Is Benjen Stark (Joseph Mawle) really dead?

In the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, the dead do not always remain dead. However, director Alan Taylor has confirmed that Benjen, Jon Snow's (Kit Harrington) uncle, no longer dwells in the land of the living.

"He meets his end there," the "Beyond The Wall" director said on season 7's DVD commentary.

In the previous season's action-packed finale, Benjen sacrificed his own life to save Jon from the White Walkers. The last time viewers saw him, he was swarmed by the wights and was assumed to be dead.

While resurrection is possible in the fictional world — with Jon himself returning from the dead — Taylor's statement sounds pretty conclusive. Ned Stark's (Sean Bean) last surviving sibling will likely not suddenly appear in the final season as a living human being.

Whether he will return as a wight is a possibility. After all, the past season also saw several characters, including Karsi (Birgitte Hjort Sorensen), be reanimated as a member of the Night King's army. However, Benjen is no ordinary man.

Back when he was a First Ranger of the Night's Watch, Benjen encountered White Walkers and was stabbed with an ice sword. The Children of the Forest found him and saved him from becoming a wight by shoving a piece of dragonglass into his chest.

Whether this will save him from becoming a wight this time remains to be seen.

Benjen, who vanished beyond the wall some time ago only to return to save Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) and Meera Reed (Ellie Kendrick) from the wights, was an important figure in Jon's life. The bastard of Winterfell loved and looked up to his uncle, eventually following his footsteps and becoming a member of the Night's Watch.

It is safe to assume that Benjen's death will have an emotional impact on Jon in the coming season 8.

Grey Worm Returns?

The upcoming season of Game of Thrones is so wrapped up in secrecy that not even its stars know whether their characters will appear or not. Digital Spy caught up with Jacob Anderson to talk about the future of Grey Worm in the award-winning fantasy television series.

"Maybe I was just at the read-through for fun," he joked. "Literally everybody is banished from saying a single thing. We don't even know if Grey Worm is going to be in it, but I can probably confirm to you that Grey Worm will be in one second of Game of Thrones season 8. I can guarantee that."

Fans of the small-screen adaptation of George R.R. Martin's best-selling novels might have to wait longer for the next season. Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark, hinted earlier this year that the series' final season will not premiere until 2019.

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