A new fan theory suggests that King Viserys’ prophecy in House of the Dragon is already setting up the story for the upcoming Jon Snow series. And it actually makes a lot of sense. This could be how George R.R. Martin fixes Game Thrones‘ unsatisfactory ending.
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As we move closer to the end of House of the Dragon‘s first season, one thing has been made abundantly clear: this is not the same show that Game of Thrones was in its later seasons. It goes beyond mere thematic and tonal differences – it’s a matter of how one show handled George R.R. Martin’s source material and the pressing significance of prophecy in his stories.
Foreshadowing and the ever-present threat of an apocalyptic event were commonplace during Game of Thrones’ early seasons. We all thought that the White Walkers and the Night King would be the ultimate villains in this particular story. After all, the promise of a Long Winter was something that almost everyone in the North feared – until it was dealt with in a few episodes’ worth of poorly-lit battles.
However, in an unforeseen turn of events, there might still be hope for die-hard A Song of Ice and Fire fans to get the ending they deserve. House of the Dragon holds a crucial prophecy at its core – one that could change the course of the franchise as we know it for the better.
One thing that’s been spinning in the minds of Game of Thrones fans since it was announced is the Jon Snow spinoff show currently in the works at HBO. If there’s one character that was wasted on the last season of the show, that would be the Stark’s “bastard.” Since other characters – like Jaime Lannister – can’t get redeemed in the same way as Jon can, it seems like the show could be the chance for the new showrunners to fix the mistakes of the last few seasons of Game of Thrones.
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A Prince Without a Kingdom
Remember that time that Jon Snow died and was brought back to life by R’hllor to fulfil an ancient prophecy that could very well be humanity’s last hope? And how all that was for nothing once Arya was the one to deliver the killing blow to the Night King? That’s why the prophecy of The Prince that was Promised is so flimsy in the Game of Thrones series.
The Army of the Dead seemed like the ultimate threat to life itself. Once they breached the wall, only a select few individuals were prophesized as the ones capable of stopping humanity’s end. This is not just a Game of Thrones prophecy, either: House of the Dragon establishes this very same omen multiple times throughout the first season.
King Viserys tells Princess Rhaenyra of the prophecy, which is treated as an ancient Targaryen heritage. In his words, Aegon the Conqueror foresaw the end of humanity and the only way to stop it was for the whole of Westeros to unite against this threat – and for a Targaryen to be sitting on the Iron Throne.
Here’s where things diverge between House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones. Remember who was sitting on the Iron Throne when the Night King attacked Winterfell? Here’s a hint: it wasn’t a Targaryen (and it wasn’t Jon Snow) – but it should have been.
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The True Heir
One of the most shocking revelations in Game of Thrones happens when we learn that Jon Snow is, unbeknownst to him, Aegon Targaryen – the true heir to the Iron Throne and a descendant of King Viserys Targaryen. Aside from placing a huge bullseye on Jon’s head, his heritage also meant that he, and not Robert Baratheon (and therefore Cersei), should have been the king of Westeros since the Mad King’s death.
In this sense, King Viserys’ prophecy almost makes sense. One could argue that, technically, a Targaryen should have been on the Iron Throne at the moment when the Night King broke through the Wall. However, since Jon’s heritage was kept a secret from everyone, there was no way for him to ever claim his birthright.
Jon Snow’s royal status also aligns with the Prince that was Promised prophecy. He was, after all, a prince, and when he defeated death with the blessing of the Lord of Light, he proved that he could have been the Azor Ahai that was foretold by the Red Priestesses.
Unfortunately, most of these claims are mere speculation so far. Though King Viserys’ prophecy seems to be tied to Jon Snow – or should I say, Aegon Targaryen – and his future, Game of Thrones ended on a disappointing note for everyone’s favourite member of the Night’s Watch. Going back to being no one is not what one would expect from someone with such a promising role in the future of Westeros.
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What Lies Beyond
From a plot progression standpoint, the idea of following House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones with a Jon Snow spinoff series makes perfect sense. There’s a healthy amount of narrative potential in some elements of the Game of Thrones series finale, and it would be a shame to see the TV world of A Song of Ice and Fire go to waste like that.
The Prince that was Promised has always been a pivotal character in many myths in Westeros, and Jon Snow seems more than likely to be the one chosen by the prophecy (especially in King Viserys’ last words). If that’s true, then we might have more mysteries on the horizon for a show that’s based on Jon after the events of Game of Thrones.
For starters, it seems highly unlikely that an ancient threat that could end humanity and life itself would be defeated just by killing a single unit. This particular strand of the White Walkers might be gone, but who’s to say that what we saw was the last of the Army of the Dead?
It goes without saying, but Game of Thrones was never a show that focused on delivering exactly what fans wanted – let alone what they expected. That said, there’s tons of room for improvement in the last season, and seeing the showrunners of House of the Dragon reintroduce King Viserys’ prophecy, just before a spinoff centred on the last remaining Targaryen (Jon Snow) arrives, seems more than just coincidental.
There’s still no word on when the Jon Snow series will release. The only info we have is that the show is “in development” over at HBO, so it might be a while before we see Kit Harington in character once again.
If there’s one thing that House of the Dragon has proved, however, is that, despite the outrage caused by Game of Thrones‘s final season, there will always be a demand for stories set in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire. The only thing that fans need is consistency in the plot and characters, and an ending that’s worthy of the myths and legends that reside at the centre of the fantastical – and brutally realistic – the land of Westeros.
We really want to see King Viserys’ prophecy fulfilled and Jon Snow on the Iron Throne defeating the White Walkers once and for all.
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