Raised the bastard son of Eddard Stark, Jon Snow had a hard lot in life. Eight seasons of Game of Thrones weren’t kind to many, but Jon especially had to deal with quite a lot. Between believing himself lesser than his siblings to losing every woman he’s ever loved, Jon marching off North of the Wall at the end of the series is more a mercy than anything.
Considering how little season 8 utilized Jon, it’s hard to believe Jon Snow was once the closest thing Game of Thrones had to a main character. Jon built a fanbase unlike any other, only to take a backseat to season 8’s pitiful storytelling. When all is said and done, though, Jon Snow exits Game of Thrones on a better note than most characters.
Overrated: All The Meaningful Looks From The Night King
This one just hurts in hindsight. Jon Snow was one of the only characters on Game of Thrones who the Night King had any remote connection to. While Bran Stark would arguably develop a more meaningful “rivalry” with the Night King, Jon Snow and the Night King shared enough meaningful looks to suggest that the final battle would be between these two characters.
Even if the idea of a final battle in Game of Thrones is silly, all logic dictated that Jon Snow would play a critical role in defeating the Night King. While he technically does, the fact Jon and the Night King don’t fight at all makes all those scenes hyping up Jon to face off against the Night King almost painful.
Underrated: Ending Karl’s Mutiny
Season 4 is a really good season for Jon Snow’s development, and it certainly helps that it was around this time where Kit Harington started to get a real feel for Jon’s character. Jon spends all season trying to be the voice of reason at Castle Black, building up leadership skills in the process that ultimately get him elected Lord Commander.
One of his best moments comes in a show exclusive mini-arc where Jon Snow leads the Night's Watch into Craster’s Keep to end Karl Tanner’s mutiny. Jon shows off some great swordplay here, and even learns to fight dirty from his duel with Karl– something which comes to save his life during the Battle of Castle Black.
Overrated: Cheating Death North Of The Wall
The expedition beyond The Wall is a hard sell to begin with. The fact that Tyrion, the supposed smartest character in the show, makes such a dumb suggestion outright demands a suspension of disbelief. It’s a dumb plan that leads to a similarly dumb episode that’s a good showcase of the series’ action, but not much else.
One of the worst moments comes at the end of the episode where Jon Snow is seemingly left for dead, only for Benjen to suddenly save his life. This is Jon cheating death on an almost absurd level, and he’s a character who’s already come back to life before! What a failure of writing.
Underrated: Jon’s Tactical Abilities
Jon Snow gets a lot of flak for being a bad tactician, in large part due to his showing during the Battle of the Bastards. Jon essentially walks into Ramsay’s trap. Rickon dies and the Stark forces are trapped in a brutal attack. Taking into account that Jon’s army outnumbered and it seems foolish for him to have fought at all.
But it’s important he did. The North values a leader who not only fights on the frontlines, but doesn’t back down. Jon is the kind of leader who inspires morale. More importantly, Ramsay forced Jon’s hand– everything Jon does in the Battle of the Bastards he basically had to do in order to stay alive. There’s a reason Jon can march into Winterfell to defeat Ramsay without much trouble.
Overrated: Jon’s Resurrection
To the character’s credit, Jon’s development in season 6 does an excellent job at justifying his revival. It can be hard to see considering how seasons 7 and 8 bungle his character, on Snow is fundamentally changed coming back to life. He’s quieter, darker, and more than content to march headfirst into death against Ramsay.
It’s a good arc for Jon, but his resurrection is a poor story beat that’s executed even worse. Season 6’s first episode acts like Jon won’t be coming back at all, saving his revival for the end of the second episode, but it just doesn’t play out right. Game of Thrones refuses to commit to Jon’s death with a weird tongue in cheek approach that just doesn’t fit the tone of the show.
Underrated: Facing Off Against Viserion
The Battle of Winterfell has a lot of narrative problems– failing to kill off characters, improper character balance, awkward pacing– but it is a visual spectacle filled with raw emotion from start to finish. It doesn’t have as much bite as it should, but it really is an excellent piece of television in a vacuum.
Similarly, while Jon Snow doesn’t get the big moment the entire series was arguably building up to, it is admittedly cool seeing him face off against Viserion. While Jon isn’t actually able to best the dragon in combat, the fact he tries and finds himself locked puts into perspective just how dangerous a dragon is in combat– not even Jon Snow can best one. Still, he was ready to go out fighting before Arya saved the day.
Overrated: Jon Learning To Ride Rhaegal
Game of Thrones made a huge deal about Jon’s connection with Daenerys’ dragons, to the point where Jon actually gets to tame and ride Rhaegal at the start of season 8. The whole reason Jon learns to ride Rhaegal is to fight the Night King, but the Battle of Winterfell ends up making very little use of Jon on the dragon.
Once he’s fallen off, Jon never rides Rhaegal again. In fact, Jon never really pays attention to Rhaegal again. Game of Thrones shoves Jon into the background in order to focus on Daenerys’ madness and destroying everything the show had built up for eight years.
Underrated: Bending The Knee To Daenerys
This might very well have been the beginning of the end for Game of Thrones, but in the context of season 7, and even the whole series honestly, Jon bending the knee to Daenerys makes perfect sense and is absolutely something he should have done. Jon values humanity above all else, and he absolutely will give away his title of King if it means saving his people.
Jon is fairly forward thinking in that regard, but it’s also a smart political move on his part, securing an absolutely essential ally for the wars to come. Had Jon not bent the knee to Daenerys, mankind wouldn’t be around to watch her snap at King’s Landing.
Overrated: Killing Daenerys
It’s never a good look killing your lover mid-sentence, but Jon Snow did what Tyrion Lannister made him believe he needed to do. Honestly, Daenerys isn’t treated all that well throughout season 8. Sure, her madness is foreshadowed, but it’s not exactly handled or written with tact– her death especially.
Kit Harington acts his heart out, so credit where credit is due, but it’s just such a hard moment to watch for all the wrong reasons. It’s like watching Game of Thrones stab everything it once represented. The finale doesn’t get much better from there, but if nothing else, Jon Snow’s arc ends on an appropriate note.
Underrated: Jon’s Fate
It’s clear that Jon Snow was never going to be King of Westeros, nor was he going to remain King in the North. The question became what exactly would happen to him: would he die again? Leave Westeros? King Bran the Broken ultimately exiles Jon North of the Wall, and while the logistics of such a punishment aren’t sound, it’s a good fate for Jon.
Jon Snow was always at his happiest with the Free Folk, Beyond the Wall. Leading the Free Folk North as winter ends is as fitting a fate as any for Jon. The political life isn’t for him, and being with the Free Folk is a nice way to wrap up Jon’s arc.