Warning! This post contains spoilers for Game Of Thrones. Read at your own risk.
The Three-Eyed Raven has been one of the most mysterious figures of Game Of Thrones dating all the way back to Season 1. Now in Season 7 with Bran becoming the Three-Eyed Raven, the storyline of his ambiguous abilities is getting more screen time than ever, but why? What's the point of this thing, why is it important, and is Bran really using his powers to the best of his abilities?
Those pondering the last point ask an excellent question as one might assume that the Three-Eyed Raven is more than capable of stopping the White Walker invasion on his own. If Bran Stark can go back in time and ruin Hodor's life, then can't he as The Three-Eyed Raven just go back as far as it takes to defeat the White Walkers and impact the past in some way to prevent a second coming from happening? Given his powers we've seen so far, it sounds possible. Then again, if his powers are really that grand, it seems highly doubtful that The Three-Eyed Raven would appear to Bran in the first place as opposed to a faster-moving greenseer like Jojen Reed to get this White Walker prep going ASAP. To understand why the Three-Eyed Raven is so important, perhaps the somewhat baffling decision in choosing Bran holds the key as to why.
While not confirmed, it appears the reason Bran was chosen to become the Three-Eyed Raven over someone like Jojen was to directly appeal to Jon Snow. This wouldn't make a ton of sense at the beginning of the series as Bran was still in a coma and had essentially nothing to do with Jon's decision to join the Night's Watch, but the journey Bran takes to find Jon Snow could be rather telling.
Bran was encouraged to pursue his brother by Maester Luwin as he lay dying in the Godswood, which sounds like something the first (or perhaps future) Three-Eyed Raven could've concocted considering Luwin's proximity to the Weirwood as well as the Raven's ability to affect events. Many events would follow that also point to this connection, but that event, in particular, seems to provide the strongest link that the Three-Eyed Raven's goal without and with Bran is to reach Jon, especially when you consider the Raven is present in Bran's dreams throughout all of this.
As for what The Three-Eyed Raven's goal is, it seems as though delivering the message that Jon Snow is a Targaryen heir is vital to the fight against the White Walkers. This feels somewhat obvious considering the fact that Bran did not have this information when he ran into Samwell Tarly and had a clear chance to meet his brother, but ultimately decided it was more important to find the Raven. Now with the message ready to deliver, one has to wonder if that essentially is the endgame of Bran as the Three-Eyed Raven, or will he have a more important role to play after delivering his message?
From a Game Of Thrones standpoint, Bran's ability to warg would definitely come in handy in providing intel on Cersei's forces, although it seems rather obvious all of that doesn't mean much to him. The Three-Eyed Raven has and definitely is giving intel on the White Walkers, however, so as long as they're a threat it would appear Bran as the The Three-Eyed Raven is there to aid, regardless of his reasons. Let's just hope that when it all comes to an end, fans get a proper farewell to Bran and not some ambiguous moment that will make as little sense as his entire storyline to this point.
Game Of Thrones is all-new on August 13th at 9 p.m. ET on HBO. Keep up with the remaining shows of the summer via our summer premiere guide and get ready for new shows with our fall premiere guide. Think the Three-Eyed Raven has a more important role to play in Westeros? Let us know in the comments below.
