Entertainment

This Fan-Favorite Character Could Return To 'Game Of Thrones' & It Needs To Happen

HBO

If hearing someone say "Hold the door" still makes you tear up, Game Of Thrones star Kristian Nairn's latest comments might give you a reason to happy cry. Nairn revealed that his character Hodor could possibly return to Game of Thrones for the final season. Now, before you get too excited, know that the actor did not confirm any involvement with the series' upcoming season, but Nairn's comments about Hodor's death might give you a little hope, or at the very least, fuel your final season theories.

In an interview with The Huffington Post, Nairn talked about his character's death in Season 6, which he called a bit of a "mystery." It seems Nairn has his doubts about whether Hodor is really dead or not. When asked about the episode "The Door," in which Hodor dies while holding the door to keep the white walkers from getting to Bran, Nairn said he thought it was "so well done, and you also have that little bit of mystery at the end because you don’t actually see him die. Is he dead? Who knows?"

This isn't the first time that Nairn has questioned, mostly in jest, whether Hodor is alive or dead. Shortly after the episode aired, there were theories that Hodor was turned into a White Walker, or, to be more accurate a wight. When the Belfast Telegraph asked Nairn if he'd been down to come back as a villain, he seemed up for it. "As an actor I would absolutely love that and it would be so much fun to play that," he said. "Maybe [Hodor's] not dead, maybe he's just roaming round the countryside eating berries like a grizzly bear."

But, the show's creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss seemed to make it clear that the kind and gentle Hodor was definitely dead in a 2016 (fake apology) video for Jimmy Kimmel Live! To be fair, they've already killed off over 734 people on the show; they may just feel like, what's one more? A Hodor revival seems especially unlikely since HBO's already said that it's likely all your favorite GoT characters are going to die in the final season.

That said, when HuffPo asked Nairn whether he'd like to return for the final season, he responded with extreme enthusiasm. "Heck yeah. I need the money, man," Nairn said laughing. He then teased: "No, anything to still be a part of that show. You never know. You’ll see in ... God knows how many bloody years it is until [Season 8] is released."

The final season is set to premiere in 2019 and it's still in production — though, Emilia Clarke just celebrated her final day shooting, which likely means filming is coming to an end soon. And, though Nairn insisted he had not visited the set yet this season, he did reveal that he wouldn't have to travel very far to get there. "Well ... it’s right down the road from my house [in Belfast]. I live in Westeros, so I can’t help but sort of still be around."

As for whether showrunners Benioff and Weiss have asked him to appear in Season 8, Nairn would only say, "I’m not gonna tell you that. Nice try."

If Hodor really is gone forever, don't worry, Nairn's happy with his character's final moments. "Hodor was such a close character in my heart also to the fans of the show," he told HuffPo. "I think he deserves that send-off." And clearly, even if he's gone, he's not forgotten. "More often, they want me to hold the door for them," Nairn said of his fan interactions since saying goodbye to the show. "I never expected the kind of response I’ve had. Every day, I get emotions from people. They still cry. It feels like it just happened the other day!"

The idea that Hodor could return to the show is most likely wishful thinking, but it's clear that Nairn still has a lot of love for his Game Of Thrones character. And no doubt, there are many GoT fans that would absolutely love for him to pop up in the show's final season. We'll just have to wait and see.