All the secret Targaryen theories from the Game of Thrones books
3. Jon Snow is a secret Targaryen
Probably the most famous theory of the entire series is known as R+L=J, or “Rhaegar Targaryen + Lyanna Stark = Jon Snow. We are told that Jon is the bastard child of Ned Stark and an unnamed woman, but Ned does not discuss the mother and he never refers to Jon as his son, only as his blood. It is out of character for a man as honorable as Ned to father a bastard when he was already married to Catelyn, so early on, we know something is up.
Prior to rebelling against the Targaryens, Robert Baratheon fell in love with and was betrothed to Lyanna Stark, Ned’s sister. At the same time, Rhaegar Targaryen was married to Elia Martell, by whom he had two children. Rhaegar was the crowned prince and heir to the Iron Throne, which was held by his insane father, the Mad King Aerys II. Lyanna is described as a wild beauty, strong willed and a skilled rider. She is often compared to Arya, as neither enjoyed the activities highborn women in feudal societies were expected to partake in.
We are teased about Jon’s true parentage throughout A Song of Ice and Fire, but we are never given a straight answer to this mystery, which seems very important considering Jon is one of the main point-of-view characters in the books. In the first book, Ned has haunted visions of his past; he remembers Lyanna saying “Promise me Ned” over and over.
At the end of Robert’s Rebellion, after Ned captures King’s Landing for Robert, Ned takes a party of men to Dorne, to a place called the Tower of Joy. Here, three of Aerys Targaryen’s kingsguard knights are protecting Lyanna, who is said to be screaming “in a bed of blood,” the implication being that she’s giving birth. At the end of the fighting, the only survivors are Ned and his friend Howland Reed, the father of Bran’s friends Jojen and Meera. When he returns from the Tower of Joy, Ned has Baby Jon Snow with him. A passage from one of Ned’s chapters reads, “He thought of the promises he made to Lyanna as she lay dying, and the price he’d paid for them.” Ned also thinks, “He had lived his lies for fourteen years, yet they still haunted him at night.” When Ned thinks this, Jon Snow is 14 years old.
The most compelling evidence for R+L=J comes from a story about the Tourney at Harrenhal in 281 AC, where Rhaegar infamously names Lyanna the Queen of Love and Beauty instead of his own wife Elia. He also gives Lyanna a bed of winter roses. In Book 2, A Clash of Kings, Daenerys has a vision of a winter rose in a wall of ice, which symbolizes Jon at the Wall.
Eventually, Rhaegar “kidnaps” Lyanna, which is one of the reasons that Robert’s Rebellion breaks out. It is more likely that Lyanna and Rhaegar had a consensual relationship with each other and conceived Jon, but it is unknown whether they were married or not.
Game of Thrones, which adapted A Song of Ice and Fire, confirmed R+L=J in the sixth season, but in the books this twist remains just a theory. Ned Stark is long dead so he cannot reveal Jon’s parentage, but Howland Reed is still alive and living in the Neck. He is presumably the only person alive who knows the truth, and he may play an important role in future books. Before Robb Stark died, he sent Maege Mormont and Galbart Glover, two of his trusted lords, to Howland in the Neck. These are two of the lords that were present when Robb named Jon his heir as King in the North.
If this theory is true, and it very probably is, the implications are astronomical. Jon would literally be the song of ice and fire personified, through his Stark mother and Targaryen father. He already has warging capabilities, meaning he must have some Stark blood, and he may be able to bond with dragons through his Targaryen blood. Perhaps he can even warg into dragons, if you want to get really crazy. Being Rhaegar’s son would also give Jon a claim to the Iron Throne, bringing him in conflict with Daenerys whenever she decides to actually go to Westeros.
The last time we see Jon, he announces his plan to march on the Boltons, and many wildlings pledge to join him. However, the men of the Knight’s Watch are dumbfounded by their Lord Commander openly getting involved with southern politics. Before he can leave Castle Black, Jon is stabbed to death by his own men. Like in the show, Melisandre is at Castle Black when Jon is killed so she will likely be involved in bringing him back. How, when, or if he learns about his true parentage remains to be seen.