by outsiderzone, despositphotos.com
We’re officially at the mid-season point for Game of Thrones: Season 6. By now, just about the entire planet is well aware of the long-kept (albeit not entirely surprising) secret that beloved character Jon Snow has returned from the dead. While the show’s producers made sure never to “technically" lie, they left us hanging until the very end of Episode 2 to bring Jon back, only to cliff hang us yet again until the following week.
I can hardly believe it’s already been a few weeks since Episode 3: Oathbreaker aired and Jon Snow was officially brought back to life by the Red Woman; Melisandre. Of course, this ended months of speculation and delivered a fan-favorite theory into the hands of those of us watching.
While it’s no surprise when Game of Thrones decides to kill a character—even one as beloved as Jon Snow—bringing them back to life was previously unheard of and in all honesty, it can have far-reaching consequences. Not only because of what it could mean for the character himself, but for other moving pieces in the storyline of Westeros.
What’s Next for Jon?
With him being brought back, there’s a lot of speculation of what will come next for Jon in the coming season(s). So far, we know he has no plans of staying at Castle Black or being a part of the Night’s Watch any longer. He (rightly) believes his watch has officially ended now, and he has passed on the Lord Commander baton. This was a well-played plot twist to get Jon out of Castle Black and on his true journey, as the Night’s Watch creed specifically states, “Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death…" With his death, he’s officially fulfilled his duty and therefor technically free to move on, which is good news for all of us—especially if we’d like to see him lay claim to the Iron Throne.
In addition, now that he and Sansa have been reunited, it’s fair to say there’s likely going to be a fight against the Bolton’s for dominance over Winterfell. Particularly seeing as Ramsay Bolton has the Stark’s youngest brother, Rickon. Sansa knows all too well the type of man Ramsay is and what can befall anyone who happens to be in his company (in other words, they lose essential body parts, get beaten, or worse). Be prepared for an immanent fight for the return of the true Lords of Winterfell.
Prophecies and Speculations Play Their Roles
There’s been a lot of theorizing about Jon’s possible true lineage (R+L=J anyone?). While we’ve been told from the beginning Jon is the bastard son of Eddard Stark, we’ve never been told who the mother is and there’s plenty of speculation why. With Melisandre’s resurrection of him, there’s more than a little meat behind Jon being the “Prince that was promised," especially if he is in fact not Eddard’s son, but the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark instead. Seeing as how Stannis Baratheon is presumed dead, the door is open to a more fitting person; and between you and I, Stannis didn’t overly fit the bill anyway. During the rest of season 6, we may find ourselves witnessing the metaphorical birth of Azor Ahai, “(re)born amidst salt and smoke". I’m sure this will make Melisandre happy, considering how downtrodden she was upon learning her visions led her astray.
Another aspect to be on the watch for will be witnessing the way Jon’s been changed since his resurrection. We know something will be different, because according to an interview with actor Kit Harington he was worried Jon would “wake up and he’s the same, back to normal — then there’s no point in that death." One thing’s for sure, Jon’s resurrection brings up some implications we, as the audience, need to contend with. One would hope he’ll be changed in some significant way, otherwise all of the deaths in GOT have been meaningless. If he has been changed, in what manner will it manifest, and what will it mean for him? Will it help or hinder the theory of him being the Prince who was promised? Could a piece of him be missing, left behind in the afterlife? Or will he just hate being back; kind of like Buffy when she was brought back by Willow?
Harrington also commented, “There’s a brilliant line when Melisandre asks: ‘What did you see?’ And he says: ‘Nothing, there was nothing at all.’ That cuts right to our deepest fear, that there’s nothing after death. And that’s the most important line in the whole season for me. Jon’s never been afraid of death, and that’s made him a strong and honorable person. He realizes something about his life now: He has to live it, because that’s all there is. He’s been over the line and there’s nothing there. And that changes him. It literally puts the fear of god into him. He’s seen oblivion and that’s got to change somebody in the most fundamental way there is. He doesn’t want to die ever again. But if he does, he doesn’t want to be brought back."
This seems to imply he’s going to summon something bigger than himself and hopefully lay claim to a more fulfilled life. We’ll soon find out.
Even if Jon isn’t Azor Ahai, he could still be a part of a prophecy bigger than himself alone. When in the House of the Undying, Daenerys overheard a prophecy—The dragon has three heads. The question this poses is what—or who makes up this dragon? Could this be a hypothetical dragon? And if so, could this mean some of our favorite underdogs could be the oncoming storm? Of course, it could all end up to be Daenerys with her literal three dragons, but where’s the fun in that?
To tie into this speculation that the dragon actually means people, another fan-favorite theory is that there’s a common ancestry between Daenerys, Tyrion, and Jon—namely, Targaryen blood. We all know Dany is the daughter of Aerys II Targaryen, and if Jon’s the daughter of Daenerys’ brother Rhaegar, then Jon is her nephew. So what about Tyrion? Well, many speculate that Tyrion is not technically a full Lannister, but instead, half-Targaryen. Many conclude his father was actually Aerys II, not Tywin Lannister—making him the half-brother of Dany, and uncle to Jon. As an interesting side note: all three of them are the underdogs of their families, who have risen to the top. Another side note: all three of them had mothers who died in childbirth. Coincidence?
Ultimately, finding out if this speculation is true will be interesting, as it could determine whether or not Jon, Tyrion, and Daenerys will become the prophesized 3-headed dragon and what that will mean for Westeros and the Iron Throne. Perhaps the throne will unite and tie together the Starks, Lannisters, and Targaryen’s toward a place of peace. Then again, it could rip everything apart.
With the many different houses all vying for their claim to the throne, it’s safe to say there are a lot of moving pieces in Westeros which could go sideways at any moment. It’s anyone’s guess as to what will happen next, and who will remain alive. As we wait to see how Jon’s resurrection will play out in the ultimate Game of Thrones, it will be fun to watch his hero storyline unfold and his overall greater lineage revealed (or not).
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Carissa Andrewsis an passionate author and freelancer from Minnesotan with a focus in creative writing.