If This Game of Thrones Theory Is True, It Means Tragedy Awaits Jon and Dany

The eldest surviving Stark has been through the ringer during her GoT run, but is arguably the most equipped to raise a child. Having learned good habits early on from her mother and father with help from the devoted Septa Mordane, Sansa has also observed many examples of how not to parent: Cersei Lannister, Lysa Arryn, Roose Bolton, and the especially twisted paternal predations of the late Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish. Sansa has proven herself an excellent leader who wisely learns from both the peaks and valleys of her own life experience, so her exposure to the whole gamut of Westerosi child-rearing styles will only serve to make her a better guardian for the Targaryen child.

Sansa raising Jon's child would also be a sweet form of redemption. She closely resembles her mother, Catelyn, who barely tolerated Jon during his upbringing at Winterfell. "All this horror that's come to my family, it's all because I couldn't love a motherless child," Catelyn laments in season three, recognizing not only that her mistreatment of Jon deprived him of the childhood he deserved, but that her coldness toward him also affected his relationships with his legitimate siblings. Sansa adopting Jon's own motherless child and raising it with love and affection would be the perfect way to close out his fraught Stark family history.

There's no doubt that Daenerys's right-hand woman would be willing to protect and raise the khaleesi's child in the event of her untimely death. Though Missandei is unlikely to ever bear natural children due to her relationship with Grey Worm, who has been castrated, she is an exceptionally patient, compassionate, and loyal teacher. Missandei adores and respects Daenerys, and would undoubtedly treat her orphan as an extension of its mother, sharing incredible tales about the "Mother of Dragons" to teach the child all about the mother it lost.

Tyrion has the unique benefit of knowing both Jon and Daenerys, making him a prime candidate for guardianship of their baby. Time and again, the youngest Lannister has expressed his fondness for "cripples, bastards, and broken things," and would likely have a special soft spot for the orphaned Targaryen child. Not to mention that Tyrion has a wide range of knowledge about the Seven Kingdoms and beyond, is a fountain of wise advice, and has had enough exposure to his own father's atrocious parenting to knowingly do the opposite.

There's a persuasive theory that Game of Thrones is all told from the perspective of Samwell Tarly, who has since become a maester and is chronicling the tale as a series of books. However, what if it's not books at all . . . but a bedtime story? Sam and his girlfriend, Gilly, are the only two eligible adopters with any experience raising kids, and Sam would be the perfect person to educate the orphaned Targaryen child all about its parents' noble history and grand adventures.

The "Onion Knight," Ser Davos Seaworth, is a rare beacon of kindness, earnestness, and integrity on Game of Thrones — all qualities that make for a great parent. Though Davos has a history of heartbreak, losing his own son in the Battle of the Blackwater and forging a heartwarming relationship with Stannis Baratheon's doomed daughter, Shireen, his experiences showcase the type of loving guardian he could be to Jon and Dany's child.

Though her capacity for affection seems stunted after years of brutal losses and training under the Faceless God, there is no denying Arya's love for Jon Snow. If tasked with raising Jon and Dany's child, Arya could draw on the teachings of Syrio Forel and Jaqen H'gharto teach the young one all about appeasing and evading the God of Death. (Look, we never said she'd be a good parent. But what's life in the GoT universe without a hefty serving of childhood trauma?)

OK, so this option is obviously the worst case scenario for Jon and Daenerys's child, but hear us out. What if the "Prince That Was Promised" actually was promised . . . to the Night King, as an offering to end the war between the living and the dead? Because of the horrific secret revealed at Craster's Keep during season two, we know that the White Walkers readily accept newborn boys as offerings beyond the Wall. A true-born heir to the Iron Throne would make an especially good offering, and might be enough to appease the Night King.