It was the moment everyone was waiting for—Jon Snow finally learned the truth about his parentage on the Game of Thrones Season 8 premiere on Sunday.
In typical Jon fashion, he was initially in denial when his longtime friend Samwell Tarly informed him of his true Targaryen identity and revealed Jon was actually not Eddard Stark's bastard son but rather Aegon Targaryen, the legitimate heir of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, born out of love.
It was a hard pill for Jon to swallow, considering he had just taken a rather romantic dragon-ride to a secluded northern hunting area where he passionately kissed Daenerys Targaryen, the supposed Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, who is technically his aunt. What's more, Daenerys has no clue that Jon is the rightful heir to the Iron Throne and likely won't be as willing to bend the knee to him as he did to her in Season 7.
Regardless to what happens between the new lovers-turned-relatives, Jon has a whole new family to get acquainted with (although they are all dead, aside from Daenerys) and more importantly, learn the significance behind his name.
Hundreds of years before the GOT era fans know came to be, Aegon Targaryen I, a noble dragon rider, seized Westeros with his two sister-wives, Queen Rhaenys and Visenya. After many years of war and the destruction of old Valyria—an event known as the Doom—the Targaryens were the only ones left in the land with dragons, securing Aegon's position as King of the Seven Kingdoms.
As their bloodline continued on, Aerys Targaryen, otherwise known as the Mad King and essentially Jon's grandfather, came into power. With his sister and wife Rhaella Targaryen, Aerys had three children: Rhaegar, Viserys and Daenerys. Since Rhaegar is Danerys' oldest brother, that would make his son, Jon—or Aegon VI—her nephew.
There is some speculation Aerys may have also fathered a third son, who fans know and love as Tyrion Lannister. Although unconfirmed by George R.R. Martin, the author of the Song of Ice and Fire books the show is based on, there were some clues back on Season 6 that may have hinted at Tyrion not actually being a Lannister when he managed to unchain Daenerys' dragons Rhaegal and Viserion without being killed. So far on the show, only Targaryens have been able to get close to the dragons without being harmed.
The books also tease Tyrion being a Targaryen. Before his birth, his father Tywin Lannister was not only good friends with King Aerys but he was also his hand. As Tywin's political power and influence within the kingdoms rose, so did Aerys' jealousy, causing their relationship to deteriorate. Not to mention, the Mad King was supposedly fond of Tywin's wife (and cousin) Joanna Lannister, who was also his wife Rhaella's handmaiden.
In Martin's fifth novel, A Dance With Dragons, Ser Barristan Selmy recalls Aerys' crush on Tywin's cousin—although he never revealed her name. Barristan also told Daenerys of Twyin and Joanna's wedding, at which Daenerys' father drank too much wine and was heard saying that "it was a great pity that the lord's right to the first night had been abolished," in reference to an outlawed practice of kings bedding the brides of his subjects on their wedding night, according to The Ringer. Following this comment, Rhaella removed Joanna from her staff.
Many years later, Aerys encountered Joanna again at the 10-year anniversary of his rule. Joanna ended up pregnant sometime after the event and later died during childbirth. Joanna delivering healthy twins, Jamie and Cersei Lannister, with no complications, but dying while birthing Tyrion, a dwarf, certainly raises eyebrows around his true parentage, especially since deformities, stillborns and death while delivering was common in Targaryen childbirths.
If Tyrion is actual Aerys' son, that would make him Daenerys' brother and Jon's uncle, and technically, the true heir to the throne.
Of course, fans will have to wait to see who ends up ruling the Seven Kingdoms as Season 8 progresses.
Game of Thrones airs on HBO on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Michigan native, Janice Williams is a graduate of Oakland University where she studied journalism and communication. Upon relocating to New ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
