The cat's officially out of the bag, so to speak, when it comes to Jon Snow's true lineage, but in order for the secret to live on, some key Game of Thrones [1] players will have to survive the Battle of Winterfell [2]. In the season six finale, the show confirmed what fans long theorized [3] to be true: that Jon Snow is a Targaryen [4], the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. That presents, er, quite a few complications, particularly when it comes to Jon's relationship with Daenerys (aka his aunt [5]) as well as her claim to the throne — a claim that (surprise, Dany!) actually belongs to Jon Snow.
Only a handful of people know about Jon's identity, though, so as a Reddit user pointed out [6], at least one of them would have to survive for the truth about his lineage to live on. Personally, as we debate who might die in the Battle of Winterfell [7], this realisation gives me a whole lot of hope for some of my favourite characters, because of course someone in the know about Jon Snow's parentage will have to stick around. Keep reading for a refresher on who, exactly, is clued in — or might be — then take a peek at the preview for the highly anticipated third episode [8].
Bran Stark
Bran knows, well, pretty much everything, and his visions of the past, including a key scene in the Tower of Joy [9], point him to the truth about Jon Snow's parents. Later, after learning about Sam's research, Bran goes and sees the wedding of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, confirming what they believe to be true.
TBD on whether he'll make it through the Battle of Winterfell, particularly since, you know, he's the Night King's number-one target [10]. If he dies, though, there are still plenty of players who know about Jon Snow's secret.
Samwell Tarly
In season seven, episode five, Gilly stumbles across information about Rhaegar Targaryen's secret marriage to Lyanna Stark while she and Sam are reading at the Citadel, and although she isn't aware of the words' implications, Sam later connects the dots. He speaks with Bran about it during the season seven finale, and when Bran confirms that Jon Snow's real parents are Rhaegar and Lyanna, Sam mentions the couple's marriage, prompting Bran to visit the wedding.
Please, please let Sam's knowledge mean that he survives! He's one of the true MVPs of the series [11], and in a popular theory among fans, Game of Thrones is actually Sam's retelling of the story years later.
Jon Snow
Thanks to Sam, Jon finally — finally! — knows who his parents are. Although he expresses some initial disbelief as his best friend shares the news during the season eight premiere [12], Jon eventually understands it to be true. Perhaps because he has literally no problem hopping on a dragon [13] and flying like a pro?
Now come the real questions, though: If Jon Snow is somehow the only one of this bunch to survive the Battle of Winterfell, will he share the truth about who he is? If he and Daenerys are both still standing by episode four, will he still want to bend the knee to her, or does he feel a sense of responsibility now that he knows his own claim to the throne? He's big on honour, that Jon Snow, so we'll just have to wait and see.
Daenerys Targaryen
The look on Daenerys's face when Jon Snow reveals the truth [14] to her is just . . . yikes. She responds rather, ahem, angrily, finding it pretty convenient that the pair who confirm Jon Snow's lineage are two of the people closest to him. She immediately understands the implications — as in, that he'd be the true heir instead of her — but they don't really have time to talk about it much thanks to the White Walkers' arrival.
At this point, Daenerys's fate isn't looking too promising [15], but it'll be interesting to see how the truth about Jon Snow's identity might influence her actions during the Battle of Winterfell and beyond.
Gilly
Yes, Gilly's the one who finds that key bit of information about Rhaegar and Lyanna's wedding, but has Sam filled her in on what it means for Jon Snow? Unclear. Still, it's worth acknowledging that she might be part of the crew who know about Jon Snow's parents.
Tyrion Lannister
As with Gilly, it isn't clear whether Tyrion knows about Jon Snow's identity, but there's certainly a chance that he might. After all, he does initiate a fireside chat with Bran during episode two, emphasising that he has plenty of time to hear about Bran's story. (Perhaps even the bit about his brother, Jaime [16]?)
Should everyone else happen to fall during the Battle of Winterfell, could it be possible that Tyrion might still hold the knowledge about Jon Snow? Maybe. Depends on how chatty Bran was feeling that night.
Melisandre
Heyyyy, remember Melisandre? Yeah, I've kind of blocked her out too, but considering her many visions and predictions, it's possible that she has an inkling about Jon Snow's identity. As of now, we don't know where Melisandre is [17] in season eight, but it truly wouldn't surprise me if she comes waltzing back in out of nowhere.