Let’s talk for a moment about Jon Snow’s parentage. If you’re bothering to read Game of Thrones articles on the Internet, I’d venture you’ve probably heard of R+L=J, the dominant theory behind Jon Snow’s true origin. Here it is in a nutshell: Jon Snow isn’t Ned Stark’s bastard; he’s Ned’s sister’s bastard, the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen, probably still illegitimate, but with the blood of the dragon all the same. This has tremendous consequences, for the dragon must have three heads. And I’d like to remind you that this theory is no idle speculation. R+L=J is as close to certain as any theory about Game of Thrones can be—as certain, as axiomatic, as the theory that Severus Snape was still loyal to Dumbledore even after he returned to Voldemort’s side.
R+L=J And Severus Snape
A bit more about Snape. He was Harry’s adult foil for, well, almost the entire Harry Potter series (spoilers for all books to follow). His actions often didn’t seem to be in Harry’s best interest—and on a personal level they often weren’t. And by the later books, Snape seemed to be scheming against Dumbledore. Of course, that resulted in Snape’s pact with Narcissa Malfoy, his return to Voldemort’s side, and eventually to Snape actually killing Dumbledore.
Yet, through all that, the fanbase rallied around a theory—Snape was acting under Dumbledore’s orders. He was a spy, pretending to be a Death Eater but still working for the Order of the Phoenix. He may even have killed Dumbledore on the headmaster’s own orders. It’s hard to understate how much people latched onto this theory—it made so much narrative sense, and Snape as Harry’s secret ally who didn’t actually like him was much more interesting than the idea that Snape actually was a bad guy all along. Indeed, Harry Potter doesn’t really work as a narrative if Snape stays evil. Which, of course, he does not. The entire damn point of the series is his redemption.
It’s like that for R+L=J. Like Snape, Jon Snow’s true parentage has always occasioned great interest. There are so many sidelong clues and hints about it. The last thing Ned says to Jon s that he’ll tell the boy about his mother the next time they meet. King Robert needles him about it until Ned tells him to stuff it. Lyanna keeps popping up in conversations on the show, as does Rhaegar. We need to remember who they are, the show says. It’s important.
Perhaps most importantly of all, George R. R. Martin asked Benioff and Weiss—the creators of the Game of Thrones show—one question during their first meeting (well, he probably asked them lots of questions. But only one got out into the public): Who are Jon Snow’s parents? Yea, when the author asks you a question like that as a test of whether you’re serious about his books… I think it’s important.
This article isn’t the place to trot out all the evidence for R+L=J. The wiki does a better job than I would. But it is voluminous—and admittedly circumstantial. That was true for Snape as well. The strongest evidence for his continuing loyalty was simply that Dumbledore trusted him, and wouldn’t tell Harry why. The strongest evidence for R+L=J is Ned’s secrecy—his refusal to confess on his greatest breach of his precious honor. That means there’s a secret there. A secret that was buried at the Tower of Joy, and that we’ll finally see this next season, and in this next book.
R+L=J may not be proven yet. But it will be. It isn’t idle speculation; it’s the heart of A Song of Ice and Fire, and the heart of the answer to how the people of Westeros will defeat the Others.
