After a quiet off-season with few official updates from the HBO and Game of Thrones camp, the first official piece of artwork was released today- a Game of Thrones teaser poster featuring a bloody Jon Snow!
The teaser poster also includes the word “April,” appearing to confirm an April return date for the show. Some feared that Game of Thrones might not return until May 1st or even later, due to the presence of HBO’s new show Vinyl on Sunday nights. If Game of Thrones is premiering in April, it most likely will be the last Sunday of April, the 24th.
What do you think of the poster, readers? It’s not the final main poster for season 6- this is just for a tease. And I think it works great for that, featuring the character everyone is still obsessed with.
Hodor?
HODOR! SO FREAKING EXCITED!!
Hodor?
It’s pretty nice!
Congrats 🙂
And I guess they are done with the worst kept secret in TV? 🙂 I like it.
After some disappointing work regarding both their teaser and official posters, I must say this one is amazing. Simple, but very effective.
April Targaryen, the first of his name!
A great teaser poster.
The blood effect is a really bad photoshop job, though.
EW’s article includes the mysterious words “More to come…”, so I guess James Hibberd knows something we don’t. Probably that this is just the beginning of an incoming promotional campaign?
That should get people pumped. And fortunately the premiere is in april, and not may, as we’d feared.
Jon Snow’s on the teaser poster? But Jon Snow’s dead! Wait, guys… You don’t think this means he might be coming back…?
I bet the meeting at HBO went something like this:
“Hey, you see this Walking Dead stuff?”
“YEAH!”
“And we just did an episode of a character dying and being brought back on one of our other shows…”
“YEAH!”
“Let’s not do that for another 6 months with Jon Snow.”
“YEAH!”
The hype is real!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, my heart, my beating heart!
Whoa. I was not expecting HBO to feature Jon in any promotional posters in order to maintain their stance that’s he’s ‘deader than dead’. This is a nice surprise!
Hurry up and get here already, April 2016.
Luka Nieto,
I imagine there would be ‘more to come’- there’s usually more than one tease, certainly this far in advance of the season.
Hype train has arrived, all aboard!!
Wow… Shit. Well I’m glad they’re going that route cause pretending Jon was done for good isn’t working with all the present and future leaks.
It’s nice that HBO is throwing their hands in the air and admitting defeat regarding this comeback.
How long until someone starts claiming this poster as absolute proof Jon Snow loses an eye?
Homina. I hope he rises again harder and stronger.
What?
Actually it is the best photoshop I’ve ever seen. I graduated from photoshop sunday school so I know what I’m talking about. Lord Stoneheart Jon confirmed.
Sue the Fury,
Of course. I kinda assumed he meant “More to come soon“.
The Dragon Demands,
What what?
I guess it’s not a complete confirmation from HBO that he’ll return, as he looks pretty dead in that picture. It COULD mean we’ll just see the repercussions of his murder next season. It doesn’t, but it could.
NO WORDS!!!! Awesome poster!!!!
OMG… GOOSEBUMPS, I love it!!!! Can’t wait for season 6!!!!
Yeah… Totally agree with you!
On a more serious note, did anyone else notice that the picture’s from season 3 where he’s wearing his Wildling garb, instead his Night’s Watch clothes? I think that’s to signify that he is done with the Night’s Watch and is leading the Wildlings now (heh, as if we didn’t already know).
Luka Nieto,
I agree partially. The blood around the nose looks a bit… off but it looks fine on his cheeks and mouth, too me at least.
Damn, if that poster doesn’t get your blood pumping, you might be a wight (no homo)
I’ve been wondering how much re: Jon would be featured in this season’s promotional campaign. After several months of increasingly silly media questioning about whether he was dead, a lot of the more recent set reports posted on this site have been picked up by other news sites and taken his survival as a given. It’ll be interesting to see how much HBO shows, and whether Kit Harington will be missing from the preseason interview circuit.
Love it.
I thought GoT would still première in April so that it would qualify for the Emmys in 2016. I’m not bothered by the fact that it will be a couple of weeks ;later too much, so this is good news.
I quite like it. Winter is coming.
Its way too much awesome bloody and scarred Jon snow
Glad that show will be returning in April …
Which means we will be getting the trailer at the end of January..
Iam guessing that there will be more to come with other major characters once in a week or two times a week …with characters like dany arya tyrion sansa bran Jamie and cersei..
And we will be having year ended of HBO soon …
So great kick off to what looks like to be biggest season yet
Allow me a moment of pointless speculation: I notice that the fur lining of the cloak thingy is not black like it’s been since S2 episode 1. Looks like the off-white color that he wore throughout S1.
Hmmm, what could it mean?? Probably absolutely nothing, but I’m over-amped by this totally unexpected crumb thrown our way by HBO.
Hey, anyone (other than me, that is) thinks the blood stain under Jon’s eye looks like 1? 1st of April?
Like it! Glad to see it will be April not May to start, the sooner the better!! 😀
I haven’t been the biggest fan of HBO’s past posters, but this one is striking.
KK,
1st of April is Friday. So no.
I like to think that HBO has confirmation that The Winds of Winter will be published before April, so they’ve decided to include Jon in marketing materials.
Yes, that’s what I’ll keep telling myself…
That’s Jon Snow raising from the dead right before he opens his eyes!
Awesome poster, great tease, good job HBO!
HBO knows how to break the intenet and have everyone talking about GoT! 😛
Fantastic teaser art! 🙂
I like it!!
Luka Nieto,
1st of April is also April fools day. Happy April Fools Day, he’s not actually dead!
oooh!
Alternate caption: “April is coming.”
But not soon enough!!!
Am I the only one who finds it curious that blood is coming out of his eyes?
I have a good feeling about this
Also so glad they aren’t pushing back GoT.
Spring time means GoTs for 5 years now, when the trees start to bud and the grass turns green, that means cookouts, alcohol and family get to-togethers, climaxed with a GoT viewing.
I shouldn’t be as absurdly excited by this as I am, but I just can’t help myself! I did NOT see this coming! Season 6 is going to be so awesome! I literally can’t wait until April!
Season 6,
Nice name 🙂
WhereAllDwarvesGo,
or maybe “happy fools day he’s actually dead” that seriously looks like a “1”
Any good theories on the cut under his eye?
Lady Snowheart is coming! 😉
I like the poster, though at first I thought it was Ringo Starr. (Srsly, that nose.) 😉
Mr Fixit,
Stop right there! Let her go…
🙂
We share the honor 😉
Jon Snuuu still trending on twitter. 😀 Can’t wait for other teaser posters.
Mihnea,
I wouldn’t read too much into this.
I’m not obsessed with Jon Snow. He’s tight and annoying. If a killing doesn’t loosen him up, maybe he should do some yoga, or something.
I want him to be a wight walker.
Good fucking job not spoiling it after all that effort to keep it secret, HBO -_-
This gets me pumped up more than any news lately. Holy shnit. 😮
Razzman,
I think that’s the scar Jon’s had since the end of season three, when Orell tried to rip his eyes out as an eagle after being killed by Jon.
The north remembers, and the mummer’s farce is almost done.
Razzman,
The picture is from season 3. The cut was very visible during season 3. Example, from S3E1: (click image to magnify) http://www.farfarawaysite.com/section/got/gallery3/gallery1/hires/13.jpg
Very similar to the poster of Passion of the Christ. Here comes Jon “Jesus” Snow.
hodor,
God this is perfect
Creepy . . .be careful what you wish for. . . 😉
Blood from the eyes, nice callback to Oberyn, and when Orell-eagle tried to claw Jon’s eyes out.
LOVE. IT!
I think the blood is more of a design choice (that red is powerful) and an allusion to his wounds, rather than indicating blood literally coming out of his eye.
Well done! Hurry, April!
Thank you. Listen to this woman. I know speculation is fun, but come on.
Waifer-grrrl,
That makes sense.
Razzman,
He is having that from season 3 ..
I will humour u …drogo had a similar cut on his cheek…so its another proof for jon amd dany getting together
I’m sure there are many women, and men for that matter, who’d like to join Jon Snow in a session of hot yoga.
(Yikes, where is my mind this morning?) 😉
Waifer-grrrl,
Like those used in twilight books ..I think ..
In the right place 🙂
It’s my bae! And I know slim to nothing about PS so I don’t give a wet shit about how it looks! And APRIL!!!!!!!!1!!11!!!!
(PS Next GoT musical must have a parody of Ygritte or Mel singing the oldies tune, “My Boyfriend’s Back” to Aliser Thorne & co.)
hodor,
That’s exactly what I thought! There is definitely a “Christ-like” quality to this picture …
He has risen to save the world!
Hodor to that!
Seems weird to me that the character they put in the poster is the one that is confirmed dead and never coming back.
Am I the only one who thinks the blood is actually weirwood sap weeping out of Jon’s eye- perhaps that would mean it’s Bran rather than Mel that brings him back?
I feel like that blood is his. It feels like a splatter to me, you know, when you off someone and their blood gets on you.
And Jon Snow is currently trending on Twitter.
I think they’re just acknowledging that everyone is on to their “Jon Snow is dead” subterfuge. Smart marketing, really.
Bloody sexy beast! I love it!!!
APRIL PREMIERE YASSSSSSSS.
Ahem. Well. This is some great news. I also love the poster.
Yup….amazing poster.
It would hardly be as dramatic or apparent to show his torso with stab wounds on a poster, so the blood on the face gives the message while leaving no doubt as to who it is….I doubt anything is wrong with his eyes whatsoever.
Alternately, it could be because he’s just crushed Olly’s head and the residual splatter got on him.
I think HBO is just trolling us now – here’s to the next round!
The people that believed Jon wasn’t coming back are the same ones that thought
. Some things in TV/Film are predictable.
Crackpot Theory: After taking Winterfell, Jon and Davos will discover from captured mercenaries what Mel did to Shireen. Jon will then chop off Mel’s head in the Weirwood, splattering blood on himself. This will earn him the undying loyalty of Davos and reestablish Jon as an Old Gods follower, even if Mel was the one that brought him back.
I want a Kit Harington interview where he says, “Jon Snow is dead” and they whip out the poster and yell, “J’accuse!”
Let the speculation on whether Resurrected Jon has a freaky new eye colour commence!
YaY! He’s not face-up anymore!
Awesome. It’s a great tease. We all know he’s coming back.
“slightly alive” 🙂
Are you implying that Jon’s real father is … Alice Cooper? 😉
Oh wait, I read that at first as “freaky new eye shadow colour.”
I love the poster. It’s a powerful, yet understated image, and the implication is clear. Even if it’s not the official main art for the new season, I think it’s perhaps the best promotional image that HBO has produced since the iconic picture of Ned Stark on the Iron Throne that was created for Season 1. A perfect way to kick of the marketing for Season 6. People will be talking about this for a while.
Still, the best piece of news that can be gleaned from this poster the show will indeed be returning in April, not May as some people had speculated and feared. I always suspected that would be the case, but it’s nice to have official confirmation.
The poster immediately reminded me of a weirwood. Maybe instead of Melisandre reviving him, the Old Gods do.
I get it now…
holy cow!!! Now I understand why the page for WOTW wasn’t loading well during the last 1/2 hour or so 😉
I love it. Absolutely love it. Fills me with dread, while at the same time….wild curiosity. Well done HBO!
Jimmy,
Just saying.
Shadow Shifter,
Let’s read too much into this. What if it means Jon will be a different person, getting his hands dirty, killing people instead of trying to reason with them, more of a savage, ruthless. Or another idea that blood represents tears and someone mentioned weirwood connections…you know death of Ghost.
SEE, IT WAS JUST A FLESH WOUND.
“Lyanna’s statue whispered. She wore a garland of pale blue roses, and her eyes wept blood.”
Interesting parallel if on purpose.
I believe the blood came from someone sprinkling king’s blood on him during some sort of magical ceremony….maybe?
“‘Tis but a scratch … D’OH!!!” — Stannis Baratheon, R.I.P.
I’m curious as how much input GRRM and D&D had into the promo material. I’m sure HBO wouldn’t have done this without much discussion, but I wonder if there was any pushback.
Still no official announcement on how many seasons though.
OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
FINALLYYYYYYYYYY
for a non spoiler reader, I have been dying for something!
AND JON SNOW??????????? ARE YOU SERIOUS.
#$%^&*( I don’t know what this could mean
BunBunStark,
It looks like black fur reflecting light. You can see that all of the time on black cats or dogs with long, glossy fur. Heck, you can see that on black-haired people.
It looks like blood splatter to me.
HotPinkLipstick,
None and little. Major studios and networks hire marketing people who excel at this sort of thing. They probably ask B&W for comments, but that usually is the extent of it.
hodor,
Totally!!! That´s what I first thought when I saw the pic!!! What is Jim Caviezel´s Jesus Christ doing here! 🙂
Geralt of Rivia,
Literature 101 says that this will not be the case. Jon is one of the two biggest protagonists in the series. Presumably M, B & W are trying to tell an over-arching story as well as individual stories: and as you get the story from how protagonists evolve, Jon has to continue to evolve: he cannot just reform de novo. Now, this might represent a “punctuation” rather than gradual change: but that is OK.
And, of course, we should not rule out that Mel will magically heal him rather than revive him. (I now consider that less probable.) Either way, we will get back a wiser Jon Snow, not a demonized or apotheosized Jon Snow.
HotPinkLipstick,
He got better….. 😀
It’s really funny that every time I come on this site and read one of the articles, there are still 30 comments that just say “Hodor”.
No really. It’s still funny after all this time. Never gets old. Still original and fresh and really adds a lot to the discussion.
Wimsey,
Let’s agree to disagree. In my opinion we’ll get a different Jon. More of a grey character. This experience will change him for good and bad. Not really Gandalf ala return as wiser and better version of himself.
Pigeon,
We can only hope….a bit of Olly splatter is in order I think.
Hodor
This was actually my first thought when viewing the teaser, that it was very crucifixion/resurrection sort of symbolism. It is very powerful, either way.
Pieces of April Snu……
Meh. It’s got to the point now that none of the promo material has much effect on me. Just want the actual show.
Find it odd that they’ve pretty much confirmed Jon is alive though. The biggest cliffhanger they had has had the rug pulled from under it as I doubt they’d feature a dead character so prominently in the advertising if they were actually dead!
Ryan,
There are only 3 comments that say Hodor…
Sword of the Morning,
It is getting to be too late for an April 2016 publication of Winter. Regardless, the people in charge of doing this are not going to pay attention to that sort of thing: most of us here will know Winter’s publication date before most of the HBO marketers do!
Jon Snow trending on twitter… only Game of thrones can do such a thing.
I cant wait. Not sure why they did this, to be honest. But lets hope it means hes coming back
Ryan,
Ranks right up there with people posting just to be dicks, doesn’t it?
Wimsey, there is a difference between the promo and marketing staff preparing materials and releasing a poster that basically gives up the biggest cliffhanger in the books. No way did marketing do this without approval of the higher ups. I’m just curious how much input GRRM had, really. I’m sure B&W don’t give a flip at this point because of all the filming leaks, and they are probably too exhausted to bother.
Who shot J.R.?
I think GOT might be getting a new personal best for HBO viewership in April.
Jon Snow, possibly with only one eye? Obviously he dies and comes back as……
Hey Deesenfan, did you see the game? Are you ready to admit that not only Messi but Neymar, Suarez and Iniesta are better than Cristiano at this point in time of their careers? 😛
PS: I went to Madrid to watch it 😀
Geralt of Rivia,
Lord of the Rings is an entirely different sort of story from SoI&F: Rings does not have protagonists. The rules for what you can do in character-driven stories like Thrones and plot-driven stories like Rings are as different as the rules for football and baseball (or football and cricket).
That stated, yes, Jon will be different: but he is different in every book, and different at the end of each story relative to the start of each story. If protagonists do not change, then there is mo story, after all! But the story comes from character evolution: character metamorphosis will kill a story.
The Ice Dragon will rise from the fire!!!
Pau,
Ugh, I had a feeling you would catch me in the comments today LOL HOW CONVENIENT.
I did see the game…. it was embarrassing, and we didn’t deserve to win.
I still wont admit that, because I disagree. 😛
The whole team did not play well, thanks to the “great” Rafa. he needs to go ASAP
Also, wow! GOOD FOR YOU, I am jealous.
I went to Spain this summer, and watched Madrid play their home opener against Betis and it was amazing. Cant imagine how El clasico was.
Yes, because production team is that smart.
Of course they did it with approval of the higher ups. However, the show-runners are not the higher-ups: the higher-ups are the people to whom both the show-runners and the marketers answer. So, unless showrunners really protested vociferously, then they would not have much influence: and even then, they might get overruled. (“Stick to making the show” is what they would be told.)
As for GRRM, he’s just an extremely late storyline contributor. Unless GRRM got any sort of special language in the contract about him having oversight of the marketing, they probably would not even think to ask him anymore than they would think to ask any scriptwriter or story outline contributor. That just is not how this business (or any business with a huge hierarchy tree like networks have) operates.
Hmmm GoT Facebook page just put the picture as a Titelpic… I think this is serious sh*t..
Yes! Although we should not read to much into the blood coming from his eyes it still tells me something…
BTW: masybe is an old picture but his expresion looks really angry, not his usually constipated expresion…
I do like the simplicity of the teaser pic. I have not always like them in the past, but that is just personal preference.
As far as the blood, to me it read as a stylized piece a la 300. Deep colors darkened, red blood reddened. More graphic that way.
Also, I know this is an older pic, but with the position of his head and no apparent open eyes, maybe HBO is still trying to be vague? 🙂
I hope it doesn’t mean this season will be filmed as dark as last season. I could not even see what the hell Sansa was doing when walking into the kennels.
Mark me among the others who don’t want to see Jon turn into a vengeful monster. The saddest thing about FTW was that Jon really tried to do what he thought was best for everyone against a greater threat. His realization that he had been betrayed hurt my cold cold heart. So while I don’t expect him to be the same wide-eyed Jon (who grew a lot in Season 5, imo) I hope and also doubt that he’ll be Stark raving mad. 🙂
By all reasoning he shouldn’t be. Even when we saw Beric Dondarrion, he was still very “human”, only losing distant memories, things he used to like, etc. He was no monster even after losing a bit of himself with each rebirth. And at that point in his life he had been brought back 6 times.
Sooo, IF Jon has any monster in him then it must be from something else. I just wish the TV never left Val and the *woods witch and Mel bleeding when she sees someone-in-particular in her flames. That would have created a great suspense in viewers.
*Added to say I know Mel uses a woods witch line on Arya, but she also gave a little more and those could have been nice clues.
Deesensfan,
I think it’s Florentino and Ronaldo who need too stop telling Rafa how too play and let him do his job.
Judibatt,
That would have outright confirm
It would be like showing the RW in the visions in Qarth.
These are things that simply don’t work on TV.
Having Sam say ”he always comes back” and having Mel return right before the assassination is what creates suspanse and fits in TV.
Not that I think those moments are bad in the books, I just don’t think they would fit in TV and I’m glad they where cut.
Jon is REALLY lucky that they didn’t chop off his head just after they killed him. But they’ll be wanting to burn that body soon, so methinks Mel will try to resurrect him just before he is about to burn, or she doesn’t get to him in time, his body is set on fire, and he resurrects by himself.
OH APRIL!
Jimmy,
Geralt of Rivia,
Regarding
Back on topic, I’m in the camp that believes Jon will be different. Not evil or bad, just. . .different and more ambiguous than he was before.
Mihnea,
Nah, rafa SUCKS!!!!!!
Mihnea,
Carlo should’ve been at Real and Benitez far, far away. Carlo knows how to manage egos in the dressing room unlike Mourinho who will cause a trouble everywhere he goes. Great coach, but good for about 3 seasons. Then all the hell breaks loose. His style simply doesn’t suit the players at the club and they seem disinterested with him. It was just too damn visible against Barca. While my Liverpool smashed Man City. It might not be a disastrous season after all.
Maybe… there are still hundreds of forums elsewhere that debate that… so you never know.
To me, now that I think on what you said, it seems more of the possibility that
#SnowLives
Geralt of Rivia,
Carlo was great, but he never rotated players, which cost us last season.
I agree about Rafa!!!!!!!!!!!
I know that photography does miracles but can´t help but wonder if Kit is as stunning in person as he is in photographs…his features seem to register perfectly
He has blood on his eyes.
GRR Martin always said it would get much worse for the Starks before it gets any better.
I do wonder now if better means any ‘good’.
They are all out for a Vengeance.
Maybe our heroes will turn much darker.
Dark Sansa, Killer Arya, Greenseer/Raven Bran, Undead Jon.. LS.
Deesensfan,
Mourinho can’t manage egos,because his own ego is a size of Mount Everest. Carlo’s rotation is a bit of a problem, but Benitez’s methods are so outdated Klopp for me is a great example how football should be played these days. It remainds me of Real under Jose.His Real around 2010/2012 was playing an amazing football against what I consider the greatest Barca side of all time.
I know it doesn’t belong here, but just for this time.
While Jon lay dying, I bet these were the final thoughts that went through his head: No, don’t, don’t cut my hair, fans love my hair.
Let me paraphrase Alia of Dune: How can this be? For he *IS* Lady Snowheart!
(And having in mind Jon’s probable role in the future of both books and show, the Alia’s quote about Kwisatz Haderach may be quite appropriate.)
Geralt of Rivia,
I WANTED KLOPP NOT RAFA!!!!
LOL
I agree with what youre saying, fully!
Oh bravo, great use of a Dune quote!!!
Deesensfan,
I’m sorry but I have too disagree, it’s this changing of managers that creates this problem.
Madrid changes them every 2 years or so. How many managers did Barca changed in the last 7 years?
What should be done is someone putting Ronaldo/Ramos,..etc. in their places and remind them that they are players, they play whatever the coach tells them too.
Also Florentino is just as guilty here, the president should focus on his job not who/how the team should play.
Don’t think this wrong tough, I have been a Real fan since I was 15 and my brother took me too one of their games. Still remenbering seeing Raul, Zidane, Robinho…etc
It just makes me a bit sad when I see how the team acts in general…. 🙁
But this is off-topic so lets not get too deep into this 🙂
It gives me a crucified Jesus vibe!
Roose is Azor Ahai,
yes,they are
Mihnea,
its okay to go off topic sometimes. everyone does it
Don’t get me wrong, Florentino is a HORRIBLE manager/president. And changing coaches every 2-3 years is terrible and bad for the team. that I agree with you on.
I really don’t think that Ronaldo/Ramos issues you’re referring to are what is causing the team to fail this season.
Deesensfan,
Well I might be wrong, but in our media it was reported quite a lot that Ronaldo and some other players went too Benitez and told him who and how they want too play.
If this is true and Benitez agreed then he is just as guilty.
Mihnea,
I never heard that, but I am in Canada, so maybe we don’t get the same type of media…
That isn’t good, if it is true, but I should not be the reason why we are not playing well.
And yes, it would make Rafa just as guilty.
Perez is having a press conference right now saying that he supports Rafa fully… I guess we are stuck with him
Several years ago, when I finally read Dune (the 1984 movie is one of my favourites), I noticed that ASoIaF and Dune have remarkable similarities in plot. I wonder if that’s a coincidence or if Martin was in part inspired by Herbert’s novel (as he most certainly was by, say, Robert E. Howard’s Conan, Tad Williams’ The Dragonbone Chair, etc…)
AHHHHHHH THIS POSTER!!!!
April is too f*#$Ing far!!
Cannot wait to see if they do posters like this for each main character and read into what those mean.
Btw from the discussion in the last thread, no one has brought up the MOST obvious reason why the Wall will not fall this season – it’s too damn expensive. If the WW invade, there is a shit ton of CGI work that will have to happen to turn everything slow into Winter, to show the wights and WWs advancing, the battles and the chaos that will follow, for two FULL seasons. That’s just a lot of money.
Maybe HBO will do it. Maybe it is critical because there is SO much story to tell while the WWs are south of the Wall. But I think from a story telling perspective, what makes the WWs so powerful is the distant but yet really close menace that they are. Two seasons of them and it’s less drama, frankly, and a lot more expensive.
GoT is probably the most expensive show on the planet right now. It has just won pretty much everything at Emmys, making history in the process. Money is not the problem anymore, you can be sure of that.
Looks like the blood is splattered on him, not dripping…. curious
CatspawAssassin,
Yeah, lots of folks find him attractive, apparently.
In his role on screen, he’s very stiff. His shoulders are always up around his neck. I don’t know if that is him acting out the character’s angst, or if he’s just tense and uncomfortable in real life.
Anyway, no matter what I say, it will have sexual connotation.
For minute there, I thought you were both talking about Rafa Nadal and Spain’s Davis Cup tennis team, which shows how little I know about football. 😉
Alexandre Dumas,
My first thought was “splatter,” too…
Perhaps from cutting off someone’s head?
I don’t know…whatever the case with the blood,
I think it’s a fantastic poster.
Well. Done!!!
Is it just me who’s a bit bemused by all the hype over this promo pic? I get that it’s an acknowledgment by HBO but we all knew he was coming back- 99% of us were insistent on it from the beginning and it was pretty much confirmed in the leaked Saintfield pics and numerous sightings of Kit in Belfast. 🙂
Mr Fixit,
Money may not be the problem, but that doesn’t mean they just gather it in piles and burn it for the sake of it. They’re judicious where and when they deploy the dragons. They’ve skipped some battles for others by picking those that would make a huge impact without having to pay for each one.
So, I can very easily imagine them pushing back the time when WWs invade and have to be on screen a ton, both for practical and dramatic considerations.
CatspawAssassin,
LOL! That is funny!
Anon,
Curious…it might be both…as a person,he does appear to be a little too serious…
Apollo,
If you mean here. Excitement is just too damn high and for the people out there. Not everyone is like us here. Some people likes to be surprised and they don’t want to know anything more than offical annoucements, posters, videos, teasers. Sometimes not even that. My mom loves the show and she hates knowing things that I do.
I don’t mind spoilers, but even I have my own lines. Let’s say legit script or huge part (like what might happened with Star Wars) of it would leaked out. I would try to stay the hell out of it and avoid it. But these vague spoilers like with Winterfell scene involving these four characters and stuff like this I appreciate very much. We don’t know the extact context of the scene and how it will went down. It’s exciting to know some details, but at the same time there’s a room to speculate and put your theories out there without knowing too much.
Mihnea,
Last word on this matter. I swear.
His appointment was a bad choice, but Florentino is largely responsible for the current state of things. These things didn’t happen overnight. This team will never suit Rafa’s gameplan. If you want Cristiano to run up and down to defend. Good luck with that. Barca played it smart by appointing Enrique who knows their way of things and not someone from outside. With Real is very different club to Barca.
JCDavis,
Yes! Bravo!
I agree about Florentino, an the team not suiting Rafa’s game plan. well said
I saw this teaser poster at work and I had to scream internally
It is possible….I read that Mr. Martin lost his first Hugo nomination to Roger Zelazny …. I thought he considered Zelazny a peer. But then if he has written that Williams influenced his writing and clearly Dragonbone Chair would be in the same peer range, Herbert would be older. I know that I met Herbert in the late 70’s in San Francisco when God: Emperor of Dune was published. As I recall he passed soon thereafter. So I would guess that he COULD have used Dune as a point of influence. Still a great call.
Deesensfan,
Thanks, and come to think of it, this year Rafa (Nadal, that is) was a bit like Jon Snow, coming back from serious injuries like he did. Hopefully, Jon’s next season will be a lot more successful than Rafa’s was. 😉
This made me smile like crazy when I first saw the pic at Barnes and Noble while looking through my phone to see if there was any news. I agree with so posters that compare this poster with the passion of the Christ’s poster, I get this christ like vibe whenever I look at it. I hope we get more promo images in the future, and can’t wait for the trailer. Do you guys really think they will show Jon snow in the premier trailer ? Maybe at least for the final scene before the trailer ends. That would be exciting.
Great poster. Surprised they’re going with Jon, but I guess they decided it’d be silly to keep pretending so they might as well lean into the hype.
I wonder about the blood seemingly coming from his eye; is that just because they wanted to show blood and couldn’t find a good way to show the torso stab wounds or is it some reference to Bloodraven/Bran?
Cool poster. So so excited for season 6!
CatspawAssassin,
Good comparison. Oh, I hope you are right 😉
I’m sure Kit is probably slightly relieved the cat is now officially out of the bag. Really cool poster. I want it!
Maybe it’s not his blood. I’m hoping it’s splatter from his massacre of Alliser Thorne 😉
If the next poster shows The Hound, I’ll be in seventh heaven, or The Faith of the Seven’s version of heaven.
So I guess Jon Snow hid under a dumpster too
Apollo,
You should see twitter. It’s hysterical! 🙂
In the same place as mine, apparently. Sign me up for that class.
But seriously, this is a fantastic move by HBO. They’ve straight up taken a sword to the speculation and the hype is now even bigger than it was before. I love that on twitter, Elizabeth Banks is top of the Jon Snow hashtags:
https://twitter.com/ElizabethBanks/status/668843225549901824
No doubt Anna Kendrick will respond soon. Love those nerdy ladies, women after my own heart.
Nymeria Warrior Queen,
Absolutely it’s splatter. Finally my years of watching CSI are paying off….
First post. That got me out of lurk mode lol. No Jon Snow would derail the whole Wall/North storyline. Good to have confirmation. He undoubtedly is not dead in that photo.
Can’t wait for Season 6 now!
Bronn’s Bro.,
Yes Jon now seems to be standing in for all dead and reanimated characters. Does that mean his will not be a happy lot?
Hmm, I don’t think they’ll explicitly show a resurrected Jon. HBO may still want to play the ‘is he or isn’t he’ game with the general audience. I think they’ll show images of the Snowbowl, the Wall, and Castle Black from a safe distance where the audience can’t quite make out the participants. Of course, I didn’t think HBO would put Jon in any S6 posters, so what do I know?
My god this poster looks so grave and absolutely amazing!
Also a great move from HBO to throw even more fuel into the Snowbowl.
Cant wait to see the first trailer for Season 6.
BunBunStark,
You know nothing..
I’m sorry I had too do it. 🙂
Maybe it’s Olly’s! Right?
I know everyone is interpreting this as ‘Yay Jon Snow is alive!!!!!’, but I can still see how they could get away with saying that’s not the case…the image could easily represent the fallen Jon Snow and the coming repercussions of his murder, etc etc, the ‘blood for blood’ theme, a warning of sorts.
Obviously dude’s alive or alive again, and I’ve never thought otherwise, but I don’t see this as the blatant confirmation that he is by HBO. It certainly has succeeded in people who aren’t tuned into the off season chatter hyped up again. Smart. 😉
I’m fairly certain that Kit is as striking in real life, albeit on a smaller scale than imagined. Despite the fact that he is quite a bit shorter than me, I certainly wouldn’t kick him out of my bed…
Looks awesome on a billboard
https://mobile.twitter.com/jimmymecks/status/668809683046535168
That would explain his expression as well.
Elmo approves.
It is Ghost’s blood. Mel kills him to bring back Jon. Everyone cry. 🙁
Sue the Fury,
Interesting, but why was it not there in the last episode?
Pigeon,
I agree with you very much so, even though hes a bit short, albeit still taller than I am, I wouldn’t kick him out of my bed, ever.
LOL
I actually meant, I agree with you that this poster does not really confirm his return. I have not tuned into the spoilers from the offseason so I don’t even know if there had been any sign of his return, HOWEVER, I know he is an important character, killing him off would make no sense at this point in the story. I don’t know what HBO was trying to do with this poster, it really makes me wonder, but it definitely got people talking about GOT again 5 months after it ended and around 4 months before it premieres again. EVERYONE is talking about this poster.
It’s nice to see they’re not dropping Jon out of the promo campaign to further their futile ‘Jon Snow’s dead and gone’ approach.
He’s wearing his cloak and has blood on his face, he had none of those things when he ‘died’.
Razzman,
Because it healed a year before. They used an old photo to create this poster. I wouldn’t overanalyze it.
Pigeon,
I agree. I was so surprised so many people took this as HBO confirming he is back? I just figured it was the most talked about plot point after last season?
This is a tough wait, this season. Normally I’m surviving it well enough, but this year it’s even harder, because I don’t even have Raylan Givens to look forward to this year.
I would be a bit more worried if I haven’t read/kept up with the news/spoilers, if it wasn’t for that I wouldn’t really know what to Make of this, or if I should be worried or not. And didn’t someone say to look forward to more promos posters or something ?
I still don’t understand why people think that he’ll execute Olly and Alliser or some shit. Why would a revived Jon Snow be in any position to do anything? Do you think Alliser & co are just gonna wait around for him to retake his position as Lord Commander? Most likely scenario is that Jon will escape Castle Black in the cover of night, not long after being resurrected. From there, the most likely thing he’ll do is seek out the help of the Wildlings that settled in The Gift.
Sue the Fury,
Any link to the original scene or photo of this poster?
scififantasygirl,
That’s pretty fucking slick HBO can just put a close-up of Jon Snow’s face and an “April HBO” in the lower right corner and everyone in the world knows who that is and what’s going on here… Amazing.
Just awesome poster! Bravo to HBO for coming up with this masterful bit of promo! It tells me, as a viewer, that there’s much more story to tell after Jon’s death, about Jon. Resurrection is a given, with the many hints in the show of people brought back. Who, how, when, what consequences, remain to be seen. Whets the average viewer’s appetite and imagination.
I bet there are still people who think Jon snow won’t be coming back next season.
Pigeon,
Right! I love the poster but, after the first moment of enjoyment, came fear that Jon might come changed, and not for the best. I like grey characters, that’s the charm with GRRM’s characters, but let Jon stay the same! He is like Ned and Brienne, a person with good heart and noble feelings… even if this means he makes mistakes.
Dark, brooding, sets the mood quite nicely.
Heh, walked right into that, didn’t I?
What if he’s dead, and crow just eat his eye? :O
After staring at the poster for far too long, I realize that it is reminiscent of the S4 Jon poster. That one also has Jon slightly turned sideways with his head bowed and his hair artistically falling across his eyes. HBO really likes to play up KH/Jon’s good looks.
Alex G,
Yes, I agree.
‘Kill the boy and let the man be born’
Wow, I love it! So great!
After all the campaign “Jon is not coming back”, now they use him to tease what’s to come in season 6. I love the irony! 😀
It’s definitely a dark feeling, he has indeed ‘killed the boy’ it would seem if we’re going to analyze it overmuch….
I think you answered it right there! 🙂 Everyone is talking, so that’s what they were aiming for!
After 5 years, I suppose most of us still haven’t learned not to hope too much! 😛
Yup, and I’m not complaining. HBO has always been smart about highlighting the gorgeous visuals of the show, actors included. Now that we’re getting down to the pointy end they will really start to set up the two beautiful, young protagonists, Jon and Dany, as being the main players in the end game. The others will still feature in promo material, of course (esp Tyrion), but ultimately it’ll be ice and fire.
I am greating crazy about the blood in the eye. I don’t know what could be its meanings. If they though: “Let’s make the poster with Jon Snow and some blood” I would have never put that only on the eye (It seems like coming from the eye). I would probably have stained the cheek (which has already an injury in the poster… was that injury in Jon when he died?).
But they did the poster like it is… so, why? these were my options
– Blood from someone else. The cut of some arthery that like a high presure pipeline splashes bood in his eye (Someone loss his head, as his father used to do with dessertors, or from the batle that will problably be seen in the final episodes?)
– Blood from Jon. From the eye? Some batle-injury
– It is just no meaning. They wanted some blood, and just that.
What do you think?
Me too. Looks like HBO’s advertising department, like Lord Bloodraven, is playing the long game.
I’m a little late to the party today…but welcome Jon 2.0!
Anyone seen Alliser or Olly? Jon requests a meeting to discuss the Gift.
tuit,
All your reasons are viable, but I’ll add they were going for the artistic “crying blood.” I could see that blood being taken as tears the way its falling from his eye. But who knows. If they release other character posters like this it will be easier to deduce if this is just for Jon or not.
OMG!!! TRUE!!! Jon’s scar…(Craster, season 2)
And the blood? Is his blood or traitors’s blood? Maybe…
tuit,
I have a feeling the blood is symbolic on a few levels (call me Ser Obvious 😉 ). And the more I look at the poster, the more it looks like he’s sporting an eyepatch. How cool would that be?
So excited to see Jon back! I was sure HBO were not going to confirm his return until the actual moment of resurrection on the show, no matter how many spoilery pics from the set ended up online. At least now media interviewers can stop asking the cast if Jon Snow is really dead.
My take on the blood is that it is there for dramatic purposes only on the picture, and doesn’t mean he’s going to lose an eye or anything.
http://i.lv3.hbo.com/assets/images/series/game-of-thrones/homepage/2015/november/151127-got-s6-poster-1024.jpg
Definetily not an eyepatch. Just a badly photoshopped shadow to hide whatever dark secret lies hidden in his eyes.
SlayerNina,
JonCon’sRedBeard is one of the biggest book purists and one of Linda’s biggest ass kissers on westeros.org . Also literally any person could have made that comparison really,doesn’t make her clever or anything . Also she insulted Sue and the other admins of this site so that’s another minus .
🙂 I like the symbolic “crying blood”, but, shouldn’t it had been from both eyes?
They enjoy making us suffer!
The Wildlings haven’t left yet, as far as we know. Indeed, they’re kind of needed to help man the Wall.
Oh dear.
Hey that’s true. And I was wondering what it reminded me…
Pigeon
I absolutely refuse to allow you to harsh my high. 😛 No more of this “it ain’t realz” talk. 🙂 😛
Sansarya,
A
I say he comes back as Lord Stoneheart!!
Pigeon,
Sounds right to me. Jon Snow will be alive, it was obvious that this would be the case well before he even died (both were equally foreshadowed and required by story). But the implication of this poster isn’t his life-status, but rather that the killing will loom large over the season, a defining factor. In a way that’s a discussion that should be had here: have all the results of the assassination been considered?, because it’s important.
People in speculation tend to oversimplify things. There’s this idea that the WW can’t pass the Wall before that final few episodes, as if they are a literal tsunami that sweeps across the countryside. There’s no precedent for them being in Westeros. It could be random villages wiped out in isolation for a while. They could plop down in some area for a while. They could be limited in movements by unknown factors. Who knows what it will look like?
Well, he’s a 20something year old who has to cope with all this fame and publicity. Better be serious than turn into Lindsay Lohan.
De-cloaking briefly, and bringing out my harp..
In the last shot of Jon last season, his eyes turned completely dark ( perhaps as if filled with blood)… whatever that means.. I can’t help wondering if it’s something akin to Bran’s eyes rolling back to appear completely white when he wargs (likewise, Varamyr).. this is a deviation from the books, but a useful significator for the show..
Bran is a greenseer.. Jon is not , but he does have other manifestations of the “wolf blood” that are not predominant in Bran. In the book there are definite hints that he has some berserker tendencies ,and at other times, we see various characters attribute some of our werewolf superstitions to wargs, in general, and Robb specifically (among several other clues).
Now I don’t know exactly when GRRM will bring that part of Jon’s character to the fore in the books (but post-assassination attempt seems like it would be a dramatic opportunity) and if/when he does, it’s anyone’s guess what D&D will do with it.
Whatever GRRM calls it I suspect some kind of mingling of berserker/werewolf “powers” to be part of Jon’s nature – to some degree. Maybe somethin as simple to explain as, not only can the man skinchange the wolf , but the wolf can occasionally skinchange the man (or at least Ghost can).
While we know, for example, that Robb and his northmen couldn’t physically turn into wolves, think of some of the other werewolf lore that would come in very handy about now – the preternatural ability to heal, e.g. Think of the berserker’s ability to battle greater numbers.
As others have pointed out, from the book – Lyanna’s statue weeps blood, the weirwoods (the old gods) appear to weep blood. If the old gods have a hero, it’s Jon.
I simply don’t think Mel or LSH will be needed to “resurrect” him. Jon would be changed, but as a result of inner evolution, not outside interference.
That’s haemolacria.
HalfMan
Welcome!!!!
Sou,
True,true
I agree that Jon has to evolve rather than transform, but we have no reason to think that he possesses such “inner powers.” Jon is, ultimately, just a young man. He’s a very capable, very caring, and very adroit young man: but he’s just a young man.
The important aspect of Jon (or any main character) that has to evolve is his character. Jon will emerge from this having learned a lesson very similar to what Daeny has learned in Meereen: good intentions often pave a road to personal hell. The question is how both Jon and Daeny will evolve in response. Moreover, the question might well be: if they are faced with similar no-win choices later (say, in response to the dilemmas created by the Walkers, R’hllor and who knows what else), will they do the same principled things again trying to forge a “greater good”?
But the key thing is that if M,B&W are doing their jobs properly, then this should mark a key point in the evolution of both Jon and Daeny upon which (when it’s all done and said) we will look back and go: “Yeah, Jon’s/Daeny’s responses to almost getting killed while trying to please everyone really set up what they did at XXXX.”
Yeah 😉 … I meant, I don’t know if GRRM will have a special descriptive name for what Jon is – what differentiates him from other wargs in ASoIaF or from werewolves and berserkers in ours.
Do you think that Jon will see them again this year? I can easily envision a scenario where the revived Jon slips out with Mel, Davos, the Wildlings, etc. (I cannot imagine that any of Stannis’ people are going to be too welcome at the Wall under the new LC.)
Wimsey,
Why would he do that? His supporters massively outnumber Thorne’s, Jon’s overriding mission is to protect the Wall, and there’s no other immediately available base of operations.
By the position of his head and, oh so famous, hair I would say that this could on the funeral pyre. I know they burn men of the nights watch while sitting horizontally but they did burn Mance alive in a vertical position, so Jon being a wildling lover he might have been burned vertically after his “death”. It doesn’t look like he is alive in this picture. Maybe it’s just the effects but his skin is freakishly pale/blue. No, I’m not saying he is a walker, just that he might be still dead and about to be burned in this promo picture.
I don’t know that the Loyalists outnumber the Nationalists at all. That has been one of the open questions for 4 years now: what will happen to those NW members loyal to Jon, and who will prevail in the chaos that is almost certainly about to ensue. What Melisandre does will play a huge role: she obviously has the power to make things very difficult for the Nationalists. That stated, she might decide that the better part of valor is discretion and simply get Jon out of there, most probably to the Wildling camp. The issue then will be, where does Jon go from there? He’s a convicted traitor and then a de facto deserter from the Watch. And if he’s with the Wildlings, then he is basically flaunting his treason to the rest of Westeros.
What we also do not know (from either the books or the show is): what is the Nationalist plan regarding the Wildlings? Obviously, they mean to either exterminate them or get them back to the other side of the Wall. After all, this clearly was not an impulsive act in either book or show: it was planned some time in advance, and if “group think” can convince people of odd things, then it also can make someone point out: “hey, dudes, what do we do about the real problem: all of these effin’ Wildlings?” However…… how? The Watch (Nationlists and Loyalists combined) are pretty badly outnumbered. In the books, there
Nevertheless, the Nationalists must have given some thought about what to do with a large body of people that would be sympathetic towards Jon (or at least hate Jon a lot less than they hate the Nationalist NW members). That is something that has puzzled me for a while. (Of course, it’s also something about which we have speculated here for a while.)
As noted above, the still is from Season 3, not this season. Jon’s apparent paleness might be because they’ve re-rendered the shot to look grayscale rather than color, in order to make the blood more vivid: it’s not just the bright red, but it’s the only real color there.
Really interesting post! I’d thought Jon’s eyes darkening were his pupils becoming “fixed and dilated” – ie hammering home that he’s dead. But if he’s warging, then the reversal would be consistent with what GRRM said his sigil would be (a white wolf on a black background). I’m not convinced that he will warg on the show, but it’s an intriguing theory nonetheless.
This! Explained much better than I did. I see the image as symbolic over a still from a scene.
Easy now….you know it was for devil’s advocate only. I won’t make you row! 😉
The funny thing is after jon snow is stabbed, the camera Looms over his corpse like something special or magical is about to happen you don’t expect. If you pay attention to the scene really carefully the music goes from the north remembers to something else, something very ominous plays instead, like something is about to happen but before it does the scene cuts off early. Maybe a scene they already have prepared but decided not to use it until season 6 to leave us not very sure what to expect, to keep us guessing. if you remember that scene what do you think ? or maybe i’m just thinking to much, also maybe the poster is his body and the blood has something to do with bringing him back.
If only he had said…“Ghost!”…but I think that will be relegated to the books.
Pigeon,
That would be awesome!! I FFN hate Olly!! I hate all of the Nights Watch!! I hope they all die
New LC? Wow…do you think there will be any sense of order at CB in S6? I think the “nationalists” will be dealt with severely…or they bend the knee to Jon 2.0…(but will Jon 2.0 be in a forgiving mood…like his merciful “mother”?). 🙂 But you’ve got a point…Jon 2.0 does have a few other things to worry about…
Ela:
By the position of his head and, oh so famous, hair I would say that this could on the funeral pyre. I know they burn men of the nights watch while sitting horizontally but they did burn Mance alive in a vertical position, so Jon being a wildling lover he might have been burned vertically after his “death”. It doesn’t look like he is alive in this picture. Maybe it’s just the effects but his skin is freakishly pale/blue. No, I’m not saying he is a walker, just that he might be still dead and about to be burned in this promo picture.
Yes it’s an old pic, but it could be a reference to what does happen in the show. I’ve said it here before that they may string Jon up as a taunt/warning to the wildlings (which would also keep the body frozen and therefore preserved). But they did all walk away from him at the end, so maybe Ela’s right, he’s upright for his pyre (which is Melisandre’s preference, obviously).
Anon,
I agree. Maybe not right away, but I think jon will become a white walker or give himself to the land of always winter for some reason to save everyone.
Beautiful sight at Times Square
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CUgV5WxUAAAy1EI.jpg:large
iridium,
I think you’re WAY over reading this. they’re purposefully using an old picture of Jon, with a splash of blood on him to reference the stabbing/death. It doesn’t tell you what way his head is pointing on the funeral pyre.
While I agree with much of what you say, I think you ignore one very important factor in the story, namely the magic. As Bran is not just any young boy, Jon is not just any young man. He is one very specific young man. Bran is a very, very rare individual (if you accept Bloodraven’s equation) – Jon may be somewhat less rare, or simply rare in a different manner.
In no way does this devalue or negate their humanity. Their humanity, desire for justice and devotion to the common good are equally important and perhaps a very necessary regulator for the magic that is in their bloodline.
The point is, these abilities are part of what makes up their character, or will do, once they realise they possess them.
While the show has not done much to focus on Jon in this way (perhaps due to time constraints, or a desire to keep it under wraps until the appropriate time) I think the books give us very good reason to think Jon has such abilities (and even more – that the magic in the wall responds to Jon and vice versa). For the most part, GRRM has kept it just under the surface / in the background, but when you look back, the clues are there right from the beginning of the series. He has definitely been laying groundwork, IMO.
phantomstrife,
puts joy in my heart to see jon snows face everywhere ^^
phantomstrife,
That looks incredible.
Nadia,
Nadia I acknowledged it was an old pic, I was merely suggesting that it was something that *could* happen in the show. It’s just speculation I’ve made before, unrelated to this poster, and now I’m vaguely linking it. Tenuous, and I’m not sold on it. Don’t worry about me overreading it; it’s all in fun.
I agree with this completely. The cut on his cheek looks very corpse-like…it’s a dry wound with no scabbing or blood, just like a corpse would. Also, the way he’s laying and the position of his head. Of course, I don’t think he’s going to stay dead, but he definitely looks dead in this promo.
Oh my…neeerrrrdddgaaaasssssmmmm! Thankfully I’m wearing depends…and as for you Ollie y done fucked up good…Monster Jon, much like Monster Rick will kill your ass….
Yay! Can’t see, between “The Walking Dead”, “Into The Badlands”, “The Man In The High Castle” and “Jessica Jones” ….a now this…I’m in nerd heaven!!!!
This is so awesome. Yay! Season 6 poster. ?
I love it! The poster’s awesome!
Jon looks like he’s crying blood. Hahaha
Does that mean that we’ll see him cry next season? Maybe because Sansa is murdered or maybe Rickon? lololol
I hope that’s not the case.
Can’t wait ’til April!
phantomstrife,
Wow. Can I just have that as a wall in my living room?
LC of NW is the man who says who can leave on missions. How can he be a deserter?!
Ragnar,
Furthermore, JonCon Redbeard is one of the main reason because many people have left Westeros.org. Absolutely unbearable purist, and totally disrespectful to those who do not share her hatred for the show (including Sue). She says the showrunners are mysoginists, rape apologists, racists, hacks and pretty much every other insult under the sun. The worst part is that she is backed by the mods there and have Linda’s blessing (of course) so she say whatever she wants with total impunity.
I am one of those who thought that the marketing campaign last year was pretty poor, so I’m glad to see this one starting with a bang. Love the poster… It’s both elegant and ominous. Very well done.
Whoever came out with the idea for the poster did a magnificent job.
get people interested on what’s to come, they will poop out more promos and then bring out the big guns/First Trailer. These promos are Hbo sticking the dagger in us, and the trailer will be the turn of the knife. A lot of people are going to turn in for season 6, I can just feel it. they have the clues of his return throughout season 5 and ended season 5 in a way fans would come back asking for more.
Davos’ Luck,
This has to be one of the best posters the series has done so far, I also loved the first one of Ned sitting on the iron throne.
I hope a bloody eye is not a foreshadowing of a bloodraven takeover.
Omg yes! But he looks so sad and betrayed 🙁
I’m surprised you missed an obvious explanation: Jon has ebola. Might be a side effect of his resurrection.
Matthew The Dragon knight,
Yes, I would rank it third, after Season 1 and Season 2 main posters. Certainly the best piece of advertising for the show in a long time.
I’ve got nothing other than hype, but I do want to give kudos to the advertising/promotion team this time around… excellent image and timing!
Does anyone know when those first trailers come out?
They don’t have to finished all of filming to start them, right?
Judibatt,
Well, the first trailer is usually released in mid-to-late January.
Davos’ Luck,
That was quick! Thank you 🙂
Judibatt,
You’re welcome 🙂
Yes, The Big Guns are coming out probably late January 😀
VERY late to this party–busy Monday. I LOVE this poster!! And I’m on the “don’t read anything into the marketing image” team. Just an awesome visual reminding the audience of the last scene and perhaps a nod to the weirwood trees, since Bran will be back this coming season.
Can’t. Wait.
Seven save us!!!
Since the eyes are among the few places Jon didn’t get stabbed, I’m guessing that the blood is meant to recall Bran’s dream just before he awakens from his coma: The Three-Eyed Crow/Raven stabbing him in the forehead with his beak to force open his third eye. I’d like to think it foreshadows Jon discovering that he can warg, greensee, access the Weirnet or have other shamanic powers as a result of having visited the Underworld and returned.
I don’t think there’s any deep meaning to the blood shape/form/placing. It’s probably “hey, let’s add some blood over there, gonna look cool”.
I’ve been meaning to post all day and just got the chance. Happy happy joy boy. Yeah this is good stuff. Five months from tomorrow, right? With this site, we can make it.
The Night’s Watch loyalists are beside the point; numerically, the whole Watch is close to irrelevant (even moreso in the show, even, given how low their numbers have dwindled and the absence of Stannis’ remaining garrison). Jon’s important supporters are the Wildlings, who massively outnumber the Night’s Watch (we haven’t gotten a precise count, I don’t believe). There’s no reason for Jon to leave on being brought back; with the Wildlings, asserting control over Castle Black would be easy.
I’m quite taken by the comments from many regarding the weirwood and Bran significance via this poster, and possible Lyanna reference as well. So cool.
You know what these people over analyzing and looking more into something’s that is not there remind me of ..
Fans who did over analyzing last year for winter solistice …
Who were convinced TWOW will be published last Christmas …and look what happened ..
Why can’t people just enjoy the fact that show is going to start in April and not in may and their promotions have kick started and other characters will now follow after jon’s …
Geralt of Rivia,
I’m a Leicester fan we r top of league ( never thought I’d say those words lol) football is a funny old game
Jon looks like he has just took someone’s head off . Don’t think it’s his blood
Name *,
He will leave the nightwatch not because he will lead wilding but also he will know his real father and mother which let him leave the night watch and encourage to get Winterfill back with Sansa.
Moles town bastard,
It must be one hell of a time to be a Fox fan. Just beat Mancs next week. Btw Vardy is out of his mind. 😀
Flora Linden,
I never meant that Jon will be evil, bad or a completely different person. It will change him in some ways more towards being a grey character.
lmao did you guys hear that HBO is calling the teaser a “memorial image” ? that’s the word around twitter, just asking if everyone else knew XD lol
Jon Snow is dead. That is a pic before he is burned
I think it might be Farewell Brother playing initially, and then that second sound cuts in. Someone on Reddit cleverly noticed that it’s the exact same sound that plays during Brans green dream. It’s why I’ve always leaned towards CofTF and old gods being involved in Jons resurrection. I agree it created a very strong feeling that something magical was about to happen
I don’t think it will be that easy in the books. There are Wildling children hostages remember? If the Wildlings attack NW brothers or try to take over, the crows will not hesitate to slaughter the hostages. Hell, Jon Snow vowed to the Hill clans that he would kill the hostages if the Wildlings misbehaved.
But I do think there are more Jon loyalists in the NW in the books as compared to the show. The rangers were all on Jon’s side. I think it was just a select few who took matters into their own hand with an impromptu assassination.
one of my theories was about bran and the old gods, its something to keep in mind for sure, still can’t wait to see how everything will go down next season.
I think it’s kind of two-fold: 1) at the end of last season (and before that, the last book), I’m sure alot of people were saying the same thing I was– “No way he is dead! He’s coming back….he’s gotta come back!” Then Kit says in interviews that Jon Snow is dead for sure…showrunners saying he’s dead for sure. Then we get spoilers from this awesome website clearly proving that they were big fat liars. It’s kind of a gratifying feeling; and 2) He’s HOT lol
Ginger of House Snap,
2) He’s HOT lol
He looks pretty cold here. As in not really alive 🙁 It is odd how there’s a big splotch of blood on one eye, wonder what it means.
You can see even from this poster that Jon will be a darker character when he is revived by Melisandre.
The Walking Dead:¨And you guys thought WE were torturing our fans…¨ twitter.com 🙂 🙂 🙂
Name *,
He always comes back -Sam
Name *,
A possible explanation for Jon’s look:
http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Dark_eye
I get a Jezus Christ on a cross vibe the way the picture is set up. Fits with the image of the resurrected savior.
I’ve never before laughed so hard at a poster.
Oh, HBO. You devils. You sly devils.
Wimsey,
Death has an impact and there will be some price to play for his rebirth. Maybe he will face challenges like Stannis and tothers. Making an unpopular and very controversial choices. Instead of Gandalf like return all shiny, wiser and better version of Jon. More dark, gritty, grey sort of a doomed hero. In order to save the world killing some people even innocent. Many people might not like this Jon, but I just can’t see him like nothing happnes to him. There’s got to be consequences to his mind, soul and body.
What Mel said about Stannis can easily apply to Jon. He will betray men serving him, he will betray his family and thousands will die at his command. It will be all be worth it. He sort of a fullfiled the fist part.
Ragnar,
So? Relax
For the love of god April PLEASE HURRY
Judibatt,
Me too!!!
If it’s being released so late, I hope the DVD release is far earlier!
The problem is not Madrid (only foreigners call it Real 😉 ), really, is that Barça is just better than everyone else at this moment in time (except maybe Bayern) and have been the most dominant side in europe this last 10 years, winning 7 Ligas and 4 Champions leagues, 4 times as many as anyone else’s.
We have the best player of this century by miles (and probably the best player in the history of the sport) and now we signed his successor, Neymar, who with only 23 years old is doing things unseen since Ronaldinho, we have the succesor of Zidane in Iniesta, we have the best 5 in the game with Busquets, and the best 9 with Suarez. We have also one of the best defenders in Pique and competent ones in Alba, Alves (who is not in his prime but it’s still one of the best 2’s out there) Mascherano, and Rakitic. Add to that 2 good goalkeepers that can play with their feet, and a young dude (Sergi Roberto, remember his name) from the small teams that will be the successor of Xavi+Iniesta, and when they are on the zone they are unstoppable
The main difference between Barça and Madrid is that we know what game we’re playing since 1988 whe Cruyff came back, with Van Gal in the 90’s and later we reach the pinnacle of purity with Guardiola, with 11 homebrewed players.
Now Lucho is making some variations that make us even better., but the main difference between Lucho’s Team and the other Barça’s is one that here everyone is aware off but not so much in the rest of the world: Messi and Neymar and specially Messi and Suarez are best friends inside and outside the pitch. The reasons for that are many, personal chemistry, the fact that those 2 are the only ones Messi have found to be at his level of play, the fact that the 3 are south-americans, that Neymar is very, very smart and knows that Messi is the best but he will be his successor in time, etc
The synergy of those 3 is unparalleled. There’s not one player in the world that we could sign that could fill one of those 3 spots, not even Cristiano. Especially not Cristiano, that is more interested in his goals that making the team win.
I think we have the best 13 player team in the history of the game. Only problem, and this could be a big one, is the other 12 are not on par, due to the FIFA sanction, and any injury forces us to use a sub-par player….but that’s something we will try to fix this January, with Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal, and specially (hopefully) next June.
That victory last Saturday was the most dominant one in the history of Bernabeu, and it was a joy than more than 500M people got to see it…and without Messi, which is the most worrying fact about it all for Madrid fans 😉
His beard is frozen with snow, his skin is ghostly pale, we can’t tell if his eyes are even open at all and he’s either bleeding from the eye or crying tears of blood (although the placement of one drop is a bit off for that) or somebody is killed (sacrificed) right next to him and the blood happens to land in one spot? Also the shadow over the left eye…I wish I knew what they’re trying to tell us!
SlayerNina,
Well seeing as your comment doesn’t show up anymore looks like i was right . I was pointing out that it’s disrespectful to link a person’s blog who has insulted everyone on this site from readers to editors,that’s all . But since you are a pretty book purist yourself i knew you wouldn’t really care .
Thank you 🙂
April is the cruelest month
This poster is perfect in that it tells us nothing we didn’t already know, and yet generates genuine excitement about the various possibilities for next season. That’s clever marketing.
I’m enjoying the discussion about what will happen with the Loyalists and Nationalist groups at the Wall now. I’ve also pondered this one many times. I think somehow the Free Folk will break South in all the chaos, and the Loyalists shortly after. Leaving the Nationalists alone to await the WW arrival.
Della,
I don’t expect Jon to marry Daenerys and sit together on the Iron Throne (“I’m paying attention”) and I’m afraid that the war between the Westerosi and the WW will end with a peace gained by Jon as the new king of the WW. Speaking about bittersweet ending… I hate it, I want Jon to be alive and happy!
Maybe his eyes are blacked out because their colour is an issue.
Wight snow got bloody face after using his teeth to take a chunk out of stupid Ollys face
Simon,
You mean blue eyes as wight?
if he’s alive then he’s still the lc. He has to as lc punish nw traiters…i’m pretty sure its the blood of the traiters
jymion,
Here’s the thing, he does not look alive in poster. And if he did die and comes back to life he will no longer be sworn to vows, that ends at death. They will most likely have appointed a new LC anyways. I think with this image they’re telling us that he did die, and the blood on face might symbolize the transformation to whatever he will become.
there is no greater crime in the nights watch than murdering….or “attempting to murder” the lord commander….we saw what these ppl can expect at crasters keep after mormont was murdered if he lives he has a duty to punish those responsible
anyone has a right to punish a traiter of the nights watch…even if he resurrects and is someone else…he will be bound by north law to cut their heads off…just like his “father*” did
that means olly too
wait!!….i could be wrong about olly…he wasnt a member of the nights watch…jon (whoever he wakes up as)…may show compassion
Cool poster! Can’t see Jon coming back as an evil or some twisted greyest person but he’ll be changed undoubtedly.
Ragnar,
I didn’t know that. Relax, again
But it was a funny comparison anyway
They can use now that (blue eyes) to simbolyse how he had changed. I didn’t know what was the issue of the show with contact lenses XD
Looking forward to rest of the advertising campaign then, if that is indeed happening. I’d love to see one of these for the Greyjoys, with the WIDMND slogan (even though this one doesn’t have a slogan). That’s probably wishful thinking though.
I can see them doing one for Tyrion and Dany (maybe the two together in one poster), Brienne, blind Arya, maybe Ramsay. Oh and probably the Night’s King.
I…AM….STUNNED…WOW, I keep going back and looking at it over and over again.
I DO think he looks rather dead in that photo but I have to agree that HBO knew EXACTLY what they were doing with the first choice for a teaser poster. I hadn’t thought about it but it is pretty amazing that people around the world can see this poster and KNOW it’s GOT.
Okay, back to staring at the poster.
Rat Kook,
They will probably do one for the remaining main characters. Theon might qualify, but he is the only Greyjoy that the public would recognize.
That is a perfect illustration for saying that what gets on posters may not actually happen in the show!
Interesting theories but I can’t see that the poster is a shot of a dead Jon or that Jon is about to be resurrected as something evil or markedly different.
The people in marketing would not have that kind of information. Remember, they don’t see the scripts or get any details: they just have very general information about the important characters and their general arcs. And after they do it for Thrones, then they do something for Silicon Valley, Veep, Girls, etc.
I do not think that there will be much order, but I think that there will be some. If nothing else, then there will be a de facto LC while Jon is down and out. Once Jon gets back on his feet, I really doubt he will reap too much havoc himself: he’s just not that sort of person. And he certainly is not going to metamorphose from 1.0 to 2.0. For one thing, he’s already evolved considerably from 1.0 to 1.5; this will be more like a 1.5->1.7 click on the notch. However, it cannot be too big a click: in the end, the SoI&F story is going to be Jon 2.0-Jon 1.0, Daeny 2.0 – Daeny 1.0, Tryion 2.0 – Tyrion 1.0, etc. If M, B & W leave out too much of the “math,” then the story will get lost.
But given what the show did, I now am inclined to think that the Nationalists come out with the upper hand. Moreover, it would make sense in that GRRM (and subsequently B&W) never miss a chance to make things as difficult as possible for Jon (or Daeny or Tyrion or Arya). Having Throne, Marsh, etc., survive long enough to spread word of Jon’s treason to the rest of Westeros would be very much in keeping with the holes in which these guys like to put their characters. It certainly would create a strong parallel with Daeny being sent to Widows Prison by the Dothraki: both she and Jon would be labelled as “dead” to the people that they need to rally behind them.
Well, for HBO, darker, grittier and grayer is better! And, quite frankly, isn’t that just MORE Jon?
Wimsey,
Yeh it was definitely wishful thinking. Just love this style of poster so much! Might have to learn Photoshop and do one for the Greyjoys myself. I doubt they’ll make a Theon poster, but never say never.
Like hell there isn’t. Letting Wildlings through the Wall is the single greatest crime a NW member can commit insofar as anybody is concerned. The sole reason why people support the Watch is to keep Wildlings out of Westeros. Oh, sure, there are old stories about how the Watch kept out worse things: but if there is any truth to those stories (and that’s a big “if”), then those worse things are long gone. The Wall is a big Trumpesque border patrol wall to keep out illegal immigrants: and Jon just let them all through.
Here is the thing: given the duties of the Night’s Watch, Marsh, Thorne and others are correct: the Wildlings are enemies of the Westerosi. Here is the other thing: given the duties of the Night’s Watch, Jon is correct: the NW had to deprive an enemy of Westeros of a huge weapons cache (i.e., dead Wildlings turned into wights). This is how GRRM likes to tell stories: stick the main characters in situations where all actions are “right” and “wrong” simultaneously. However, from the perspective of plot, most people often see things only one way: and as the Wildlings are a real threat whereas the White Walkers are a made-up threat (“Others? Seriously? With wights? I supposed grumpkins and snarks were in the vangaurd?”), GRRM (and B&W) have set it up so that only Jon realizes that it was a no-win dilemma rather than a simple act of treason.
If he died, then how is he standing and breathing? If Jon runs into Northerners and tries to say that he’s no longer sworn to the Night’s Watch because he died but got better, they’ll have a right good laugh before nicking off his head. Dead people do not get back up, after all: ergo, Jon didn’t die.
The question that I think we should be asking is: will Jon accept that he actually died? Will he not instead think that he should be dead, but that Mel. miraculously saved him? Jon is not a “loophole” sort of guy: it would be more consistent with his character to assume that his vows apply until he is dead and stays that way. He also is a skeptic: convincing him that he actually died might be tough because, as noted above, dead people do not get back up; ergo, he didn’t die.
The hangup there is that Theon looks so much different than he did throughout most of the show. Without a context for him, I’m not sure that people will recognize that he’s Theon. Of course, if they do what they did with Jon and use a shot from 2-3 years ago, then he would be recognizable: but then he would not look like he (probably) is going to look in Season 6!
It will be interesting to see what they do with Theon. They basically had Sansa usurp his storyline last year, but Sansa has been a lead character since Book/Season I whereas Theon didn’t become a lead character until Book/Season II; so, there is a better chance that Sansa is going to be relevant in the end than there is that Theon will be.
I think he does look dead in the picture. I am thinking that this close up is just part of a bigger poster that will be revealed later. Another site said that HBO put out a statement saying that the poster was “a memorial” to the character.
Lollyspop,
heh, well, they should have made that a bit more clear on the poster. I could easily see people mistakenly thinking that this is an admission that Jon survived his assassination attempt. I know, I know: crazy of me…..
Yeah, my biggest question isn’t this poster but the following posters…
1) will they all have the same aesthetic, like in season 3? (I know the previous posters were often related in theme but in s3 it really stood out to me) last season was just the Tyrion dragon on the boat poster, right?
2) I would like to see just Jon, Dany and the Night’s King on the posters, or those 3 plus Drogon/the dragons. Showing that the series is narrowing to start to focus on what’s really important – the endgame. Fire and blood, ice and fire, etc. All in the same aesthetic, the blue/white/black with splashes of blood.
Failing that, I’d like to see Euron, Dany, Tyrion, Jaime, Arya, the High Sparrow, and Doran. eg not the obvious characters, or the characters who are always featured but ones who will be significant for more than just s6, and that also hit the religious themes (maybe Mel, too although I speculate she’s a goner after this season)
Or even just the Starks (Jon, Arya, Sansa, Bran) to emphasize THE NORTH REMEMBERS and the revival of House Stark!
eta: whoops, forgot Rickon! Add him in the last pool. sorry lil’Stark!
Am pretty sure next one to be released will be dany and eagerly waiting for it ..
Hope it comes in couple of days or next Monday .
And then tyrion arya bran sansa and cersei and Jamie will follow her..
I don’t think theon will be theon will get one
Rat Kook,
chameleon,
I would say we’ll get individual posters for the main characters, but to reveal Euron? don’t get me wrong. I would love to see Crow’s Eye but probably not. Theon might be it or Yara to represent Ironborn. I’m a bit surprised they even with on with this in the first place and choose Jon. Tyrion, Daeny and Drogon, Night’s King, Cersei or blind Arya should be given.
Wimsey,
Oooo… I love this concept that Jon doesn’t realize/accept that he died.. very fun! Needs to be explored more. Does someone/something die to resurrect him, and he has trouble dealing with the concept? Does his warging untap, do other strange dead-like things start to distract him from his goal?
I still find there’s quite a difference between the book and the show. Jon was a clear traitor to the Night’s Watch in the book (when he suggested to
), not on the show. Wildlings going south is a big faux pas, but what he did in the books violated not only the no interfering with other politics rule, but also… how can you be a Watcher on the Wall… if you’re not AT the wall???
I think we’ve chatted about this before, but I still find a very large distinction. They’re Watchers, Wildlings, even giants could be forgiven, but visibly abandoning your post… shame Jon… shame., you silly teenager
Geralt of Rivia,
Thanks I’m enjoying every second of this lol if I can imagine a GOT comparison to the foxes being top of league its probably What Walder Frey was feeling a week after the red wedding then a couple of weeks later he here’s Tywin is dead and just thinks aw well it was good while it lasted. Also I’ve got a ticket to the Man Utd game can’t wait
Lollyspop,
Been looking for that alleged HBO statement, no result so far. Nothing of that sort on their official accounts on social media.
Would they put up a ‘memoriał photo’ as the background image on their sites and on a billboard in times square with the word ‘april’ to serve as a teaser of what’s coming come next spring? The cat’s been out of the bag for a while, if they continue with their initial marketing approach, they will just make themselves look silly.
Shy Lady Dragon,
I’ve read that somewhere before, and I agree, he’s definitely not sitting on the iron throne. And if jon ends up being a dragon rider, maybe it’ll be an ice dragon.
O/T but is anyone else having issues accessing this site in the last 2 days or so? Half the time it’s inaccessible (using a PC with Chrome) and I have to reload multiple times before it will load….just curious!
Waifer-grrrl,
The blood from his eyes is used symbolically as is often done on book covers, comics, and movie posters.
He will not really “cry blood” but his tears come from a place so personal so dear… the betrayal so wrong they show all that he was all he lived for was taken from him and the deception and betrayal by his sworn brothers cut him to the core and so he weeps blood.
“Its a metaphor you see.”
not sure if this has been mentioned yet or not but I know people up-thread were talking about the fur he is wearing in the pic being from S1. I agree that it looks like that on the left side of the pic, but on the right side of the pic it looks like his doublet when he was acting lord commander, the shoulder on the right is clearly not covered in fur. To me this makes sense as its showing the two sides of jon that we’ve seen up to this point – pre nights watch and nights watch.
Wimsey,
Ooh this is an interesting concept. I never really thought about how Jon himself will feel about/deal with his supposed “resurrection.”
Y. TargStarkian,
Has anyone yet wonder that maybe he will se himself dead through Ghost’s eyes?
It’s not at all clear that Jon was a traitor to the NW, in the books. Many argue for it, I know … but if it was clear, the debate would not still be going on as it is on book forums.
The quote from the NW oath is “I am the watcher on the WALLS” , not wall.
Wherever Jon actually intended to go in the books (and that too, is very much up for debate), he had not gone anywhere yet. In the books there is a strong case to be made that even by the vows and conventions of the NW, the conspirators are the traitors.
That is the single, most-relevant rationale why I have always craved (hopelessly) for an LSH PoV (and, similarly…a warged Ghost/Jon 1.75 PoV). An LSH PoV would be the darkest, most morbid, and excruciating piece of text imaginable…a soul and mind returned from the depths of death, unwillingly. It would basically magnify the morbid, insane thoughts running through Cat’s head at the time of her demise.
Jon 1.75’s PoV probably won’t be near the level of Cat’s dire predicament, but it should prove interesting nonetheless in TWoW. How D&D choose to “overtly” portray it in S6 is intriguing as well.
I think a variation of this would make a fantastic Euron poster, and if the majority of show fans don’t know who the f*ck he is, even better!
http://a.bimg.dk/node-images/743/6/620x/6743641-saxo-photo.jpeg
He needs an eye patch and a parrot on his shoulder…
“….Thar she blows!”
🙂
Interesting because I read an article with one of the news networks and they actually reached out to HBO for an explanation on the poster and what it meant. HBO simply stated “They can not comment”, no mention of a memorial at all. Not sure where the memorial comment is coming from I did not see it anywhere.
Hodors Bastard,
Lol! I just think a similar expression, some sort of ragged cloth over an eye, stylized clothing, and a photo done in greyscale (sorry, Jorah!) would be deliciously terrifying.
Pigeon,
Exactly…silliness aside, I am quite fascinated by how they will portray our well-traveled ironborn commander, partly because of how divisive and well-debated this non-PoV character and his purpose have become.
MiaMoon,
Neither did I. Probably some unreliable gossip site if even that. Do you have a link to the article you refer to?
I know it’s a bad pun, but… Ned was Sean Bean. It was obvious he would’t survive. He’s a walking spoiler XD
Pigeon,
Wow, that was a powerful pic. I had my doubts with the casting, but wow.
I’m not usually into close ups (some of the pics of GOT were so heavily photoshoped that the characters were almost unrecognizable), but this one could totally work…
Hodors Bastard,
Probably being bipolar, if he’s effectively doing Euron + Victarion plots. I even read especulations of him being some hybrid with
but that’s too much…
How am I supposed to await patiently for FIVE MONTHS NOW??
It was hard before, it’s pretty much impossible now. Great job, HBO! What a teaser!
#heAlwaysComesBack
ladywolfsbane,
Obsidian,
In the book, Bowden Marsh flatly states that letting the Wildlings through is treason. Jon’s assassination almost certainly was planned in advance for that reason: circumstances probably forced them to accelerate that plan.
That’s a lot of character burden! But I’m fine with any layers they give him….if he is indeed scheduled for a near-term tense run-in with Sam and a long-term shocking run-in with Dany. 🙂
ladywolfsbane,
Yeah, I really am looking forward to how Jon rationalizes what happens, both on the show and in the book. It could be like combining Jesus and Thomas!
I find it interesting that Jon has blood on his nose. Have you heard the expression “he got his nose bloodied”? It means to harm but not kill. Old English. However, I believe Jon is dead as dead. So he will be released from his nights watch vows. And can lead an army of wildlings south to retake Winterfell.
I know you are implying “Doubting Thomas”…but could it be that you are also referencing Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever? Speaking of dark outlooks, self-doubt, dire hesitation and an “unwilling hero” complex… Fuck, yeah!
Yes, that “dark eye” theory may be on track. Another reference to a hero to save the world, with the exception that the way it is worded, it sounds as if the “dark eye” would be an enemy of Dany.
No, Jon won’t be the same when he awakens: he will be much more world-weary and world wary. He will no longer suffer fools like Thorne and will be much more suspicious of everyone.
Many people have commented that the picture used is one from season 3, that it is his wilding cloak. Hmmm. With all the pics that might have been chosen, or with the option to have made a completely new picture in different garb, why choose one from season 3? That’s the season of the Red Wedding. It’s the clothing from the time when he wasn’t a crow of the Nights Watch. I’d like to think the clothing, and blood, symbolize a “revisiting” of season 3 – in other words, the long overdue revenge for Robb and Cat and all the other houses that were betrayed will be delivered — by Jon.
I guess those pictures of Kit Harington in costume as Jon were taken too far away to show his eyes and establish whether or not Resurrected Jon has a different eye colour. (I’m editing this to note that Kit is facing away from the camera when the photograph was taken, so his eyes aren’t visible in the shot.)
A lot of actors have problems with colour contacts, though. If they didn’t make Emilia Clarke wear them, I doubt they’d make Kit wear them.
Wimsey,
Yeah that’s true about his appearance changing so much. Plus, just his general lack of screen-time lately would add to the amount of people saying “Wait, who’s that? What is this even in advertisement of?”.
Yeah, I don’t think he’ll get a poster. Not an individual head-shot like this, anyway. I think you’re right in saying the story’s only more likely to focus on Sansa henceforth than it is Theon.
Incidentally, out of optimism, I’ve been hoping they deliberately chose to sideline him in season 5, only to rebalance it in season 6, because they wanted to make the audience like him first before returning him to main-character status. Like, they didn’t feel brave enough to do a load of “Look how sad he is” scenes in season 5 because most of the audience still hates him at that point, and D&D were worried people would become annoyed by that. I dislike that about season 5, but if this turns out to be the reason and season 6 features a lot more of him, then I can definitely understand why they did it.
I’m rambling now though. I always do this; make huge digressions about Theon when it’s not even vaguely warranted. I LIKE THE JON SNOW POSTER IT’S GOOD.
Wimsey,
I’ve been watching season 1 and 2 over again (for the millionth time) and wow Theon totally looks like a plump fancy lad in season one compared to now. I suspect they padded his armor a lot in s01 on purpose since they knew he was headed for a downfall later. Alfie also looks like he lost a ton of weight for the role. It’s fun to go back and compare the characters to what they all look like now. That said I would love a Theon s06 poster!
At the same time, the books give us reason to be dubious about Bowen’s opinions and understanding, and make it plain that he was taking part in outside political matters himself. He is not portrayed as someone capable of any great subtlety of reason. (And of course, I think that he has a co-conspirator in Thorne, who is acting out of personal motivations – but that’s still debatable, at this point.)
Bowen may or may not truly believe it himself, but it’s a rationale that he’s trying (unsuccessfully) to sell to Flint and Norrey.
I agree that an attempt on Jon’s life was pre-planned, then accelerated. (In a moment of panic, IMO)
I just had a nightmarish idea… What if Jon comes back different, a bit like Lady Stoneheart? A vengeful Jon, who wants to kill those in the NW who betrayed him, and those who betrayed his family. And since Brienne is (probably) coming to Castle Black with “Lannister gold”, Tyrion’s squire and her failed oath to Catelyn, maybe Jon will play Stoneheart’s role to her?
We know that GRRM said there’s no point in bringing back a character if he comes back the unchanged, and we know that D&D sometimes mix some characters…
That’s a crazy idea but worth discussing…
See my comment a little upthread – I believe that’s just what he will do. All his open, trusting, hopeful nature will be tainted. The thrust from Ollie was the most bitter betrayal. Jon will become an instrument of vengeance. Not that I think he will kill Ollie. But who knows? That blood on his face was a dramatic choice, but why? Why add blood to a picture that would have garnered a sensational reaction without it? Because – there will be Blood.
Every time someone uses the terms Loyalists and Nationalists to parse the factions at the Wall, it takes me some time to work out who is who. After all, both sides are loyal to someone or something, and there are no nations as such in Westeros. Surely I’m not the only one who finds these designations more befuddling than helpful!
A few thoughts:
First of all, to the person who finally decided to make their first post, Welcome to the Wall. I’m sorry, your post was way up thread, and now I can’t remember your SN.
Secondly, lots of people thought Jon a traitor for following the Half hand’s orders…killing him, appearing to join the Wildlings, his affair with Ygritte (even though the Halfhand told him to do whatever he needed to to convince the Wildlings he had joined them). Not everyone agreed, but I don’t think those who saw Jon as a traitor for that have let it go. In other words, just because Bowen Marsh says Jon is a traitor, that does not justify them killing him. Are they not traitors for murdering their Lord Commander? There wasn’t even any kind of “hearing.” At least before, Jon had some kind of “trial.”
Pau,
You are absolutely right about Barcelona and why they are dominant. This was Madrid’s model way back in the 50’s under Bernabeau and was the reason they were dominant at that time. Same as in the 80’s. Florentino Perez is the reason why the club ditched the methodology and opted to sign Galacticos as well. There is a big advantage when a team is made up of players that grow together and play together since youth. Cruyff is the reason for Barcelona’s recent success. His plan is materializing. I hope that someone else takes over Madrid and brings us back to what made us legends.
Actually here’s something no one has mentioned but might be significant.
We know that the Wildlings are with Jon. But how is everyone assuming they’ll accept Jon so easily? If he dies and is resurrected, you would imagine the Wildlings would be INCREDIBLY wary of him. How could anyone who survived Hardhome, or those that live beyond the Wall be so easily accepting of someone who was dead coming back to life? And whether that resurrection happens through the Old Gods or R’hllor, those are NOT Wildling gods. If it was through Mel, even more so they might be inclined to think of him as something not natural, and if nothing else, not someone who they would necessarily follow.
Think about it. How likely is it that the Wildlings – who are suspicious of men south of the wall and their gods – just go “cool, Jon is back from the dead, we’ll follow him.” And even more so if he comes back as ANYTHING different or foreign seeming to them, how on earth would they get over their suspicion to follow him? Why does everyone assume the Wildlings won’t have a very difficult time with this resurrection? Something has to happen to get them over this, OR somehow they don’t all know?
Tormund. “Do you trust me, Jon Snow?” “Does that make me a fool?” “We are fools together, now.”
Here’s a possibility:
Tormund may be called upon by Davos to spirit Jon’s body out of Castle Black; Tormund will be devastated to see Jon dead, and ecstatic to have him back. Tormund will vouch for him again, and the Wildings will trust them, again. Trusting those two the first time at least got the Wildings safely away from Hardhome, with a chance to start a new life. They called Jon King Crow. They also vowed to fight with him. I don’t think the Wildings will be Jon’s biggest problem.
Thronetender,
They won’t be the biggest problem, no, but not everyone will have a great time with him being dead and then resurrected. People who think he’s going to come back as somehow darker or dramatically different – that’s not going to happen, because the Wildlings would not follow him if he was. Tormund might like him, but he’s a dead crow come back to life. he can’t be different than what they know and trust. All this talk about different eye color is ridiculous, that would NOT fly with the people who are supposedly following him.
Tormund: “Don’t worry, he died and was brought back to life and his eye color is totally different and he’s darker and more vengeful but TRUST ME he’s fine.”
Yeah. no.
Nadia,
Ok, then take it from the viewpoint of time management – The wildings might be shown to be reluctant at first, but will come around quickly because, with everything else that we already know is going to happen this season, there just isn’t the time to linger on Wildings holding out for very long. Imho, Tormund straightens that out real fast, and the story moves on from there. I don’t know about different eye color. I doubt that’s going to happen. Chances are, most of the Wildings won’t even know Jon was killed and brought back.
I just rewatched youtube vids of Hardhome. Damn, I hope the next announcement is IMAX of the last 3 eps. I would so love to see that on big screen. I know, I’ve said this before, but heck, I’m saying it again. IMAX IMAX
The Wildlings worship the Old Gods.
One of Roose Bolton’s 20 good leeches,
But would they be wary of the dead being resurrected? The dead rising is part of what they were running from. And while Jon will obviously not be a wight, I can’t imagine that would be so easy for all the Wildlings to get over. So either they don’t all know or (more likely), he comes back appearing to be exactly the same, even if the audience is somehow privvy to internal or private conversations that he FEELS different.
Thronetender,
But that’s my point. Time-wise, people who are making this scenario unnecessarily complicated are missing the point of tv. Nor is Jon going to come back as some vengeful character who has different colored eyes, or whatever weird theories are going on here. The books might make him more complicated but I really don’t think the show will.
All these discussions about the endless resistance Jon will face from the leftovers at the Wall, the Northern lords, no one believe him etc etc, – I think that’s way over reading what will happen in the story. In fact, I warrant maybe somehow many will not even know he actually died and was brought back to life.
KK,
T for traitor?
Obsidian,
I just remember I stopped reading the book for a brief moment and closed my eyes. And I wanted to shake the little bugger, because I couldn’t believe he’d abandon the wall because of a blustering propaganda letter. I’ll go back and reread and find the exact moment where I decided Jon needed to be taken out… when he officially announced that they were going to leave – they had to take him out before they left.
Wimsey,
Now, my feelings/ideas are not WHY the Night’s Watch rebelled – oh no. Bowen took Jon out because of the Wildlings, I agree with both of you, nothing to do with the letter for him. But I would have supported Bowen, and perhaps they got the additional support they needed from imaginary NW people like me, because of the letter. Hey, maybe the Wildlings would have integrated OK and the rebellion would have fizzled away… we’ll never know…
Jon, and regret, and death… will know/understand about the legend from Mel right away? Will he believe her? Will he just KNOW…
Beautiful Kit.
Ohhh, I thought you were saying that they were going to dwell a while on that. As far as the Wildings caring that he was now “vengeful,” if he indeed is shown to be leaning a little more in that direction, I don’t think they’d be bothered at all. They don’t know him well enough to be concerned by such a thing. To them, he is the badass that ordered everyone else to the boats while he and his men stood and fought. He’s the guy with the magic sword that shattered a White Walker. He’s the one who was obeyed when they stood at the gates, and were allowed in. He is their savior. I don’t think there is going to be trouble from the Wildings.
Thronetender,
I guess I’m not being clear. If they were going to make things incredibly difficult for Jon, with a million intricacies and endless resistance (as people like Whimsey seem to imply), then why stop at the NW or the North? You’d include the Wildlings too, because it’s not intuitive that they would have NO problems.
So I tend to think they’re going to streamline some of the resistance or complications. It’s possible that very few people know initially that he died and was resurrected at all, until he proves himself in some physical way to be the leader they all want to follow. The audience will know, as will the major characters. But I don’t think it’s going to be as complicated as some here point it out to be. Jon isn’t going to be made into a deserter and antagonist.
It’s a good way to (re)introduce the Greyjoys. They can do something like that, using Theon as “he’s back!” and Euron as “look people, this character is gonna do important stuff”. They already introduced us the Martells, the High Sparrow and the new Myrcella with a video of the cast, so why not?
I doubt they introduced now heavy prophecy stuff, given the lack of importance of direwolves, dreams, flashbacks and such until this moment (but who knows, they can go on full magic route now). If they do that, I hope they do it properly and with some context.
About the pic… It’s a pretty generic pose and angle, I think. Like Cersei having part of her hair in the shoulder in the promo pics, Margaery with the left side to us or warrior characters such Robb, Brienne or the Hound hand in sword with full armor and looking menacing…
ha!
https://www.instagram.com/p/-e1w7-wdnI/?taken-by=gameofthrones
Oh snap!! You made a Thomas Covenant reference. I sure hope that Jon Snow isn’t as bad as TC was…meaning the doubting everything….but I THINK Wimsey was referencing the biblical Thomas.
Targarian was my thought. Thous as no one else has Targarian eyes in the show that’s probably not likely.
I do like the Illusion to the carved faces though.
Got a shiver down my spine when I saw this poster.
Hopefully The Winds of Winter will by out by then, so I can watch Season Six.
Yes, and any magic that they would associate with the old gods would be acceptable to them.. Jon is much less clearly dead in the books, if you look at the scene as described in any detail.
But what is yet to be revealed in both books and show is, much detail of wildling religious belief, or what is their version of how the Long Night ended. It may well differ somewhat from that of northerners below the Wall. Do they have a prophecy equivalent to TPTWP ,or AAR, of their own ? I’d be surprised if they didn’t, living “on the front lines” as they do. I’m betting that GRRM will have something to reveal on the matter.
In spite of the “overkill” in the show version (number of attackers and where he is wounded), I doubt that Jon died in the attack, and think his return will be from possible/near death by some miraculous healing featuring CotF magic – nothing involving fire magic. This probably is foreshadowed by the change in his eyes during his last shot in S5.
Makes me laugh how a simple picture of a character can be dissected so much by people. All this talk of his eyes, blood splatter shaped like numbers and such is just silly talk.
..that said, I really like the poster. And I need to see a trailer soon before i explode.
No- Jon himself is the Ice Dragon
Wish I posted this earlier, but the BBC is airing a documentary about Wilko Johnson (Ilyn Payn) and his struggle with pancreatic cancer. In about ten minutes…
Regarding how Jon will get the Wildlings onside. They will surely understand, or Jon will make it clear, that without him as Lord Commander their right to remain on The Gift will be under threat. Whoever takes over as Lord Commander would probably still view Wildlings south of The Wall as a threat and eliminating them as their duty.
Not to mention that The Northern Lords, particularly the Boltons, won’t be too happy about the Wildlings settling south of The Wall without pledging fealty to them.
Jon will probably find a way to educate them in exactly who their new neighbours are, what they like to do to their enemies (flaying) and how strong they are (the Boltons could easily gather an army as strong as the one Stannis used to crush the Wildlings).
Regardless of the threat from beyond The Wall and their pledge to fight with Jon if the White Walkers invade the North, the Wildlings’ future still relies upon the Warden Of The North guaranteeing their position south of The Wall.
They have an interest in who sits at Winterfell, whether or not they intend to swear fealty to them. This will surely play a part in Jon’s attempts to rally them to his cause.
Sorry if any of this has been mentioned since I last refreshed the page, which was a while ago.
Hodors Bastard,
It occurred to me after I posted that Donaldson was riffing on the same paradox: the Chosen One that does not believe in Chosen Ones! Well, that is another clever idea of mine that is only 30 years too late! 😀
I do not think that Jon ever will be so dark as Covenant: but I can see Jon being just as skeptical of being a Messiah as Covenant was, or being just as skeptical of having been dead as Covenant was of his cured leprosy.
On a side note, I thought of something that makes your idea of Jon getting some payback more plausible to me. We have good evidence that Daeny will use Drogon to put her captors in place: perhaps Jon will use Ghost and others to put his assassins in their place. GRRM loves to parallel those two, and B&W love to add any parallels that Martin misses!
So, now I am starting to expect it! (The curse of the open mind: constant flip-flopping!)
Obsidian,
I could see the Wildlings being even more willing to follow Jon once they see him revived and still acting like himself. Kind of like Daenerys and the Dothraki.
Hi I couldn’t find the exact one but did find this one which basically says the same thing. Hope the link works.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/jaimieetkin/game-of-thrones-season-6-jon-snow-poster#.yjYq4LPJjx
Ines,
Oh yes 🙂
Hhhmmmm… interesting… how so?
The last time Jon Snow had a scar like that (horizontal, on his left cheek) was in Season 3. In Season 5, he had a vertical scar that started above his left eyebrow into the eyebrow and then continued on his left cheek. I don’t recall when he got that particular scar, but he didn’t have the horizontal scar last season.
Curiouser and curiouser it gets.
Della,
Yes!
When time comes for that door to close between the land of always winter and the rest of the world, I think Jon will disappear behind it, never to be seen again!
I don’t know why, I just feel he’ll turn into one of the Wight creatures.
Incidentally, Jon was the 999th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. I read somewhere a long time ago that 999 means something like “culmination of death” in medieval numerology. Double nines are associated with Craster’s last boy child, too – that’s Gilly’s baby, little Sam. Craster said that baby was his 99th son.
The books seem to use medieval fears of winter never ending – their fear that spring would never return. Also, their fear that sickness came from things like the cold. The suggestion that the sickness, Greyscale for example, lays dormant within the body and emerges to kill, mirrors the white walkers who sleep underground and then awake to destroy everything. There is tension between early science (Qyburn and his grotesque experiments) and folklore and magic.
One of the early Night’s Watch leaders became the Night’s King, so, it wouldn’t be beyond the pale for Jon to do so. In the end, their world, and it’s weather may stabilize into predictable seasons…after this final crisis. The last children of the forest, magic, and giants will probably all die. And, as you say, Jon will be lost to the world of the dead forever.
Anon,
Isn’t he the 998th Lord Commander? the next will be 999.
Simon,
Yes. But he died as 998. I imagine when he’s resurrected he’ll be 999?
Anon,
I don’t think he will be the new Lord Commander. He was killed by his brother’s and so his watch has ended. Now he can re enter the affairs of the realm, kick some butt, form alliances and eventually with D break the wheel before he and perhaps she must withdraw from the world.
Simon,
Well. I don’t think there will be another commander AFTER Jon. I’m willing to bet some money on that one. If there’s ever going to be a 999th, Jon is it!
I don’t think Alliser will get a chance to take that role, though he has designs.
The vows say nothing about resurrected men, do they?
Anon,
Could be but I think he won’t be too interested. He’ll has more options open to him by not being a proper Brother anymore – perhaps he’ll be the de facto last commander but as an anti night kings. Consolidating the realms of men and getting them to take notice of the north is by far more important for him than commanding the wall. Having someone take charge for him would be more useful. We all know Thorne is a good fighter. When he finds out – if he does – Jon is a Targ he’ll probably bend the knee as he fought for them in Robert’s rebellion. This would also be symbolically powerful as it mirrors the theme of finding commonality, of refusing to pick sides between one group of men or another.
Well you’re mostly right but is not that easy…You have to remember that in the 80’s you could only play with 3 foreign players and in the 50’s not even that. And Real was only really dominant in the 50’s, when thanks to Di Stefano they won the first 5 champions leagues…then they won 1 european cup in the 60’s, and none for 35 years straight, so even if La Quinta del Buitre was dominant in Spain they didn’t even reach the Champions League Final, whereas Barça reached 3, one in 86, another in 92 (first win) and another in 94.
And if barça has won 4 Champions leagues in the last 10 years is thanks to Cruyff but also thanks to Messi, the same way Real needed Di Stefano.
So what I’m trying to say is that u need both, homebrewed players and a big star (and more things of course, like money, good managment, a clear playstyle, fan support, etc. But 2 things are key) And Barça was lucky enough that the best player in football history was made in our youth teams, so is like a Cinderella story in that aspect 😉
PS: By the way did you see the 6-1 vs rome? Amazing again 😛
PPS: Regarding Florentino you will never be able to kick him out…did you know that he changed Madrid “law” so no one except him and 2 more, which are in his board, can really be presidents? you need to “guarantee” 15% of the Madrid expense budget, that’s like 600M euros (not sure of the technical words in English, but basically you need to be a millionaire), and u have to be 20 years member of the club, which as I said leaves out 99.99% of the people. He will stay until he wants, and then his successor will be someone he’ll appoint 🙁
Pau,
Good points there.
Do you think they could ever go back to farming their players?
No: but, then, as the vast majority of people would say that such things do not exist, it would not be an issue. Almost nobody is going to accept that Jon did anything other than miraculously survive.
My bet is that on the show, Thorne & Co. will probably convene the brothers, announce that Jon was executed for Treason and commence election. They might even just say: “look, Thorne was the loyal Nights Watch member who got the most votes: so, let’s just say we elected him last time.” That would have the additional spite of essentially erasing Jon’s term from the record books.
However, given that the Watch has to do something now about the huge Wildling incursion that the false-LC Snow let through the Wall, my bet is that they waste very little time appointing Thorne or someone else LC.
Wimsey,
Almost nobody is going to accept that Jon did anything other than miraculously survive.
I’m not sure of this. If Jon is left dead in the ice caves – in salt and ash – for any length of time it will seem uncanny. The issue will be how long it takes for Jon to return from the dead. If it is instantaneous your observations are correct but if longer the affect will be considerably different. If they burn his body and he emerges from the flames with a flaming sword or weirwood eyes, like D birthing her dragons, then the response will be even more intense.
Oh m(eye), looks like great-great-great-great-great uncle Bloodraven is back in black…
Raised from the dead. I definitely think that was the deliberate image they were going for, and the association.
Wimsey,
The relevant “people” would be the Watch, and the Wildlings just south of the wall. I imagine that they, of all people, believe in magic.
If the people know that Jon survives miraculously, as you say, then the question is, where has he gone. The only explanation then is that Jon has deserted. And, if they think he’s survived death, then how did he die in the first place. Our miracles are their magic, and they must know that no one can physically survive loss of that large pool of blood frozen onto the ground and shaped like a man, without supernatural intervention.
Alliser will be busy sorting out how to cover up his crime. He’s gone a long way to that end by getting others to participate in it. He might try to frame the Wildlings.
In any event, If Jon is alive, he’s still the Lord Commander. That way he can be both the 998th and 999th one, and also be released from his vows, at the same time…some sort of superposition 🙂
Simon,
Are you saying that Jon’s a dragon? Denaerys is always saying that dragons can’t be burned – but Jon was burned by a lamp he threw at a white-walker when it attacked Mormont. So, I don’t know if he can be a dragon, by Deny’s definition.
Anon,
I used to think that to but there has been a lot written about this. Targ’s can be burnt and died this way in their various family feuds – for example in the dance with dragon’s that the Princess Shireen discuss with her father. D survival is a magical exception. I think Jon if he goes on the fire may be resurrected in a similar fashion. I hope this however has more to do with the old gods than it does with blood magic or Mel’s fire kiss.
Did Jon always have that scar or is that new?
He’s had it for a while. It’s when Orell inside the eagle attacked his face and scratched him.
http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Orell
I know this cool poster is older news and the discussion of the blood on his face led to many theories as to whose blood it was and why and how. I think it speaks to something that has yet to happen.
The recently released Funko Pop Figurine, “Bloody Jon Snow” has a very specific bloodied left eye (and chest).
Why do images of Jon continue to reflect a bloodied left eye???