At this point, it has been theorized that roughly half the people of Westeros could be the fabled Azor Ahai reborn, he (or she) who will save the world from the White Walkers. The most likely candidates are two resident Targaryens, Jon Snow and Daenerys. But this Ser Davos Game of Thrones fan theory is so detailed and makes so much sense, it may make you rethink everything you thought you knew about one of the show's most famous prophecies. One intrepid fan suggests the Onion Knight is Azor Ahai, and the theory makes so much sense it might just give you goosebumps.
Reddit user FollowtheBeard deserves a huge round of applause for the sheer amount of detail and research they put into their Ser Davos is Azor Ahai theory. If you will recall, there are certain qualifications all candidates must meet to be considered for the role of the prince who was promised. According to Melisandre, "When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone." The reborn hero will also draw a sword from the burning fire — Lightbringer, the sword forged thousands of years ago by the original Azor Ahai, who tempered the sword by plunging it into his wife's heart.
What does all this have to do with Davos? A whole lot if this theory turns out to be true.
Remember, back in Season 2, Melisandre holds a ceremony on the beach where she burns all of the effigies to the new gods, and then has Stannis pull a flaming sword from the fire. Stannis quickly plunges the sword into the sand, extinguishing the flame, and as everyone is walking away, Davos casually retrieves the sword. It may seem like a small moment, but it may hold far more meaning than anyone realized because of what came next.
Throughout Season 2, a red comet lingers in the sky. It is literally a bleeding star, and Davos is metaphorically reborn beneath it out of salt and smoke. When his ship explodes during the Battle of Blackwater, the Onion Knight is surrounded by smoke before being cast into the salt water of the ocean. After the battle, he is assumed dead until the smuggler Salladhor Saan finds him on a rock. Salladhor tells Davos, "You've only just come back to life. Stay alive a little longer, my friend."
No one has ever said the prophecy has to be literal, and it actually makes more sense for it to be cloaked in metaphor. Davos' rebirth is symbolic. He goes into the water and comes out having lost his only son. At this point, the only thing he has left is his allegiance to Stannis, who is clearly not the prince who was promised.
Finally, FollowtheBeard gets to the waking dragons from stones bit. This part of the prophecy has always seemed to apply specifically to Daenerys, but again, Davos has metaphors on his side. He is the only one who refuses to give up on bringing Jon back to life. His desire to see the Lord Commander return is so strong he turns to Melisandre, a woman he has never trusted, for help. However, at the time, the Red Woman is experiencing a crisis of faith, and when her magic doesn't immediately work, she leaves Jon still dead and lying on his stone slab. Only Davos remains, and it's not until he has left the room that Jon takes his first, gasping breath. In other words, Davos woke the dragon — Jon "Targaryen" Snow — from the stone, not Melisandre.
The final piece of the puzzle comes from Liam Cunningham, the man who plays Davos. During an interview with Conan O'Brien, the actor revealed that the first time George R.R. Martin met him, he told him a plot detail and then swore him to secrecy. Cunningham has yet to reveal what that secret is, but could it perhaps be that the humble Onion Knight is the true hero of the piece?
Given that Davos has been the right-hand man to both Stannis and Jon, Melisandre's two picks for the title of Azor Ahai reborn, it would be a beautiful bit of irony for the Onion Knight to have been the hero all along. What if all this time, Melisandre has been chasing kings, when she should have been looking to the man who stands beside them.
Only time will tell if Game of Thrones has been prepping fans for the mother of all twists all along. And even if Davos is not destined to defend the realm from the White Walkers, you have to admit, this is one fan theory that actually makes a whole lot of sense.
