‘Game of Thrones’ Star Finn Jones Reveals Grim Theory for Show’s Ending

Loras Tyrell may be thankful that he did not survive to see the Game of Thrones series finale, at least according to actor Finn Jones.

Details regarding Game of Thrones‘ eighth and final season are few and far between, but that has not stopped fans from speculating how the HBO fantasy drama will end and who will sit atop the much coveted Iron Throne. If former GoT actor Jones is right, his character Loras Tyrell’s season six death during the destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor may have been merciful.

“I don’t think there will be a throne anymore, and I don’t think there will be, like, a centralized seat of power,” Jones told PEOPLE. “I think power will be given back to the individual kingdoms, so more like a democratic rule.”

As nice as that theory may be, it seems unlikely for GoT, which has a running record of not giving happy endings, and Jones already has a much bleaker theory prepared.

“That is probably a bit too, like, utopian for Game of Thrones,” Jones admitted. “And I think eventually what will happen is just…everyone died.”

Jones may not be too far off the mark, as all of the few breadcrumbs dropped regarding the HBO series’ final season is spelling a grim fate for more than just a few fan-favorite characters. The bloodbath of a final season will see a number of characters drop “one by one,” so much so that the cast was in tears during a table read for the finale.

A high death toll should not come as much of a surprise to fans given that the long-prophesized war against the Night King and his army of wights is growing increasingly more likely. When fans last saw the icy zombies, they had managed to breech the Wall with the help of a newly resurrected ice dragon Viserion, allowing them to push further north than they had ever ventured before, eventually promising to encroach on Westeros, where an entirely separate war for the Iron Throne has been brewing for seasons.

Fans hoping to find out the fates of their favorite characters sooner rather than later will unfortunately have to settle for the “later” end of the deal, as Game of Thrones season eight is not expected to premiere until sometime in 2019, likely in either April or May. However, fans get excited for the season with three seconds of new footage offered in an HBO teaser.