Game Of Thrones: 10 Lesser Known Fan Theories (That Might Actually Be True)

8. B(loodraven)+S(hiera)S(eastar)=M(elisandre)

One of the most powerful characters in Game of Thrones, and also one of its most mysterious, we know only a few details of Melisandre's life before she joined Stannis in the hope he would turn out to be Azor Ahai. Raised in Asshai, she was sold as a slave, thinks her name was Melony, and was sold to a red temple at a young age.

Because of this - along with her power - she's the subject of a few theories, including the notion she could be Maggy the Frog or that she's immortal, but the more believable (and indeed interesting) is that she's a Targaryen (because, well, isn't everyone in these fan theories?).

Sheira Seastar, whose name only appears briefly in both show and books, was the last of King Aegon IV Targaryen's Great Bastards. Her mother, Serenei of Lys, was said to practice the dark arts to make her appear more youthful, when in truth she was considerably older than the King - and it was said that Sheira shared these gifts. As we've seen on the show, Melisandre is much older than she looks, using magic to hide her true appearance. Sheira was described by George R.R. Martin as:

“She was the greatest beauty of her age, a slender and elegant woman, slim of waist and full of breast... She had a heart-shaped face, full lips, and her mismatched eyes were strangely large and full of mischief."

And here's a description of Melisandre from A Clash of Kings:

“Slender she was, graceful, taller than most knights, with full breasts and narrow waist and a heart-shaped face. Men’s eyes that once found her did not quickly look away, not even a maester’s eyes. Many called her beautiful."

The similarities there are uncanny, if not enough to support the theory on their own. Mel's other features don't fit: she's tall, with pale skin, and red eyes. They do, however, fit with Bloodraven - aka Brynden Rivers - another of the Great Bastards, and a lover of Sheira, who also possesses some magical abilities (becoming the Three-Eyed Crow/Raven). Both Mel and Bloodraven are frequently described as being hooded and cloaked, and dressed in scarlet. As for her hair, that doesn't come from either parent, but it is indeed possible that she dyes it, as we've heard comments about hair dye in Westeros previously, and she could do that because of her connection to the Lord of Light.

This notion then connects itself to Mel's own belief in Azor Ahai. One of the parts of the prophecy is "When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers...". Melisandre is known as the Red Woman, or Red Priestess, and everything about her is red - a colour also associated with *Blood*raven. Her mother, meanwhile, was called Sea*star*. That would make Mel herself the red star, and her bleeding would herald the arrival of Azor Ahai. There's also the fact that Melisandre is obsessed with the power of King's Blood: if this theory is true, then both her parents, and subsequently herself, have King's Blood in them.