It was a delightful surprise — in Game of Thrones’ seventh season — to find out that Gendry (played by Joe Dempsie), bastard to the late-King Robert Baratheon, was hiding out in King’s Landing this entire time. We haven’t seen, or heard from Gendry since Season 3, and up until now, had no idea what he was up to. The characters inclusion in this season brought up a few questions. The most important: is Gendry now a contender for the Iron Throne? He is a Baratheon, after all. And lest you forget: Joffrey, and Tommen took up the Iron Throne under the name Baratheon. Cersei is the first Lannister to sit on the throne, Robert’s widow, and it’s safe to say that most Houses probably don’t think blowing up the Sept of Baelor was the best way to take it.
With this in mind, it would be perfectly reasonable to think that Gendry is a contender (bastard status notwithstanding). However, once the character was introduced he felt pushed to the background in favor of Jon, and last we saw of Gendry, he was passed out in front of the gates at Eastwatch. Is this it for Gendry? Is this as far as his story goes? Not so, says Ser Davos actor Liam Cunningham. Speaking to Business Insider, this is what he had to say on the matter:
“Well I think he’s recovering from his various wounds and whatever. […] I’m sure we haven’t heard the end of Gendry on this. But I haven’t seen any scripts, and I don’t even know the start date of next season, nevermind having read anything, so I’m speculating as much as anybody else.”
Could he be wrong? Sure. But Gendry certainly isn’t dead. Early on in the shows lifespan, even after his lineage was outed, he was treated as someone with a destiny to fulfill. Just like Jon. What that destiny is? Who knows, but it would be foolish to think he was introduced this late in the game unless he had a destiny greater than “Ride to Eastwatch comically fast!”.
Game of Thrones‘ seventh season has just concluded, and we may not see the final season until 2019.
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Originally published August 30, 2017. Updated December 18, 2019.
