5 burning 'Game of Thrones' questions to ponder over the frigid winter before the final season

In an interesting turn of events, the much-anticipated finale of the 7th season of "Game of Thrones" left fans with more questions than answers.

From the return of fan-favorite characters like Gendry to the much-awaited reunion of the surviving Stark children, from the "Suicide Squad" assembled by Jon Snow to the deaths of beloved characters such as Olenna Tyrell and Danaery's mighty dragon Viserion, and even the confirmation of Jon Snow's secret parentage — it's like the show runners knew exactly what to give the fans to keep them coming back for more.

And while a few of the events that the show had been building up to since its first episode did happen in this week’s season finale, a few questions still lingered after the credits rolled. Here are five of the most pressing ones, without spoiling anything significant about the finale itself.

1. What will be the ramifications of Jon Snow's true lineage?

It's been hinted at so many times in the past (and spelled out by conspiracy theorists everywhere), but as of the pre-finale episode, it’s beginning to look more and more like the R + L = J theory does hold water. If that were indeed the case, how would this revelation affect the Starks? And what would become of his seemingly budding relationship with Danaerys, who would effectively be his aunt?

2. What is the Night King’s ultimate goal?

To this day, we still have no clear, definitive idea as to why the Night King and his army of undead horrors are so hell-bent on taking over Westeros. We’ve seen how they came to be, and we also know how they grow in number. What we still don’t know is why they’re doing this. In the instances we’ve seen them in action, they’ve demonstrated guile, cunning, resourcefulness, and strategic prowess — or at least, as much of those things as one could reasonably expect from the undead. Surely, they must want something.

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3. Is there any hope for the shattered clans of Westeros to stand tall and proud as before?

Most of the once strong and united families and houses of Westeros are now broken. The Starks, the Lannisters, the Targaryens, the Greyjoys, the Tyrells, the Martells, heck, even the Tarlys — name a family, and you’d probably remember some act of terrible violence, betrayal, or both that either tore them apart or completely obliterated them. Will they ever reconcile and rebuild? And when the dust clears and a victor is crowned — would any of this prove to have been worth it?

4. How many more of our beloved characters will we lose?

One of the longest-running jokes about the "GoT" franchise is that it would be wise not to get attached to any character, because once George R. R. Martin catches wind of it, you can expect them to be the next person on the chopping board.

Though Season 7 seems to have eased up on the big-name casualties, it does beg the question: Who will be left standing by the end of the series? Will one or more of the characters vying for the throne — Jon Snow, Danaerys, Cersei — bite the dust? Will fan favorites such as Tyrion, Arya, or Jamie have to give their lives to put an end to this conflict? And can we just tie up Littlefinger and throw him to the Night King as a sacrificial lamb to save everyone else?

5. Who will become the ruler of Westeros?

And of course, the big question. Who will sit on the Iron Throne in the end? Will it be Danaerys Targaryen, Mother of Dragons, Breaker of Chains, and Bearer of About a Thousand Other Titles? Will it be Jon Snow, the King in the North with the best wingman (Ser Davos) in Westeros? Will it be Cersei Lannister (if all of her evil deeds somehow fail to catch up with her first)? Or will it be someone completely unexpected, like Lord Varys or Grey Worm? (My money’s on Podrick.)

Hopefully, these questions will be addressed in the next and final season, scheduled to air in 2019. That gives us plenty of time to perfect our fan theories, for sure. — LA, GMA News