Jon Snow Character Analysis in A Game of Thrones

Jon Snow is Ned’s son who was born out of wedlock. His mother is Wylla, and he is Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon’s half-brother. As a character, Jon Snow provides an examination of the rigid hierarchical structure that dictates socioeconomic standing in King’s Landing. Because Jon is not Ned’s “trueborn” son, he enjoys some of the privileges of a royal upbringing without experiencing the full benefits. He is treated like a member of the family by his siblings, but Catelyn views him with contempt. Jon is sent to serve in the Night’s Watch, a fate that gradually comes to seem to him like a form of exile from the family he once considered his own. Jon is extremely loving and loyal. After Ned is executed, love compels Jon to fight alongside Robb to defeat the Lannisters, while duty requires Jon to stay and fulfill his oath to the Night’s Watch. Jon ultimately decides to stay in the Night’s Watch only when Commander Mormont tells him of his plan to travel beyond the Wall to determine why men have been going missing. That is, Jon chooses duty over love when his duty to the Night’s Watch allows him to pursue the same kind of recognition and renown he was deprived of as part of the Stark family, suggesting that Jon has the same leadership qualities as Ned, though he will never be given a chance to exercise those abilities within the prevailing hierarchy of Westeros.

Jon Snow Quotes in A Game of Thrones

The A Game of Thrones quotes below are all either spoken by Jon Snow or refer to Jon Snow. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

“Robb says the man died bravely, but Jon says he was afraid.”

“What do you think?” his father asked.

Bran thought about it. “Can a man still be brave if he’s afraid?”

“That is the only time a man can be brave,” his father told him.

Related Characters: Ned Stark (speaker), Bran Stark (speaker), Jon Snow, Gared, Robb Stark

Related Symbols: The Others

Page Number and Citation: 13

Explanation and Analysis:

“Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.”

Related Characters: Tyrion Lannister (speaker), Ned Stark, Arya Stark, Jon Snow, Samwell Tarly, Catelyn Stark

Page Number and Citation: 47

Explanation and Analysis:

“I have a realistic grasp of my own strengths and weaknesses. My mind is my weapon. My brother has his sword, King Robert has his warhammer, and I have my mind … and a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.” Tyrion tapped the leather cover of the book. “That’s why I read so much, Jon Snow.”

Related Characters: Tyrion Lannister (speaker), Jaime Lannister/the Kingslayer, Cersei Lannister, Ned Stark, Jon Snow, Robert Baratheon/the Usurper

Page Number and Citation: 103

Explanation and Analysis:

“Your mother and I have charged [Septa Mordane] with the impossible task of making you a lady.”

“I don’t want to be a lady!” Arya flared.

Related Characters: Ned Stark (speaker), Arya Stark (speaker), Jon Snow, Catelyn Stark, Sansa Stark, Septa Mordane, Tyrion Lannister, Myrcella Baratheon

Page Number and Citation: 185

Explanation and Analysis:

Fat and awkward and frightened he might be, but Samwell Tarly was no fool. One night he visited Jon in his cell. “I don’t know what you did,” he said, “but I know you did it.” He looked away shyly. “I’ve never had a friend before.”

“We’re not friends,” Jon said. He put a hand on Sam’s broad shoulder. “We’re brothers.”

And so they were, he thought to himself after Sam had taken his leave. Robb and Bran and Rickon were his father’s sons, and he loved them still, yet Jon knew that he had never truly been one of them. Catelyn Stark had seen to that. The grey walls of Winterfell might still haunt his dreams, but Castle Black was his life now, and his brothers were Sam and Grenn and Halder and Pyp and the other cast-outs who wore the black of the Night’s Watch.

Related Characters: Jon Snow (speaker), Samwell Tarly (speaker), Grenn, Bran Stark, Catelyn Stark, Tyrion Lannister, Pyp, Robb Stark, Rickon Stark, Maester Aemon

Related Symbols: The Others

Page Number and Citation: 228

Explanation and Analysis:

“Jon, did you ever wonder why the men of the Night’s Watch take no wives and father no children?” Maester Aemon asked.

Jon shrugged. “No.” He scattered more meat. The fingers of his left hand were slimy with blood, and his right throbbed from the weight of the bucket.

“So they will not love,” the old man answered, “for love is the bane of honor, the death of duty.”

That did not sound right to Jon, yet he said nothing. The maester was a hundred years old, and a high officer of the Night’s Watch; it was not his place to contradict him.

Related Characters: Jon Snow (speaker), Maester Aemon (speaker), Ned Stark

Page Number and Citation: 552

Explanation and Analysis:

Jon Snow Character Timeline in A Game of Thrones

The timeline below shows where the character Jon Snow appears in A Game of Thrones. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...Winterfell and Warden of the North. Bran is with his brother, Robb, and his half-brother, Jon Snow, who is a “bastard” because he was born out of wedlock. Robb says that... (full context)

...will execute the man himself. The man is missing both of his ears from frostbite. Jon Snow tells Bran not to look away, or else Ned will know that Bran didn’t... (full context)

...died. The wolf is bigger than Bran’s pony, and its fur is matted with ice. Jon says it’s a direwolf. (full context)

Theon says that direwolves haven’t been spotted south of the Wall for over 200 years. Jon says that they’re looking right at one. Ned examines the body of the direwolf and... (full context)

Jon speaks up. He says that Ned has five “trueborn” children and there are five pups.... (full context)

Jon Snow watches the proceedings of the welcome feast for Robert from the benches of a... (full context)

...a private language that the two shared as children. In the note, Lysa writes that Jon Arryn was murdered by the Lannisters. Ned, Catelyn, and Maester Luwin can’t believe the message.... (full context)

...to rule the north, and the baby, Rickon, will stay too. They then talk about Jon Snow. Ned says he can’t take a bastard to King’s Landing—Jon won’t be accepted there.... (full context)

...Arya finds her direwolf, Nymeria. She then goes to watch combat training and sits with Jon Snow. She and Jon have always been close. (full context)

Jon and Arya watch Bran fight Prince Tommen. The two use wooden swords and are wrapped... (full context)

Jon goes to say goodbye to Bran before he rides north to the Wall, where he’ll... (full context)

Jon sees Robb getting the horses ready to depart. Robb won’t be traveling to King’s Landing... (full context)

...talks about memories he and Ned have shared. He asks Ned about Wylla, who is Jon Snow’s mother, but Ned says he besmirched his and Catelyn’s honor by having sex with... (full context)

...tells Ned that he’s going to appoint a new Warden of the East, now that Jon Arryn has died. He says he’s going to choose Jaime Lannister. Ned thinks this is... (full context)

Instead of traveling with the king’s procession, Tyrion goes with Ben and Jon Snow to see the Wall and the Night’s Watch. On their way, Tyrion sits up... (full context)

Jon Snow finds Tyrion reading. The two begin talking, and Tyrion says that he knows Jon,... (full context)

...see corners of the world. He sees King’s Landing and the Dothraki Empire. He sees Jon Snow asleep on top of the Wall, and he peers farther and farther to the... (full context)

Jon fights with another recruit of the Night’s Watch, Grenn, to practice combat. Jon beats him... (full context)

Jon thinks that no one told him the truth about the Wall except for Tyrion. The... (full context)

After Donal breaks up the fight, he tells Jon that he has been acting like an entitled bully. He acts like he thinks that... (full context)

Jon looks up at the Wall. It’s the largest structure humans have ever built and stands... (full context)

In Commander Mormont’s office, Jon reads through the letter that’s been sent. He’s overjoyed to learn that Bran has woken... (full context)

...look out from it one last time. At the top of the Wall, he finds Jon Snow, who is on the night guard. Tyrion says he’ll be going to Winterfell and... (full context)

Robb is visibly upset at Tyrion’s presence (due to his suspicions that the Lannisters killed Jon Arryn and tried to kill Bran). Tyrion senses Robb’s attitude but still gives Maester Luwin... (full context)

...During combat training, Sam falls, and Alliser orders the other boy to keep hitting him. Jon defies Alliser’s orders when he steps in to stop the unfair fight, and Alliser tells... (full context)

That night, Jon talks with Sam. Jon says he misses Winterfell, but Sam doesn’t miss home. He says... (full context)

Jon Snow and his cohort of recruits are preparing to take their vows and receive their... (full context)

For a moment, Jon considers riding home to Winterfell. But the voices of people deriding him and calling his... (full context)

Sam sits down on the bench at breakfast beside Jon. Sam is elated. He’s just learned that he’ll be named a brother of the Night’s... (full context)

...be rangers, others builders. Sam is named a steward and will support Maester Aemon. When Jon’s name is read, he’s surprised to hear that he will be a steward too. He’ll... (full context)

Jon and Sam go past the Wall later that night, escorted by rangers. Jon’s direwolf, Ghost,... (full context)

...back to Winterfell, and she rummages in the chest until she finds the sword that Jon gave her, named Needle. (full context)

Jon, Sam, Commander Mormont, and a group of rangers have ventured beyond the Wall again after... (full context)

...them. Eventually, they get the bodies strapped down. When they reach Castle Black, someone tells Jon that they’ve received a letter that concerns him. They also say that King Robert is... (full context)

When Jon leaves Commander Mormont, Jon’s friends comfort him. They’ve heard the news about Ned, too, and... (full context)

That night, Jon wakes up in his cell to the sound of Ghost scraping at the door. At... (full context)

Ghost attacks the figure, and Jon sinks his sword into the figure’s body. But the sound doesn’t seem right to Jon,... (full context)

Commander Mormont talks to Jon following Jon’s encounter with the undead figure, which they call a wight. Mormont commends Jon... (full context)

Sam tells Jon that Maester Aemon wants to see him. When Jon goes to see Aemon, Aemon tells... (full context)

Jon mounts a horse to ride out of Castle Black and join his brother Robb in... (full context)

Jon has been riding as fast as he can, and his horse has grown tired. He... (full context)

Jon feels like he has no choice. He’s outnumbered, and he can’t see a way to... (full context)

Commander Mormont tells Jon he needs an answer about whether Jon will try and run again, especially because Mormont... (full context)

A Game of Thrones

Jon Snow Character Analysis

Jon Snow Quotes in A Game of Thrones

Chapter 1: Bran Quotes

Chapter 5: Jon Quotes

Chapter 13: Tyrion Quotes

Chapter 22: Arya Quotes

Chapter 26: Jon Quotes

Chapter 60: Jon Quotes

Jon Snow Character Timeline in A Game of Thrones