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Clues Ramsay Will Win The Bastard Bowl On 'Game Of Thrones' Hint At A Bleak Outcome

by Megan Walsh

Ramsay Bolton has been thankfully absent from television screens of late, but that's only so Game of Thrones could build up to next week's "The Battle of the Bastards," when Ramsay and Jon will finally throw down in an attempt to gain control of Winterfell once and for all. Unless you hate kittens and puppies and joy, you're probably rooting for Jon to emerge victorious, but things aren't looking so good for the most luxurious head of hair south of the Wall. Ramsay has a big advantage when it comes to manpower and there are clues Ramsay will win the Bastard Bowl, as seriously sucky as that would be.

No one wants Ramsay to succeed. If he were to win, I could only imagine the North would be transformed into some kind of dystopian hellscape that even President Snow of Panem would turn his nose up at. However, one must attempt realism and objectivity when watching television shows and especially when talking about Game of Thrones, a show that lives to pull the rug out from under its fans. The sad fact is that Ramsay has a superior army and the support of many of the Northern Houses. Jon has a group of followers that like him a lot, but not much else (Jon, why didn't you talk up the 'returned from the dead angle' during your campaign around the North? That would've been such an effective slogan!).

Ramsay Has A Powerful Army

This is the biggest factor in Ramsay's potential victory. He simply has an incredible amount of force at his command. As the promo for "The Battle of the Bastards" showed, not only is his army large in number, they're very well-trained – check those clean lines in comparison to Jon's mishmash of wildlings-cum-soldiers. Viewers have already seen Ramsay's army destroy Stannis', and Stannis was a seasoned soldier with a pretty sizable crew at his command.

Ramsay Has Support

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Lyanna Mormont may be the bossest boss to ever boss, but she was only able to loan Jon & Co. sixty-eight men and she was the only ruler who even offered to do that much. Otherwise, every door was shutting in Jon's face, from the Glovers to the Tullys. Ramsay has two major houses on his side, the Karstarks and the Umbers, and they have probably added a lot of men to Ramsay's already high number.

Jon Is Not Doing Too Good Right Now

Since his resurrection, Jon has been different, even if he doesn't look it from the outside (aside from his adorable new bun, of course). He's lost his fight and he's lost his confidence; gone is the man who took leadership of the Watch and the wildlings, who was able to inspire loyalty and go against his detractors to do what was right. He had no intention of fighting until Sansa Lady Macbeth'd him. He's doing what he has to do but his heart isn't in it anymore, and that could prove fatal.

Game Of Thrones Punishes Good People

If the slaughter of the Hound's merry band of new pals proved anything, it's that hope is a dangerous thing to have on Game of Thrones. Anyone looking to better themselves or fight against corruption is going to meet a sticky end. It's a lesson Ned Stark taught fans in the first season and if anyone has been carrying Ned's mantle (literally, if you count the cloak Sansa made) since his death, it's Jon. His nobility could be his downfall.

D&D Like Ramsay A Lot?

Showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff have been accused by fans of favoring Ramsay a little too much throughout the years – taking too much joy in his viciousness and allowing him to win more than fans would like. Of course, this is a natural reaction to watching favorite characters get pummeled again and again, and it's unlikely that Weiss and Benioff are running a Ramsay Fan Club in their spare time. Still, it's always possible that a fondness for the character or actor Iwan Rheon's performance could keep Ramsay around past his expiration date.

Even if Ramsay does succeed on the battlefield, that's no reason to count out Jon and Sansa just yet. The Stark family is one of the most important families on the show and it doesn't feel like their journey is done. And there is that old saying that you can lose the battle and still win the war – let's all hold on to that as we tensely await the outcome of this particular battle.