By now, the world knows that Game of Thrones, Season 8, Episode 3 ended with the most thrilling twist...
...that is, Arya Stark knifed the Night King with Valyrian steel, thereby ending the war between the dead and the living definitively.
We're led to believe that the final three episodes of Game of Thrones will be spent on how everyone teams up against Cersei to take back the Iron Throne...
But a few fans aren't buying the idea that we're just completely done with the Night King:
Am I the only that Believes that the Night King is still alive 🤷🏾♂️ #BattleOfWinterfell
#GameofThrones book nerds (and me) trying to figure out how the Night King can come back.
I'm just sending this clip to anyone on here who hops in my mentions defending The Long Night. We have nothing to discuss.
And honestly? I think they have a point. For one thing, we've learned by now that as a Game of Thrones fan, you're NEVER supposed to let down your guard.
Reason #2: Cast members have all hinted that the next episodes will be "bigger," "all insane," and "Shakespearian."
Reason #3: As u/dundermuckduck pointed out on Reddit, the Season 8 teaser trailer depicted Winterfell totally lost to the forces of winter — with Jon Snow's sword, Longclaw, sticking out in a clear sign of defeat.
View this video on YouTube
NONE OF WHICH we saw during the **actual** Battle of Winterfell...
Reason #4: there's this fan theory from u/TurntCrawdad that makes us think we should pay a little more attention to Little Sam — who, remember, was supposed to have been the 100th baby sacrificed to the White Walkers by Craster in Season 2.
Here, u/TurntCrawdad also raises the connection between George R.R. Martin and Shakespeare, noting that the gilliflower/gillyflower A) probably inspired Gilly's name, and B) is noted by Shakespeare for its "piedness."
Since we know that Little Sam is Gilly's son, and Gilly was one of the daughters and wives of Craster, there's no clear reason what, exactly, Gilly would be a "mix" of — unless the possibility of White Walker blood is on the table.
**If** Little Sam somehow has White Walker blood in his veins, then it would have been another reason for the Night King to come to Winterfell in the first place — not only to kill Bran, but also to take his 100th "son" back.
Besides, we still don't quite know what happened to all those White Walker babies, like the one we saw in Season 4, Episode 4.
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In any case, whether or not Little Sam turns out to have a lingering connection to the White Walkers, let me just remind you that there are **at least 99** other White Walker babies out there.
And finally, Reason #5 that you should still be ~stressed~ about the White Walker world??? Show creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss WOULD NOT ANSWER when Jimmy Kimmel asked if they're done with the White Walkers (see it at 6:50!!!).
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"We're not going to answer that." WELL THEN I REST MY CASE.
In closing: The Night King himself may be dead, but there is no reason to think dude did not pull a Voldemort and make a few contingency plans — AKA, a giant army of baby Night Kings — for us to deal with later, probably when we least expect it.
Oh, aaaaaaand BTW, the @GameOfThrones Twitter account tweeted this out this morning:
Valar Morghulis.
If anyone needs me, I'll be extremely NOT sleeping until this is all over!!
CORRECTION
Arya stabbed the Night King with a dagger made of Valyrian steel, not dragonglass, as previously stated. Thanks to our eagle-eyed readers for catching that! What can we say, the night was indeed a long one...