Though Game of Thrones had one of the biggest ensembles in television history, it's not hard to argue that Jon Snow was the central character. As the seasons went on, Jon evolved from a heroic yet ignorant young man to the series' main hero. His journey was at the center of the show right until the end.
While Jon's character was certainly interesting, not everything about him hit the mark. There were certain decisions and developments that didn't really add up and it still has fans asking questions more than a year after the series finale. While he certainly became an iconic character, not everything about Jon Snow makes sense.
Joining The Night's Watch
When viewers meet Jon at the beginning of the series, he has only one dream for his future: to join the Night's Watch. He sees it as the most honorable position in Westeros and is eager to become one of the "brothers" of the ancient order.
However, Jon is shocked when he finds that the Night's Watch is filled with horrible criminals and people who are far from heroic. If this was his dream, how could he not have known what it was really like? It doesn't seem like it's a big secret in Westeros.
The Battle Of The Bastards
One of the most impressive battle sequences in the series is the famous Battle of the Bastards, between Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton. It made for an epic, gruesome and thrilling fight, but it also showed Jon making some really dumb decisions.
Ramsay begins by taunting Jon, killing his brother Rickon. Jon immediately falls for the trap and charges at Ramsay's army alone. What was his plan? Did he really think he could take on an army by himself? How did anyone trust him to lead if he could so easily abandon all strategy?
Saving The Wildlings
Initially, Jon sees the wildlings as enemies of the Night's Watch, but after spending time with them, he realizes that they are much different than he imagined. He grows close with them and eventually makes a plan to rescue the remaining wildlings and let them pass through the Wall.
The rest of the Night's Watch disagrees with this decision, but Jon goes to Hardhome to rescue them anyway. But how did he know the others would let him pass through the Wall when he returned? He even left the guy who hates him the most in charge when he was gone.
His True Parentage
After years of mystery, it is eventually revealed that Jon is not Ned Stark's bastard son, but rather the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. Ned kept this secret and raised Jon as his own to ensure his safety.
Ned did a great job keeping it secret for all those years, not even telling his wife. But how is it that the truth never got out? Other people would have known Lyanna and Rhaegar were together. And did no one wonder why Ned was returning from Dorne with a baby?
His Resurrection
Much like Ned Stark, Jon was always trying to do what he thought was right and it eventually got him killed. After rescuing the wildlings, his Night's Watch brothers turn on him and stab him to death. Luckily, Melisandre is around to bring him back to life.
Jon and Beric Dondarrion are the only two people who were brought back to life by the Lord of Light. But for such an amazing act of magic that has world-altering implications, no one really talks about his resurrection at all.
Backing Daenerys
Fans had been eagerly awaiting the meeting between Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow, which finally happened in Season 7. Their relationship started off tense as Jon refused to bend the knee because he wanted the North to remain independent.
But after Daenerys saves him from Beyond the Wall, he accepts her as his queen. This was a big move to make without consulting anyone from the North. It seems like a major betrayal of Jon's position as a leader.
Plan To Capture A Wight
Jon was one of the only leaders in Westeros who knew that the threat of the Night King was bigger than anything else facing Westeros. In order to get the rest of the realm to acknowledge the severity of the threat, he devises a plan to go Beyond the Wall and capture a soldier from the Army of the Dead.
It is crazy how bad this plan is and yet everyone just goes along with it. Jon had no way of knowing if the dead man could be transported. The fact that they found one lone soldier to capture was just dumb luck. And they seemed to have no plan for escaping.
Being Related To Daenerys
As many fans predicted when they first met, Jon and Daenerys quickly started a romantic relationship. But just as they are falling in love, it is revealed that they are related, which should complicate things.
Eventually, the truth is revealed to Jon and Daenerys as well. But neither of them really seems to be all that horrified by the revelation. It is a very big deal that is just sort of ignored by everyone.
The Battle Of Winterfell
The climactic battle between the show's heroes and the Night King's army finally came in Season 8. The battle took place at Winterfell and many expected Jon Snow would be the one to finally kill the Night King and save the day.
Instead, he is pretty useless the entire battle. He flies around on a dragon, offering little to no help. He just sits there watching the fight for an extended period of time. For someone who is always rushing into battle, it makes no sense he would be so inactive.
Being Sent Back To The Night's Watch
Once Daenerys burns King's Landing to the ground, Jon finally decides she has gone too far and kills her. He is quickly arrested and the council of Westeros' lords convene to decide his fate. Eventually, it is decided that he will be sent back to the Night's Watch.
Since the Wall is destroyed and the Night King is dead, Jon rightfully wonders why there is still a Night's Watch, and Tyrion explains there will always be a place for cripples, bastards, and broken things. But that still doesn't explain what the function of the Night's Watch would be now that there is no one Beyond the Wall.