What Ghost Returning to Game of Thrones Could Mean for the Final Season

The final season of Game of Thrones is upon us, and though we'll be saying goodbye to some of our favorite characters in fictional history, we're also going to see the return of some fan favorites.

Visual effects supervisor Joe Bauer recently confirmed Jon Snow's direwolf Ghost will be making an appearance in season eight, and it doesn't sound like it'll just be a minor cameo. “Oh, you’ll see him again," Bauer told told The Huffington Post. "He has a fair amount of screen time in Season 8. He does show up ... He’s very present and does some pretty cool things."

Obviously, fans were thrilled to learn they'll get to see Ghost again.

But besides the initial excitement, we're now wondering what Ghost's involvement could mean for Jon's fate and the finale of Game of Thrones. What "cool things" could Bauer be referring to?

George RR Martin has teased Arya Stark's direwolf Nymeria's "important" role in the final two books. “You know, I don’t like to give things away,” he ​said in a 2014 interview, adding, “You don't hang a giant wolf pack on the wall unless you intend to use it.” Though the show could always not follow Martin's plans, Ghost could definitely team up with Nymeria, should Jon and Arya reunite to fight alongside each other.

According to writer Bryan Cogman, Ghost was supposed to be in season seven, but the scene had to be cut because they didn't have the budget. "There was a bit here where Jon came out of the crypt, and Ghost came up to him and [Jon pet] him and said, 'Take care of [Sansa], watch over her for me.' But I guess those direwolves are expensive. I guess it got cut. Oh, well. Ghost is there somewhere roaming around," he ​shared.

Clearly, Ghost's absence hasn't been because of a lack of importance. If Game of Thrones is going to bring him back, it's likely for something major, probably with Nymeria at his side. We can't wait to see how it all goes down when the final season premieres in ​the first half of next year.