Jon Snow comes back from the dead in Season 6 episode 2 of HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” Plenty of events occurred during the episode, but nothing was more exciting than the resurrection of Jon Snow. We still don’t know if R+L=J (but we might find out next episode, as the “next week” teaser clip shows the Tower of Joy scene), but we do know that Jon Snow is back from the dead, thanks to the help of the Red Woman Melisandre.
Let’s do a quick recap of what happened before diving into theories of what comes next.
Jon Snow Comes Back From The Dead Thanks To Melisandre (or Ghost)
The return of Jon Snow has been a well-kept secret, but plenty of A Song of Ice and Fire and “Game of Thrones” fans thought it was going to happen — and they thought Melisandre was going to play a role. It turns out they were right, although it wasn’t as grandiose as some expected. All hope seemed lost as Melisandre chanted her magic spell over and over again to no affect, before everyone left the room (save for Ghost).
Once Ghost woke up, however, Jon Snow took his first breath as a free man. (NEW THEORY: there might be more to it than meet’s the eye. Was Ghost waking up just before Jon Snow’s first breath more than just a coincidence?)
Jon Snow is freed from his vows to the Night’s Watch
That’s right. Jon Snow is now a “free man” indeed. Once you take the black, you take an oath in your vows that your “watch” shall not end until your death. It says nothing of dying and coming back again, so Jon Snow is presumably a free man. And if next week’s episode does indeed reveal R+L=J, then Jon may be inclined to march south and fight for the Iron Throne (or, at the very least, fight for Winterfell).
Even if R+L doesn’t = J, then Jon may still be interested in taking Winterfell. There’s a chance that Robb Stark (while king) legitimized Jon (a.k.a. made him a “Stark”) before he died.
In any event, Jon Snow/Stark/Targaryan heading south now seems like a certainty. He has the support of a horde of Wildlings, and while he’ll first have to take back control of Castle Black, he’ll likely look to stabilize the north as well (and take it back from Ramsay Bolton).
Jon Snow may be Jon Stark or Jon Targaryen, but he still knows about the true threat
Even if Jon is the “rightful heir to the Iron Throne” or a true Stark and ruler of Winterfell, he knows that the true threat is currently north of the wall in the form of the White Walkers. Jon, then, will likely look to do three things, in this order:
- Let it sink in to the Night’s Watch that he is back from the dead, and let them rally around him.
- Take Wildlings with him to Winterfell to fight Ramsay Bolton and win back the north for the Starks
- He may encounter Sansa Stark during these events, and help her become the leader of Winterfell
- Alternatively, Ramsay Bolton may march on the Wall (as he said he would in the episode). This could lead to a battle somewhere between the Wall and Winterfell; but Ramsay and his “20 good men” would not be ready for a horde of Willings.
- With the north now back in Stark favor, the Wildlings and the Night’s Watch fully behind him, Jon will gather as many people as possible to guard the realm from the White Walkers
Obviously, all of this would take longer than a few episodes to play out. All of the pieces are currently in place for this theory to come true, however. Sansa is heading to the Wall to meet with Jon, and so is Ramsay. Additionally, Jon is freed from his vows and is able to head north to defend his family’s home without breaking his vows.
Jon Snow lives. Jon Snow dies. Jon Snow comes back from the dead. Where do you think Jon’s story will go from here?