(As you may expect, spoilers for Game Of Thrones below.)
Though the recent season seven finale ended with Bran giving a fairly explicit rundown of the full weight of Jon Snow’s true parentage, there may be some more casual Game Of Thrones fans that need things spelled out for them one more time. This new fan-made supercut does just that, but also paints an inspiring portrait of the King In The North that’ll have you rousingly leading your neighbors against the ice zombies your forefathers warned against.
“Jon Snow-The Targaryen Wolf” begins at the beginning, with young Ned Stark approaching the Tower Of Joy with the intent to rescue his sister Lyanna, only to find her dying in bed, having just given birth to a child. Using snippets of dialogue from all the way back in season one, we’re reminded of Robert Baratheon’s obsession with Lyanna, his anger that she was seemingly kidnapped by Rhaegar Targaryen, and the sacrifices Ned made in order to keep a promise to his dying sister.
It can be difficult to remember things that far back, but knowing what we now know about Jon completely changes the meaning of Ned’s actions in those early episodes of the series. “It’s done, your grace, the Targaryens are gone,” he tells his king, knowing full well that a Targaryen has been living under his roof for 15 years. Everything Ned Stark did up until the moment he was beheaded was to protect his family, including Jon, which is what makes his ultimate downfall that much more tragic.
But that sacrifice seems to have paid off, as we see a montage of Jon’s heroism in battle accompanied by Davos’ declaration that people are willing to follow their chosen king anywhere, not because of his name or his blood, but because they believe in him. It’s a reminder that Jon Snow has made it to where he is on his own merit, which, perhaps more than anything, has earned him the right to lead.
Finally, we see Rhaegar and Lyanna’s wedding as depicted in the finale’s time traveling flashback and we’re reminded of Jon’s birth name, Aegon Targaryen. “He’s never been a bastard,” says Bran, the Three-Eyed Raven and protector of all plot developments. “He’s the heir to the Iron Throne.” The music soars as we get one last shot of the Targaryen Wolf, the result of the Song Of Ice And Fire, completely oblivious to his destiny. Then we, once again, see poor Ned, no doubt thinking Jon’s secret will die with him, as the executioner’s blade swings down. Chills.