Warning: The following contains possible spoilers for season six of HBO's "Game of Thrones."
Anyone who watched the season five finale of HBO's "Game of Thrones" saw Jon Snow's sworn brothers of the Night's Watch turn on their Lord Commander Julius Caesar style. They repeatedly plunged daggers into everyone's favorite bastard, seemingly killing one of the show's most central heroes.
But how dead is Jon Snow really?
"Have we seen the last of our hero?" The Week.co.uk asked. "Despite Jon Snow's apparent death at the end of season five, many fans and commentators rushed to the internet to declare him live and kicking. The actor Kit Harington, who plays Snow, and the show's producers have insisted 'dead is dead' and that the character won't be returning in season six. Maisie Williams, who plays Arya, has also said: 'We saw him get stabbed a lot, I think it's pretty clear he's dead.'
"However, Emilia Clarke, who plays Daenerys, reckons there is a '50/50 chance' of Snow returning, and Carice Van Houten, who plays Melisandre, has been even more positive. 'No, he can't be dead. No!' she told The Sun at London Film and Comic Con. A popular theory is that Melisandre might be able to bring him back to life, with fans saying that they would be willing to forgive her for burning Shireen alive if she brings back Snow. Others have suggested Snow's ability to possess animals as a skinchanger means he could live on inside his direwolf Ghost."
As of now, this is more of a speculative theory than it is a full-blown spoiler. However, it makes a lot of sense. For a show with such a sprawling cast, Jon Snow is as close to a main character as we have. From a story telling standpoint, eliminating his perspective would de-emphasize the Wall's storyline and the looming threat of the White Walkers. Considering that the oncoming march of the undead is the endgame hanging over all of the petty squabbles in King's Landing, not having Jon around as an emotional anchor would lessen the impact of that particular plot arc.
So is Jon dead? Probably. But will he stay dead? Very doubtful.
