Random Insanely Convincing Fan Theories About The White Walkers' Motivation (14 items)

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  (#12) The White Walkers Are Fleeing Something Terrible In The North

  Why are the White Walkers moving south? Numerous people, like Redditor u/Griddamus, think they are migrating to flee something even more terrifying than themselves. They want to bring down the Wall not to invade Westeros, but to escape their traditional home and find a safer place to live.

  In the last several years (of Game of Thrones time), the White Walkers have had a huge resurgence. Not only are they building an army, but they have claimed their own dragon to destroy the Wall. They have built up their strength in order to survive and move south.
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  (#14) The White Walkers Are Moving South To Avoid The Coming Winter

  It is common belief that White Walkers rise to power with the coming winter, and they may even be responsible for bringing it. However, Redditor u/ByzantineBasileus advocates a contrasting theory: the White Walkers only appear to have a resurgence when winter comes. That is because during this time, they are more active outside of—south of—their traditional home.

  See, when winter comes, the Others need to move away from their already-cold lands. The freezing temperatures and violent conditions during these times make the north completely inhospitable, even for them. During their previous efforts to leave the north during winter, White Walkers have encountered resistance from the First Men and the Children of the Forest. This time, however, they have amassed an army to ensure they can defend themselves. After all, they don’t appear to indiscriminately kill everyone they come across—only those who pose a threat to them.
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  (#4) Their Ultimate Goal Is To Stop Daenerys

  Redditor u/the-original-slimjim suggests the ultimate aim of the White Walkers and the Night King may be to stop Daenerys Targaryen. There are two main pieces of evidence for this. The first is that the White Walkers only seemed to start amassing their strength and marching south when Dany’s dragons hatched. As they grow larger and her army increases, the strength of the Night King has increased to match her own. At this point, he even has his own dragon—and she has one less.

  Secondly, it seems like the White Walkers are set up to be the oppositional ice to the Targaryen fire. Their very existence may be intrinsically linked to the magic of dragons, and so they want to prevent them from returning to Westeros.
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  (#5) The Night King Is Coming To Take His Place As King In The North

  One fan theory proposed by u/Megatron_McLargeHuge on Reddit posits that the Night King is an ancient Stark who is making his way to Winterfell to reclaim his title as King in the North. The argument rests on some folklore from the novels: the Wall was originally built by a Stark known as Bran the Builder, and that the ancient northern house might be intimately tied with the White Walkers.

  The theory postulates that the Starks and the Night King made a compact with one another. While there was "always a Stark in Winterfell," the White Walkers had to remain north of the Wall. However, events of the previous seasons saw Starks flung to all corners of Westeros. Meanwhile, the Boltons took Winterfell for themselves. This may have broken the Starks' agreement with the Night King, allowing him to return and claim Winterfell for himself.
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  (#9) The White Walkers Are Trying To Save The World From Evil Men

  Redditor u/c_forrester_thorne theorizes that the White Walkers no longer trust men. In ancient times, the two species coexisted by a sacred pact, but those terms have since been broken. It has eroded the peace that has existed for thousands of years. White Walkers now believe humans are a force for evil that, if left unchecked, will cause untold misery to the realm.

  Consider how much damage has been done by various parties trying to take the Iron Throne for themselves. In this instance, the White Walkers see themselves as saviors, ridding the world of a menace that could very well destroy it.
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  (#11) They Want To Escape The Prison They Have Been Forced To Live In

  According to Redditor u/Sanomiya, the White Walkers may simply be trying to escape a prison they have been confined to for thousands of years. The Wall that separates Westeros from the icy lands in the true North acts as a physical and magical barrier, preventing the Others from leaving. They are effectively imprisoned in a location against their will, forced to live in a place that is objectively unpleasant. Direct conflict with the Wildings and the Night’s Watch may be their only way of freeing themselves from this prison.

  Since they have breached the Wall, the White Walkers may not necessarily want to continue fighting. There may come a point when they are willing to coexist with men, come to peace, and integrate into human society.

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