We Game of Thrones fans have lots of time for thumb twiddling between books. Combine that with thousands of pages filled with a plot denser than Ned Stark (“Oh, I think I’ll just go tell Cersei I know her big secret! Surely that won’t end poorly!”), and you get an abundance of oft-times extremely intricate fan theories. Some of them are pretty likely. Others… not so much. Here’s your guide to 11 of them, from the big dogs (R+L=J) to some of the smaller, delightful ones (Frey pies). I make no claims to this guide being comprehensive—I didn’t even get into how a certain character is totally still alive (spoilers, probably). If I left out your favorite, feel free to leave it in the comments.
Spoilers for all published books in A Song of Ice and Fire.
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R+L=J
This is one of those “Yeah, it’s basically canon” ones. The most famous of all Game of Thrones fan theories, R+L=J posits that Jon Snow is not the child of Ned Stark, but of Ned’s sister Lyanna and Rhaegar Targaryen, meaning Jon would be Daenerys’ nephew and the first (possible) secret Targaryen to show up on this list.
There’s actually a startling level of evidence in support of this theory. One: We know Lyanna made Ned promise her something before she died. We’re meant to assume it was to take her body to Winterfell, but that’s never explicitly stated. And for the amount of time Ned spends dwelling on it, that would be a pretty innocuous promise. Ned promising to raise Jon and protect him from King Robert Baratheon’s anti-Targaryen rampage is much more weighty. The only Stark children who don’t look like Catelyn are Jon and Arya… who, we’re told, looks like Lyanna. Ned doesn’t seem to hate Rhaegar, which is weird if Rhaegar raped his sister. At one point Ned’s ruminating over about King Robert’s bastards, which you do, and from there he starts thinking about his (presumed) bastard Jon, which you do… and then his train of thought takes him to Lyanna and Rhaegar for some reason. Bzuh? And, most telling: In her vision at the House of the Undying Daenerys sees a blue winter rose growing out of a chink in a wall of ice. The blue winter rose is clearly established elsewhere in the series as a symbol for Lyanna, specifically for her death. And who’s set up shop at a Wall of ice…?
We know—or, at least, we think we know—that there are going to be three Targaryens kicking butt and taking names on Daenerys’ dragons by the end of the series. The only even slightly compelling reason, for me, that Jon would not be one of those Targaryens is that it’s just too obvious at this point that he would be. But if Daenerys is one of the Targaryens, and Jon is the second, who’s the third…?
HBO
Tyrion Lannister Is a Secret Targaryen
This theory posits that Tyrion is the son of King Aerys (Daenerys’ father), who raped Tywin’s wife Joanna. There’s not a heck of a lot of evidence for it—we know Joanna spent some time at King’s Landing. We know Aerys *cough* liked her. We know he’s the sort of guy who would not hesitate to rape someone, even the wife of one of his allies. We know Tyrion has one purple eye and blonde hair so light it’s almost white, purple eyes and white hair being Targaryen coloring. And we know Tywin hates Tyrion, which could be because Tyrion’s not his son… or it could be because Tywin’s just a jerk like that. I could be wrong, but to me this theory reads solely as wishful thinking. Who wouldn’t want to see Tyrion Lannister on the back of a dragon raining hellfire down on those who wronged him? But it probably won’t happen.
HBO
…and Screw It, So Is Meera Reed
You get a secret Targaryen backstory! And you get a secret Targaryen backstory! Everyone gets a secret Targaryen backstory! This theory has Meera Reed as the Leia to Jon Snow’s Luke—the twin sister he was separated from at birth. She and Jon are the same age, and they look (vaguely) alike. Meera’s temperament is similar to what we know of Lyanna—free-spirited and not averse to doling out butt-whuppings. Greywater Watch, the seat of House Reed, would be the perfect place to hide a secret Targaryen, because it’s pretty much impenetrable. And the mysterious Howland Reed, as Ned Stark’s closest friend and ally, would be just the person he would give the second child to. The people who buy this theory are drawn in less by the sort of evidence that R+L=J has (it’s just not here in this case) and more by the neat—and certainly unexpected—way in which it gives us the third head of the Targaryen dragon.
Speaking of the Reeds—Howland Reed is the High Sparrow
One of the major sea changes in A Dance With Dragons is that religion starts messing stuff up in a big way for our King’s Landing characters. At the fore is the High Septon, aka the High Sparrow, who swoops out of nowhere as the leader of a new religious movement, becomes basically the Pope of Westeros, and tricks Cersei into letting him have his own private army. He’s incredibly significant, but we know next to nothing about him. The yin to that yang is Howland Reed, father to Jojen and Meera, one of Ned Stark’s closest allies, one of the few characters in a position to know whether R+L=J is true or not, and… completely absent from the story so far.
The physical description of the High Sparrow is similar to how people from Reed’s neck of the woods are described. The Sparrow has no lost love for Cersei and a soft spot for Ned Stark. And there are hints that Martin’s setting up a Revenge of the North plotline. Arya’s learning the ways of murder in Braavos. Wyman Manderly’s on the verge of bringing Rickon back. Sansa’s getting closer and closer to coming into her own politically. All this as the Lannisters lose their grip on power. A reveal that Ned Stark’s best friend has essentially infiltrated King’s Landing under the guise of religion would be fitting and so, so sweet.
![[avatar]](http://p.uproxxcdn.com/photo/50769/thumb)
Great write up, but why I wonder why you skipped the someone who may be/is probably still alive, and more importantly, GET HYPE ? I don’t think it’s going to happen, but I love the weird life it has taken on. I also can’t wait for wild ass Rickon to come back.
This list is pretty spoiler free for tv viewers, so I think that was omitted. Also, it ties to the azor theory in that way.
That list is definitely not spoiler free for TV viewers. It alludes to a number of things that I’m sure the show will tell us with a big neon sign.
Really enjoyed this! I’ve encounter most of them at /r/GameofThrones or /r/ASOIAF, but I hadn’t heard the Septon/Reed thing before!
Same! I was reading because I just love rereading theories (and love getting in on some serious tinfoiling over on the asoiaf sub) but that ;Howland is the High Sparrow’ one threw me, never heard it before.
Aside from the TV show, do we know from the books that Jon and Myra look alike? I do not remember reading that, but then again, I binge read all 5 in about 2 months and could not remeber who any of the characters were as I read.
I’ve realized that those kinds of things are hard to see if you aren’t looking for them. For instance, I was taken aback when I heard the theory about Jaqen H’ghar being the impersonator in Oldtown, but reading the descriptions from when he changed his face with Arya and when he talks to Pate at the start of Feast, it certainly sounds like it’s him
Hey, wait a minute. You just scared the crap out of me. So, like, when Arya starts becoming a face-changing assassin, we will all be seeing less of Maisie??? NOOOOOOOOOOOO!
@Scoobs I think that they might pull the same technique used on “Dead like Me”, where Arya is always Maisie, except for the scenes when we are looking at her from someone else’s eyes, which is where she’s replaced by another actress.
My English is no good today, I hope that made sense.
“We know—or, at least, we think we know—that there are going to be three Targaryens kicking butt and taking names on Daenerys’ dragons by the end of the series.”
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I love to dream about such an ending, but with the caveat that Jon is a warg (can warg into animals like Ghost) and the prologue to A Dance With Dragons made it clear that sometimes wargs live on in their animals… Jon Snow gets the shit stabbed out of him at the end of the book. Like not a few stabs, but a lot. Like a “he’s not going to survive this” kind of stabbing. Now, Melisandre is up there, so perhaps she’s going to do her Red God magic and revive him, but why would GRRM introduce the concept of Wargs living in their animals heads after their deaths at the beginning of the book, kill him, only to just bring him right back to life?
So are you saying that Jon Snow is going to live on as a fuckin’ dragon?
I think that’s a theory that’s so far into the “almost canon” camp that the discussion is not if he wargs into Ghost, but how changed he will be after Melisandre brings him back.
The reason would be because Bran is going to warg into one of the dragons and leave his body behind.
yep, if anybody’s going to warg into a dragon, it’s Bran.
Yea, I think Bran will be a dragon at least at some point. Tree man told him he would fly. Someone asked GRRM at a Con if someone could warg into a dragon and he said yes (in a this will probably definitely happen type of way).
I don’t read the books and I have had my fingers crossed that Bran is gonna be an ass-kicking dragon. Ohpleaseohpleaseohplease!!! I think it’s cool that the series doesn’t exactly follow the books, because none of us really know how it’s gonna go down now. I guess book dudes have a better chance at being right in their guesses, but still it’s fun to wonder. Plus, all the backstory dudes that I haven’t heard of make most of it sound like Blah Blah Blah, Ginger* – to me. (*Farside comics joke)
What I’m not seeing addressed here though is that when Jon get’s stabbed, the book says his wounds start to smoke.
This is a quote from the wiki: ““When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt.”
Jon’s wounds smoke while Bowen Marsh cries, providing the prophecised salt, and Ser Patrek’s bloody, star-laden heraldry is in the air above.”
With the way that GRRM does his foreshadowing, I’m almost certain that Azor Ahai is going to be Jon Snow. His prophetic dream where he’s fighting the others with a flaming sword, his love, Ygritte was sacrificed, he was stabbed, leaving us not knowing if he’s dead or alive, but giving him the perfect opportunity to be reborn.
It’s gooooottaaaaa be Jon Snow!
I’ve always believed that Bran would warg with Drogon, being the only person capable of controlling the most powerful living dragon. That’s not a bad theory though, suggesting that Jon may survive the Knight Watch mutiny through warging with an animal.
Jon died to remove his oaths. He can leave the Nights Watch a free man. How he comes back? Dozen ways to do it but he will return.
It would appear that Ms Phale has been skimming /r/asoiaf recently. I’m surprised she didn’t bring up the various Daario == (pretty much any other character in the book) theories.
Pahle. Can’t spell today.
Nuh uh, he’s totes Cold Hands.
Sorry, wrong comment. Wamp wamp.
pretty tired of Daario/Benjen/Cold Hands switcheroo rumors.
The only interesting player left in that mold is Jaqen.
Is Daario Oberyn’s brother? Plus, didn’t Oberyn say that he had kids at home? Plus isn’t Cersei’s daughter married to one of them? I kind of take it for granted that we will see Oberyn’s family seek revenge.
1) Doubtful. Not explicit either way.
2) Yes, the Sand Snakes, who you will be seeing a lot of in Season 5 of the show.
3) Myrcella is betrothed to Trystane Martell, nephew of Oberyn, son of Prince Doran Martell (Trystane is not the heir to Dorne, he’s the third in his family and women in Dorne share the same rights to their parents titles, as you will see with a plot regarding Myrcella in S5)
4) You’re not wrong. They don’t call them snakes for nothing.
Clearly, Benjen is Daario.
And the Hound he has become Solomon Kane and his first step to redemption is to dig a grave for every man he has killed.
That is one of the most stupid theories ever.
I hope they don’t do that Lady Stoneheart thing and make it StoneHound instead, and have him kill ZombieMountain!
I’m going to spoil, like, all of the things, so here:
DON’T READ THIS IF YOU DO NOT WANT SOME SHEEIT SPOILED FOR YOU
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(Are they gone? K. I’m going to keep this all in parenthesis to give the illusion that I’m whispering. GRRM has a habit of not only killing off characters, but also faking out the reader, as such Theon “burning” Bran and Rickon. Ayra’s fate is also left ambiguous more often than not.)
(So, here’s the deal: Jon Snow gets stabbed, a lot, and we don’t know if he survived it. BUT, it’s heavily implied that he wargs into Ghost before he dies. You see, GRRM’s prologues and epilogue are often about side characters whose actions foreshadow something that happens to a main character. In Dance with Dragons, a warg goes into an eagle (or a hawk, don’t remember) before he dies, but at the end, takes over another wargs body. But his personality changes for being inside an animal for so long. It’s highly theorized that Melisandre is going to revive Jon Snow. Now remember, he died, so now his watch has ended. He is no longer sworn to the Night’s Watch. So she brings him back and he is free to do whatever.)
(Also, there’s another theory that this article missed that I really like about Theon. You see, in the books, you don’t see Theon for the duration of Storm of Swords and Feast for Crows, and then Reek starts getting POV chapters, and it’s revealed in an awesome twist that he’s actually Theon. Obviously, you can’t pull that shit on a show.)
(So Ramsay gets un-bastard’d and becomes Prince of Winterfell or whatever. But seeing the chapters through Theon’s eyes makes you see how bad of an identity crisis he’s having. It’s almost like Theon and Reek are two people, Fight Club style. Someone is going around in the night killing off Bolton soldiers in Winterfell, and that Theon is doing it but can’t remember, Tyler Durden style.)
Sorry if I spoiled Fight Club for anyone.
I thought they revealed it was Mance Rayder doing the night killin’
Also, I like the idea of a feral Jon Snow/Ghost hybrid. There’s no way Jon is dead, but there is a possibility that he just doesn’t talk for the rest of the series, as it has been mentioned that Ghost makes no noise, and is just a killing machine.
Maybe Jon wargs into Wun Wun the giant and messes shit up at Winterfell.
Yeah the killings are done by Mance/ his spearwives. Ramsey admits as much in a letter, saying he captured them, skinned the spearwives, and forced Mance to keep himself warm in his cage by using their skin as a blanket of sorts. Obviously some of the letter is misdirection, but that part is likely true.
Jon Snow warging with Wun Wun would be hilariously awesome.
Misuse of ( ) detected.
Hadn’t heard the “Howland Reed is the High Sparrow” one. TBF, don’t see a reason for it. He’s a lord and has responsibilities — specially to come to the aid of his liege lord, Rickon.
But it’s a cool idea and at least he’s not a Targaryen.
I actually like this theory: Here’s the link.
[www.reddit.com]
Reading it makes some sense. But that’s a heck of a long con by the crannogman then.
I think It would explain wtf was Howland been up to this whole time, and why he has personally never shown up to help the Starks at their hour of need.
Think about the oath that Jojen and Meera make Bran:
” To Winterfell we pledge the faith of Greywater. Hearth and heart and harvest we yield up to you, my lord. Our swords and spears and arrows are yours to command. Grant mercy to our weak, help to our helpless, and justice to all, and we shall never fail you.
Jojen: I swear it by earth and water.
Meera: I swear it by bronze and iron.
Meera and Jojen: We swear it by ice and fire”.
This is some balls deep commitment that Greywater is making.
It really wouldn’t make sense for Howland to be chillin’ at the swamps amidst all this.
I don’t know how -likely- it is, but I v much like Reed = High Sparrow.
The theory of Tyrion riding a dragon gets a hell of a lot more weight to it when you take into account G.R.R.M. teased it in an online…reading? Chat? Some damn thing. Anywho, he mentioned what mischief Tyrion could get into if he could only fly… Something like that.
When I read in whichever book that Aerys took a shine to Tywin’s wife, I thought immediately that Tyrion was a Targaryen. It would explain the hatred that Tywin had for him. I wouldn’t put it past Tywin to off his wife either if it tarnished his honor to have his wife bang the Mad King. Tyrion would have been kept alive because it might have been too suspicious, or he would use Tyrion as a pawn later on. Also, Tywin had keen interest on who Tyrion was trying to bang, so maybe Tysha and Shae were Tywin’s way and getting back at Tyrion (who would have had no idea about any of this).
@DarthBile I don’t really subscribe to the Tyrion, secret Targ theory, mostly because it would ruin Tyrion’s arc with his father, as he is the one who takes the most after Tywin. As Gemma Lannister puts it:
“Jaime, sweetling, I have known you since you were a babe at Joanna’s breast. You smile like Gerion and fight like Tyg and there’s some of Kevan in you, else you would not wear that cloak…but Tyrion is Tywin’s son, not you. I said so once to your father’s face, and he would not speak to me for half a year”.
Which brings me to my next point: if there is a secret Targ born of Aerys and Joanna Lann, it makes more sense if they are Cersei and Jaimie.
Think about it: The liberties that Aerys took with Joanna were at his wedding night, so the timeline checks out.
Joanna was Tywin’s Cousin, so that’s why they display the Lannister look (The Targ appearance is recessive, hence Jon taking after the Starks). Twins run in the Targ family, Cersei is clearly displaying some good old Targ madness on AFFC (including her obsession with fire), as Joffrey did before her. Also the there’s the incest thing. I’m not saying that’s a genetic trait, but it would mirror their ancestry.
On the other hand, this could be so much more tragic for Jaimie’s arc: Aerys asks Jaimie to kill his father for him, which he unknowingly does when he stabs Aerys. This makes him a Kin and a King slayer at the same time. Also, this would make Jaimie the 3rd head of the dragon. Now that he has cut his ties with Cersei, if he returns to Westeros with Dany he could end up killing her, thus fulfilling the Valonquar prophecy (Cersei was born first, making Jaimie the little brother).
Going back to Tyrion, if the twins are in fact the secret Targs, this would also make Tywins relationship with him all the more tragic, as Tyrion, who Tywin despised was actually his one true son.
Anyway. I don’t really believe any of this to be true, but in the scale of Secret Targs Tinfoil theories, (with the exception r+l=j, of course) “Cermie” Targaryen makes more sense than any other.
@Conway Stern I love this theory. Unlike so many others, it actually make sense.
Can I take ‘Cermei’ back? I Like ‘The Jercei Targs’ better…
Oh, I’m not sure I buy into it totally either – and not sure I want to. The idea of Tyrion jumping on a dragon and getting his revenge – while on the surface sounding awesome – seems too fanboyish, ultimately. And G.R.R.M. doesn’t seem to go that route. I remember years ago thinking, “Oh, Bran won’t walk again, but I bet her rides his dire wolf into battle! That’ll be so cool!” Those were innocent times….
@Conway Stern (Which is not my real name) I’ve been perusing my way to the bottom of the comments slowly writing in my head pretty much everything you had to say about J&C being the product of Aerys and not Tywin. And thank you for including the source material as now I don’t have to look it up. Though I think the closest we’ll get to confirmation of it is what we already have at hand since, besides the auntie, nobody else involved who knew anything is still around.
@Dave Star Ok, but most importantly: What do you think about the name?
‘The Jercei Targs’ …. Yey or nay?
Theory: Bran is taught to call out to and inhabit the black dragon; that’s how he learns to “fly”, and with his limp legs and white eyes rolled into his head he deals death from above to the WW if and when winter ever comes
Two that I would have included are that Jaquen Hagar is Pate and has infiltrated the Citadel.
and
Jaime kills Cersei per the fortune teller’s vision about her being killed by her younger brother (Jaime was the first twin) which is why she hates Tyrion so much.
Oh yeah and that Coldhands is the missing Benjin Stark.
I think Coldhands is a Stark, just not Benjen.
I’ve always thought Coldhands was the Night’s King (or perhaps his offspring). It fits, as he’s decked in a Night Watch cloak, calls Samwell “brother”. According to the Forest Children “they killed him long ago”, which I took as the Others betrayed the Night’s King, killing him, and he either came back as some kind of free willed Wight, or his Other spouse brought him back somehow (sex with her could have caused his transformation as well).
Man, I want the Meera thing to be true so bad.
I’m right there with you on that! I think I’m her biggest fan. she’s ultra cute to me, for some reason. maybe it’s just my type.
Tyrion doesn’t have a purple eye. One is green, the other is black.
Remember when little finger was standing in the middle of the castle that sansa made out of snow? Couple that with your argument and now you’ve got something.
Nice catch.
Aerys Targaryen killed Ned Stark’s father not Aegon.
Targaryen jizz seems to be stronger than Valyrian Steel going by all these theories.
The seed is strong?
I was assuming Tyrion was the Mummer’s Dragon, as it’s Varys who got him shipped off to the barge to eventually meet up with Danerys.
However, Tyrion may actually be the one who has read enough about Dragons and how to Tame Your Dragon (spinoff movies anyone???) and can show her how to control her rather uncontrollable beasts.
Young Griff may or may not be real, but I don’t think it’ll matter since he’ll almost definitely not survive something in the sixth book. It’s just too obvious.
So Lord Wyman is basically good guy Cartman?
+1
+1
+3 frey pies
Not really a theory, but more so the biggest chekhov’s gun ever, is The Horn of Joramun. It’s one of, if not my most anticipated events left in the series… Putting that horn to use changes everything in a big hurry.
Unless it’s a fake, like Tormund said to Jon.
Agreeing w/ Dan, kinda like the nondescript grail from Indiana Jones
Also agree with Dan. From the moment Ghost sniffed out that little care package you knew everything in it was super important.
A theory that is making the rounds is that the white walkers (not the wights) are not the antagonists they are made out to be. The other side of this theory is that Bran (turned by Bloodraven/overcome with power) turns out to be the antagonist.
This is definitely whats gonna happen. Way too much darkness references and stuff with Bran and Bloodraven. Bran is definitely gonna be the Champion of the The Cold, Other God against the Lord of Light…
You forgot a big part of the R+L=J theory is that Rhaegar and Lyanna were married (there is a history of Targaryen Polygamy) and Jon is the True Born son of Rhaegar, making him the Rightful King on the Iron Throne
The fact that the 3 King’s Guard stayed at the Tower of Joy instead of going to the supposed King Viserys on Dragonstone points to the actual King was in the Tower, the newborn Jon
Agreed.^
Them being married would add an interesting twist for Jon. But, like Aemon, also a rightful heir to the throne, his Nights Watch oath stands stronger.
And someone in Dorne makes mention that Sarella is playing her games or w.e in Oldtown
I think he’s probably a Blackfyre, as it would be too hard to find someone matching a Targaryen description otherwise. But the tricky thing is the prophecy “Beware the Mummer’s Dragon.” But why beware? He’s become more arrogant, but that’s just through Connington’s eyes. He’s still far more suited for the job than Dany.
I know many people will point out the obvious holes in this but I believe that Syrio Forel is still alive. I’m not sure I buy into the Jaquen=Syrio thing but I did find this quote from the Hound very interesting.
Arya Stark: He was killed!
Sandor ‘The Hound’ Clegane: Who by?
Arya Stark: Meryn Trant! That’s why Ser Meryn’s on my…
Sandor ‘The Hound’ Clegane: [incredulously] Meryn Trant? The greatest swordsman who ever lived, killed by Meryn fucking Trant?
Arya Stark: He was outnumbered!
Sandor ‘The Hound’ Clegane: Any boy whore with a sword could beat three Meryn Trants.
The First Sword of Bravos is not a “boy whore with a sword”. Also, the only person who ever brings up Syrio’s death is Arya. Trant certainly hasn’t mentioned it which seems odd because he’s a huge Douche who loves him some him.
So did Syrio escape and Trant was too embarrassed to say anything? Did Syrio release a random man from the dungeon only to take his place (and appearance)? Did Syrio win his fight and take the place of Meryn Trant?
Ehhh **** it. He’s probably dead.
My rule of thumb when reading GRRM? Unless we see the character decapitated, burned, eaten, or trampled, they’re not dead. So Syrio could very well be alive. Hell, he could be the kindly old man at the house of black and white. But maybe he’s just gone, like Benjen.
I’d be more likely to believe Syrio survived if he actually HAD a sword, as opposed to the wooden practice sword he was using. I could more likely see this above conversation as GRRM’s way of saying that Syrio’s not having a sword present, even one on his belt, led to his death, much as Ned Stark’s reliance on “honor” led to his.
This was my belief as well.
A few of these are neat to think about, only this problem- Tyrion doesn’t have a purple eye. He has a green one (Lannister trait) and a black one. His hair is also a mix of blonde (more gold, Lannister trait) and dark brown/black.
Most likely his dad is just a huge jerk. Or, rather, was a huge jerk.
Yeah Tyrion was more Tywinn than Cersie or Jamie
What about Bran? He is a warg that is able to do things no one else has (possessing Hodor). My theory is that Bran controls one of the 3 dragons at the end game. The Green seer did say he wouldn’t walk again, but that he would fly.
Don’t forget the most important theories, namely Varys is the king of the Mermen and Patchface is the Drowned God made flesh.
but seriously what the fuck is up with Patchface. He creeps me out
SPOILER
does no other book reader remember that Rhaegar’s youngest son, the one that Clegane smashed against the wall until he was unrecognizable, was actually some servant’s child and the real son escaped and is being raised by I forgot their names? He would be the third.
@kowshe No, we remember.
ADWD Spoilers Below
The thing is that I’m guessing most people believe Aegon is fake (fAgon). A puppet from Varys and Illyrio. This is sustained by:
a)Some of the prophecies Daenerys has encountered where there are mentions of either a cloth dragon or and a mummers’ dragon.
b)The convenience that the baby that Varys replaced Aegon with got his head smashed, deeming him unrecognizable to others who knew him. How was Varys supposed to know that this was going to happen? Had the mountain just killed the baby some other way, wouldn’t there be a risk that someone would notice? The whole baby switcharoo seems very risky.
c)There’s the Blackfyre Theory, which is way too long for me to explain it here, but it justifies Varys’ and Illyrio’s motives for doing this whole thing. It is based on the idea that Vary’s lied about switching the babies, and his and Illyrio’s endgame has always been to sit a Blackfyre heir in the iron throne, which is what fAgon is.
One of the signs that this might be true comes when someone tells Brianne (?) a random story about a black iron dragon that disappeared and washed up on shore all covered in in rust. This is accepted as a metaphor of the black dragon (Aegon Targ) and the red Dragon (Aegon Blackfyre).
Another sign has to do with the Golden Company, but I’m butchering this whole thing… you might as well read the whole theory… here’s the link. [www.reddit.com]
On the other hand, the arguments that say that Aegon is real are these:
a) The mummer’s dragon could be taken as face value. Aegon IS Varys’ Dragon. The cloth dragon references the people rallying behing Aegon on the promise that he will have a dragon once Dany comes to him.
b) All babies look alike. maybe that’s what Varys was counting on.
c) The biggest argument against the Blackfyre theory is that “Varys tells the truth” to Kevan before he kills him. Why would you lie to a dying man?.
Anyway this is the best I could sum that up. I do subscribe to the Blackfyre theory, but I accept it has its problems….
I meant to say that:
“This is accepted as a metaphor of the black dragon (Aegon Blackfyre) made to look like the red Dragon (Aegon Targ).
Seriously Uproxx, my kingdom for an Edit Button.
I’ve also got a whole big thing about Azor Ahai Reborn and the Prince that was Promised, and how they are not the same person. And Lightbringer, the sword and Eddard Dayne and some other weird wild ideas, that my brain is not functioning enough to put into complete thoughts right now, as evidenced by this rambling sentence.
I’d believe Ramsay was Azor Ahai. Dude fights a handful of ironborn knights while in his pajamas using kitchen knives. Dude can clearly throw down
Except that doesn’t happen in the books at all, it was invented for the TV show
How did this article completely miss the return of Khal Drogo theory?
*****SPOILERS*****
When Daenarys unknowingly sacrifices her unborn child to save Khal Drogo, he is kept alive but is basically a vegetable. The witch Mirri Maz Duur says this to Daenerys: “When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east. When the seas go dry and mountains blow in the wind like leaves. When your womb quickens again, and you bear a living child. Then he will return, and not before.”
In A Dance with Dragons, Quentyn Martell (house sigil is the sun) comes from Westeros (the west) and dies in Essos trying to tame Daenerys’ dragons (sets in the east). The pyramids of Mereen are destroyed, which may be the mountains blowing in the wind. When Daenerys rides Drogon away from Mereen, she finds that the Dothraki sea is dead (the seas going dry). In her last chapter she has her first period since she lost her child (womb quickening) and she is suddenly surrounded by a Dothraki horde. Furthermore, GRRM recently made a statement in which he revealed that the Dothraki would be back “in a big way” in the upcoming books…
I want this to happen so much!
Honestly, I find it hard to believe that 20 years ago when GRRM wrote those words it meant no more than, sorry Dany, Drogo aunt coming back. But I do love the theory.
GRRM did after all have such a hard time writing the Mereen chapters and figuring out where he was going with the Dany plot. But, poetic and brilliant theory. I just don’t see the importance of bringing Drogo back at this point.
I have to say that on at least a few occasions my gf and I commented during the show how great the casting has been, ESPECIALLY how Arya looks a LOT like Cat Stark, so have to disagree there.
At least in our opinion. I could see Arya looking a liiittle like her aunt, but only in a niece-aunt way and definitely not as much as she looks like her mom…
PS like the article, and if you avoid the spoiler alerts in the comments it’s not too spoilery if you’re a TV-only dude like me:-)
For someone who has read the books, I would just like to let you know that you have either A) mistaken your Stark Daughters, or B) Haven’t been paying very close attention. SANSA is the Daughter that looks like her mother ARYA is the daughter off becoming a badass assassin chick with no face. She looks (or is supposed to look) nothing like her mother. If the actors look similar that is an unfortunate coincidence. You’re welcome.
I am shocked–SHOCKED–there is no mention of the Merling theory in this article: [web.archive.org]
I mean, read it! It’s BEAUTIFUL.
I don’t think that Jon is Lyanna and Rhaegar’s kid. I think Martin lets us think that as a red herring. In Book 1 Ned identified Wyla as Jon’s mother, and Ned is a pretty honest guy, preferring not to talk about it as opposed to lying. In Book 3 Edwyn “Ned” Dayne claimed to be Jon’s milk brother because Jon’s mother, WYLA, was his wet nurse. In Book 5 the Lord of the Sisters said that Jon’s mother was a sailor’s daughter that helped Ned get back to Winterfell to call his banners, that he repaid her by giving her a son, and that she named him Jon after Jon Arryn.
I personally think that not only Tyrion but all of Tywin and Jonna’s children are really Aerys II’s kids. Think about it, in Book 1 Tyrion was fascinated with dragons rather than lions. Twice in Book 3 Tywin questioned his paternity of Tyrion. In Book 4 we learn that Aerys liked Jonna. Tywin was hand of the king so Jonna probably spent a lot of time in King’s Landing. Also in Book 4, someone outright told Jamie that Tywin was not his father. Finally, look at Joffrey, he acted just like Aerys. If the Lannister children were really Targaryens then whatever genetic defect that caused Aerys’ madness would have been carried by Jamie, Cercei, and Tyrion, so when Cercei and Jamie had kids, each one had a 50-50 shot at being insane. We know that, assuming the prophecy Cercei recalled in Book 4 is true, that she will be killed by one of her younger brothers. She thinks Tyrion, but my money’s on Jamie.
Finally, I think that Aegon/Young Griff is the real deal. People keep saying that there is no way Varys could know about Gregor mutilating Aegon, but when you think about it, he didn’t have much to worry about. Most people present when Tywin presented the Targaryen children to Robert had never even seen Aegon before, so a child that just looked Targaryen would suffice. Even though a few like Kevan Lannister had seen Prince Aegon previously, Aegon was just a baby, and most babies look alike to the casual eye unless that casual eye is a friend or relative of the baby which Kevan was not. Finally, the act of killing a baby would cause quite a bit of damage anyway, so if Varys had made a switch, mutilation of the Pisswater Prince was almost guaranteed.
The Dragon must have three heads, so I think they are Daenarys, Tyrion, and Aegon.
If Young Griff is really Aegon, he is Aegon VI, not V.
This would make me want to read Daenys chapters. I’ve went right off her and much more interested in Kings Landing and Ayra stories.
The ending: Everyone dies. Except Hodor. or should it be especially Hodor?
Yes. Because GRRM is a murderous psychopath.
On a “serious” note: Jon Snow dies from his wounds but is resurrected by Melisandre, thereby becoming the “Song of Ice and Fire”. Arya kills Danareys after becoming a Faceless Man, but is killed by Drogon, the black dragon. Jorah is crying as he holds Dany’s body. Sansa kills Littlefinger. Jaime lets Cersei die.
I am going to throw something out there that literally just jumped into my head. It sounds a little whacky but the more i think about it the more it sorta makes sense. So Here We Go.
Hodor is under some kind of spell that makes him a simpleton (perhaps the ageless and all knowing old Nan, the constantly referenced storyteller’s name makes an appearance in almost every one of the Stark family’s story chapters). Bran, through all of his coming wisdom and power (i don’t know if anyone’s noticed, but even though the Green-Seer said that he wouldn’t be able to talk to anyone, a lot of characters seem to be “hearing” him through the wind or leaves) releases hodor, who is actually much smarter than he seems (he is exceptionally perceptive for a “simpleton”) It Turns out that HODOR is Azor, and HE leads Westeros against the white walkers. The Reason Melisandre can’t see who Azor is, is due to the same spell that Hodor is under, it obscures his identity with blinding snow. Hodor who is always carrying Bran on his Back to his salvation and “rebirth” as the greenseer. (which could be a symbol for the fact that Hodor will carry Westeros to it’s salvation from the hands of the Others)
If you think about the fact that Hodor is ALWAYS there for Bran, the fact that Bran has literally been riding hodor to his destiny and the fact that Bran has been inside of Hodor’s mind already makes me think that it wouldn’t be all that far off to say that he could somehow unlock the rest of Hodor. ALSO Old Nan is like a Guguplex years old. She literally has been around longer than any living or deceased Stark (Ned) can remember. If my memory serves, there is a time that Ned says that when his father was a child, people STILL thought old Nan was old, (even though back then she had more teeth). It has already been hinted at that people in the book think she could have some kind of magical powers. The woods witch that Dondorian and his marry gang of thieves Galavant with seems to be of a similar age. If in fact she is some kind of woods witch with magical powers, who is to say that she hasn’t cast some kind of spell on Hodor to either control/imprison him or possibly even hide his true identity from a group of “Wildling Hungry” Northerns. If she knows that he has some kind of Destiny of his own to fulfill, what better way to hide who he is, than to turn him into a simpleminded farm boy.
This might all be hearsay, but the more i started to type this theory out, the more things started flowing from my head. I haven’t done any “research” besides read all 5 books over the last few months, but this started to sound too “possible” for me not to say something. let me know what everyone thinks and we’ll go from there.
I would just like to add that, When they were in the Crypts Beneath Winterfell, Hodor grabs an old sword, (i know they all do because they need protection) But GRRM makes a point to mention the fact that he is using an old greatsword. He then goes on to mention said sword numerous more times all the way until they get to the Cave of the children. I think even when they’re in the Cave Hodor holds on to his sword. I don’t know if this is just me grasping at straws, but there is some traction with the idea that GRRM might be “disguising” another person as someone they aren’t. He obviously doesn’t have any problem doing this with any of his characters (Reek/Ramsey, Griff/Aegon, Toad/Quentin) Hodor’s “old” sword is symbolic of Azor’s Sword of Light that he uses to conquer the others before, the story is an ancient story and Hodor’s Sword is an ancient sword (obviously i’m not trying to say that he is wielding the sword of light just a symbol of it)
So, just to add a twist. Joffery was never the intended target at the “purple” wedding. It was Tyrion. The poison was in his slice of pie, or the lemon curd on it. In both the book and the TV show Joffery’s last words are “It’s the pie, it’s the pie.” If you read the scene in the book and carefully watch the scene in the show, no one gets near that goblet after whats her face takes her last sip, and it gets refilled by Tyrion, except Tyrion and ultimately Joffery. The person serving the pie, Jaqar. Person behind it, littlefinger. I think in the show they make it abundantly obvious it can’t be in the wine. It’s the pie.
Also, for the ending I’m pretty sure GRRM will slaughter everyone. Because that’s who he is.
SPOILERS BELOW
SPOILERS BELOW
One theory I’ve clung to is that Daenerys/Drogo’s baby isn’t dead. The witch Mirri Mas Dur fooled Jorah with a dead changling she produced to make them all believe the child Rhaego died. I believe he will reappear and ride the third Dragon. Dany sees him as a man in her dreams and perhaps some witchcraft will make it so.