One of the first things we ever learned about Jon Snow was that he was “the bastard of Winterfell,” and the illegitimate son of Ned Stark. Game of Thrones‘ subsequent seasons have gone beyond the events of George R.R. Martin‘s A Song of Ice and Fire novels to depict Jon’s return from the dead and his true parentage. But the reveal in last night’s episode caught almost everyone off guard, and today’s Nerdist News is exploring how this new piece of information could completely reshape Jon’s role on the show.
There are potentially major spoilers ahead, especially if you happened to miss last night’s Game of Thrones. Seriously, this is your last chance to remain Unsullied. You’ve been warned!
Join the host that was promised, Jessica Chobot, as she explains why last night’s revelation not only legitimizes Jon Snow, it could eventually put him on the Iron Throne. Buried beneath Sam’s rant on excrement, Gilly came across the official record that Jon’s father, Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, annulled his marriage to Elia Martell so that he could marry Jon’s mother, Lyanna Stark. That means that Jon is not a bastard, and his real name is Jon Targaryen.
That is a gamechanger! For starters, it could be that Robert’s Rebellion was based upon a lie. Lyanna may have been promised to Robert Baratheon, but if she married Rhaegar out of love then maybe she wasn’t kidnapped. The Mad King, Aerys Targaryen, would still have been a problem, but there could have been considerably less bloodshed if the rebellion had been averted.
In the present day, Jon is now an unexpected challenger for the Iron Throne, even if he doesn’t realize it yet. While his aunt, Daenerys Targaryen, is the daughter of the Mad King, the Targaryen line has typically given male children the priority. It’s a patriarchal society, which is why the Mad King’s grandson would potentially have a stronger claim to throne. Would we expect Daenerys to simply let Jon take power? Absolutely not! In fact, this may be the key piece of information that drives them apart at the moment when they need each other the most. We’ve always assumed that Jon and Daenerys would unite against Cersei and the White Walkers. But what if the main event of the series will be the battle between Jon and Daenerys for the fate of the seven kingdoms?
How do you think that Jon Snow’s new status will play out on the show? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!
Images: HBOÂ
