(Major spoilers ahead for the Season 7 finale of “Game of Thrones.”)
Editor’s note: this post was originally published on May 8, 2016, but has been updated in light of the season 7 finale on Aug. 27, 2017.
In the Season 7 finale of “Game of Thrones,” the show finally paid off a series of flashbacks that had been popping up every once in a while since the middle of Season 6.
These flashbacks have come courtesy of Bran Stark’s visions of the past, to a few huge moments in the backstory of the series. In Season 6, Bran saw Ned Stark’s visit to the Tower of Joy at the end of Robert’s Rebellion. Bran visited that scene twice last year, when he saw Ned outside the tower, and then again in the Season 6 finale when he followed him inside.
In the first part of the vision, we saw young Ned confronting Ser Arthur Dayne outside the tower. “Where’s my sister?” Ned demands to know before the confrontation devolves into violence.
This tower, readers of the “Song of Ice and Fire” novels on which the show is based know this tower as the Tower of Joy, where Ned’s sister Lyanna was kept by Rhaegar Targeryen during the war. The flashback ends when Ned enters the tower, which drove both Bran and viewers alike crazy. We all want to know what’s in the tower.
Well, in the season 6 finale, we got a good look at what was in that tower: Lyanna Stark, covered in blood, having just delivered a baby.
That baby was Jon Snow.
The show did not outright reveal who the father was in Season 6, but the Season 7 finale finally made it plain when Bran went back to that scene in the Tower of Joy and we heard Lyanna say that Jon Snow’s true name is Aegon Targaryen, the trueborn son of Rhaegar Targaryen. Since Daenerys is Rhaegar’s sister, that would make Jon her nephew. Which is of course an amusing thing to know given they had sex in the finale.
The context came to us via Sam Tarly, who arrived in Winterfell with the news that Rhaegar’s marriage to Elia Martell — the person who everybody thinks Rhaegar was married to until he died — was annulled and he married Lyanna in a secret ceremony. Bran also did us the courtesy of flashing back to Lyanna’s wedding ceremony as well as returning to the Tower of Joy and letting us hear Lyanna say what Jon’s real name was.
In the show, characters have referred to this whole situation with Rhaegar and Lyanna before, the biggest one coming in a conversation between Little Finger and Sansa Stark in season 5.
Back before Robert’s Rebellion, Lyanna was pledged to be married to Robert Baratheon, and Rhaegar Targaryen was married to Elia Martell of Dorne. But when Rhaegar won the Tourney at Harrenhal (jousting), allowing him to symbolic honor of choosing the “queen of love and beauty” — but instead of choosing his own wife he chose Lyanna Stark.
From there, the story goes that Rhaegar kidnapped and raped Lyanna and locked her in the Tower of Joy. Rhaegar was killed by Robert at the Battle of the Trident, and Ned at the conclusion of the war set off with a handful of men — including Howland Reed, father of Jojen and Meera — to rescue Lyanna.
It wasn’t always clear that the story of Jon Snow, who has always been known as Ned Stark’s bastard son, was connected to that of Lyanna. When Ned returned to Winterfell after the war, he brought with him a baby, Jon Snow, who he claimed as his own bastard son.
Nobody knew who Jon Snow’s mother was — in season 1 in their last conversation, Ned promised to tell Jon about her the next time they met, but of course Ned was killed before that ever happened, taking the secret to his grave.
Meanwhile, some characters have cast doubts on the idea that Ned would be the sort of man who would have a bastard in the first place — Stannis said in season 5 that Ned was too honorable to have done something like that.
To get to the point: the prevailing fan theory about Jon Snow’s parentage was that he’s not Ned’s bastard at all, but actually the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna, who Ned rescued from the Tower of Joy. So now that we’ve seen Ned go into the tower, we know, and in the Season 7 finale Bran’s narration made it plain: Jon was never a bastard, but the trueborn Targaryen heir to the Iron Throne.
In Season 6, Melisandre made a comment about Jon Snow that ties into a much bigger fan theory about how the series will end. Upon his resurrection, the Red Woman referred to him as “the prince that was promised,” a turn of phrase that means a whole lot to dedicated fans.
The prince that was promised refers to a prophecy about the impending long winter and the war against the White Walkers. It describes a hero that will save the world from this threat, and that this hero will be of the “blood of the dragon.” As we know from years of following Danaerys (aka The Last Dragon) around, this is a colloquial description for the Targaryens, or at least those members of the family who are highly resistant to fire. Since Jon Snow is the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna, then he might just be a dragon himself, in that colloquial sense.
In “A Feast for Crows,” Maester Aemon tells Sam Tarley that “the dragon must have three heads,” meaning, we think, the prophecy refers to three people who all fit the same qualifications. This leads to the further line of thought that Danaerys and Jon Snow will be two of those heads — with Tyrion as the third. If you want to delve into how Tyrion might fight these qualifications — because that’s a doozy — then you’ll want to check out our explanation of that theory here.
Finally, another bit from a book that was curiously omitted from the show directly implicates Jon Snow as the prince that was promised after the info that came to light int he Season 7 finale. It came in “A Clash of Kings,” when Daenerys visited the House of the Undying. She saw a vision of Rhaegar holding his baby son, naming him Aegon and saying that “He is the prince that was promised, and his is the song of ice and fire.” The official histories say Rhaegar did have a son named Aegon, but with Elia Martell — and that baby Aegon was supposedly murdered by the Mountain when the Lannisters laid siege to King’s Landing during Robert’s Rebellion. It could be that Rhaegar had two sons named Aegon — but it feels likely no that the one from the vision was Jon Snow.
Viewers of the show are generally at a disadvantage in this whole discussion, though, because the prophecy has rarely been discussed outside of Melisandre’s past declarations that Stannis would unite the Seven Kingdoms and beat back the invading undead hordes from the North. Certainly, nobody’s been really discussing qualifications. Whereas in the books this has kind of been a thing hanging over everything that’s been going on.
For more of the “Game of Thrones” community’s speculation about the future of the show, check out our gallery of fan theories below.
24 Big 'Game of Thrones' Fan Theories for Season 7 and Beyond (Photos)
In this list, we take a look at what kind of fan theories, both wacky and realistic, folks have come up with that might reveal both the past and the future. Spoilers for all of "Game of Thrones" thus far and maybe the remainder of the show.
The idea here is that the Mad King Aerys raped Joanna Lannister (in the books it's said that he had a thing for her) and that's where Tyrion came from. So Tywin's total hatred for the dude has deeper motivations than just that Joanna died giving birth to him or that he's a dwarf.
The idea here is that since Jon's parents are actually Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen -- meaning Ned Stark is NOT his father -- Jon and Sansa are cousins instead of siblings and nobody would think it's weird if they got together to solidify their hold on the North. Or maybe even to lay claim on all of Westeros.
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Prince Rhaegar's marriage to Elia Martell was secretly annulled
The standard story of Robert's Rebellion says that events were set in motion when Rhaegar Targaryen kidnapped Lyanna Stark. We know also that Jon Snow is Rhaegar and Lyanna's kid, and there's reason to believe the kidnapping was not actually a kidnapping. But what if also Rhaegar was actually married to Lyanna? In fact, this one was confirmed in the Season 7 episode "Eastwatch," when Gilly discovered the files of High Septon Maynard, who served under the Mad King. He noted that he annulled Rhaegar's marriage, and then married him to someone else. As fans expected, that sounds like Rhaegar's marriage to Elia Martell was annulled, and he was married to Lyanna -- which would make Jon Snow Rhaegar's trueborn son and heir.
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Jon Snow is Azor Azhai aka the Warrior of Light aka the Prince That Was Promised
It seems obvious (too obvious?) at this point that Jon and his Valyrian steel sword is the one who will lead human forces into battle, and to victory, against the White Walkers. And even Melisandre believes it -- though only after years of claiming it was Stannis and accidentally leading him to ruin. So "Game of Thrones" may yet pull another "Game of Thrones" on us in that regard by proving this theory wrong.
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Actually, Jaime Lannister is the real Prince That Was Promised
This one involves the assumption that some words were translated wrong in the prophecy of the one who would save the world from the White Walkers -- according to the intrepid fan who came up with this theory, the Valyrian words for "lord" and "light" are curiously similar to the words for "gold" and "hand." And who's the only character on "Game of Thrones" with a gold hand? None other than Ser Jaime.
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The Night King is the 'last hero' of legend
We're learning a lot about the rules of the White Walkers in Season 7, but one fan theory posits the Night King was actually created much later, as a means of stopping them. Instead of being the first White Walker, the Night King is actually "the last hero," the guy credited with leading the charge to stop the Walkers thousands of years ago during the Long Night. Given that some think the last hero is the Westerosi version of the Azor Ahai myth, this idea would add some twists to the Night King as a character.
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Or Wait, Maybe Davos is the Prince Who Was Promised
There's an argument to be made that it's Davos Seaworth who's actually Azor Azhai. One eagle-eyed Redditor put together a theory suggesting that Davos fulfills at least a good chunk of the prophecy. A big part comes from the argument that it's Davos, and not Melisandre, who revives Jon Snow. If you interpret a lot of the prophecy as metaphorical, Davos matches up to with a lot of it.
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Missandei is a Faceless Man
The Faceless Men are surely going to have a big part to play in the endgame of "Game of Thrones" considering Arya's whole arc these past two seasons, but they haven't been directly involved at all so far. Or maybe they have? Missandei has ridiculous language skills and a nearly-always-consistent tone of voice -- these are Faceless Men traits.
Like Cersei, dear ole Petyr Baelish probably feels like he has nothing to lose now, with Catelyn long since dead and her daughter apparently spurning his advances after he got her into that horrific mess with Ramsay. But he still has one huge ambition -- to rule Westeros. After that face he made at Sansa in the season 6 finale, it would likely surprise exactly no one if he marched the Knights of the Vale south and attempted to form a union with Cersei. And she'll need the help with Daenerys knocking at her door.
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Sam is the one who will figure out how to beat the White Walkers
There's gotta be a reason why Sam is going to start season 7 down at the Citadel instead of any of the places where stuff happens. Our guess is he's going to figure out what the Walkers' thermal exhaust port is. That's not a butt joke -- it's a "Star Wars" reference.
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Bran will accidentally let the White Walkers through the Wall
There's a line of thought that when the Night King touch Bran in his dream while he was up at the Three-Eyed Raven's cave, it made it so the Walkers could pass any magical barrier separating him from them. And guess what the largest magical barrier of them all is? The Wall, according to Uncle Benjen.
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Cersei, the Mad Queen
With no children left to protect and war looming with Daenerys, it sure is easy to envision Cersei going full psycho this year. So much of what happens on "Game of Thrones" is history repeating itself -- and with Dany working very hard to avoid fulfilling her father's Mad legacy, Cersei, by contrast, probably isn't going to hold naything back anymore.
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Jaime will kill Cersei
Way back in the day, Cersei and a pal visited a witch who told her she would be queen until a younger and more beautiful woman cast her down (Margaery?), after which she would be killed by "the valonqar," which translates to "the little brother." That could be Tyrion, or her twin Jaime, who was born moments after Cersei. Others previously also thought it might be Tommen, as a very delicious "Game of Thrones" twist -- but obviously Tommen isn't going to be killing anybody after jumping out that Red Keep window.
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Actually, Cersei will kill Jaime
The longer Season 7 goes on and the more moves Cersei makes, the more it seems that she's ruthless enough to do what her brother can't. Jaime has been growing softer and more merciful for years, ever since he spent all that time with Brienne of Tarth. Cersei even warned him in Season 7 Episode 6 not to ever betray her again. Jaime's quickly becoming a liability, but his love for Cersei means he can't really turn on her. Especially with her new pregnancy talk, it seems like she's manipulating and maneuvering Jaime.
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Euron Greyjoy is a warlock
A lot of little details in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" books that make rising Westeros supervillain Euron Greyjoy even spookier haven't made their way into the show yet, but they still could. One is a series of clues that suggests Euron could be a warlock like those that Dany encountered in Qarth at the House of the Undying. In the book, Euron is described as having pale blue lips because he's been drinking Shade of the Evening, the favorite drink of the warlocks. He also says some cryptic lines that suggest he might be controlling, or think he's controlling, storms. If he does indeed have some cool magical powers from his time spent in Qarth, it would make Euron a more formidable enemy -- especially because it would give him incentive to try to take the dragons from Dany, since the warlocks previously said the presence of dragons amplifies their powers.
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Bran made the Mad King go mad
When Bran and the Three-Eyed Raven traveled back to the events outside the Tower of Joy in the May 8 episode, Bran was apparently able to shout and be heard by the younger version of his father, Ned Stark. What if, going back further, the "whispers" that the Mad King Aerys Targaryen heard were simply Bran trying to talk to him and it was actually he who set in motion the events of the show?
The events of season 6, episode 5 -- in which Bran sees a fleeting vision of the Mad King -- seem to indicate this is very possible.
Something's magic about Jon Snow's sword, Longclaw
After Episode 6 of Season 7, "Beyond the Wall," fans thought they caught sight of something weird going on with Longclaw, Jon Snow's Valyrian steel sword. When Jon emerges from the frozen lake, some say it looks like the eyes on the sword's wolf head pommel open. Could there be something more going on with Longclaw than we yet know? According to the episode's director, Alan Taylor, the answer is no. Then again, it could all be misdirection to throw fans off the scent.
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Bran travels to the past and is Bran the Builder, who built the Wall and founded House Stark.
Bran the Builder is a legendary figure who led the effort to put up the Wall 8,000 years before the events of the show, after the Long Night in which the White Walkers invaded the first time.The particulars of how this would work are not known, but this is a good one. Especially since Bran the Builder is who the present day Bran Stark was named after.
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Arya will become Lady Stoneheart
In the "A Song of Ice and Fire" books, Catelyn Stark doesn'ts tay dead after the Red Wedding. She's revived and becomes the silent and vengeful leader of the Brotherhood Without Banners, Lady Stoneheart. Since Catelyn stayed dead in the show, the idea here being that in a bit of creative license in the adaptation, Arya will function as Lady Stoneheart instead. It would be a nice payoff on all that time Arya spent with the Brotherhood back in Season 2.
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Sansa is pregnant with Ramsay Bolton's child
"I can still feel what he did in my body standing here right now,” Sansa told Jon Snow about the residual effect of Ramsay's horrific sexual abuse of Sansa. The thought, according to some fans, is that she's not simply referring to the trauma, but that she's saying she's pregnant. At this point, probably too much time has passed for this one to carry any weight, but it was an interesting idea while it lasted.
The younger Clegane, known as the Hound, really hates his older brother, the Mountain. Both were thought dead, but both are again alive. And fans believe that before the story of "Game of Thrones" ends the two will meet and finally have it out in a battle to the death.
This is a fan theory reaching back years thanks to the "A Song of Ice and Fire" books, but with Gendry's return in Season 7, it's suddenly very relevant. It suggests that Gendry's blacksmith capabilities will be essential to defeating the White Walkers, because he has experience with working Valyrian steel, the magical, super-special alloy that can actually kill White Walkers. Gendry apprenticed under Tobho Mott, a master armorer from Qohor, and he's the guy who turned Ned Stark's Valyrian steel greatsword Ice into two smaller swords -- Brienne of Tarth's Oathkeeper, and King Joffrey's Widow's Wail. So while Gendry might not be able to make new Valyrian steel blades, he can still work with the stuff, a skill that is almost nonexistent in Westeros.
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The Night King is one of the dragon riders
Fans have expected two other people to ride Dany's dragons into battle alongside her, much like the Targaryens did when they first conquered Westeros. But the events of the penultimate episode of Season 7 has confirmed a longstanding theory -- that the Night King would kill one of Daenery's dragons and turn it into a wight. That actually happened, with Viserion resurrected to ride for the side of darkness. Fans have speculated that, not only is Viserion undead, but he'll actually become an ice dragon rather than a fire dragon. That would certainly even the odds some, taking away some of Daenerys' fire-breathing air superiority.
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Dragonglass is pooped out by dragons rather than just being obsidian
Does this matter? No, and we'll probably never find out anyway. But it's funny.
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What’s in store for the final two seasons of the HBO hit? Let’s see what the viewers think
In this list, we take a look at what kind of fan theories, both wacky and realistic, folks have come up with that might reveal both the past and the future. Spoilers for all of "Game of Thrones" thus far and maybe the remainder of the show.
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