Kit Harington as Jon Snow, who will receive his own 'Game of Thrones' spinoff. In the photo, he's wearing a fur cloak and standing in front of people while holding a torch.

3 ‘Game of Thrones’ Fan Theories That Actually Came True

Plenty of fan theories made the rounds as 'Game of Thrones' was airing, but these 3 actually came true before the series ended.

by Amanda Mullen

Published on September 4, 2022

3 min read

1. ‘Game of Thrones’ fan theories correctly guessed Jon Snow’s identity

Kit Harington as Jon Snow | Helen Sloan/HBO

One of the biggest Game of Thrones theories making the rounds as the show was airing had to do with Jon Snow’s (Kit Harington) true identity. Season 8 revealed that he was not, in fact, Ned Stark’s (Sean Bean) bastard, as viewers were led to believe. Instead, he was the legitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, both of whom had gotten married in secret after running away together. That made him heir to the Iron Throne — a development people had predicted long before it actually happened.

George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series offers plenty of hints about Jon’s parentage, as does the HBO adaptation. Cheating on Catelyn (Michelle Fairley) had always seemed out of character for Ned, and the descriptions of Rhaegar Targaryen’s character don’t match Robert Baratheon’s (Mark Addy) take on what happened to Lyanna. Needless to say, viewers put two and two together. And many of them were thrilled when their hunches were finally confirmed.

2. The Mad Queen theory became a reality in ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 8

House of the Dragon will tell the story of Daenerys Targaryen’s ancestors as they battle for what she achieved in the final season of Game of Thrones — the Iron Throne

Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen | HBO

Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) snaps and burns King’s Landing down during the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones. And although many viewers were disappointed with this turn of events, others had been calling it for years. The Mad Queen theory was fairly popular when Game of Thrones Season 8 debuted. To be fair, her actions in Game of Thrones Season 7 only strengthened fans’ case. She didn’t have to burn Dickon Tarly (Tom Hopper) alongside his father, but she did.

Knowing what happened with the Mad King — and seeing how Daenerys ruthlessly handled her enemies over and over — fans predicted she’d follow the same path as her father. Sadly, that’s exactly how things went down. Dany’s mission to liberate the people of King’s Landing led to her becoming the type of leader she set out to destroy. It was a sad day for fans of the character, but those who foresaw her dark turn likely felt validated.

3. The final season confirmed Cleganebowl theories

Rory McCann as The Hound in 'Game of Thrones' Season 8 for our article about which fan theories came true. He's wearing black and looking up at something.

Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane | Helen Sloan/Courtesy of HBO

The Mad Queen was just one of the fan theories confirmed during the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones. The second-to-last chapter also saw Cleganebowl happening at long last. And after years of anticipation, viewers who’d expected the Hound (Rory McCann) to confront the Mountain (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) weren’t disappointed.

Cleganebowl suggested that the Clegane brothers would eventually have a showdown, with Sandor fighting for justice after a well-won redemption arc. And those things do happen during “The Bells” — though their big fight doesn’t go exactly as fans predicted. Many believed they’d face off during a trial-by-combat for Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey). That didn’t pan out as expected, but the two do brawl — and it results in both of their deaths.

Despite having to say goodbye to the Hound — and getting a slightly different iteration of this theory — Cleganebowl was still overwhelmingly cheered for. Amid so many divisive writing decisions, this one seemed to stick the landing. It’s well worth a rewatch, even after all these years.

All eight seasons of Game of Thrones are streaming on HBO Max.