Game of Thrones death toll reaches 150,966

Game of Thrones: Who will end up on the throne?

27 July

It's taking part, not the winning, that counts - or so they say. That's certainly not true in Game of Thrones, where few characters are willing to finish in second place.

Despite the myriad storylines, the entire show is essentially about who will conquer the Iron Throne. With just two short seasons left to go, here are some of the most and least likely contenders to rule the Seven Kingdoms in the end – according to the bookmakers.

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Top contenders

Daenerys Targaryen (7/4): Dany has long been the obvious candidate and was set up to win from day one. However, George RR Martin's commitment to killing off beloved characters and misdirecting fans is perhaps enough to suggest she won't make it. Her power to overawe an entire people by walking through fire is certainly handy, although her practice run as ruler of Meereen had its fair share of hiccups. Despite her desire to be a good and just queen, there was much unrest and violence among those she tried to lead.

Jon Snow (5/2): Fans are convinced Snow has Targaryen blood, meaning he has a legitimate claim to rule Westeros. If Red Priestess Melisandre is to be believed, he is also Azor Ahai, a legendary figure in the faith of R'hllor, reborn to defeat the darkness of the Great Other. If Snow leads the fight against the White Walkers and saves Westeros, he might be deemed their rightful leader.

Bran Stark (8/1): As the only living legitimate son of Eddard Stark, Bran could rightfully become Lord of Winterfell. If the north then decided to take on Cersei Lannister, who has little support in King's Landing, might Bran one day become king? He is certainly becoming one of the most powerful characters in Westeros, with the ability to see into the past and future, and even influence events in other periods of history.

Less likely contenders

Prince Aegon Targaryen (100/1): Readers of George RR Martin's A Dance with Dragons will be familiar with a character called Young Griff, who is said to be Prince Aegon Targaryen in disguise. Aegon – the son of Daenerys's brother, Rhaegar, and Oberyn Martell's sister, Elia – was apparently swapped at birth and smuggled to safety during Robert's Rebellion, so he could one day return as king. However, the character is yet to show up in the HBO series and a released chapter from Martin's upcoming book, The Winds of Winter, suggests Young Griff might be a fraud.

Brienne of Tarth (100/1): She is the most loyal person in the Seven Kingdoms, strong enough to beat The Hound within an inch of his life and capable of biting off a man's ear. But Brienne of Tarth looks set to be a follower rather than a leader. Nevertheless, her reign would certainly be one of justice and honour should she ever take the Iron Throne.

Hot Pie (500/1): Remember him? He escaped Harrenhal with Arya Stark and Gendry in season two and was last seen serving up kidney pies at a local inn. He has no claim to the throne and few skills required of a king. One of the most cowardly characters in the show, Hot Pie has hidden in bushes to avoid a fight and wet himself in fear of execution – but he can bake a mean wolf-shaped loaf of bread.

Odds from Sky Bet

Game of Thrones: What we learned from behind-the-scenes footage

25 July

Game of Thrones has released two short videos to keep fans going through the long, hard nights as they wait for season seven.

A two-minute In-Production Tease, released at Comic-Con in San Diego, shows props being labelled and sets being built for the next series.

The scenes are set to voiceovers from season six, hinting at the most important characters to keep an eye on. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"content_original","fid":"97865","attributes":{"class":"media-image"}}]]

The audio of Cersei Lannister's coronation is replayed, with emphasis on the line: "Long may she reign" – a platitude that looks unlikely with Daenerys Targaryen finally crossing the Narrow Sea.

Ramsay Bolton's final words to Sansa Stark - "You can't kill me, I'm part of you" - are also heard, fuelling rumours she might be pregnant with his child. Others suggest the words have a darker meaning and that Sansa has been permanently altered by his abuse.

Finally, Tyrion Lannister's voice is heard welcoming Daenerys home, as a copy of the "confidential" script for season seven episode one is placed down on a table reflecting the face of his brother, Jaime. One theory is that Jaime will kill their sister, Cersei.

"So… Cersei, Sansa and Daenerys," says Entertainment Weekly. "If the teaser is any indication, the three women will define season seven's trajectory, with help from the Lannister brothers."

The behind-the-scenes footage also shows crew members painting several funeral stones, traditionally placed on the eyes of the dead in the show, suggesting more deaths are to come in King's Landing.

A separate, more light-hearted, video has also been released, showing the bloopers from season six – from Emilia Clarke struggling with her dothraki, Peter Dinklage struggling with the word "benevolent" and Kit Harington struggling with his dignity. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"content_original","fid":"97864","attributes":{"class":"media-image"}}]]

Game of Thrones: Will Gendry finally return in season seven?

22 July

Gendry, the bastard son of King Robert Baratheon, has not been seen since season three of Game of Thrones, when he escaped Dragonstone on a rowing boat.

After discovering his parentage, red priestess Melisandre wanted to burn Gendry alive as a gift to the Lord of Light to help Robert's brother, Stannis, become king.

However, Davos Seaworth helped him escape, instructing him to row to King's Landing – and that was the end of it. Despite much anticipation ahead of the past three seasons, viewers are still yet to find out if he made it to land alive.

But might that all change in season seven next year?

Some fans still hope Gendry will return with a claim to the throne, although they concede he would have to be legitimised first.

He is the only known man in Westeros with Baratheon blood, after Cersei Lannister had her husband's other bastard children slaughtered and the other Baratheon heirs died.

One theory suggests Gendry could be legitimised by Jon Snow, whose sister, Arya, or new advisor, Davos, could vouch for his lineage.

It would bring the story full circle, as the show kicked off with Ned Stark discovering Gendry and questioning the legitimacy of King Joffrey.

However, he would first have to contend with the new Queen Cersei and Daenerys Targaryen, who is heading to King's Landing with an army of ships and dragons.