Game of Thrones: Will Jon Snow Be A Dragon Rider Like Daenerys Targaryen?

Game of Thrones dropped more bombs on fans yesterday with “Eastwatch,” confirming some suspicions and fueling a couple theories. One of the major ones revolves around Jon Snow’s moment with Drogon—an encounter he left unscathed. So far, only Daenerys Targaryen and, mysteriously, Tyrion Lannister can claim that honor. Now fans are wondering if Jon isn’t just a Targaryen, but also a dragon rider like his aunt.

Kit Harrington and Emilia Clarke in Game of Thrones (2011). Photo by Helen Sloan, courtesy of HBO.

Dragon Riding: Not For The Faint Of Heart

In the books, the Targaryens learned to ride dragons through magic and trial-and-error. But the show hints at a deeper bond between rider and dragon, as we see between Daenerys and Drogon. Minor characters such as Quentyn Martell (who was cut from the series) have tried to ride Dany’s dragons and failed horribly. It takes a special bond to ride one, one we may have just witnessed when Drogon allowed Jon to pet him in “Eastwatch.”

Kit Harrington in Game of Thrones (2011). Photo courtesy of HBO.

‘The Dragon Has Three Heads’

Which leads us to an age-old fan theory. The books reveal a prophetic dream, in which Rhaegar Targaryen (Jon’s father and Dany’s brother) says “the dragon has three heads.” The fan theory goes that this means there will be three Targaryens: three dragon riders, one each for Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal.

In the series, this theory gains traction with two different scenes. In Season 2, in the House of the Undying, Dany had a vision of three locations: the Wall, the throne room, and Khal Drogo’s tent. Then, in Season 4, Daario gifted Dany a bouquet which contained a white flower, a blue flower, and a red and gold flower. The symbolism is clear. The tent and white flower for Dany, and the Wall and blue flower (a symbol for Jon in the books) for Jon. Two dragons down. That leaves just one more – and many fans speculate the rider to be Tyrion.

The throne room hints to Tyrion as Hand of the King, and the flower’s red and gold are the Lannister colors. Tyrion also encountered Rhaegal and Viserion and lived to tell the tale. Could he and Jon be the other dragon riders?