Game of Thrones season 6 is about two-and-a-half months away, and while fans wait, many of them scour the internet for any spoiler or bit of information they can find that may clue them in on what’s to come. The hottest topic of conversation related to Game of Thrones is undoubtedly the fate of Jon Snow. At the end of season 5, we saw a frozen Jon Snow lying on the ground after being stabbed multiple times. We assumed he was dead, but publicity from HBO and observations of Kit Harington’s behavior led to a widespread belief that the Game of Thrones favorite would return this year.
Spoilers are included in some of the discussion below. Stop reading now if you don’t wish to read spoilers.
In November, HBO released a poster for Game of Thrones season 6 that shows a bloody Jon Snow, apparently upright, not lying dead and frozen on the ground. Speculation had already begun that indicated he was, indeed, alive. This speculation was based , as reported by Entertainment Weekly , on sightings of Kit Harington in full costume on Game of Thrones sets in Belfast.
https://www.facebook.com/GameOfThrones/photos/a.93667012733.90163.74133697733/10153329887947734/?type=3&theater
Two theories about how Snow could come back to life in season 6 of Game of Thrones are circulating. The first involves the assistance of Bran Stark. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly , Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who plays Bran, disclosed that he will return this year and that when he does, Game of Thrones will pick up with Bran having completed most of his psychic training with the Three-Eyed Raven (who will be played by Max von Sydow this season) in the cave he headed to in season 4. Hempstead-Wright said this about his role in Game of Thrones season 6.
“Previously Bran’s seen tiny glimpses of future or past but never has he been very much in control in the situation… Now we’re given looks into very important events in the past, present and future of this world and Bran is beginning to piece them together like a detective, almost as if he’s watching the show. Equally, he’s now discovering how crucial he could be in the Great War. It’s quite Inception -y.”
A theory is circulating that in Game of Thrones season 6, Bran’s visions are going to help him figure out Jon Snow’s parentage, which is supposed to be part Targaryen. If Bran puts pieces together that bring him to this conclusion, it could well be the basis for a rumored resurrection for Snow.
Or season 6 of Game of Thronesmay, as reported by Vanity Fair, bring Jon Snow back through Melisandre. This theory seems to be supported by a 2016 preview video from HBO. You can view it below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aWQEeMToj0
Among the clips of a variety of HBO shows, this video includes one for Game of Thrones season 6 that features the voice of Melisandre saying, “There’s power in you, do you feel it?” This is a statement she made to Jon in season 5 when she tried to seduce him, and many believe that the inclusion of this statement in the video is a hint that she will resurrect him in coming episodes of Game of Thrones. Maybe that’s the reason for her return to the Wall last season. After all, she did meet Thoros, who had resurrected Beric Dondarrion multiple times, back in season 3, so she likely has the knowledge about how to perform a resurrection.
Kit Harington has firmly denied rumors that his character will live again in Game of Thrones. He has clearly stated that Jon Snow is dead. Statements by other actors in the HBO series are mixed, ranging everywhere from firm statements that he is dead to hints that he is alive. And then there are some who, like us, don’t know but are thinking through how it could be possible.
Game of Thrones returns to HBO on April 24.
[Photo courtesy of Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]