After last Sunday’s finale, the HBO network confirms the long-standing Game of Thrones theory about who Jon Snow’s real parents are. Of course, several fans of the show managed to figure it out years before.
Tangled Web
HBO just released a detailed infographic on its website. It depicts the surviving Game of Thrones characters and their relationships. Lyanna Stark is listed as Jon’s mother, but the question of Jon’s father is complex. Fans know Rhaegar Targaryen fell in love with Ned’s sister, but Lyanna’s naming of the father is not audible. It is known Lyanna had a fear Robert Baratheon would kill her baby, hence Ned’s choice to raise the boy as his own.
In fact, Jon’s parentage won David Benioff and D.B. Weiss the rights to adapt the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series for television. During a meeting with George R.R. Martin, the author asked them “Who is Jon Snow’s mother?” The duo guessed with the “R + L=J” theory.
Where Do We Go From Here?
As it stands, Jon is the newly-declared King in the North. Although Bran Stark knows the truth, Jon will need proof of his heritage if he bids for the Iron Throne. The only one who could help him is Howland Reed, because he stood alongside Ned at the Tower of Joy. However, Jon’s aunt Daenerys Targaryen is now preparing to take Westeros by force. Both of them could very well be the “Ice and Fire” of Martin’s books. This will make for a great Game of Thrones endgame. And the plot thickens…
Game of Thrones‘ seven season will air in 2017.
