Game Of Thrones: 25 Key Details You Need To Know & Remember For Season 8

21. R+L=J Confirmed

Game of Thrones Rhaegar Lyanna
HBO

While we were watching Jon and Daenerys get down to it, we had to listen to Bran's voiceover, making the whole thing - which was, y'know, incest anyway - even ickier.

As Bran saw, prompted by Sam (with help from Gilly), Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark were married in a secret ceremony, meaning that Robert's Rebellion was built on a lie. Lyanna gave birth to their son at the Tower of Joy, naming him Aegon Targaryen, not Jon Snow.

Bran and Sam are the only two people who know the truth at present, with the former stating that he needs to tell Jon, and will have to do so at some point in Season 8. The other person who might know the truth is Howland Reed, father of Meera and Ned's best friend, who was with him at the Tower of Joy, but he hasn't left his home since the war ended.

Being the trueborn son of Rhaegar makes Jon, NOT Daenerys, the heir to the Iron Throne, which is likely to cause as much of a wrinkle to their relationship as the fact they're aunt and nephew is. Jon isn't interested in ruling, but his claim is going to be hard to ignore all the same (if the Iron Throne even matters by the end).

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NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.