Maisie Williams Confirms Another Huge ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 6 Return

HBO has yet to firm up exactly how much more Game of Thrones lies beyond Season 6, though the series has nonetheless begun to contract, bringing back numerous fan-favorites and tying off past stories. The world of Westeros may get even smaller soon, as Maisie Williams herself confirms another notable Northern return to the series.

You’re warned of potential Season 6 spoilers (perhaps even as early as this Sunday’s “Oathbreaker”), but following months of speculation and the odd social media photo, it seems as if Art Parkinson’s (way-older) Rickon Stark will be returning to an upcoming Season 6 episode. Maisie Williams seemingly dropped the news in a BBC Radio 1 interview with Nick Grimshaw, answering fan questions (Via Mashable):

“Ye-es,” she replied tentatively when a caller asked whether or not we’ll be hearing from Rickon this season. “Yes. Maybe.”

Shortly after, Williams gave a more definitive response: “Yes, we will indeed… Oh no, I’m literally going to get off the air and someone’s going to email me!”

Like a number of other characters, Rickon was last shipped off to parts unknown in Season 3, though Bran urged he and Osha (Natalie Tena) head for the “Last Hearth” to seek protection of Stark bannermen the Umbers. If indeed the pair did as much, rather than head to the isle of Skagos, as rumored in the books, that might make the apparent presence of an Umber in Sunday’s “Oathbreaker” trailer a troubling sight in Ramsay Bolton’s employ. Is Rickon the so-called “gift” Ramsay needs to keep his hold on the North?

We’ll find out this season, if not Sunday outright, but will Rickon’s return end up spoiling another big death of George R.R. Martin’s books?