Game Of Thrones Gravedigger Theory: Is The Hound Still Alive?

The ending of "Game of Thrones" definitely left a lot to be desired, and it also left a whole bunch of unanswered questions. Did Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) ever finish her list? Why does Jon Snow (Kit Harington) go north of the Wall when the series ends if there aren't any more White Walkers? Did Daenerys Targaryen's (Emilia Clarke) last remaining dragon Drogon torch the Iron Throne because it was the first thing in his line of sight near his "mother's" dead body, or because he understands symbolism? Is Sandor Clegane (Rory McCann), known as "the Hound," still alive?

Probably not, no — but some people think there's evidence within George R.R. Martin's books that the Hound is still alive and just in hiding. (This doesn't quite work for the character's fate in the television show, but we'll get to that.) The last time the Hound was spotted in "A Song of Ice and Fire," he was seriously wounded after a tavern brawl, but some readers think he's cosplaying as a mysterious character named "the Gravekeeper." Over on A Wiki of Ice and Fire, reasons that the Hound could potentially be the Gravekeeper include that he specifically bends down to pet a dog, he wears a scarf over his face, he has a similar injury to the one the Hound incurred, and the Hound's difficult horse Stranger is even present on the Gatekeeper's home of the Quiet Isle.

There are plenty of discrepancies between "A Song of Ice and Fire" and HBO's adaptation of "Game of Thrones," but one of them does concern Sandor Clegane and his time on the Quiet Isle. Instead of a tavern brawl like in the books, the Hound fights Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) as they vy to protect Arya; the girl escapes and both women leave the Hound for dead. The next time we see him, he's living a simple life of service alongside Ian McShane's short-lived character Ray, who doesn't appear in the books but is a sort of amalgamation of Septon Meribald and the Elder Brother from the books. (These characters, it should be noted, are directly involved with the Gravedigger.)

Ray, is a reformed fighter like the Hound, and it seems like the rough and tumble Clegane is maybe becoming a better person as he builds a sept in the woods with Ray. This peace doesn't last long, though; when some men from Brotherhood of the Banners pass by and demand goods and Ray has nothing, they end up killing everybody except the Hound. He then returns to his first love: revenge.

The idea of the Hound being the Gravedigger is definitely cool, but the show is finished now — and we know exactly how the Hound meets his end. After reuniting with Arya and assisting the good guys during the Battle of Winterfell, the Hound finally meets his brother Gregor Clegane (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) — known as "the Mountain" — who's been an undead zombie for a while. (That's a whole thing; don't worry too much about it.) Fans had been waiting ages for the two brothers to meet again, dubbing the interaction "Clegane Bowl," especially considering their bad blood: specifically, since the Hound's scars are a result of his brother shoving his face into a fire one time.

The brothers come face to face during the sacking of King's Landing, and as the world collapses around them, they fight in earnest — and because Sandor is having significant trouble killing a zombie, he simply grabs his brother and hurls them both into the nearby flames. There's no Gravedigger on "Game of Thrones," and the show is certainly over... so none of the characters are returning, Sandor included.