The event that I look forward to the most in Game of Thrones is the second coming of The Long Night, which was a darkness and winter that lasted a generation. Throughout the show, we witnessed the White Walkers building their undead army and gradually marching towards The Wall. Meanwhile, The War of the Five Kings has left the Seven Kingdoms more weak and vulnerable than they have ever been, which makes them ripe for conquest for either Daenerys Targaryen or the White Walkers.
As of current events, Ramsay Snow has threatened both the Night’s Watch and their wildling allies. I predict that the resulting conflict between the Boltons, Night’s Watch, and wildlings will weaken The Wall’s defenders, leaving it vulnerable to attack. If The Wall is breached, Westeros will fall! The North will be the first kingdom hit by the White Walkers’ onslaught and by the time word spreads of what is happening, it will be too late and the other kingdoms will be easy prey. We have seen the White Walkers themselves and their undead army, but we have yet to see the pale spiders that are as big as hounds.
However, I believe there will be a reincarnation of The Last Hero from the first Long Night. I suspect that this new Last Hero will be either Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow, or Bran Stark.
If Daenerys Targaryen finds a way across The Narrow Sea, she will have the largest and most powerful army in the known world, consisting of over 8,000 Unsullied, 2,000 sellswords, now 100,000 Dothraki, and three dragons. With those numbers and firepower at her disposal, she could be a serious ally against the White Walkers especially due to their weakness to fire. Also, due to her family’s dark reputation, no one in the Seven Kingdoms would accept her claim to the Iron Throne, but if she were to arrive during the White Walkers’ invasion, she can be regarded as a savior and more of Westeros would accept her.
As for Jon Snow, when word spreads that he came back from the dead, he might become a symbol for The North to rally behind after the Boltons are dealt with. Since The North is the kingdom closest to The Wall, if Jon Snow can unite The North, they would be the first line of defense against the White Walkers and stall them until either Daenerys arrives or the rest of the kingdoms unite.
I am intrigued by Bran Stark’s training under the three-eyed raven because he has immense potential in magic, which could turn him into the Merlin of the Game of Thrones universe. Once his training under the three-eyed raven is complete and he learns his role in the war to come, I think Bran will become an irreplaceable asset against the White Walkers. Also, he could use his knowledge of the past, present, and future to guide the Seven Kingdoms to the desired outcome.
In the end of this new Long Night, I think the Seven Kingdoms will become even more unified than they ever were before. The reason for this is because when the first Long Night came, it allowed the hundred kingdoms of the First Men to unite into The North, becoming a more cohesive nation. Due to this, I think the same will happen to the rest of the Seven Kingdoms if they survive the new Long Night that is. Either way, I look forward to seeing how events will unfold.
Overall, this season on Game of Thrones, Winter is here . . . and the dead come with it!