Game of Thrones will come to an end this year with its eighth and final season which will undoubtedly be a bittersweet moment for most fans of the fantasy show.
The show first began back in 2011, and it has since become one of the most popular TV programmes of all time, yet all good things must come to an end.
However, the final season is most certainly going to offer up some surprises, and it’s already been suggested that one of them will be the return of Petry Baelish (played by Aidan Gillen).
Could Baelish’s, also known as Littlefinger, return spell the end for another one of the Stark children?
Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) has grown into quite the formidable and impressive leader over the course of seven seasons.
She’s a long way from the girl viewers were introduced to in the first season, and she’s suffered quite a bit, yet has also learnt a lot along the way.
She’s the eldest daughter of Eddard Stark (Sean Bean) and Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley), and she was bethrothed to the evil Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson), who became Lord of the Seven Kingdoms after his father’s death, until he himself died after being poisoned.
Sansa has since managed to return to Winterfell and declared Jon Snow (Kit Harington) as the King in the North.
During her time in Winterfell, she and her sister Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) plotted to have Littlefinger killed, while he was trying to turn the sisters against one another.
They supposedly succeeded after Arya slit his throat, but there’s a new theory which suggests Littlefinger knew what was coming and managed to avoid death thanks to his remarkable cunning.
The theory suggests that Petyr was onto the sisters after he discovers the true extent of Bran Stark’s (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) powers.
Bran, who’s now the Three-Eyed Raven, repeated a line Littlefinger said to Lord Varys (Conleth Hill) back in season three.
The line was “Chaos is a ladder,” and from that, Littlefinger realises what Bran can do and see and decides to take action.
The theory suggests that he insists the help of the Faceless Men, which is hinted at when he’s seen giving a woman a silver-looking coin, which could be the special iron coin they give to one another.
It’s suggested that the person Arya killed was, in fact, a Faceless Man and Littlefinger was already long gone.
He then could end up returning in season eight and enacting his revenge upon the House of Stark for their actions, but in particular Sansa, whom he had “protected” for so long.
It’s not a stretch to think he would feel betrayed by her, even though he was plotting against her himself.
Littlefinger is easily one of the most resourceful and cunning characters on the show, however, Game of Thrones author, George R.R. Martin has said on multiple occasions that he’s something of an anti-hero.
He will do something horrific one scene, and then do something heroic the next without warning, which suggests he could kill Sansa in the show and proceed to kill the Night King and restore order to the seven kingdoms.
Game of Thrones season 8 will return to HBO and Sky Atlantic on April 14. Seasons 1-7 are currently streaming on NOW TV.