Game Of Thrones: 10 Jon Snow Quotes From The Books That Should've Made It To The Show
Jon Snow, like many other characters, didn't have the most satisfying ending to his story in Game of Thrones. The entire mystical energy that surrounded the bastard-turned-Prince-that-was-promised fell flat because the show didn't do much with aside from creating a rift between him and his aunt slash lover Daenerys.
However, George RR Martin is still completing A Song of Ice And Fire, meaning that Jon's fate is still out in the open. His character in the books was slightly better developed than the series' counterpart, meaning that there are plenty of quotes that could've been included in order to further cement Snow's character. So, with that in mind, let's take a look at the best Jon Snow quotes from the novels that should have made it to Game of Thrones.
10 There's no shame in fear, my father told me, what matters is how we face it.
Even though he spent his entire life believing he was an unwanted bastard, Jon still took his heritage and his father's teachings seriously. Ned's honor and bravery were his defining traits, traits that were very much present in Jon.
However, Snow's connection and affinity for Eddard aren't explored on the show as much as they could've been, which took away from a key aspect of what made Jon behave the way he did.
9 The more you give a king, the more he wants. We are walking on a bridge of ice with an abyss on either side. Pleasing one king is difficult enough. Pleasing two is hardly possible.
Matters of primogeniture, royalty, and politics were some of the most prevalent driving forces in Game of Thrones and were behind most of the characters' motivations.
Not Jon, though. He had no interest in Kings and Queens, and his disdain for such matters was heavily implied in the books. Not quite as much in the series, though.
8 Give me honorable enemies rather than ambitious ones, and I’ll sleep more easily by night.
Honor got Eddard Stark killed. And many saw this as a sign of weakness or stupidity, often making fun of Ned and the Starks who were so keen on being honorable and just.
But that didn't keep Jon from truly believing that honor was the most important trait a man could possess. This meant he did not only follow through with actions and words that were honorable but that he deeply respected those who behaved the same way - even if they were his enemies. Besides, honor means a fair battle; ambition means certain death.
7 Different roads sometimes lead to the same castle.
The Stark children went their separate ways pretty early on both in the books and the series. And the moment when Jon, Sansa, Bran, and Arya finally reunited was a touching one on Game of Thrones, despite the tense undertones that defined the scene.
In the books, and for quite a while there, Jon truly believed that even though he would eventually join the Watch, he would see his sisters and brothers again. As the show and the books showed us, different paths do tend to lead to the same place.
6 The only time a man can be brave is when he is afraid.
The only thing that was more prominent about Jon's character other than honor was bravery. He didn't shy away from challenges and he went through some of the harshest moments and fights in the sphere of Westeros.
Bravery, however, never meant the complete absence of fear. At least for Jon, it was in the moment when fear was the most potent that he looked it straight in the face and marched on, winning many battles along the way.
5 There's been no one. Only you.
The relationship between Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen failed to impress. Mostly because it felt forced and the two actors lacked romantic chemistry - they certainly didn't become as popular as Jon and Ygritte did.
Ygritte remains, in the eyes of many, Jon's true love. She was the first woman she loved and whom he shared everything with. And this relationship was, indeed, well portrayed on the show - we only wished they had gone a little deeper where Jon's feelings are concerned.
4 They had chosen him to rule. The Wall was his, and their lives were his as well.
Jon's thoughts are often a more interesting peek into who he is than his dialogue. Much like in the show, Jon is a man of few words, and his emotions shine through better when the action takes the driver's seat.
When Jon became the Commander of the Night's Watch, it was a big moment for him. And even though the audience knew it, the scenes still lacked something on Jon's part to let the audience know how much it truly meant.
3 You gave me help when I needed it. Give Bran your words too.
Tyrion and Jon shared quite an interesting relationship in the books and in the beginning of the show. Jon saw Tyrion as somewhat of a kindred spirit since they were both rejected by society and their families alike.
And more than that, Jon saw how unbelievably intelligent Tyrion was. His words had quite an impact on him, so much so, that he asks him to share his wisdom with his younger brother too.
2 Tell Robb that I'm going to command the Night's Watch and keep him safe, so he might as well take up needlework with the girls and have Mikken melt down his sword for horseshoes.
One of the most heartwarming fraternal relationships George RR Martin wrote was the one between Jon and Robb. The two were great friends and supported each other through and through, often in a playful manner.
This relationship didn't see too much air time during Game of Thrones, which was a shame since it could've gone a long way in showing how Jon Snow interacted with the people he cared about.
1 He was who he was; Jon Snow, bastard and oathbreaker, motherless, friendless, and damned. For the rest of his life—however long that might be—he would be condemned to be an outsider, the silent man standing in the shadows who dares not speak his true name.
It's hard to blame Jon Snow for feeling this way after a lifetime of being rejected by Caitlin and being hailed a bastard by everyone who met him and knew him. This obviously took a great toll on who he was a person and shaped his character in several ways.
But we never get to see how deep these scars run on the show aside from the rare pieces of dialogue where he is called bastard and lets people know he never knew his mother. And what's more, when he finds out the truth about his true parentage in Game of Thrones, this revelation doesn't seem to have any impact whatsoever on the man he is and what this means for his character. A lot of wasted opportunities for great television there.