Editing Jon Snow (character) (section)

==Character==
===Description===
In ''A Game of Thrones'', Jon Snow is introduced as the 14-year-old illegitimate son of [[Ned Stark|Eddard "Ned" Stark]], Lord of [[Winterfell]],<ref name="SparkNotes Jon GoT">{{cite web |url=http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/a-game-of-thrones/canalysis.html#Jon-Snow |title=''A Game of Thrones'': Analysis of Jon Snow |publisher=[[SparkNotes]] |access-date=August 4, 2014 |archive-date=May 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518082720/http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/a-game-of-thrones/canalysis.html#Jon-Snow |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="SparkNotes Jon CoC">{{cite web |url=http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/a-clash-of-kings/canalysis.html#Jon-Snow |title=''A Clash of Kings'': Analysis of Jon Snow |publisher=SparkNotes |access-date=August 4, 2014 |archive-date=January 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108211318/http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/a-clash-of-kings/canalysis.html#Jon-Snow |url-status=live }}</ref> and half-brother to [[Robb Stark|Robb]], [[Sansa Stark|Sansa]], [[Arya Stark|Arya]], [[Bran Stark|Bran]] and [[Rickon Stark|Rickon]]. Jon is described as having strong Stark features with a lean build, long face, dark brown hair, and dark grey eyes.<ref name="Goodreads Jon Snow">{{cite web |url=http://www.goodreads.com/characters/29544-jon-snow |title=Character profile for Jon Snow |publisher=[[Goodreads]] |access-date=August 3, 2014 |archive-date=December 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161209125346/http://www.goodreads.com/characters/29544-jon-snow |url-status=live }}</ref> Jon has the surname "Snow" (customarily used for illegitimate noble children in the North) and is resented by Ned's wife [[Catelyn Stark|Catelyn]], who views him as a constant reminder of Ned's infidelity.<ref name="SparkNotes Jon CoC"/> Jon is the same age as Robb and enjoys a warm relationship with his siblings, particularly the tomboy Arya (who resembles Jon and like him, does not feel like she fits in). Ned treats Jon as much like his other children as propriety and his honor will allow. Still, as somewhat of an outsider, Jon has learned to be independent and to fend for himself when necessary.<ref name="SparkNotes Jon GoT"/> Jon idolizes his father, but is wounded by Ned's refusal to tell him about his mother.{{sfn|Martin|1996}} At the beginning of the story, Jon adopts the [[albino]] [[direwolf (Game of Thrones)|direwolf]] that he names Ghost. He later finds that at times, he can "inhabit" the wolf and share its experiences.<ref name="SparkNotes Jon CoC"/><ref name="Goodreads Jon Snow"/>{{sfn|Martin|1996}}

[[David Orr (journalist)|David Orr]] of ''The New York Times'' describes Jon as "a complex, thoughtful and basically good character".<ref name="NYT 2011-08"/> [[David Benioff]] and [[D. B. Weiss]], the creators and executive producers of the [[Game of Thrones|television adaptation of the series]], explain that Jon is one of several characters in the series who must "face hard truths about the world they live in, and adapt themselves to those truths" because, "The struggle many of them face is how to do that without losing their grip on who they are."<ref name="EW 2014-06-15">{{cite magazine |url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/06/15/game-of-thrones-showrunners-on-season-4-finale-twists/ |title=''Game of Thrones'' showrunners on those season 4 finale twists |first=James |last=Hibberd |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=June 15, 2014 |access-date=July 12, 2014 |archive-date=December 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228215153/http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/06/15/game-of-thrones-showrunners-on-season-4-finale-twists/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Ned Stark teaches all his children about leadership, selflessness, duty and honor. Following his father's example becomes more difficult as Jon faces challenges to his identity as a man, a Stark, and a brother of the [[Night's Watch]].<ref name="SparkNotes Jon GoT"/><ref name="SparkNotes Jon CoC"/> Benioff and Weiss note that "Jon Snow tries to live with honor, while knowing that honor often gets his family members murdered."<ref name="EW 2014-06-15"/> Writing for ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' about the season 6 episode "[[Battle of the Bastards]]", Laura Prudom suggests that Jon "has the same shortcomings" as his father: "he fights with honor against opponents who are all too willing to use that predictable morality against him".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/game-of-thrones-recap-season-6-episode-9-battle-of-the-bastards-ramsay-bolton-dead-1201799000/ |title=''Game of Thrones'' Recap: Women Rule in 'Battle of the Bastards' |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |first=Laura |last=Prudom |date=June 19, 2016 |access-date=August 8, 2016 |archive-date=November 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171128033727/http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/game-of-thrones-recap-season-6-episode-9-battle-of-the-bastards-ramsay-bolton-dead-1201799000/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Jon is a prominent [[Narrative mode#Third-person|point of view]] character in the novels, and has been called one of Martin's "finest creations".<ref name="NYT 2011-08"/> Jon is introduced as the illegitimate son of a Northern Lord who, realizing he is an outsider in his own family, follows his uncle to the far north and accepts the honorable duty of serving in the Night's Watch. But as much as he is a second-class Stark at home, initially his fellow recruits and brothers of the Watch set him apart as privileged and aloof. Jon adapts, soon proving himself to be wise, compassionate, and a natural leader. Over the course of the series, Jon's loyalty to the Watch and its vows, his family, and even Westeros itself are tested as he becomes embroiled in the efforts of the [[wildlings]] from [[Beyond the Wall (A Song of Ice and Fire)|Beyond the Wall]] to force their way back into the Seven Kingdoms. He lives among them as a spy for the Watch, sympathetic to their cause and becoming romantically involved with the tenacious [[Ygritte]].  However he ultimately betrays them to defend [[The Wall (A Song of Ice and Fire)|The Wall]]. Later, as the newest Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, he pursues an alliance with the wildlings.<ref name="SparkNotes Jon GoT"/><ref name="SparkNotes Jon CoC"/><ref name="Goodreads Jon Snow"/><ref name="SparkNotes Jon SoS">{{cite web |url=http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/a-storm-of-swords/canalysis.html#Jon-Snow |title=''A Storm of Swords'': Analysis of Jon Snow |publisher=SparkNotes |access-date=August 4, 2014 |archive-date=January 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108175522/http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/a-storm-of-swords/canalysis.html#Jon-Snow |url-status=live }}</ref>

Several reviews of 2011's ''A Dance with Dragons'' noted the return to the narrative of Jon, [[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Tyrion Lannister]], the three popular characters whom fans had missed most from the previous volume, ''A Feast for Crows''.<ref name="NYT Dance 2011-07"/><ref name="Atlantic 2011">{{cite web |last=Brown |first=Rachael |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/07/george-r-r-martin-on-sex-fantasy-and-a-dance-with-dragons/241738/ |title=George R.R. Martin on Sex, Fantasy, and ''A Dance With Dragons'' |work=[[The Atlantic]] |date=July 11, 2011 |access-date=July 16, 2014 |archive-date=September 1, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130901210622/http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/07/george-r-r-martin-on-sex-fantasy-and-a-dance-with-dragons/241738/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=time_masterpiece_tolkien>{{cite magazine|last=Grossman |first=Lev |author-link=Lev Grossman |url=http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2081774,00.html |title=George R.R. Martin's ''Dance with Dragons'': A Masterpiece Worthy of Tolkien |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=July 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130823230000/http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0%2C8599%2C2081774%2C00.html |archive-date=August 23, 2013 |url-status=dead |access-date=August 2, 2014 }}</ref> These "favorites" had last been featured 11 years before in Martin's ''A Storm of Swords''.<ref name=time_problem_power>{{cite magazine |last=Poniewozik |first=James |author-link=James Poniewozik |url=https://entertainment.time.com/2011/07/12/the-problems-of-power-george-r-r-martins-a-dance-with-dragons/ |title=The Problems of Power: George R.R. Martin's ''A Dance With Dragons'' |magazine=Time |date=July 12, 2011 |access-date=January 21, 2012 |archive-date=April 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402032245/http://entertainment.time.com/2011/07/12/the-problems-of-power-george-r-r-martins-a-dance-with-dragons/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In ''A Dance with Dragons'', Jon's leadership of the Night's Watch is complicated by several unprecedented challenges, including a wildling alliance, the demands of would-be-king [[Stannis Baratheon]] and the conflicting factions developing within the Watch itself.<ref name=time_problem_power/><ref name="sfreviews DWD 2011">{{cite web |url=http://www.sfreviews.net/grrm_dance_with_dragons.html |title=Review: ''A Dance with Dragons'' (2011) |first=Thomas M. |last=Wagner |publisher=SFReviews.net |year=2011 |access-date=July 24, 2014 |archive-date=January 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170124231746/http://www.sfreviews.net/grrm_dance_with_dragons.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Booklist Dance">{{cite web|url=http://vufind.uhls.org/vufind/Record/979762/Reviews |title=Reviews: ''A Dance with Dragons'' |first=Krist |last=Hutley |work=[[Booklist]] |year=2011 |access-date=July 25, 2014 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140727035042/http://vufind.uhls.org/vufind/Record/979762/Reviews |archive-date=July 27, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''The New York Times'' notes that "Jon’s leadership is the best hope of Westeros, so naturally he’s in imminent danger throughout ''A Dance With Dragons''."<ref name="NYT 2011-08"/> James Hibberd of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' called Jon's final chapter in ''A Dance with Dragons'' "a harsh chapter in terms of fan expectations. You go from this total high of Jon giving this rousing speech about going after the evil [[Ramsay Bolton]], to this utter low of his men turning against him."<ref name="EW 2011-07 Hibberd">{{cite magazine |url=http://shelf-life.ew.com/2011/07/21/dance-with-dragons-shocking-twist-g/ |title=George R.R. Martin on ''Dance With Dragons'' shocking twist |first=James |last=Hibberd |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=July 21, 2011 |access-date=July 16, 2014 |archive-date=January 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150118080914/http://shelf-life.ew.com/2011/07/21/dance-with-dragons-shocking-twist-g/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Jon's presence in the forthcoming volume ''[[The Winds of Winter]]'' is uncertain.<ref name="EW 2011-07 Hibberd"/>

When asked what he thought was "Jon's biggest 'mistake'",<!-- This doesn't seem to make sense. GRRM's reply begins "Were they mistakes?" What are "they"? In fact he doesn't answer the question at all. The source appears to have inadvertently misrepresented GRRM by not quoting the question he was actually asked. --> Martin replied:
{{Blockquote|Were they mistakes? I guess they were mistakes in some ways since they led to him losing control of part of his group. But it might have been wise and necessary decisions in terms of protecting the realm and dealing with the threat of the [[White Walker]]s. I'm a huge student of history, and all through history there’s always this question of what's the right decision. You look back with benefit of hindsight at a battle that was lost and say, 'The losing general was such an idiot.' Was [[Napoleon]] a genius for all the battles he won? Or an idiot for [[Battle of Waterloo|losing at Waterloo]]? Partly I'm reacting to a lot of the fantasy that has come before this. Ruling is difficult whether you're a Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch or the King of England. These are hard decisions and each have consequences. We're looking at Jon trying to take control of Night's Watch and deal with the wildlings and the threat beyond The Wall.<ref name="EW 2015-06">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/14/game-thrones-jon-snow-really-dead |title=''Game of Thrones'' author, producer on whether that character is really dead |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |last=Hibberd |first=James |date=June 14, 2015 |access-date=June 19, 2015 |archive-date=June 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150618182251/http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/14/game-thrones-jon-snow-really-dead |url-status=live }}</ref>}}

===Parentage===
<!-- This section is the redirect destination of [[R+L=J]] and [[R+L=J fan theory]] -->
The identity of Jon's mother has created much speculation among readers of the series, and guessing her identity was the test Martin gave Benioff and Weiss when they approached him in March 2006 about adapting his novels into a TV series.<ref name="Buzzfeed">{{cite web |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/jennaguillaume/this-game-of-thrones-fan-theory-will-blow-your-mind? |title=This ''Game Of Thrones'' Fan Theory Will Blow Your Mind |first=Jenna |last=Guillaume |publisher=[[BuzzFeed]] |date=July 16, 2014 |access-date=July 17, 2014 |archive-date=July 17, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140717152542/http://www.buzzfeed.com/jennaguillaume/this-game-of-thrones-fan-theory-will-blow-your-mind |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Collider 2013">{{cite web |url=https://collider.com/game-of-thrones-season-3-4-george-r-r-martin-interview/ |title=Producers David Benioff, Dan Weiss & George R.R. Martin Talk ''Game of Thrones'' Season 3 and 4, Martin's Cameo, the End of the Series, and More |first=Christina |last=Radish |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |year=2013 |access-date=August 3, 2014 |archive-date=October 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001234231/http://collider.com/game-of-thrones-season-3-4-george-r-r-martin-interview/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Variety 2007-01">{{cite web|last=Fleming|first=Michael|title=HBO turns ''Fire'' into fantasy series|work=Variety |date=January 16, 2007|access-date=July 11, 2014|url=https://variety.com/2007/scene/markets-festivals/hbo-turns-fire-into-fantasy-series-1117957532/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120516224747/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117957532?refCatId=14|archive-date=May 16, 2012}}</ref> In the novels, characters believe that she could be a servant named Wylla, or the noblewoman Ashara Dayne.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.latintimes.com/winds-winter-plot-spoilers-who-jon-snows-mother-plus-rlj-explained-169991 |title=''The Winds Of Winter'' Plot Spoilers: Who Is Jon Snow's Mother? |work=[[Latin Times]] |first=Donovan |last=Longo |date=May 1, 2014 |access-date=July 1, 2016 |archive-date=August 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808123201/http://www.latintimes.com/winds-winter-plot-spoilers-who-jon-snows-mother-plus-rlj-explained-169991 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bustle.com/articles/87971-alternate-jon-snow-parentage-theories-in-case-game-of-thrones-shoots-down-rlj |title=Alternate Jon Snow Parentage Theories In Case ''Game Of Thrones'' Shoots Down R+L=J |first=Jefferson |last=Grubbs |date=June 7, 2015 |work=[[Bustle (magazine)|Bustle]] |access-date=July 1, 2016 |archive-date=August 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808153923/https://www.bustle.com/articles/87971-alternate-jon-snow-parentage-theories-in-case-game-of-thrones-shoots-down-rlj |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://zap2it.com/2014/10/winds-of-winter-jon-snow-parents-rhaegar-lyanna-game-of-thrones/ |title=Jon Snow's parents to be revealed in ''Winds of Winter''? |publisher=[[Zap2it]] |first=Terri |last=Schwartz |date=October 24, 2014 |access-date=July 1, 2016 |archive-date=October 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005002314/http://zap2it.com/2014/10/winds-of-winter-jon-snow-parents-rhaegar-lyanna-game-of-thrones/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The popular fan theory—called '''R+L=J''', an abbreviation of "Rhaegar + Lyanna = Jon"—proposes that Jon is not the son of Ned at all, but is actually the son of [[Rhaegar Targaryen]] and Ned's younger sister [[Lyanna Stark]],<ref name="Buzzfeed" /><ref name="RLJ youtube">{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHqzFwodZqQ |title=R+L=J: who are Jon Snow's parents? |publisher=[[YouTube]] |author=Alt Shift X |date=July 12, 2014 |access-date=August 1, 2014 |archive-date=December 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171220063051/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHqzFwodZqQ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="BI 2014-07">{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/game-of-thrones-jon-snows-parents-theory-2014-7 |title=Fans Have A Crazy ''Game Of Thrones'' Theory About Jon Snow's True Parentage |first=Frank |last=Pallotta |work=[[Business Insider]] |date=July 17, 2014 |access-date=August 3, 2014 |archive-date=June 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170626050539/http://www.businessinsider.com/game-of-thrones-jon-snows-parents-theory-2014-7 |url-status=live }}</ref> and Ned feigned dishonor and claimed the nephew to be his own child in order to protect Jon from harm.

Though the character is presented as the illegitimate son of Ned Stark,<ref name="NYT 2011-08"/><ref name="NYT Dance 2011-07"/>{{sfn|Martin|1996|pp=49-56}}  David Orr voiced the doubt of some readers when he wrote in ''The New York Times'' in 2011, "Jon Snow is presented as the illegitimate son of the Stark patriarch, although it's uncertain whether Stark is indeed his father."<ref name="NYT 2011-08"/> Actor [[Sean Bean]], who portrays Ned in the HBO television series, said when asked in a 2014 interview about returning to the series to appear in flashbacks, "I've definitely got some unfinished business that needs to be resolved there. I'm obviously not Jon Snow's dad. And you need that to be revealed at some point, don't you?"<ref>{{cite web |last=Vineyard |first=Jennifer |date=July 17, 2014 |url=https://www.vulture.com/2014/07/sean-bean-legends-game-thrones-chat.html |title=Sean Bean on ''Legends'', Method Acting, and ''Game of Thrones'' Flashbacks |work=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]] |access-date=May 15, 2016 |archive-date=June 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170615181400/http://www.vulture.com/2014/07/sean-bean-legends-game-thrones-chat.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The uncertainty arises from anecdotal evidence in the texts interpreted by readers to connect the mysterious maternity of Ned's son with the vague backstory of his sister Lyanna.<ref name="Buzzfeed"/><ref name="BI 2014-07"/><ref name=WesterosDomain>{{Cite web |last1=García |first1=Elio M. |last2=Antonsson |first2=Linda |title=The Citadel: FAQ – 6.2.1. Who are Jon Snow's parents? |url=http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/FAQ/Entry/Who_are_Jon_Snows_parents/ |publisher=Westeros: The A Song of Ice and Fire Domain |access-date=May 15, 2016 |archive-date=June 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620001909/http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/FAQ/Entry/Who_are_Jon_Snows_parents/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

As recounted by Ned in ''A Game of Thrones'', at a [[tourney]] years before the events of the novel, Rhaegar had shown public favor to Lyanna in the presence of his own wife, the [[Dorne|Dornish]] princess [[Elia Martell]].{{sfn|Martin|1996|pp=607,608}} When Rhaegar and Lyanna disappeared a year later, her father [[Rickard Stark|Rickard]] and eldest brother [[Brandon I Stark|Brandon]] confronted Rhaegar's father, the "Mad King" [[Aerys Targaryen]], demanding that his son return the abducted Lyanna. Aerys had Rickard and Brandon brutally executed for their insolence, inciting Ned and his friend [[Robert Baratheon]], Lord of  [[Storm's End]] and Lyanna's betrothed, to rebel against Aerys.{{sfn|Martin|1996|pp=39,40}}{{sfn|Martin|1996|pp=708,709}} In what later became known as Robert's Rebellion, Aerys was overthrown and Rhaegar was killed by Robert in [[single combat]].{{sfn|Martin|1996|pp=39,40}} After a bloody battle against three of Aerys' Kingsguard protecting the Tower of Joy in Dorne, Ned found Lyanna inside, in a "bed of blood." She died shortly after eliciting a promise from Ned.{{sfn|Martin|1996|pp=607,608}}{{sfn|Martin|1996|pp=39,40}} Once the war was won, he returned to Winterfell with his supposed illegitimate son Jon.{{sfn|Martin|1996|pp=49-56}}

The R+L=J theory posits that rather than Rhaegar kidnapping Lyanna, they fell in love and ran away together. Living for a year in the Tower of Joy, they conceived a child—Jon. Rhaegar was killed in battle by Robert, and Lyanna died in childbirth.<ref name=MTV>{{Cite web|author = Wigler, Josh|date = July 15, 2014|title = This ''Game of Thrones'' Theory Will Blow Jon Snow Fans' Minds|url = http://www.mtv.com/news/1868295/game-of-thrones-jon-snow-mother/|publisher = [[MTV News]]|access-date = June 14, 2016|archive-date = December 11, 2017|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171211054015/http://www.mtv.com/news/1868295/game-of-thrones-jon-snow-mother/|url-status = dead}}</ref><ref name=Metro>{{Cite web |title=Did ''Game Of Thrones'' just confirm one of the biggest Jon Snow fan theories? |url=http://metro.co.uk/2015/05/05/did-game-of-thrones-season-5-just-confirm-one-of-the-biggest-fan-theories-5180404/ |work=[[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]] |last=Graham |first=Daniella |date=May 5, 2015 |access-date=May 15, 2016 |archive-date=July 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728122658/http://metro.co.uk/2015/05/05/did-game-of-thrones-season-5-just-confirm-one-of-the-biggest-fan-theories-5180404/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Ned promised Lyanna on her deathbed to claim the baby as his own to protect him from Robert, who sought to exterminate all Targaryens out of hatred and to secure his claim to the throne.<ref name=Metro/>

HBO's ''Game of Thrones'' has included in its adaptation many of the "hints" identified by this theory.<ref name="VF R+L=J">{{cite web|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/06/game-of-thrones-jon-snow-parents-lyanna-stark-rhaegar-targaryen|title=All The Times ''Game of Thrones'' Tried to Tell You Who Jon Snow's Parents Are|work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|first=Joanna|last=Robinson|date=June 26, 2016|access-date=June 27, 2016|archive-date=November 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171118123421/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/06/game-of-thrones-jon-snow-parents-lyanna-stark-rhaegar-targaryen|url-status=live}}</ref> In the [[Game of Thrones season 6|season 6]] finale, "[[The Winds of Winter (Game of Thrones)|The Winds of Winter]]", [[Bran Stark]] has a vision of the past which shows Ned reuniting with a dying Lyanna in the Tower of Joy. Lyanna makes him promise to protect her son—Jon.<ref name="VF R+L=J"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/2016/6/26/12029644/winds-of-winter-recap-jon-snow-parents|title=''Game of Thrones'' just revealed Jon Snow's real parents|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|first=Matthew|last=Yglesias|author-link=Matthew Yglesias|date=June 26, 2016|access-date=June 27, 2016|archive-date=August 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831185907/https://www.vox.com/2016/6/26/12029644/winds-of-winter-recap-jon-snow-parents|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2016/06/26/game-of-thrones-season-6-finale-recap-the-winds-of-winter/|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|title=''Game of Thrones'' Season 6 Finale Recap: 'The Winds of Winter'|last=Calia|first=Michael|date=June 26, 2016|access-date=June 27, 2016|archive-date=August 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817123724/https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2016/06/26/game-of-thrones-season-6-finale-recap-the-winds-of-winter/|url-status=live}}</ref> An infographic subsequently posted on the HBO-controlled website MakingGameofThrones.com confirmed Rhaegar as Jon's father.<ref name="HBO Rhaegar">{{cite web |url=http://www.makinggameofthrones.com/production-diary/got-connections-ned-promise-tower-of-joy-infographic |title=See the Connections Behind Ned's Promise With This Infographic |publisher=MakingGameofThrones.com ([[HBO]]) |date=June 28, 2016 |access-date=June 29, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160629193851/http://www.makinggameofthrones.com/production-diary/got-connections-ned-promise-tower-of-joy-infographic |archive-date=June 29, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Hibberd EW Jon">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2016/06/26/game-thrones-jon-snow-mother |title=''Game of Thrones'' finale confirms game-changing fan theory |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |first=James |last=Hibberd |date=June 26, 2016 |access-date=June 30, 2016 |archive-date=June 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630125802/http://www.ew.com/article/2016/06/26/game-thrones-jon-snow-mother |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="io9 Jon">{{cite web |url=http://io9.gizmodo.com/you-can-stop-second-guessing-that-big-jon-snow-revelati-1782810006 |title=You Can Stop Second-Guessing That Big Jon Snow Revelation from the Finale |publisher=[[io9]] |first=Rob |last=Bricken |date=June 29, 2016 |access-date=June 30, 2016 |archive-date=July 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705211540/http://io9.gizmodo.com/you-can-stop-second-guessing-that-big-jon-snow-revelati-1782810006 |url-status=live }}</ref> Journalists later commented on the significance of two plot points in the [[Game of Thrones season 7|season 7]] episode "[[Eastwatch]]". One of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]'s dragons, Drogon, approaches Jon calmly and allows the King in the North to pet him, seemingly recognizing him as a Targaryen.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/recap/game-of-thrones-eastwatch/|title=''Game of Thrones'' recap: 'Eastwatch' (Part 1)|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|first=James|last=Hibberd|date=August 14, 2017|access-date=August 15, 2017|page=1|archive-date=January 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125022130/http://ew.com/recap/game-of-thrones-eastwatch/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://mashable.com/2017/08/13/game-of-thrones-jon-snow-dragons-drogon-targaryen/|title=Apparently ''Game of Thrones'' dragons enjoy the smell of Jon Snow|first=Peter Allen|last=Clark|publisher=[[Mashable]]|date=August 14, 2017|access-date=August 17, 2017|archive-date=January 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118205114/http://mashable.com/2017/08/13/game-of-thrones-jon-snow-dragons-drogon-targaryen/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bustle.com/p/does-drogon-know-jon-snow-is-a-targaryen-on-game-of-thrones-daenerys-dragon-may-sense-the-secret-76306|title=Does Drogon Know Jon Snow Is A Targaryen On ''Game Of Thrones''? Daenerys' Dragon May Sense The Secret|first=Leah|last=Thomas|website=Bustle|date=August 13, 2017|access-date=August 17, 2017|archive-date=August 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825020303/https://www.bustle.com/p/does-drogon-know-jon-snow-is-a-targaryen-on-game-of-thrones-daenerys-dragon-may-sense-the-secret-76306|url-status=live}}</ref> Later, [[Gilly (A Song of Ice and Fire)|Gilly]] learns from a book at the Citadel that a High Septon [[annulled]] Rhaegar's marriage, and married him to someone else in Dorne, suggesting the possibility that Jon is the legitimate son of Rhaegar and Lyanna.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/recap/game-of-thrones-eastwatch/3/|title=''Game of Thrones'' recap: 'Eastwatch' (Part 3)|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|first=James|last=Hibberd|date=August 14, 2017|access-date=August 15, 2017|page=3|archive-date=August 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817040245/http://ew.com/recap/game-of-thrones-eastwatch/3/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/4898856/game-of-thrones-jon-snow-parents-annulment/|title=''Game of Thrones'' Just Slipped in a Huge Reveal About Jon Snow's Parents|first=Megan|last=McCluskey|magazine=Time|date=August 13, 2017|access-date=August 17, 2017|archive-date=August 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822062521/http://time.com/4898856/game-of-thrones-jon-snow-parents-annulment/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/08/game-of-thrones-gilly-book-rhaegar-annulled-marriage-lyanna-stark-elia-jon-snow-not-a-bastard-eastwatch|title=''Game of Thrones'': The Massive Bombshell Hidden in Gilly's Book|first=Joanna|last=Robinson|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=August 13, 2017|access-date=August 17, 2017|archive-date=October 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001140141/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/08/game-of-thrones-gilly-book-rhaegar-annulled-marriage-lyanna-stark-elia-jon-snow-not-a-bastard-eastwatch|url-status=live}}</ref> The season 7 finale episode "[[The Dragon and the Wolf]]" confirmed that Jon is indeed the legitimate son of Rhaegar and Lyanna, and that his birth name is actually Aegon Targaryen.<ref name="EW 7.7 recap">{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/recap/game-of-thrones-finale-dragon-wolf/6/|title=''Game of Thrones'' finale recap: 'The Dragon and the Wolf'|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|first=James|last=Hibberd|date=August 28, 2017|access-date=August 28, 2017|archive-date=August 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829033323/http://ew.com/recap/game-of-thrones-finale-dragon-wolf/6/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="EW 7.7 Jon">{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/tv/2017/08/28/game-of-thrones-jon-snow-aegon-parents/|title=''Game of Thrones'': How that Jon Snow twist changes everything|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|first=James|last=Hibberd|date=August 28, 2017|access-date=August 28, 2017|archive-date=December 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229144814/http://ew.com/tv/2017/08/28/game-of-thrones-jon-snow-aegon-parents/|url-status=live}}</ref>