Season five of “Game of Thrones” isn’t over, but plans are already being made for season six. Just as in years past, several character descriptions have been leaked (via Watchers on the Wall). Unlike in years past, no character names have been attached to those descriptions. The books give us a pretty good idea who each of these descriptions probably refer to and offer insight into where the story will go in season six.
**Minor spoilers and speculation ahead**
First up, the character that could be the best new addition in the new season (or at least the one I’m looking forward to the most) is the search for a “pirate” described as a: “Man in his 40s to late 50s. He’s ‘an infamous pirate who has terrorized seas all around the world. Cunning, ruthless, with a touch of madness.’ He’s a dangerous-looking man. A very good part this season.”
This almost assuredly points to Euron Greyjoy, one of Balon Greyjoy’s (Patrick Malahide) younger brothers. His appearance would finally signal the death of a character that is still alive in the show but has been long dead in the books. He also serves as the catalyst to bridge Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) back to the main Westeros plot. However, to be done the way it was in the books, Euron’s brother, Victarion, would also need to be involved and none of the character descriptions that have been leaked seem to fit. But with the way the most recent episode of season five ended, Victarion may not be essential to propel that plot.
The show is also looking for a “father” – “Aged 50s to 60s, he’s one of the greatest soldiers in Westeros–a humorless martinet, severe and intimidating. He demands martial discipline in the field and in his home. It’s described as ‘a very good part’ for next year and that he’s ‘centrally involved’ in a protagonist’s storyline.”
The father couldn’t be anyone other than Randyll Tarly, father of Samwell Tarly (John Bradley. There are also descriptions of a family related to this character that likely represent Sam’s mother, brother, and one of his sisters.
Euron and Randyll being cast points to a lot of action in the Reach area of Westeros. For those that may not be up on their fictional geography, the Reach is in the southwestern part of the continent and includes Oldtown, where maesters study, Highgarden, the seat of House Tyrell, and Horn Hill, the seat of House Tarly. This also probably means that Sam won’t be staying at the Wall for much longer this season.
The final major description is for “priest” – “In his 40s or 50s. A gruff ex-soldier who found religion. Now a no-nonsense rural priest who ministers to the poor of the countryside. He’s salt-of-the-earth man who has weathered many battles.”
This is probably the wandering Septon Meribald. He walks the Riverlands in a circle ministering to the small folk. He has an intriguing history that stretches back beyond the events of the show but his main connection to the story is through his relationship with Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) and Pod (Daniel Portman). His appearance in season six is good news for fans of Brienne as this guarantees her fate (for the remainder of this season anyway).
The most interesting possibility of having Meribald involved is that he could lead Brienne and Pod into an encounter with a character that book readers have been anticipating for two seasons but are yet to see. Could she finally be coming?
There are a few other descriptions that were leaked that could mean the return of the flashback device in season six. One detail in the description for one of three boys could mean we get a young Ned Stark, one boy specifically needs to have green eyes to match those of Sean Bean. If the casting is for a flashback, it would probably be with a young Ned, a young Robert Baratheon and possibly one of Ned’s brothers. If they are doing a flashback again, I hope it is a successful as the one that opened this season.
We still have a long wait until we get any casting confirmation and even longer until we actually see any of these episodes but in the meantime it’s fun to speculate and think ahead.
Anyone have different opinions on who these characters could be? With the show moving further away from the books, do you think any of these characters will be significantly altered from their book versions? Let’s try to be as spoiler free as possible in the comments, but let’s speculate away!
