‘Game Of Thrones’ Season 5 Finale: Why [SPOILER] Isn’t Really Dead

WARNING: Spoilers for the Season 5 finale of HBO’s Game of Thrones abound in this article. If you still want to read about Game of Thrones but don’t want spoilers, why not check out this article where Chris Martin from Coldplay tries to turn Game of Thrones into a musical.

So, Episode 10 of Game of Thrones was a shocker wasn’t it? Although, for book fans, the finale was something they had read about since 2011. But for TV viewers, the apparent death of Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) at the hands of a traitorous Night’s Watchman was so shocking people were vowing – once more – to turn off and never watch Game of Thrones again.

But just hold up a minute before you pick up the remote and start channel surfing for something to fill the giant hole Game of Thrones punched through your heart tonight. Here’s some reasons why many Game of Thrones fans don’t think Jon Snow is dead – and remember, the book fans have had a long time to mull over this.

• What’s the point of the R+L=J theory then? Many fans of Game of Thrones hold true to the theory that Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark are Jon Snow’s true parents. The reasoning behind this stems from the fact that Robert’s Rebellion stemmed from the fact Rhaegar had sexual relations with Robert’s one true love, Lyanna. It is uncertain if Jon Snow’s conception was the result of rape or love, but for many Game of Thrones fans, that part is irrelevant behind the fact this theory is actually very plausible. Other fans also point out that Ned Stark didn’t seem like the cheating type, something other Game of Thrones characters have also noted. It this theory is correct, killing Jon Snow would mean the mystery that has been consistently raised about his parentage would no longer have a purpose. As Vox points out, “What would the answer matter if Jon was already dead?”
• George R.R. Martin was the first to raise ambiguity as to whether Jon Snow was actually dead or not. When EW asked George R.R. Martin why he killed Jon Snow in his 2011 book, the following conversation occurred:

EW: So why did you kill Jon Snow?
GRRM: Oh, you think he’s dead, do you?
EW: Well, I guess. Yes. That’s how I took it. The way it was written, it sounded like he was mortally wounded – and, you know, it’s you!
GRRM: Well. I’m not going to address whether he’s dead or not. But as to why – didn’t you think the text established why they would want to assassinate him?

Up until this point, many fans honestly believed Jon Snow was truly dead.

• Melisandre (Carice van Houten) predicted it. In the books, Melisandre predicted a hero called Azor Ahai would return and save the world. If Jon Snow returns from the dead, would that make him a contender? Melisandre thinks so after the following prophecy:

“All I see is Snow”

Notice how it is a capital S?

• The series title gives it away. A Song of Ice and Fire could indicate that the one true leader of Westeros is a combination of fire and ice. If Jon Snow is really a product of a relationship between Rhaegar and Lyanna, then wouldn’t be be the perfect blend of fire and ice?

But how will Jon Snow return from the dead?

We saw Melisandre sacrifice Stannis’ daughter to the Lord of Light in Episode 9, perhaps she could use her magic to make Jon Snow return from the dead in Season 6 of Game of Thrones?

What do you think, is Jon Snow really dead? For a full recap of what went down in the Season 5 finale of Game of Thrones, click here. Let us know your thoughts by commenting below!

[Image credits: HBO]