‘The Winds Of Winter’ Release Date, Theories & Updates: Jon Snow Rejecting His Targaryen Heritage?

HBO's "Game of Thrones" has spoiled a number of major plotlines in the sixth book of George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" novel series, which the highly successful show was based on. One of those spoiled plotlines from "The Winds of Winter" is Jon Snow's true parentage; his parents are Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark -- not Ned.

Theories about Jon's arc in "The Winds of Winter" are rife on Reddit. Some readers speculate that knowing his Targaryen heritage would impact Jon immensely. Jon lived majority of his life proving to Ned that he's as worthy as his "brothers" - Robb, Bran, and Rickon - despite him being a bastard. In HBO's "Game of Thrones," Jon was declared as King in the North because everyone sees him as a Stark and Ned's son.

There's a possibility that Jon won't publicly accept his Targaryen heritage in "The Winds of Winter" because doing so might jeopardize his standing as Winterfell's leader. However, it should be pointed out as well that technically, he's actually a Stark because his mother is Lyanna, Ned's younger sister.

Earlier this month, Martin teased that "The Winds of Winter" will have plenty of "dark chapters," with some of the characters going into "very dark places," News Everyday previously reported. The 68-year-old author said that in the sixth "ASoIaF" book, winter is definitely coming and that is the "time when things die, and cold and ice and darkness fill the world."

Martin stressed that "The Winds of Winter" is "not going to be the happy feel-good that people may be hoping for." The seventh and final "ASoIaF" novel titled "A Dream of Spring," on the other hand, will end on a "bittersweet" note and not the fairy tale kind that readers are hopeful for.

A Reddit post claimed that "The Winds of Winter" will feature more of Varys and Littlefinger's rivalry. Littlefinger will have an advantage over Varys because he knows what the eunuch wants. Varys, however, will have a hard time defeating Littlefinger because of the latter's shifting motives.

An official release date for "The Winds of Winter" is yet to be announced, though many speculate that it won't hit bookshelves in the first quarter of 2017 because Martin is still in the middle of writing it. Martin will limit his public engagements next year so he can write and finish the novel, which was initially geared for a March 2017 release date.

Do you think Jon won't publicly accept his Targaryen heritage? Share your thoughts below!