‘Game of Thrones’: Jon Snow Reacts to His Secret Parentage in Season 8 Premiere

Jon Snow learned the truth of his parentage on Sunday’s episode of Game of Thrones, and his reaction was predictably shocked.

Warning! Spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 1 lie ahead!

Fans have known for a while now that Jon Snow was not actually the bastard son of Ned Stark. In flashback scenes, the show’s writers have revealed that Jon is actually the son of Lyanna Stark — Ned’s sister — and Rhaegar Targaryen. The moment that Jon himself learned this fact finally came on Sunday, and his initial reaction was anger.

On the season premiere, Bran instructed Sam to tell Jon about his parents. Sam found Jon near Ned Stark’s crypt, where he blurted out the truth. Jon, who loved Ned, grew angry at the insinuation that he could have been lied to for his entire life.

Sam was able to convince Jon of the truth in a conversation that seemed somewhat rushed and frantic. Eventually, he accepted that Ned would have pretended that Jon was his to protect him from King Robert Baratheon, who hated Rhaegar Targaryen more than anyone in the world.

From there, Jon’s reaction became one of shock. He was left to mull over the implications of this news with Sam, who pointed out that his claim to the throne now superseded Daenerys’. Sam astutely noted that Jon had already given up “everything” for his people, and asked if Daenerys would do the same.

This question is left to hang in the air, as Jon apparently wrestles with it. The episode found him losing the support of northern lords in droves, with the Umbers falling to the Night King and the Glovers withdrawing into their holdfast, angry that he bent the knee to Daenerys. Still, fans know that Jon is the kind of person to advocate for himself, so he would only seek the throne if he thought it was the best way to keep his people safe from the Armies of the Dead.

While we saw Jon Snow’s initial reaction to the truth of his past this week, there are still lots of questions to consider in the coming weeks. For one thing, Jon and Daenerys have been getting serious in their romantic relationship, to the point where many other characters are now hoping that they will marry. Will the news that they are aunt an nephew change that for anyone?

Fans will have to tune in next week to find out. Game of Thrones airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.