Who is Azor Ahai? Take a look at this handy chart!

Who is Azor Ahai? The Lord of Light’s chosen? The Prince Who Was Promised? The messiah who will save mankind from the Long Night? That’s one of the most persistent questions among fans of A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones. The myth of Azor Ahai is mentioned often in ASOAIF, usually by Melisandre. Here’s her retelling the prophecy that foretells his/her coming:

There will come a day after a long summer when the stars bleed and the cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world. In this dread hour a warrior shall draw from the fire a burning sword. And that sword shall be Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes, and he who clasps it shall be Azor Ahai come again, and the darkness shall flee before him.

And again, later:

When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone.

             

There’s even a story to go along with the legend, about the first Azor Ahai. Long ago, he forged a powerful sword to fight the great Other. His first try took him 30 days and 30 nights. But when he tried to temper the sword in water, it shattered. The second time, it took him 50 days and 50 nights. To temper it, he captured a lion and plunged the sword into its heart, but again, the sword shattered. So the third time, he worked for 100 days and 100 nights, and with a heavy heart drove the sword into the heart of his wife, Nissa Nissa. The blade combined with her soul to create Lightbringer.

So who among the current cast could be the reincarnation of this legendary figure? Redditor Alutic, thinking ahead, created a very serious chart on the subject, ranking 13 candidates from most to least likely. (Click to blow it up.)

Hot Pie is in the top 5, which means this chart is valid and should be considered legal and binding.

Note that the name “Azor Ahai” has never been mentioned on the show. Melisandre did mention “the Prince That Was Promised” when talking about Jon Snow, though, after she brought him back from the dead. “The Lord let you come back for a reason. Stannis was not the Prince Who Was Promised, but someone has to be.” And Kinvara the Red Priestess called Daenerys “the One Who Was Promised” when she visited Tyrion in Meereen.

So who is Azor Ahai? Well, if you go by this wonderful chart alone, it’s Daenerys. She’s checked the most boxes on the prophecy checklist, and there even by some the chart misses. For example, could Khal Drogo have been Dany’s Nissa Nissa. And could Tyrion, a lion of Lannister, be her sacrificial lion?

Or Azor Ahai is Tommen’s cat Ser Pounce. That seems more likely: