Game Of Thrones Finale: How Each Major Character Ending Was Setup (& Why They Work)

2. Jon Returns To The True North

"Love is the bane of honour, the death of duty."

Those words, said by Maester Aemon, echo loudly in the Game of Thrones finale. As mentioned before, it always felt like things would, in some way, come down to Jon and Daenerys, the ice and fire of the story. And because of the words of Aemon, and Ned Stark before him, Jon's arc has been shaped by two men who knew the cost of love versus honour. It had to come down to a choice between the two, and of course, he had to choose honour. He is Ned Stark's son through and through, no matter who his biological father is.

Jon's long been setup as the Aragorn of the story; the hidden, rightful King. But he was really the Frodo. The one who wouldn't seek power, but would deliver the world from darkness. And with the consequences of the decisions he has to make in order to get there, i.e. killing his Queen, how could he possibly claim the crown or even stay south of the Wall at all? Tolkien wrote the following about Frodo, and the wounds he'd suffered on his journey:

"Alas! there are some wounds that cannot be wholly cured,” said Gandalf. “I fear it may be so with mine,” said Frodo. “There is no real going back. Though I may come to the Shire, it will not seem the same; for I shall not be the same. I am wounded with knife, sting, and tooth, and a long burden. Where shall I find rest?” The same can be said for Jon Snow, who himself carries his own wounds, literal and figurative.

He's a Stark and a Targaryen, but he's also an outsider, as symbolised by his white wolf, Ghost. Jon struggled with that growing up, especially with a mother figure who couldn't bring herself to love him, but he's gradually embraced that part of himself, which is largely thanks to his time with the Free Folk. Ygritte is the woman who taught him how to love, and remains the person his heart truly belongs to. Beyond the Wall is where he really found himself and was, despite the difficulty of his mission, at his happiest. He's the White Wolf, he doesn't belong in the south. He's got the true north in him, as Tormund says.

Jon's connection to Aemon is important here, another Targaryen who passed up his claim to the Iron Throne and instead headed to the Wall. So too is his relationship with Mance Rayder, whom Jon understood as a leader who'd do whatever was right for his duty to his people. He even talks like a Wildling, we hear. It's hard to imagine Jon ever taking the Iron Throne, especially not after killing Daenerys. But to go North, reuniting with his direwolf, one of his closest friends, and living far away from the politics of Westeros in a life of peace and freedom is the exact sort of conclusion he deserved.