R+L=J has been circulating for years, a Game of Thrones theory that Jon is not the son of Ned Stark but in fact Ned’s sister Lyanna and Rhaegar Targaryen. It was teased early into season 6 before finally being confirmed in the season finale when we saw a young Ned enter the Tower of Joy where he found Lyanna dying having just given birth. 

But it is Bran who, in a conversation with Sam in tonight’s season 7 finale, actually utters the words that we’ve been waiting to hear, “Jon isn’t really my father’s son. He’s the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and my aunt Lyanna Stark.” It was believed that Rhaegar had kidnapped and raped Lyanna, which started Robert’s Rebellion, but Bran’s vision of their secret ceremony allowed him to see the truth, that they loved each other.Gilly (not Sam!) made the game-changing discovery in episode 5 that High Septon Maynard had annulled Rhaegar’s marriage to Elia Martell, remarrying him to Lyanna in said secret ceremony. So not only are Jon and Daenerys blood relatives, but “He’s the heir to the Iron Throne,” says Bran. While Jon’s lineage is uncovered, he and Daenerys give in to their longing looks at each other and do the deed in a cutaway scene.

Providing Bran does get to tell Jon, it’ll be interesting to see how this Targaryen pairing works out especially with incest being common for members of House Targaryen, as George R. R. Martin discussed in an interview in 2014:

“Targaryens were interlopers from another culture, and they had some unique factors that didn’t necessarily fit into the mainstream of the other Westerosi Lords, such as their traditional incest, which was part of keeping the bloodlines pure so that they could better control the dragons, brother marrying sister, and nephews and aunts, and so forth.”

So while incest might not be enough to break up this aunt and nephew, what about Jon’s stronger claim to the throne… I guess we’ll have to wait a rumoured two years to find out!

What do you think of the big Game of Thrones season 7 finale? Can you wait until 2019 for the net episode? Let us know what you think in the comment box below or tweet us @filmandtvnow. 

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Film and TV Journalist Follow: @lorevalx Follow: @filmandtvnow