These Weird White Walker Symbols Might Be Hints About Bran Becoming the Night King

*Shrieks incomprehensibly at random passerby*

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(Image credit: Archives)

You know how some Game of Thrones fans think Bran Stark is secretly the Night King because they:

a) Dress like twins.

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And b) Are totally the same person due to a very elaborate theory that you can read all about here, but basically involves Bran traveling back in time, "warging" into the Night King to stop the Children of the Forest from creating White Walkers, failing, and getting trapped in the Night King's body.

More evidence surfaced in season 7—specifically the fact that a Reddit genius noticed the White Walker army formed the profile of a wolf—which happens to be the Stark Sigil—while strolling past the wall.

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(Image credit: Reddit/HBO)

For comparison, this is a flipped image of the actual sigil:

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(Image credit: HBO)

In the words of this eager fella:

Of course, this could just have been GOT producers throwing a nice easter egg our way—but there's now more evidence in season 8 to potentially support this theory.

There's the weird, Targaryen-shaped sigil that the White Walkers made out of the poor dead Umber boy and a bunch of his relatives' body parts (vomit):

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Initially, this seems like it weakens the theory, since Bran is not a Targaryen. This could instead be a hint that the Night King is after world domination—it's his "F*ck you, I'm coming after all of you" message (or it could just be the White Walkers being creepy, per usual).

But there's also a theory that the human who became the Night King actually WAS a Targaryen and is indicating that he's coming to claim his throne. So, he's asserting his dominance over every human and telling them he can't be killed. Ugh, no thanks, that's so creepy.

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There's also the creepy handprint on Bran's arm, "branding" him as connected to the Night King forever and ever. Some fans think that mark is like a virus, polluting Bran from the inside out.

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(Image credit: Archives)

Bran brought up that mark again in episode 2, so it's important—and it looks like the mark has turned a different, ugly brown color, which could symbolize infection. (freaks out quietly)

There's also Bran telling Jaime in episode 2, regarding the big upcoming living vs. dead battle, "How do you know there is an afterwards?" I mean, Bran might just be hiding information from Jaime, but that might also mean that there is no afterwards because Bran becomes the Night King and he gets stuck in a time loop.

Aaand finally, there's the fact that Bran says the Night King ultimately wants to kill him. Bran says it's because the Night King wants to destroy any trace of humanity, past and present, but if the Night King is Bran, then the Night King wants to fulfill/break this time loop. Bran will go back to the past and become the Night King, and the Night King will kill Bran in the present, leaving no trace of the Three Eyed Raven left.

Guys, the signs are not looking good, and I'm worried.

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Katherine J. Igoe
Contributor

Katherine’s a Boston-based contributor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle—from “Clueless” to Everlane to news about Lizzo. She’s been a freelancer for 11 years and has had roles with Cosmopolitan and Bustle, with bylines in Parents, Seventeen, and elsewhere. It’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.