Will Cleganebowl really happen in Game of Thrones Season 8?

August 22nd, 8:05pm August 22nd, 8:05pm Abhinav Pathak22, Game of Thrones geek, Passionate Fiction Writer and the author of ‘Gopalkant’s Wife’.

Game of Thrones Season 8 has officially wrapped up the filming and is in its post-production. With the confirmation of the new season airing in the first half of 2019, more footages, and teasers are expected to drop by the end of 2018. The seventh season left us with many easter-eggs like the topic of children being brought about several times. But, a scene shared by the Clegane brothers in the seventh season has once again sparked up the hype of the much-awaited Cleganebowl!

The theory for the duel between the Hound (Sandor Clegane) and the Mountain (Gregor Clegane) first came into being in the first season. During the Hand’s Tourney in honor of Ned Stark, we learn the story of the Clegane brothers via Petyr Baelish. He tells Sansa Stark,

“One evening, Gregor found his little brother playing with a toy by the fire – Gregor’s toy, a wooden knight. Gregor never said a word; he just grabbed his brother by the scruff of his neck and shoved his face into the burning coals…held him there while the boy screamed, while his face melted…”

Next, the Mountain was defeated by Ser Loras Tyrell in the tourney. Filled with rage and frustration, he killed his horse and started attacking Loras. The Hound stepped in to save him, which resulted in a duel between him and his brother.

After the Battle of the Blackwater Bay, the Hound abandoned King’s Landing. He later became Arya Stark’s guardian although initially, he intended on making money by getting her back to her family. Upon being wounded in a spar with Brienne of Tarth, Arya abandoned him.

Although many thought that he had died, he came back in the series in the sixth season as a changed man. He was no longer the Hound but Sandor Clegane. He later decided to join the Brotherhood, following them to the North.

Many of us had almost forgotten about the Cleganebowl until it was teased again in the seventh season by Sandor himself. In the episode ‘The Dragon and the Wolf’ Sandor saw his brother again at the Dragonpit.

He went up to him and said:

“Remember me? Yeah, you do. You’re even f**king uglier than I am now. What did they do to you? Doesn’t matter…That’s not how it ends for you, brother…You know who coming for you…You’ve always known.”

This jaw-dropping scene from Season seven has led many fans to believe that Cleganebowl will surely happen in the final season. There are some hints in the series and the books that both support and discard the possibility of it happening:

# What kept him alive?

In Season 6, when we first see Sandor Clegane, he is a changed man. He is no longer the man we knew since the first season. Then, we see him having a discussion with Brother Ray, probably the one who saved him.

Ray asked him, “…what kept you standing?”

“Hate,” the Hound replied after thinking for a moment.

From this conversation, it can be inferred that Sandor still remembers his brother and hates him. It is highly probable that Sandor will be the one who kills his brother in the final season. This will finally complete his entire story arc.

# The Hound is dead and Sandor lives on:

The Hound is a character who has been first shown as Joffrey’s personal guard and is despised and hated by all. Joffrey calls him a dog but, he is still dutiful and follows all orders he has vowed to follow. He hates his brother for the trauma, he suffered as a child. Half of his face is burnt because of which people judge and fear him. Sansa fears him but he has always protected her. He protected her when Joffrey tried to humiliate her, by covering her in his own cloak. He even tried to persuade her to accompany him during his escape of King’s landing.

Later, he became a guardian for Arya, after she had nowhere else to go. He even took on a duel with Brienne, whom he did not trust would protect Arya. We later see him the seventh season discussing with Brienne that he too was only trying to protect her.

The YouTuber Bridge4 believes that Sandor won’t kill his brother at all as the Hound is dead as a character. He is Sandor Clegane now and has moved on, finding a new goal in life. And, whatever he said to his brother in the seventh episode of the last season wasn’t a warning but a pity for what his brother had become. He doesn’t hate his brother at all just like Arya, who took the Hound off her kill-list. And, killing his brother will be a negative step for his character. Even if he does so, it will be done as an act of mercy.

# The Hound in the Books:

Just like the TV series, in the book series, Arya leaves the Hound to die but it is not confirmed if he actually dies. Later, Brienne and Podrick come across a gravedigger matching the description and built of the Hound. A man reveals to them that the Hound had died and he himself had buried him. He says,

“I came upon him by the Trident, drawn by his cries of pain. He begged me for the gift of mercy, but I am sworn not to kill again. Instead, I bathed his fevered brow with river water and gave him wine to drink and a poultice for his wound, but my efforts were too little and too late. The Hound died there, in my arms.”

Many fans believe that the phrase “the Hound died” here literally means that Sandor’s character as the Hound is dead and he has moved on as a totally new person.

We don’t know if he will survive the events of the final season or not but one thing is sure that he still has many things to achieve. Although he was initially feared and hated, he has moved on as a character who still has humanity and love left in his heart.

So, what do you think will be the role of Sandor Clegane in the final season? Will the much-hyped Cleganebowl actually happen? Tell us in the comments section down below.

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