Game Of Thrones Season 8 Trailer Details You Missed
After months of waiting and speculation, the full trailer for the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones has finally arrived ahead of the season premiere on April 14, 2019. Since the seventh season ended in 2017, fans have been clamoring for any information on the show's ending, no matter how small the detail, and aside from brief teasers and carefully orchestrated promotional shots, creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (along with the cast and crew) have been incredibly tight-lipped about what might happen in this highly anticipated six-episode conclusion.
Even though the trailer keeps plenty under wraps, fans are still thrilled to see their favorite characters, learn a few extremely telling details, and even glimpse the first second of the final battle. From dragons at Winterfell to mystical trees and significant glasses of wine, here are some small details you missed in the new Game of Thrones trailer.
Arya will fight for her life
Out of all the characters featured in the trailer, Arya Stark (Maisie Williams), the inexperienced fighter turned faceless assassin, gets a significant amount of screentime, even opening the video with a shot of her frantically running down a passageway. As of season seven, she's still at Winterfell, but where this particular scene is set remains to be revealed. Immediately after audiences see her running in fear with a significant wound on her face, the trailer cuts to her calmly speaking to someone about death having "many faces," holding what looks like a crudely carved stone dagger (seemingly different from the blade she acquired from Bran last season).
It's no surprise that Arya will continue fighting and killing until the end, considering her motivations revolve entirely around getting revenge through murder, but even so, her moments in the trailer — including a few extremely quick shots of her in a fiery battle on what might be the ramparts of Winterfell — tells us that she'll go down fighting until the very end.
A Greyjoy ship is on the move
The infighting among the remaining members of the Greyjoy family, who have claim to the northern Iron Islands, took up a considerable amount of the seventh season. Yara Greyjoy (Gemma Whelan), the formidable older sister of Theon (who has reclaimed his name after being tortured by Ramsay Bolton), was captured and used as a pawn by her conniving uncle Euron (Pilou Asbæk), who is holding her hostage to provoke Theon (Alfie Allen) into retaliating. Euron currently holds all the power in the situation, especially considering his fleet destroyed Yara's and the Targaryen's ships early in the seventh season, and though he seems to serve Cersei, it's more likely that he's simply looking out for his own interests.
Though it's clear that at least one Greyjoy ship is on the move from this trailer, where a ship bearing the Greyjoy sigil is clearly visible and stocked with an entire army, it remains to be seen whether it's helmed by Theon (who is rallying the Ironborn loyal to Yara to save her) or Euron. Whomever is leading the ship is sporting gold armor and slicked back blonde hair; in any case, don't count either Greyjoy faction out just yet.
Tormund is alive
In the final moments of season seven, the Night King used his brand new ice dragon to demolish an entire section of the seemingly impenetrable wall between Westeros and the far North, setting up an extremely frightening scenario for the final season. Beyond the large-scale destruction implied by this shot, viewers were also concerned about the fate of two characters who happened to be guarding the Wall — Tormund and Beric Dondarrion.
Fan favorite Tormund, played by Kristofer Hivju, has been winning over audiences since his debut on the show, from his infatuation with Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) to his biting wit and his skills on the battlefield, so when it seemed as if he had perished during his duties watching the Wall, viewers were devastated by the possibility. Beric, played by Richard Dormer, is known for surviving almost anything through red magic, so it seemed impossible that he could have been taken down as well. Thankfully, the trailer gave anxious fans a glimpse of both Tormund and Beric (flaming sword and all) returning in the eighth season, meaning these characters escaped the White Walkers' initial attack with their lives.
Jon and Daenerys get closer to their family secret
The most explosive secret revealed during the show's sixth season has since become infamous — namely, that Jon Snow (Kit Harington) is not Ned Stark's bastard son, but actually Aegon Targaryen, heir to the throne and nephew to Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), with whom he has recently struck up a new (and now problematic) romance. Currently, the lovers remain blissfully ignorant to their family ties, and the only characters with any concrete knowledge of Jon's lineage are Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) and Sam Tarly (John Bradley West), who are waiting to reunite with Jon.
This trailer has some potential insight as to when these two might find out their huge family secret, with a few significant shots placed throughout. Jon and Daenerys arrive at Winterfell, still looking as intimate as ever, but two moments stand out — a private chat in the crypts of the castle, where Jon's actual mother Lyanna Stark (who was in love with Daenerys' brother Rhaegar) is buried, as well as a moment when the two of them approach the dragons, which might mean Jon will be riding either Drogon or Rhaegon this season. Furthermore, the only shot of Sam and Bran is of them looking furtively at someone else, which could be the moment just before they break the news to their brother and friend about his new girlfriend.
(Some) dragons arrive at Winterfell
A previous moment of new footage, found in a reel promoting HBO's entire lineup for 2019, showed Arya gazing in wonderment at a dragon for the first time, but audiences now have confirmation that both of Daenerys' remaining dragons will arrive at Winterfell, stunning even the now-stoic Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner), the current Lady of Winterfell, who stands on the ramparts of the castle as a dragon soars overhead.
Fans already knew that the dragons would return for the final season, as they will play an instrumental part in the war against the White Walkers, but Viserion, Daenerys' third dragon who fell during a battle with the Night's King, is conspicuously absent from the entire trailer, which is noteworthy in and of itself. With a million questions surrounding Viserion's return, including whether or not he's an ice dragon, whether or not Daenerys will be able to control him, and whether or not he can return to his former self, leaving him out of the trailer was a clear choice that feels extremely significant.
Gendry is back at work
Throughout Thrones, Gendry (Joe Dempsie) has remained an enigma as to what role he'll eventually play in the final conflict for the Iron Throne. As one of the only surviving bastards of King Robert Baratheon, he has been hunted and targeted throughout the entire show, since he does have a significant claim to the ultimate seat of power, though he likely wouldn't fight hard for control of the Seven Kingdoms — as an apprentice blacksmith, he seems more concerned with surviving than ruling.
Gendry's long absence, which lasted three years after Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) helped him escape by boat, was resolved in the show's seventh season, after plenty of jokes about how he was "still rowing" during those all those years. Gendry's return found him working as a blacksmith once more, and in the season eight trailer, he seems to be forging swords, which is of the utmost importance in the lead up to the final battle. With the White Walkers on the move, Westeros needs Valyrian steel swords more than ever, and Gendry may just be the right man for the job.
Cersei's emotional journey
Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey), the conniving and brutal queen who currently holds the Iron Throne, shocked her onscreen family and audiences alike when she revealed to both of her brothers that she was pregnant with her brother Jaime's baby. Conspicuously, when Cersei meets with Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) after their roundtable with Daenerys and her factions, she doesn't drink the wine Tyrion pours for her, even though Cersei is known to imbibe plenty in times of stress, drinking more and more as the show has gone on.
Audiences see two glimpses of Cersei during the trailer, and they couldn't be more different — at first glance, she is standing triumphantly on the shores of King's Landing, flanked by the sycophantic Qyburn and The Mountain, who is currently acting as Cersei's personal bodyguard and murder zombie. However, the next time we see Cersei, she is ensconced in a quiet and nearly empty Throne Room, accompanied by a glass of wine and on the verge of tears. Last time we saw Cersei clutching wine on the Iron Throne, it was during season 2's "Blackwater," and she thought King's Landing was about to fall, so to mimic that moment seems quite significant. Which moment comes first in the series and what leads Cersei through this rollercoaster still remains to be seen.
Jon's visit to the Godswood
In the world of Game of Thrones, a "godswood" refers to a small wooded area which serves as a quiet and religious place of worship for the Old Gods, and though they can be found throughout Westeros, the most prominent in the show is the Godswood at Winterfell, which is home to a weirwood tree (a tree that lives for many years and typically has a face carved into its trunk). Plenty of significant scenes have taken place at this spot throughout the series — it's the place where Ned Stark (Sean Bean) receives news of a murder at King's Landing in the first season, and it's where Bran and Sansa reunite in the seventh season.
In the trailer, Jon is seen with his back to the camera, intently studying the weirwood housed in Winterfell's godswood, and considering that Jon still has a lot to learn about his lineage, it feels meaningful that the trailer would include a shot of him in such an important space, no matter how brief. Unlike his previous standout moments in the trailer, Daenerys does not appear to be by his side, indicating that perhaps Jon will choose to continue his journey on his own once he discovers the truth about his parentage.
Jaime's promise
One of the longest-running couples of the entire show came to an apparent end during the seventh season, when Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), lover and twin brother to Cersei (and the presumed father of her unborn child), leaves his sister behind to help protect the entirety of the realm rather than stay by her side and watch Westeros fall. Despite Jaime's love for Cersei and devotion to her throughout the series, he is disgusted to hear that Cersei would turn against Daenerys and Jon Snow in order to preserve the Lannister house instead of helping them fight the White Walkers, and leaves King's Landing, apparently heading to Winterfell to join his brother Tyrion.
Even though there's still time for Jaime to return to his sister's side, he seems to be sticking to his guns in the trailer — though it's not revealed where he is, fans can guess that he may have arrived at Winterfell, as he tells an unseen character, "I promised to fight for the living. I intend to keep that promise." Since Jaime is seen elsewhere in the trailer bloodied and fighting on an unidentified castle rampart, he may just turn against Cersei after all for the good of all of humanity, redeeming some of his previous sins.
The White Walkers make it to Winterfell
White Walkers arriving at Winterfell might not be a "small detail," but in the first-ever footage from what is sure to be one of the most epic battles in television history, there are still some minuscule items of note. Throughout the trailer, glimpses of battles pop up here and there, but thanks to plenty of fire and smoke, it's still unconfirmed where those particular scenes take place. However, in the final shot of the trailer, viewers clearly see Daenerys' Army of Unsullied alongside Brienne of Tarth, her loyal squire Podrick Payne (Daniel Portman), and Daenerys' closest advisor Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) waiting in front of Winterfell as a ghostly horse's leg quietly steps towards them.
It is notable that these characters are the only ones shown facing down the White Walkers — Jon has certainly fought his fair share of war against the Walkers, as have Daenerys and Tormund, but none of them are anywhere to be seen. Furthermore, neither faction seems to have a dragon, although even if they are at the battle, it could be a very conscious choice to simply keep them out of frame. Fans also might wonder what kind of hardware these soldiers are using; only Valyrian steel can fend off a true White Walker when it comes to swords, and though Brienne has a Valyrian sword, the rest of the army could be woefully underprepared.