While House of the Dragon is heavily on the mind of Game of Thrones fans, there is still a Jon Snow spinoff in the pipeline that intrigues viewers. Through Game of Thrones, Jon is as near to the central character as the series has and is the focal point of some of the series’ best and most iconic episodes and moments.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Jon Snow-based spinoff starring Kit Harington.
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Jon Snow’s story so far
It is a big weekend for Game of Thrones fans whenever a new House of the Dragon episode airs. But some are holding on for a different return to Westeros. For those who haven’t heard the news yet, House of the Dragon was recently renewed for a second season. The prequel to Game of Thrones has accomplished something rare in being able to live up to some of the hype. With this comes another outstanding pressure for HBO: Attempting to make every other show set in this fictional universe just as good.
This includes the highly scrutinized spin-off series featuring Kit Harington as Jon Snow. Reports from earlier this summer suggested that a new spinoff series about Jon Snow was in development at HBO. George R. R. Martin later corroborated that the sequel series Snow is in the works. He confirmed it just weeks ahead of the premiere of the first prequel House of the Dragon. The new Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon has already left the fans contemplating how it could lead to another highly-anticipated spin-off series.
The potentially upcoming Jon Snow spinoff is going to be a sequel, unlike House of the Dragon. This does mean that it will likely feature many characters from Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones may have finished more than three years ago. But the franchise is far from complete. We see Jon Snow in exile from Westeros in the series finale of the Game of Thrones, which finished in 2019.
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What will be the premise of the Jon Snow spinoff?
There have already been many hints in House of the Dragon that viewers have speculated could be pointing toward the story of the spinoff series. Fans became aware of a prophecy about the prince that was promised while watching the Game of Thrones. Many thought it was a part that Jon would perform. The prophecy about the prince that was promised comes from a dream their ancestor King Aegon I Targaryen had many years ago. King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) illustrated this to his young daughter, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) in House of the Dragon.
The new spinoff will focus on what happened to Jon Snow after the affairs of the eighth season of Game of Thrones. At the end of Game of Thrones’s divisive eighth season, Snow steered to the north. He did so after killing his lover/aunt Daenerys Targaryen after her rampage in King’s Landing. At the time, it appeared as though that marked the end of Snow’s story. But it later emerged that the Eternals actor had put forward an idea for a spinoff sequel series. The series would see him head the cast in a new plot after the widely-beloved character.
House of the Dragon takes place two centuries before the events of Game of Thrones. But there have been significant references to the prince that was promised prophecy. Some think this could tie into the series about Jon. The “limited series” label suggests that we will be getting a very short follow-up with a focus on the character’s tales from the North. This is most likely not a sprawling plot that includes other fan-favorite characters like Arya, Sansa, and maybe even Bran.
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Whose idea was the Jon Snow spinoff?
The initial reports stated that Kit Harington was on board to mark his return as Jon Snow and had already consented to the series. Although some fans were skeptical of such reports, Clarke and Martin actually carried it a step further. According to them, the series was really Harington’s idea and that he wants to fully involve himself in the development. Some fans found their claim to be so shocking that they thought they were just joking.
For those hoping that HBO is designing an epic follow-up to Game of Thrones, they are in for a bit of disappointment. There is only so much the Jon Snow spinoff can accomplish in a couple of seasons. But obviously, we’re still thrilled at the prospect of seeing more of Jon Snow. Even if it is actually just a miniseries. Suppose the series does well enough, maybe that will push HBO to renew it for a longer run or launch another similar miniseries about other characters.
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How could House of the Dragon be setting up the Game of Thrones spin-off about Jon Snow?
The prophecy about the prince was that an eternal winter from the North would endanger the world of men. The only way of putting an end to it is for a Targaryen to lead the Iron Throne. The prince that was promised, although the gender-neutral word for ‘prince’ in Valyrian denotes, it could have also been in regard to a ‘princess’. The A Song of Ice and Fire novels cited a prophesied someone. They might be a reincarnation of the warrior Azor Ahai as they knew him as the savior of the world.
Rhaenyra recites a line from the prophecy in a recent trailer for House of the Dragon. It reads: “From my blood come the prince that was promised and his will be the song of ice and fire”. The stipulations of the prophecy drove many to think it was about Jon during Game of Thrones. This was considering he turned out to be the offspring of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. They were the personification of a coalition of ice and fire. But the identity of the prince that was promised wasn’t really confirmed by the completion of Game of Thrones. This is why some think the Jon Snow spinoff may eventually answer this question.
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Will this spinoff change the ending of Game of Thrones?
Some viewers anticipate the Jon Snow spinoff to make some subtle alterations and changes to the ending of Game of Thrones. This isn’t fully beyond the realm of probability considering that it will include entirely new writers and showrunners. But of course, it would have to be short to prevent confusing the viewers. There are still some details this spinoff could flesh out to make the completion of Game of Thrones more understandable in hindsight.
For one thing, many viewers hope this sequel would explore Jon Snow’s resurrection more intricately. When Melisandre reintroduced Jon back to life in the sixth season, viewers expected him to be more like a zombie. They wished he still had mystical powers or quirks. The series never really explored this with Jon, although it did so a little with Beric Dondarrion and Benjen Stark.
The series could also indicate to us in a few other ways that the fight against the White Walkers was more complex than it looked. The Jon Snow spinoff could use the library at Castle Black to discover the ancient history of both ice and fire magic in Westeros more intricately. The Jon Snow sequel is in the early phases of development now. There’s no word on whether HBO will pick up the series yet.
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Which Game of Thrones cast members can we expect to see in the Jon Snow spinoff?
Details on the Jon Snow spinoff are very sparse as of now. Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) is excited about the spinoff. She didn’t rule out an appearance of her in Snow. John Bradley, the actor who portrayed Jon Snow’s pal Samwell Tarley, said he wants to be a part of the series.
Similarly, Gwendoline Christie, who portrayed Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones, also expressed her interest to return. Yet, there’s one former cast member who is not interested. Emilia Clarke, who portrayed Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, does not want to be a part of the series. She said, “No. I think I’m done”.
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Additionally, Robin Arryn could become a great partner to Snow. Grey Worm’s return might inevitably drum up the feudal tensions. Yara Greyjoy may finally be able to earn the respect she deserves. Benjen Stark helps Jon Snow flee the wights in the finale of the seventh season, at the cost of his life. But there are rumors that he might have survived. Tormund Giantsbane is the only main character who crosses the Wall with Jon Snow, leaving room for his return.
Daario just might return to Westeros to seek revenge on Jon Snow for killing Daenerys. Davos Seaworth could also sail from Blackwater Bay to Hardhome to pay Snow a visit. Towards the end of Game of Thrones, Tyrion indicates that he and Snow may end up meeting again someday. Game of Thrones fans like nothing more than a Stark Family reunion, which would also be on the cards with this show.
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