Game of Thrones Left fans with an ongoing debate about who the Prince That Was Promised was, however The themes of the story have always featured Jon Snow. The Game of Thrones The ending has gone down as one of the most infamous TV conclusions of all time, leaving much to be desired on all fronts. For starters, fans of the series spent years analyzing the prophecies laid out by George RR Martin in his A Song of Ice and Fire book series, trying to apply its meaning to the narrative of the television adaptation.
The prince who is promised prophecy is laid out more clearly in the books, but the main thing is that a hero will rise up to protect the world against great evil, presumably in the long night. The prophecy says that the hero will be “Born between salt and smoke“, would wake dragons from stone, and raise a flaming sword called Lightbringer to defeat evil. Spelled out, This seems to resemble Daenerys, but the reason Martin’s fantasy books are so prolific is that there is always a bigger puzzle. to break
Daenerys fits the prophecy better, but Jon Snow is the hero of Game of Thrones
Jon Snow fulfills the meaning of the prophecy, even if his criteria do not describe him
As mentioned, Daenerys fits the prophecy quite well. The season 1 ending saw her step into a flaming fire and be reborn amid salt and smoke, birthing dragons from petrified eggs, signified by a red comet from the sky. She never picked up a sword, but she picked up the fire of her urges to defend the realm against the White Walkers. And yet, the story ends with her going insane, killing a significant portion of King’s Landing’s population, and having to be stabbed by Jon Snow. Jon Snow is ultimately the one who saves the day by defeating herBut he was always the hero of the show.
Unlike Daenerys, who fits the outer model of the prophecy, Jon is the one in the trenches the entire series, immediately fulfilling the prophecy’s purpose: defend the realm against the darkness. He doesn’t kill the Night King, but without Jon, the realm would never have a fighting chance. He united the Night’s Watch and the Wildlings, he united the North, and he united the Starks and the Targaryens to give humanity a fighting chance. This may indicate that he is the prince that was promised, but it is not that simple either.
Game of Thrones’ use of prophecy subverts fantasy norms
The prophecy will not be completely accurate
It is important to note the history that is discussed, vi Game of Thrones developed its reputation through its subversion of fantasy norms. The answer to the prophecy, be it in the show or in the books, will never be clean and easy. The role of prophecy in Martin’s world is not to raise a hero to fame and glory; There is chaosCause paranoia, and cause confusion. This is a messy story, and the prophecy is also messy. Daenerys represents an idealized version of the prophecy, which is why she is shown in House of the Dragon Season 2’s finale.
Daenerys is a projection of House Targaryen’s self-fulfilling prophecy: that only they can ride dragons and defend the realm against evil, which is why they Must Rule.
Daenerys Targaryen represents the magic of the Targaryen dynasty. She is a miracle that her followers can live in awe ofCreating a mirage that is closer to the gods than to humanity. Daenerys is a projection of House Targaryen’s self-fulfilling prophecy: that only they can ride dragons and defend the realm against evil, which is why they Must Rule. She’s an incredible character because she’s just as much a victim of this idea as she is a beneficiary, ultimately going mad when reality catches up with her.
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Jon Snow was never rewarded as a hero in Game of Thrones
GOT shows the reality of how a hero is treated, subverting prophetic expectations
Meanwhile, Jon Snow is a hidden Targaryen. He is a bastard with nothing who ends up in the night watch to give his life purpose. He’s out there in the thick of it all the time, fighting battles beyond the Wall to prepare the realm for an existential threat. When season 6 comes around, he reaches a turning point that seems to indicate recognition for his bravery: he is literally resurrected, becomes King in the North, and is revealed to be the true heir to the Iron Throne. But it all comes down to Game of Thrones Season 8.
The world of Game of Thrones Don’t reward heroes; It throws them aside
Jon Snow unites the realm against the White Walkers, but it’s Arya Stark who saves the day by killing the Night King. This leaves Jon’s true heroism for the finale, when he stabs Daenerys, ending the cycle of violence created by the Iron Throne. Rather than being rewarded for his deed, he is exiled from the kingdomFinished his story. The world of Game of Thrones Don’t reward heroes; It throws them aside. Again, prophecies in Got Do not exist to raise heroes. Jon is not from Aragorn Lord of the RingsWho gets to rule happily as a king.
Daenerys’ story is a reminder of the dangers of prophecy
Daenerys is led to believe that she is the prince that was promised, contributing to her downfall
Characters have visions of the future, offering glimpses of potential outcomes, but they are always corrupted by some projection of personal gain.
As previously stated, prophecy exists in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire To create chaos. Characters have visions of the future, and offer glimpses of potential outcomes, but they are always corrupted by some projection of personal gain. Aegon the Conqueror dreamed of the Long Night and defending the realm against the White Walkers, entitled him to conquer Westeros and become king. Daemon saw Aegon’s Dream at Harrenhal House of the DragonBut only if his wife won the war And they made a queen. The examples go on and on.
Melisandre prophesied about the Prince That Was Promised, seeing Stannis ruling the Seven Kingdoms, ultimately leading to his death. Robert’s Rebellion was caused by Rhaegar Targaryen running away with Lyanna Stark, starting a civil war presumably because he wanted to give birth to a child of ice and fire. Maggie the Frog predicts Cersei’s future, convincing her that her brother will kill her, leading to Cersei spending her life paranoid about Tyrion. finally, Daenerys enters the House of the Unsettled and sees the throne room of the Red Keep, providing her with confirmation of her right to rule..
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Daenerys believes that she is the chosen one because the world has convinced her that she is a prophetic savior. This creates an issue in that she is still very much a person and is subject to the pitfalls of attachment and loss. She survives as those around her die and leave her, causing her descent into madness. Daenerys is in tremendous pain, and she is unable to process it because she has been led to believe she deserves something better.
Why Jon Snow was the prince who was promised
At the end of the day, Jon Snow saves Westeros
The prince who was promised prophecy finally creates a duality between expectation and reality: Daenerys is the perfect image of a Targaryen dragon queen, while Jon is the bastard of Winterfell turned night’s watch keeper who quietly becomes the hero. Targaryen ancestors could not have envisioned Jon because he is not a clear projection of their own image. Jon resembles a Stark, not a Targaryen, that way The foundations of the prophecy cannot be made to fit his story.
This means that ultimately the prophecy must be stripped down to its bare meaning. Jon is the hero of Game of Thrones. He defeats the evil of the White Walkers and, more importantly, too Defeat the self-fulfilling cycle of prophetic violence perpetuated by the Targaryen dynasty By killing Daenerys. This can happen completely differently A Song of Ice and FireBut this thematic association is best suited to the world of HBO’s television adaptations.