Entertainment

These Characters Have Been Voted Most Likely To Kill Cersei On 'Game Of Thrones' Season 8

Helen Sloan/HBO

One down, one to go. With the Night King having met his unexpectedly sudden demise at the Battle of Winterfell, there is one main villain left for our heroes to contend with in the show's final three episodes. But who will kill Cersei on Game Of Thrones? Pretty much every character on the show is a possibility at this point, since pretty much every character bears some sort of grudge against the Lannister queen. But who will actually be the one to do the deed?

Cersei has long been one of Thrones' most fascinating characters, sometimes a villain and sometimes a sympathetic anti-hero. But no matter what your current feelings are about her, there's no question that Cersei has to die before the end. There's simply no version of the show's conclusion that ends with Cersei alive — unless she's literally the sole survivor, reigning over a kingdom of ashes.

So even if you have complicated feelings about one of the show's most complex female characters being murdered, there's no denying that it's bound to happen sooner or later. Who will deal the killing blow? That depends on who you ask. Fans have a lot of different theories about the identity of Cersei's killer.

1. Tyrion Lannister

Helen Sloan/HBO

In the books, a woods witch told a young Cersei that her life would end when the valonqar (Valyrian for "little brother") choked the life from her. Cersei assumed this meant Tyrion would be her doom, which helps explain her lifelong hatred for her younger sibling. While that prophecy didn't make it onto the show, it would still be fitting if — after the multiple attempts Cersei has made on Tyrion's life — Tyrion were the one to finally end Cersei's.

2. Jaime Lannister

Helen Sloan/HBO

A favorite theory among book readers is that the "little brother" in question isn't Tyrion, as Cersei assumes, but rather her twin Jaime, who was born several minutes after her. But what could drive Jaime to murder his former lover? If Cersei were to kill Brienne (or take actions that directly led to Brienne's death), that could certainly be enough to propel him to such a drastic action.

3. Arya Stark

Helen Sloan/HBO

Arya has clearly proven herself capable of taking down fearsome villains, having dealt the killing blow to the Night King during the Battle of Winterfell. Cersei is one of two names remaining on Arya's list (along with the Mountain), and it would be satisfying to get to see her cross those last names off. One popular theory is that she could commit the murder while wearing Jaime's face, both giving Arya her vengeance and fulfilling the valonqar prophecy at the same time. Or she could do it while wearing Littlefinger's face, if Cersei hasn't received word of his death. But will the show really let the same character kill both the Night King and Cersei?

4. Sandor Clegane

Helen Sloan/HBO

Tyrion and Jaime aren't the only "little brothers" on the show. Maggy the Frog never specifically stated it would be Cersei's own sibling who did the deed — and Sandor is Gregor's little brother. After he spent half a lifetime serving at the cruel whims of the Lannisters and carrying out their dirty work, it would be satisfying to see the Hound fully cleanse himself of their corrupting influence by offing his former employer.

5. Euron Greyjoy

Helen Sloan/HBO

There's always a nice irony to watching a villain come undone by their own plans. Cersei has put a lot of trust in Euron, but could that prove to be her downfall? Nothing about the arrogant pirate screams "trustworthy," and if he feels the tides of the battle shifting out of their favor, he would definitely be capable of killing his queen to save his own skin. Plus, Euron is a little brother, having killed his older brother Balon to become king of the Iron Islands.

6. Bran Stark

Helen Sloan/HBO

There's one more little brother in our long cast of characters: Bran Stark. What role does he have to play as the Three-Eyed Raven now that his nemesis, the Night King, is dead? Could he be instrumental in bringing down Westeros' other main threat? He's powerful enough to break someone's mind while looking into the past. Could he warg into Cersei's mind at a critical moment — perhaps when she's about to burn one of our heroes with wildfire — and force her to burn herself instead? (This would be a nice nod to the long-running fan theory that Bran caused the Mad King to go mad.)

7. Daenerys Targaryen

Helen Sloan/HBO

If we discount the notion that Cersei's character has to be a little brother — since the show omitted that portion of the prophecy anyway — the number of candidates increases. Maggy the Frog did warn Cersei that another "young, more beautiful" queen would come to take all she holds dear. At this point, all Cersei holds dear is pretty much limited to the throne, her power, and her life. If Dany wins the war against Cersei, there wouldn't be anything stopping her from burning her rival alive, like she's done to so many enemies before. Such an action could also drive a wedge between her and her Hand, Tyrion, which would create for some interesting tension.

8. Brienne of Tarth

Helen Sloan/HBO

Most proponents of the Jaime theory assume that it's Brienne's death that will drive him to kill Cersei; but what if it's the opposite? What if Bronn is successful in his mission to assassinate Jaime and a furious, vengeful Brienne is the one who takes out the woman who gave the order? There would be something oddly appropriate about Brienne taking the exact action — slaying a monarch — that she so hated Jaime for doing when they first met. Jaime and Brienne, the Kingslayer and the Queenslayer.

9. Sansa Stark

Helen Sloan/HBO

If anyone deserves to take out Cersei, it's definitely Sansa Stark. She was Cersei's captive for years and learned a lot from the queen mother even while despising her. She was recently given a dagger by Arya — just as Arya was given a dagger by Bran shortly before she killed the Night King. Will she use it to stick Cersei with the pointy end? It would be awesome if the two Stark sisters took down the two biggest threats facing their family and their home: Arya the assassin takes out the ice zombie while Sansa the political animal takes out the queen.

With only three episodes left in Game Of Thrones history, Cersei's fate — and the identity of who swings the sword — will soon be revealed.