Season 5 Speculation: Will Sansa return to Winterfell 

Season 5 Speculation: Will Sansa return to Winterfell

By David (Razor) Harris on February 4, 2015 in Speculation.

Season 5 trailer, the speculation discussion threads on Reddit’s /r/Gameofthrones and /r/ASOIAF have been bother numerous and fun/interesting, to say the least. From the potential character re-writes for Season 5, to the Ghost of High Heart’s (book character), prophecy translating to Sansa in Season 5. However, after all those speculation threads, one in particular is beginning to gain some legs, and actually resonates, with me.

See which theory, after the jump, and be wary of show spoilers.

An astute Reddit user by the name of kizipo along with some help from another Reddit user AdmiralKird, has put together a theory that Sansa will not only be traveling to Winterfell this season, but will also be taking the place of fake Arya, in marrying Ramsay Bolton. Here’s their proof.

The theory starts with a picture comparison of Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn’s bed chamgers, from Season 1, to that of the room that Sansa in bathing in, from the Season 5 trailer.

Now, although the picture is dark, one can make out the stone in the room. That in itself is NOT proof that Sansa is bathing in Winterfell. However, it does serve as a base for this theory.

So now we’ve got two dark rooms, poorly lit at night, with stone walls.

Next, Kizipo offers a further proof, in the form of a picture from AdmiralKird, comparing the doors of Winterfell, to that of the Eyrie.

Sansa proof of Winterfell doors vs Eyrie doors

As you can see from the above picture, the doors of Winterfell are fashioned in a plain crossing square pattern, while the doors of the Eyrie are more ornate…decidedly so.

Kizipo’s final piece of proof, is a making of Winterfell video, where the square design is prevalent, on set.

In going back through the GIF breakdown of the Season 5 trailer, one thing is plainly evident. When Little Finger has Sansa’s face in his hands, and he is telling her to “avenge them”, Sansa is clearly distraught. Is the cause of Sansa’s consternation, the fact that she must go back to Winterfell, the burned-out husk of a castle that was her family’s home, in order to marry a legitimized bastard who is notorious for his cruelty?

Now, there are obvious problems with this theory. The chief among them being that Sansa is still legally married to Tyrion Lannister. However, with the influence that Little Finger holds with the Crown, it would not be a stretch to see that marriage annulled.

Also, there is the casting news that Charlotte Hope, who plays Ramsay’s paramour and partner in crime Myranda, would be in four episodes of Season 5. What does that mean for this Sansa to Winterfell theory? Well, if anything, we know that Ramsay cares little for the sanctity of marriage…I mean he did let his first wife eat her own fingers, before dying in a dungeon. Myranda could simply be there to taunt and mentally torture Sansa.

Finally, there is the emergence of “Dark Sansa”. One of the biggest complaints from the Season 5 new cast members, is that there was no Wyman Manderly. Could our new and improved “Dark Sansa” be taking his place? Might Sansa exact the revenge that Little Finger was encouraging her to do, in the form of…oh I don’t know, Frey Pies?

Does this theory have legs? Sure it does. Will it actually happen? Only time will tell. But, I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the matter. And, I am more than excited to see where Sansa’s story will take her, in Season 5.

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You are asking the wrong question, you should be asking : what is Little Finger’s next move? He now has the army and control of Vale, what will he want next?

In order to secure the Crown, he will need the North. In order to seize the North, he needs Sansa. So yes, it makes sense Sansa will marry Ramsay, as much as Ramsay wants to marry her.

– no way the capital gives permission to marry Sansa and Ramsay…the order would be…bring her ass to King’s Landing for trial

– it totally annuls what we saw Sansa becomes at the end of season 4. That would be just stupid.

– Gee…thanks producer guys…more making Sansa a victim. Very original.Let’s watch Ramsay Bolton Rape her. BTW…if they do that…i am done with this show. Killing Ros they way they did and having Jaimie rape Cersei put me on the edge. That would be it for me.

Terrible theory, Ramsay is a monster and wouldnt Roose know what Sansa looks like?

I always thought they would have Theon choachint Myranda on how to be Arya. Then Boltons claim they found her.

I don’t know what to think about S5. We are in uncharted territory.

She wouldn’t marry him as Sansa, she would be posing as Arya. I love this theory. They neglected the North last season so I’d like to see the beginnings of revenge. The North never forgets, allegedly.

I fully agree with this theory, though I more or less came to it on my own and am not a Reddit reader. Nice to know at least two of us came up with the same thing. Great minds. :-P

Some people are dismissing this based on lack of motivation for LF/Cercei/whoever. I did a breakdown on how it would actually work out for everyone over on Watchers on the Wall comment section:

From Sansa’s POV, she gets: to go home and be Lady Stark of Winterfell. She also gets a shot at vengeance against the Boltons. (Lannisters would be more ideal, but it’s GoT and you have to take what you can get.)

From Littlefingers POV, he gets: a powerfully ally/puppet in the new Lady of Winterfell/wife of the Warden of the North. Sansa’s survived the Lannisters and now has had proper game-playing training, so LF would probably like her odds with the Boltons. If she fails, it’s no skin off his teeth. If she succeeds in taking down the Boltons and becoming Lady of Winterfell in her own power, she becomes an important ally for him. He can also strengthen her position by making it clear that The Vale would not approve of any obvious mistreatment of Lady Sansa. I also think that Ramsey, newly legitimized and always desperate for dad’s approval, would be so excited by the prospect of getting to marry a legit Lady Stark (indicating that his own status has gone up considerably since we met Boy) that he might hold off on torturing her for awhile. (Similar to how Jeoffry was so enchanted by Margery that he behaved himself for awhile, at least towards her.) So the mission would be risky for Sansa but not necessarily outright suicide.

From the Bolton’s POV, they get: a Stark bride for Ramsey to legitimize their new status as Wardens of the North. These two would assume that Sansa will be no trouble to control, making them just two more names on the list of those who underestimate Sansa.

From Cercei’s POV, she gets: delicious evil irony. I believe that the reason Aidan Gillen was spotted in Dubrovnik is because Littlefinger is going to King’s Landing to say “oh hey look I found Sansa!” Cercei’s first impulse would be to execute her, but Mr. Mockingbird would likely be able to convince the queen that wedding Sansa to Ramsay would be an even worse punishment, as well as a strategic gift to the Lannister’s new Bolton allies.

From the High Sparrow’s POV, he gets: legitimization of the Faith Militant. We know Sparrows getting violent is part of the plot this year; I suspect the new High Sparrow will annul Sansa’s marriage to Tyrion in exchange for Cercei (ahem, Tomen) signing off on the Faith Militant. We know Cercei uses them to rid herself of Loras, but I would think she’d need a bit more motive to allow so much power to someone she’s not sleeping with.

I’m a huge SanFan, so I think that Sansa will certainly have her work cut out for her with the Boltons but that she will eventually achieve her goal of vengeance in one way or another.

Of course I could be totally off. I actually find that Sansa’s story is the one I’m most excited about this season, mainly because we have no idea what’s actually going to happen. Being UnSullied is more fun than I thought it would be. :-)

It seems much more likely that she becomes Sansa Stoneheart.

That wouldn’t really make sense in the show, since the two of them look nothing alike. Viewers wouldn’t buy it. Besides, why else would Littlefinger return to King’s Landing other than to have Sansa’s marriage annulled?

Generally in TV you want as little “someone pretending to be someone else” as possible, because it gets much more confusing than in books.

Uh, she’s wanted for regicide. Don’t think she’ll be marrying the son of the Warden of the North since she is an enemy of the state. If revealed as Sansa Stark to the Boltons she would be immediately arrested or murdered, hence the secrecy. You also mention how Baelish is connected with the crown, if he were to even mention the name Sansa and/or her marriage how would he not be a suspect in her disappearance? I think I need more analysis than a couple cute door pattern photos.

She just runs off, magically finds the Brotherhood without Banners, and hangs Freys all season? That wouldn’t even be very interesting. But Sansa out-maneuvering the Boltons would be awesome.

Blind Beth Posted February 4, 2015 at 2:14 pm

Cercei specifically tasked Littlefinger with finding Arya. I think he could easily come back to KL, claim to have found runaway Sansa via his spy network, and suggest that wedding her to the psycho Boltons in the wreck of her former home would make an even better punishment than death. Cercei would never suspect what Sansa has become under LF’s creepy mentorship.

LF doesn’t know the Boltons, and Ramsay has no infamous exploits like in the books. Ramsay had been at it for years, often publicly, in the books. Cersei is too smart and/or paranoid to listen to such a convenient story regarding Sansa. It’s a cool potential plotline and its fun to discuss, but I see too many holes.

I don’t buy into this theory, it’s far to much of a leap of faith and departure from the text of ASOIAF as it currently stands before we see TWOW. The juxtaposition of the ‘square’ Winterfell doors from S1 with Sansa’s bath scene in the S5 trailer just isn’t enough to convince by itself. She

be soaking herself in a Winterfell chamber, but could equally be somewhere else in the North, the Vale or any number of other places. To paraphrase a term used at work, never rely on uncorroborated ‘single source reporting’ no matter how enticing it appears. In other words, more evidence please!

No, that would be a huge stretch, since Sansa is a wanted fugitive whom Cersei would want to execute.

Moreover, I’m not sure what the point of comparing the doors at Winterfell to the Eyrie is, since they left the Eyrie at the end of last season.

The more I read of this the more awesome I think it would be…

I’m a big fan of Wyman Manderly and love his Frey pies but giving that to Sansa would be much more meaningful for the show. People want to see the Starks get revenge – not random fat blokes that suddenly turn up.

The only thing is though is that I would want Sansa to show a knowledge of guest right and how bad it is to break it.

I wouldn’t mind any of this, but I really hope she doesn’t replace Wyman Manderly.

I want him to show up at the end of this season or the beginning of the next. D&D cutting him out would be a bigger disappointment than Coldhands or Lady Stoneheart.

(3) It makes absolutely no sense for Littlefinger to want her to go to Winterfell.

(4) It makes absolutely no sense for the Boltons to think this is a good idea, if it’s any kind of arrangement other than them throwing her in jail immediately (which, again would make Sansa and Littlefinger look like idiots).

(5) The whole point of the end of last season was making Sansa into a more assertive character, and now people think she’s going to replace Jeyne Poole and become the damsel in distress for Theon?

(6) Sansa’s story has been built up as relating to Littlefinger and the strategic importance of the Vale. She can’t just be shipped off to the North and then somehow wander back later.

God, I am disliking this season even before it actually started. And if they go this way, it will be hilariously idiotic. But then again, nuance was never the forte of production team, so…

The problem I am having with this is not that it might be true. It actually can. The problem is the narrative. LF certainly knows how dangerous Boltons are and he is, most likely, letting Sansa go alone to Winterfell is a hige risk. Then, why would Bolton marry a Baelish girl? Because obviously Ramsay can not marry Sansa Stark. Overall, the marriage is not something I would be arguing, but a trip to WF sounds interesting.

Overall, not biggest fan of this theory. But I do see where it came from. Not from the books, and certainly not from reasonable approach to the narrative.

Also, as the poster Tormund’s Woman over on WOTW pointed out, the Eyrie does have doors that look like that (at 0:54 in this video):

Totally disagree. Sansa would mot be returning as the Warden of the North or the Lady of Winterfell. The Starks are now outcast as traders and the Boltons rule the North. If she reveals her identity she will be taken prisoner immediately, and she’s wanted for the murder of Joffrey. Also, why would she keep her hair dark if she was going to reveal herself as a Stark. Pretty weak theory, basing it on the look of a door. The set designers probably just took oneout of the prop room.

I’m pretty sure we got confirmation a few months ago that Myranda is playing the fake Arya part.

I’m pretty sure we got confirmation a few months ago that Myranda is playing the fake Arya part.

No, that’s just another silly theory. Nothing suggests that.

Johnny Camp Posted February 4, 2015 at 4:43 pm

Didn’t Sophie Turner mention something a few months ago about being involved in a particularly upsetting scene this season?

Sansa is wanted for regicide. Arya is not. So Sansa will pretend to be her own sister (kind of like she pretended to be LF’s bastard in the books) and marry Ramsay. Petyr will tell Cersei he found Arya and has arranged the marriage to Ramsay. Cersei will never lay eyes on Sansa (Winterfell is very far away), so she’ll never be the wiser.

I just hope Ramsay doesn’t treat Sansa like he does his book “Arya”… ewww…..

This is an interesting theory. Whether or not it would work would depend very much on the execution, and it _could_ be terrible. But I think folks are wrong to write it off out of hand.

In particular, the idea that it wouldn’t work because Sansa is wanted for regicide is unconvincing, because that assumes the Boltons are loyal to the Lannisters – which is obviously not the case. And if anyone could talk them into this it’s Littlefinger.

All that said – If this is the case, hope they have a plan for Sansa that doesn’t revolve around continual victimhood. Had enough of that already.

Hated this theory when I first read it but it can’t be written off.

1) the TV production cuts characters/costs where they can sometimes having characters they’ve invested time in take over other storylines.

2) The drama of the poor girl marrying a sadistic sod like Ramsay is from a series point of view too good to waste on a minor character the series watcher doesn’t know anything about. It’s terrific material for a main character/actress

3) Brienne and Pod could be worked into this storyline as well, going with Sansa as protection along with knights from the Vale.

4) Sansa is openly Sansa now to the lords of the Vale in the TV series. The Vale knights effectively stand in for the White Harbour knights.

5) It allows for some redemption of Theon with the Starks.

6) Roose will be quick to note the Lannisters are vulnerable with Tywin no longer around and Cersei in charge.

But the idea of Ramsay torturing and raping Sansa is incredibly ugly. He would have to be killed very quickly. And it is a massive departure from the books since isn’t a lot supposed to be happening in the Vale in the next book?

Sansa is wanted for regicide. Arya is not. So Sansa will pretend to be her own sister (kind of like she pretended to be LF’s bastard in the books) and marry Ramsay. Petyr will tell Cersei he found Arya and has arranged the marriage to Ramsay. Cersei will never lay eyes on Sansa (Winterfell is very far away), so she’ll never be the wiser.

Cersei would never give the real Arya to the Boltons.

In particular, the idea that it wouldn’t work because Sansa is wanted for regicide is unconvincing, because that assumes the Boltons are loyal to the Lannisters – which is obviously not the case. And if anyone could talk them into this it’s Littlefinger.

Lannister backing is the whole basis for their being in charge. Without it, they would be completely screwed.

2) The drama of the poor girl marrying a sadistic sod like Ramsay is from a series point of view too good to waste on a minor character the series watcher doesn’t know anything about. It’s terrific material for a main character/actress

Sansa is a major character in her own right. She’s not going to be randomly slotted into the place of a minor character in a completely different story when her involvement in the Vale, and more specifically with Littlefinger, has been set up as central to the series’ endgame. We already know Baelish is going to KL. If she took the place of fArya, how would they ever meet up again?

We also already know from the now-confirmed Facebook spoilers that that’s not happening with Brienne and Podrick.

“I just hope Ramsay doesn’t treat Sansa like he does his book “Arya”… ewww…..”

That would explain the “traumatic” scene that Sophie Turner mentioned in her interview.

While this theory makes a certain level of sense, I’m not going to buy it until there’s some direct piece of evidence for it. No photos of Sansa in the North, no tweets about working with Iwan Rheon, nothing like that. It’s conceivable but not at all necessary.

Yeah, that’s not in any way confirmed. As far as I know, it’s our bad–we did a news piece about Charlotte Hope’s role expanding where we mentioned that this was plausible. Unscrupulous sites (cursed Christian Times) reported that mild speculation as fact, then major sites included that in their rumors section. I haven’t seen anything solid beyond that.

Sean C.: Sansa is a major character in her own right. She’s not going to be randomly slotted into the place of a minor character in a completely different story when her involvement in the Vale, and more specifically with Littlefinger, has been set up as central to the series’ endgame.

I agree that leaving the Vale doesn’t fit but isn’t taking the place of a minor character what they are doing with Jamie this season? Believe me I’d be very happy if this rumour isn’t true but I can see some possibility for it.

What if Sansa is in Harrenhall. After all LF is lord of Harrenhall

Pippin: I agree that leaving the Vale doesn’t fit but isn’t taking the place of a minor character what they are doing with Jamie this season?

No. He’s not replacing Arys Oakheart or Balon Swann in any meaningful sense. And, frankly, Jaime going to Dorne and returning to KL at the end is one thing; can anyone imagine Sansa replacing Jeyne Poole and still ending up in anything like her book character arc? She’d be separated from Littlefinger permanently, realistically, and that dynamic has been set up for seasons now.

A whole fan theory about Sansa marrying Ramsey Bolton based on similar appearing windows? I don’t think so – some production designer is laughing somewhere. Sansa and Littlefinger are in uncharted territory – beyond the books. We’ve seen photos that Littlefinger returns to King’s Landing. What if he is detained there by the Faith Militant? And leaves Sansa in control of the forces of the Eyrie. Sansa is not Ramsey Bolton’s new torture victim. Cersei and Dany are both going into periods where they wander in the wilderness and lose control – Sansa is the new strong femme – she will control the fate of the Eyrie – that is where her new power base will be – the lords of the Vale seemed to trust her. (Perhaps even Littlefinger is assasinated by Arya in Braavos?)

I just can’t believe Littlefinger would let Sansa go. What would he have to gain by handing her over? Influence in the north? He already has that with the Vale Lords, being Lord of the Eyrie himself AND having the only (known) living Stark.

It’s compelling to think that Sansa will take on the FArya role, to bring the Theon story full circle (in a sense) but what about Sansas’ story? Doling out justice in place of Manderly and his pies? While Sansa could go in a bunch of different directions, I have to say everything I read thus far with various theories, I am wishing even harder that they would just stick to the source material. Might not be compelling to watch Sansa be manhandled inappropriately by LF but I would much rather her use her wits and courtesy to gain an upper hand then be subjected to the sadistic pleasures of Ramsey Bolton.

Then again the costume designer (whose name escapes me) said, when talking about Sansas’ new garb, that the pointy thing on the end of her necklace is her own “needle”. So, maybe she will stab Ramsey in the neck with it and we can watch the sick fuck bleed. I would cheer that, while jeering the hell out of her being a continuous victim.

I did look at that door as well, but its actually much different. It’s “cheap” in comparison to the WF doors with much larger planks and the center panels aren’t flush, they’re split. All the doors I can find in Winterfell, and the pattern in Bran’s room have the same flush styling.

I’ve written much more on this, but I’m not sure if I really believe it, its just a possibility. I don’t think she should take Wyman’s role at all. It just gets really messy that way.

With regards to Littlefinger sending her away, you assume he never would because he loves her / is infatuated with her, yeah? But is he really? Bear in mind he did say he only loved Cat. Sansa, even though she’s his daughter, etc, is still not Cat. If anything she might just be a reminder that he lost her to Ned and will never have her.

He might just see a young, naive girl he can control and use. If she looks like she’s getting the better of him (unlike the books where he still tutors her), he might just send her away.

Great theory, I like the evidence, but the conclusions you make later are simply ridiculous. It could happen, but in another way. Anyway, I kind of hate what they’re doing with the Northern arc….

I think the whole trailer was very informative and every scene was intentional.

Why they included that short bathtub clip? because it must be something important.

They could show Sansa from a different angle, but they didn’t, that specific door was there for a reason, to tease us.

I have to say, I kinda like the idea to bring Sansa back to the North, giving her the chance to take revenge on the Boltons herself. It gives her more power than she has in the books, which I really like. Whoop, whoop, the Queen in the North. ^^

How could LF’s influence with the crown anull Sansa’s wedding? If the crown got winds of her whereabouts it would be off to the dungeon first.

And why would LF even bring her close to any danger? The pedo-bear is madly in “love” with her and wouldn’t marry her to that psychopath

Also why would they need to pass her off as Arya anyhow when everyone who has ever heard a thing about the Stars would immediately recognise her as Sansa (aside from being Sansa would absolutely suffice to reach they goal for that marriage).

This so-called theory is too daft to even qualify as crackpot! It’s on a par with making a mountain RANGE out of a flattened ant-hill. These guys must like putting Sansa (Sophe) through hell all over again.

At the end of S05, the set up was to take Sansa on a journey to her dark side. The flip caused me to go WHAT?! Taking that further, to gain control of The Vale, for Littlefinger makes more sense than riding out of there, just to take Sansa back to Winterfell. Goodness me. She’s revealed who she is to some name characters who actually call the shots in The Vale. NONE would allow LF to sell Sansa down the river. The revenge LF hints at in the trailer is no drop that his plans using Sansa….. For cryin’ out loud! LF is no military expert.

The other wrong tack is that LF wants to sit the throne. POPPYCOCK! The real power in KL rests with THE HAND of the monarch when you have a master of puppets at play.That’s what LF desires the most – The Ultimate in Power is Control of…. Everything. Actually, he’d be like Tywin without command experience. LF is a POLITICAL ANIMAL.

If shots of LF in KL prove to be more than casual, LF’s play is to keep track on events in KL, like what’s this High Sparrow up to? Knowledge is a weapon that LF loves.

Anyhow! This theory about Sansa replacing (f)Arya, going off to hell to marry Ramsey….. The most polite Northern words are UTTER F’ING BOLLOCKS!

You’ve skipped over Walder and his clan! There is where LF might direct Sansa, if they do take control of The Vale’s forces, which, to present (book or show) they don’t have.

On a strategic front, The Twins makes for a better place to take. It severs the North from the South, thus taking away The Boltons escape route. Also, it makes for a better base to strike at Winterfell from, and linking in with Stannis coming down from The Wall. Classic pincer movement.

Roose would be reduced to eating his leeches when the siege starts to take hold. Starving forces in a place of apparent strength is a known tactic.

I have a feeling that this theory may come true. It really upsets me. I mean, Ramsay is way worse than joffrey and I’m sick of seeing Sansa as a pathetic and abused girl again. I’d rather want her to marry Robin than getting tortured and sexually abused by Ramsey. II also saw a picture of Sophie, Roose and Alfie hanging out together, damn. :(

Actor of Walder said he will not appear in season 5. I kinda like your theory tho.

All the evidence proves, if anything, is that Sansa (Alaine) may be taking a bath in Winterfell. It doesn’t prove why she is there. She may be there as Alaine, as a quest for the wedding of Ramsey to fArya, Miranda. Maybe Ramsey intrupts Alaine’s bath, but I do not think he marries her. I do, however, like the idea that Sansa with her Lords of the Vale may take the place of the Manderlys and other Northern Conspirators as the underground resistance to the Boltons. That would be interesting to see.

Everyone talks about Cersei would never allow it, but one forgets that it is Tommen who sits the throne and he is more benevolent than any other since Egg. Tommen remembers both Sansa and Arya, and all LF has to do is maneuver Tommen into agreeing to the match.

They would agree to the marriage if it meant shoring up Bolton against a Stannis-lead northern uprising. The Bolton’s could point to Sansa and Ramsay and say “See! A Stark is in Winterfell once again!”

Theon helps Sansa bolt in episode 9 or 10 and gets captured by the King, who I don’t think knows what Sansa looks like. Mel apparently knows Arya, tho.

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