Game of Thrones is known for its cruel deaths, and if the new fan theory is true, then we might be on the verge of witnessing the darkest crippling yet. YouTuber, Alt Shift X delves very deep into the books and has dug up many signs that Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) will lose his tongue before this series wraps up. Whether this will happen in the books or the show or even both is uncertain.
First, taking peoples’ tongues is a regular occurrence in Game of Thrones. The Mad King Aerys had taken Ser Ilyn Payne’s tongue, Joffrey took a singer’s tongue, and Euron Greyjoy cuts the tongues of every man he enslaves. Even Varys cuts out the tongues of the children that live in the walls of the Red Keep.
The thought of cutting out Tyrion’s tongue is not rare. Many characters have thought about to do this deed. The list is headed by Cersei, who mentions the idea of cutting out a person’s tongue in half. But it is not a stretch to imagine anyone Tyrion runs into deciding he is a little too witty for his own good.
The most compelling argument is also the most speculative, one related to the way George R.R. Martin has set up the character arcs for the Lannisters. Jaime Lannister was a brilliant warrior and swordsman … until he has his hand cut off. Cersei Lannister was known as one of the most beautiful women in the Seven Kingdoms … until she was symbolically dragged down into the mud by the High Septon during her walk of shame. Tyrion may not be strong or beautiful, but he’s witty and smart. So if Martin follows the theme he’s set for the other two Lannister children, he could lose his most powerful weapon: his ability to speak.
Alt Shift X shares some interesting possibilities for how this may play out, and we have two particular favorites. The first works only for the books, since it involves a plot line that has been completely removed from the show. In it, Tyrion suspects that a Targaryen prince Varys is trying to place on the throne isn’t a son of Rhaegar but a bastard Blackfyre Targaryen. That idea, or an accusation based on it made by Tyrion, could get his tongue removed.
On the show, you might think Cersei is the most likely candidate to cut out Tyrion’s tongue, but it could also be Euron Greyjoy. That Euron cuts out the tongues of his slave crew is well established in the books, and his brother Balon mentions those tongue-cutting habits moments before Euron throws him off a bridge. You can see it happening in the show when Euron attacks Yara’s fleet and captures her alongside the Sand Snakes.
Sure, those moments could just be a nod to the books and another way to show us how mad Euron is. But it could also be a Checkov’s gun situation: when you’ve got a tongue-removing madman introduced in an earlier act, chances are he’s going to remove someone important’s tongue in a later one. Given all the travel and battling both Euron and Tyrion will probably engage in for season eight, it wouldn’t be a surprise for them to run into each other. And now that you’ve read this theory, we’re sure you’re going to be extremely stressed if they do.
