If we know one thing about Game of Thrones, it’s that it’s a fool’s errand to try and predict it. This show better than any other gets how to wrongfoot its viewers. Since season one we’ve been rooting for heroes that ultimately didn’t make it; whole plotlines, and characters who seem destined for greatness are often discarded without a second thought.
So, it would be a reckless endeavor to place bets now on any one person claiming the Iron Throne at the end of all this carnage. Contenders who look like favorites now may be dispatched next year, or in the final season that follows in 2018. This is a show that makes a man a new leading character in one episode, then has his head shattered eight episodes later. (And we still have around 15 episodes to go.)
Still, there are now obvious contenders for the Throne, and with the show nearing its end, there’s almost certain to be a future king or queen amongst them. So on that note, let’s take a look at ten characters who as individuals stand a good chance of being ruler of Westeros when the show finally reaches its end.