Fan theories and the vast works of A Song and Ice and Firego hand in hired hand , and Game of Thrones has spent the last duet of years bringing a few of the fully grown of them to life . But one this coming season might lastly tackle is the fabled Cleganebowl — a duel fans have been chomping at the bit to see for ages .
A Tale of Two Brothers
So what is Cleganebowl ? essentially , it ’s what some lover see as the culmination of the story arcs of Sandor “ The Hound ” and Gregor “ The Mountain ” Clegane — two brothers who are very very eager to kill each other .
Pretty much from the get go , in the show and the novel , it was give that the Clegane brothers were not get laid sib . year of bullying and anguish at Gregor ’s hand — including the burning across his face — taught Sandor to disdain his brother , and Gregor ’s own monstrous action during the sacking of King ’s landing place ( and his eventual knighthood ) also gave the younger Clegane a distrusting perspective of the world of chivalry and royalty .
Although when we first meet them in the show the animus is clear , it ’s also established that the two are both still loyal to House Lannister despite their deep hate of one another . Since those early day , though , Sandor and Gregor have gone on wildly divergent paths . Gregor remain at Cersei ’s side , eventually croak in a virulent duel with Oberyn Martell , only to be resurrected as a zombie - esque understood escort for Cersei , created as an unstoppable Champion for her in her planned trial by fight against the Faith .
Sandor , on the other hand , desolate the Lannisters and fled King ’s Landing after the Battle of Blackwater , journey in the Riverlands with Arya Stark as his prisoner for a sentence . Eventually , an confrontation with Brienne of Tarth precede to her royally beating the bull out of him , and Arya used the battle to scarper from both of them . That ’s more or less where the volume left the Hound ( although in the books he received his wounds from two of Gregor ’s men ) , but the show has since let on that Sandor outlast after Brother Ray and his follower encountered him after his affaire d’honneur . Ray nurse him back to health , and Sandor seemed content to lay down his sword and endure with these simple the great unwashed , until catastrophe struck , when they were all massacred by former members of the Brotherhood Without Banners . Sandor cull up his sword and hunted them down , until he found the actual Brotherhood , who were hang the residuum of the murderers for their crimes .
Sandor has since joined the Brotherhood Without Banners , and trailer for season seven have since confirm he ’ll at one point meet up with Jon Snow , potentially ally with him as the yoke journeying beyond the Wall for reason currently unknown . Although their track are radically diverging at this full stop , fans trust there is a future duel between Gregor , as Cersei ’s friend , and Sandor , take somehow to represent the Faith , give that he was saved by Brother Ray . Or , they thought it was meant to be , until Tommen dominate that tryout by combat would n’t be allowed , conduct to Cersei blow out up all of her enemies at the culmination of time of year six .
Since it first emerge , the idea of the facetiously - dubbed Cleganebowl being “ confirm ” whenever the slightest bit of news about either one of the brothers has emerged has become a long - hightail it meme in the Thrones fandom . It ’s even gotits own subreddit , which , before last week ’s release of a Modern trailer for the show , was full of in - jokes and theory as to how the affaire d’honneur could finally number about , and is now mainly people screaming their head off that the hypothesis may finally be coming to pass .
So Could Cleganebowl Actually Happen on Game of Thrones?
Ever since Sandor returned in the TV series following his duel with Brienne — and confirm the hints dropped by Martin in the Book that he ’d survived there , too — fan have assumed that Cleganebowl is inevitable , even after Tommen ’s banning of the trial by combat . Butthe late preview for the show released last weekcontains a blink - and - you’ll - young woman it dash that many fans consider all but confirms we can have a bun in the oven the fated affaire d’honneur to go down in this penultimate season .
Although obscure by sunlight , the shrouded image in the trailer does match up with Sandor ’s hair , and the costume matches one seen ina recent promo for the show worn by him . Sandor Clegane could be drawing his sword at anyone in this shot , but buff have consume it to be him drawing his sword at his brother because of the brief glimpse at the location around him . It await far different to the chilly northerly climes we ’ve been seeing Sandor in over the last time of year , and we hypothesize inour dawdler breakdown last weekthat this could be part of arumoured major coming togetherof several members of the Game of Thrones cast at a location called the Dragonpit , a pivotal turning point just outside of King ’s Landing .
What draws the great unwashed there is currently unknown , but with rumor that both Clegane brother are a few of characters that will visit the Dragonpit next time of year , it seems like after years of waiting , Cleganebowl has last been schedule — if if it ’s not finally as part of Cersei ’s trial by armed combat any more .
Cleganebowl in the Books
Beyond the narrative gratification of watching these two in the end fight it out on blind , there are two other reasons fans are certain Cleganebowl is on the way , and they ’re both from George R.R. Martin ’s novels — even though there ’s actually not as much hard grounds in the book as the show , simply because the show has promote well beyond where A Dance of Dragons depart off .
In the Scripture , we last right construe Sandor Clegane in A violent storm of sword bleed out after his affaire d’honneur with Brienne , so we do n’t recognize if he survived as he did in the show yet . That said , there is evidence : in A Feast For Crows , Brienne ’s journey across the Riverlands in search of the Stark children result to her coming across a monastery wind by a man called the Elder Brother , and a grave digger bearing singular strong-arm similarity to Sandor , including his sunburn wounds , but with his case obscured . The Elder Brother told Brienne that the “ Hound is dead , ” while Sandor himself was “ at sleep , ” which obviously entail he ’s utter , but more probable refers to the younger Clegane giving up his life as the Hound and , no longer fighting , angry , or bitter , has found peace .
Meanwhile it ’s not been all confirm that Cersei ’s baleful bodyguard is even Gregor Clegane in the books . Although the show has openly transform Gregor into Cersei ’s zombi - esque body guard , the books have n’t . There , the giant , dumb knight is contribute the name Ser Robert Strong , but is implied to have been an experimented - upon Gregor , either through scientific discipline or black art , and that the Mountain may have been the vessel , but there ’s much more go on with him . So there ’s a chance Ser Robert Strong might not really be Gregor , although it ’s unconvincing .
irrespective , simply because we ’re still waiting on The Winds of Winter ’s arrival , we do n’t know if the books are heading in the centering of the two Clegane brothers ever meeting again , let alone fighting — although , unlike in the show , the original theory of them meeting as part of Cersei ’s future trial is still a possibleness there .
The Crazy Prophecy Behind Cleganebowl
A subsection of Cleganebowl fan mean that the plump out duel between the brother could wreak a part in a larger prophecy in the books — specifically the one give to a young Cersei by fortune cashier Maggy the Frog . In the TV show it was seen during a flashback in the time of year five premiere . However , the TV serial left out a piece of the full prophecy Maggy give Cersei in A banquet for Crows that Cleganebowl buff latch on to :
When your bust have drown you , the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the aliveness from you .
“ Valonqar ” means “ Little brother ” in High Valyrian — and while book fans have excogitate that it ’s extremely potential that the Valonqar is either Tyrion ( who , in both stature and by rake , is Cersei ’s little brother ) or Jaime ( more of a technicality as , although Cersei ’s Twin Falls , was bear moment after her , making her the oldest ) , Cleganebowl fans conceive the Valonqar is actually Sandor Clegane .
Because Maggy ’s prophecy simply tells Cersei “ the Valonqar ” and not “ your Valonqar , ” the potential for an unrelated small brother to kill her could potentially mean that Sandor bests his elder sidekick Gregor in the trial run by combat ( which , as far as we get it on by the end of A Dance With Dragons , is still a affair in the books ) , help oneself condemnation Cersei to her death .
Of course , since this part of Cersei ’s vaticination is only note in the books , it does n’t have any relevance for the show — although it ’s certainly possible that if Danaerys does suppress Westeros in time of year seven , Cersei may face another test . She ’d certainly choose Ser Gregor , and Sandor would jump off at the chance to finally take out his brother .
Game of Thrones proceeds on July 16 , so we wo n’t know for trusted if the Cleganebowl will take place this season , in the final time of year , or never . But many , many fans have already bought their tickets , and ca n’t wait for the fighting to begin .
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