Jon Snow

The bastard of Winterfell who became Lord Commander, fell in battle, and was revealed as the trueborn son of Rhaegar Targaryen.

Jon Snow is a fictional main character in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels and the HBO series Game of Thrones, portrayed by Kit Harington. Introduced in 1996's A Game of Thrones as the illegitimate son of Ned Stark, he joins the Night's Watch to escape his limited prospects as a bastard. The New York Times cites him as one of Martin's finest creations. His storyline in the season 5 finale generated strong viewer reactions, while speculation about his parentage became a central topic for fans. In the novels and series, he evolves from an outsider at Winterfell to a prominent point-of-view character facing hard truths about honor and identity.

Quick Facts

Series

A Song of Ice and Fire character; Game of Thrones

First

Literature:
A Game of Thrones (1996)
Television:
"Winter Is Coming" (2011)

First game

Game of Thrones (Telltale Games)

Last

Television:; "The Iron Throne" (2019)

Creator

George R. R. Martin

Adapted by

David Benioff & D.B. Weiss (Game of Thrones)

Portrayed by

Kit Harington (Game of Thrones)

Voice

Kit Harington (video game); Tobias Weatherburn (Game of Thrones: Kingsroad)

Lore & Background

Jon is introduced at age 14 with dark brown hair and grey eyes, adopting the albino direwolf Ghost. Resented by Catelyn Stark but loved by his siblings, especially Arya, he learns independence as an outsider. He joins the Night's Watch to guard the northern borders from wildlings. In A Clash of Kings (1998), he infiltrates the wildlings and falls in love with Ygritte. By A Storm of Swords (2000), he betrays them to defend the Wall, eventually becoming Lord Commander. His leadership faces hostility within the Watch; he attempts to ally with wildlings against the Others but is left for dead in a mutiny at the end of A Dance with Dragons (2011) after trying to break his vows to fight House Bolton.

Reader's Guide

Jon Snow is defined by his struggle to live with honor while knowing it often leads to death for those around him. David Orr of The New York Times describes him as a complex, thoughtful character who must adapt to hard truths without losing himself. Martin noted that Jon's decisions regarding the wildlings were not simple mistakes but difficult choices necessary for protecting the realm against the White Walkers. For his role, Kit Harington received multiple accolades, including two Emmy nominations (2016 and 2019) and a Golden Globe nomination in 2019. Jon's journey involves leading men through unprecedented challenges, including the demands of Stannis Baratheon and internal Watch factions.

Did You Know?

Jon Snow is introduced as a 14-year-old in A Game of Thrones.
The popular fan theory regarding his parentage is called R+L=J (Rhaegar + Lyanna = Jon).
Kit Harington was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama in 2019.
Martin gave Benioff and Weiss the test of guessing Jon's mother when they approached him about adapting the series in March 2006.