Jon Snow is THE KEY to Game of Thrones

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Jon Snow is THE KEY to Game of Thrones (subtitled The TRUTH about Jon Snow) is the 2nd episode of Film Theory and its 1st episode on Game of Thrones on The Film Theorists.

Description
''Jon Snow may know nothing, but WE certainly know a lot about him. Eddard Stark's bastard son is clearly one of the main heroes of Game of Thrones, but much of his backstory is shrouded in mystery. Popular fan theories about Game of Thrones have postulated that R + L = J, but what does that mean exactly? Is there the evidence to support it? And most importantly of all, what does that mean to the OVERALL STORY of the Game of Thrones series? How is Jon Snow the KEY to the Song of Ice and Fire?''

Transcript
The HBO show Game of Thrones has been an absolutely massive hit, because of its stellar storytelling, captivating characters, and, well, other things. In all seriousness, with the fifth season currently in progress, this show has been presenting us with unsolved mysteries since episode 1. Even the books have left us in the dark, and when getting ready to theorize about this series, there is no better place to start than with the mystery of Jon Snow's mother. This detail is so important to Game of Thrones that when approached to adapt his books to TV, George RR Martin- the book's author -ended the interview asking for her true identity. Apparently these guys [D. B. Weiss and David Benioff] were able to answer correctly, and if they can figure it out, so can we. Here, there be dragons, and minor spoilers and speculation. For almost the first time, I get to talk about a work of fiction that's actually in progress. So this is pretty cool. Watch the show, then watch this theory, then watch the rest of the show, then go back and watch this theory again to see if I was right, and you can know it here first. Alright, let's start with what we know. Jon Snow is the born out-of-wedlock son of Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. The story we know is that Jon was born after a single night of passion about 20 years ago, and has been raised by Lord Stark in Winterfell ever since. We hear repeatedly from various characters throughout the series that Jon's personality resembles that of a Stark far more than any of Ned's other true born children, except for maybe Arya. So, who are our suspects? Ned himself tells us the mother’s name is a woman named Wylla. He says it to his close friend, Robert Baratheon, king of Westeros, during the second episode of the series. The story goes that she was a wet-nurse who somehow managed to charm Eddard into her bed while he was away from home fighting alongside Robert. One thing leads to another, and nine months later, out pops the baby, and Ned, being a man of true honor takes responsibility for the child, bringing him home to Winterfell. Boom. Done. Open-and-shut case. Cut and roll credits. Man, these film theory episodes are easy. Okay, so obviously it's not as clear-cut as that. Eddard Stark is- well was -a pillar of virtue. I don't care how much junk Wylla was carrying in her trunk, Ned was the type of man who always stayed true to his vows, to what was just. This is a guy who would trade his head for his honor, literally. In season one, we see him willing to die of starvation in a prison cell because he won't lie about who the next king of the realm rightfully is. Eddard just isn't the type of guy who would dishonor his wife like that, and pulling a page from Reading Rainbow, “you don't have to take my word for it”. King Robert's brother Stannis backs me up here in season five, stating that “[bedding a tavern whore] wasn't Ned Stark's way”, and look at what Ned does when Robert presses him to talk about Wylla. He nearly shuts down with agony clearly in his eyes, refusing to speak anything but her name. This is a man who wouldn't have been able to cheat on his wife, even if he wanted to. Clearly, he's lying. You see loyal theorists, Jon Snow's mother isn't some naughty nurse or random tavern wench, but instead Ned's deceased sister, Lyanna Stark. When I put it that way, it makes it sound way worse. Get your minds out of the gutter, this isn't a Cersei-Jamie situation. Stop typing your rage comments, Ned isn't an incestuous necrophiliac. No, my theory is that Ned isn't Jon's parent at all, that Jon's mother is Lyanna Stark, and that the father is actually Rhaegar Targaryen. Now, if you've never seen the show you're probably asking who's that, and if you have seen the show and you're probably still asking who's that, because seriously, who is that? There are so many darn characters in the show whose names are impossible to remember. So, who is Rhaegar, outside of being the guy whose name is literally impossible to type correctly. Well, he's probably the most important character we’ll never meet on the show, considering he's dead, but we do know a lot about him already. He was Daenerys Targaryen oldest brother, and heir to the throne of Westeros. We also hear in bits and pieces throughout season 1, that he kidnapped and raped Lyanna, and that Robert- who was engaged to her -started a war called Robert's Rebellion to bring her back. At the end of the rebellion he ends up killing Rhaegar, but when they try to rescue Lyanna, she's already dying, lying in a bed of her own blood. But beyond Lyanna, Rhaegar’s death actually had huge repercussions, resulting in the Targaryen family being ousted from the throne, Daenerys and her brother having to flee the realm, and Robert Baratheon becoming king. So a pretty big deal for a guy that we've never met. So what makes me say that we've been lied to, and that Jon Snow's parents are two characters that are already dead that we'll never meet? Let me explain. Although there have been hints here and there, last week's episode actually gives us the strongest clue we've yet seen on the show, confirming this theory. There's a crucial scene that takes place in the crypts below Winterfell between Ned's eldest daughter Sansa and the sleaziest guy in the kingdom of Westeros, Lord Baelish. While they walk through the Hall of Fallen Starks, Sansa mentions that her father never talked about his sister Lyanna, and that others said that she was quite beautiful. This prompts Lord Baelish to tell a story about the only time he ever saw Ned's sister. It was at a great tournament where everyone who was anyone was in attendance. Basically it was like Westeros’s coachella. At the end of the tournament it was Rhaegar Targaryen who stood victorious, and as his prize he was given a crown of blue roses to give to the woman he believed to be the most beautiful in all of the Seven Kingdoms. So of course, everyone expected him to give it to his wife, Elia Martell, ‘cause, you know, it's his wife. But he actually rode past her to give the crown to, you guessed it, Lyanna Stark. Man, that had to be an awkward horse ride back to the old stronghold, right? Shortly thereafter, he kidnaps her, and well, we know the rest of the story, or do we? Did this guy really just kidnap, rape, and kill Lyanna because he thought she was pretty? Something tells me you don't romantically and chivalrously give a crown of flowers to a girl if that's what you're planning to do a few weeks later, and honestly, I'm not the only one who thinks so. Sure, Robert Baratheon may bad-mouth Rhaegar on the show, but everyone else gives the guy glowing reviews. Ser Jorah appraises the late Prince when he discusses Rhaegar with his sister, Daenerys. Ser Barristan Selmy, one of the noblest and most honorable people on the show behind Ned Stark, eagerly tells stories about how considerate and generous Rhaegar was. Even Ned has nothing but kind words to say about him in the books, which is odd when you're referring to the man who supposedly stole your sister and had a direct hand in her death. Isn't it much more likely that this kidnapping story is simply a cover for two kids who fell in love and did something incredibly romantic, and incredibly stupid, by running away together? We get an additional detail in the books that after the supposed kidnapping, Rhaegar hides Lyanna away in a place named the Tower of Joy. Seriously though, these guys are fighting a war for him and he's hanging out in the belfry of banging, the minaret of menage, the parapet of pleasure? After Rhaegar’s death, the story we know is that Ned races up the tower of titillation, to free Lyanna, only to find her dying in a bed of blood, with her last words being “Promise me, Ned”. Now think about this: a bed of blood? Yes, it could be Rhaegar killing the girl, but childbirth can also be a pretty messy business. Then, she asks Ned to make a promise? Could it be perhaps a promise to raise her newborn child, or to take it one step further, to keep the child safe by keeping his true parentage secret. I mean, you know Robert would totally freak out if his beloved fiancee had a baby with another man. Robert just started a rebellion against a royal dynasty in an attempt to get her back. ‘Oh sorry, we were in love’. That ain't gonna cut it. It would make sense that Ned would have to claim the child as his own, to cast off suspicion. Then, when Ned returns to Winterfell with the baby Jon, no one would ever know the boy's true parentage. Additionally, we hear that when Ned rode for the Tower of Joy, he and his companions didn't find Lyanna alone. No, three of the Kingsguard were there standing watch over the Lady Stark, including the Lord Commander himself. Why would they be there instead of fighting, or swearing allegiance to the new king, or most importantly of all, protecting the only two remaining Targaryen’s; Daenerys and her brother as they escaped the country? Probably because they were busy protecting another Targaryen: a baby, the heir to the Iron Throne of the kingdom, Jon Snow. Need more proof? Ever wonder why Ned had such an extreme reaction to Robert trying to assassinate Daenerys back in season one? How about the disgust and urgency he shows when Robert says he'll kill every Targaryen he can get his hands on. Stakes are high, because Jon Snow would also have Targaryen blood, meaning his life would be at risk. How about some more super recent evidence? Like the awkward scene between Jon and the red woman at the wall in season 5, where she attempts to seduce him. The only times she's done this in the past was with men who possess royal blood; Stannis and Gendry, and now her latest target: Jon Snow, with the royal blood of the Targaryen’s coursing through his veins. But the biggest smoking gun of all comes from none other but Ned Stark himself, or rather, his actor, Sean Bean. In an interview with Vulture, Bean admits that “[Ned’s]  definitely got some unfinished business that needs to be resolved there. I'm obviously not Jon Snow's dad and you need that to be revealed at some point, don't you?” That, my dear theorists, is what you call an open-and-shut case, or a desperate need for actors to sign NDA's. One of the two. So, if this theory does prove to be true, what does this mean for the future plot lines of the show? Well, if Rhaegar and Lyanna got married before Jon was born, he'd be the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. Even more so than Daenerys, which makes another odd scene in the show make a whole lot of sense. We've seen this image a few times throughout the series, most notably as one of the visions Daeny sees in the House of the Undying: the king's throne room covered in snow. It could be a literal reference to Jon Snow- which is a bit on the nose, but, whatever, it's television- or it could just represent that both Daenerys and the true king of the realm, have a connection with the cold north. Perhaps it's foreshadowing that before the end of the series, Jon Snow will be sitting on that throne. It's kind of poetic in a way. The north, and the wall, and the Starks, symbolize ice. Cold, and harsh. The south, and King's Landing, and the Targaryen’s, symbolise fire. Hot and passionate. If Jon is the merging of these bloodlines, then his truly, would be a song of ice and fire. But hey, that's just a theory. A film theory, and cut.

Trivia

 * The background music in this episode was provided by Kevin MacLeod.