Video: An Illustrated Guide to the Tyrion-is-a-Sekret-Targaryen Theory

I was afraid this would happen once the truth about Jon Snow’s heritage got out. For years, book-readers have been reading into subtle hints in the Song of Ice and Fire novels and finding Sekret Targaryens—that is, characters who, like Jon, may be part of the Targaryen family without knowing it—around every corner. Is Meera Jon’s twin separated at birth? (Nope.) Is Aegon Targaryen, who shows up in A Dance with Dragons, the real deal? (He’s been cut from the show, so I’m not sure it matters.) And now this mania has spread to the show fandom, as well.

Now that the matter of Jon Snow is settled, the biggest Sekret Targaryen theory out there involves Tyrion Lannister. It’s based on several moments from the books, some of which made their way onto the show and some of which didn’t. Mostly, it comes from the novels’ description of the character.

On screen, Tyrion is played by the handsome Peter Dinklage. On the page, he’s described as looking more like Bonobo from that play Arya saw in Braavos. In A Game of Thrones, he is described as having “stubby legs, a jutting forehead, mismatched eyes of green and black, and a mixture of pale blond and black hair.” It’s those eyes (might the black eye be purple in the right light?) and that pale blonde hair (so pale it looks white) that makes fans to think he’s half Targaryen. After all, purple eyes and silver hair are the calling cards of the Targaryens genes.

Uproxx has made a handy dandy illustrated guide to this theory. Check it out.

Personally, I used to subscribe to this theory—before the show started. I was convinced Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister would both turn out to be Sekret Targs, a that they were destined to ride Daenerys’ other two dragons. But since the show began, I’ve changed my mind. One reason? Dinklage. If the hair and the eye were so important, the show could have made Dinklage wear a colored contact, or kept his hair very blonde. It did neither of those things.

Another was Charles Dance’s performance as Tywin Lannister. In the books, it’s easy to read into lines like “You’re no son of mine,” Tywin’s final words. Is Tywin really revealing that Tyrion isn’t his after all? Dance’s delivery leaves little doubt to me though. That’s a father who is denying his son in rage and fear.

I just don’t see the evidence translating to the screen. But hey, maybe I’m wrong. Perhaps Westeros is littered with Sekret Targaryens hiding in every shadow…