Game of Thrones first hit our TV screens back in 2011 and, since then, it has become a worldwide television phenomenon. Viewers have become so invested in the show that it's now overtaken the release of the novels it's based on.
Although there are many rumours circulating over what to expect, which characters might die and how the plot will develop, the final season of Game of Thrones has now finished filming - and there's only a few weeks to go before it airs!
In April 2019, Game of Thrones will return for the eighth and final season, so we thought we'd run down everything that we know so far about it. Beware - there are many SPOILERS in the article below!
How many episodes will make up the final season of Game of Thrones?
It has been confirmed that the final season of Game of Thrones will only have six episodes, but HBO have confirmed the running time for each of the episodes now - and fans will NOT be disappointed.
Episode one: 54 minutes
Episode two: 58 minutes
Episode three: 82 minutes
Episode four: 78 minutes
Episode five: 80 minutes
Episode six: 80 minutes
When will the final season of Game of Thrones air?
It has now been officially confirmed by HBO and Games of Thrones, on Twitter, that the new series will air in the US on the 14th April. Die hard fans in the UK will be able to watch the new season at 2am on Sky Atlantic in the UK.
How will you be able to watch Game of Thrones?
You'll be able to watch Game of Thrones on Sky Atlantic, the first episode of season eight will air at 2am on the 15th April 2019.
When can we see the first Game of Thrones season eight trailer?
Now, the trailer dropped last year, check it out below:
Which characters will we see in the final season of Game of Thrones?
There's no official confirmation on who we will see in the next season, however we are pretty sure we'll get to see the series regulars of Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, Jaime Lannister and Cersei Lannister return. We also know that we definitely won't see Littlefinger himself Petyr Baelish, as he met a nasty end at the end of season seven.
Which characters will we say "goodbye" to in the final season of Game of Thrones?
It's the all important question, which characters will make it to the end of the final season? However, it looks like we'll have to wait a bit longer to find out, as HBO's senior VP of drama didn't give away too much at a recent conference. She said, "It was a really powerful moment in our lives and our careers. None of the cast had received the scripts prior, and one by one they started falling down to their deaths.
"It was amazing. By the very end, everyone looked down and looked up and tears were in their eyes."
Peter Dinklage, who has played Tyrion Lannister since the show started in 2011, recently opened up about filming his last scenes for the show.
He explained how he felt saying "goodbye" to the character he "adored". "I had my last day on set in July, just over two months ago now and it was very sad," the actor explained.
"This is not only a great TV show to be a part of, but it was an enormous family to be a part of."
As Peter lives in New York he wasn't able to go home at weekends, so he formed a strong bond with the countries he filmed in, including Ireland.
Game of Thrones then vs now slider with cover pic
Take a trip down memory lane to see how the Game of Thrones cast looked then vs. now...
Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Season 1
Kit Harington plays the broody Jon Snow - illegitimate son of Ned Stark... Or so we thought. Kit was 25-years-old when he took on the role of Jon Snow, and despite being from London, was able to do a pretty passable Northern accent.
Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Season 8
Now, Kit is 32-years-old and married to former co-star Rose Leslie, who played the wildling Ygritte - his character's former love. Did anyone else's heart actually break when she died? No? Just us? Sob.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Season 1
Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's Jaime Lannister was a bit of an arrogant weirdo in the first season - not only was he having an affair with his actual twin sister, but he was just an all-round not nice guy.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Season 8
Fast forward to season 8, and fans are seriously conflicted over Jaime. On the one hand, he's still in a relationship with his twin sister. On the other hand, he seems to be a much better person than he was in season 1... Other than that, he's aged like a fine, fine wine.
Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister), Season 1
The aforementioned sister of Jaime is an absolute nutcase. In season 1, it seemed as though Cersei was just fiercely determined to stay on the throne and make her father Tywin proud.
Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister), Season 8
However, by the time we got to the penultimate season, Cersei has gone a little more mad than before. Probably on account of being locked in a tower for months on end and tortured, before being forced to walk naked through the streets. She looks so normal in real life!
Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), Season 1
Emilia Clarke's character Daenerys Targaryen began life on the show as a meek young girl at her elder brother's beck and call, when Emilia was 25-years-old.
Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), Season 8
However, after much hardship and a lot of learning - as well as a couple of dragons under her belt - Daenerys is now basically taking on the world as she battles for the Iron Throne.
Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark), Season 1
Sophie Turner was just 15-years-old when she began starring in Game of Thrones. Her character, Sansa, was quite simply an annoying little girl to begin with, and her obsession with Joffrey was hard to watch.
Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark), Season 8
Now 23 - and engaged to none other than Joe Jonas - Sophie has blossomed into a fantastic actress with a lead role in upcoming X-Men films. As Sansa has also been through a pretty rough time, viewers have warmed more to her than before, and she's also a frontrunner in the race for the crown.
Maisie Williams (Arya Stark), Season 1
Sophie's younger on-screen sister Maisie has possibly undergone the biggest transformation - but that's not hard when she started life on the set at the age of just 13!
Maisie Williams (Arya Stark), Season 8
Maisie is now a hugely accomplished actress, and the growth of her character is a testament to how much her skills have come on during her time on the show. Plus, we are loving the pink hair!
Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy), Season 1
Singer Lily Allen's brother Alfie has starred as Theon Greyjoy throughout the series. Theon started out as a disillusioned member of the Stark family, having been raised by them after a battle with own family saw him accepted as the Stark's ward.
Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy), Season 8
Although he was an arrogant character, he certainly didn't deserve all the torture that befell him thanks to the twisted Ramsay Bolton, played by Iwan Rheon.
Isaac Hempstead Wright (Bran Stark), Season 1
Isaac was just 12-years-old when he took on the role of Bran Stark, and whose actions acted as a catalyst for the whole upheaval, really. If he hadn't have been climbing up the tower, he wouldn't have seen Cersei and Jaime together - they wouldn't have pushed him and basically, everything wouldn't have kicked off.
Isaac Hempstead Wright (Bran Stark), Season 8
Now, he's 19, and Bran has become the Three-Eyed Raven, shedding his former identity and taking on the role of the all-seeing, all-knowing being. There are even whispers that he might secretly be the Night King somehow, but that remains to be seen.
Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister), Season 1
Tyrion started life on the show as a near-alcoholic philanderer with a penchant for visiting brothels. When he was accused of killing his nephew, Joffrey Baratheon, he fled Westeros and was captured by Ser Jorah Mormont.
Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister), Season 8
Then, he was taken to Daenerys Targaryen and vowed to assist her on her quest to reclaim the throne, as her father had been the last true king.
John Bradley (Samwell Tarly), Season 1
Samwell Tarly is probably one of the nicest characters on the show, having been taken under the wing of Jon Snow when both boys joined the Night's Watch together.
John Bradley (Samwell Tarly), Season 8
Since then, he's fallen in love with Gilly, become adoptive father to her baby and even killed a White Walker - something unheard of in their time.
Carice van Houten (Melisandre), Season 2
Melisandre joined the show in Season 2, played by Dutch actress Carice van Houten. The character started on the show utterly convinced that Stannis Baratheon was meant to be king, but after he was killed she became a bit lost.
Carice van Houten (Melisandre), Season 8
She's now joined the side of Daenerys Targaryen, and is helping her in her fight to return her family's name to the throne.
Joe Dempsie (Gendry), Season 1
Former Skins actor Joe plays Gendry the blacksmith in Game of Thrones, the secret son of King Robert Baratheon, who was unfortunately killed in the first season.
Joe Dempsie (Gendry), Season 8
Gendry has been avoiding capture since then, especially with the help of Ser Davos Seaworth, and has now joined Team Targaryen.
Hannah Murray (Gilly), Season 2
Joe's fellow Skins co-star Hannah Murray is also part of the cast, playing Gilly, daughter and wife of the horrible Craster, who thankfully gets killed. She escapes with her son/brother, and befriends Samwell Tarly.
Hannah Murray (Gilly), Season 8
Romantic feelings have, of course, developed between Samwell and Gilly, and now they're quite in love and are co-parenting her baby/brother together.
Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth), Season 2
Gwendoline Christie's character Brienne of Tarth is an absolute icon. Not only does she refuse to be held to anyone else's standards, but she also kicks some serious butt.
Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth), Season 8
Since her first appearance in Season 2, Brienne has now sworn fealty to Sansa Stark, fallen in love with Jaime Lannister and is also fighting off the advances of wildling Tormund Giantsbane.
Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei), Season 3
Former Hollyoaks actress Nathalie Emmanuel has been playing the character of Missandei since 2013. Missandei was originally a slave who acted as a translator for her previous owner, Kraznys, before Daenerys freed her and she chose to serve her instead.
Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei), Season 8
Missandei is now Daenerys' most trusted advisor, friend and also a lover of Grey Worm.
Jacob Anderson (Grey Worm), Season 3
Jacob Anderson plays Grey Worm, captain of the Unsullied army in Game of Thrones, but he also makes music under the name Raleigh Ritchie.
Jacob Anderson (Grey Worm), Season 8
Grey Worm initially couldn't speak any other language, both has slowly been learning with the help of his now-lover, Missandei and is completely devoted to working for Daenerys.
In the final season of Game of Thrones who will end up on the Iron Throne?
It's difficult to say who could be left and who could end up on the Iron Throne in the final season of Game of Thrones, however, there are a few rumours circulating, including Bran Stark, or Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen in a cheesy ending.
Game of Thrones Season 8 will be followed by a documentary about the series
Although fans around the world will be sad that Game of Thrones is coming to an end, with the release of Season 8 in April, it has now been revealed that there will be a two-hour documentary about the series. Due to air just a week after the final episode of the epic TV series, Game of Thrones: The Last Watch, will give fans amazing behind-the-scenes views of the fantastic series.
British filmmaker Jeanie Finlay spent a year on the Game of Thrones set, and will show how the most ambitious season was created. According to HBO, viewers will get to see the cast and crew battling with, 'extreme weather, punishing deadlines and an ever-excited fandom hungry for spoilers.'