays Jorah Mormont, agreed that the ending is what’s to be expected, though he doesn’t think that viewers will see the big conclusion coming.

Thankfully, fans don’t have much longer to wait for that conclusion. The beginning of the end starts on April 14, when the first episode of the final season airs.