WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for the Game of Thrones Season 8 episode "The Last of the Starks," which premiered Sunday on HBO.
While Game of Thrones revolves heavily around wars fought on the field to see who'll eventually sit on the Iron Throne, we can't downplay the importance of the politics embedded in the franchise. Players like Littlefinger made crucial moves which, ultimately, whether intentional or not, led to Cersei Lannister taking hold of King's Landing and the crown.
However, with the great, white-haired hope in Daenerys Targaryen coming with her army in a quest for revenge to unseat Cersei, her mentality of winning this battle by any means necessary has now left fans thinking twice about backing the Mother of Dragons. Sadly, this has led to Dany suffering a secret blow in her own camp thanks to the impending betrayal of one of her closest confidants, Varys. We may see him as the show's biggest traitor, but Varys may end up being Westeros' greatest hope for peace and unity.
In "The Last of the Starks," Varys, in alliance with Tyrion and the Starks, advises Dany not to attack King's Landing with an army weakened from its encounter with the Night King's ice horde. When she stubbornly insists they strike when the iron is hot, no matter whether her forces are depleted, Varys sees this as a red flag and, as they all travel by ship to the walls of the Red Keep to confront Cersei, Varys commits what's basically an act of treason.
He emerges as the voice of reason in an illuminating exchange with Tyrion, warning him Dany's war will kill thousands of innocents brought to King's Landing to unwittingly act as a shield for Cersei. Not to mention this will truly paint the Stormborn daughter of the "Mad King" Aerys Targaryen as a power-hungry psychopath.
As Varys recalls how he saw Aerys descend into his madness, threatening to burn innocents, children included, to keep the throne, and he can't help but draw a comparison to how obsessed Dany's become. When he realizes Tyrion's too afraid to stand up to her, Varys draws his trump card, revealing Jon Snow's stronger claim to the throne as Aegon Targaryen is something he'll now back, if only to save countless lives from Dany's bloodthirsty behavior, something which eventually costs her Missandei and Rhaegal. To top it off, Varys sees Jon as someone everyone, not just the North, will follow because of his bravery and benevolence.
This brings his arc as someone who truly wants the best for Westeros full circle. At first, we thought Varys was a trickster like Littlefinger, but he was simply using his web of spies to ensure someone like Aerys would never rule again. He thought Dany, Aerys' daughter who fled the city when Robert Baratheon threw a coup, was different, but now he realizes Jon's best suited.
It's a selfless but difficult decision because he helped keep Dany alive following her escape, using the late Ser Jorah Mormont as an informant. This was all so Varys could someday wait for a window of opportunity to help reinstate a hopefully sane Targaryen to the Iron Throne.
In Season 5, he revealed his hand when he linked up with Dany and Tyrion, becoming part of their inner circle to take down Cersei. He bought into her as the Breaker of Chains and liberator of oppression. But now, Varys, someone who has made it clear he's seen enough blood spilled from mothers and children during his lifetime, is ready to switch allegiances, even if it costs him his life.
He's still filled with conviction they can overthrow Cersei, but he can't, in good conscience, vouch for someone on the cusp of becoming a "Mad Queen." Simply put, the altruistic Spider isn't willing to sacrifice his vision of a better Westeros, something he's ambitiously pieced together over decades, for her anymore. When all's said and done, while Dany will see him as disloyal, Varys being ready to support Jon's claim isn't an act of betrayal at all -- it's a great act of heroism and courage that might still yield a free and fair world across the entire realm.
Airing Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO, Game of Thrones stars Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister, Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister, Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen, Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark, Maisie Williams as Arya Stark and Kit Harington as Jon Snow.