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With the Battle of Winterfell upon us, Game of Thrones fans are prepared to say goodbye to a lot of fan-favorite characters. But while he might be the White Walkers' number one target after Bran, there are plenty of signs that Jon Snow survives the Battle of Winterfell. As the valiant military leader of the entire battle, he'll be in the thick of it. And when he's not killing wights or taking on White Walkers, he plans to face the Night King when — well, if — he comes for Bran. But even with all of this high-risk behavior, Jon Snow/Aegon Targaryen should live to see at least another episode or three on Game of Thrones.
Although Game of Thrones has killed a tremendous amount of characters, some characters seem to have nine lives. In the case of Beric Dondarrion, that's pretty literal. But as the only other known resurrected character, Jon is right behind him. And it's not just the fact that he has been resurrected or his uncanny ability to survive events that seem rather unsurvivable that make it appear like Jon will live past the Battle of Winterfell. His lineage is also fairly impossible — as Daenerys herself said when Jon finally confessed to her that he's the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark.
No one should be naive enough to believe with any sort of certainty that Jon Snow will make it out of Game of Thrones alive. But here are some signs that Aegon will go on beyond the Battle of Winterfell.
1
He Can Ride A Dragon
The only humans who have ridden dragons are the two living Targaryens — Jon and Dany. And while Jon would never abandon his people, it's pretty clutch that he could go off and ride Rhaegal if all hope was lost.
2
He Can Be Resurrected
Thoros isn't around anymore, so that's not good news for Beric. But Melisandre could make her way back to Westeros. And if she got to Jon before he turned into a wight or White Walker, the Red Woman could resurrect him again. Because even though Jon had previously asked never to be brought back again, that doesn't mean Melisandre would respect his wishes.
3
He Has Survived In Other Ways
Jon seemed to have a safety aura around him during the Battle of the Bastards. And Uncle Benjen miraculously saved him when he went beyond the Wall to capture the wight. In these cases, there seemed to be more luck (or magic?) protecting Jon than any skill. So that kind of mystical good fortune for Jon could happen again during the Battle of Winterfell.
4
He Needs To Live As His True Identity
The only people who know that Jon is really a Targaryen are Bran, Sam, and Daenerys. While Game of Thrones has no issue with being unbearably tragic, it does seem like Jon should have the chance to live a bit longer knowing his true identity. And considering his parentage causes a whole lot of drama between him and his lady love about who the Iron Throne belongs to, that feels like reason enough to keep him around.
5
He Could Be The Prince That Was Promised
Missandei has cleared up Melisandre's fave prophecy by clarifying that it can be the Prince or Princess That Was Promised. But if you believe that Jon is the person who fulfills this prophecy, then he should be the one who defeats the White Walkers and ends the endless night. And while that doesn't guarantee he will be breathing by the end of Game of Thrones, it should mean that he outlives the Night King.
6
Ghost Could Save Him
All of the Stark direwolves have shown up for their owners, but the once-runt Ghost may just be the MVP. Considering he took down a wight to protect Jon all the way back in Season 1 and that he was spotted in "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," Ghost's final heroic effort may be saving Jon during the Battle of Winterfell. So get ready to potentially pour one out for Ghost.
7
He Needs To Survive For His Baby?
Before they knew they were related, Jon and Daenerys were feeling the love. So there's a chance Dany could be pregnant. This is super theoretical, but even if you think the potential pregnancy could end tragically, Jon might need to live another day for this plot twist.
8
He Has The Most Experience Fighting White Walkers
Despite Jon knowing nothing, he is the one person who has the most hand-to-hand combat experience killings wights and White Walkers. (Sorry, Sam). So just from this perspective alone, he has a better chance of survival than nearly anyone else.
9
He's Got To Be The One Who Faces The Night King
The Night King will absolutely want to take out the Three-Eyed Raven ... eventually. But when it comes to battles, he only has eyes for Jon since this pesky human has survived his attacks time and time again. If you suspect that the Night King won't actually be at the Battle of Winterfell and instead will be attacking King's Landing, then Jon will have to survive because he has got to take down the Night King one way or another.
10
He's Part Of The Bigger Game
At this point, there might not even be an Iron Throne when Game of Thrones ends. But Jon (and Daenerys) are part of the bigger story of Westeros and who will rule it if they defeat the White Walkers. So while he has consistently been one of the only people to recognize the legitimate threat that the White Walkers are, he does have other business to attend to — throne or no throne.
11
Humanity Needs Him ... At Least For 3 More Episodes
As a bastard, Jon was voted as the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch and made King in the North. Against all odds, he bands together people who otherwise would be at war with one another. His leadership skills are necessary for humanity to survive. And while he may not be alive by the end of Game of Thrones, he should at least make it a couple more episodes to help show people the way forward.
Things might not look promising for this potential Prince That Was Promised in the previews. But the future is grim for every single character on Game of Thrones. And as this list shows, if someone is going to make it out of the Battle of Winterfell alive, it's gotta be Jon Snow.
