Will Jon Snow Kill Daenerys to Fulfill His 'Game of Thrones' Destiny?

As we get closer and closer to the end of the show, the less it seems like some favorite theories are just not going to happen. But there are still a few that may come to fruition, particularly one big one: that Jon Snow/Aegon Targaryen is the Prince Who Was Promised and that he's going to have to kill Dany to fulfill his destiny.  

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Spoilers for Game of Thrones season 8. In the last season of Game of Thrones, a whole bunch of fan theories have been proven wrong—both for book and TV show enthusiasts alike. I myself was absolutely convinced that the Night King was a Targaryen and that Bran was going to somehow become him via time loop (although I'm quite happy the latter didn't happen). So as we get closer and closer to the end of the show, the less it seems like some favorite theories—like that Tyrion is a secret Targaryen, for example—are just not going to happen. But there are still a few theories that may come to fruition, particularly one big one: Fans speculate that Jon Snow/Aegon Targaryen is the Prince Who Was Promised (a.k.a. the savior of the GoT world) and that he's going to have to kill Daenerys to fulfill his destiny. 

According to this theory, "If Jon is the 'Prince who was promised' of the Red Priests' religion, he has to have the legendary sword Lightbringer, which will only come about if it's quenched in 'living fire' (specifically, the heart of a loved one)." Oh NO. The theory continues, "Azor Ahai, the original incarnation of the PWWP, did just this by plunging it in the heart of his (willing) wife. So, he may have to sacrifice Dany to do it."

I mean, it makes sense that Dany is living fire, since she's the Mother of Dragons. This would tie in with the idea that Dany somehow becomes the Mad Queen and might need to be dispatched. The show has been giving a few hints that Dany is over-confident about how much power and how many allies she really has, considering the Dothraki and a lot of the Unsullied (not to mention Jorah—sniff) have all died. We could be getting set up for a huge turn in fortune, and sanity, for the Dragon Queen. 

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There's this other theory that Dany's dragons will die, since they've served their narrative purpose. "They are too destructive and too indiscriminate—there cannot be any type of permanent, lasting peace so long as dragons exist as an obliterative force. Everyone seems to be aware of this, even Dany. Again, there's a reason she's never sacked King's Landing even though she's had multiple opportunities to do so."

Dany would never, ever kill her "children," so the theory goes that Rhaegal and Drogon will sacrifice themselves to protect their mother, perhaps in the episode 5 battle against Cersei Lannister. It has been a ROUGH show for animal deaths—first the direwolves, then the zombie dragon, and now the other two might go as well? Ugh.

If true, the loss of her dragons (and the source of her power) would only be a bad thing for Dany. If they die, and she goes crazy, that would give Jon the exact motivation to kill her, too. I may not love Dany, but that would be a horrendous end for a powerful character. I hate this theory, all the more so because it might be true.

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Katherine J. Igoe
Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.