Jon Snow's father: who is Rhaegar Targaryen?
Most of us have been pretty sure for months now – and die-hard fans of George RR Martin's books have known, or at least suspected, for years. But, just in case anyone was still in any doubt about the identity of Jon Snow’s father, HBO last year posted a helpful graphic on their website, confirming the name for all to see.
Jon’s real father is Walder Frey.
Okay, we’re lying – the HBO chart actually says that Jon’s father is Rhaegar Targaryen, the young prince who eloped with Jon’s mother Lyanna to the Tower of Joy.
While the Game of Thrones season six finale showed us Eddard Stark's reunion with his sister – and made it clear that Lyanna was Jon's mother – it stopped short of spelling out exactly who Jon's father was (although, frustratingly, we did see Lyanna whisper into Eddard's ear, apparently telling him Jon's real name).
At any rate, we think it's now safe to say that the beloved fan theory, referred to for years as "R+L=J", has now been confirmed beyond all doubt.
Need a quick refresher on who Rhaegar is? Here are five key facts about the mysterious Targaryen prince.
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1. He’s dead
Like poor Lyanna, who died in childbirth, Rhaegar was killed before the events of Game of Thrones began, slain in battle by Robert Baratheon (who later went on to become King of Westeros).
2. He was, like, really good looking
All descriptions of the character in George RR Martin’s books agree upon one thing: the white-haired, violet-eyed Rhaegar was something of a Westerosi dreamboat. There’s even a chapter in which Cersei Lannister recalls meeting him and feeling attracted to him. (Remember how, when she meets the witch Maggy, she asks if she'll "marry the prince" before getting told she'll marry "the king" instead? The prince she was speaking about was Rhaegar.)
3. He was Daenerys’s older brother
Rhaegar was the eldest child of the Mad King, Aerys II, and, before the rebellion, first in line to the throne. His younger siblings were Viserys (who received his "golden crown" back in season one) and Daenerys.
He was married to Elia Martell, and had two children with her: Aegon and Rhaeneys. Both children were murdered by Ser Gregor Clegane after the Mad King fell, on the orders of Tywin Lannister, in order to secure Robert's throne.
Oberyn Martell (the Red Viper), who memorably took on The Mountain in season four in single combat, was Elia's brother.
4. He was either a noble hero or a violent rapist – depending on whose account you believe
Barristan Selmy (brutally killed off back in season five) described Rhaegar as "the finest man I ever met", and other characters have echoed his account. But the "official" version of the story, peddled by Robert (who was betrothed to Lyanna) claims that Rheagar abducted and raped her. The show has repeatedly hinted that this probably wasn't the case, although it's not yet been made explicit.
5. He may have secretly married Lyanna, making Jon the heir to the iron throne
Rhaegar and Lyanna were both married or betrothed to other people – but many fans have pointed out that, in the past, Targaryen Kings would sometimes take more than one wife. Perhaps Rhaegar just decided to revive an old family tradition?
Crucially, however, if he did marry Lyanna, it would make Jon his legitimate son, rather than a bastard – meaning that Jon's claim to the iron throne would be stronger than Daenerys's.
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