In Direwolf Straits: 'Game Of Thrones' Easter Egg Reveals Why Sansa Won't Survive Season 8

Phew, wipe your brow, because (most of) our favorite Game of Thrones characters have made it through another season of murder, madness, death, and destruction. But come on, let's be honest, a fair few names are surely going to be etched onto that "In Memoriam" plaque by the show's end. I have already looked into the flames and prophesied the deathly dethroning of Sansa Queen of Winterfell, but heading back to the very first season of the show, there is worrying (old) evidence that this really will be the case.

Every Dog Has Its Day

Given Sansa's peripheral status on the show, it is hard to see where the fiery red-head fits into the Thrones endgame. While Sansa could easily rule what remains of the North after the White Walkers have done their business, it wouldn't really line up with that bittersweet ending that #GeorgeRRMartin has promised us all. Everyone expects there to be some major cast departures in the final six episodes, but losing one more Stark to the savagery of the seasons would be one hell of a twist of the Valyrian dagger. So, why Sansa, and why now?

Remembering way back to the #GameofThrones premiere, those Stark kids (and a certain long-haired bastard) were all gifted a pint-sized direwolf. As the show has rumbled on and the various Starks have lost their lives, the direwolves have slowly been picked off like their owners. YouTuber Flicks and the City puts it bluntly, theorizing that the death of Sansa's pet pooch Lady tipped her for an early grave ever since Episode 2 — yikes. The direwolves have a lot more to do in the books, while the show has sidelined them in favor of dragons, simply to do with the CGI cost of a giant dog, but the showrunners clearly know they mean something to the storyline.

So, let's retrace what happened to our doomed direwolves and what it means for Sansa. Robb Stark's Grey Wind was decapitated (just like Robb) at that blood-soaked Red Wedding, while Rickon's Shaggydog bowed out just before the youngest Stark was taken down by that Bolton Bow. Nymeria and Ghost are still pottering around just like Arya and Jon, but it is Bran's direwolf Summer that has the most interesting twist. We all know that Summer lost his life in the cave of the Three-Eyed Raven and Bran is still wheeling round Winterfell, but remember Meera Reed's words to Bran:

"You died in that cave."

With Bran "dead," it means that all the deceased direwolves also have deceased owners. This neatly brings us on to Lady, who was tragically taken out by Ned Stark in Season 1 — so should Sansa expect a similar fate?

Red Is Dead

After surviving the clutches of Cersei, Joffrey, and Ramsay, Sansa has had quite the journey, but wouldn't it be fitting if her turmoil weren't over just yet? Season 7 slowly saw the "Little Bird" morph into her idol, Cersei, and everyone realizes the perils of ruling any Westeros stronghold. Jon Snow and co. may currently be riding north to take on the abominable snowmen, but with the Wall down and the White Walkers sweeping in, Winterfell is one of the first ports of call for mass destruction. Even if Sansa can evade the onset of winter, there is an even more worrying theory that, just like Lady, our Stark survivor could lose her life at the hands of a family member.

Season 7 of the show did a wonderful job of setting up the tension between Sansa and Arya, but we all know it was a ruse to take out the slippery Petyr Baelish. However, if Bran Stark really is the Night King, the leader of the White Walkers could take out Winterfell (and Sansa) to fulfill this prophecy. It is all very tinfoil hat-y, but isn't that why you come here to read these kind of articles? Whatever happens, there is a trio of Starks currently by the Winterfell hearth, and what's that old saying? Three's a crowd!