Warning: the night is dark and full of spoilers — as is this article — so proceed with caution!
The eighth and final season of Game of Thrones [1] premiered on April 14 and naturally we have a lot of questions. Like, is Bronn going to kill Jaime and Tyrion [2]? Are the ladies in King's Landing brothels always so delightfully gossipy? Did Jon Snow and Daenerys realise they were basically recreating a scene in Aladdin [3]? Oh, and what the HELL does Jon Snow's ability to ride a dragon mean [4] for the rest of the series?!
Like we said — we have a lot of questions, but let's focus on Jon and his cool new car dragon for now.
The scene of Jon getting the OK from Rhaegal to climb aboard and ride off through the icy countryside is actually pretty adorable, since he clings to the dragon for dear life (and with none of the grace that Dany usually does). But as cute as the moment is, it feeds into an important, longstanding theory about how the Targaryens could reclaim the Iron Throne: the "Three Heads of the Dragon" [5] theory.
It feeds into an important, longstanding theory about how the Targaryens could reclaim the Iron Throne.
During Daenerys's trippy journey through the House of the Undying [6], she has a vision of her late brother, Rhaegar (aka Jon Snow's real dad), stating that "the dragon has three heads." This three-headed dragon theme is reflected in the series over and over again throughout the series: Daenerys originally has three dragons before the Night King kills one in season seven; the Targaryen house sigil features a three-headed dragon; and Dany's ancestor Aegon Targaryen conquered Westeros alongside his two sisters, who were all mounted atop dragons. Diehard fans (and even author George R.R. Martin himself) have interpreted the prophecy to mean that there must be three riders for Dany's three dragons before she can win back the Iron Throne.
Although it's not official, it makes the most sense that Daenerys herself is one of these dragon riders — she's already ridden Drogon through battle, after all. As for the other two riders? Up until the Night King turned Viserion into a giant, ice-breathing wight, it was assumed that Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister would be the remaining two. It's been confirmed that Jon is actually of Targaryen lineage [7] since his father is Rhaegar, and even if Tyrion isn't related to Jon and Dany [8], he has a proven connection with dragons since he was able to approach them in Meereen.
Obviously now that season eight has premiered, we know Jon is definitely one of the three riders. Daenerys also is. But is the Night King the prophesied third dragon rider? It certainly wouldn't seem like he'd be a positive force in helping the Targaryens claim the throne. Let's take a closer look at each potential rider in the prophecy, ahead.
Daenerys Targaryen
Way back when, the Targaryen family mastered the rare art of dragon-riding through a mix of sorcery and good old-fashioned practice. In Daenerys's case, she seems to be able to ride them without the use of magic; she's shown to have bonded with the creatures on an intense level (she's their mother, after all).
So, as previously stated, Daenerys seems like a given in regards to the prophecy. Not only is she already riding Drogon on the regular, but she's the one who hears the prophecy in the House of the Undying from the mouth of her brother Rhaegar. Since the Targaryen house sigil features a three-headed dragon and her ancestors are the ones who united the seven kingdoms, that's even further support that the prophecy is tied to Daenerys.
Jon Snow
The former King in the North has Targaryen blood flowing through his veins [10] — his mother is Lyanna Stark and his father is Rhaegar Targaryen. (Something Sam finally fills Jon in about in the premiere, FYI.) Like Dany, Jon appears to have a similar bond with the dragons as opposed to a magical control over them. They must be able to sense both his Targaryen blood and his relationship with their mother.
We previously got a glimpse of how the dragons would react to Jon climbing aboard in the season seven episode "Eastwatch," when Drogon allows him to get close and even stroke his scaly skin while on a cliff in Dragonstone. In the premiere, Jon not only gives Rhaegal a few pats, but also climbs up after Dany tells him to, and the pair fly off to a romantic, icy waterfall in nearby Winterfell. (Anyone else get Aladdin and Jasmine vibes during that scene? No? Just me?)
The Night King . . . Maybe
In season seven, Viserion is tragically shot out of the sky by the Night King during a battle beyond the Wall. After sinking to his death in an icy lake, the White Walkers haul the dragon's body out and the Night King uses his magic to revive him; next thing we know, he's riding Viserion and destroying the Wall [11]. Could he actually be the third rider in the prophecy, or is the fact Viserion is no longer (technically) among the living enough to disqualify them both from the race?
Since Viserion is simply an undead version of a dragon, like a wight is an undead, zombified version of a human, he's able to be ridden by humans and undead creatures alike (aka the Night King). But if the Night King is killed, will Viserion die as well? And is there a chance Viserion could ever be swayed to be under Daenerys's control once more?
Tyrion Lannister . . . Maybe
In season six's second episode, Tyrion ventures into the bowels of Meereen to scope out Dany's two dragons, Rhaegal and Viserion. They're locked up, starved, and pissed off, to say the least, so approaching them isn't exactly wise. (They roast a Meereen noble who gets too bold to prove this point.) But Tyrion is able to have a chat with them and free them from their chains, which immediately had fans wondering if he'd ever ride them in the future.
Thus far there hasn't been any indication that he'll be the third rider in the prophecy. The only one who's gotten close to the dragons other than Daenerys herself is Jon. However, there's been speculation that Tyrion is actually a Targaryen rather than a Lannister [12] that further supports this.
Although Tywin raised Tyrion as his own (albeit begrudgingly), a number of fans believe that King Aerys II — a Targaryen — raped Tywin's wife, Joanna, on their wedding night, which supposedly resulted in baby Tyrion, who Joanna died giving birth to. There's also the fact that Tyrion is described as having a number of Targaryen traits in the book (hair so blond that it verges on white).
On top of the dragons' clear acceptance of Tyrion, it's mentioned that Tyrion is fascinated with dragons in general. In the scene with Rhaegal and Viserion, he tells a story about how he begged his uncle for a dragon on his Nameday as a child, and the books hint that Tyrion has had dragon dreams (which is something Targaryens frequently experience).