Jon Snow is a main character in the A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy book series by American author George R. R. Martin. He is also a central character in the HBO TV show Game of Thrones, where he is played by Kit Harington. In the books, Jon is one of the most popular characters and is described by The New York Times as one of the author’s best creations. In the TV series, Jon’s story is important, and his role in the season 5 finale caused strong reactions from viewers. Fans of the books and TV show often discuss questions about Jon’s true parentage.
Jon first appears in the book A Game of Thrones (1996) as the illegitimate son of Ned Stark, who is the ruler of Winterfell in the North of Westeros. Because he is not born to married parents, Jon joins the Night’s Watch, a group that guards the northern borders of Westeros from wildlings who live beyond The Wall. In A Clash of Kings (1998), Jon joins a group exploring the growing threat of the mysterious "Others" beyond The Wall and learns about the wildlings’ plans to attack Westeros. In A Storm of Swords (2000), Jon falls in love with a wildling woman named Ygritte. He later betrays the wildlings and Ygritte to return and protect the Night’s Watch. He becomes the leader of the Night’s Watch, called Lord Commander. Jon appears briefly in A Feast for Crows (2005) and returns as a major character in A Dance with Dragons (2011). In that book, he tries to form an alliance between the Night’s Watch and the wildlings to fight the Others. His ideas face opposition, and he is nearly killed in a mutiny after attempting to break his vows to fight House Bolton.
In the Game of Thrones TV series, Jon’s story follows the books at first. Seasons 6 through 8 continue from the latest published book, showing Jon being brought back to life and revealing that he is the legitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. This makes him the true heir to the Iron Throne, a claim stronger than that of Daenerys Targaryen. For his role, Kit Harington received several awards, including a Golden Globe for Best Actor – Television Series Drama in 2019, two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2016 and 2019, and two Critics’ Choice Television Awards for Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor in a Drama Series.
Character
In A Game of Thrones, Jon Snow is introduced as the 14-year-old illegitimate son of Eddard "Ned" Stark, Lord of Winterfell, and the half-brother of Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon. Jon has strong Stark features, including a lean build, long face, dark brown hair, and dark grey eyes. He is called "Snow" because that name is used for illegitimate noble children in the North. Ned’s wife, Catelyn, dislikes Jon and sees him as a reminder of Ned’s past mistakes. Jon is the same age as Robb and has a close relationship with his siblings, especially Arya, who feels out of place and shares Jon’s sense of not belonging. Ned treats Jon fairly, but Jon often feels like an outsider. He admires his father but is hurt that Ned never tells him about his mother. At the start of the story, Jon adopts an albino direwolf he names Ghost. Later, he discovers he can sometimes share Ghost’s thoughts and feelings.
David Orr of The New York Times says Jon is a complex, thoughtful, and good character. David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, the creators of the TV series, explain that Jon must face difficult truths about the world and adapt without losing his sense of self. Ned Stark teaches his children about leadership, duty, and honor. As Jon grows, he struggles with his identity as a man, a Stark, and a member of the Night’s Watch. Benioff and Weiss note that Jon tries to live with honor, even though that honor often puts his family in danger. Laura Prudom of Variety writes that Jon shares his father’s strengths and weaknesses, such as fighting with honor against enemies who use that trait against him.
Jon is a main character in the books and is considered one of George R. R. Martin’s best creations. He begins as the illegitimate son of a Northern lord who feels like an outsider in his family. He joins the Night’s Watch, a group that protects the North, and faces challenges proving himself to his fellow members. Over time, he becomes a wise and kind leader. Jon’s loyalty to the Night’s Watch, his family, and Westeros is tested as he works with wildlings from Beyond the Wall. He spies on them and falls in love with Ygritte, but he betrays them to protect the Wall. Later, as Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, he tries to make peace with the wildlings.
In A Dance with Dragons, Jon’s leadership is complicated by challenges like a wildling alliance, demands from Stannis Baratheon, and conflicts within the Night’s Watch. The New York Times says Jon’s leadership is crucial for Westeros, but he faces constant danger. James Hibberd of Entertainment Weekly notes that Jon’s story in A Dance with Dragons ends with his men turning against him, disappointing fans. It is unclear if Jon will appear in the next book, The Winds of Winter.
George R. R. Martin was asked about Jon’s biggest mistake. The identity of Jon’s mother is a mystery that has led to many theories. Readers guess she might be a servant named Wylla or a noblewoman named Ashara Dayne. A popular theory, called R+L=J, suggests Jon is not Ned’s son but the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Ned’s sister, Lyanna Stark. Ned claimed Jon as his own child to protect him from harm.
Though the books say Jon is Ned’s illegitimate son, some readers question this. David Orr wrote in The New York Times that it is unclear if Ned is Jon’s real father. Actor Sean Bean, who plays Ned in the TV series, said he hopes the truth about Jon’s parentage is revealed. This uncertainty comes from clues in the books that connect Ned’s son to Lyanna’s mysterious past.
In A Game of Thrones, Ned recalls that years before the story begins, Rhaegar Targaryen showed public favor to Lyanna Stark in front of his wife, Elia Martell. A year later, Rhaegar and Lyanna disappeared. Their father, Rickard, and brother, Brandon, confronted Rhaegar’s father, King Aerys, demanding Lyanna’s return. Aerys executed Rickard and Brandon, leading Ned and Robert Baratheon to rebel. After Robert killed Rhaegar in battle, Ned found Lyanna dying in the Tower of Joy. She promised him to protect their child, Jon.
The R+L=J theory says Rhaegar and Lyanna ran away together and had Jon. Rhaegar was killed by Robert, and Lyanna died in childbirth. Ned promised to protect Jon from Robert, who wanted to kill all Targaryens. The TV series includes hints supporting this theory. In the season 6 finale, The Winds of Winter, Bran Stark sees a vision of Ned promising to protect Jon after Lyanna’s death. An infographic on HBO’s website confirmed Rhaegar as Jon’s father. In season 7, a scene shows one of Daenerys’s dragons, Drogon, approaching Jon calmly.
Storylines
Jon Snow is first introduced in A Game of Thrones (1996) when he and his five siblings take in six orphaned direwolf cubs. Jon chooses the smallest cub, a white one he names Ghost. Known as Ned Stark's illegitimate son and disliked by Ned's wife, Catelyn, Jon feels disconnected from the Stark family. He decides to join the Night's Watch because his status as a bastard limits his ability to own land or marry into a wealthy family, while the Night's Watch offers a chance for advancement. At The Wall, other recruits resent Jon's confidence, but he earns their respect by teaching them swordplay. He also becomes friends with Samwell Tarly, a young lord who is not skilled with weapons but is very intelligent. Jon's independence and kindness toward others anger Alliser Thorne, the strict master-at-arms, who sees Jon as a threat. Lord Commander Jeor Mormont notices Jon's abilities and names him his personal squire, preparing him for leadership. After a dead Night's Watch member is brought back as an undead wight, Jon saves Mormont's life by killing the creature. As a reward, Mormont gives Jon the sword Longclaw, made of Valyrian steel and decorated with a wolf's head. Jon later struggles with his loyalty to the Night's Watch and his family after learning of Ned's execution and his half-brother Robb's march for justice. He decides to leave the Night's Watch to join Robb, but his friends convince him to stay. Mormont believes the greater threat is the danger beyond the Wall and sends Jon on a long journey to investigate it.
In A Clash of Kings (1998), Mormont leads a group beyond the Wall to search for Jon's missing uncle, Benjen, and to learn about the wildlings and the mysterious Others. Jon is sent with a scouting party led by Qhorin Halfhand. During the mission, Jon captures a wildling woman named Ygritte but lets her go after being told to kill her. Jon and Qhorin are later captured by the wildlings and forced to fight to the death. With Qhorin's silent approval, Jon kills him with the help of Ghost.
At the start of A Storm of Swords (2000), Jon joins the wildlings and learns their leader, Mance Rayder, plans to attack the Wall to escape the Others. Jon breaks his vow to stay unmarried by falling in love with Ygritte. After helping the Night's Watch defend Castle Black from the wildlings, Ygritte is killed in battle, leaving Jon heartbroken. Jon takes over the defense of the Wall after Donal Noye is killed. When Thorne and Janos Slynt try to execute Jon for desertion, he is cleared of wrongdoing but ordered to kill Mance under the pretense of a peace talk. Stannis Baratheon arrives with his army, defeating the wildlings. Stannis offers Jon legitimacy and the title of Lord of Winterfell, but Jon chooses to remain loyal to the Night's Watch. Sam's efforts lead to Jon being elected as the new Lord Commander.
In A Feast for Crows (2005), Jon is not the main character but is briefly mentioned from Sam's perspective. Sam is sent away with Maester Aemon and Mance's newborn son to protect them from the Red Priestess. Jon also sends Sam to the Citadel to become a maester, so he can study the Others.
In A Dance with Dragons (2011), Jon works to prepare the realm for the Others while managing tensions within the
TV adaptation
In 2014, George R.R. Martin told Rolling Stone that some early suggestions for adapting A Song of Ice and Fire focused on following one main character, with Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen being the most popular choices. Martin did not want to leave out parts of the larger story. Years later, when the HBO adaptation began, Jon Snow was one of the first characters cast. Kit Harington was announced as Jon in July 2009. Alfie Allen and Iwan Rheon also auditioned for the role but were cast as Theon Greyjoy and Ramsay Snow instead. In October 2014, Harington and other main actors, who had signed contracts for six seasons, changed their deals to include a seventh season and higher pay for seasons five, six, and seven. The Hollywood Reporter called the raises "huge," noting the actors would be among the highest-paid on cable TV. Deadline Hollywood reported actors earned close to $300,000 per episode in season five, and The Hollywood Reporter said actors earned over $500,000 per episode in seasons seven and eight. In 2017, Harington became one of the highest-paid actors on television, possibly earning £1.2 million per episode.
When the series began, TV Guide described Harington as a "soulful heartthrob" whose character, Jon Snow, is admired by his younger siblings and seeks purpose by joining the Night's Watch. The show's creators, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, explained that Jon tries to live with honor, even though this often puts his family in danger. They noted that Jon, like other characters, must face difficult truths about the world and adapt without losing his identity. In 2013, Matt Fowler of IGN wrote that Jon and Daenerys' storylines in seasons one and two felt separate from the rest of the series but became more connected in season three. He also said Jon's romantic relationship with Ygritte added emotional depth to the story. In May 2015, International Business Times called Jon the most popular character in the series.
In 2015, Benioff said Jon is not cautious, which is both a challenge and a reason fans love him. Weiss added that Jon is honorable to a fault and often puts others before himself. In the June 2015 season five finale, "Mother's Mercy," Jon is stabbed to death by Alliser Thorne and others in the Night's Watch after being accused of treason. With George R.R. Martin's 2011 book A Dance with Dragons unclear about Jon's fate, Harington confirmed his character's death in an interview, saying, "I'm dead. I’m not coming back next season." He praised the way the story resolved Jon's death. Benioff called Jon's death "the biggest death on the show" since Ned Stark's beheading in season one. After the episode, fans and journalists speculated about Jon's return.
In July 2015, Harington was spotted in Belfast, a filming location for the series, leading to more theories about his return. A Vanity Fair article noted that actor Charles Dance had also been seen in Belfast after his character's death and later returned as a corpse in the next season. A season six promotional poster showed a bloodied Jon. In the May 2016 episode "Home," Jon is resurrected by Melisandre. While some called the move predictable, others said it was a good choice for the story. Harington said the resurrection was "a big moment" for the show. Vanity Fair writer Joanna Robinson credited Jon's death with helping Game of Thrones gain 25% more viewers in season six. Harington's performance earned him his first Primetime Emmy nomination in 2016. He had the most screen time of any character in the first seven seasons.
Jon Snow, the illegitimate son of Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell, and Warden of the North, joins the Night's Watch. He arrives at Castle Black with his direwolf, Ghost, and finds the order weakened. Trained as a fighter with strong morals, Jon is initially unkind to other recruits but is persuaded by Tyrion Lannister to help train them. He befriends Samwell Tarly, a shy recruit who is more intellectual than a fighter. Jon is disappointed when he is made steward to Lord Commander Jeor Mormont instead of a ranger, but Sam suggests he may be preparing for a leadership role. Jon saves Mormont from a wight and is given the sword Longclaw, made of Valyrian steel. He learns of his father's execution for treason and is tempted to leave the Wall to join Robb Stark's army but stays.
Jon accompanies the Night's Watch on the Great Ranging beyond the Wall. When they seek shelter with Craster, a man who marries his daughters, Jon is horrified to learn Craster sacrifices his sons to the White Walkers. Later, as part of a scouting party led by Qhorin Halfhand, Jon is ordered to kill a wildling prisoner, Ygritte, but cannot do it. She escapes and captures him. Qhorin instructs Jon to pretend to defect to the wildlings to learn their plans and secretly tells him to kill him to gain their trust. Jon does so and is taken to meet Mance Rayder, the wildlings' leader. Jon pledges loyalty to Mance and learns the wildlings plan to attack the Wall to escape the White Walkers. Jon tries to convince Mance not to attack, falsely claiming Castle Black has over 1,000 Watchmen. Ygritte seduces Jon, and they fall in love. After scaling the Wall, Jon refuses to kill an innocent man to prove his loyalty and is attacked by the wildlings but escapes to Castle Black, despite being wounded by Ygritte.
Jon survives his injuries and is tried for defecting to the wildlings but is freed by Maester Aemon, who believes in Jon's loyalty. Jon leads an expedition to Craster's Keep, where some Watchmen have mutinied and killed Lord Commander Mormont. After defeating the mutineers, Jon is reunited with Ghost. Later, Tormund Giantsbane's wildlings attack Castle Black while Mance's army besieges the Wall.