Game of Thrones teased the Night King and his army for eight seasons, but Season 8, Episode 3, “The Long Night,” proved there’s a chance the Night King wasn’t the bringer of darkness after all. With three episodes left, Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow, and their remaining armies still have to battle Cersei Lannister — but she might not be the biggest threat to Westeros.
Game of Thrones spoilers ahead.
Subscribe for free to Multiverse and get Game of Thrones coverage delivered to your inbox the night the episode airs.
Now that Arya Stark has killed the Night King and defeated his army, many fans are wondering how the prophecy of Azor Ahai could still come into play and what the Night King’s defeat means for Jon moving forward.
As far as we know, the Azor Ahai prophecy has yet to be achieved. However, a new theory posits that Jon could still fulfill the prophecy, but he’ll have to kill Daenerys to do it.
Sam and Gilly read about Azor Ahai in 'Game of Thrones' Season 7
There’s plenty of evidence that Jon Snow could still lay claim to the prophecy. Beth Elderkin of io9 argues that Jon will turn against Daenerys and kill her after they defeat Cersei. This aligns with another theory from redditor u/YourFavoriteNobody who says Jon will “still fulfill the prophecy of Azor Ahai by plunging his sword into the true bringer of darkness. Daenerys Targaryen.”
Confused? Let’s break this down:
The Azor Ahai Prophecy Supports Jon Killing Daenerys
Long story short, the prophecy speaks of a legend, a savior, who will rise again to fight the darkness. His weapon? A sword engulfed in flames called Lightbringer. In the book series, A Song of Ice and Fire, Melisandre says that the Azor Ahai will come “when the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone.”
Now, that sounds a lot like Daenerys, but there’s evidence that points to Jon being Azor Ahai, especially following his resurrection and the reveal of his Targaryen lineage. He’s never really wanted to rule and later bent the knee to Daenerys, pledging allegiance to her in exchange for help in the Great War.
Is Jon Snow destined to kill Daenerys?
To fulfill the prophecy, however, Jon would have to sacrifice that which he loves. We know he loves Daenerys, though their current predicament over who will rule Westeros might be one of the reasons the prophecy comes to fruition. After all, Jon’s true identity as Aegon Targaryen makes him heir to the Iron Throne instead of Dany, and that’s not going over well with the Mother of Dragons.
The Lord of Light Brought Jon Back to Life for a Reason, Right?
Melisandre brought Jon back from the dead in Season 6 and claimed there was a reason the Lord of Light allowed her to do so. Though the reason is still unknown, it was originally assumed it was because Jon was destined to kill the Night King and become Azor Ahai.
However, u/YourFavoriteNobody argues that the prophecy, which presumed the Night King was the bringer of darkness, was essentially a misdirect, and Jon still has an important role to play in the final three episodes. After all, Melisandre’s resurrection has to mean something, and there’s still a lot for Jon to accomplish before Game of Thrones ends. That includes coming to terms with who he really is and what he has to do to protect the North and Westeros in general. Melisandre saw Jon in the flames and, though she’s been wrong before, she seemed far more certain that he was important, even going all the way to Winterfell to help in the battle against the White Walkers.
Melisandre resurrected Jon for a reason
Daenerys Will Probably Become the Mad Queen
It’s looking more and more likely that the Mother of Dragons could become a villain before the series is over. Game of Thrones has dropped a lot of hints in Season 8 that Daenerys could become a Mad Queen and follow in her father’s footsteps. Earlier seasons presented Daenerys as an underdog, someone to root for, but it’s been made clear that ruling on the Iron Throne is her priority, and she won’t let anyone stand in her way.
The reveal of Jon as Aegon Targaryen complicates things, and while she and Jon haven’t discussed the repercussions yet, Daenerys is understandably upset now that she has competition for the Iron Throne. If Dany goes mad in the fight to secure the throne, the ever loyal Jon could take drastic action to protect the North and the rest of Westeros even if it means killing Dany and becoming the Prince That Was Promised in the process.
Game of Thrones Season 8 airs Sundays at 9 p.m. Eastern on HBO.
