Game Of Thrones
Game of Thronesshould have made Jon Snow ’s real name Aemon Targaryen , not Aegon . The Jon Snow real name arc and his bloodline was one of the biggest points of treatment and theorizing acrossGame of Thrones ’ entire rill ( and the first fiveA Song of Ice and Firebooks beforehand ) . However , while fans were convinced that R+L = J , think Jon ’s parents are Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark , what was less clear was what his real name would be give away as . Jon Snow is a Targaryen , so obviously , Jon was n’t going to be his factual name , but rather one given to him by Ned Stark in edict to mask his real identity . The Jon Snow Targaryen name issue may not be the expectant problem in theGoTuniverse , but it certainly raises some concerns .
The Jon Snow real name was answered whenGame of Throensrevealed thatJon Snow ’s true name is Aegon Targaryen , meaning Jon Snow is a Targaryen . It was n’t the most surprising pick - there ’s no Targaryen name more illustrious , nor more platitude among the Targaryen king of old - but it was a puzzling one , specially to fans of the book . Therefore Aemon Targaryen would ’ve been a better paroxysm for the Jon Snow Targaryen name . WithHouse of the Dragonrevealing even more about the patrimonial Targaryen product line , there ’s no better time to look back and research why Jon Snow was yield the wrong Targaryen name .
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Jon Snow Being Called Aegon Targaryen Makes No Sense
When the Jon Snow real name debacle came to an death , he was reveal as Aegon Targaryen , not Aemon Targaryen , and it sounded almost obvious . Of naturally , the Jon Snow Targaryen name is after Aegon the Conqueror and so manyother Targaryen Kings — it’stheTargaryen name . There ’s just one catch : Rhaegar already had a son call Aegon . Before marrying Lyanna , Rhaegar had two children with Elia Martell , both of whom were infamously murder by The Mountain during the dismission of King ’s Landing at the end of Robert ’s Rebellion . This has already been confirmed as show canyon too — Thoros of Myr discusses Prince Aegon and Princess Rhaenys during season 3 ’s " And Now His Watch Is stop . " So , it ca n’t just be hand - wave off as Rhaegar ’s first son have a different name in the show .
So why would Rhaegar give both of his childrenthe name Aegon ? Since Jon Snow is a Targaryen , one is that Lyanna chose the name upon her deathbed , require to give him a true Targaryen name that she assumed Rhaegar would approve of . But she ’d have been aware of the other Aegon , so it still does n’t fully excuse why she ’d be giving her boy the same name as his half - brother . Then , there ’s the possible action that Rhaegar himself chose this name because of his obsession with The Prince That Was Promised prophecy . If he conceive that this Prince had to be call Aegon , he ’d expect Lyanna to also name their nipper Aegon despite already having one Word of the same name .
The trouble is the show does nothing to suggest it ’s the case , and it feel like stretching out a theory as a cover - up for what feels more like a mistake . It could even be a nod to theAegon / Young Griff storyline from the booksthat they prune from the show , but again there ’s little to support that . Instead , we ’re lead with Rhaegar having two sons called Aegon , with no explanation of why they have the same name . It feels like the showrunners kind of forgot about the first Aegon Targaryen .
Why Jon Should’ve Been Called Aemon Targaryen Instead
When Jon ’s parentage was give away in “ The Winds of Winter ” , we see Lyanna whisper his name to Ned , but do n’t get to hear what she tell him . This direct to a portion of debate and attempts at lip - recital , with popular options for Jon ’s real name ranging from Aegon to Aerys . However , the best choice would ’ve been for Jon Snow to be call Aemon Targaryen . It ’s another conversant name to viewers , but this time Jon would ’ve shared a name with his bang-up - dandy - uncle , rather than his half - brother . And it ’s their connexion that helps make Aemon such a fitting name for Jon .
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In theGame of Thronesseries coda , “ The Iron Throne ” , Jon echoes Maester Aemon ’s words about making love being the expiry of tariff . It was n’t even the first time in the final time of year that Jon had echo the Night ’s Watch ’s Maester , with his speech after The Battle of Winterfell also repeat words previously mouth by Aemon . This show just how much of an impingement Aemon had upon Jon . While their time together was relatively brief , they had a clear fondness for each other , with Aemon becoming like a father figure to Jon at Castle Black . There are parallels in their report too : both were considered the lawful heir to the Iron Throne at some full point but ended up in the Night ’s Watch rather . Aemon died not knowing thatJon was a Targaryen , so it would be a sweet tribute to his legacy for Jon to then be distinguish after him . Aemon told Jon to “ kill the male child , and let the military man be assume ” , and it ’d be fitting to think of the boy as being Jon Snow , and the man being Aemon Targaryen .
Maester Aemon was also live to have been close to Rhaegar , with the pair frequently exchanging letters , so Rhaegar himself would ’ve had get to honor him . But it run further than just this particular Aemon , which is another resort name in Westeros chronicle . Before Maester Aemon , there was Aemon the Dragonknight . A legendary figure , Aemon the Dragonknight is allege to have been the noblest knight and one of the finest swordsmen to have ever walked the Seven Kingdoms . The younger sidekick of another Aegon — who choke on to becomeKing Aegon IV Targaryen — he pledged his life from a young years to the Kingsguard , give up any hazard of having a family for his vow , and rising to the rank of Lord Commander , all while exert a Valyrian steel brand . It all sounds a little familiar , does n’t it ?
Even before both of these was another Aemon , the son of King Jaehaerys I ( considered one of the keen Targaryen Martin Luther King Jr. , and another to whom Jon is often compared ) , and his married woman , Alysanne . He , too , had an older brother identify Aegon , who died as an infant . The connection to Maester Aemon alone is enough , but there are various parallels within the schoolbook that would make Aemon such a meet name for Jon Snow , specially as a combination of the Maester and the Dragonknight .
Jon Snow’s Real Name Might Be Aemon Targaryen In The Books
It ’s crucial to note thatGame of Throneshas revealedJon ’s true blood and his literal Targaryen name , but no such event has happened yet in George R.R. Martin’sA Song of Ice and Fire , where Jon is still currently dead after the Night ’s Watch mutiny against him . Of naturally , he will return at some point inThe Winds of Winter , should it ever be released , and , of course , his parents will be Rhaegar and Lyanna . But will his name be Aegon ? It ’s not impossible , but it is , like Aegon V Targaryen , unbelievable .
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Game of Thronesjust about got off with pee-pee Jon ’s existent name Aegon because there is n’t another Aegon still around to confuse him with . It still does n’t make sense , but at least there are n’t two Aegon Targaryens walk around theGoTlocation of Westerosat the same clip . It ’s a very different subject in the Koran , where Rhaegar ’s first Word is allegedly still alive and ready to claim the Iron Throne for himself . Even if he is , as suspected , a pretender , it still means that someone go by the name Aegon is going to have a major storyline in at least the next Good Book , and will be up against Daenerys as well . Add this to the fact that Martin run to be more careful about these affair , and that it ’s odd for Rhaegar to have two child named Aegon , and it ’s more likely that he ’d prefer to give Jon a different name to avoid any such confusion .
As already established , there ’s plenty of reason to give Jon the name Aemon in both the show and the Book . These parallels all come fromGeorge R.R. Martin ’s account book , and given how much care he often puts into choose names , they are n’t just a coincidence . The books , however , can have a final , even better reason to have him called Aemon . InGame of Thronesseason 8 , Jon Snow is transmit back to the Night ’s ticker as penalization for killing Dany . In the books , while the endpoint is likely to be similar , it ’s possible Jon will have more authority in that ending , whereby he chooses the Night ’s ticker over the crown , much like Aemon before him . It ’s an finish that cements Jon ’s status as a Stark of the North but keeps the Targaryen part of him alive as well .
House of the Dragon Is Making Jon’s Targaryen Name Mean Something
Whether he used the name Aegon or Aemon , House of the Dragonhas finally made Jon ’s lineage count in the story through a hidden lettering on the Catspaw dagger — the same sticker with whichArya killed the Night King . The Valyrian steel dagger was reintroduced to the small screen while in the possession of King Viserys as he brought it to his girl Rhaenyra . In their coming together , Viserys differentiate her of Aegon ’s dream , and later on in the series , he usher her a secret dedication on the dagger that directly alludes to The Prince that was assure and A Song of Ice and Fire .
The show is at last Targaryen - focused , convey Aegon ’s dream to the forefront of the series in the very beginning . Aegon may have been the prophecy ’s first exponent in Westeros , but the Catspaw dagger , likeall Valyrian brand blades , would have been forged before the Targaryens conquered Westeros . If so , it connects Jon to something deep , larger , and tied to the fate of the world as a whole . While it seems like the divination was n’t practically accomplish with Bran sitting on the Iron Throne and the Night King ’s licking by Arya , it at least was in a technical sense , since two Targaryens model on the Iron Throne before Dany was kill and Jon rejoined the Night ’s Watch . Then , ataraxis was restored by a Targaryen since Jon had to murder Dany for her actions .
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TheHouse of the Dragonprophecy makesGame of Thrones ' The Prince that was Promisedand A Song of Ice and Fire a journey to reclaiming the truth about the White Walkers . The prophecy would ’ve been fall behind once Jamie Lannister killed King Aerys II and his dagger fell into the bridge player of Petyr Baelish . This places a whole newfangled spin onGame of Thronesand Jon Snow ’s journey . It was ab initio presented that the prognostication was simply a prick used by the disciples of the Lord of Light . However , House of the Dragonproved that the prognostication was cash in one’s chips down through the Targaryen line , and Jon ’s lineage was something more than just an adage from a religious cult . It ’s unreadable if the Jon Snow spinoff serial publication will add further profundity toHotD ’s Song of Ice and Fire prophecy . However , the new serial lend more weight to Jon Snow ’s plot line inGame of Thronesand his Targaryen name .
Jon Snow’s Aegon Name Is Better For The Franchise
The Jon Snow Targaryen name may not have made sense in the context ofGame of Thrones , but withHouse of the Dragonout , the choice is intelligibly good for the enfranchisement as a whole . InHouse of the Dragon , the name " Aegon " is give to Alicent Hightower ’s eldest son , who is ( reluctantly ) repugn Rhaenyra ’s claim to the crapper . Before this Aegon , there was the prolific Aegon the Conqueror , responsible for turning Westeros into a kingdom to be ruled by the Targaryen name . A big revelation fromHotDthat connects the two series is Aegon the Conqueror ’s dream , which isthe Prince that was Promised prophecy , and the Song of Ice and Fire . Since Jon Snow is a Targaryen and is basically the Prince that was promise foretold through Aegon ’s dream , it create sense that he would comport the same name .
In addition , the name Aegon only adds to Jon ’s " chosen one " status . The name Aegon is linked to many important characters in theGame of Thronesuniverse , with each person give birth their own lasting encroachment on the realm of Westeros . Outside ofHouse of the Dragon , there is another untitled Jon Snow spinoff on the horizon . It may not seem like a vast connection , but the Jon Snow Targaryen name is the screw thread that will connect all three series together . Connections like this are all important for spinoff display , especially one likeHouse of the Dragon , which is set 200 class beforeits parent series . Spinoffs demand anchors to succeed , and the Jon Snow actual name spark , while it may not make immediate sense in the context ofGame of Thrones , is necessary for the franchise as a whole .
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