HBO has found a replacement for Jon Snow seven years after Game of Thrones’ controversial ending, and that new character will be introduced to the fandom extremely soon. Jon Snow quickly became a fan-favorite in Game of Thrones, with many falling in love with the character all the way back in Season 1 and being invested in his character arc throughout the entire series until the final episode of the show.
With the January 18 release of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, HBO will essentially be replacing Kit Harington’s Jon Snow with the titular character of the upcoming series, Peter Claffey’s Ser Duncan the Tall. Jon Snow has not appeared in an episode of a Game of Thrones series since the finale of the flagship show in 2019, but the character still holds a special place in the hearts of A Song of Ice and Fire fans.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 will be based on a novella from George R.R. Martin called “The Hedge Knight,” and, based on the official trailer that was released for the show, as well as the contents of that novella, many will find striking similarities between Duncan the Tall and Jon Snow. It is also worth noting that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is expected to follow the novella extremely closely, as a lot of the dialogue in the trailer was adapted word for word from the source material.
Therefore, fans will likely be getting a book-accurate version of Duncan the Tall, and, if that is the case, many will find themselves saying that he reminds them of Jon Snow from Game of Thrones.
While the two characters couldn't look more different, based on the trailer for the upcoming show and the source material, they are extremely similar in demeanor and have a lot of the same character traits. Jon Snow won't be showing up in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms at all, but the similarities between him and Duncan the Tall will likely lead to many viewers falling in love with Duncan the same way they did with Jon.
Duncan the Tall is the Perfect Replacement For Jon Snow
Duncan the Tall and Jon Snow are quite different in terms of appearance. The former is extremely tall and naturally physically strong, while Jon is more average in both categories. Similarly, Duncan has blonde hair and is clean-shaven, while Jon sports black locks and a full beard.
If someone were to ask a Game of Thrones fan to describe Jon Snow, they would likely talk about how honorable, humble, and loyal he is. Many even lobbied for him to become the king of Westeros in the final season (both in-universe and within the fandom), which Jon would have certainly been a great candidate for.
However, Jon was so honorable and self-aware that he did not feel worthy to become king. Based on the source material, Duncan would likely have a similar reaction if the people of Westeros were to request that he become king, but, due to his background and ancestry, there would be no chance of that happening anyway.
One good example of how Duncan is similar to Jon is how they both put their duty to the realm above all else. Jon genuinely wanted to join the Night’s Watch in Game of Thrones because he thought he would be protecting the realm and doing a good service to the people living there.
Within the first 20 seconds of the A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms trailer, Duncan himself talks about what it means to be a knight, alluding that he will either fulfill his vows or go to the grave trying. Specifically, he states that he will “defend the weak and the innocent,” and that he “swore that [he] would:
“I was squire to Ser Arlan of Pennytree since I was a boy. He charged me to be a good knight. To defend the weak and the innocent. I swore that I would.”
It is clear in the opening moments of the trailer that Duncan is burying his mentor, Ser Arlan of Pennytree. Being a hedge knight means that Duncan is essentially a knight in name only. He was not born into royalty and did not become a knight due to societal status. Instead, Arlan made him a knight. However, he will still be trying his best to live by his oath and perform his sworn duties, which sounds exactly like what Jon would do in the same situation.
It is also worth pointing out that Ser Duncan the Tall is a more than formidable swordsman. Although the series has not been released yet, Duncan's name was actually mentioned in Game of Thrones Season 4. The conversation that he was included in featured future spoilers for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, but essentially, it confirmed that Duncan is extremely skilled with a sword.
Many Thrones fans are more than aware of Jon's fighting skills. From the very first episode of the series, Jon was training with a sword, and he went on to defeat countless people in combat. Fans will have to wait to see if Jon's skills match Duncan's, but the two are extremely similar when it comes to how formidable they are with a sword in their hands.
Another way the two are extremely similar is how they both started out as outsiders in their respective stories. As mentioned, Duncan the Tall is known as a Hedge Knight. This means that he is not in the service of any particular lord, often bouncing around from kingdom to kingdom to work odd jobs here and there. Essentially, he has no real home and is on the road for the most part.
Before Jon learned of his true heritage (it was revealed that he was a Targaryen, and, in the traditional line of succession, the rightful heir to the Iron Throne), he was not necessarily respected, at least not like the Stark children. He didn't even have the Stark name since he was known as Ned Stark's bastard. Ned's own wife, Catelyn, even treated Jon much differently than she treated her own children.
Partly why Jon joined the Night's Watch was because he was a bit of an outsider. Yes, he wanted to make a real difference in the world, but he also knew he had no real place in Winterfell because he was not a legitimate child of Ned.
Will Jon Snow Return to the Game of Thrones Universe?
Many Game of Thrones fans would love to see Jon Snow return to the franchise in some way. A lot of viewers were upset with the way his character arc ended in Season 8, and that he should be brought back so that he can be given a better ending.
An actual Game of Thrones spin-off series centering around Harington's Jon Snow was announced to be in the works for a couple of years. However, it apparently never really got out of the early development stage, and, since then, it has been indefinitely shelved.
There is always a possibility that it could be revived and get made at some point in the future, but that seems extremely unlikely, as Harington recently revealed that he has no desire to return to the world of ice and fire (unlike Sophie Turner, who just said she would come back)
For now, fans will have to settle for his replacement, Duncan the Tall, in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which will be premiering on HBO and HBO Max on January 18, 2025.
