New Game of Thrones Theory Argues That Tyrion Actually Became King

Peter Dinklage stars as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones
Peter Dinklage stars as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones | HBO

Even though Game of Thrones aired its series finale more than a week ago, the show is still very much alive in fans' minds. But while we’re still trying to wrap our brains around the unexpected ending, Redditors are somehow coming up with new fan theories, including one about how it was Tyrion Lannister who truly won the Iron Throne, which—strangely enough—sort of checks out.

According to BuzzFeed, Redditor AgnostosTheosLogos broke down several key moments in the final season that led him to conclude that, in the end, it was Tyrion—not Bran—who really became King of the Six Kingdoms.

To begin, the user recalls that both Cersei Lannister and Daenerys Targaryen, who were fighting for the Iron Throne, died in the final season. And while Jon Snow had the most legitimate claim to throne, he didn't want it—therefore breaking the Targaryen line of succession. This brings us to Tyrion, the only living relative of Cersei, the previous ruler, making him next in line to the throne, the fan believes.

The user went on to argue that Gendry couldn’t take the throne, even though he was Robert Baratheon’s son, as he was a bastard. The scene at the end of the series finale where Bran Stark leaves Tyrion in control of the council is another key piece that the user believes is evidence of Tyrion’s true power position. The last surviving Lannister sits at the head of the table in the scene, and seems comfortable leading everyone through the meeting.

Tyrion—who was a prisoner in the show's final minutes—likely couldn’t have ended up as king. But by nominating Bran for the job, the Redditor argues that Tyrion believed he could rule the Six Kingdoms through Bran and by serving as the Hand of the King.

Not to put a damper on the theory, but it's worth noting that Tyrion was very vocal about not wanting to be named Hand of the King. And since Cersei really just took the Throne for herself after her children died, her claim to it wasn't exactly legitimate. Which would dispute that whole "Tyrion is officially next in line" business.

But with all the plot holes in the final season (such as Daenerys just forgetting about the Iron Fleet), there’s room for some speculation on just about anything—including the show's conclusion.