‘Game of Thrones’: The Night King’s Identity Finally Revealed – Is He a Targaryen?
Game of Thrones fans have been wondering about the Night King‘s identity since he was first introduced in the books. Now that the popular HBO show is winding down with its final episodes, the question of his identity remains. There are a plethora of theories all over the internet regarding who the Night King is. The latest speculation suggests that the Night King is actually a Targaryen. Does this theory hold weight?
Game of Thrones: Is the Night King a Targaryen?
Popular YouTube channel Looper recently posted a video putting forth the notion that the Night King could be a Targaryen. The video references what writer and producer David Benioff said in the Inside the Episode segment following the most recent episode. The Game of Thrones showrunner said “only Targaryen’s can ride dragons”. Further, he said “that should be a sign for Jon [Snow]”.
Each of Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons is imbued with the spirit of past Game of Thrones’ characters. The biggest and most aggressive is Drogon – taking after Khal Drogo. Viserion takes after her brother Viserys. Interestingly, Viserys betrayed Dany, and in that regard, it’s also fitting that Viserion is the dragon the Night King killed and was able to take as his own.
As for Rhaegal, he is named after her older brother and the rightful heir to the Iron Throne – Rhaegar Targaryen. Essentially, Jon Snow (Aegon Targaryen) is riding his father’s dragon. In Game of Thrones Season 7, Jon was able to touch Rhaegal without getting killed. In the most recent episode, he full-on rode him for the first time. Given what was officially revealed recently about Jon Snow’s true lineage, this is fitting.
If it’s true that only Targaryens can ride dragons, does this mean the Night King is secretly a Targaryen?
Game of Thrones: Does This Theory Hold Up?
The Night King secretly being a Targaryen is currently making the rounds all over the internet. Even so, this speculation is not without flaw. There are some holes that have Game of Thrones watchers discrediting it altogether. One of the biggest holes in this theory is the fact that Viserion isn’t the same dragon he was before he died. The Night King resurrected Viserion as an ice dragon. Due to this, the rule about Targaryens being the only ones capable of riding dragons may no longer apply.
Another possible hole in this Game of Thrones theory is that the Night King was originally one of the First Men. The First Men set foot in Westeros 12,000 years before the Targaryen Conquest. This timeline of events casts a shadow over the possibility of the Night King having Targaryen lineage.
what if the night king is a Targaryen ???? Only Targaryen can ride dragons and he is riding Viserion /$;)&:&;$ ahhhhh #GameOfThrones #GameofThronesSeason8 pic.twitter.com/jf4LEoTafE
— diana ☆ (@staracarys) April 20, 2019
Hidden Easter Eggs Could Point to Targaryen Ties
At the end of the Game of Thrones premiere of the eighth season, Tormund Giantsbane and company find little Lord Umber pinned to a wall with numerous severed limbs surrounding him. What makes this worth noting is the shape the limbs are in. In addition, the shape appears in many different incarnations throughout the series.
This circular pattern formed around the Weirwood Tree when the Children of the Forest created the Night King. Other examples include when the White Walkers slaughtered horses to strike fear in the hearts of the Wildlings. The slaughtered horse carcasses were in a similar spiral shape. A similar shape even appears in carvings etched in Dragonstone on Game of Thrones.
All of these shapes resemble the Targaryen house sigil. On top of this, human spirals also surrounded the last two living Targaryens – Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen. When Daenerys Targaryen freed the people of Mereen, there’s a scene where she’s at the center of the freed slaves. There’s also a scene toward the end of the Battle of the Bastards where Jon Snow is at the center of a massive group of cornered soldiers. Could this spiral shape appearing in different forms throughout the series hint at the Night King’s true identity?
Catch an all-new episode of Game of Thrones Sunday at 9pm only on HBO.
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