Sam knew. Bran knew. Fans of both the Game of Thrones books and TV show knew. Now, after 7 seasons of knowing next to nothing, Jon Snow finally knows the truth about himself too.
Warning: serious spoilers for Season 8, Episode 1 ahead!
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For his whole life, Jon Snow was led to believe that he’s the bastard son of Ned Stark and his unknown side piece.
The shame of the bastard surname “Snow” followed Jon wherever he went, driving him to take up the Black and become a man of the Knight’s Watch.
Jon spent the rest of Seasons 2-7 sulking, fighting the dead and generally, being oblivious to most things.
His constant need to see the best in people led him to place his trust in people he shouldn’t have. Like a group of traitors in the Knight’s Watch, who ‘killed’ him for siding with the White Walkers.
But he came back to life to fight another day, and another zombie hoard.
To defeat the Night King, he allied with – and ultimately fell in love with – Daenerys, of the House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, et cetera. They ended Season 7 with a lover’s tryst on the Narrow Sea, en route to the North to face the dead.
In the Season 8 premiere, Jon reunited with his best friend and historian extraordinare Samwell Tarley.
Samwell spilled the true tea on Jon’s parentage in the crypts of Winterfell. Because all secrets are whispered in dark basements, surrounded by dead people. Naturally.
Samwell told Jon that he’s the lovechild of Rheagar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, Ned’s sister — which means he’s a trueborn Targaryen, and not a bastard.
We know it’s true because we got validation from Bran’s creepy greenseer Three-Eyed-Raven abilities.
The look on Jon’s face when he finally found out who his parents are was priceless.
One would assume he also came to the conclusion that he’s been, um, romantically intimate with auntie Daenerys.
Fans freaked out at this revelation, and what it could mean for Jon’s endgame.
Luckily for Daenerys, Jon Snow has never expressed a desire to rule anything. But he’s inspired the North to rally around him as a “bastard” – imagine what he could do with the best claim to the Iron Throne?
