R+L=J: Who is Jon’s Mother – ALL SHOW SCENES COMPILATION – GAME OF THRONES

JON SNOW IS LYANNA STARK’S BABY FROM THE TOWER OF JOY – GAME OF THRONES – SEASON SIX EPISODE TEN – FINALE

R+L=J means — Rhaegar Targaryen + Lyanna Stark = Jon Snow

1. Following the tourney at Harrenhall, where the victor Rheagar Targaryen caused a scandal by naming Lyanna Stark the “queen of love and beauty” instead of his own wife, Lyanna was “kidnapped” by Rheagar Targaryen.

2. Robert had been engaged to Lyanna (she did not approve of the match, believing that Robert would never be faithful). Robert started a war to get her back and eventually kills Rheagar in battle.

3. Upon Rhaegar’s death, Daenery’s mother (who is pregnant) and brother flee Kings Landing to safety at Dragonstone. Rhaegar’s wife and children are kept in King’s Landing by the Mad King Aerys. (His wife, Elia was from Dorne, and Aerys hoped to use her as collateral against Dorne’s fealty in the war.)

4.The Lannister army arrives at Kings Landing, having only finally sided with Robert essentially once the war is won. To prove loyalty, Tywin Lannister orders the mountain Gregor Clegane to kill Rhaegar’s wife and children. Ned is very upset about this and has a falling out with Robert about it. At this time, Jamie Lannister also assassinated the mad king (Daenerys’s father). After hundreds of years of Targaryen rule, Robert is crowned king and marries Cercei Lannister.

5. (SPOILERS BOOK): in the books, though not shown here, Robert is injured in battle so Ned ventures out alone and eventually reaches the tower where Rhaegar has been keeping Lyanna. He fights through three Kingsguard who Rhaegar has stationed there. Ned questions their presence there, as they were not in kings landing to protect the mad king when he died, nor were they with the heir Rheagar when he was killed in battle. They now have no king to guard besides the newly crowned Robert. They give ambiguous answers, stating that the kingsguard “do not flee” and they “keep their vows”. Ned kills them with difficulty with the help of his companions, and enters the tower. He finds that Lyanna is dying in a “bed of blood” and she makes him promise her something unknown before dying. This promise haunts him repeatedly in his book chapters/ internal monologues.)

6. Ned returns home to Winterfell with a newborn baby which he claims as his bastard son. Catelyn is shocked, as her and Ned were just married at the beginning of the war and he’s been away fighting since. She has just given birth to Robb. Having this bastard son will prove to be a source of great dishonor for Ned and strain on his marriage, as he is known for being an incredibly honorable man.

7. This bastard son, Jon is raised at Winterfell. He eventually joins his Uncle Benjen at the nights watch, relinquishing all lands, titles and fortunes.

8. Upon the death of the Hand of the King Jon Arryn, which catalyzes the whole saga of A Song of Ice and Fire, Robert asks Ned to become Hand. Ned accepts begrudgingly.

9. Robert is seen to be a drunk, philandering and lazy king, who is spiraling the crown into debt with his excess. Ned later refuses to cooperate with Robert in the murder of Daenerys Targaryen and her unborn child, and quits. This is the second time that Robert has shown a desire to kill every Targaryen he can find, child or not, as the Targaryen’s are the only family that could threaten his rule.

10. Ned is later reinstated as hand. He goes on to discover that Roberts children are illegitimate. Before telling Robert, he first warns Cercei to flee, insinuating that Robert will kill her and her children. This honorable decision is later his downfall. Cercei turns on him following Robert’s death and has him imprisoned and beheaded for treason. Before his death, he lies and confesses his treason for the sake of Sansa who is being held by Cercei. He dishonors himself for the life and safety of a child, not for the first time.

11. After Ned’s death, we start to see different opinions which call into question the story that Ned put forth: that Jon is his bastard son.
a)Many people insinuate that Ned was incredibly honorable, and it was uncharacteristic for him to have fathered a bastard.
b)We see from Deanerys’s perspective that Rheagar was actually a quiet, thoughtful, honorable guy who was likely in love with Lyanna.
c)Ned at different points refuses to talk to Robert, Catelyn and Jon about the identity of Jon’s mother. Sansa and Arya also tell us he very rarely talked about Lyanna.
d)Before Ned dies, his thoughts indicate that he’s remembering his sister dying, then he thinks of Jon and how he wishes he could speak to him again.
e)Before learning of his father’s death, Bran has a vision that he sees his father in the crypts at Winterfell: he seems sad and was saying something about Jon that Bran can’t recall.

:: – History is written by the victors – ::

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