Game of Thrones season 7: Building towards the Brienne of Tarth endgame
The first thing worth pointing out when it comes to Brienne is in many ways the most obvious: She’s a popular character. She’s specifically one of the most-popular characters on the entire series, and someone who is badass in just about everything she does. Yet, there is also this surprising vulnerability about her that is almost beautiful. It’s why her scenes with Jaime Lannister drew so much attention, and why there was a surprising contingent of Tormund ‘shippers when that romance first started to enter public consciousness last year.
The one thing that we’ll absolutely say is that if anyone out there does deserve some element of happiness at the end of the series, it’s Brienne. She’s fiercely loyal, passionate, and wants little other than what’s good in the world. That’s probably why she’ll die before the end of this.
To us, there are only two ways that Brienne’s story ends with this show, and much like the show itself, it’s not all that complicated.
1. Heroic Death – While this show does kill off people in horrifically, would they really give her a tragic end? We can see her dying in a battle that allows Sansa or Arya to stay alive, which calls back the promise that she made so many years ago to Catelyn Stark. Or, she pulls a final charge on the White Walkers that eventually costs her a place among the living. She’s not someone who would go easily, but it doesn’t really matter in the end — death is still death. As Wun-Wun the giant.
2. Happiness – Maybe she ends up serving as a royal guard to whoever ends up on the Iron Throne in the end, or she retires with a title and land to call her own. Maybe she and Tormund run off into the sunset together — this is already a character with a very different narrative than in the books, and we’re certainly fine for her having a very different end here. This is a character defined mostly by the beautiful performance from Gwendoline Christie, who made her a fighter, an inspiration, and someone truly an outlier in this world.
The one thing that we’d be shocked about is if Brienne goes before the final season. There are some people we could foresee dying sooner — think along the lines of a Cersei or an Arya or pretty much Dorne as we know it. Her value should extend for a little while longer, and other than engaging in battle, there aren’t too many people who specifically want her head. Killing her would just serve as a means to an end.
What do you think the best Brienne of Tarth endgame is for Game of Thrones season 7? Be sure to share in the comments!
Also, be sure to check out our Game of Thrones endgame piece from yesterday all about Arya Stark. (Photo: HBO.)