Do Not Mourn Bran Stark When He Dies in 'Game of Thrones' Season Eight
Game of Thrones fans have watched Bran Stark go through many different forms throughout this series. First he was the exuberant boy who fearlessly climbed the towers of Winterfell. Then he was the young lord confined to a chair after his tragic fall. Then he was the fugitive on the run, learning to walk through the eyes of his wolf. Now, he's not Bran at all, but the Three-Eyed Raven.
From Episode One, Bran Stark's path has been impossible to predict. His hero's journey has broken from traditional genre norms-resembling a redemption story closer to that of a superhero, where a tragic accident teaches the character to learn a supernatural strength. So, the boy we know as Bran Stark is long gone-in fact, the boy himself said as much back in Season Seven, when he tells his sister: "I remember what it felt like to be Brandon Stark, but I remember so much else now."
So do not mourn the character formerly known as Bran Stark when he dies in Game of Thrones Season Eight, because Bran Stark is already dead.
Let me elaborate with a little background on the Three-Eyed Raven.
We first see the Three-Eyed Raven in a dream in Season One after Bran's fall from the tower. And it's not until Season Four, when Bran, Meera, Hodor, and Jojen reach a giant Weirwood tree north of the wall, that we see the Three-Eyed Raven in his human form. He's a withered old man who-in the books at least-was once a lord named Brynden. The roots of the tree have grown around his body. Neither Bran nor the Three-Eyed Raven appear in Season Five, during which the two are busy with Greensight 101. The characters return in Season Six when Bran is learning how to look into the past to see the how the Children of the Forest created the White Walkers and the origin story of Ned Stark. But before we can really learn what exactly the Three-Eyed Raven is, Bran screws everything up. While using his Greensight to watch the White Walker army, Bran is touched by the Night King, which neutralizes the defensive magic in the Three-Eyed Raven's cave. The White Walkers arrive promptly at the cave, where Bran barely escapes and Hodor holds the door. The show never gives a clear explanation of the Three-Eyed Raven, but the Game of Thrones wiki does provide a pretty concise description:
The three-eyed raven was an ancient and immensely powerful greenseer who could perceive the past, present and future through visions and time travel with ease. He helped Bran Stark travel back in time to the past to allow him to see his father's history and to realize the true importance of Hodor in his destiny. He could undergo periods of greensight for seemingly unlimited periods of time without interruption from outside forces, showing his immense magical ability.
When the old man Three-Eyed Raven dies, our young Bran takes his place-and he returns, well, different. And that's when he says the quote about remembering what it felt like to be Brandon. So, with Bran now the Three-Eyed Raven, what will his fate be in Season Eight?
It seems clear that Bran is destined to perform one specific task. According to theories this could be everything from killing the Night King and becoming the Prince That Was Promised, to actually becoming the Night King himself. What we do know is that Bran is essentially an encyclopedia for all knowledge in history and also a possible tool to manipulate past events. We also know that he has the ability to Warg, which has sparked fan speculation that he will somehow either Warg into a dragon or the Night King. Is it possible for Bran to take control of the Night King long enough for him to be killed-killing Bran, too, in the process?
Whatever his destiny is, it's likely to result in the Three-Eyed Raven completing his role in this great war.
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