‘Game Of Thrones’ Spoilers: The Fate Of Jon Snow And What It Means For The Iron Throne

Sunday night’s episode of Game of Thrones finally showed us the true fate of Jon Snow, and it was huge. Months of speculation about whether or not he would be resurrected, warg into Ghost, return as a White Walker, or remain dead have now come to an end. Those who couldn’t believe Game of Thrones would allow our beloved Jon Snow to remain dead proposed their theories as to why he had to come back to life. Those who thought anyone who believed he would come back to life in any form put forth their arguments. Well, now we know for sure. We know the who, what, when, and how of Jon Snow’s fate, and when the scene that finally answered the big question aired, Game of Thrones fans gasped in unison at that pivotal moment. If you don’t know what happened yet, stop reading now. Many spoilers follow below.

If you’re still here, you know that Jon Snow lives again and that the most popular theory about how Game of Thrones would resurrect him proved to be spot on. A weary, doubting Melisandre brought him back to life. The only living creature who knows that right now, however, is Jon’s direwolf, Ghost. Who will be the first human to discover him alive? Will he get up and walk until he discovers someone? Or will someone come in to retrieve his body and find him breathing? Those are the next practical questions about where Game of Thrones will take us next, but the questions about and implications of Jon Snow living again are far reaching. There are Game of Thrones theories that may play out in future episodes, theories that many used to support their argument that Jon Snow would live again. Let’s take a look at some of them.

The one theory we have to talk about when we talk about Game of Thrones, Jon Snow, and Season 6 is R+L=J. The “L” in the theory is Lyanna Stark, Ned Stark’s sister. We finally got to see her in the latest episode of Game of Thrones.

The “R” in this Game of Thrones theory is Rhaegar, brother of Daenerys. The “J” is Jon Snow. So the theory goes that Jon is not the child of Ned Stark and a mistress after all, but instead is the son of Lyanna and Rhaegar. The story of Rhaegar and Lyanna that is told to the people of Westeros is that while Lyanna was engaged to Ned Stark’s dear friend Robert Baratheon, Rhaegar abducted her, beginning Robert’s Rebellion. Rhaegar raped her and she died. There have been suggestions, however, that Rhaegar was not the villain he is made out to be. If you’d like to check out all of the references to and discussions about him so far in Game of Thrones, check out the video below.

What many Game of Thrones fans believe is the truth, and what creates this theory is that Rhaegar didn’t take Ned’s sister against her will; rather the two were in love, and he took her quite willingly so they could be together. She was pregnant with his child and died in childbirth after giving birth to Jon Snow in a tower called the Tower of Joy. Ned went to his dying sister after fighting a battle near the Tower of Joy, and she gave him her newborn son and made him promise to watch over him. Ned brought him home to his family and said he was his bastard son instead of telling the truth and bringing dishonor to his sister.

Once that sinks in, consider this other Game of Thrones theory that follows from that one. If R+L=J is true, Jon Snow is part Targaryen and an heir to the throne. Another Game of Thrones theory is about “the three-headed dragon.” The three heads representing three Targaryens. All three are dragon riders and heirs to the Iron Throne. Check out the video below for a good explanation, but brace yourself for a big spoiler, something most have not even considered until now.

What? Tyrion Lannister could be a head of the dragon? Is he somehow a Targaryen? There are theories among Game of Thrones fans about how that could be true as well, but we won’t go there today. So three Game of Thrones characters could be Targaryens and heirs to the Iron Throne? How would that play out? Would war ensue? Could it be the cause of the epic battle scenes that Game of Thrones showrunners have promised for this season? The mind goes in many directions when you begin to consider the implications.

For now, let’s watch that scene from Sunday’s Game of Thrones again, the scene that may well be the catalyst for these theories playing out in Season 6 of Games of Thrones.

[Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/Associated Press]