Game of Thrones season 8 spoilers – leaks, theories and rumours ahead of the final

THE end of the eighth and final series of Game of Thrones is almost here, but will fans get the answers they've been waiting for these past six weeks?
Viewers have noticed a huge change in Daenerys Targaryen this season - the Breaker of Chains is slowly turning into the Mad Quee and we will apparently learn the truth in the season 8 finale on Monday.

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What do we know so far?

After vowing to take down evil Cersei so that the people of King's Landing wouldn't have to live in fear of a tyrant, Daenerys jumped on her dragon and burnt down the entire city, killing countless innocent men, women and children.

Poor Jon snow looked heartbroken by what the supposed love of his life had done - so much so that he went against her orders, telling his army to fall back.

But was all as it seemed? Actually, no.

In a blink-and-you'll-miss it moment in Game of Thrones episode five, before his execution, Varys was seen talking to a small child. The conversation went as follows.

Varys: Nothing?

Girl: She won't eat.

Varys: We'll try again at supper.

Girl: I think they're watching me.

Varys: Who?

Girl: Her soldiers.

Varys: Of course they are. That's their job. What have I told you, Martha?

Girl: The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward.

Varys: Go on. They'll be missing you in the kitchen.

Yep - turns out, Varys was trying to poison Daenerys.

And one fan on Reddit believes he had already managed to contaminate some of her food with the poison, which is why we have seen such a drastic change in the Breaker of Chains.

The fan wrote on :  "I believe she has recently been poisoned as she has been losing it (s8). This would have sewn the seeds of doubt Varys had been talking to everyone about. I believe Varys was going for a fatal dose this episode to prevent destruction.

"He possibly did the same with the mad king. We know of a poison that would make a mouse fight a lion."

If Daenerys has been poisoned, does this mean she faces the same destiny as her father, the Mad King?

We'll find out all on Monday.

What other Game Of Thrones season 8 fan theories are there?

There have been a number of fan theories as to what will be revealed in the final series of Game Of Thrones.

Here we take a look at them...

The Night King isn't actually dead

While it would be easy to think that we've seen the last of the Night King, fans aren't convinced he is really gone.

A Game of Thrones enthusiast tweeted airing their doubts over whether he is really gone for good.

The fan wrote: "The Night King actor wrote this today and posted a video of him “rehearsing”. But we never really saw him fight? Any thoughts he might not be dead?"

Other unconvinced fans have also tweeted airing their suspicions: "The Night King is not really dead - he warged into Bran just before Arya destroyed his body. When the others find out, they will have to kill him in order to get rid of the Night King permanently. That is the "bittersweet" ending: evil is destroyed but also Starks."

Meanwhile Redditor logicman101 posted another theory, stating: "I believe the [Night] King was going to give his sword to Bran and kneel just before he was stabbed... I still believe Bran is the true [Night King]."

He believes that “in an upcoming episode we may see some alternate reality play out in one of Bran's visions, where we see the Night King kneel to pass on whatever power and magic is necessary to Bran.”

"The real Night King or the next in line Night King (Bran) will probably be defeated by some knowledge Tyrion gathered during his conversation with Bran," according to the theory.

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The Night King will return from the dead

Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss added fuel to the fire after an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on May 3.

And though they didn't reveal any major details, it would seem that the Night King returning is a possibility, according to .

When the chat show host asked the pair on whether there would be a chance of the White Walkers making a comeback, Benioff did not hesitate at all with his response, saying: “Yeah, we’re not gonna answer that".

It's not so much about what he says but how he reacts to the question that has given fans the theory that there may be more to the story than Benioff is willing to share.

Tyrion is actually a Targaryen

Jon Snow was revealed as a secret Targaryen but is Tyrion one too?

One fan theory is that he's the illegitimate son of "The Mad King."

This would explain his fascination with dragons and fire.

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Jon Snow will kill Daenerys

The theory predicts that Snow will be forced to execute his former love - to protect the Starks.

Fans predict Daenerys will have Tyrion Lannister imprisoned for treason and order his execution for helping his brother Jaime escape.

Jon, on the other hand, reflects on his move to bend the knee to Dany after having transitioned into the Mad Queen and subsequently burning tens of thousands of people in King's Landing.

When Snow visits Tyrion, he is told that his surviving family - Arya, Sansa and Bran Stark - won't be safe because he has a stronger claim to the throne.

To protect his siblings, Jon will have to express his love and loyalty to Daenerys - but it will all be part of his plan to then stab her in the heart and wipe her out.

Jon and Daenerys are siblings

So far, we have come to learn that Jon and Daenerys are nephew and aunt - despite their intimate moments.

However, some viewers have noticed Dany talking about growing up around a lemon tree in Braavos.

And with lemon trees only growing in Dorne, fans are suggesting that Daenerys might have actually been Rhaegar's daughter despite what she was told - which makes her Jon's sister.

Jon Snow will win the Game of Thrones

It was revealed that Jon Snow was secretly Aegon Targaryen - the son of Prince Rhaegar.

This means that he has a clear claim to the throne.

If his aunt Daenerys dies in upcoming battles he could become ruler of the seven kingdoms.

Dany is going to get more dragons

Fans have claimed that the trailer for season eight episode five proves the return of White Walker dragon Viserion as the key characters prepare for an epic battle in King's Landing.

The final second that grabbed viewers' attention as Euron Greyjoy starred up at the sky - and a look of concern and fear slowly sweeping across his face.

Fans have now claimed that the look on Euron's face in the trailer implies that he is seeing something that he isn't prepared for or doesn't know about - and with many believing that last week's Battle of Winterfell wasn't the last that we have seen of the White Walkers, they were quick to speculate Viserion and Rhaegal's actual fate.

Others wondered if Daenerys obtained more dragons following her heartbreaking loss - referencing her long-forgotten lover Daario, who was last seen in season six after Dany ordered him to remain in the Bay of Dragons to maintain peace.

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What is Sophie Turner's Game Of Thrones season 8 'spoiler' tattoo?

Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark, caused a stir when she got a tattoo on her arm of a House Stark Direwolf sigil and the writing "The Pack Survives".

Fans took this to mean that the remaining Starks - Jon, Sansa, Arya and Bran, would survive in the final season.

However, when she appeared on the Late Late Show the actress seemed to dismiss this theory.

She said: “It’s just a quote from last season, everyone figures that the pack really does survive, but it’s just a moral that I like to live by.”

However, Sophie did reveal that Sansa will have a key role to play in Season 8.

She told : "She's used Littlefinger for all he has. As she said, 'Thank you for all your lessons'.

"He has nothing left to give her. So she is so empowered. She has a family behind her. She has Littlefinger, Cersei, Margaery, everyone's wisdom and teachings all behind her."

Meanwhile, the show's producers revealed that the special they made in honour of the show has the answer to the ending hidden within the songs.

Speaking to For the Record, Benioff and Weiss said: “The answer to the ending is one hundred per cent hidden in the playlist choices. No one will believe us, but it’s true.”

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What happened in the first episode of Game of Thrones season 8?

The opening Game of Thrones season 8 episode was jam-packed with emotional reunions; Jon Snow was back in Winterfell with his Stark Siblings, he was also reunited with Sam Tarly, meanwhile, Gendry and Arya came face-to-face for the first time in years, and Bran had an interesting stare out with Jaime Lannister – the man responsible for putting him in a wheelchair.

While the episode was of course action-packed, the biggest talking point was the show's ending; Jaime and Bran's reunion.

These two characters hadn't seen each other since Bran caught Jaime canoodling with his sister Cersei during a visit to Winterfell.

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What happened in the second episode of Game of Thrones Season 8?

As they prepared for the arrival of the Night King and his army of the dead, everyone tried to enjoy the final night of peace.

Jamie Lannister managed to escape punishment from Daenerys and Starks thanks to the pleas of Brienne of Tarth. Plus Bran also forgave him for that push from the tower.

Ser Jorah convinced Dany to try talking to Sansa in order to put an end to their differences. Sansa refuses to capitulate to Daenerys' presumed rule when The North had fought so hard never to be ruled by Kings Landing again.

Meanwhile Bran suggested putting himself at risk in the grounds of Winterfell to draw out the Night King and allow Dany and Jon and the dragons to kill him - even though he didn't know it would work.

The episode provided enough moments to keep fans happy for years.

Brienne of Tarth was finally rewarded for her greatness and made a Knight by Jaime Lannister.

And while most people would be horrified to discover they were in love and sleeping with their nephew, Daenerys  had a different reaction when Jon came clean about the fact he is Aegon Targaryen. She was more concerned with Jon having a greater claim to the Iron Throne than she, and thought he was secretly plotting to win the throne for himself.

Before they could have a proper conversation about it, the alarms sounded the herald of the arrival of the Army of the Dead and they rushed off to fight.

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What happened in the third episode of Game of Thrones Season 8?

The Great Battle of Winterfell saw the loss of beloved characters Lyanna Mormont, Jorah Mormont, Theon Greyjoy, Melisandre, Beric Dondarrion, Eddison Tollett and Qhono (alongside the rest of the Dothraki).

The battle raged on for a whole 82 minutes and saw all our favourite characters struggling to keep the seemingly unstoppable army of the dead at bay.

Thanks to the surprise return of Melisandre, they had a bit of help from the Lord of Light along the way.

And after some words of encouragement from Melisandre, Arya realised exactly what she needed to do to end the war.

The red priestess reminded her she was destined to close "blue eyes forever" and said: "What do we say to the God of Death?"

Arya replied: "Not today."

She then set her sights on killing the ice-eyed monster.

Just seconds before the Night King was able to take his swords and kill Bran, he turned around and caught Arya by the throat in mid-air.

Despite fears he was about to crush her to death, she stabbed him through the abdomen and he turned into a crumbled heap of ice.

And just as they had hoped, the Night King's entire army fell with him.

It came as a major relief for viewers because things had been looking so bleak in the burning ancestral home of House Stark as the Army of the Dead triumphed over the living.

What happened in the fourth episode of Game of Thrones Season 8?

There was a sombre mood in Winterfell as the living mourned the loss of everyone who died in the battle against the Night King and his army.

Muted celebrations took place in which we saw Arya turn down a proposal from Gendry, while Brienne of Tarth and Jamie Lannister finally got together.

Dany was in no mood to wait for her army to recover from their heroic exploits and she set off for King's Landing on one of her dragons, despite being warned it would be a bad move.

Tyrion Lannister, Missandei, Grey Worm, Lord Varys and dozens of warriors sailed south on ships while Jon and the rest of the army travelled by foot.

But Dany was ambushed by Euron Greyjoy's Iron Fleet who fired giant arrows into the chest of Rhaegal with a final fatal blow piercing the beast's neck, sending it crashing into the sea.

Her ships were then decimated in a vicious attack from the Iron Fleet's superior weaponry, and as they washed up on shore, it became apparent Missandei was missing.

In a desperate attempt to prevent further brutality, Tyrion bravely addressed his sister outside the castle walls while Cersei's soldiers aimed their arrows at him.

Missandei's hands were bound as she stood on a platform on the edge of the castle walls and then Cersei told her to speak any last words, before commanding The Mountain to chop off her head.

What happened in the fifth episode of Game of Thrones Season 8?

Varys writes a letter exposing Jan Snow as Aegon Targaryen, the rightful heir to the throne.

He tries to convince Jon to take the Throne but Jon admits he doesn't want to be king.

Varys then meets his death as Daenerys orders Drogon to incinerate him.

Dany finally gets to launch her attack on Cersei's armies with Drogon sending flames down on the Iron Fleet, the Golden Company and the Lannisters.

Jaime Lannister is being held captive and Tyrion tries to persuade him to run away with Cersei before setting him free.

Euron and Jamie finally get to battle it out while Dany is busy destroying the whole damn city.

And just when Euron thought he delivered the final blow to Jamie, our favourite troubled knight managed to get his sword in.

But Euron dies smiling because he thinks he's the man that killed Jamie Lannister.

And we finally get cleganebowl as we see the only way to kill the mountain was for the hound to send them both down into the fiery pit below.

Meanwhile Arya is stumbling through the city and witnessing the utter chaos that Dany is creating. She desperately attempts to save innocent women and children but the carnage Dany is causing is just too destructive.

Siblings Cersei and Jaime die in each other's incestuous arms at the end of episode five.

And the episode ends with Arya getting onto a horse and riding away from King's Landing.

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When does Game of Thrones Season 8 air next?

Game of Thrones continues on Mondays on Sky Atlantic at 9pm until tomorrow's final.

Yes, unfortunately the series is coming to an end on Monday 20.

The eighth and final series is only made up of six episodes so the end really is nigh.

Episode six can be watched in the UK on Sky Atlantic from 2am until 3.30pm on Monday.

Alternatively, fans can watch the episode at the more acceptable hour of 9pm when it airs for a second time on the TV station or on Now TV.