Game of Thrones returns for the final season this month and it is sure to attract millions of viewers from across the world. Fans of the show are desperate to find out who will rule Westeros when all the dust has settled and all the ice has melted. Betting sites are offering odds on who will sit atop the Iron Throne at the end of the final episode, and we have listed the leading contenders. But consider yourself warned: here be spoilers!
Bran Stark
If you look at the lines available at top sites like BetDSI and others, you will see that Bran is the odds-on favorite to rule Westeros when all is said and done. He has been on quite the journey since Jaime Lannister launched him out of a window in the first ever episode. Nowadays he is otherwise known as the Three-Eyed Raven, a greenseer who can exist outside of time and influence events that happened in the past. He has prophetic visions and he can also warg into animals, allowing him to be anywhere in Westeros. These powers could see him emerge as the most powerful individual in the land once the war is over.
Sansa Stark
George R R Martin has really put the Stark children through the ringer over the course of his A Song of Ice and Fire saga. The naïve Sansa initially dreamed of marrying a handsome prince when the show began, but she ended up partnered with two of the most sadistic villains ever conceived, Joffrey Baratheon and Ramsay Bolton, and she has endured all manner of torture, rape and humiliation. But all of that has made her stronger and she reached a new level of maturity when ordering the death of Littlefinger towards the end of Season 7. She has now adapted to the harsh realities of life in Westeros and she retains just about enough compassion and benevolence to be a leader in the treacherous world Martin has created.
Jon Snow
We now know that the erstwhile King in the North is actually Aegon Targaryen, son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen and the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. And yes, that means he is having sex with his aunt, as Daenerys is Rhaegar’s sister, but incest is rife in the Game of Thrones universe. He is third in the betting to become the ruler of Westeros by the end of the show, although he has always struggled as a leader and he has already pledged fealty to Daenerys.
Petyr Baelish
Littlefinger finally had his comeuppance in Season 7 as Arya Stark cut his throat at the behest of Sansa. Or did he? Rumors are swirling around that Baelish is actually still alive and kicking, having hired a faceless man to take his place at that execution. He has played the game of thrones like a master throughout and he certainly possesses the cunning and dastardliness to rise to the very top, providing he is still alive, that is.
The Night King
Nobody is expecting a fairy-tale ending to the saga, but the Night King in the ascendancy would represent a very bleak development. Nevertheless the villain of the piece is 10/1 to wipe out humanity and sit on the Iron Throne when all is said and done.
The Rest
You can also find 10/1 on everyone’s favorite drunken dwarf, Tyrion Lannister, while Daenerys is 11/1 and the bloodthirsty Arya is 16/1. Cersei Lannister is 25/1, although she is a heavy, odds-on favorite to be killed before the show ends. Samwell Tarly is a long shot at 33/1, and Jaime Lannister is 40/1. You can also find 500/1 on the cult hero Hot Pie, and 1,000/1 on Ed Sheeran, who enjoyed a cameo role as a Lannister soldier.