Daenerys Won’t Be The Only Dragon Rider On ‘Game Of Thrones’
“The dragon has three heads” is a common refrain in the Game of Thrones universe, taken to mean that there will be three dragon riders, one for each of Daenerys’ dragons. This seemed to be confirmed by creator George R.R. Martin, and fan speculation is rampant as to who the “secret” Targaryens are that will help Daenerys conquer Westeros.
Teaser footage released for Episode 5, “Eastwatch,” implies that Jon Snow will be one of the dragon riders.
In the seconds-long clip, a ferocious Drogon approaches the stalwart Jon Snow. Kit Harington seems to have played this one along the lines of “courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it,” as he looks truly terrified in the dragon’s presence. Although the dragon doesn’t do much more than sniff him in this clip, we’re left wondering what will happen next; will Jon Snow be baked alive, chewed up, and digested by Daenerys’s ferocious dragon?
Despite that being the obvious direction the clip was going for, fans of the show deviate to a different explanation; rather than being eaten, this clip could be foreshadowing Jon Snow’s destiny as a dragon rider.
Tonight.
“Eastwatch” premieres at 9PM on @HBO. #GoTS7 pic.twitter.com/rlqT3OsHHc— Game of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) August 13, 2017
If anybody besides Daenerys is going to ride a dragon, it’s most likely going to be Jon Snow. Last season, Jon Snow was finally confirmed as the “secret Targaryen” fans have speculated he was for years. Although raised by Ned Stark and Catelyn Tully, Jon Snow’s real parents were Ned’s sister, Lyanna Stark, and Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. Jon’s parents died during the war, and Ned brought his sister’s son back to Winterfell and raised him as his own.
Vanity Fair speculates that Jon Snow might have what it takes to ride a dragon, but who else? Well, Martin confirmed that the dragon riders don’t have to be from the Targaryen family, so the third rider could be anyone. But the two people who stick out the most are Tyrion Lannister and Bran Stark.
Tyrion Lannister has been helping Daenerys, and he has an affinity for dragons. There’s plenty of what-could-be foreshadowing with his character and dragon riding, like when he encountered dragons Viserion and Rhaegal in the dungeon. And although it’s not a requirement, a longstanding theory holds that Tyrion might actually be a Targaryen as well.
The other likely dragon rider is Bran Stark. With his warging abilities, Bran might be able to inhabit a dragon’s mind and take control of its body. This wouldn’t technically be riding, per se, but it would tie in to what the raven told him when it said “you’ll never walk but you will fly.”
Do you think there will be two more dragon riders on Game of Thrones?
[Feature Image by HBO]
