Bran Stark, Hodor and the Reeds reached the end of their long journey to visit the Three-Eyed Raven in Game of Thrones season five, only to be cut out of season six.
Not to worry: Bran isn't dead. Showrunners cut the character out of the show's fifth season, as the show's version of the character had already caught up with Bran's source material from George R.R. Martin's A Dance With Dragons.
Bran might not be dead, but if the show follows the book's example, he is in for some dramatic changes. Bran actor Isaac Hempstead Wright recently confirmed that his character will be returning for season six of the show in a conversation with the Irish Examiner, and though he didn't say much, he may have said just enough to fuel many a fan-theory.
"I can't say a lot but I am back this season, and it's going to get particularly interesting with Bran," Hemstead Wright said. "He has some interesting visions."
Interesting visions, you say? Spoilers ahead! Turn back now!
Seriously!
Last chance!
Book readers will know that Bran (who also has the ability to warg into animals) is training to replace the Three-Eyed Raven, having gained the ability to "see" through the various heart trees found in the weirwoods throughout the Seven Kingdoms. There are few now left Bran's time, but using them allows Bran to have powerful visions of the past and possibly even the future. He's already had visions of ages long past in Winterfell, as well as seen memories of his father. He may have even interacted with Theon Greyjoy in the present.
Recent casting calls have lead some to believe that the show's sixth season will be bringing one of the book's most important flashback scenes to the small screen, one involving Jon Snow's mother and the events that transpire at the Tower of Joy. Might Bran be the vessel through which this flashback is told? It would make the most sense, even though technically speaking Bran's new abilities let him see only through the weirwoods, not anywhere in Westeros. Unless the Tower of Joy has a godswood, Bran having a vision of that fateful day might not exactly fall in line with the books.
Then again, the show has seemed content with changing aspects of Martin's novels when it suits them. Either way, fans will have to wait a while to learn the truth. Game of Thrones season six is expected to premiere in spring 2016.
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