What Is Absolutely Confirmed
Thanks to official trailers and post-episode featurettes, we have a few concrete pieces of the puzzle. The finale will heavily feature preparations for all-out war. Promos show Rhaenyra Targaryen rallying her dragonriders, declaring they must strike while
they have the advantage. On the other side, Ser Criston Cole is seen giving a grim speech to his troops, essentially warning them of their potential annihilation at the hands of dragons. We also know that Aemond Targaryen, frustrated by the Blacks gaining more dragons, will push his sister-wife Helaena to join the battle on her dragon, Dreamfyre. The showrunners have also confirmed that the season will end by setting the stage for Season 3, leaving many plot threads dangling. Crucially, showrunner Ryan Condal has stated that the highly anticipated "Battle of the Gullet," a major event from the book, will not happen in the Season 2 finale, as they are saving it to give it the scale it deserves in a future season.
What Is Heavily Implied (And Likely)
This is where we look to George R.R. Martin's "Fire & Blood" for the roadmap. While the show makes changes, its major beats often align with the source material. A significant event heavily foreshadowed is the "Fall of King's Landing." With Aemond and Criston Cole planning to march on Harrenhal to deal with Daemon, the capital will be left relatively undefended. The show has already depicted a secret meeting where Alicent Hightower agrees to surrender King's Landing to Rhaenyra in exchange for her and Helaena's safety, a major deviation from the book that makes this outcome even more probable. Rhaenyra's condition for this truce is that Alicent must surrender King Aegon II, a choice Alicent tearfully accepts. This sets up a scenario where Daemon and Rhaenyra could potentially take the Iron Throne with surprising speed. The book details their strategic capture of the city while the Greens' main forces are occupied elsewhere, and the show seems to be building toward this exact gambit.
What Is Pure Speculation
Now for the fun part: the theories and wild cards. One of the biggest points of speculation revolves around Daemon Targaryen's visions. In the last episode, his contact with a weirwood tree at Harrenhal appeared to give him prophetic flashes, including images that seem to connect to the future events of Game of Thrones, such as a White Walker and Daenerys Targaryen. How this newfound knowledge will affect his immediate actions is anyone's guess. Will it temper his infamous rage or fuel it in a new direction? Another area of speculation is the fate of Otto Hightower. In the show, he is imprisoned, but in the book, he is in King's Landing when Rhaenyra takes the city and is subsequently executed. His imprisonment could signal a different, perhaps more drawn-out, fate. Finally, there's the question of a major, unexpected death. While the Battle of the Gullet is off the table, the Dance of the Dragons is known for its shocking casualties. Some fan theories suggest a key character not expected to die at this stage could meet their end to provide a stunning cliffhanger, though there is no concrete evidence to support this.
