20 Huge Details We Already Know About Game of Thrones Season 7

Season six of Game of Thrones came to a bloody end last year, and we're still having some serious withdrawal issues. If you're in the same boat, let's all remember that the end of one season just means the beginning of speculation about another, and luckily season seven is right around the corner! Much has been revealed over the past few months, so we have a lot to talk about. Here's what we know about what's coming up from the show, the premiere date, all the trailers (there's a new one!), some telling pictures, and quotes from the cast.

01
The Premiere Date
HBO

The Premiere Date

While all previous seasons have premiered in the Spring, the next season will debut on July 16, 2017.

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The First (Very Brief) Teaser

This short teaser made its debut at Comic-Con.

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The Second Teaser

The Game of Thrones Facebook page debuted a longer look at what might happen next season on March 9. The black-and-white teaser features images of a three-headed dragon, a stag, and more, while voiceovers from major characters play in the background. It means a lot more than you may think!

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The Actual Trailer

On March 30, HBO released a REAL look at the new season. Jon, Dany, and Cersei all look like they mean business, but only Cersei is atop the throne.

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The First Poster
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The First Poster

Ice meets fire in the first official poster for season seven. As you might remember from the season six finale, Dany and her dragons are on their way to Westeros (representing fire), while the Night's King and his terrifying army of wights and White Walkers are getting closer to the Wall (representing ice).

06
The New Poster
HBO

The New Poster

The Night King is here, and he's not happy.

07
The Dragons Will Be HUGE
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The Dragons Will Be HUGE

Oh, did you think Dany's babies were done growing? Nope, they're going to be bigger than ever. "The dragons this year are the size of 747s," director Matt Shakman told Entertainment Weekly. "Drogon is the biggest of the bunch — his flame is 30-feet in diameter!"

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Ed Sheeran Will Make a Cameo
Getty | D Dipasupil

Ed Sheeran Will Make a Cameo

Maisie Williams is a huge fan of the British singer-songwriter, so the showrunners decided to surprise her by casting Sheeran in a guest role. The "Shape of You" singer joins fellow season seven newcomers Jim Broadbent (who is playing a maester, likely Maester Marwyn), Conor McGregor, and Tom Hopper.

09
Theon Greyjoy Could Be in Grave Danger
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Theon Greyjoy Could Be in Grave Danger

In a few recent set pictures, Theon Greyjoy is getting beat up, seemingly by his uncle Euron. Does this mean Euron will triumph after all? Could Theon be one of the characters to die in season seven?!

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Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen Will Meet Face to Face
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Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen Will Meet Face to Face

We've got more exciting set pictures! It looks like Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, and Tyrion Lannister will all joining forces in an upcoming episode. Could they be working in tandem to dethrone Cersei?

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Sansa and Jon's Relationship Will Shift
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Sansa and Jon's Relationship Will Shift

Though she didn't give specifics, Sophie Turner did hint during Game of Thrones' Comic-Con panel that her character's relationship with her cousin Jon will change in the new season. "She thinks they should both be king and queen of the North for sure," she said. "I'm not sure about the Iron Throne. I'm not sure she's so keen on that anymore. I'm not sure she believes that Jon is capable of running Winterfell. I think she thinks he doesn't have the intellect, the knowledge, the experience that she has, and I concur. She knows he has wonderful morals and those Stark morals that inevitably he'll make the right decision — or the good decision — but whether it's going to benefit anyone is another story."

Kit Harington echoed her sentiments in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, hinting that the pair will face some major ups and downs. "There is definite tension between them right from the first scene," he explained. "There are the same problems — she questions his decisions and command; he doesn't listen to her. But as far as where that goes or takes them or how dark it can get, we'll see. It gets past sibling squabbling, it gets into two people power struggling."

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We'll Find Out Who Cersei Really Is
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We'll Find Out Who Cersei Really Is

Right after the season six finale, D.B. Weiss revealed a bit of the writers' plans for Cersei's storyline to Deadline: "That's what so much of next season is going to be about; finding out what Cersei's mind-set is. Who is she? While Cersei has certainly done a lot of horrible things in her life and she could be a very cruel person, the one thing that was redemptive about her was that she genuinely loved her children. Now they're all gone, and I think that is very interesting for us. Who is she without her children? The answer is something you'll find out next season."

13
The Night's King Is Very Likely Heading South
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The Night's King Is Very Likely Heading South

Halfway through the season, we speculated that Bran may accidentally allow the White Walkers South of the Wall, and David Benioff teased to Deadline that the Night King may indeed push past the Wall: "The Wall isn't just a physical structure keeping the army of the dead out. If the Wildlings managed to make it over, which they have, and the Night King has so much more in the way of both power and troops who'll do literally anything he says . . . we'll keep it at that for now."

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It's the Second-to-Last Season
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It's the Second-to-Last Season

As if you were worried, HBO renewed Game of Thrones for season seven back in April. The creators have been candid about wanting to finish with season eight, and they're sticking to it. "It's two more seasons we're talking about," Benioff confirmed to Deadline. "From pretty close to the beginning, we talked about doing this in 70-75 hours, and that's what we'll end up with. Call it 73 for now."

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It's the Beginning of the "End Game"
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It's the Beginning of the "End Game"

"The pieces are on the board now," Benioff told Deadline. "Some of the pieces have been removed from the board and we are heading toward the end game. The thing that has excited us from the beginning, back to the way we pitched it to HBO is, it's not supposed to be an ongoing show, where every season it's trying to figure out new story lines. We wanted it to be one giant story, without padding it out to add an extra 10 hours, or because people are still watching it. We wanted to something where, if people watched it end to end, it would make sense as one continuous story. We're definitely heading into the end game now."

16
The Episode Count
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The Episode Count

We now know that the next season will be seven episodes total. While episodes one through five will be the standard 50 to 60 minutes long, the last two will set a record for how long they are. Episode seven reportedly clocks in at 71 minutes, while the finale is a whopping 81 minutes. That's practically a movie!

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The Episode Titles
HBO

The Episode Titles

The titles of the first three episodes have been announced: "Dragonstone," "Stormborn," and "The Queen's Justice."

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Once Daenerys Gets to Westeros, "It's On"
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Once Daenerys Gets to Westeros, "It's On"

"Once she gets on those ships and crosses West, that’s when the clock on the end game starts ticking," Weiss told Entertainment Weekly. "The question has been: When is she going to get back across the Narrow Sea? When is she going to take back her homeland? It’s been a long time for her, and it’s been something that’s such an imperative for people watching. You know she’s not going to go there for a beach vacation . . . when she gets back to Westeros, it’s on. Her return is the first domino."

19
The Directors
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The Directors

Entertainment Weekly revealed the directors signed on for season seven. They include Alan Taylor (Terminator: Genisys), Jeremy Podeswa (Boardwalk Empire), Mark Mylod (Shameless), and Matt Shakman (Fargo).

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Lyanna Mormont Will Return
HBO

Lyanna Mormont Will Return

Last season's breakout character will be back! Actress Bella Ramsey was spotted on the Ireland set in October.