Spoilers for the Season 6 finale of Game of Thrones are all over this article. If you haven't caught the episode, yet, and would like to be surprised, please check out one of our other lovely articles.
While Game of Thrones may have featured the suicide of a Lannister, the assassination of a Frey and the plotting of a bunch of Northern men, it also spent a little time with Bran, who finally located another weirwood tree near The Wall. Bran finding the Weirwood tree gave him the opportunity to finally understand what happened at the Tower of Joy, confirming a theory that many fans have believed all along: that Jon Snow is actually the product of Lyanna Stark and (assumedly) Rhaegar Targaryen. The funny thing is: just a short minute later, it didn't even matter.
When Bran revisited the Tower of Joy, he saw the much younger version of his father meet up with his sister for the final time. She was bleeding heavily and stated she didn't want to die, but there was clearly too much blood. Before she passed away, she asked her brother to do a favor, whispering in his ear. A short moment later, Bran saw his father take a baby into his arms--a baby with eyes that looked very much like Jon Snow's.
It should have been an explosive moment, a game changer proving that Jon Snow is not the bastard of Ned Stark, and that Ned Stark was only doing his sister a favor when he claimed Jon as his own. If Bran could get south of The Wall and explain the truth to the world, it would give Jon Snow a much stronger leadership claim moving forward, should he want it. Even more so, it would give Jon Snow the truth he has been craving since Season 1, when he asked Ned Stark to reveal who his mother was. Eddard Stark had promised he would tell Jon Snow the whole story, but Jon Snow went to the wall and the elder Stark had his head chopped off on a whim of Joffrey Baratheon's.
As it turns out, though, Jon Stark won't be needing Bran's help. He won't even be needing the truth, as the houses of the North were meeting while Bran was at the weirwood tree. After a short debate and a strong speech by the young but headstrong Lyanna Mormont, the houses of the North all claimed fealty to Jon Snow. Moving forward, he will be the new king of the North. It doesn't matter that they think he is a bastard. He's made a name for himself all on his own.
Jon Snow gave up his position as head of the Night's Watch. He was coerced into fighting against Ramsay Bolton last week by Sansa and fought nobly (and maybe a little stupidly), but not because he really wanted the leadership position. Instead, he simply thought fighting for Rickon was the right thing to do. Still, leadership has been thrust upon him--again--whether he likes it or not, and will presumably be figuring out what to do as the King of the North moving forward. He'll be doing so, just as Dany heads toward Westeros and Cersei takes on the crown.
On a side note, Howland Reed, Meera's father and another person at the Tower of Joy, is still very much alive on the series. While Bran may not be able to get people to believe in his prophesies, he's not the only person who is in on the secret of Jon Snow's parentage. Should Snow's status ever come into question again, Howland Reed may very well pop up.
Game of Thrones returns next Spring for Season 7 on HBO. Find out what we know so far here.
