Book readers, as you might imagine, have been waiting impatiently for Balon to kick the bucket. The three leeches Melisandre and Stannis threw on the fire back in Season 3 were for Joffrey (R.I.P.), Robb (R.I.P.), and Balon (still hanging in there!). The fact that the show has sidelined the Greyjoy plot while accelerating the death of Stannis Baratheon resulted in this common, bemused response from book readers after the Season 5 finale: “Balon Greyjoy literally won The War Of The Five Kings without ever leaving the Pyke.”

But before you start to wonder why you should care about the off-screen death-by-a-strong-wind of a third-tier character, let me tell you that, like most things in Game of Thrones, the death of Balon Greyjoy is more complicated than it seems. Earlier in the third book, Arya overhears a prophetic dream that refers to a few deaths. There’s Renly (“a shadow with a burning heart killing a golden stag”), the resurrection (oh yes) of Catelyn Stark (“a raging river and a woman that was a fish…dead with red tears on her cheeks, but when her eyes did open, I woke from terror”) and Balon Greyjoy (“a man without a face, waiting on a swaying bridge, on his shoulder perched a drowned crow with seaweed hanging from its wings”). That last part seems to imply that Balon was murdered by a man without a face a.k.a. a Faceless Man a.k.a. the type of assassin Arya is in training to become. Did the TV show wait this long to dispatch Balon so we could see a familiar faceless face take on Balon? Perhaps Arya’s rival the Waif. (Actress Faye Marsay has been hanging around the set.) Maybe Jaqen H’ghar. Or maybe even Arya herself.

As for the part of that dream that mentions “a drowned crow with seaweed hanging from its wings,” most readers assume that’s a reference to Balon’s brother Euron Greyjoy who, thanks to an eye patch, is known as “Crow’s Eye.” The phrasing in that prophecy seems to imply that the Faceless Man is on that bridge under the direction of Balon’s brother. Fratricide, as you know, is very Game of Thrones.

We already know that HBO put out a casting call for someone who matches the book description for Euron. (“Man in his 40s to late 50s. He’s ‘an infamous pirate who has terrorized seas all around the world. Cunning, ruthless, with a touch of madness.’ He’s a dangerous-looking man. A very good part this season.”) The prevailing book-reader theory is that the ambitious Euron had his brother murdered so he could take control of the Iron Islands. But, as you might expect, Yara Greyjoy is not about to give up the throne without a fight.

Actress Gemma Whelan has been confirmed for Season 6. So this year we’re likely to get the book 4 plot referred to as the Kingsmoot a.k.a. the internal battle between many of the Ironborn to gain control of Balon’s throne. And while that may sound a little dreary (the Greyjoys, sadly, often are), there’s huge potential for a charismatic actor in the style of Pedro Pascal to totally own Euron and shake up the Iron Islands. No confirmation yet on who has been cast as the Crow’s Eye. Some fans have their fingers crossed for Ian McShane. However, McShane is a little old for the part and given that he’s reportedly been hired for a “small but important” part, other Season 6 roles seem far more likely.