One of the most terrifying creatures in George RR Martin’s Game of Thrones books are the ice spiders.
In the books, the White Walkers ride on these huge and dangerous beasts.
That said, they haven’t been seen yet in the HBO series, but that could be about to change in season eight.
A new theory has emerged which suggests season eight might start with the introduction of these terrifying ice spiders.
They were mentioned in the A Song of Ice and Fire books by Old Nan and Samwell Tarly (played by John Bradley in the series).
“The horn blew thrice long, three long blasts means Others,” Martin writes in A Game of Thrones.
“The white walkers of the wood, the cold shadows, the monsters of the tales that made him squeak and tremble as a boy, riding their giant ice-spiders, hungry for blood.”
One of the reasons why fans haven’t seen the ice spiders in the series yet could be down to lack of budget.
Producers already have to create three dragons and a whole bunch of White Walkers, which is a huge strain on the CGI budget.
However, a few fans believe these eight-legged creatures will crawl their way into season eight.
“Personally, I’d like it to start in a similar way to the opening of the show, except its guards of a castle in the forest and they get attacked by White Walkers and ice spiders which, from what I understand, are as big as hounds,” Yocheco619 wrote on Reddit.
“Going to be so sad if we don’t get ice spiders after all that talk.”
This would be a fascinating and tense way to start season eight, and will make die-hard fans of both the show and the books very happy.
“I’d almost guarantee that’s what’s coming,” agreed another user wrote on Reddit.
It’ll also be an exciting way to begin the final season since it harkens back to the way the show started.
The very first episode of Game of Thrones started with a White Walker attack, and it would be rather fitting if the final season also began with one.
Meanwhile, other fans are speculating the return of a major character in season eight, namely Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa).
“All characters that have been burned to death/after death by fire will be reincarnated by R’hllor (god of fire/light/red god),” wrote Reddit user Cadiacman.
“You fight an army with an army, an army of burned dead people that you resurrect.”
Game of Thrones season eight returns Spring 2019, and the prequel is expected to debut a year later in 2020.
