[We’re pretty sure the headline’s made it plain that some Game Of Thrones spoilers are going to be discussed herein, but if not, considered yourself warned… now.]
If you’re all caught up on season six of Game Of Thrones, then you’re probably also fully informed of all fan theories about the show. (And if you are, our hat is off to you for having the bladder strength of 10 A.V. Club members.) But even if you aren’t aware of every musing about the characters—one of which was recently proven true long after being proposed—you have presumably come across the much touted “R+L=J” theory, which proposed that Jon Snow is actually Rhaegar Targaryen’s bastard and not Ned Stark’s.
Well, those who subscribe to that theory appeared to be vindicated in the season six finale, in which Bran had a vision about Ned reaching his sister Lyanna on her death/childbirth bed. The baby isn’t given a name in the flashback, but its dark-eyed visage fades into Jon Snow’s own slightly dumbfounded expression, which suggests that the ersatz genealogists were right about his lineage. It did seem a little open to interpretation, though, according to anyone who wasn’t willing to lose in their GoT parentage pool. But HBO has just struck down the naysayers with this handy infographic, which traces Jon Snow’s bloodlines to Lyanna and Rhaegar.
Now that that theory’s been put to bed, and we know that Cold Hands is Benjen Stark, all we have to left to figure out is whether M is part of the R+L=J equation. That, and the rest of The Winds Of Winter book, plus those two remaining seasons of the show.
[via io9]