Jon Snow rose far above the rest in a show full of evil, scheming, and selfish characters. He was just as much bound by duty and honor as his righteous Uncle Ned. The Six Kingdoms and the North wouldn't have seen peace and stability if it wasn't for Jon's heroism and loyalty towards the common people.
Jon Snow from Game of Thrones was an incredibly detailed character, therefore his story arc had to have a far-reaching impact on those around him. Here are the numerous stages in Jon's life that attest to his incredible journey on the show.
The Runt Of The Litter
Although the son of Lyanna Stark and Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, Jon Snow is introduced as Eddard Stark's illegitimate son in the show's pilot. In the same episode, the Stark's discover a litter of Direwolf pups, and Jon talks his father into letting his true-born children adopt them. The runt of the litter goes to him and is named Ghost.
Jon truly loves all his siblings and yearns for his stepmother, Catelyn Stark's love. She looks at him with disdain for he is a living reminder of the one time Ned had betrayed her. Viewers also see what a skilled marksman, an ace sword fighter, and above all, a fairly decent person he is. He had always wanted to be a Ranger, and so, voluntarily decides to take the Black.
Lord Snow
Jon is disappointed to find out thieves and runaways serve in the ancient order of the Night's Watch. In the initial phase of his training, he makes quite a spectacle by outmatching everyone in sword fighting and instantly earns the enmity of Ser Alliser Thorne.
Jon breaks the ice with recruits and begins to train them. He constantly looks out for his friend Samwell Tarly. As a way of thanking Jon for saving him from a wight attack, Lord Commander Jeor Mormont bestows upon him his Valyrian steel sword - Longclaw. Though Jon temporarily deserts the Night's Watch to join Robb's rebellion, he ultimately abides by his oath to stay with the Watch.
A Brother Of The Night's Watch
Having learned the war against the White Walkers is far more important than the game of thrones in King's Landing, Jon finds a whole new purpose in manning the wall. Led by Ser Mormont, the Night's Watch ride out beyond the wall in force against the Wildlings, and the White Walkers.
While Jon also discovers the unpleasant secrets about Craster, it is through him that the Night's Watch learns that all of the Wildlings and the king beyond the wall have been organizing a mutiny against them. Jon joins the legendary Qhorin Halfhand to venture deep into the Wilding territory, meets the fierce Wildling girl named Ygritte, and begins to fall in love with her.
Loyal To The Night's Watch
While in captivity of the Wildlings, Jon slays Qhorin in a mock battle, thereby shocking Ygritte and her band. He then infiltrates Mance Rayder’s camp as a spy.
Pretending to disavow the Night's Watch, Jon narrates the horrors of Craster's Keep to earn Mance's confidence. During the time spent beyond the wall, Jon begins to realize the only fight that's worth fighting is one against the dead and that they are a threat to the whole of humankind. At season 3's end, while fleeing for Castle Black, Jon is shot thrice by Ygritte's arrows. It's a bitter farewell, but nevertheless, Jon returns as a changed man.
The Watcher On The Wall
At the beginning of season 4, Jon is called to testify before a panel of sworn brothers who want him executed. He returns the intelligence gathered beyond the wall, including his admission that he had a relationship with a Wildling.
Ser Allister finds it difficult to believe Mance Rayder is planning to march on the wall with an army of 100,000. But when Jon speaks of the unification of the Thenns, the Hornfoots, the ice-river clans, and the impending Wildling attack towards the south of the wall, everyone is stunned.
Jon then leads an expedition to quell the mutiny at Craster's keep, while Castle Black prepares to fight Mance's approaching army. Despite being hugely outnumbered, the Night's Watch defends itself against the surprise attack. Ygritte, who is hit from behind, dies in Jon's arms, and Tormund is imprisoned. The next morning Jon unarms himself and sets off North to kill Mance under the pretense of negotiating with him.
Lord Commander Jon Snow
As Jon sits in front of Mance, the latter emphasizes that his people do not aim to conquer but to save themselves from the doom of the winter. While the two men negotiate, Stannis Baratheon's army arrives and kills several of them. Mance is taken hostage and Stannis appears visibly impressed by Jon's valor.
Jon is briefly tempted to take up Stannis' offer to give him the North and become a true Stark. He chooses to remain loyal to the Night's Watch and is subsequently elected as the 998th Lord Commander. After the events of the Hardhome massacre, Jon is assassinated for letting the Free Folk through the gates of Castle Black.
The King In The North
Season 6 shines a light on Jon's worthwhile qualities and proves he's taken Ned's place as the most honorable man in the Seven Kingdoms. At the very beginning, Melisandre appeals to the Lord of the Light to resurrect Jon Snow. Just when all hope is lost, he returns from the dead, gets justice over his own murder, and declares his intention to leave the Night's Watch.
Jon enters a new phase of his life - retaking Winterfell alongside his sister, Sansa. The Stark siblings and Ser Davos plead with the Northern houses for their alliance. After defeating House Bolton in the Battle of The Bastards, House Stark takes their ancestral seat in Winterfell, and Jon is gloriously elected as the King in the North.
Aegon Targaryen
Under this leadership, the Northerners busy themselves in organizing defense against the army of the dead. Jon orders to train people in combat, and stresses the need to mine Dragonglass. And so, he answers Daenerys' call for her ancestral seat, Dragonstone sits on a mountain of Dragonglass.
When they first meet, the Dragon and the Wolf argue about their conflicting priorities in that she wants him to bend the knee and he wants her to halt hostilities. Thanks to Tyrion's futile advice to convince Cersei to proclaim an armistice, Daenerys sees Jon for what he is and agrees to band together. In their moments of intimacy, Jon pledges eternal fealty to her.
However, the real turning point comes at the end when Bran Stark and Samwell confirm that Robert's rebellion was built on a lie, Jon is really named Aegon Targaryen, and he is the heir to the Iron Throne.
The King Beyond The Wall
Jon spends the majority of season 8 fighting the dead and the living. After defeating the Night King in the Long Night Battle and fighting for Daenerys in King's Landing, he's torn between love and duty. Realizing the Dragon Queen is irredeemable, Jon's sense of duty overrides and he kills her. Whilst, King Bran absolves his crime, he is sentenced to take the Black.
In the closing scene of Game of Thrones, with Tormund by his side and the Free Folk behind him, Jon abandons Castle Black and rides into the Haunted Forest. Though fans were disappointed in Jon Snow's ending, the fact of the matter is that he always wanted to be a ranger. In the end, the last male heir of House Targaryen willingly relinquished power to live the rest of his days as a free man.