Everyone from Osha to the Hound has reappeared in Season 6 of Game of Thrones, but there is one beloved character who remains missing-in-action. Arya's truest friend and the last known living member of House Baratheon, Gendry, was last seen rowing away from Dragonstone. At the time, Melisandre wanted to sacrifice Gendry to the Lord of Light, and Davos was way too noble to let that happen. He gave Gendry bread and water before setting him off in a rowboat with directions for Gendry to head back to King's Landing.
There was just one flaw in Davos' plan: Gendry did not know how to sail a boat or even swim, so even though Davos told him to follow the stars to King's Landing, he could have ended up anywhere. One thing is for sure, at the rate long-missing characters are returning to Game of Thrones, it is just a matter of time before Gendry shows up again. After all, he has his share of unfinished business to attend to.
With just three episodes left in Season 6, there may not be time for a triumphant Gendry return just yet, but if he did make his way to King's Landing, now would be an interesting time to resurface. With so many of the young men in King's Landing joining the High Sparrow, Gendry could have joined the Faith Militant too. After all, he has wanted to find somewhere to belong since he was forced into being a potential recruit for The Night's Watch. Gendry never made it to The Wall, and the Brothers Without Banners sold him out, but if Gendry did make it back to King's Landing, he could have found himself in a vulnerable enough position to throw his lot in with the High Sparrow and his followers.
However, if Game of Thrones wants to position Gendry so his story can realign with his book counterpart, then he would need to have taken a wrong turn and sailed toward the Riverlands. Returning to the Riverlands would put Gendry right back where he was before Melisandre took him, and place him in a position to be right in the middle of the brewing battle between the Lannisters and the Blackfish's army. The possibility for Gendry to meet up with Sansa and Jon wouldn't be too far-fetched either, especially if he resumed heading toward The Wall when he made land instead of returning to King's Landing where he was a wanted man. If he did meet up with the Starks, he would also be reunited with Ser Davos and Melisandre, the woman who tried to murder him. Those are two reunions I would love to see.
Of course, there is only one place Game of Thrones fans truly want Gendry to be, and that is in Essos. Now, I have a hard time believing Gendry took a rowboat across the Narrow Sea with so few supplies. It would be more likely that he was rescued by a larger ship heading for the Free Cities. If this did happen, then Gendry could very well be in Braavos with Arya, even though neither one realizes it.
Arya could certainly use a friend right now, and a physical reminder of who she was before she began her training with the Faithless Men. A Gendry and Arya reunion absolutely has to happen before Game of Thrones ends. However, I am not too optimistic that it will happen this season.
The good news is Gendry cannot possibly still be rowing after three seasons, so the beloved blacksmith is bound to show up somewhere. Whether he is hiding out in King's Landing, making a home for himself in the Riverlands, or finding his way in the Free Cities, there are still Gendry stories that need telling. Now if only he would run into a familiar face in Braavos...
Images: HBO; Giphy (2)
