Here’s How Cleganebowl Became The Best ‘Game Of Thrones’ Fan Theory

The world of Game of Thrones is dark and full of fan theories. Although some have yet to be fulfilled in the final season, the latest episode of Season 8 has just given fans hope by making Cleganebowl a reality. But how did a simple fan theory start out?

Although it started out as a fan theory sometime during the second or third season of Game of Thrones, book readers and show viewers alike already know that The Hound hates his brother The Mountain. In Season 1 (and the first book of A Song of Ice and Fire), Ser Gregor Clegane is unhorsed by Ser Loras Tyrell, causing the Mountain to go into a rampage. He almost kills Ser Loras but is stopped by his brother Sandor Clegane.

We also learn about the brothers’ chilling story through Petyr Baelish in the series. During the Hand’s tourney, Littlefinger tells Sansa Stark that a young Gregor had burned his brother’s face as punishment for playing with a toy Gregor had previously discarded.

Since then, fans have speculated that the Clegane brothers will face each other again in the books and the show. Cleganebowl even has its own catchphrase: “GET HYPE!” as show in the video below.

Interestingly, Game of Thrones teased on the possibility that Cleganebowl will happen when The Hound and The Mountain (now known as Ser Robert Strong) faced each other in Season 7. Although the two didn’t fight, Sandor reminds his brother that he should know what’s coming for him.

Needless to say, Cleganebowl has been one of the most anticipated events in the final season. Luckily, the show delivered and viewers were treated to a cinematic showdown between the Hound and the Mountain.

Sandor prepares to fight his brother Gregor in ‘The Bells’.

Unfortunately, Cleganebowl ended with a draw as Sandor sacrificed himself to cause Gregor’s death. Game of Thrones executive producer DB Weiss explained why the fight ended the way it did.

“We knew that these two were going to die together at each other’s hand and we knew that the Hound’s death had to be a death by fire. So the one thing stronger in the Hound than his fear of fire is his hatred of the person who put that fear there in the first place,” Weiss said.

Learn more about the fifth episode of ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 8 below: