Yara Could Be In Big Trouble On 'Game Of Thrones'

It hasn't been long since the fantastic Yara Greyjoy's return to our television screens on Game of Thrones, but already her fate is up in the air. Captured by her uncle/drunken Captain Hook cosplayer Euron at the devastating naval battle on the Narrow Sea in "Stormborn," she appeared only briefly in Season 7's third episode, "The Queen's Justice," where she didn't look like she was having a super great time. So what's going to happen to Yara on Game of Thrones from here on out? Let's look at the options.

Yara didn't say a single word in "The Queen's Justice," the focus being more on Cersei finally getting her revenge on Ellaria Sand. But that only means fans are even more worried about what's going to happen to Yara. Cersei didn't have that same level of beef with Yara, so it looks like the queen has left her for Euron to deal with. This isn't the happiest of options, though after the brutal punishment Ellaria and Tyene suffered at the hands of Cersei I'm not sure which character I'd rather be stuck with.

In an interview Pilou Asbæk (Euron) gave with HBO, he described Euron's plans for Yara: "I think he wants to keep her for fun. I think if Yara is dead, she’s of no use ... for him, it’s about the game. He loves the game more than he loves the result." Wonderful, can't wait to see what he means by that.

Yara's a real badass, so I'm kind of dreading the next time we see her. Because Asbæk's right — it doesn't seem likely Euron will kill her right away, but he's probably got something even more upsetting in store for her. Maybe he'll end up taking her as a salt wife, which in the typically horrifying culture of the Ironborn is essentially a woman forced to become a sex slave after being captured during a raid. Yes, Yara's his niece, but do you really think that'll stop Euron, who basically answers the question, "what if Ramsay Bolton developed a severe cocaine habit?"

Then again, maybe she will die. Many fans are predicting that her death could be what motivates Theon to step it up and take some action, finally setting him on that path to redemption I've been patiently waiting on for the past four years or so.

This, however, would also be terrible, because if there's one thing Game of Thrones doesn't need it's a woman's arc being cut short to further a man's. This happens way too much in film and television, and if you don't believe me check out tvtropes.org's entry on the Disposable Woman. Game of Thrones has so far managed to avoid this pitfall, but don't think they won't do it — this wouldn't be the first time they've brought back a character just to kill them right off.

Yara's increased screen presence since the end of Season 6 has been freaking awesome, her convo with Daenerys being one of my personal favorite moments of the entire series. I would really hate to see that all go to waste on a damsel in distress-type of plotline.

Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.