A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Quietly Confirmed A Major Jon Snow Theory

While Targaryens are known for their silver hair, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms complicates that long-held assumption by introducing yet another black-haired Targaryen, reigniting the debate over the sweeping generalization that defines their dynasty.A quick run-through of the most famous Targaryens, from Daenys the Dreamer, to Aegon and Rhaenys, Visenya, to Game of Thrones' Daenerys and House of the Dragon's Viserys, Daemon, Rhaenyra, Aegon, Aemond, shows that the Targaryens are famously silver-haired, or in Alicent Hightower's words, not "plain featured."

This silver hair lends them an air of superiority, reinforcing the myth that the light-haired Targaryens are above other Westerosi nobles and the blood of the dragon. That said, Game of Thrones and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms feature two exceptions: black-haired Targaryens who, had they ruled, would have changed the history of the Seven Kingdoms for the better.

Baelor Targaryen From A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Could Have Been the Greatest King in History

The heir apparent to the Iron Throne, Baelor Targaryen, had black hair, inherited from his Dornish mother, Queen Myriah Martell. Myriah’s marriage to King Daeron would ultimately bring Dorne into the fold of the real and unite the Seven Kingdoms. Author George R. R. Martin’s works state that Myriah possessed typical Martell features, viz., black hair and Dornish eyes that her eldest, Baelor, inherited.

Myriah’s Dornish courtiers at the Red Keep eventually caused friction with King Daeron’s nobles. Additionally, Prince Baelor’s black hair and Martell eyes only set tongues wagging, and people often remarked that he bore more Martell features than Targaryen. As he was King Daeron’s heir, people commented that he looked quite unlike the “Blood of the Dragon” he was meant to embody.

Though he did not resemble a typical Targaryen, Baelor fully embodied the traits that made Aegon the Conqueror a beloved king. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms shows him as kind, courteous, knowledgeable, and thoughtful. He did not desire the throne, yet understood that kingship was a duty, not a privilege. Baelor possessed sound judgment and reason; he was free from bias and had moral strength, compassion, and understanding. He was endowed with both leadership qualities and formidable fighting skills. His son Valarr Targaryen (also dark-haired but with a thick silver-gold streak) says Baelor would have made the greatest king since Aegon the Conqueror:

He had it in him to be a great king. The greatest since Aegon the Dragon.

In a 2022 interview, when asked about a “seemingly minor moment” that changed the course of Westeros’ history, Martin named Baelor Breakspear’s death in the first Tales of Dunk and Egg story, The Hedge Knight, as an example. He described Baelor as a “very strong and very competent king,” noting that the Prince died defending the honor of an otherwise insignificant hedge knight, which event profoundly altered the realm’s future (per Penguin Random House).

Jon Snow (Aegon Targaryen) From Game of Thrones Would Have Been a Perfect King

Like his ancestor Baelor, Jon Snow from Game of Thrones is another black-haired Targaryen who does not desire the Iron Throne. The son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, Jon was raised as “Ned Stark’s bastard” for most of his life, until the shocking revelation of his true parentage came. The realm believed him to be Ned’s illegitimate son, born during Robert’s Rebellion. Ned brought Jon home from the war and protected his true identity to shield him from Robert Baratheon’s wrath, as Robert was crowned king at the war’s end. Lyanna, though betrothed to Robert, had fled with the heir to the throne, Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, the son of the Mad King. This had cast the Seven Kingdoms into a war that brought about the fall of the Targaryen dynasty.

Jon embodies many of the same qualities as Baelor Breakspear, including a deep emotional nature that cost him the most important positions he could have held. He inherited his mother, Lyanna’s, features. Actually named Aegon Targaryen, Jon went on to achieve great things, such as reuniting the Free Folk with the people south of the wall to protect them from the Night King and the Army of the Dead. Through his diplomatic efforts, he was able to secure a crucial alliance with Daenerys against a common enemy. He fought north and south of the Wall, from King’s Landing to outside and inside Winterfell.

Jon, truly named Aegon Targaryen, had a far stronger claim to the Iron Throne than his aunt Daenerys under the laws of succession. Had he asserted his claim and become king, he could have become one of the realm’s greatest rulers.

The Two Black-Haired Targaryens Outshine Many Of Their Kin

Princes Baelor, Valarr, and Jon Snow prove that true Targaryen power does not reside in the locks, but in character and competence. Aegon II and Aemond, though silver-haired, are flawed in their own ways. Rhaenyra’s sons, on the other hand, are half Targaryen/half Strong and black-haired, yet far more honorable and virtuous than their silver-haired cousins.

Furthermore, marrying outside the Targaryen gene pool often produces heirs with stronger character, better judgment, and great honor, as seen in the case of Baelor and Jon Snow. The marriages that shunned the Targaryen practice of wedding brothers and sisters broke centuries of inbreeding and potentially reduced the risk of Targaryen madness. Heirs born from such unions demonstrate that other bloodlines are capable of tempering the Targaryen extremes.

Baelor and Jon Snow are examples of two exceptionally talented, but dark-haired Targaryens. Both men discredit the myth that the Targaryens' superiority is determined by the color of their hair or their silver-violet eyes. Unfortunately, neither Baelor nor Jon got the chance to rule, and the Seven Kingdoms suffered for it.