Game of Thrones Season 9: 5 Storylines Left Unresolved by the HBO Series

One of the big appeals of Game of Thrones, outside of the dragons and the bloody action sequences, is the wide array of storylines the show seamlessly weaved together. In the early seasons, the HBO series follows characters in every major region of Westeros, as well as a certain member of a royal family on another continent. As Game of Thrones progresses, however, the storylines start to blend, with more and more parties making their play for the Iron Throne. It all comes to a head in Season 8, which features the highly anticipated battle against the White Walkers and the reveal of who ends up ruling Westeros.

Despite being a final season, Game of Thrones‘ last outing fails to tie up all the loose ends. In fact, due to the rushed nature of Season 8, it’s fair to argue that the series ends by creating more questions than it answers. A few dangling storylines stand out more than others, though, and would have to be addressed if HBO ever greenlit a ninth season.

1) Where Does Drogon Go?

Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons are instrumental in her quest to take control of Westeros. She uses them time and time again in Essos, and by the time she crosses the Narrow Sea, her children are fully grown and ready to wreak havoc. Sadly, Drogon loses his siblings, leaving the creature as Daenerys’ last line of defense when she attacks King’s Landing.

Drogon helps Daenerys destroy the Red Keep and kill plenty of innocents in the capital. But Jon Snow doesn’t let his new queen’s transgressions slide and kills her before coming face-to-face with her dragon. Rather than burn a Targaryen, Drogon grabs Daenerys’ body and flies off. Sam later mentions that the dragon is heading toward Volantis, and Bran decides to use his powers to figure out what’s really going on. However, Game of Thrones ends before the new king of Westeros can make good on his promise.

2) Does Jon Snow Remain With the Wildlings?

While Jon does Westeros a favor by killing its sitting queen, he’s still a criminal in the eyes of the Unsullied. To appease them, the powers that be in Westeros decide to make Jon take the black once again. He’s not unhappy about the arrangement because he doesn’t want to rule anything, but the situation is still a bit unclear.

Castle Black is still standing when Jon heads north, so it seems he will serve under whoever the current lord commander is. He doesn’t stay at the stronghold for long, though, heading even further north with the Wildlings. While Jon isn’t one to shirk his responsibilities, his status as a member of the Night’s Watch is up in the air at the end of Game of Thrones.

3) Why Is the North the Only Kingdom to Go Independent?

There’s so much to figure out once the dust settles after the battle in King’s Landing. The remaining individuals with influence in Westeros all meet to discuss the future of the Seven Kingdoms. However, it quickly becomes six when Sansa Stark announces that the North will look out for itself from now on.

It feels like a fitting conclusion for Sansa, who certainly deserves not to have to answer to anyone anymore. The only issue with her proclamation is that the Iron Islands and Dorne, which are represented at the meeting, also spoke in the past about going off on their own. It’s clear why Sansa gets preferential treatment, seeing as her brother is king now, but the other kingdoms are probably going to want to change their arrangements later on as well.

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4) Does Daario Naharis Lose Control of Meereen?

Daenerys makes a name for herself in Essos by removing all the slavers. By the time she’s ready to head to Westeros, things are pretty peaceful, so she leaves Daario Naharis in charge of her whole operation in Meereen. There aren’t many updates about Daario after that, making Essos a massive unresolved plot line at the end of the series.

It feels likely that the Second Sons could keep things on track for a while, but once word spreads that Daenerys is dead, all hell is sure to break loose. Unfortunately, Game of Thrones forgets to address the situation in Meereen before it calls it quits in Season 8.

5) Do the Dothraki Return to Essos?

While the Unsullied and Second Sons are powerhouses in Essos, the Dothraki are the most terrifying fighting force. Daenerys recruits them after the death of her husband, Khal Drogo, and they help her take Westeros by force. But like the Unsullied, they’re left with no ruler at the end of the HBO series.

The Dothraki are seen near the end of the show at the docks in King’s Landing, seemingly preparing to head back across the Narrow Sea. However, Game of Thrones never outright confirms that’s where they’re going, meaning they might sail somewhere else and cause problems for Bran and the rest of the council. It’s a significant oversight that could have massive ripple effects for Westeros.

Game of Thrones is streaming now on Max.

Are you upset that these Game of Thrones storylines didn’t get resolved? What else would you want to see a ninth season address? Let us know in the comments below!