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In “Game of Thrones,” who is The Prince That Was Promised?

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Quick Answer: While many theories were confirmed in the Season 6 Finale of Game of Thrones, one that still remains a mystery is The Prince That Was Promised. The Prince That Was Promised is supposedly the legendary warrior Azor Ahai reborn, destined to combat darkness. As the Prince is said to be a Targaryen, there are two contenders: Jon and Daenerys. Both of them have the blood, and while neither wields a literal sword of flame, both have weapons that could destroy the Walkers all the same. Jon was quite literally resurrected and brought back from the dead, while Daenerys was reborn amidst fire. Either could fulfill the prophecy, but what is more likely is that they will fulfill it together.

The Season 6 finale of HBO’s Game of Thrones (2011 - ) aired this past Sunday, and was it ever a big one! This finale, which happened to be the longest running episode of Thrones to date, confirmed major fan theories and predictions, including Cersei becoming the Mad Queen and R+L=J. But one theory that is still unconfirmed is The Prince That Was Promised. Fans should be familiar with this theory, as Melisandre has mentioned it many times, but let’s refresh our memories, shall we?

The Prince That Was Promised is said to be the great hero Azor Ahai reborn. Azor Ahai was a legendary warrior who defeated the White Walkers during the Long Night, which took place thousands of years ago. It was a winter that lasted an entire generation. While defeating the White Walkers, Azor Ahai wielded a sword of fire which was called Lightbringer. It is said that The Prince That Was Promised will also wield a flaming sword, will be reborn amidst salt and smoke, and will combat and help destroy the darkness. He or she will be the Warrior of Light, a servant of the Lord of Light, and is also said to be a Targaryen. While the connection between The Prince That Was Promised and Azor Ahai remains unconfirmed, fans have pieced together information for this theory.

But the question still remains: who is The Prince That Was Promised? Fans speculate that it is either Jon or Daenerys. But who is more likely? Before delving into that, let’s revisit Season 2, when Melisandre believed Stannis to be the Warrior of Light.


Melisandre Advises Stannis Baratheon

For many seasons, Melisandre was convinced that Stannis was the one to combat darkness and save them all. She committed many horrible acts in his name and for that purpose, including burning his own daughter, the Princess Shireen, at the stake. However, when he died at the end of Season 5, she realized that she had made a mistake and read the Lord’s signs wrong. She began to doubt her powers and the existence of a Prince That Was Promised. However, when she attempted and suceeded in resurrecting Jon Snow at Castle Black, her faith was restored tenfold. It is presumed that she now believes Jon to be Azor Ahai reborn. And according to the prophecy, it is possible.

Jon was resurrected, which is in and of itself an extraordinary feat. While he was not reborn amidst salt, one could say that he was among smoke, as he was reborn with the fire of the Lord of Light. And while he does not wield a flaming sword, the meaning could be more symbolic than literal. For while Jon does not have a sword of fire, he does have a sword made of the strongest steel known to man: Valyrian steel. Where most weapons are useless against the Walkers’, Longclaw is not. Perhaps the sword was said to be of fire because fire destroys White Walkers. Valyrian steel does the same. If the meaning is indeed a symbolic one, then Jon passes this test as well.


Jon Snow Defeats a White Walker at Hardhome

The purpose of the Warrior of Light is to fight the Lord of Light’s one and only enemy: darkness. As the White Walkers emanate darkness, Jon is no stranger to this. He has fought and killed many of them, which is no easy task. He is determined to fight against the coming storm and destroy the Walkers. As such, he is a perfect candidate for The Prince That Was Promised.

And as far as his parentage goes? Well, that was revealed this past Sunday. Jon is not the son of Ned Stark. Rather, he is the son of Lyanna Stark, Ned’s sister, and Rhaegar Targaryen, Dany’s brother. While he may still have that Stark look about him, he has Targaryen blood, which keeps him in the running. But as we all know, he is not the only Targaryen.

Daenerys is the other Targaryen contender. And while Melisandre believes that Jon is The Prince That Was Promised, there are Red Priests and Priestesses that believe the Mother of Dragons to be the One. And she very well could be. Like Jon, she does not wield a sword of flame, but we can assume that she does have weapons of fire: her dragons. They could destroy many Walkers at once. She has been across the Narrow Sea up until this point in time, and so she has not had a chance to encounter the White Walkers. Now that she’s begun her journey to Westeros, she could decide to fight them. This is speculation, of course. Until she arrives, we cannot know with certainty what she will do.


Daenerys Leads Her People While Riding Drogon

Now, Daenerys has not died, but that does not mean she hasn’t been reborn. You will all remember the Season 1 finale, when Daenerys burned her love, Khal Drogo, and stepped into the flames. Everyone believed she was committing suicide, but she emerged from the ashes the next day unburnt, with three dragons wrapped around her body. She did not die in that fire, but when she rose, she was reborn: a new woman, a strong Queen, and a Mother of Dragons. She was reborn amidst smoke. And as for salt? She was born on Dragonstone during a terrible storm, and it earned her a name of Daenerys Stormborn. This could account for the salt.

But who is more likely to be the true Prince That Was Promised? Jon fits certain descriptions better than Daenerys, and Daenerys fits some better than Jon. Some people believe that it is neither. We have no definitive proof that the Old Gods, New Gods, Many Faced God, or the Lord of Light actually exists, so some believe this could just be a presumed prophecy that will never come to pass. But I don’t believe that Jon is The Prince That Was Promised, nor is Daenerys. I believe that together, they both are.

Dany is Jon’s Aunt, and while some believe they will fight for the Iron Throne, I don’t think this is the case. Once Daenerys learns of Jon, and Jon learns the truth about his birth, I believe they will work together to unite the Seven Kingdoms and defeat the White Walkers. While they are both powerful and dangerous on their own, side by side they would be a force to be reckoned with. But if there truly is a single Prince That Was Promised, who do you think it is?