Game of Thrones Theory Claims the Night King Is Actually Jon Snow’s Father

Game of Thrones‘ final season is building up to a pretty epic battle as it is, but a new fan theory could add an even more complicated layer to things. As Reddit user TryinToBeHappy recently suggested, the identity of the ever-mysterious Night King could be tied even more to established Thrones lore — specifically, as Rhaegar Targaryen.

The theory dives into various examples as to why this could be the case, particularly with the shared imagery between the White Walkers and the Targaryens and the many ways that the show has tried to withhold information about Rhaegar.

To an extent, this theory could have some water, especially after fans were adamant about the Night King’s Targaryen connection in the season premiere. The notion of Rhaegar also not really going after Jon Snow (Kit Harington) could make sense as well, from the angle of him not wanting to kill his son.

“People will see he has a target he wants to kill, and you will find out who that is,” Vladimir Furdik, who plays the Night King, said in a recent interview. “There’s also that moment [in “Hardhome”] when Jon Snow was on the boat and the Night King looked at him and raised his arms — there’s a similar and even stronger moment between Jon and the Night King this time.”

Regardless of whether or not the Night King is really Rhaegar Targaryen, it’s safe to say that his presence on the show will be felt, especially in tonight’s episode.

“This is the dread coming to your door.” writer and producer Bryan Cogman recently explained. “The White Walkers and the Night King are the end personified. Whatever that means to you, that’s what you’re going to see next week.”

“We just have to tell the story we want to tell, and feel the rhythm of the story as we’re laying it out,” Cogman added. “There aren’t any conversations about what people are going to think. If it feels right, that’s what we do. We determined pretty early on that we would explore this idea of, “What would you do if you thought it was your last night on Earth?” It felt appropriate, and even necessary, at this stage in the game — no pun intended.”

What do you think of this Game of Thrones fan theory? Could you see the Night King really being Rhaegar Targaryen? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

The final season of Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9/8c on HBO.