The world of A Song of Ice and Fire is so intricately put together that fans have been speculating about possibilities and connections from a long time. With every passing episode, fans would come up with bizarre theories to quench their thirst for anything that helps them cope with the Game of Thrones withdrawal.
Ever since the first book came out 20 years ago, the fans of the series have been putting their heads together to come up with a theory that would put everything in place. With the advent of the internet and Reddit in particular, fan-theories started getting more and more attention. One such theory was R+L=J.
According to this theory Jon Snow is not a bastard of Ned Stark but is, in fact, the son of Ned’s sister, Lyanna Stark, and Dany’s brother, Rhaegar Targaryen.
There is no confirmation of the conditions under which Jon was conceived. Many believe that Rhaegar abducted Lyanna and raped her. A lot of fans believe that Lyanna and Rhaegar eloped as their union wouldn’t have been approved by their respective families.
The identity of Jon’s parents was a speculation before the season finale of Game of Thrones came out. Now that it’s canon after the events of the weirdly named Tower of Joy unfolding in front of the viewers, it is only a matter of time before speculations about possible repercussions of this revelation send the internet into a frenzy.
The most common misconception among the Game of Thrones fans seems to be about Jon Snow’s claim to the throne. Well, you can chose to believe this but that would only mean that you’re wrong. Robert’s rebellion beat the Mad King, and thus the Baratheons had the rightful claim to the Iron Throne. After Cersei decided to show off her wild side in the latest episode, the Lannisters have the rightful claim. So Jon, technically, has any claim to the throne whatsoever.
The show runners also decided to screw with the internet when Lyanna only revealed the identity of the father to Ned by whispering it into his ears. It depends on whether Rhaegar and Lyanna were secretly wed or not (which seems likely based on what we know about the Isle of Faces). But then you have Elia Martell’s marriage to Rhaegar to address which will only complicate things further.
One of the weirdest conclusions that we can finally make is that Danaerys Targaryen, a fond believer of irrelevant titles attached to her name, is Jon’s aunt. Considering traditionally the Targaryen like to keep it in the family to keep the blood as pure as possible, it is extremely likely for the Khaleesi and the King in the North to indulge in some unholy activities later on.
Watch this video for more insight on the R + L = J theory:
What are your predictions about the fate of Jon Snow? Do let us know in the comment section.