10 times Game of Thrones foreshadowed an ending we never got

Game of Thrones continues to be among the most discussed and watched television programs after all these years. For eight seasons, the show dominated screens around the globe. It stood apart from other shows because of its enormous fantasy world, morally gray characters, and, most of all, its intense and complicated storytelling.

One of the biggest reasons why people enjoyed the show was that it used the formula of foreshadowing, giving away subtle clues about what was to happen next. This approach suited Game of Thrones perfectly, and it gave the show the reputation of reflective storytelling.

Game of Thrones differed from the beginning as it sowed seeds that would not come to fruition for several seasons to come. Be it some of the bizarre prophecies, recurring symbols, or a mere dialogue — all such little elements were strategically positioned to lead up to larger events.

At the same time, the show had two big storylines: The fight for who would sit on the Iron Throne, and the danger posed by the White Walkers in the North.

The show's writers and directors did their best to build the tension at a gradual pace, making sure that big moments seemed both surprising and inevitable when they finally came about.

The audience may have heard a line in Season 1, and then witnessed its consequence or the conclusion of its story arc in Season 5. These payoffs, in retrospect, provided a sense of meaning and weight to the series that few shows on television have ever provided.

Foreshadowing was not merely done for the purposes of providing entertainment — it became an integral aspect of the way the story was presented. It made the viewer think, bring out theories, and forced us to rewatch episodes for secret clues.

But this slow and deliberate storytelling changed in the last season.

Season 8 consisted of only six episodes, but it had to tie up dozens of characters' storylines and conclude the main storylines. Most viewers believed that this short season didn't get enough runtime to properly resolve all the things set up over the years.

Several character storylines were wrapped up abruptly, some major prophecies were glossed over, and crucial plotlines were rushed or skipped.

Such rushed conclusions seemed frustrating because the show had taken years to build them. Fans had invested time and emotion into paying attention to the clues in the storyline, only to have many such clues amount to nothing.

What was left was a finale that divided fans and sparked endless arguments about the manner in which Game of Thrones concluded — and whether or not it remained true to its roots as a excellent and pathbreaking show.

The following are some of the points that viewers anticipated showmakers would clarify before the conclusion of the final season, but it did not.

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Daenerys the liberator, not the tyrant

All along, Daenerys Targaryen was presented as a hero who fought against injustice. She referred to herself as the "breaker of chains" and often declared she wanted to "break the wheel" — that is, she wanted to destroy the cycle of oppression and bring about true change to Westeros.

Early in the show, she liberated slaves from cities such as Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen, punishing the wrongdoers who committed harm to innocents, and attempted to form an equal society.

Even with constant comparisons made to her father, the Mad King, the show made it a point to establish that Daenerys was different. She was acting many times out of compassion and to aid the oppressed.

However, toward the latter part of the season, Daenerys's character did a U-turn.

She burned down King's Landing in the finale, killing thousands of innocent people, even though the city had surrendered. She was subsequently killed by Jon Snow in the final episode to prevent her from inflicting further destruction.

For most viewers, this last-minute shift into a "Mad Queen" came across as forced and undeserved. The series had spent years developing her as a liberator, and this tragic twist seemed to ignore much of her previous development and the principles she claimed to stand for.

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The prince that was promised

One of the main mysteries throughout the series was the ancient prophecy of Azor Ahai, also known as The Prince That Was Promised.

This character was prophesied to be a savior who would conquer the darkness and save the world. People like Melisandre and Davos were firm believers in this prophecy, and Daenerys and Jon Snow were teased as being the two who could possibly finalize it.

Fans had hoped this prophecy to be an integral aspect of the final confrontation against the Night King. Instead, it was Arya Stark — and not Jon or Daenerys — who confronted the Night King.

While her time was celebrated by most, the show never explained how and whether this fulfilled the prophecy. No one mentioned Azor Ahai again, and this crucial plot point was left unresolved.

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Jon Snow's parentage and rightful claim

One of the biggest surprises on the show was when it turned out that Jon Snow was not Ned Stark's bastard son, but actually Aegon Targaryen — the trueborn son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark.

This meant that Jon had a rightful claim to the Iron Throne and belonged to the Targaryen bloodline. Teasers for this twist were left since season one, and the intrigue about Jon's parents was built up over several seasons.

The years of build-up invested in this twist meant that fans were expecting Jon's secret identity to play a major role in the final political outcome.

Some fans thought he would take the throne, while others expected his reveal to create political instability. In the end, nothing changed because of Jon's lineage.

He never tried to take the throne, and the reveal did not lead to any real political consequences. Jon Snow was back to the Night's Watch after he killed Daenerys, and the Targaryen lineage was effectively eradicated.

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White Walkers as the biggest threat

From the beginning of the series, the White Walkers had been revealed as the biggest threat to the entire life of Westeros.

In contrast to the political conflicts over the throne, the White Walkers were an unnatural force that endangered all.

Jon Snow kept telling everyone that wars between the great houses were not even a patch on the winter and the army of the dead. With this being the setup, the majority believed that the final episodes would see an alliance versus these zombies.

However, the Night King and his army were wasted within a single episode — The Long Night — in Season 8. After that, the show went back to the political schemes as if nothing had been happening since the last apocalypse. Less thought was invested in what exactly happened, and the symbolism at the heart of the White Walkers was ignored.

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Bran Stark's powers and role as the three-eyed raven

Bran Stark's transformation into the Three-Eyed Raven was a long and mysterious journey.

He gained the ability to see visions of the past and future, and even control time. His powers were linked with the magic of the world and with the Night King himself, who seemed to view Bran as a major threat.

Season after season, fans were led to believe that Bran would be at the center of the final battles or the fate of Westeros. However, in the last season, Bran's powers were barely leveraged.

He didn't have an active contribution to the fight against the White Walkers, and his visions weren't explained or even used to control others.

To the astonishment of some fans, during the series finale episode, Tyrion suggested that Bran sit on the throne — based on his story, not on his powers. Although Bran agreed, this twist was out of place with everything the show established regarding his magical capabilities, confusing some fans.

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Arya's list and quest for revenge

Arya Stark's plot was revenge-oriented. She watched her family get murdered and came up with a 'kill list' of their killers.

Special skills provided to her included the Faceless Men training, and the viewers were anticipating that she would use them to kill the major enemies, especially Cersei Lannister.

Her plot seemed to be about assassination in pursuit of justice.

However, in the end, Arya's list was pretty much ignored. She never confronted Cersei or used her face-changing skills significantly in the final episodes.

Her most significant move was killing the Night King — a character who had absolutely nothing to do with her pursuit of personal revenge.

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Jaime Lannister's redemption arc

Jaime Lannister came into the series as a villain who threw a child out of the window of a tower. He evolved over the course of time.

His relationship with Brienne of Tarth allowed him to see the importance of honor, and he began to move away from his sister Cersei and her ruthlessness. Most thought that Jaime was destined for redemption and would eventually end up with a knightly option. Yet in the last season, Jaime suddenly went back to Cersei and died with her under the falling Red Keep.

This action had the effect of reversing his entire trajectory, indicating that he would never really change. The ending felt like a betrayal of his character development.

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Cersei’s prophecy and the valonqar

A foreboding prophecy delivered to Cersei by Maggy the Frog told her that all of her children would die and that she would be murdered by the valonqar — a High Valyrian word for "little brother.".

This prophecy drove much of Cersei’s paranoia and hatred, especially toward Tyrion and Jaime, both of whom could be seen as her little brothers. Fans had been anticipating that one of them, particularly Jaime, would be the one who kills her sometime.

The show, however, left out the valonqar part of the prophecy entirely. Cersei and Jaime both died, trapped under debris, without a last showdown.

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The fate of the Stark family in Game of Thrones

The Stark children's direwolves, names, and first experiences were riddled with symbolic foreshadowing.

Bran's direwolf 'Summer' predicted his role in ending the Long Night, while Arya's 'Nymeria' represented her freedom and spirit.

The pilot episode and Robert Baratheon's visit to Winterfell seemed to mark the Stark family as being at the center of Westeros's destiny. While some arcs, like Sansa's becoming Queen in the North, did receive a conclusion, some were rushed or muddled.

Arya going west had little build-up, Bran's becoming king was isolated from his mystical growth, and Rickon's demise had no larger narrative payoff. The Starks did survive, but the symbolic weight of what happened to them was only served halfway.

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Tyrion's political acumen and the "broken" king

Tyrion Lannister had long been portrayed as a wise, even cynical, political thinker who often called for smarter governance and a halt to the brutal trends of Westeros' history.

His vision and understanding of right and wrong placed him at the forefront of creating a new kind of ruling. However, suggesting Bran sit upon the throne — because he has "the best story" — appeared counterintuitive to Tyrion's usual logic.

The casting of Bran, a character who had been emotionally detached and apolitical, was a surprise to most viewers. The newly introduced "council" system was also underexplained, and Tyrion's own return as Hand seemed undeserved after a string of mistakes.

The conclusion of his storyline lacked the depth and political nuance that had defined his character throughout the series.