Game of Thrones season seven is nearly upon us. The hit HBO show will be back on your televisions on July 16th, meaning we are roughly one and a half months away. Just like any year when Thrones is close to returning, it is always fun to speculate who will be biting the bullet in the coming season.
Yesterday we took a look at three characters likely to die in season seven. Spoiler alert, Jon Snow is not on that list. But one character that is, is currently in Winterfell with both Jon and his sister (I mean cousin?) Sansa Stark. His name is Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish.
Now before we get in depth here, let me mention that the official trailer for season seven was released yesterday. If you have seen it, you are surely even more hyped for Thrones to make its return. If you haven’t, please take the time to enjoy it below. And if you have seen it, go ahead and enjoy it again!
Now, I was convinced before the trailer that Littlefinger was not going to make it out of this season alive. After seeing the trailer, I am even more convinced that will be the case. But now my question becomes, who gets to kill him?
Late last season, it was Littlefinger who came to the rescue when things looked bleak for team Jon and Sansa. Without his help, Ramsey would likely have won. But that is not the case, and the North now belongs to the Stark family once again. Jon is now the King of the North.
So why would Littlefinger, a man who is usually only in things for himself, help get the North back for Jon and Sansa? Easy. Because he has a thing for Sansa, since she reminds him of her mother, who he also had a thing for. Littlefinger and Sansa have a long history on the show.
He has helped her when she needed it. He has smuggled her on a boat when she was going to be hunted down by the Lannisters. But there is always something in it for him. Sansa knows this. Everyone knows this.
It is safe to say Lord Baelish will be looking for something in return for his good deed at the end of season six. More likely than not, he will turn to Sansa to help acquire it. In the trailer, he is seen lurking in the shadows. Both literally and meteorically. Typical Littlefinger.
He is also seen talking to Sansa. He says to her, “Your father and brothers are gone, yet here you stand”. Sounds to me that like he is trying to play Sansa against Jon. I have a sneaky suspicion that Littlefinger knows the truth about Jon’s heritage (more on that in a moment). That would mean he knows Jon is not a true Stark in any sense of the word. And since they all think Bran is dead, that would mean he is telling Sansa that the North rightfully belongs to her.
If Littlefinger could get Jon out of the picture by turning Sansa against him, it would put him one step closer to the ultimate power he seeks. I could see Sansa falling for it at first, but ultimately realizing the game Lord Baelish is playing.
This would more than justify her killing him off. Given the history between the two characters, this would make a ton of sense. Baelish is going to die, and there is no character more suitable to do the deed than Sansa.
That’s where the trailer makes things interesting. There is a clip that shows Jon and Littlefinger are down in the Crypt of Winterfell. Jon does not to be too pleased with Lord Baelish. He grabs him by the throat and slams him against the wall.
So what exactly is going on here? Here is what I am thinking. Jon goes down to the Crypt to think. All of a sudden, Baelish pops out of the shadows. The two do not get along very well to begin with, and things take a nosedive even further as soon as Littlefinger starts to talk.
He starts talking about Lyanna Stark, whose statue can be seen in the background as Jon slams Baelish against the wall in the trailer. He also mentions Ned Stark. He goes on to explain Jon’s true heritage to him. But Jon does not want to believe it. That is when the clip from the trailer happens.
The conversation can continue. Finally, Littlefiner says something to the effect of, “You’re not a Stark. The North does not belong to you. You have no purpose here”. I am no show writer, so it would probably sound a lot cooler than that.
But the point being, Littlefinger’s words set Jon over the edge. And in a fit of rage, Jon kills him in an extremely emotional scene. It is a scene that seems to fit the shock factor that Thrones likes to give its fans.
Now, I could see either of these scenarios playing out. But to get back to the question. Who will do it? Which scenario will it be? Well, since the second scenario can still happen, without Jon actually killing Littlefinger, I am putting my money on Sansa.
I do think it will be Lord Baelish that reveals Jon’s true parentage to him. But Jon will not let hate for Littlefinger consume him in that moment. Sansa is simply the right person for the job here. It will be towards the end of the season, but Sansa will kill Littlefinger.
So what do you think? Who will kill Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish? Will it be Sansa Stark? Will it be Jon Snow? Or could it be someone else entirely? Tell us what you think in the comments!