Game of Thrones beat A Song of Ice and Fire to one of its biggest punches with the reveal that Jon Snow is half-Targaryen. The theory that he’s the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark – “R+L=J” – has existed online since the late-1990s, but delays to The Winds of Winter have also meant delaying when George R.R. Martin will get to confirm it himself. In the absence of that, Game of Thrones was able to deliver on the “twist,” (or open secret) thanks to Bran Stark’s greensight visions and Samwell Tarly’s (and Gilly’s) Citadel research.
Unfortunately, Jon Snow being a Targaryen didn’t amount to much in the show, although it was a factor in Daenerys Targaryen’s Game of Thrones ending. The issues with that weren’t exactly to do with how it was revealed, but the passing of information could have been more meaningful. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books have the opportunity to do things differently, and that starts with a character who didn’t feature in Thrones’ present day story.
Howland Reed May Hold The Key To Jon Snow’s Parentage
The Character Is Largely Missing From The Story
Howland Reed is the mysterious father of Meera and Jojen Reed, who never leaves his home of Greywater Watch. However, if knowledge is power, then Howland may well be one of the most powerful people in Westeros. A close ally of Ned Stark who fought alongside him during Robert’s Rebellion, he is the only remaining survivor from the Tower of the Joy conflict, which makes him the one person who knows the truth about Rhaegar, Lyanna, and Jon Snow.
It’s one thing to have visions or stumble upon a book, but Howland can provide a key first person account of what really happened, and be able to confirm Jon’s real identity. The character is already loyal to House Stark – not only did he save Ned’s life from Arthur Dayne, but he sent Jojen and Meera to Winterfell to guide Bran.
He also has a history with Lyanna, which goes back to the Tourney at Harrenhal where she and Rhaegar met. He’s a key part of their story, and the one person who can still be a part of it now. Whether that’s as the guy who first tells Jon, backs up the claim from Bran, or provides testimony to it if Jon’s identity is used as a challenge to the throne, the character – who has yet to appear in the books, but is surely too important not to – could be crucial.
Howland Reed Can Add More Depth To Jon Snow Being A Targaryen
He Can Tie In To A Song Of Ice & Fire’s Themes
It’s one thing to learn the truth about Jon through a vision or an old book, but Howland can provide a critical first-person perspective from someone who is actually there. The vision, while very good, created a sense of distance, and when the reveal was fully made in season 7 – oddly with Bran’s voice over a scene of Jon and Daenerys having sex – it still didn’t solve everything.
Because Howland knew Lyanna and was there with Ned, he can provide so much more context and understanding of their actions, both the ones that led to Jon’s birth and what happened after it. He can truly underline the personal and political sacrifices that were made in order to protect Jon, making his parentage all the more meaningful. With that, Howland could make the reveal much more emotional and thematically resonant.
He can better highlight Ned’s own struggle between duty and love when having to take Jon back as his own bastard, making the parallels between them clearer.
He can better highlight Ned’s own struggle between duty and love when having to take Jon back as his own bastard, making the parallels between them clearer. And, as Martin loves to show how the past impacts the future (and history often repeats itself), then having a living person from that past would feel more fitting. Reed knows too much, and feels too important, to be completely missing in the present story of the books like he was in Game of Thrones, and hopefully, his appearance adds to what should still be one of its biggest moments.
