Game of Thrones left fans with an ongoing debate about who the Prince That Was Promised was, but the narrative’s themes have always pointed to Jon Snow. The Game of Thrones 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 R.R. Martin in his A Song of Ice & Fire book series, trying to apply its meaning to the TV adaptation’s narrative.
The Prince That Was Promised prophecy is laid out more clearly in the books, but the gist of it is that a hero will rise up to defend the world against great evil, presumably in the Long Night. The prophecy states that the hero will be “born amidst 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’s always a larger puzzle to break down.
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 Its Criteria Don’t Describe Him
As mentioned, Daenerys fits the prophecy quite well. The season 1 ending saw her step into a flaming pyre and be reborn amidst salt and smoke, birthing dragons from petrified eggs, signified by a red comet from the sky. She never raised a sword, but she raised the fire of her dragons to defend the realm against the White Walkers. And yet, the story ends with her going mad, killing a significant part 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 her, but he’s always been the show’s hero.
Unlike Daenerys, who fits the outward model of the prophecy, Jon is the one in the trenches the entire series, directly fulfilling the prophecy’s purpose: defending the realm against the darkness. He doesn’t kill the Night King, but without Jon, the realm would never have had a fighting chance. He unified the Night’s Watch and the wildlings, he unified the North, and he unified the Starks and the Targaryens to give humanity a fighting chance. This could indicate that he’s the Prince That Was Promised, but it’s not that simple either.
Game Of Thrones’ Use Of Prophecy Subverts Fantasy Norms
The Prophecy Isn’t Going To Be Entirely Accurate
It’s important to note the story being discussed, as 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, is never going to be clean and easy. The role of prophecy in Martin’s world isn’t to raise a hero to fame and glory; it’s to sow chaos, cause paranoia, and create confusion. This is a messy story, and the prophecy is also messy. Daenerys represents an idealized version of the prophecy, hence why she’s shown in House of the Dragon season 2’s ending.
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’s a miracle that her followers can exist in awe of, creating a mirage that’s closer to the gods than to humankind. 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 to this idea as she is a beneficiary, ultimately going mad when reality catches up to her.
Jon Snow Is Never Rewarded As A Hero In Game Of Thrones
GOT Shows The Reality Of How A Hero Is Treated, Subverting Prophetic Expectation
Meanwhile, Jon Snow is a hidden Targaryen. He’s a bastard with nothing who ends up in the Night’s Watch to give his life purpose. He’s there in the thick of it the entire 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 heroism: he’s literally resurrected, becomes King in the North, and is revealed to be the true heir to the Iron Throne. But this all comes crashing down in Game of Thrones season 8.
The world of Game of Thrones doesn’t reward heroes; it tosses them to the side
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 act of heroism for the finale, when he stabs Daenerys, concluding the cycle of violence created by the Iron Throne. Rather than being rewarded for his deed, he’s exiled from the realm, concluding his story. The world of Game of Thrones doesn’t reward heroes; it tosses them to the side. Again, prophecies in GOT don’t exist to raise heroes. Jon isn’t Aragorn from Lord of the Rings, who gets to rule happily ever after as king.
Daenerys’ Story Is A Reminder Of The DangersOf Prophecy
Daenerys Is Led To Believe She’s The Prince That Was Promised, Contributing To Her Downfall
Characters have visions of the future, offering glimpses of potential outcomes, but they’re always corrupted by some projection of personal gain
As previously stated, prophecy exists in the world of A Song of Ice & Fire to create chaos. Characters have visions of the future, offering glimpses of potential outcomes, but they’re always corrupted by some projection of personal gain. Aegon the Conqueror dreamed of the Long Night and defending the realm against the White Walkers, entitling him to conquer Westeros and become king. Daemon saw Aegon’s Dream at Harrenhal in House of the Dragon, but only if his wife won the war and was made queen. These 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 off with Lyanna Stark, starting a civil war presumably because he wanted to birth a child of ice and fire. Maggy 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 Undying and sees the throne room of the Red Keep, providing her with the affirmation of her right to rule.
Daenerys believes she’s the chosen one because the world has convinced her she’s a prophetic savior. This creates an issue in that she’s still very much a human 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 suffers tremendous pain, and she’s not able to process it because she’s been led to believe she deserves something better.
Why Jon Snow Was The Prince That Was Promised
At The End Of The Day, Jon Snow Saves Westeros
The Prince That Was Promised prophecy ultimately 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 steward who quietly becomes the hero. Targaryen ancestors couldn’t have envisioned Jon because he wasn’t a clear projection of their own image. Jon resembles a Stark, not a Targaryen, so the tenets of the prophecy couldn’t have been made to fit his story.
That means that, finally, the prophecy must be stripped down to its baser meaning. Jon is the hero of Game of Thrones. He defeats the evil of the White Walkers and, more importantly, also defeats the self-fulfilling cycle of prophetic violence perpetuated by the Targaryen dynasty by killing Daenerys. This could pan out entirely differently in A Song of Ice & Fire, but this thematic association best fits the world of HBO’s television adaptations.