If you tuned in last Sunday night for the Game of Thrones Season 8 premiere, you probably got excited when Jon Snow rode the dragon named after his father Rhaegar Targaryen. However, the same scene also offered a hint at who the Night King actually is and no, it's not Bran Stark.
In Winterfell, Jon got the chance to ride Rhaegal and go on a date with Daenerys Targaryen. In the Game of Thrones YouTube channel segment Into The Episode, co-showrunner David Benioff had interesting things to say about the scene.
"No one has ever ridden a dragon [on the show] except for Dany. Only Targaryens can ride dragons and that should be a sign for Jon. Jon's not always the quickest with the uptake but he gets there," Benioff said.
The statement should confirm that Jon is a true Targaryen because Rhaegal allowed him on his back. However, Benioff was somehow wrong because another character has ridden a dragon after Dany. In the Season 7 finale, it was clearly shown that the Night King was riding the resurrected Viserion. Shockingly, this could confirm that the leader of the White Walkers was possibly a Targaryen before his transformation.
As far as the show is concerned, the Night King was just a regular dude who was somehow chosen by the Children of the Forest to be turned into an ice zombie that would protect them from the First Men. (His origins are different in the books). It's possible that the man selected was a leader who had Targaryen blood.
There's another clue about the Night King being a Targaryen in the episode itself. When Tormund Giantsbane, Beric Dondarrion, and Dolorous Edd discover the grisly message from the White Walkers includes a little Ned Umber who has been turned into a wight, they burn it and the symbol begins to resemble the Targaryen sigil.
Of course, there's another more popular theory about the Night King being Bran Stark out there. For now, we would recommend taking the idea with a grain of salt.
Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 2 has not yet been given an official title. It is set to premiere on HBO on April 21.
Related: Game Of Thrones Season 8 Fans Are Freaking Out Over Bran Stark Waiting For Jaime Lannister
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