Fans of Game of Thrones were ecstatic to see the return of Benjen Stark, aka Coldhands, back in action for the tail end of Season 7. The Beyond the Wall episode featured Jon Snow and his motley crew going to hunt and capture a Wight to prove to the people of Westeros that the threat of the White Walkers was very much real. Though they accomplish the mission, Jon Snow could not have finished the mission had his Uncle Benjen not come to his rescue and saved him from an army of Wights. Snow takes off after Benjen insists that he goes, but how does he end up?

Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor has confirmed that Benjen Stark did not make it out alive after saving his nephew from an army of Wights. Benjen is a mysterious character who has barely been in the series. He was first seen in Season 1, heading north and did not reappear again until Season 6, where he helped out Bran. It seems like his days of helping his nephews are over, as director Alan Taylor reveals in the commentary for the Season 7 Blu-ray, He says bluntly, "he meets his end here."

Is it really the end? Benjen Stark may come back for the final season in some way, which would not be too far of a stretch for Game of Thrones, who are no stranger to bringing folks back from the dead, especially those whose deaths were not seen explicitly right on the screen. But for now, Benjen Stark is very much dead according to the director and he would know better than anyone else at this point in time. Maybe he'll be back as a Wight for the final season. If he does, we won't find out for quite a long time, since the 8th and final season isn't expected to premiere until 2019.

In other Game of Thrones news, star Isaac Hempstead Wright has teased that we should expect the unexpected when it comes to the final season of the massive HBO series. But that really isn't a tease, since that's pretty much what the show has done over the course of its 7 Seasons. He explains.

"It won't go the way some people want. It will be too happy for some people, or too sad, or too whatever. That's the nature of an ending. Midway through a season, there's always the idea that this is going to continue and somewhere along the way we'll make up for it all. When it comes to a conclusion, this is the end. Nothing more is coming, and the certainty of it being over will definitely bother people. But overall, I think we're going to smash it. (Laughs)"

As Isaac Hempstead Wright confirms, this is the end. There will be no more Game of Thrones as we know it after the next season. It's pretty amazing to think that there won't be any more of the show in just over a year.

Game of Thrones Season 8 is not expected to premiere until 2019, which is still pretty far away, but leaves plenty of time to speculate about what's coming our way. One thing that probably won't be coming back, sadly, is Benjen Stark as we've just learned that he's officially dead. Regardless, we're going to be in for some surprises here and in the meantime, the director's commentary for Season 7 might be able to tide us over while we wait. You can read more about the death of Benjen Stark courtesy of JOE.