Game of Thrones Season 8 so far has turned out to be nothing less than sensational, although even that is a mild word. However, many of those who watched the third episode may have one question pop up. Is the Night King a Targaryen?
Why the Night King could be a Targaryen
It is only natural to have such a question about the Night King after watching the third episode of Game of Thrones Season 8. Although it is still not revealed who actually is the man behind the monster, there have long been theories that he might be a distant relative to Jon and Daenerys and may be in some way connected to the Targaryen bloodline.
Many reasons support this theory. The first is his love for dragons. The Night King is one of three people we have seen ride a dragon so far. The other two, Jon and Daenerys, are Targaryens, of course. Moreover, there is a consensus that dragons can only be ridden by those with Targaryen blood.
A much bigger reason backing the theory of the icy monster being a Targaryen is the fact that he is fireproof. In the last episode, we saw the army led by the Night King pass through a wall of fire which was erected to protect Winterfell. The fire wall hurt most of the white walkers except for one: the Night King.
Moreover, he was unaffected even when Daenerys Targaryen tried to burn him with dragon fire. The Night King came out completely unscathed. The last time we saw something like this was when Daenerys sat in Khal Drogo’s funeral pyre and emerged with three baby dragons.
This seems to prove that Targaryens are unaffected by fire, and based on this, one can say that the white monster may come from the same bloodline.
What about the Mad King?
Another pretty interesting theory making the rounds is that the Night King is actually the Mad King. Although the books suggest the Night King is among the First Men, who were captured by the Children of the Forest, some hints suggest a connection between the icy monster and the Mad King.
The biggest hint comes from the facts uncovered by Samwell Tarly in Season 7. Previous winters turned out to be normal, and even though the White Walkers have existed since the time of the First Men, the “March of Dead” was never recorded before the death of the Mad King.
It is possible that the Mad King, who was so addicted to his throne, has raised an army of the dead to march to King’s Landing and take back his throne. Another thing supporting this theory is that there is no information on what happened to the Mad King’s body after Jaime Lannister killed him.
Why Night King may not be a Targaryen
On the other hand, some reasons make us believe the theory of Night King being a Targaryen is nothing more than just a theory.
First, let’s talk about Night King’s ability to survive the fire. The fact that Daenerys is unaffected by fire does not prove that all Targaryens are fireproof. One of the episodes even showed it. Jon Snow burned his hand early while killing the wights at Castle Black.
Even George RR Martin’s books note that not all Targaryens are fireproof. It may be just one of the super powers the Night King has. Moreover, his icy appearance also seems to suggest that he could be impervious to fire.
As far as the Targaryens being the only ones who can ride a dragon, this might not be applicable in case of the Night King. Viserion isn’t a dragon anymore, but rather, is a wight, and the Night King has complete control over him.
Now let’s debunk the theory of a possible connection between the Mad King and the Night King. Bran’s vision in Season 6 showed the Children of the Forest turning someone into the Night King. According to the books and series, something like this happened with the First Men long before any of these dynasties existed.
Now after the death of the Night King, there is slim chance that we will get to learn his origin story. We can only hope that the Game of Thrones prequel, which has already been ordered by HBO, will answer these questions.
Meanwhile, if you have your own theory –either for or against the Night King being a Targaryen — share it with us in the comments.
