American fantasy TV drama Game of Thrones is one of the genre’s most successful ever shows.

Now screening its sixth season, the saga has a rambling narrative full of civil war skirmishes, debauched noble houses, and dastardly dynasties fighting tooth and nail for absolute power. At the heart of the drama, two particular characters stand out. Jon Snow, played by Kit Harrington, is a son of the Stark family, born out of wedlock to Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell.

Tyrion Lannister meanwhile, the diminutive man with a massive and unrivalled intellect, has so far been presented to the audience as third and youngest child of Lord Tywin Lannister and Joanna Lannister (deceased).

Indeed, in one episode, Tywin refers to his three children, saying, “A toast to the proud Lannister children…the dwarf, the cripple, and the mother of madness.” But what if the Tyrion Lannister and Jon Snow’s ancestry has a more complex story to tell?

What if, in fact, both men are Targaryens?

There has been a great deal of online speculation suggesting that this may indeed be the case, and much evidence has been cited to back up the theory, which would place each character in line to secure the much-coveted Iron Throne. Of course, the person to eventually rule the Seven Kingdoms will also firstly have to survive what promises to be a bloody Season 6 and neither Jon Snow nor Tyrion Lannister have guaranteed odds of doing that.

However, let’s take a look at some of the main facts that point to their ancestry being a little more complex than it first appears…

 

Is Jon Snow actually Jon Targaryen?

The identity of Jon Snow’s mother has always been a mystery and, although we have hitherto believed him to be the son of Ned Stark, it is possible that Prince Rhaegar and Lyanna Stark are his biological parents, making him a Targaryen. In Season 5, a conversation between two other characters, Sansa and Littlefinger, seemed to hint at this.

The pair are at Winterfell Crypt and Littlefinger is remembering Sansa’s deceased Aunt Lyanna. He remembers that Prince Rhaegar once gave roses to Lyanna rather than to his own wife sparking anger in many quarters. Sansa replies: “Yes, he chose her, and then he kidnapped her and raped her.”

This is a heavy suggestion that a child could have been born from this violent union. Some symbolic details also add weight to this theory. For example, Snow’s wolf (like his name) is pure white like the hair of authentic Targaryens.

 

Could Tyrion Lannister really be Tyrion Targaryen?

When wondering about Tyrion’s parentage, it helps to go back to the original George R. R. Martin books, in which the character has both a tell-tale white strand of hair and the differently coloured eyes of a Targaryen.

Additionally, in Season 6, Tyrion appears to be unexpectedly comfortable in the presence of dragons as he sets them free. Significantly, Tyrion’s mother died in childbirth adding an extra layer of mystery to his beginnings.

In the mythology that accompanies the show’s compelling storytelling, three people are predicted to ride the dragons – could they be Jon, Danaerys and Tyrion?

For now, we just don’t know but with the distinct possibility of Tyrion Lannister and Jon Snow being revealed as Targaryens, dragon-riding may well be written in the stars for these two Game of Thrones characters.