If anyone is worthy of becoming the new ruler of Westeros and sitting on the Iron Throne at the end of Game of Thrones season 8, it’s Jon Snow. Ever since Game of Thrones premiered on HBO in 2011, the question of who would become the next King or Queen of the Seven Kingdoms has engulfed fans of the series as well as George R.R. Martin’s books. At first, it seemed the natural choices were the Lannisters, Stannis Baratheon, Daenerys Targaryen, and Robb Stark. But after all this time, only a fraction of people still remain.
Cersei Lannister is currently reigning as Queen, Daenerys Targaryen is the one person who’s capable of defeating Cersei right now, and then there’s Jon Snow, who was named King in the North but still bent the knee to Daenerys. Regardless of that fact, and forgetting the right both Cersei and Daenerys have to the Iron Throne, the one person who’s logically worthy of becoming the new ruler of the Seven Kingdoms is Jon Snow.
With Game of Thrones season 8 rapidly approaching, the final six episodes of HBO’s critically acclaimed series will wrap up the storyline regarding the White Walkers as well as presumably name the next King/Queen of Westeros, whether that means someone already in contention for the Iron Throne or someone else entirely. Considering that Game of Thrones is a show known for its many twists, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see someone unknown take the throne. But going off pure worth, Jon Snow should become King.
- This Page: Jon Snow Is The Rightful Heir & Possesses The Necessary Qualities Page 2: Jon Could Marry Dany & It Would Be Best For The Realm
He’s The Targaryen Heir
In Game of Thrones season 7, the popular R+L=J theory was confirmed, revealing that Jon Snow isn’t really a Snow after all. He is, in fact, the child of Rheagar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Through Bran’s visions (and Sam and Gilly’s research), it was discovered that Rheagar didn’t actually kidnap Lyanna and stash her in the Tower of Joy as a prisoner. Instead, the two fell in love, and Lyanna ran away, was married to Rhaegar in a secret ceremony, and became pregnant. Ned Stark and his bannerman rode to the tower to “rescue” Lyanna, and after a battle with the Kingsguard there, he found his sister dying, having just given birth to a child. Lyanna told Ned that her baby’s name was Aegon Targaryen, and Ned took him North, renaming him Jon and claiming that he was his own, illegitimate child.
All of which means that, by traditional lines of succession, Jon is actually the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. Rhaegar was heir to Aerys Targaryen, aka the Mad King, and after his death, the throne would naturally pass to his own eldest surviving son - Jon. Of course, there are plenty who would argue this line of succession; the throne was taken by conquest, not because all Targaryen heirs naturally died out (or were unfit to rule). And Daenerys, undoubtedly, would argue that the way the line of succession skips over women as rulers is unfair. However, for those who put stock in traditional right to rule, Jon is the natural (and rightful) choice to be King.
He’s Proven His Ability To Unite Divided Clans
In order to be ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, whoever sits on the Iron Throne has to be capable of keeping all of the different people content - and finding compromises in order to bring them together when a greater enemy appears. Cersei, while clearly capable of dealing with her enemies with brutal efficiency, is terrible at negotiating truces and creating new alliances (as evidenced in Game of Thrones season 7 when Jon Snow requested an alliance to fight the White Walkers). Daenerys has proven her ability to conquer and raise armies, but she also has been shown to struggle when it comes to actually managing the cities she rules, as well as keeping the peace between warring factions.
Jon Snow, on the other hand, was able to broker a truce with the Wildlings, a people who have been fighting the Night’s Watch for hundreds of years. He has shown an ability to walk into an enemy camp and win them over (or most of them, anyway), by continually fighting for the good of all. His popularity in the Night’s Watch led to him being elected Lord Commander, and while he’s definitely made some enemies, the majority of people who meet him are won over by him. That’s a talent that a King needs - especially after years of war. Jon Snow’s popularity, not to mention his willingness to put aside hundreds if not thousands of years of prejudice aside, makes him an ideal person to rule over Westeros.
He Can Make The Hard Decisions
Jon Snow certainly hasn’t had an easy life - and it’s not only given him the ability to empathize with the underdog, it’s given him the strength to make tough decisions. As Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, he had to choose between doing things that would make him better liked… and bringing the Wildlings past the Wall, in order to help fight the army of the dead and save as many innocent as possible.
When that decision got Jon Snow killed, he was then forced to hang his young protégé, Olly, who was one of the people to stab (and ultimately kill) him in the previous season. Jon Snow knows when to break rules for the greater good, and he knows when to act selflessly to save others. He’s risked his life time and time again to try and save people; he’s also not too proud to bend the knee to Daenerys (verbally, anyway), and support a woman that he thinks can bring peace to the realm.
A lot of this comes from being raised by Ned Stark, who taught the children at Winterfell all about honor - and about doing something that may be unpleasant, because it is the right thing to do. Some of it, however, is just Jon’s own natural goodness; Robb Stark, who heard the same lessons from Ned, failed to follow them. His decision to marry in secret - for love - rather than follow through on the deal he made with the Freys led to a bloodbath and his own death at the Red Wedding.
Page 2 of 2: Jon Could Marry Dany & It Would Be Best For The Realm
A Targaryen Marriage Could Be The Answer
Should Jon Snow manage to defeat the White Walkers, usurp Cersei, claim his heritage as a Targaryen, and sit atop the Iron Throne, there will still be a problem unsolved: Daenerys Targaryen, as well as her two dragons. Since Game of Thrones season 1, Daenerys has been fighting to return to Westeros and claim the Iron Throne, and it’s unlikely that a surprise nephew is going to make her give all of that up. A battle between Jon and Dany would simply continue to tear the realm apart, but there’s a simple solution here: a marriage, ending with the two ruling as King and Queen. Given the two have already developed an intimate relationship, this would seem to be a solution that they would both be happy with, and it solves a lot of the problems with either ruling solo.
Daenerys, although a Targaryen and a dragonrider, doesn’t know Westeros (as Tyrion has previously pointed out to her). Nor do the smallfolk (or nobles) of Westeros know her. However, they know the Starks, and they know the Night’s Watch, and they know Jon Snow. His connection to Winterfell would allow him to leave Sansa as Wardenness of the North, secure in the knowledge that they are on the same team, and his history with the noble houses would help them keep the peace. At the same time, having Daenerys married would quiet those nobles who would not want to see a woman rule, or a Queen who has spent her life outside the Seven Kingdoms. It seems like a perfect match. Of course, there’s always that incest issue - but that Targaryens have married within their own families for hundreds of years, which has to count for something.
For The Good Of The Realm
At the end of the day, of all the characters in Game of Thrones, Jon Snow may be the most straightforward, purely good person in Westeros. He’s not actually interested in the Iron Throne, he’s interested in peace. He has little time for games and politics, and when he has to kill, he does so without torture, brutality, or enjoyment. He has also the knowledge, the lineage, and the connections, and he would seem to be an obvious choice for the new King.
However, Game of Thrones is rarely as straightforward as all that. Other theories as to Jon Snow’s fate in Game of Thrones season 8 include his death at the hands of Daenerys, him revealed as Azor Ahai, his betrayal by someone else close to him (Sansa, perhaps), and even a return to the Night’s Watch as new Lord Commander. For a show with this many twists and turns, it’s impossible to say which way Jon’s story will unfold, but if it comes down to simple worthiness, he should definitely end up on the Iron Throne at King’s Landing.
