Game of Thrones season 8: Predictions for the show’s major women

Season 7 (2017): Hannah Murray. Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO

Gilly

At this point in the series, it seems likely that Gilly’s fate and future will be tied to Sam’s. She’s followed his lead since the early seasons of Game of Thrones, and truthfully, it’s served her well. Not only has he saved her and her baby on several occasions, but he’s always offered her a place beside him, even when it’s frowned upon by the Night’s Watch or the maesters at Old Town.

With Sam’s brother and father killed by Daenerys, the series seems to be setting Sam up to inherit Horn Hill. It would be the type of irony the show embraces, having Sam end up as the lord of Horn Hill after his father banished him to prevent him from taking his place.

If Sam were to inherit Horn Hill, Gilly will probably go with him. Sam’s mother is the only member of the Tarly family left, and she was accepting of both Sam and Gilly when the two visited during the sixth season of the show. If Sam is somehow able to inherit Horn Hill despite his vows to the Night’s Watch, the two might remain there after the fighting is done. Even if Sam returns to The Wall, it’s possible that Gilly will still raise her child in the safety of Horn Hill. Sam had planned to have her do that once before.

But while we’re rooting for a happy ending for Gilly and baby Sam, we also can’t rule out Gilly’s death. She’s survived this long through a combination of luck and skill, but the season 8 trailer shows a clip of her hiding in Winterfell’s crypts with the other characters who are unable to fight. And unless there’s an escape route through the crypts, those characters are likely to be in danger if the army of the dead gets in—Gilly included.