'Game of Thrones' set images could foreshadow a new ruler of Westeros
As filming on Season 8 Game of Thrones comes to an end, fans continue to scour the sets for clues on what lies ahead for Westeros. After all, these final weeks of shooting are our last chance to ever gleam information about the final season from behind-the-scenes leaks.
The latest fan images captured a drastic change to a central and important set. It could spell out something huge -- or it could be a whole lot of nothing.
We're entering full-on tinfoil speculation territory, but isn't that half the fun of Game of Thrones?
For months now, all eyes have been on Titanic Studios in Belfast. After spending nearly a year building an enormous King's Landing set on the backlot, we've seen evidence of it burning (from friendly dragonfire or undead dragon fire?) and one tantalizing glimpse at a never-before-seen wing of the the Red Keep.
That might seem insignificant, but actually the color of the Red Keep bears major lore implications.
The importance of the Red Keep cannot be overstated, as the castle where the ruling house of Westeros presides. While we've seen some locations (like the Iron Throne Room) plenty of times before, we've never seen an actual red wall like the one in leaked images from a couple months ago. Now, it appears that red wall, which bore the sigil of House Lannister, has been painted over into a more traditional and neutral grey stone. Note: there's no evidence on a sigil here, either.
That might seem insignificant, but actually the color of the Red Keep bears major lore implications.
The Red Keep first got its name from the legendary Aegon the Conquerer, first king of the Seven Kingdoms and the Targaryen who transformed their house into a royal dynasty. According to the Game of Thrones Season 3 Histories & Lore DVD extra, "Aegon built his castle of red rock to remind people of the fire he roasted his enemies in, so whenever King's Landing looked up they'd see the price of defiance."
A whitewashing to the Red Keep's defining characteristic foreshadows a major change in the ruling power of Westeros. Presumably, the new king or queen (or dare we suggest White Walker) who usurps the throne from Cersei would order this kind of redesign knowing that it's a telling break from Westerosi traditions.
As some have suggested, it might even be symbolic of a clean slate or new era -- after the final battle of Season 8 inevitably transforms the realms forever.
But again, this kind of set leak is not as clear as Winterfell being engulfed in flames, or the return of a character, and that record-breaking shoot for the final battle sequence. As the fan-site Winter is Coming points out, the paint job could just mean the set is being prepped to become part of the permanent tourist attraction for fans.
But if you ask us, the writing is on the wall for this one, and it isn't looking too good for the Lannisters. Actually, the leaks from set are starting to paint a portrait of a Westeros that will never be the same again.
But we'll have to wait until 2019 to know exactly where the snow will fall for this one.
Topics Game Of Thrones HBO
Jess is an LA-based culture critic who covers intimacy in the digital age, from sex and relationship to weed and all media (tv, games, film, the web). Previously associate editor at Kill Screen, you can also find her words on Vice, The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, Vox, and others. She is a Brazilian-Swiss American immigrant with a love for all things weird and magical.
