Is King Bran Stark Still the Three Eyed Raven in the Game of Thrones Finale?

Well that was NOT what most people were expecting: Bran Stark/Bran the Broken is now King of the Seven Kingdoms. But his entire arc throughout the show was his progression into being the Three Eyed Raven, which kind of feels like a full-time job. So how is he going to manage being both? Let's dive in.

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Spoilers for Game of Thrones season 8, episode 6.

Well that was NOT what most people were expecting: Bran Stark/Bran the Broken is now King of the Seven Kingdoms. But his entire arc throughout the show thus far was his progression into being the Three Eyed Raven, which kind of feels like a full-time job. So how is he going to manage being both? Let's dive in.

Yes—in the last scene we see him, he says he thinks he may be able to "find" Drogon by warging into him (also, that's a tiny reference to something fans wanted for a long, long time, which was for Bran to warg into a dragon). So he's still learning more about being the Three Eyed Raven and seeing everything that has happened and will happen. He still needs to work on doing that, since he's so young and growing into the role. So that's his "main" job, I think.

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Based on what we see of the small council, Bran is a bit of a figurehead. He comes in briefly to chat with his advisors, then immediately leaves, presumably to go back to being a supercomputer. They will make the decisions for the realm, and he will oversee things as a very, very hands-off manager. Considering that he basically represents all of human memory, he essentially represents the realm in its entirety. 

He doesn't say explicitly, but he does have access to all memories, past, present, and future. But if he shared that future with anyone, he'd be removing free will from those around him, or the future might not happen. He does smile and tell Tyrion the reason he came to King's Landing is because of his selection as king, so, yes, it sounds like he journeyed into the future to see his own fate.

Well, there's been an elected ruler who won't have kids, a wife, mistresses, or other crazy drama like most other kings that sat on the Iron Throne (Robert Baratheon, anyone?). It also means that he won't have a true-blood heir, and future kings will also have to be elected. It also means that the king is all-seeing, and all-knowing (godlike, in a way) so that could lead to some wise decisions. It also means it's a king who doesn't super care about life in the present. So it'll be a weird experience, all around.

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Katherine J. Igoe
Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.