In the world of Game of Thrones, there are two types of theories: the far-fetched and the eerily plausible. The latest theory on how Jon Snow will discover his parentage without a doubt falls in the latter category. Using evidence from the books, the show, and Arthurian legend, Reddit user jamieandclaire has put together a theory that does more than confirm R + L = J, it reveals an entirely plausible and moving way Jon could discover who his mother and father are in the Season 6 finale.
Early in Season 6, one of Bran's trips to the past led viewers to the Tower of Joy where Rhaegar Targaryen's men guarded Lyanna Stark. It was the kidnapping (or possible fleeing) of Lyanna that sparked Robert's Rebellion in the first place. Ned's sister Lyanna is said to have fallen in love with Rhaegar, and the two either ran away together or Rhaegar took her against her will. Either way, she ended up dying in a "bed of blood" at the Tower of Joy, and by now pretty much the entire Game of Thrones community believes she died giving birth to Jon. Unfortunately, the Three-Eyed Raven pulled Bran out of the vision before he could follow young Ned up the stairs of the tower to confirm the popular theory.
If Bran doesn't go back to that moment in time again, there is a question of how Jon will ever find out who his parents were since everyone who could tell him the truth is now dead. Enter the crypts beneath Winterfell, where all the Starks are buried, and where Jon will likely be descending to pay his respects to his father and lay young Rickon to rest. The truth Jon has always longed to know could very well have been in Winterfell this whole time.
The crypts of Winterfell have played a smaller role on the show than they have in the books, but it is important to remember that in the pilot, Robert went to see Lyanna's tomb before he did anything else. The series made a point to establish who Lyanna was and where the Starks bury their dead at the very start of the story. As jamieandclaire points out, Jon and Ned have both been known to have nightmares about the crypts in the books. In Jon's nightmares, he hears the old Lords of Winter hissing that he doesn't belong there because he is not a Stark.
Despite this, Jon descends deeper and deeper into the crypt, even though he is afraid of what he will find there. Meanwhile, Ned's chapters in the first book of the A Song of Ice and Fire series reveal at a certain point there are empty tombs in the crypt waiting for his children. Since Jon is meant to be Ned's bastard son, it would not be proper by societal standards to bury Jon in the Stark crypt, but Ned always made it clear Jon was his family. A man as noble as Ned would not deny Jon a resting place with his brothers and sisters, and this is where things get interesting.
Jon almost definitely has a tomb beneath Winterfell waiting for him, but if he does it would be in the deepest part of the crypt, the part that caved in long ago. In the Reddit post, jaimeandclaire draws parallels between Jon and Lancelot from Arthurian legend. In The Joyous Keep, Lancelot discovers a tomb waiting for him and on the tomb is the name of his true father — a king. Now, George R.R. Martin draws heavily from both history and myth when writing the A Song of Ice and Fire series, so it is not far-fetched to believe Lancelot's journey and Jon's may have strong parallels.
In the event that Ned never had the opportunity to tell Jon who his mother and father were, it is entirely possible he put the answer on Jon's crypt in Winterfell, hidden far away from prying eyes. The reason Ned went to such great lengths to protect the truth about Jon from coming out is because he knew being half Targaryen would be an instant death sentence for Jon. Even venturing across the Narrow Sea did not keep Daenerys and Viserys safe, they spent their childhoods on the run. Robert and the Lannisters would not have stopped until they found a way to kill Jon — and Ned would never let anyone harm Lyanna's son.
However, Ned also knew Jon would eventually want answers and maybe he believed answers in death would be better than no answers at all. A crypt bearing the name of Jon's mother and father could very well be the only evidence of Jon's Targaryen heritage. If Ned reasoned no one would ever see the crypt until Jon's death, then he would have no reason to fear Jon's secret would be exposed while Jon was living and it could still do him harm.
After Rickon's death and the retaking of Winterfell, Jon has every reason to venture down into the crypts in the Season 6 finale. The entirety of Jon's Season 6 journey has been about rebirth. He has not only chosen to fight and to live after his death, he has also reclaimed the Stark part of his heritage. It only seems right for Jon to now embrace his full identity as a Stark and a Targaryen, and it will be so much more rewarding if Jon finds the information waiting for him in the depths of Winterfell, than if it comes from one of Bran's dreams.
For once, confirmation of R + L = J actually feels imminent, and if Jon makes the discovery on his own the long wait for answers will have been worth it.
Images: HBO; Giphy (3)
