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A lot has been made on Game of Thrones of Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) allegedly being the last Targaryen to survive Robert Baratheon's (Mark Addy) quest to wipe out the bloodline. But what if Dany's family is still out there - and hiding right underneath our noses?
If you're at all familiar with Game of Thrones theories, you've probably heard of R+L=J, which predicts that Jon Snow (Kit Harington) is actually the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. That would make Jon Dany's nephew and the cousin of the Stark children, as opposed to their illegitimate half-brother.
But what if Jon isn't the only other Targaryen out there? We explain why Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and Hodor (Kristian Nairn) - yes, Hodor - might also be secret Targaryens.
Who do you think is actually a Targaryen?
Game of Thrones: The Most Important Theories Out There
Jon Snow is a Targaryen
The popular Game of Thrones theory R+L=J theory proposes that Jon Snow is the child of Lyanna Stark, Ned's deceased sister, and Rhaegar Targaryen, Daenerys's older brother and the eldest son of Mad King Aerys II. Rhaegar allegedly abducted Lyanna, who became pregnant with his child. At the end of Robert Baratheon's rebellion, Ned arrived in Dorne to rescue her, but Lyanna was already dying after giving birth. Before Lyanna died, she entrusted Ned with a secret promise, which many believe was to keep her son (presumably Jon) safe from Robert's quest to kill all Targaryens.
Tyrion is a Targaryen
Remember when Tywin Lannister told Tyrion, "You're no son of mine"? What if he meant it? In the books, Daenery's dad the Mad King was infatuated with Tywin's wife, Joanna. George R.R. Martin also describes Tyrion as looking radically different than Cersei and Jaime. Instead of the golden Lannister hair of his siblings, Tyrion is said to have blonde hair so pale it's almost white, much like the silvery hair of the Targaryens. Tyrion is also said to have had a life-long fascination with dragons, even dreaming of them when he was younger.
Meera Reed is Jon's twin
One theory posits that Bran Stark's pal Meera Reed is actually Jon Snow's twin sister. On the show, the actors bear more than a passing resemblance, and in the books, they're the same age. Howland Reed was also present at the Tower of Joy when Lyanna died, so he would have been at the right place and the right time to adopt Meera as his own.
The three heads of the dragon
"The dragon has three heads" is a well-known prophecy in Westeros. While many assume each of the heads must be a Targaryen, George R.R. Martin has stated that's not necessarily the case. One of the dragon heads is presumably Daenerys, who's already bonded with her dragon, Drogon. Jon and Tyrion - both of whom might be Targaryens - are the most popular picks for the remaining two dragon heads.
Jaime kills Cersei
The fifth season began with a flashback to young Cersei getting her fortune told by Maggy the Frog. The prophet warned Cersei that she'll have three children with gold crowns, but that after all of her children have died the "valonqar" (Valyrian for "little brother") will choke Cersei to death. Cersei seems to assume Tyrion is the prophesized valonqar, which explains her deep-rooted hatred of him. But her twin brother Jaime was born after her, putting him in the running as well. And ever since Jaime lost his hand, the once incestuous pair's relationship has grown more and more contentious. We wouldn't put it past him to kill Cersei for the good of the kingdom, just like he once did with the Mad King.
Coldhands is Benjen Stark
There are rumors that the mysterious Coldhands will finally be introduced at some point. In the books, Bran is helped by this vaguely undead character on his journey beyond the wall. Despite George R.R. Martin's denial, many fans still believe Coldhands is Bran's long-lost uncle, Benjen Stark. Even if Benjen isn't Coldhands, the fact that he calls Sam "brother" implies that he's a dead or missing member of the Night's Watch. Some theorize that Coldhands is really Lord Commander Brynden "Bloodraven" Rivers (who is also the top candidate for being the Three-Eyed Raven), Ser Waymar Royce, the dead ranger Will, or even The Night's King himself.
If you're at all familiar with Game of Thrones theories, you've probably heard of R+L=J, which predicts that Jon Snow (Kit Harington) is actually the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. That would make Jon Dany's nephew and the cousin of the Stark children, as opposed to their illegitimate half-brother.
But what if Jon isn't the only other Targaryen out there? We explain why Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and Hodor (Kristian Nairn) - yes, Hodor - might also be secret Targaryens.
Who do you think is actually a Targaryen?
Game of Thrones: The Most Important Theories Out There
Jon Snow is a Targaryen
The popular Game of Thrones theory R+L=J theory proposes that Jon Snow is the child of Lyanna Stark, Ned's deceased sister, and Rhaegar Targaryen, Daenerys's older brother and the eldest son of Mad King Aerys II. Rhaegar allegedly abducted Lyanna, who became pregnant with his child. At the end of Robert Baratheon's rebellion, Ned arrived in Dorne to rescue her, but Lyanna was already dying after giving birth. Before Lyanna died, she entrusted Ned with a secret promise, which many believe was to keep her son (presumably Jon) safe from Robert's quest to kill all Targaryens.
Tyrion is a Targaryen
Remember when Tywin Lannister told Tyrion, "You're no son of mine"? What if he meant it? In the books, Daenery's dad the Mad King was infatuated with Tywin's wife, Joanna. George R.R. Martin also describes Tyrion as looking radically different than Cersei and Jaime. Instead of the golden Lannister hair of his siblings, Tyrion is said to have blonde hair so pale it's almost white, much like the silvery hair of the Targaryens. Tyrion is also said to have had a life-long fascination with dragons, even dreaming of them when he was younger.
Meera Reed is Jon's twin
One theory posits that Bran Stark's pal Meera Reed is actually Jon Snow's twin sister. On the show, the actors bear more than a passing resemblance, and in the books, they're the same age. Howland Reed was also present at the Tower of Joy when Lyanna died, so he would have been at the right place and the right time to adopt Meera as his own.
The three heads of the dragon
"The dragon has three heads" is a well-known prophecy in Westeros. While many assume each of the heads must be a Targaryen, George R.R. Martin has stated that's not necessarily the case. One of the dragon heads is presumably Daenerys, who's already bonded with her dragon, Drogon. Jon and Tyrion - both of whom might be Targaryens - are the most popular picks for the remaining two dragon heads.
Jaime kills Cersei
The fifth season began with a flashback to young Cersei getting her fortune told by Maggy the Frog. The prophet warned Cersei that she'll have three children with gold crowns, but that after all of her children have died the "valonqar" (Valyrian for "little brother") will choke Cersei to death. Cersei seems to assume Tyrion is the prophesized valonqar, which explains her deep-rooted hatred of him. But her twin brother Jaime was born after her, putting him in the running as well. And ever since Jaime lost his hand, the once incestuous pair's relationship has grown more and more contentious. We wouldn't put it past him to kill Cersei for the good of the kingdom, just like he once did with the Mad King.
Coldhands is Benjen Stark
There are rumors that the mysterious Coldhands will finally be introduced at some point. In the books, Bran is helped by this vaguely undead character on his journey beyond the wall. Despite George R.R. Martin's denial, many fans still believe Coldhands is Bran's long-lost uncle, Benjen Stark. Even if Benjen isn't Coldhands, the fact that he calls Sam "brother" implies that he's a dead or missing member of the Night's Watch. Some theorize that Coldhands is really Lord Commander Brynden "Bloodraven" Rivers (who is also the top candidate for being the Three-Eyed Raven), Ser Waymar Royce, the dead ranger Will, or even The Night's King himself.