Will Melisandre arrive when everything is lost and save everyone?

Winter is finally here – and after two episodes of Game of Thrones Season 8, we are all set for the much-hyped ‘Battle of Winterfell‘. While many articles on the same topic suggest that the battle is going to be epic – especially with the amount of hard work put in by the cast and crew members, we can still place our bets on the future of our favourite characters.

One of them is the ‘Red Woman’ Melisandre whose role has been diminished in Game of Thrones since Season 6, though she made two appearances in the 7th season.  But, with only four episodes left in the last season, let’s theorize on how she can be brought back for the end-game.

Melisandre in the third episode of the seventh season revealed to Varys about the plans on heading back to Volantis. According to her, she has already played a major part in the Great War “bringing Ice and Fire together”. Yet, she did hint at her return from Volantis back to Westeros. She said to Varys,

”Oh, I will return, dear spider…one last time…I have to die in this strange country, just like you.”

Two things are confirmed from this scene – one being her return and her death in the final season. But, how will Melisandre be brought back in the end-game? I personally believe we will witness her surprise return in the upcoming episodes. Though, I’m not sure whether she will be a part of the Battle of Winterfell or will she return back to the see the North in ruins? Yet, her being a part of the battle would really interesting to see based on why she went to Volantis.

Books provide us with more insights on Volantis and the religion of R’hllor. Volantis as the book describes closely follows the religion and the Red Temple there is guarded by numerous slave soldiers called the Fiery Hand. Though the TV show never centred itself around the religion of Volantis and these slave-soldiers, Melisandre is surely coming back to Westeros at this point to bring some help from there. It will be more interesting to watch if she goes down while saving the day during the battle of Winterfell. It can happen in one or two ways – either her sacrificing herself or bringing someone important back to life – suggesting a poetic end for her, given the number of people she has killed/sacrificed to R’hllor.

Her coming back in the end-game is also supported by her brief meeting with Arya Stark back in Season 3, while she had come to the Brotherhood to take away Gendry to use him in one of her blood magic rituals. In the same scene, she had told Arya that they would meet again sometime in the future. Melisandre said to Arya,

“I see a darkness in you and in that darkness, eyes staring back at me…brown eyes, blues eyes, green eyes…eyes you’ll shut forever. We will meet again.”

This is also supported by the fact that Melisandre was mentioned in the last episode by Arya during “her scene” with Gendry. Though it may seem funny enough, the Red Woman is on Arya Stark’s kill list. But since, Arya seems to have forgiven Beric Dondarrion – which we come to know from her meeting with him and the Hound, we can expect her being not stubborn towards executing Mel.

Melisandre is on her arc of redemption just like Jaime Lannister – so she will surely not burn any other characters whom we love. Yet her being absent in the last two episodes suggests that she may come to save the day when all is lost. Given the fact that the actress Carice Van Houten was in two of the promotional photos for the new season, it can’t be denied that she’s surely coming back!

How do you like the idea of Melisandre returning back this season to save the day during the Battle of Winterfell and who do you think will survive this battle? Tell us in the comments.