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In episode 8.04 (The Last of the Starks) of Games of Thrones, the story continues to march along with the characters continuing to prepare for the future by playing 'The Game of Thrones',

as none of them really discuss how this all happened and with the belief that the Night King and/or the threat of the White Walkers has been resolved.

But Bran mentions to Tyrion that he now spends most of his time in the past.

But if this was really the case,

that The Night King, The White Walkers, and by extension the Azor Ahai prophecy has been fulfilled or is now inconsequential,

then why is Bran spending so much time in the past NOW?

Besides this being a possible clue about those other things, is there any other logical reason why he would be doing this?

To Better Explain:

And while I'm well aware of the following exchange:

Bran Stark: Yes, he will. He'll come for me. He's tried many times before, with many three-eyed ravens.

Samwell Tarly: Why? What does he want?

Bran Stark: An endless night. He wants to erase this world, and I am its memory.

Samwell Tarly: That's what death is, isn't it? Forgetting, being forgotten. If we forget where we've been and what we've done, we're not men anymore, just animals. [to Bran] Your memories don't come from books. Your stories aren't just stories. If I wanted to erase the world of Men, I'd start with you.

It does not answer the specific purpose of any given 3ER, except to say that his existence threatened the Night King; it does not answer why a 3ER is needed to be the world's memory!

At the heart of my question, I'm looking for this answer, because as it stands, the bigger threat seemingly has been lifted and Bran's knowledge has been used sparingly (and potentially destructively) and there is little evidence to support why either Bran or any 3ER would need to dwell in the past or if this is just a natural byproduct of being a 3ER? Is this what they all do, or does Bran have a choice about what he chooses to look at, and when?

Is he looking for something specific for a specific purpose that relates to the story we have left or his dwellings moot?

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    He's the three-eyed raven, the memory of the world, the history of the world contains more than just the night king and the white walkers...
    – Gustavo Gabriel
    May 6, 2019 at 15:59
  • Ok, but if he doesn't share much of it, why does that matter? What in the history of the world is left that would matter now??
    – Darth Locke
    May 6, 2019 at 16:17
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    I mean, everything, even Jon's true lineage was important, and he shared with Sam. I agree he is kind of useless, but it's clear why he spends so much time in the past...
    – Gustavo Gabriel
    May 6, 2019 at 16:49
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    It was clear why, but no longer IMO. What information is out there that would impact the story we have left? That's why I'm asking.
    – Darth Locke
    May 6, 2019 at 17:24
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    I'd wager the present is dull and boring for someone who can view all the momentous occasions through out history at their whim.
    – Monica Apologists Get Out
    May 6, 2019 at 18:48

1 Answer 1

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The context of that conversation was that after the war Bran would be Lord of Winterfell. But that kind of future holds no interest to what Bran has become.

The Three-Eyed Raven has lived so many lives that he doesn't have any personal desires (or other emotions) anymore. He remembers being Bran the same way he remembers being any previous incarnation of the Three-Eyed Raven.

In fact, in episode 2 we learned that the Three-Eyed Raven's role is to be the "memory of the world". Being the memory of anything requires living in the past.

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  • But that doesn't exactly answer why knowing the memory of the world is relevant, when the big threat has seemingly been taken care of and when his family is falling apart. So far his knowledge has been used minimally (granted Aegon is a big impact) and so it's hard to see what the point is and/or if there is any SPECIFIC reason he is sifting through the past NOW? There are theories that the 3ER was created for the purpose to combat TNK! If that was true, then his purpose seems to have been served...
    – Darth Locke
    May 7, 2019 at 12:50

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