The Three-Eyed Raven, Bran’s greenseeing mentor, is one of the most mysterious characters on Game of Thrones. We don’t know a lot about him, especially on the show, although he runs quite a bit deeper in the Song of Ice and Fire novels. Still, he’s always an enigma. Who is this guy, really, and what is his long-term plan? Is he trying to help the living defeat the Night King? Or does he have more nefarious goals in mind? Has he been pulling the strings behind events in Westeros without the characters realizing it? YouTuber Alt Shift X, who reliably makes interesting, easy-to-absorb videos about Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire fan theories, digs into these questions in the video below. Check it out:
As Alt Shift X details, the man who would become the Three-Eyed Raven — Brynden Rivers, known as Bloodraven — was an old hand at spying and manipulation long before he got the power to peer into the past and possess animals. His is a fascinating story, from Targaryen bastard to kinslayer to Hand of the King to Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch to ancient tree wizard. That’s a life worthy of a prequel series, if you ask us.
It’s also interesting to see how much more a part of events Rivers is in the books as compared to the show. Game of Thrones cut out elements like the curious quorking of Jeor Mormont’s raven and the possible connection between between Bloodraven and Euron Greyjoy. Did Bran somehow win the job as the new Three-Eyed Raven because others failed the test and died (or, in Euron’s case, went crazy)? A revelation like that would undercut Bran’s autonomy, but it wouldn’t be the first time a Stark had been manipulated for someone else’s ends.
Of course, on the show, the Three-Eyed Raven has died, passing on his powers in full to Bran. We’ll probably see something similar happen in The Winds of Winter, whenever that comes out, but the mystery of Bloodraven’s life, and his legacy, will live on.
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