Not everyone in Westeros has the wealth, title or lineage to make them a viable contender for the Iron Throne. But, having a poor -- or controversial -- background never stopped anyone from playing Game of Thrones' great game.
Epic moments for the show's main heroes (and major villains) have always happened with help, and often the assist has come from a minor but essential character. Without Myranda (Ramsay Bolton's girlfriend), Theon Greyjoy wouldn't have had his hero moment and helped Sansa Stark escape. There would be no dragons on the show if not for Illyrio Mopatis' wedding gift to Daenerys Targaryen. Without Edmure Tully agreeing to be the groom, there would have been no Red Wedding.
With so few details available about what's ahead in Game of Thrones' swan song, we're left to theorize based off the Season 8 trailer and the characters' histories. Considering all that information, here are seven minor characters that may impact the final six episodes in big ways (Hint: don't sleep on these folks).
Qyburn
A Refresher: No one has been more loyal to Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) in all seven seasons than Qyburn (Anton Lesser). While we've been led to believe he is a very unscrupulous kind of character (he was kicked out of the Citadel after all), Qyburn has never failed the new Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.
He's the one who saved Ser Gregor Clegane/The Mountain (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) after the villainous giant suffered what should have been a fatal, poisoned spear wound during the epic trial by combat with Dorne's beloved second son, Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal). When her walk of shame ended, he greeted Cersei sweetly ("it's good to have you back"), wrapped her up in a blanket and whisked her away from Pycelle and her speechless Uncle Kevan Lannister (right before introducing her to the "newest" member of the Kingsguard – the zombie-like Mountain). The Sept of Baelor explosion that took out Cersei's enemies, including Margaery and Loras Tyrell and the power-hungry High Sparrow (who'd turned King Tommen against her), was down to Qyburn finding out that the old rumor about wildfire under the city was true. He's the one who reached out to sellswords The Golden Company -- the ones we saw heading to Westeros on Euron Greyjoy's ships in the Season 8 trailer – to come fight for her side. Another of his epic Game of Thrones feats was researching and having The Scorpion built -- the weapon with the potential to kill a dragon (Bronn used it during "The Loot Train" episode). Qyburn, who's now Hand of the Queen, has been a quiet player all these years, but his actions have had a massive influence on the show.
Predictions: With only six episodes to go, there's not a lot of time for in-depth character development here, but Qyburn won't fade away without helping Cersei make some epic moves. If Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and Jon Snow (Kit Harington) manage to defeat the Night King and ride/fly south, or if Euron Greyjoy proves disloyal, Qyburn will clearly have a few power moves up his voluminous sleeves. What's also worth pondering ahead of the show's return is if Qyburn is cooking something up related to the undead. He was both fascinated and delighted by the wight's severed, but still moving hand, in the undead demonstration our band of heroes brought to the Dragon Pit. While Cersei is determined to stay out of a conflict with the Night King – unless it comes to the city gates – you wouldn't be wrong for thinking Qyburn is already at work on something to combat the non-living.
Tycho Nestoris
A Refresher: When you play the game of thrones … you need a lot of money. Tycho Nestoris (Mark Gatiss) of the Iron Bank has been wheeling and dealing behind the scenes since we first met him in Season 4. He's backed a lot of contenders who've vied for the Iron Throne, including Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) -- who turned out to be a bad investment. The Lannisters, however, have been good for the money-making business. Cersei repaid the crown's "significant" debts with the Tyrell's confiscated gold, which, we assume she's now using to pay for The Golden Company, who are on their way to Westeros.
Predictions: It seems like Tycho – or if he doesn't appear, then the Iron Bank in general -- will play a role in the final game. They've probably been investing in all the remaining players, but who they'll throw the most gold behind is up in the air. When Tycho visited Cersei last season, he hinted they were leaning toward Daenerys by suggesting ships are vulnerable to dragonfire. The Iron Bank knows all, so news of Dany's missing dragon, might have reached them (Cersei may have even dictated a scroll saying just that). It's also quite possible that now that the crown's debt has been repaid, they don't want to do business with Cersei anymore and could turn on her. It's a topic that's been heavily debated on Reddit.
Gendry
A Refresher: When we first met Gendry (Joe Dempsie) in Season 1, he was a smith's apprentice in King's Landing, blissfully unaware he is the bastard son of King Robert Baratheon and an unknown blonde woman (although some have speculated he could be Cersei's son). At the prompting of Tobho Mott, the Flea Bottom-bred young man showed Ned Stark an elegantly crafted bulls head helmet he'd made. And later, after being brought to Harrenhal, Gendry kept up his skills, forging swords for enemies of the Starks. A few seasons after he was pushed out to sea, Gendry was back in King's Landing making weapons. It was there that Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) caught up with him and recruited him to help Jon on the mission to capture a wight.
Prediction: After Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) had Ned Stark's Valyrian steel sword – Ice -- melted down and turned into two blades (Oathkeeper and Widow's Wail) at the start of Season 4, he explained to Jaime there were only three smiths in existence who knew how to work that particular type of metal. The one Tywin used for that particular task was from Volantis, but in the books, it was Gendry's old boss, Tobho. The Season 8 trailer hinted at Gendry's continued involvement in making weapons. Could he be the fourth smith to craft Valyrian steel swords? There is a small problem -- they'll need Valyrian steel (which must be in short supply since there are only five Valyrian steel swords – and one dagger on the show), and some magic to make the blades in the proper fashion. Could this provide a pathway to force Gendry to work with Melisandre (Carice van Houten)? If not, Gendry must be turning the dragonglass Jon's men mined at Dragonstone into weapons. And, of course there has to be a reunion with m'lady, Arya Stark.
Lady Lyanna Mormont
A Refresher: Lyanna Mormont (Bella Ramsey) is one fiery pre-teen. It was because of her now legendary speech at Winterfell that Jon Snow was proclaimed King in the North. And later, it was Lyanna who was hugely influential in getting the Northern men to agree to arm and train women and girls for the upcoming war against the undead.
Prediction: Here's what we know – according to XISeminal, which ran details from a set visit, Kit Harington said Jon brings Daenerys home in one of the first scenes of the season. Lyanna isn't "very happy" with "the arrival of a foreign queen," Bella Ramsey reportedly said. Could Lyanna present a problem for Dany? Jon knew bending the knee to a southerner/outsider would be a problem for the lords who call him king, and it seems like this young, independent northern lady could end up being very vocal – and influential – in the north's reaction to this political twist. But, if that does happen, it can't last for long. Lyanna is a proud northerner, but also, extremely practical and rational – especially if Jon lets Davos do the explaining.
Harry Strickland
A Refresher: We haven't actually seen Harry Strickland, the leader of sellswords known as The Golden Company, apart from a second or two in the trailer for Season 8. We know – according to one of Cersei's Season 7 chats with Jaime – that Qyburn made arrangements to hire them, and Euron Greyjoy is ferrying them over from Essos. Harry (if they keep the character name from George R.R. Martin's books) and his band of fighters-for-hire are big enough in numbers to change the game.
Predictions: While Harry sure looks (from our brief trailer glimpse) like Season 1 Jaime, Cersei obviously has more important things on her agenda than finding a replacement for her brother/lover. Instead, it's worth speculating on who Harry's crew will be loyal to and for how long. Stannis' sellswords deserted him despite their hefty wage, financed by the Iron Bank (also located in Essos, where the Golden Company are from). The Golden Company is known for the very Lannister-like phrase, "our word is good as gold," so they may also prove to be the additional forces Cersei needs if Jon and Dany are victorious against the Night King and finally march south.
Robin Arryn
A Refresher: Robin (Lino Facioli) is best-remembered on Thrones for being the kid who Lysa Arryn (Kate Dickie) breastfed when he was probably 8 or 9 years old, who demanded Tyrion be thrown out of The Eyrie's Moon Door, and who stomped all over Sansa Stark's Winterfell Snow Castle. He's cropped up here and there through the seasons, training in archery and sword fighting under the watchful eye of Lord Royce.
Prediction: While Robin Arryn isn't ever going to be a great swordsman, now that Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) is dead, he is technically in charge of the Knights of the Vale, who have proven to be a powerful and influential force on the show (their soldiers saved the day at the Battle of the Bastards). What's worth pondering ahead of Season 8, though, is how much the Arryn family have been involved – even offscreen – in the big events of the show. The murder of Robin's father set the Stark family storylines in motion, brought the chaos Petyr Baelish wanted, and kickstarted the game of thrones. Maisie Wiliams told Rolling Stone that she watched the show's debut season after reading Season 8. "There's a lot of similarities," she said. The Arryn family story and their secrets have been an unexpectedly sinister part of Game of Thrones's DNA, and while it's hard to speculate on exactly how he'll be involved, it's worth keeping an eye out for Robin Arryn.
Bonus: Could These Other Characters Comes Back?
One of the most delightful things peppered into later seasons of the HBO fantasy drama were those surprise returns from characters we thought died on a hillside, were caught out at sea, or never got out of working in the kitchen at a small inn (Hot Pie is still there – he likes it). But is it too late to see some other faces return from past seasons?
The Hound always questioned whether Arya's water dancing teacher Syrio Forel (Miltos Yerolemou) was really as good as she said he was if he was taken down by Meryn Trant. Could Syrio have survived the fight with the Kingsguard and been in hiding only to reappear in the episodes ahead? Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma) was put in a King's Landing dungeon to watch her daughter die of poison and decompose. Is there a chance she could escape and finally have her revenge on Cersei? Jaqen H'ghar (Tom Wlaschiha) didn't try and stop Arya Stark from leaving the House of Black and White – and he looked bemused as she walked out the door. Will he make a return to help in the battle against the Night King's army? Dany left Daario Naharis (Michiel Huisman) behind in Mereen so she could make alliances in Westeros without her lover in tow. How about an awkward reunion where he gets to meet her new beau/nephew?
Let us know who you think might make an unexpected return in Season 8, or what minor character you think will have the biggest impact on the game of thrones itself.
Game of Thrones returns Sunday, April 14th on HBO.