Game of Thrones: What was Jon Snow's punishment for killing Daenerys? Exploring the grim fate of The White Wolf

Modified Mar 06, 2024 22:32 GMT

Game of Thrones: What was Jon Snow's punishment for killing Daenerys? Exploring the grim fate of The White Wolf (Image via HBO)

Arguably no series in television history has had a bigger fall from grace in the eyes of its fans than HBO’s Game of Thrones did throughout its last two seasons. More specifically, fans heavily criticized Season 8 for both rushing to a conclusion and its questionable choices along the way to said conclusion.

One of the most heavily criticized decisions came from the Game of Thrones finale, in which Daenerys Targaryen was killed after finally acquiring the Iron Throne she had chased for the entirety of the series.

To be exact, killing Daenerys was much less heavily criticized than what followed, including Drogon’s burning of the Iron Throne in apparent confirmation that dragons understand the finer points of symbolism.

Nevertheless, it is the ending that Game of Thrones fans received for both Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow, who stabbed Daenerys as the two embraced in celebration of her conquest. Likewise, as the survivor and someone who played an integral role in saving the series’ world, fans were incredibly curious as to what Jon Snow’s ultimate fate in the series was given this crime.

Game of Thrones closing moments see Jon Snow turn his punishment into a new lease on life

What was Jon Snow’s punishment? Explained

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After killing Daenerys Targaryen in the Game of Thrones series finale, Jon Snow was ordered to be sent back to the Night’s Watch at Castle Black. Jon had previously been a part of the Night’s Watch and was even their 998th Lord Commander before joining up with Daenerys after learning of the inevitable coming war with the White Walkers.

The series finale didn’t expand much on Jon’s mindset after receiving this punishment but chose to end the series with a focus on him for its final shot overall. Here, fans can see Jon Snow leading a group of Wildlings back beyond the wall to its Northern side, which is where the White Walkers originally came from.

While many were shocked by this choice, Game of Thrones had somewhat forced this eventual fate for Jon via the breaching of the Wall which began the Great War. Since the wall no longer served a purpose with the White Walkers dead and the Wildlings integrated into Westeros society (specifically in the Northern Kingdom), the Night’s Watch likewise had no purpose to serve.

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Given this, it’s logical that the series would confirm that Jon Snow used his punishment to begin a new adventure north of the Wall. With the punishment of enlisting in the Night’s Watch being akin to a punishment of exile, it’s also well within Jon’s rights to do so.

Essentially, his punishment is not being a member of the Night’s Watch and staying at the wall, but to be exiled from Westeros society, never to rejoin it again.

Thus, as far as fans can know for sure, Jon Snow’s ultimate fate in the Game of Thrones television series is that he begins journeying north of the Wall into Wildling territory and the unknown. However, it’s impossible to know what happens to him beyond this point without additional productions from the television franchise, or comments from the series’ writers and creators themselves.

One likely answer as to what Jon’s ultimate fate was is that he established a new “kingdom” to the north of the Wall. Given that Jon was in a leadership position for most of the series’ second half, this would be something he’d be skilled at and accustomed to.

It also suggests that he lived the remainder of his life as a happy and free man, surrounded by a new family, friends, and other allies he brought with him and met for the first time on this new journey.