OK, Game of Thrones fans, buckle in — because winter is here, the army of the dead is here, and GoT's longest episode ever is coming so soon. On Sunday, April 28, Game of Thrones will run for 80 minutes and feature the show's biggest battle yet, the Battle of Winterfell. While some valiant Westeros and wildling men and women will be at the front lines protecting the living from the dead, others, like children or those incapable or unwilling to fight, will be tucked away in the crypts. Naturally, some fans are wondering: Are the crypts of Winterfell safe on Game of Thrones? Even though I desperately want them to be, it's pretty likely that something bad is going to happen down there, because it wouldn't be Game of Thrones without mass destruction, now would it?
In case you need a refresher, Game of Thrones' second episode of Season 8 focused on Winterfell's efforts to secure its grounds and the future of everyone living from the dead. During strategy discussions, it seemed to be decided that Winterfell's most vulnerable would be designated to the crypts. Initially, this seems like a good idea — the crypts are underground, hard to reach, and out of sight, making it hard for the White Walkers to prioritize or notice them. But the internet has a way of making safe ideas unravel faster than you can say "dracarys," and many fans think the crypts might not be as safe as the characters think.
A video by pop culture YouTube channel Looper dissects one glaring flaw in the plan to keep people safe in the crypts. The army of the dead is led by the Night King, and the Night King has the ability to raise the dead, make them part of his army, and control them. While the Night King may not have easy access to the crypts, he does have easy access to the dead — and guess what the crypts are filled with. Yep, you guessed it, a bunch of dead Starks.
Fans on Twitter started noticing this after Jon Snow and others continued to designate people to the crypts.
One Reddit user, u/ajniggles, got even more specific with the theory that the Night King will resurrect the dead, writing, "The Night King’s goal isn’t killing Bran, it's retrieving his long trapped Queen from the lowest level of the Winterfell Crypt." Would anyone else be as confused as I would if this whole time the Night King was just trying to get back his beloved?
There are plenty of other people the army of the dead and the Night King could have access to if they do, in fact, resurrect people from the crypts. Thrillist notes that Ned Stark could be a possible candidate (if his remains ever ended up in Winterfell), Jon Snow's mother Lyanna Stark could be risen from the dead, and Rickon Stark — Brann, Arya, Sansa, and Rob's brother — could also be among the dead the Night King brings back.
I don't know about you, but these theories have made my anxiety levels soar. Seeing as thought the episode will run well over an hour, there is plenty of time for all kinds of theories to pan out. Now, all that's left to do is wait and see how Sunday night's episode unfolds.
