Isaac Hempstead Wright Thought Bran's Fate in 'Game of Thrones' Was a Joke [SPOILERS]

This story includes spoilers for 'Game of Thrones' Season 8 Episode 6, "The Iron Throne."

Out of the many conclusions for the remaining characters of Game of Thrones in the finale last night, the most unexpected might’ve been Bran Stark’s. The all-knowing Three-Eyed Raven, whose powers and purpose have remained largely a mystery leading into this last season, was appointed the King of the Six Kingdoms (after Sansa Stark declared Winterfell would be independent). Although on the one hand it seems logical for someone not motivated by power to rule, it also just doesn’t feel like a decision these characters would come to. Especially not so quickly. And the actor behind Bran, Isaac Hempstead Wright, couldn’t believe it himself. He was sure the whole thing was a prank when he first read the script.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the 20-year-old actor shared his reaction to Bran’s big scene in the final episode, “The Iron Throne.”

“When I got to the [Dragonpit scene] in the last episode and they’re like, ‘What about Bran?’ I had to get up and pace around the room,” he recounted. “I genuinely thought it was a joke script and that [showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss] sent to everyone a script with their own character ends up on the Iron Throne. ‘Yeah, good one guys. Oh s—, it’s actually real?’”

But once he discovered it wasn’t a joke, Hempstead Wright did approve of the decision. “I’m happy,” he added. “Though I kind of did want to die and get in one good death scene with an exploding head or something.” He also explained why he thinks Bran would do well as the ruler, poking fun at his character’s ability of knowing and seeing it all.

“I think he’ll be a really good king actually,” the actor continued. “Perhaps there will be something missing in having real emotive leader, which is a useful quality in a king or queen as well. At the same time, you can’t really argue with Bran. He’s like, ‘No, I know everything.’”

So what’s Hempstead Wright’s plan now that Game of Thrones is over? We’re not totally sure, but there’s one thing he wants to do after last night’s finale. “I just want to shout: ‘King motherf—ers!,’” he joked. “Though that’s probably not a wise plan, obviously.” It looks like he opted to take to social media instead, tweeting out a simple, yet to the point message.

We’re glad the actor behind Bran can celebrate his conclusion, while us fans consider a rewatch of the finale just to get our thoughts in order.

This article also appears on Mental Floss.