The biggest Game of Thrones theory: Who are Jon Snow’s real parents?

SPOILER ALERT: Many Game of Thrones fans like to theorise on what the future - and the past - holds for every hero and foe in Westeros, but did you see this massive fan theory coming?

WARNING: Potential spoilers.
Many Game of Thrones fans try their darndest just to keep up with the show’s sprawling, complex story - which is no mean feat.

Others appear to be all over it like a heartbroken Tyrion Lannister on a goblet of wine.

You know the ones. They seem to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of every house, city and dead king in George R.R. Martin’s mosaic world.

Some of these fans like to theorise on what the future - and indeed the past - holds for every throne-driven hero or foe in Westeros.

One of the more intriguing fan theories is that the rugged Jon Snow is not in fact Ned Stark’s son.

Stark claimed he had an affair during Robert’s Rebellion, after only a few months of marriage to Catelyn Stark. He returned from battle with a baby he named Jon Snow. But Game of Thrones has always built in an element of doubt to this story.

So who is Jon Snow really if he isn’t Ned’s bastard?

Sean Bean As Ned Stark.

The current Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch is believed by some to be the son of Ned’s sister Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. The theory is known on the web as R+L=J.

Here’s a brief run down of why, keeping in mind most of the clues appear in the books rather than the show (so don’t be thinking you fell asleep for a moment and missed them).

Jon’s potential dad Rhaegar was the gallant son and heir of the so-called Mad King Aerys Targaryen.

Upon winning a jousting tournament before Robert’s Rebellion, Rhaegar bypassed his own wife Elia Martell and crowned Lyanna his queen of beauty.

Soon after, Rhaegar reportedly abducted Lyanna - who was betrothed to Robert - starting a great war that would lead to the downfall of the Targaryen dynasty.

In a recent episode of the show titled Sons Of The Harpy, Littlefinger told Sansa Stark about Rhaeger’s feelings for Lyanna: “How many tens of thousands had to die because Rhaegar chose your aunt?” “Yes, he chose her,” Sansa notes to Littlefinger, “and then he kidnapped her and raped her.” Littlefinger’s pointed look straight after this scene says “You know nothing”. It has been seized on by fans to confirm the R+L=J theory.

Does R+L=J add up?

In the books Lyanna was found in a tower by her brother Ned Stark and a couple of others who survived the battle.

She was laying in a room described as smelling of “blood and roses”.

Her final words to her brother before she died in his arms were: “Promise me, Ned”.

And that’s about all there is to it.

Ned Stark always claimed that Jon was his bastard with a mystery woman he lay with during battle. But could Jon Snow really be the child of Rhaeger and Lyanna? Could he be a Targaryen - and related to Daenerys the Queen of dragons? Did Lyanna ask Ned to keep her baby a secret? Some fans actually think that Rhaegar and Lyanna were in love and they ran away together.

Another clue, in the same episode came in a conversation between Stannis Baratheon and his wife Selyse at The Wall. Watching Jon Snow Selyse dismisses him as “a bastard by some tavern slut” to which Stannis responds, “perhaps, but that wasn’t Ned Starks way”.

Whether this theory is a clever piecing together of deftly placed clues, or fans simply reading too much into things - we don’t yet know.

Either way, it’s some delicious food for thought heading into Monday’s new episode of the hit fantasy show.

But for the record Sean Bean, who played Ned Stark in Season One of Game of Thrones did tell Vulture magazine in 2014 “I’m obviously not Jon Snow’s dad.”

Sean Bean As Ned Stark.