In our prediction post for the Game of Thrones season six finale, we guessed that Daenerys’ dragons would fight the White Walkers, Varys would join a Dothraki fight club, and Tormund would read the eulogy at Wun Wun’s funeral. Unfortunately, none of those came true (still miss you, Wun Wun), but we got something even better: confirmation that, indeed, R + L = J.
The seeds for the show’s most famous theory were sown this season in episode three, “Oathbreaker,” when Bran and the Three-Eyed Raven went on a vision quest to the Tower of Joy, where the youngest still-alive Stark saw his father, Ned. It looked for all the world that Jon Snow being Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen’s son was about to be sealed as canon, but the episode cruelly cut away, and fans had to wait another seven weeks before they got what they’ve been waiting years for. Lots of (probably) more important things happened in “The Winds of Winter” — the deaths of Tommen, the High Sparrow, Margaery, Walder Frey! Dany’s finally on her way back to Westeros! Bronn had a threesome! — but viewers still seemed excited by R + L = J.
It is confirmed. R+L=J #GameofThrones #TowerofJoy
— Cedric Shine (@cedricshine) June 27, 2016
https://twitter.com/agunn/status/747248595384963072
When they FINALLY confirmed R+L= J… #ThronesYall pic.twitter.com/2MxcSpHylq
— S O L O (@lasolodrista) June 27, 2016
https://twitter.com/skywalkerules/status/747249078208172032
https://twitter.com/papperonipizza/status/747252119800025089
https://twitter.com/origuita/status/747251587689644036
R + L = J and Jon Snow being proclaimed King in the North had me like… pic.twitter.com/0KB8d6ags5
— Peter Oh (@peteroh_) June 27, 2016
R+L=J. It's done. We did it. It is law. It is canon. We've done our job guys. Cheers to the old gods and the new. #GoTFinale
— Mon 🙏 (@todayis_mon) June 27, 2016
https://twitter.com/dianawh0/status/747252176917954561
The King in the North!
The King in the North!
The King in the North!
R+L=J #GAMEOFTHRONES#TeamStark#nowwaitforayear 😢— Heisel Mora ⚯͛ (@MCHeisel) June 27, 2016
R + L = J. My favorite theory finally come to life. #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/pNvbIKvPCa
— Haley Chasteen (@chasteenhaley) June 27, 2016
So R+L=J is finally canon and everyone can go away now who didn't believe
— ✨🌚✨ (@darthernzo) June 27, 2016
About to get R+L=J tattooed onto my body #GameofThrones
— Theo (@theo_kokkoris) June 27, 2016
https://twitter.com/kevinslavelle/status/747257166705262593
https://twitter.com/NightsQueen_/status/747254102116208641
When R+L=J was confirmed! #GameofThrones #GoTAtlantic pic.twitter.com/cH5MlvwFpg
— Jon Snow (@JonNightsWatch) June 27, 2016
We’ll have much more in tomorrow’s lengthy recap, including why it matters that Jon Snow is a Stark and Targaryen. King of the North!
