The Pack Survives: Stark Symbolism in the new season 8 teaser trailer

The feather

In this teaser trailer, Lyanna’s statue is holding a feather that floats out of her hand when Jon walks by. The first time we see this feather is in season 1, when Robert Baratheon places it on Lyanna’s statue. It appears again in season 5, when Sansa visits her aunt’s resting place. We later see Sansa wearing the feather on her sleeve during a scene with Myranda; notice it dangling off Sansa’s left wrist in the photo below — we’ve lightened up part of the photo so you can see the feather better:

What became of the adornment afterwards is unknown, but symbolically, the feather is importan to Sansa as well as Jon. It plays into the bird imagery in both characters’ arcs — Jon, formerly of the Night’s Watch, was called a “crow,” and Sansa has been called “little bird” or “little dove,” and feathers were a prominent piece in her costume as Alayne Stone.

If we’re to assume that the feather is symbolic of Jon’s true parentage, its fall in the new teaser represents the reveal of that secret in season 8. Sansa’s safekeeping of it in season 5 could have been foreshadowing of her reunion with Jon and their relationship afterwards. She kept the North loyal to him in his absence, and will likely do the same once his Targaryen bloodline becomes known. In season 7, the Stark bannermen were clear that they would not abide Targaryen rule. So just as Sansa appeased them in season 7, she’ll be instrumental in ensuring their continued loyalty to him when they learn Jon is not Ned Stark’s son after all.