Game Of Thrones: 10 Storylines The Show Dropped

Regardless of how the series may have ended, it’s impossible to deny that Game of Thrones was one of the most complex and well-written TV shows in television history. It changed the scale of TV, and it changed audience expectations for what TV shows were capable of as well.

However, in a show with a seemingly endless cast of characters and dozens of different storylines, it comes as no surprise that some slipped through the cracks. But, throughout the eight seasons of Game of Thrones, what storylines and plot threads did the series seemingly completely forget about?

10 The White Walker’s Spirals

The White Walkers were threatening and mysterious throughout the entirety of Game of Thrones, but one common thread with their appearances was never addressed or explained.

The White Walkers seem to have a preference for arranging things in an artistically gruesome manner, these spiral patterns seem to show up every time they make some sort of display of their power, but there was never any explanation as to why they kept doing it or what it meant.

9 Arya’s Dropped Revenge Against Ilyn Payne

Arya’s determination to get revenge against all of those who have wronged her and her family was a consistent element of the series for most of its run, and as the man who actually cut Ned Stark’s head off, it was a bit baffling that Ilyn Payne suddenly dropped off of her infamous list and was never mentioned again.

However, there’s an explanation for that dropped storyline, as Wilko Johnson, the actor who played Sir Ilyn, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had to abruptly quit the series.

8 Rhaegar And Lyanna’s Relationship

The revelation of Jon Snow’s parentage was one of the biggest moments in the entire series, however, in theory the revelation that Rhaegar and Lyanna fell and love and were married should have been a bigger one. After all, literally everything that happens in the main storyline is influenced by this one plot twist.

However, after Rhaegar and Lyanna’s relationship is revealed, it’s essentially completely forgotten with no further explanation or exploration of it at all.

7 Varys Revealing Jon’s Claim To The Throne

One odd scene in the final season was when Varys was apparently writing letters to people revealing the fact that Jon Snow was the child of Rhaegar and Lyanna just before he is executed by Daenerys.

But what exactly happened with that? Did he actually get the word out, and to whom? And how did the lords of Westeros or the population of the country in general react to that information?

6 Quaithe

Although Quaithe only appeared once in the second season of Game of Thrones and was never mentioned again, book fans were surprised and a little perturbed at the fact that she was just a one-and-done character.

Because, while Quaithe isn’t a main character in the books either, she repeatedly appears to Daenerys and seems to offer her prophecies in the form of riddles, and these prophecies heavily influence the Targaryen queen’s outlook on what’s happening.

5 What Varys Heard In The Flames

Despite being a common Essosi man, Varys became one of the most powerful and influential people in the world. And the most impactful experience that Varys ever had was when he was mutilated by a sorcerer, and he heard a voice come out from the flames that his severed parts were thrown into.

What Varys heard in these flames was teased multiple times over the course of the series, but it was never revealed what he actually did hear.

4 The Faceless Men

The Faceless Men and Jaqen H’ghar were hugely influential aspects of Arya Stark’s character arc, and it goes without saying that without her extensive training, she literally would not have been able to stop the Night King or the White Walkers. But was that all just a coincidence?

Was Jaqen aware of Arya’s destiny, and did he train her for it, or did he just accept her as an acolyte because he thought she’d make a good assassin?

3 The Prince That Was Promised Prophecy

The followers of the Lord of Light seem to be very invested in a prophecy that tells of the Prince That Was Promised, and this is a primary motivating factor for why they follow who they follow.

However, who was the real Prince That Was Promised? Was it Arya, because she defeated the Night King? Or was Jon still the prophesied savior because he stopped Daenerys from taking over the world?

2 Bran’s Abilities

Bran obviously went on one of the most mystical journeys out of all the characters on the show, but what did he actually become in the end, and what was he capable of?

He appears to be an exceptionally powerful warg as well as the Three-Eyed Raven, but what exactly does that mean, and more importantly, why didn’t he seemingly control or even attempt to influence all the cataclysmic disasters that were going on around him?

1 Time Travel

Arguably the most shocking revelation in the history of the series occurred when Bran warged into Hodor in the present day, but somehow connected with Hodor in the past. The fact that Bran influenced the past from his present essentially implies that time travel is possible in the Game of Thrones universe.

But, not only was there never any further exploration of this concept, but there was never any explanation as to why Bran didn’t even try to use this power to prevent the mass genocide in King’s Landing.