Game of Thrones season 8 confirmed the long-running theory that Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark are Jon Snow’s parents, and George R.R. Martin’s original plan makes this twist far more impressive. Martin’s A Song of Ice & Fire series is still ongoing, but HBO’s adaptation gave fans an idea of where the story is heading. While there’s no guarantee that everything will pan out the way it did in season 8, readers can count on the books replicating some of the twists from the show. After all, Martin did give its creators insight into the series’ planned ending.
That said, David Benioff and Dan Weiss told TIME in 2017 that their ending wouldn’t be identical to Martin’s. Still, one thing that seems certain to carry over is the revelation that Jon Snow isn’t the bastard son of Ned Stark but the legitimate child of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Jon’s true identity has been hinted at throughout Martin’s source material, and it dates back to his original plan for the series. Needless to say, the impressive twist will likely happen all over again — and it could be more meaningful this time around.
George R.R. Martin Planned Jon Snow’s Parentage Twist As Far Back As 1993
It’s One Of The Things That Stuck From The Author’s Original ASOIAF Outline
Martin’s plans for A Song of Ice & Fire changed over time, and he has discussed his original Game of Thrones plan, confirming how different it is from the current books and TV show. The author’s original outline saw Jaime Lannister becoming king of Westeros and Sansa Stark having a child with Joffrey Baratheon. He also intended for the fantasy series to be a trilogy, and all of this suggests it’s for the best that Martin moved past his initial vision. That said, the author kept one development dating all the way back to 1993: the twist about Jon Snow’s parentage.
With so much changing as Martin wrote
A Song of Ice & Fire,
it’s truly impressive that this Jon development stuck.
It makes sense that Jon being a Targaryen was part of Martin’s original outline, as there are clues hinting at this twist from the very beginning of the series. That’s part of the reason the “R+L=J” theory became so popular as the books were coming out. And with so much changing as Martin wrote A Song of Ice & Fire, it’s truly impressive that this Jon development stuck. While Jon hasn’t technically learned that Rhaegar and Lyanna are his parents in the books, it’s only a matter of time. The extensive setup for this will make this twist even more satisfying.
Jon Snow’s Parentage Was Key To Getting Game Of Thrones Made
It’s How Showrunners David Benioff & Dan Weiss Proved Themselves
Game of Thrones showrunners Benioff and Weiss were among the readers who guessed Jon Snow’s true parentage before it was revealed. And without them piecing this twist together, Game of Thrones as we know it might not have gotten made. During a behind-the-scenes Q&A in 2013, Martin revealed that he asked the series creators “a few pointed questions to determine whether they had read the books” (via Collider). Whether he let them make the series depended on answering these correctly.
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And Weiss noted that “Who is Jon Snow‘s mother?” was among the queries, despite the fact that Martin hadn’t revealed this in the books yet. Fortunately, Benioff and Weiss had talked about the possibilities before, and they answered correctly. It’s wild to think that Jon Snow’s parentage was the key to getting Game of Thrones made. Even if Jon being Aegon Targaryen didn’t place him on the Iron Throne at the end of the show, it seems it served some greater purpose. All the online speculation about Rhaegar and Lyanna’s true relationship likely helped as well.
GRRM’s Books Can Make Jon Snow Being A Targaryen More Meaningful Than Game Of Thrones
The Winds Of Winter & A Dream Of Spring Can Set Up A Better Ending
Although Game of Thrones‘ ending established Jon’s true parentage, it failed to actually do much with this twist. One of the biggest complaints about season 8 was that Jon’s Targaryen heritage went nowhere. It created tensions between Jon and Daenerys Targaryen, but that’s all Jon being heir to the Iron Throne amounted to. Fortunately, Martin’s Song of Ice & Fire books can do more with this revelation, making it more meaningful than the HBO adaptation did.
There is no official release date for
The Winds of Winter
as of this writing.
There’s no telling whether the big reveal will come about in The Winds of Winter or A Dream of Spring. No matter which sequel reveals that Jon is a Targaryen, A Dream of Spring must give this development a deeper meaning. It could do this by placing Jon on the Iron Throne before the series is through, something many GOT fans were hoping for. However, it could also mean stirring more political tensions and upheaval than it does in Game of Thrones. Even if the books have a similar outcome when it comes to Jon’s position, more people should care about who he really is.
Source: TIME, Collider
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Game of Thrones
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Game of Thrones is a multimedia franchise created by George R.R. Martin. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire is the basis for the award-winning HBO series Game of Thrones, which lasted for eight seasons. After the incredibly divisive final season of Game of Thrones, the series was followed up by the prequel series House of the Dragon, which also received critical acclaim.
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Based on George R.R. Martin’s novels, this fantasy series follows the power struggles among noble families as they vie for control of the Iron Throne in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. The series is known for its complex characters, political intrigue, and unexpected plot twists.
