Spoilers ahead for the Season 7 finale of Game of Thrones.
In the blink of an eye Game of Thrones Season 7 has come and gone. The penultimate installment in HBO's massively popular fantasy series brought a ton of payoffs, long awaited reunions, and new character pairings. And the season finale continued this trend, assembling the largest group of major characters since the very first episode. But "The Dragon and The Wolf" also left the fandom with a pretty sizable cliffhanger, as the Night King and a zombified Viserion blasted a hole in The Wall over at Eastwatch. As such, the fates of both Tormund Giantsbane and Beric Dondarrion were left in the air.
While fans have been hoping Tormund might make it out ok, the actor isn't so sure. Kristofer Hivju addressed his character's fate, and confirmed that things aren't looking great for everyone's favorite Wildling. He said,
Realistically speaking, if you're on top of an ice wall and it's many hundreds of meters tall ... I was a competitive climber when I was younger, and that fall, I must say, it doesn't look good, man. (Laughs.) It really doesn't look good.
Well, damnit. Kristofer Hivju doesn't seem hopeful that he'll be returning for more wright battling action in Game of Thrones' eight and final season.
While Tormund and Beric's fate seemed pretty grim in the final scene of Season 7, many fans have been holding out hope that they might have survived Viserion's ice blasts. Because in the shot where we see The Wall fall, there are parts of the structure that remain intact. So if Tormund was able to run far enough from the fall, then perhaps he could show up when the series returns.
Because while Kristofer Hivju doesn't know whether or not Tormund will return for Game of Thrones' final season, he's acknowledged how Season 7's finale may have been his last episode. In the same conversation with THR, Hivju described this possibility, saying:
If this is my way out ... well, it's the huge cliffhanger of the season. So, in that way, that people might have to wait two years to know whether he's dead or alive? If I was [showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss], and I wanted to kill Tormund and Beric off, I wouldn't end the season with the death. I would end it with the cliffhanger. So, I understand that. But I wish he could have whispered something into one of those crows' ears before it happened. But, you know, when the Wall is down, they won't need the Night's Watch or the Free Folk at the Wall anymore. It's a hell of an ending.
While Kristofer Hivju is clearly itching to return to Westeros, going down by ice dragon is a pretty great way to go for the seemingly unstoppable warrior.
It's currently unclear exactly when Game of Thrones' final season will arrive, but you can catch up on Season 7 on HBO's streaming services. In the meantime, check out our fall premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
