If there’s one thing we’ve learned thus far on Game of Thrones season eight, it’s that anything could happen, including who ends up on the Iron Throne. Jon Snow and Daenerys seem like the most obvious contenders (and they’re certainly fighting hard for it), but what if there was a dark horse in this race. What if a character like Gendry actually has a better claim to the Iron Throne than Jon or Dany and chose to use it?
We’ve uncovered interesting Reddit posts that have planted this idea in our heads and we’re gonna unpack ’em and see if this could really be a thing.
Could Gendry really be Cersei’s son?
Two new Reddit posts remind us of one big question GoT has yet to answer: Who is Gendry’s mom? We already know he’s Robert Baratheon’s only surviving bastard (Robert’s had tons but Cersei made sure to eradicate them all — or so she thought — to ensure only her kids could succeed to the throne) but we’ve never learned who his mother actually was.
Reddit user u/AegonTargaryen- reminds us of two key things about Gendry’s mother: Gendry has no clear memory of her except that she had blonde hair and Cersei lost a child before Joffrey came along, implying she and Robert had a child and it didn’t survive. Since we know Cersei can get tricky when it comes to pregnancies, so it’s possible she lied about the child dying to protect her future children’s claims to the throne. Similarly, Reddit user u/ler___ reminds readers that in season one, episode two, Cersei makes mention of having a child with black hair who died and, considering hair is sometimes known to change color from the time you’re born and Gendry now has brown hair, who’s to say Cersei couldn’t be referring to Gendry?
Yes, it’s a bit out there, but stranger things have happened on GoT. And, if Cersei was Gendry’s mother, it would strengthen his claim to the throne big time.
Okay, but bastards can’t be kings…right?
Bastard schmastard. In the past, being an illegitimate child has rarely boded well for someone’s future. Jon Snow, although not really a bastard, grew up thinking he was the problem child and ended up going to the Wall to join the Night’s Watch (and at one point, that didn’t really go well for him) before he was dubbed the King in the North. Ramsay Bolton was the bastard of Roose Bolton and basically had to become a sociopath in order to prove to his father he was worthy enough to lead an army and preside over Winterfell. Being a bastard has, for a long time, just been an albatross around the neck of some poor young man.
But lately, GoT has made it clear that rules and prophecies can be bent, even broken, meaning anything is possible. Hell, a bastard could even lay claim to the Iron Throne. In past season eight episodes, we’ve seen Jaime Lannister cast aside patriarchal rules and knight Brienne even though she is a woman. During the Battle of Winterfell, Arya killed the Night King — something fans thought might happen, but didn’t really plan on seeing. With the show going away from its source material, who’s to say Gendry couldn’t throw his hat in the ring if he so chose?
Does Gendry even want the Iron Throne?
Well, that’s the big sticking point. To date, Gendry has made no mention of ever wanting the Iron Throne or even getting a formal title or position of power. He’s been pretty chill with contributing his skills as a blacksmith and fighter to Jon and Dany’s cause, laying low and not even asking to be involved as an advisor even though he and Jon are pretty friendly. It’s not exactly impossible that Gendry could get some big ideas about laying a claim to the throne, but it would be out of character. And quite the surprise.
Whether he’s Cersei’s son or not, Gendry’s parentage on at least one side is reason enough to think he might be considered for some big role — maybe even king? — before this series ends. Keep an eye on this wild card character as you watch the final three episodes of GoT, which air every Sunday through May 19 at 9/8c on HBO.
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