This 'Game of Thrones' Theory Suggests Jaime Lannister Didn't Really Die

• Following last week’s episode, “The Bells”, Game of Thrones fans are speculating as to whether Jaime and Cersei Lannister really did die, or whether they could still be alive.
  
  
• The brother and sister were finally reunited, but were seemingly crushed by falling rubble as King’s Landing was brought down by Daenerys.
  
  
• With one episode to go, theories suggest that Jaime may have sacrificed himself to protect his sister—or that Jaime could still be alive to complete his character arc and redemption.

Spoiler alert for Game of Thrones, season 8, episode 5.

This is it, you guys. We’re on the home stretch to the Game of Thrones finale, and I’m already having palpitations. The stress is mainly a result of the endless online theories, which are getting more dramatic and desperate by the day. Whether it’s the dragons representing some kind of secret code, clues about Arya and her destiny, or even the possibility that George R. R. Martin has already revealed the ending… Yeah, it’s a lot right now.

But one potential theory that fans seem to really be getting on board with revolves around Team Incest, Jaime and Cersei Lannister. Last week’s episode saw the two tragically reunited amidst the fiery chaos, before being buried under the rubble of King’s Landing. Somewhere, Brienne was cackling.

The drama of the moment entirely implied that the Lannisters had perished together, both dying under their crumbling childhood home as Daenerys brought it to the ground. Plus, there was the fact that the gross Euron had managed to inflict a fair few stab wounds onto Jaime earlier in the episode, so the odds weren’t exactly in his favor.

Online reaction seemed to suggest that GoT fans were somewhat disappointed by the underwhelming demise of two of the show’s biggest villains. Compared to other exits, with exploding eyeballs and decapitated heads, it was fairly tame. So maybe it’s sheer desperation that people are now theorizing that one or both of them could still be alive—or maybe it really is a legit possibility.

There’s definitely some evidence to make the argument. Firstly, the wider cast haven’t acknowledged actors Nikolaj Coster-Waldau or Lena Hadley in the same way that they have others who we’ve seen clearly die on screen. Similarly, the actors themselves have yet to say goodbye to their onscreen counterparts in the heartfelt way that others like Alfie Allen and Nathalie Emmanuel have.

Secondly, Entertainment Weekly, which has been sharing a steady stream of interviews with departed Game of Thrones actors following their characters’ deaths, are yet to share their chat with Coster-Waldau. Reporter James Hibberd mysteriously tweeted that he was “holding that one for a bit…”

With that in mind, fans are also in disagreement as to whether one or the other, or both Lannisters could still be alive. Some say that Jaime may have sacrificed himself in order to protect Cersei, knowing that his stab wounds would bring his demise anyway. Could he have protected her with his body considering he knew he was going to die from the stabbing? Could Cersei be the one that isn’t dead? And now she has to live on, knowing that everyone and everything she ever loved is gone?

Or could it be Jaime who is still be alive while Cersei is gone? It would be punishment for him to be left with a body that doesn’t allow him to fight anymore, and to be left at the mercy of whoever finds him in the ruins of King's Landing.

I mean, they could both just definitely be dead, too. But let’s keep theorizing while we still can, huh? This time next week we won’t ever have to wonder what things REALLY mean in Westeros ever again, so I'm all about the crazier, the better at this point.

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