Game of Thrones theories: Fans suggest Bran played a huge part in Daenerys turning mad

Spoilers for Game of Thrones season eight, episode five ahead

**Spoilers for Game of Thrones season eight, episode five ‘The Bells’ ahead**

The final episode of Game of Thrones is fast approaching, and many fans are wondering what the show has in store for Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright).

The character (one of the few remaining from season one) has gone through tremendous hardship, being thrown out of a window in episode one and later becoming the Three-Eyed Raven.

A theory has arisen that Bran – who has the ability to manipulate past and present events, as well as seeing into the future – may have played a large role in King’s Landing being burnt down by Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke).

First, it’s worth noting that there are multiple theories already swirling around the internet that Bran is The Lord of Light and has been manipulating events in Westeros to come to this exact point. Whether Bran is the Lord of Light remains unknown, but we do know that the young Stark has been affecting events so that the Night King was defeated.

The new theory posits that Bran, as the Three-Eyed Raven, not only helped bring about the destruction of the Army of the Dead but also of King’s Landing.

“His most recent play has been doing everything to manipulate Dany into going Mad and burning down King’s Landing,” the theory states.

The theory continues that Bran warged into Daenerys’s dragon and helped burn down the city, leading to Jon Snow and other Lords of Westeros revolting against the seemingly Mad Queen. This will lead to Daenerys being killed and peace will finally be brought to Westeros as a result.

Of course, there’s little chance that the showrunners will showwhether Bran has been manipulating events in the final episode, which needs to wrap up the entire show in 80 minutes. Still, the theory may help some disgruntled fans come to terms with why Daenerys decided to turn on King’s Landing – because Bran was manipulating events so she would turn evil.

The Independent‘s critic described the penultimate episode – titled “The Bells” – as being “out-of-tune” and criticised the episode’s writing, asking: “What is the logic here?”

Meanwhile, Varys actor Conleth Hill called his character’s demise “frustrating” and that the “last couple seasons weren’t my favourite”. Lena Headey has also spoken cautiously about her character’s death, revealing the reason why she initially felt “mixed” about the scene.

You can find a ranking of every character – from worst best – here. Flick through the below gallery for our ranking of every episode.

The final episode of Game of Thrones airs this Sunday. The show is available on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV in the UK.