Game of Thrones isn’t afraid of tragedy. It’s given us shocking deaths, horrific violence, and heartbreaking plot twists from episode one onwards. But as we look to Game of Thrones‘s final season, we have to prepare ourselves for the possibility that the show might be more ruthless than ever. Heroes will die, villains may survive, and there’s a strong chance that fan favorite Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) might die a virgin.
Yep, it’s time we come to the realization that Brienne of Tarth is not only still a virgin — who has likely never even been kissed?? — but that she could very well die that way. Not to be a Debbie Downer about this, but one thing we know about Season 8 is that after the Battle of Winterfell, many “beloved heroes [will] lay dead outside the castle gates.” Since the official trailer shows Brienne of Tarth, Ser Podrick Payne, and Ser Jorah Mormont leading the vanguard protecting Winterfell outside the gates, it looks like those three might be in the most danger of falling.
Assuming that Brienne of Tarth will most likely perish protecting Sansa Stark and the rest of Winterfell’s residents, the question must be raised: will she get some before the Battle of Winterfell?
Okay, maybe it seems silly, but it is an important question. Sexuality isn’t merely a part of life that everyone should get to experience, but there are two popular characters who may want to hook up with Brienne the Beauty. Either potential hookup would have huge ramifications for those characters’ emotional arcs. The question is whether or not these warriors will be able to express this desire before the Battle of Winterfell, and if Brienne would consent. So who are these suitors?
First, of course, is Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju). The de facto leader of the freefolk took an immediate liking to Brienne when she arrived with Sansa and Pod at Castle Black. In fact, you could almost say it was as though the Wilding version of Cupid shot him in the heart and filled him with lust for the “big woman.”
Tormund has spent the last two seasons preoccupied with trying to win Brienne over. There’s the way he’s been trying to make eyes at her over dinner, and how he has to ask Jon Snow (Kit Harington) if he’s brought Brienne to the Wall for their expedition. (Not to mention his dismay when Jon reveals that Brienne did not come with him.)
It would not be at all surprising if Tormund tries to shoot his proverbial shot early on in Season 8. After all, he’s just come face-to-face with the Night King and almost died. He might feel “YOLO” about making the moves on Brienne of Tarth. However, there is a problem: Brienne seems to be completely disgusted by Tormund. Not to mention the fact that she’s obviously hung up on someone else…
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Since the end of Season 2, Brienne of Tarth’s fate has been oddly intertwined with that of Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley) dispatched Brienne with the task of escorting Jaime to the Lannisters safely, and during that adventure, the two warriors were captured by Roose Bolton’s cronies and subjected to awful torture. The experience had a bonding effect on the two.
In Season 3, Episode 5, “Kissed by Fire,” Jaime shares a bath with Brienne and reveals to her the truth about his “Kingslayer” nickname. When Brienne discovers that Jaime killed the Mad King Aerys to save King’s Landing, she begins to fall for him (even though it’s him who passes out in her arms).
Brienne’s crush on the handsome Lannister becomes so obvious that in Season 4, Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) calls her out on it. Brienne tries to play it cool, but it’s clear that a tight bond has been stitched between them. Jaime goes so far as to save Brienne’s life in a later Season 3 episode, and in Season 4, he gifts her with one of the two Valyrian steel swords that his father has forged from the Stark family’s Ice.
All evidence points to the idea that Jaime will be reuniting with Brienne early in Season 8. He’s set to arrive at Winterfell, where she is now stationed, to help the forces of the living take on the Army of the Dead. Will the two have a tender heart-to-heart? Will Jaime admit he, too, has feelings? Can he do it without betraying Cersei? Most importantly: will there be time for them to bang?
Honestly, the biggest stumbling block to Brienne losing her V-card is time. There are only six more episodes of Game of Thrones, so even if she survives to the end, there’s not a lot of downtime for her and Jaime (and/or Tormund) to explore their feelings. If Brienne of Tarth dies a virgin, it won’t be for lack of suitors, but a lack of time.
