Unlike previous seasons, when the Game of Thrones fandom was treated to delicious plot leaks and other source material, fans hunkered down for the long “winter” of waiting, with no clue as to what the upcoming season would bring.
Since the final season of the epic HBO series is not due for another two months, it came as no surprise that fans went into a complete frenzy over the recently released Game of Thrones images on February 6. As the Inquisitr previously reported, the 14 photos released ahead of the Season 8 premiere featured 12 of the series’ most popular characters. However, fan-favorite Tormund Giantsbane (played by Kristofer Hivju) was not among the 12.
When we last saw Tormund at the end of Season 7, the fate of the fierce warrior was hanging in the balance. During the attack on The Wall, when the Knight King unleashed Daenerys’ fallen dragon Viserion to tumble down the ancient structure and lead his vast army into Westeros, Tormund and Beric Dondarrion (Richard Dormer) were standing right in harm’s way.
At the end of the Season 7 finale, the two characters disappeared from view as The Wall crumbled into a pile of rubble under their feet. This led fans to believe that Tormund and Beric likely did not survive the encounter with the newly resurrected Viserion.
After the Season 7 cliffhanger, there was some speculation that both Tormund and the Lightning Lord may have escaped with their lives, after the script for the Season 7 finale was released last August, as reported by the Inquisitr at the time.
That supposition is now being confirmed by the Game of Thrones online community Watchers On The Wall. Members of the community managed to get their hands on a leaked cast list for Season 8 and found themselves in a position to spill a few secrets, the Daily Mail is reporting.
Fans will be relieved to find out that both Kristofer Hivju and Richard Dormer are on the cast list for Season 8, which suggests that Tormund and Beric somehow made it through the attack.
The cast list for the upcoming season, which was published in full on the Watchers On The Wall website, is believed to represent the list of actors and actresses who will appear on screen on the night of the Season 8 premiere. This means that not only are Tormund and Beric alive and well, but we’ll actually get to see them on the very first episode of the season.
Aside from Tormund and Beric, other characters we can look forward to seeing on the Season 8 premiere are Bronn (Jerome Flynn); Melisandre (Carice van Houten), who was last seen heading to Volantis; and Yara Greyjoy (Gemma Whelan), who got betrayed imprisoned by Euron after Theon’s cowardly escape in the previous season.
The leaked cast list also included a few surprises, such as the unexpected appearance of Robin Arryn (Lino Facioli) and Edmure Tully (Tobias Menzies). These characters haven’t enjoyed screen time for a while, and were last seen in Season 6 and in the Season 7 premiere, respectively.
“We should say these cast lists have been known to be mixed up between episodes, but never between seasons,” notes Watchers On The Wall.
“So, though it’s possible for some of these cast members to only appear later in the season and not in the premiere, the characters who have been absent for years in particular are unlikely to be accidental leftovers from way back in season six.”
As always, fans will just have to wait until April 14 — when the Season 8 premiere is set to air — to see Tormund, and find out for themselves who else will appear on the hotly-anticipated first episode of Game of Thrones‘ final season.
