By Stephanie Gentle

***SPOILER ALERT*** Winter. Is. Here. After a nearly two-year hiatus, the long-awaited eighth season of “Game of Thrones” (“GOT”) will air April 14 on HBO. Everyone wants to know how the final season will end and more importantly, who will win the Iron Throne when all is said and done. Season seven, while shorter than anticipated, was full of both revelations and unanswered questions: Jon Snow isn’t actually a bastard! He and Daenerys are related? Will Cersei ever find her chill?

The teasers HBO has released for the upcoming season left much to be desired, but despite of this, “GOT” fans everywhere have taken it upon themselves to predict who will rule Westeros once and for all.

One teaser shows Arya, Sansa and Jon in the crypts of Winterfell, looking at their own tombs while the icy breeze of the White Walker army descends upon them. The White Walkers have figured out how to deal with The Wall thanks to Viserion, their new ice dragon.

Obviously, the White Walkers will attempt to overtake Westeros in the eighth season. But what do the tombs of the very much alive Stark children mean? Does it mean that Jon still doesn’t know his true heritage? Are the tombs a hint that the remaining Starks aren’t long for this world? Gaby Ginn, FCRH ‘20, believes this teaser supports her theory that Jon Snow will win the Iron Throne: “His statue in the crypts is an older looking version of him, which shows that he survives the wars to come and will probably end up as King,” she says.

While this is a valid theory, it is hard to believe that the Lannisters (specifically Cersei) will allow Jon to live unless he wins the throne. Cersei is definitely not the most lovable character on the show. However, she always keeps viewers on their toes and undoubtedly will keep stirring the pot throughout season eight. Her pregnancy was one of the biggest shocks of the past season; after all, a witch once prophesized that she would only have three children and that they would all end up dead.

While witches don’t have the best track record on “GOT,” I believe that Cersei’s prophecy will still turn out to be true even if the prophecy is self-fulfilled. Throughout the show, Cersei’s impulsive and spiteful decisions have repeatedly put not only her family, but also the entire kingdom in danger. I find it hard to believe that her betrayal of Daenerys’ truce will be the last of her bad choices. I believe that Jaime will end up killing his sister in order to save Westeros. He may be a Lannister, but Jaime is one of the most honorable and intelligent characters on the show.

I predict that in season eight, Cersei will do something so horrible that even Jaime cannot stand by her and will end up killing her (and in turn, their unborn child). Cersei has survived a lot, but I do not think she will survive this last season of “GOT.”

Jon Snow and Daenerys finally hooking up would have been so much more satisfying if viewers weren’t simultaneously finding out that the pair are related. Bran’s flash-back revealed more than just that, though: Robert’s Rebellion was formed on a complete lie; Lynna Stark was never a prisoner and Daenerys isn’t the one true heir to the Iron Throne, Jon is.

These revelations will certainly affect Jon and Dany’s newfound “friendship.” After all, Daenrys is herfather’s daughter; she has a temper and is adamant on ruling the Seven Kingdoms at nearly any cost. She does care about Jon, but that won’t be enough to stop her from potentially breaking their alliance and fighting him for the kingdoms.

Many viewers predict that either Jon or Daenerys will be victorious at the end of the Great War. Jon and Dany are two extremely similar characters that have both proven to be more than capable of ruling. In an ideal world, the two would be able to rule in harmony; after all, incest is relatively normalized in Westeros.

The “GOT” universe is not an ideal world however, and the writers of the show likely won’t give us a neat and happy ending. I predict that Daenerys will win the Iron Throne and that Jon will end up sacrificing himself for the greater good of humanity. Additionally, there’s been much talk about Dany’s fertility in the past season. I think this hints to the possibility of Jon impregnating Dany, which would give her an heir to the throne if or when she does rule.

While Bran may not get much screen time, he has played a massive role in the past several seasons. A popular fan theory is that Bran is actually the Night King; fans believe that a future Bran went back in time to when the first White Walker was created, got stuck in his body and has been living a kind of dual life as both himself and the Night King. While I am not totally onboard with this theory, it does make some sense and could explain why the Night King didn’t kill Jon when he had the chance in season five. One way or another, I predict that the Night King’s identity will be revealed in season eight and it will somehow tie into the lives of the show’s current characters.

Season eight is only a short five weeks away, and it is sure to be the wildest season viewers have seen yet. There will undoubtedly be heart-wrenching deaths, gruesome battles and enough sex to last a lifetime. In just a few short months, viewers finally will know who wins the game of thrones, once and for all.