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Wild Game of Thrones Theory Suggests King Viserys is the White Walker

Wild Game of Thrones Theory Suggests King Viserys is the White Walker
Image credit: HBO Max

A rumour has sprung up following the appearance of King Viserys at the end of his life and its seeming similarity to the White Walker. More specifically, it has been suggested that he could be the White Walker with the spear in Game of Thrones.

So, some have asked, "Is Viserys a White Walker? "

Of course, the answer to this question is a resounding "No."

We knew from the outset of House of the Dragon that King Viserys was suffering from a leprosy-like disease that was eating away at him. This resulted in him looking way more than his 52 years as he neared death – and yes, there is something of the White Walker about the way he looks.

But he subsequently passed away at the end of episode 8 and we saw his body embalmed in episode 9. So, one thing we can be sure of is that Viserys is very much dead.

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And White Walkers are created from the living. Those reanimated by the Night King after death are Wights, not White Walkers.

Now, this rumour may have grown legs owing to the fact that Viserys' body wasn't burned. At this time, of course, the Great Sept of Baelor didn't exist. But his body could have been moved there post-construction. Although this potential scenario would eventually see his body burned in the explosion we saw in Game of Thrones anyway. So, still, no body to be reanimated.

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But let us, for one moment, consider the possibility that White Walkers can be created from the dead. Because no evidence of this happening so far doesn't necessarily mean it can't be done. And let's suppose that, for some reason, Viserys' body wasn't moved to the Great Sept of Baelor and was instead left in some ruin. And then let's add to this unlikely scenario, the possibility that nobody knows the whereabouts of the body but that, by some coincidence, the Night King happens to have trekked from the lands beyond the Wall, into King's Landing and just find the body while he's mooching about.

I mean, yes in this situation, he may well turn Viserys into a White Walker.

But (and this is a phrase I never thought I'd use when talking about Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon), it seems a bit far-fetched.

So the answer must be, "No. Viserys is not a White Walker." Because it involves too many coincidences. And while we're accustomed to the fact that there are very few limits to the goings on in Westeros, almost every shock comes as a result of devious action, manipulation, greed, anger, or revenge – not coincidence.