Random Insanely Convincing Fan Theories About The White Walkers' Motivation (14 items)

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  (#12) The White Walkers Are Fleeing Something Terrible In The North

  Why are the White Walkers moving south? Numerous people, like Redditor u/Griddamus, think they are migrating to flee something even more terrifying than themselves. They want to bring down the Wall not to invade Westeros, but to escape their traditional home and find a safer place to live.

  In the last several years (of Game of Thrones time), the White Walkers have had a huge resurgence. Not only are they building an army, but they have claimed their own dragon to destroy the Wall. They have built up their strength in order to survive and move south.
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  (#10) They Want Gilly's Baby

  Redditor u/Sabreblades believes the White Walkers are after Sam, one of the last Craster kids. Why would the Night King sick his army of wights on poor Gilly's child? Because in the books, Gilly's child has a claim to be king beyond the wall. With toddler Sam out of the way, the Night King can successfully lay claim to all of the land. 

  Others also posit that taking Sam will fulfill the speculated Night King/Craster deal where Craster gives the Night King his people to become wights. 
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  (#2) They're Attacking Due To The Dissolution Of An Ancient Pact

  Most people assume the Last Hero who ended the first conflict with the White Walkers was a great warrior, able to defeat them in battle. However, this theory by Redditor u/c_forrester_thorne suggests the ancient leader was actually a seasoned diplomat. The Last Hero negotiated a peace with an enemy that had almost destroyed the civilizations of the First Men and the Children of the Forest. In this sense, the War for the Dawn might have ended through a series of negotiations. Compare this to the manner by which the First Men and the Children of the Forest were able to come to an agreement to peacefully co-exist.

  The Children agreed to stop producing fire magic and promised to stay south of the Wall. In exchange, the White Walkers agreed to stay in the extreme north of Westeros. However, circumstances have changed, leading White Walkers to believe the pact has been broken. For starters, Dany Targaryen brought living dragons back into existence. Meanwhile, the Lord of Light has gained followers all around the world. Human Wildlings and the Night’s Watch have spread to the far north beyond the Wall. In this light, the White Walkers' attacks seem like efforts to remind humanity of their obligations and attempts to secure their home from invaders.
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  (#4) Their Ultimate Goal Is To Stop Daenerys

  Redditor u/the-original-slimjim suggests the ultimate aim of the White Walkers and the Night King may be to stop Daenerys Targaryen. There are two main pieces of evidence for this. The first is that the White Walkers only seemed to start amassing their strength and marching south when Dany’s dragons hatched. As they grow larger and her army increases, the strength of the Night King has increased to match her own. At this point, he even has his own dragon—and she has one less.

  Secondly, it seems like the White Walkers are set up to be the oppositional ice to the Targaryen fire. Their very existence may be intrinsically linked to the magic of dragons, and so they want to prevent them from returning to Westeros.
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  (#8) The Night King Wants To Go To The Isle Of Faces

  The Isle of Faces is one of the most significant locations in all of Westeros, despite the fact that it has never appeared onscreen (or even mentioned) in Game of Thrones. The Isle of Faces is where the Children of the Forest and the First Men sealed their pact of non-aggression. In the modern age, it holds special significance for the Children thanks to its network of weirwood trees.

  One theory proposes that the island is a place of interest for the Night King. After all, it's important to the creators of the White Walkers themselves. In fact, he may want to travel south past the Wall just to reach it. All of the White Walkers' actions are part of a plan to make the long journey from the Lands of Always Winter to the Isle of Faces. There is likely some strong magic related to the Children of the Forest—and maybe even a way for the Night King to reverse his transformation, or at least find some measure of peace.
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  (#11) They Want To Escape The Prison They Have Been Forced To Live In

  According to Redditor u/Sanomiya, the White Walkers may simply be trying to escape a prison they have been confined to for thousands of years. The Wall that separates Westeros from the icy lands in the true North acts as a physical and magical barrier, preventing the Others from leaving. They are effectively imprisoned in a location against their will, forced to live in a place that is objectively unpleasant. Direct conflict with the Wildings and the Night’s Watch may be their only way of freeing themselves from this prison.

  Since they have breached the Wall, the White Walkers may not necessarily want to continue fighting. There may come a point when they are willing to coexist with men, come to peace, and integrate into human society.

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