Is the Hound Azor Ahai? According to this theory, it’s entirely possible. And while the Hound might not be the most Azor Ahai-like character in Game of Thrones and A Song of Ice and Fire, reddit user KakkaCarotCake makes an interesting case.
Before we dive into the theory, here’s a quick recap of what prophecies say about Azor Ahai. Azor Ahai is said to be someone who is:
- Born amidst salt and smoke
- Born under a bleeding star
- Has a connection to dragon’s blood
- Wakes dragon from stone
So with that in mind, the original poster walks through how the Hound fits the bill for all four categories.
The Hound is (Re)-Born Amidst Salt and Smoke
Assuming the Gravedigger theory is true, the Hound had a rebirth near the Saltpans, with “salt” being the important word. The original poster also notes that the Brave Companions raided the town around the time of the Hound’s rebirth, and with raided towns come fire … and smoke. So it’s pretty easy to make the case that the Hound was reborn amidst “salt” and “smoke.”
The Hound is (Re)-Born Under a Bleeding Star
Along the same lines, it’s easy to see how — metaphorically — the Hound was reborn under a bleeding star. “When the Hound is reborn, he is helped by the Elder Brother who is part of the Faith of the Seven. The symbol of the Faith of the Seven is a seven-pointed star,” wrote KakkaCarotCake. And the seven-pointed star is often characterized as red, hence the “bleeding.”
Does the Hound have Dragon Blood?
This is where the original poster acknowledges that the theory gets a little harder to piece together, but they continue nonetheless. The original poster turned to the books to get an actual description of “dragon blood,” and dug up this quote from a Dany chapter:
The dragon gave one last hiss and stretched out flat upon his belly. Black blood was flowing from the wound where the spear had pierced him, smoking where it dripped onto the scorched sands. He is fire made flesh, she thought, and so am I.
- A Dance with Dragons, Daenerys IX
Dany observes that her dragon “is fire made flesh,” and the connection can easily be drawn to Sandor Clegane, whose face was burned in a fire when he was a child. In that sense, he also is fire made flesh.
Can the Hound ‘Wake Dragons from Stone’?
This is where Sansa comes into play, according to KakkaCarotCake. Or, more specifically, Alayne Stone, Sansa’s last known alias.
“If we assume that Sandor is Azor Ahai, then his Nissa Nissa would be Sansa,” wrote the original poster. This could also play into the theory about the UnKiss, a mismemory of Sansa Stark’s that could be of importance.
Quick reminder: Nissa Nissa was the love of Azor Ahai, and he was forced to drive his blade into her chest — killing her — to imbue it with the power needed to defeat the Others.
How the Hound Becomes Azor Ahai
If this theory is true, it means the Hound and Sansa — “Alayne Stone” — would have to cross paths again in the future, presumably in the North. KakkaCarotCake speculates that Sansa will become injured in a battle and the Hound will put her out of her misery in an affectionate way. However, the encounter could happen any number of ways.
The original poster theorizes that the anger of seeing Sansa die, a person the Hound has always pitied for her innocence, would “wake the dragon” inside the Hound. Not in a literal sense, but in a figurative sense — akin to the way Viserys used the phrase “wake the dragon.”
Upon pulling the blade out of Sansa’s heart, it would ignite as Lightbringer, bringing us full circle and signifying that the Hound is Azor Ahai.