Sophie Turner's Game of Thrones tattoo was indeed a spoiler, because Sansa Stark answers to no one
Warning: Spoilers ahead for Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 6.
In the lead-up to Game of Thrones Season 8, the cast and crew guarded plot details closer than the Lannisters guarded the secret of Joffrey’s parentage. So when Sophie Turner got a Game of Thrones-themed tattoo back in June 2018, fans wondered if it might be a sneaky spoiler. Now that the series has officially ended, we can confidently say that it was.
The tattoo in question features House Stark’s dire wolf sigil along with the words “The pack survives.” Turner took this line from the quote: “When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives.” Ned Stark says this to Arya in the first episode of the series, and Sansa echoes this line in one of the trailers for Season 7. It makes sense that Turner would find this quote significant, but “The pack survives” could also be interpreted another way: The Starks survive.
Turner’s tattoo sent fans into a tizzy over this potential spoiler, and the actress even addressed the controversy on The Late Late Show with James Corden in June 2018.
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Sure, Sophie.
We know now, of course, that Turner’s ink was a spoiler—whether or not she meant it to be. In the Game of Thrones finale, we see the remaining Stark pack thriving. Bran becomes king. Arya goes off to explore uncharted lands. Jon evades death by being sent back to the Night’s Watch. And Sansa finally gets the chance to rule as Queen in the North. While other Great Houses have been wiped out or come close to it (RIP, Targaryens and Tyrells), the Starks live. The pack survives.
We have to admit that we admire both Turner’s sly tribute to her on-screen family and her ability to keep us on our toes about this spoiler. We’d expect nothing less from the Queen in the North. Long may she reign.
