This Game of Thrones Theory May Hold the Key to Jon Snow’s Past

Warning: This post contains spoilers from both the Game of Thrones TV show and George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Although the official return of Jon Snow may have been the highlight of the third episode of Game of Thrones’ sixth season, an appearance by another deceased character also has fans talking. In one of the show’s rare flashbacks, Bran Stark and the Three-Eyed Raven journeyed into the past to witness the legendary sword fight that took place between Ned Stark and Ser Arthur Dayne at the Tower of Joy — the site of Lyanna Stark’s death.

While viewers still don’t know what transpired inside the tower following the battle, some think the scene offers a big clue about a major prophecy in the G.o.T. universe. The prophecy in question centers around the Prince That Was Promised, a messiah of sorts who is the reincarnation of legendary hero Azor Ahai. In fact, Melisandre mentions the Prince at the beginning of the episode while talking to Jon. “The Lord [of Light] let you come back for a reason,” she tells him. “Stannis was not the Prince Who Was Promised but someone has to be.”

So is the Red Woman right? According to Reddit user shagnastyjr, if you prescribe to the fan-favorite R + L = J theory — i.e., that Jon is not actually Ned Stark’s bastard, but rather the child of Lyanna and Rhaegar Targaryen — then the Tower of Joy scene may hold further evidence that Jon is the Prince.

“In light of Sunday’s episode, and Melisandre’s mention of the Prince That Was Promised, I took a moment to review the Prince prophecy itself,” the Redditor wrote. “One of the key pieces of the prophecy itself is that the Prince is ‘born under a bleeding star.’ There’s a lot of speculation as to what the star is, and the episode got me thinking — could it be Dawn [Dayne’s sword]? We see a young Eddard use the sword to kill Arthur Dayne, but it’s important to note that he doesn’t immediately drop the sword. In fact, he’s seen holding it as he climbs the steps up to the Tower of Joy.”

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And if that doesn’t convince you, it’s worth considering that not only is the seat of House Dayne a castle called Starfall, their sigil includes a falling star.