Every character on Game of Thrones experiences a certain amount of misery, but Sansa experiences more than her fair share. Thanks to men like Joffrey, Ramsay, and Littlefinger, any notions she had about romance died long ago. The Sansa who believes in true knights and fair ladies is long gone, but the new badass Lady of Winterfell deserves to have some small bit of her faith in the world redeemed before the series ends. And Reddit user zmphotojournal knows just the guy to give the eldest Stark daughter the happy ending she deserves: Gendry. Yes, Arya’s Gendry, but let’s not dwell on that bit too much. Instead, let’s focus on how the show seems to have been setting these two up since the beginning.
In the pilot episode, Robert tells Ned, “You have a daughter, I have a son — let’s join our houses.” Of course, Robert’s referring to Joffrey, but we now know that he has a biological son in Gendry, who is a far, far better man than Sansa’s first crush could ever dream to be. As zmphotojournal points out in their theory, Jon knows Gendry well, and he can vouch for his honor. Arya also knows the blacksmith, and while she may have once dreamed of fighting side by side with Gendry for all of her days, she’s become a lone wolf now. Given how unlikely it is that she’ll be interested in romance with such a major battle brewing, there’s no reason not to believe she wouldn’t be in full support of her sister and friend finding happiness together. And let’s face it, these two are perfectly suited for one another. Gendry’s heroic, kind, and handsome, while Sansa is smart, strong, and beautiful.
And from a political standpoint, a marriage between Sansa and Gendry makes their potential pairing make even more sense. No, Gendry isn’t Robert’s legitimate son, but he’s the only Baratheon left. If his house is going to survive, it will be through his line. Meanwhile, Sansa needs to shore up her power in the North, and marrying the last living Baratheon — true-born or not — would be a good move on her part. Jon may be King in the North, but he’s been clear about his desire for his sister to run Winterfell. She doesn’t need a man to do this, of course, but she’s always wanted to experience true love. Nothing would be more satisfying than seeing her finally get her wish with the son of her father’s best friend.
After all, before his death, Ned tells Sansa that she deserves to be with someone who is “strong, and wise, and brave,” and Gendry is all of those things. (Well, the jury’s still out on the wise part, but his survival instincts have to count for something.) Given that there’s also an argument to be made that Gendry may end up inheriting the throne if all of the major players fall in battle, then the show could end with Robert and Ned’s wishes being fulfilled. Ned dies trying to ensure that the true Baratheons maintain the throne, while Robert’s wish is to finally join his house with Ned’s. Gendry and Sansa are in the perfect position to make both of these things happen, while also showing Sansa that she’s not just a pawn in the games of men. She can choose love, have her happy ending, and maintain her power. After seven seasons of heartbreak, there’s no better way for the Lady of Winterfell’s story to end.
