So, the Battle of the Bastards, ay?!
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As it usually tends to do, Game of Thrones delivered big time on episode 9 of its current season, with an all out war between smug-weasel-given-human-form Ramsay Bolton -
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- and the man that even the North Pole would describe as “excessively Northern”, Jon Snow.
It was a glorious moment of clean, unblemished satisfaction, which is a very odd thing for Game of Thrones to do. But it felt earned this time around, given the non-stop turbine of misery Ol’ Jonny Boy has been through these past 6 seasons. And yet through it all he has kept his dignity, remained a good man, and most importantly, cemented his place atop the vast majority of people’s favourite GoT characters lists.
But why is that? Why exactly DO so many people gravitate towards Jon Snow, who isn’t exactly the most charismatic of stallions or multi-layered of characters, in a show overflowing with both?
It was a glorious moment of clean, unblemished satisfaction, which is a very odd thing for Game of Thrones to do. But it felt earned this time around, given the non-stop turbine of misery Ol’ Jonny Boy has been through these past 6 seasons. And yet through it all he has kept his dignity, remained a good man, and most importantly, cemented his place atop the vast majority of people’s favourite GoT characters lists.
But why is that? Why exactly DO so many people gravitate towards Jon Snow, who isn’t exactly the most charismatic of stallions or multi-layered of characters, in a show overflowing with both?
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For once, that Ron Burgundy quote isn’t being used flippantly - there is science behind why so many people love Jon Snow. And so many other characters in other franchises besides.
And I’m here to explain it to you, putting my Media degree to use for the first time since obtaining it. Trust me though, this is fascinating, and once you learn the science, you’ll see it cropping up everywhere.
So prepare yourself for that most glorious of things...
And I’m here to explain it to you, putting my Media degree to use for the first time since obtaining it. Trust me though, this is fascinating, and once you learn the science, you’ll see it cropping up everywhere.
So prepare yourself for that most glorious of things...
DEEP MEDIA THEORY!
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Game of Thrones, and several other major franchises. If a film or TV show starts getting mentioned, and you don’t want it to be spoiled, look away and return another day.
Let me introduce you to this man, who looks like every picture of everyone's Grandad from the 70s.
Let me introduce you to this man, who looks like every picture of everyone's Grandad from the 70s.
Image Credit: biography.com
His name is Joseph Campbell, and he’s really interested in storytelling. Specifically, he studied hundred and thousands of myths and legends from as far back as you can imagine. From tales of the Gods of Olympus from ancient Greece, through the plays of William Shakespeare, all the way to the modern era. And from all of these stories, he devised a template that the overwhelming majority of these stories followed: The Hero’s Journey.
If you want to get a jump on this article, you can read the exact template here. Basically, it’s a paint by numbers structure that boils all of these stories down to 12 steps. How common are these steps, and the characters that take them?
I’ll show you. Let’s break down arguably the three most popular franchises of the past few decades: Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. You may think these three franchises are wholly different, but here’s your first of many spoiler warnings: they are all fundamentally the same.
If you want to get a jump on this article, you can read the exact template here. Basically, it’s a paint by numbers structure that boils all of these stories down to 12 steps. How common are these steps, and the characters that take them?
I’ll show you. Let’s break down arguably the three most popular franchises of the past few decades: Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. You may think these three franchises are wholly different, but here’s your first of many spoiler warnings: they are all fundamentally the same.
Part One: The Hero
The "Blank Slate" Hero
Quick, name the key traits of any one of these three heroes! Chances are they include “brave”, “plucky”, “good”, etc.. Traits that can be applied symmetrically to any of these heroes. Not one of these characters is overly deep, or terribly complicated. Luke Skywalker, Frodo Baggins and Harry Potter are just undeniably good guys, without much of anything else in their recipe. They are vanilla. You could go as far as to say they are a little boring.
This is on purpose.
All of these characters are designed to be avatars. Their purpose is to represent “you” in their world. They are blank enough to match your most basic belief of yourself - that you are a good person, and you always do the right thing. This is true of anybody watching the movie, regardless of nationality, race, religion, gender, or sexual preference. They are the eyes through which you see these otherwise alien worlds. Anything too quirky, and you stop putting yourself in their shoes, instead watching their adventures as a bystander. Plenty of storytelling methods take this second option (Breaking Bad for one), but big franchises aiming to appeal to everybody NEED this hero.
This is on purpose.
All of these characters are designed to be avatars. Their purpose is to represent “you” in their world. They are blank enough to match your most basic belief of yourself - that you are a good person, and you always do the right thing. This is true of anybody watching the movie, regardless of nationality, race, religion, gender, or sexual preference. They are the eyes through which you see these otherwise alien worlds. Anything too quirky, and you stop putting yourself in their shoes, instead watching their adventures as a bystander. Plenty of storytelling methods take this second option (Breaking Bad for one), but big franchises aiming to appeal to everybody NEED this hero.
The Mundane Life
Similarly, these heroes tend to lead equally bland lives, away from any excitement. As Luke Skywalker himself puts it about Tatooine, “If there's a bright centre to the universe, you're on the planet that it's farthest from.” Similar things can be said about the idyllic but boring Shire, and the cupboard under the stairs at No. 4 Privet Drive.
These places likely mirror your own situation - most people are bored in some way with their current life. Nothing depressing, just that inescapable human feeling that everyone else is having more fun than you. Yet more relatable traits.
These places likely mirror your own situation - most people are bored in some way with their current life. Nothing depressing, just that inescapable human feeling that everyone else is having more fun than you. Yet more relatable traits.
The Special
Oh but wait, what’s that?! I’m special!? I mean the most?! I MATTER?!?
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Yep, wouldn’t you know it, you’re the one. You’re the last Jedi. You’re the Boy Who Lived. Just as you have always suspected, you have greatness within you. This is another of those human beliefs that these stories pull on, because everyone wants to think they mean something in the world. This is where the escapist storytelling so important to these legends begins.
The Mentor
This revelation of the protagonists importance in the world is usually brought about by a (usually old age) mentor, who happens to stumble into the main character’s lives. They are there to teach their protégé about the larger world, and how they fit into it. Lightsabers given, running instructions shouted, magic spells learned. All swiftly followed by...
...some good old fashioned DEATH!
Diverse Allies
The mentor may be gone, but don’t fear! The special now finds themselves surrounded by an odd-ball, diverse group of friends who are all there to serve a purpose in aiding the main character in their plot. This is where the variances come in, but broad strokes tend to crop up a lot in these groups. Leia, Legolas and Hermione are the “smarter than you” types. Looking for a hero with a bit of a bad boy edge? Han Solo, Aragon and Sirius Black got your back! R2-D2, Sam and Ron are your loveable but slightly inept best friends.
It’s within these characters that you’ll find the character depth. As they don’t have to represent “you”, they can afford to bit a little off colour. I bet you can come up with far more words to describe any of the supporting characters than you can to describe the main one. They are the proverbial sizzle to the protagonists steaks, and that relationship should never be reversed. Don’t believe me? Just look at Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Jack Sparrow is a grade A supporting character, but utterly useless in the driving seat.
It’s within these characters that you’ll find the character depth. As they don’t have to represent “you”, they can afford to bit a little off colour. I bet you can come up with far more words to describe any of the supporting characters than you can to describe the main one. They are the proverbial sizzle to the protagonists steaks, and that relationship should never be reversed. Don’t believe me? Just look at Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Jack Sparrow is a grade A supporting character, but utterly useless in the driving seat.
Undeniable Evil
I’ll leave this checklist with one more broad stroke - in these stories, the opposition is always unstoppably evil (and according to these photos, fond of air grabs). They aren’t shades of grey, or usually all that well rounded - they are just bad, bad people. A big, black ominous object off in the distance somewhere, with no redeeming qualities nor reason to root for them. The morally white protagonist needs to face a morally black one, otherwise the bad guy becomes more interesting.
I’ve picked three examples here, but you can apply the same Blank Slate/Mundane Life/Special/Mentor/Allies/Enemy checklist to so many. Watch!
The Matrix!
I’ve picked three examples here, but you can apply the same Blank Slate/Mundane Life/Special/Mentor/Allies/Enemy checklist to so many. Watch!
The Matrix!
Terminator!
The Legend of Zelda!
It's also works for Alien. And Tomb Raider. On and on and on it goes. At this point, you’ve probably started to equate these steps to Jon Snow. But if I could, let me reel you back in. I mentioned that Joseph Campbell laid out 12 steps for the Hero’s Journey. Above is the cliff notes version, but the character of Jon Snow sticks so close to this structure that it deserves to be told in full.
Part Two: The Journey
1. The Ordinary World
"The hero, uneasy, uncomfortable or unaware, is introduced sympathetically so the audience can identify with the situation or dilemma. The hero is shown against a background of environment, heredity, and personal history. Some kind of polarity in the hero’s life is pulling in different directions and causing stress."
 | Jon Snow - We meet Jon stuck at Winterfell as an outcast Bastard, torn between his “family” and the call for adventure. |
2. The Call To Adventure
"Something shakes up the situation, either from external pressures or from something rising up from deep within, so the hero must face the beginnings of change."
 | JS - The arrival of the Royal Baratheon family shows he will never be a true Stark, so the call of the Night’s Watch starts to grow. |
3. Refusal Of The Call
"The hero feels the fear of the unknown and tries to turn away from the adventure, however briefly. Alternately, another character may express the uncertainty and danger ahead."
 | JS - A lot of people, including Ned and Benjen Stark, stress to Jon how dangerous taking the Black is. |
4. Meeting With The Mentor
"The hero comes across a seasoned traveler of the worlds who gives him or her training, equipment, or advice that will help on the journey. Or the hero reaches within to a source of courage and wisdom."
 | JS - There are two mentor figures early on in Jon’s story - Uncle Benjen and Jeor Mormont, the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. Both take Jon under the wing and teach him valuable lessons. And both die. Well, Jeor does. Benjen was presumed dead but has just turned up in S6 as a half zombie, unbeknownst to Jon at this point. |
5. Crossing The Threshold
"At the end of Act One, the hero commits to leaving the Ordinary World and entering a new region or condition with unfamiliar rules and values."
 | JS - Jon arrives at the Wall among turmoil - “Winter” is coming, Wildling attacks are increasing, and there is word of White Walkers appearing beyond the Wall. |
6. Tests, Allies and Enemies
"The hero is tested and sorts out allegiances in the Special World."
 | JS - Jon’s also in a hostile environment, where all but a few seem to dislike him because of his relative “High Born” status. He does find Samwell Tarly and Ed, though, along with his trusty direwolf Ghost (an equivalent of Chewbacca or Hedwig). |
7. Approach
"The hero and newfound allies prepare for the major challenge in the Special world."
 | JS - Going beyond the Wall in search of Benjen, anyone? |
8. The Ordeal
"Near the middle of the story, the hero enters a central space in the Special World and confronts death or faces his or her greatest fear. Out of the moment of death comes a new life."
 | JS - While North of the Wall, the Brothers of the Night's Watch have to contend with all sorts - Wildlings, White Walkers, zombies, and turncoat Brothers. It is here that Jeor Mormont gets betrayed by his own Brothers and killed. |
9. The Reward
"The hero takes possession of the treasure won by facing death. There may be celebration, but there is also danger of losing the treasure again."
 | JS - Through all of this, Jon comes into possession of Mormont’s Valyrian Steel sword Longclaw, one of the few things capable of killing White Walkers. Pretty handy consider how fast those undead ice lollies are coming. He also takes Mormont’s position as Lord Commander. |
10. The Road Back
"About three-fourths of the way through the story, the hero is driven to complete the adventure, leaving the Special World to be sure the treasure is brought home. Often a chase scene signals the urgency and danger of the mission."
 | JS - Jon goes through many roadblocks - getting caught by the Wildlings, climbing the Wall, and the attempt to save the Wildlings at Hardhome from the oncoming White Walkers. The chase scene is pretty easy to pinpoint - the epic escape from Hardhome when the Night King turns up with a massive army of the undead. |
11. The Resurrection
"At the climax, the hero is severely tested once more on the threshold of home. He or she is purified by a last sacrifice, another moment of death and rebirth, but on a higher and more complete level. By the hero’s action, the polarities that were in conflict at the beginning are finally resolved."
JS - Ring any bells?
JS - Ring any bells?
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Jon is murdered by the Brothers for saving their sworn enemy the Wildlings, and is literally resurrected by Melisandre, the Fire Whore. The story has now gone back a few steps in Season 6, with the return of Sansa Stark into Jon’s life and the attack on Winterfell, so we have yet to have Step 12:
12. Return With The Elixir
"The hero returns home or continues the journey, bearing some element of the treasure that has the power to transform the world as the hero has been transformed."
But rest assured it is coming soon. And that means at this point, we are 11 for 11 on The Hero’s Journey steps. The checklist even still checks out.
● Jon Snow is unquestionably good, and that’s about it, making him a fantastic example of an avatar.
● Jon IS treated as someone special. Davos and Tormund even discussed as much in the latest episode. And, you know, R+L=J, if you know what I mean (DO NOT look that up, as it contains a potentially huge GoT spoiler).
● Sam, Ed, Ghost, and now Sansa, Brienne, Tormund and Davos make for quite the eccentric supporting cast
● The White Walkers are definitely evil, unlike the other villains in GoT who are all varying shades of grey.
Told you this was some deep media theory. But even now, I still haven’t given you the real reason why Jon Snow is the shows most popular character. In fact, you may have picked up on the fact that neither Luke, Frodo or Harry are really anyone’s favourite characters from their respective franchises. So why is Jon everyone’s favourite, if he is basically a carbon copy of them?
But rest assured it is coming soon. And that means at this point, we are 11 for 11 on The Hero’s Journey steps. The checklist even still checks out.
● Jon Snow is unquestionably good, and that’s about it, making him a fantastic example of an avatar.
● Jon IS treated as someone special. Davos and Tormund even discussed as much in the latest episode. And, you know, R+L=J, if you know what I mean (DO NOT look that up, as it contains a potentially huge GoT spoiler).
● Sam, Ed, Ghost, and now Sansa, Brienne, Tormund and Davos make for quite the eccentric supporting cast
● The White Walkers are definitely evil, unlike the other villains in GoT who are all varying shades of grey.
Told you this was some deep media theory. But even now, I still haven’t given you the real reason why Jon Snow is the shows most popular character. In fact, you may have picked up on the fact that neither Luke, Frodo or Harry are really anyone’s favourite characters from their respective franchises. So why is Jon everyone’s favourite, if he is basically a carbon copy of them?
Part Three: The Reason
The reason why Jon the Avatar has risen above all other previous protagonists and stands head and shoulders above the rest of the Game of Thrones cast...
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...is because he is the easy option for our brains to comprehend on a show overflowing with storylines. Here is a quick rundown of all on-going storylines as it stands with one week left to go in Season 6:
● Cersei Lannister is on trial
● The High Sparrow is manipulating Tommen Baratheon
● Margery Tyrell is up to something, as is her grandmother (plus her brother is still in jail)
● Arya Stark is leaving Bravos
● The Greyjoys siblings are trying to run away from their Uncle
● Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister are preparing to leave Meereen
● Jaime Lannister is in the Riverlands dealing with the Freys
● Bran Stark, Meera Reed and Benjen Stark are beyond the Wall, running from White Walkers
● Brienne of Tarth and Podrick Payne are trying to get back to Sansa Stark at Winterfell
● Samwell Tarly and Gilly are somewhere in The Reach with baby Sam and a Valyrian sword
● Littlefinger is running the Vale in place of Robin Arryn
● Edd is now the Lord Commander of the Wall
● The Hound is joining the Brotherhood Without Banners
● Davos Seaworth seems on a collision course with Melisandre the Fire Whore
● Dorne? I guess?
That’s a lot to keep up with, and while it is all very interesting, the stories are so complicated at this point that hardly any of them are as linear as Jon’s story. There probably are elements of the Hero’s Journey present in all of these stories, but they are all side quests and spin-offs essentially, so we aren’t getting the complete picture with any of them.
Plus, no one on Earth can really relate to all-conquering dragon Queens. Or tree psychics. Or fire magicians. Jon’s nearest competition is his sister Arya, but she has too much personality to be a true avatar. She’s the rebellious tomboy secret badass, easily swayed by whomever she feels will give her the tools needed to wipe all the names off her kill list. She’s far too interesting to be the “lead”.
● Cersei Lannister is on trial
● The High Sparrow is manipulating Tommen Baratheon
● Margery Tyrell is up to something, as is her grandmother (plus her brother is still in jail)
● Arya Stark is leaving Bravos
● The Greyjoys siblings are trying to run away from their Uncle
● Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister are preparing to leave Meereen
● Jaime Lannister is in the Riverlands dealing with the Freys
● Bran Stark, Meera Reed and Benjen Stark are beyond the Wall, running from White Walkers
● Brienne of Tarth and Podrick Payne are trying to get back to Sansa Stark at Winterfell
● Samwell Tarly and Gilly are somewhere in The Reach with baby Sam and a Valyrian sword
● Littlefinger is running the Vale in place of Robin Arryn
● Edd is now the Lord Commander of the Wall
● The Hound is joining the Brotherhood Without Banners
● Davos Seaworth seems on a collision course with Melisandre the Fire Whore
● Dorne? I guess?
That’s a lot to keep up with, and while it is all very interesting, the stories are so complicated at this point that hardly any of them are as linear as Jon’s story. There probably are elements of the Hero’s Journey present in all of these stories, but they are all side quests and spin-offs essentially, so we aren’t getting the complete picture with any of them.
Plus, no one on Earth can really relate to all-conquering dragon Queens. Or tree psychics. Or fire magicians. Jon’s nearest competition is his sister Arya, but she has too much personality to be a true avatar. She’s the rebellious tomboy secret badass, easily swayed by whomever she feels will give her the tools needed to wipe all the names off her kill list. She’s far too interesting to be the “lead”.
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Star Wars, LotR and Potter all have one central story, not 4 or 5 major ones with several side stories below. You are therefore free to abandon Luke, Frodo and Harry in favour of their more interesting allies, as they are part of the same linear story.
In the Game of Thrones unique sea of chaos, Jon’s story is a lighthouse. Something your brain can relate to easily because it’s a story you’ve been told thousands of times through various other mediums (whether you knew it or not). Subconsciously, you start to like him more and more because he consistently makes sense to you. His lovable simplicity makes him simple to love, and brains crave things that are easy to understand.
Sure, you love other characters. I’m a Varys guy, for example. I’m even more so a Brienne of MoFo’ing Tarth guy.
In the Game of Thrones unique sea of chaos, Jon’s story is a lighthouse. Something your brain can relate to easily because it’s a story you’ve been told thousands of times through various other mediums (whether you knew it or not). Subconsciously, you start to like him more and more because he consistently makes sense to you. His lovable simplicity makes him simple to love, and brains crave things that are easy to understand.
Sure, you love other characters. I’m a Varys guy, for example. I’m even more so a Brienne of MoFo’ing Tarth guy.
Image Credit: tumblr.com
But ultimately, Jon is your dog in this fight, just as he is mine. Your champion. Your protagonist.
So, why is Jon Snow your favourite character?
Because Jon Snow knows nothing.
And neither do you.
So, why is Jon Snow your favourite character?
Because Jon Snow knows nothing.
And neither do you.
Image Credit: giphy.com
By Darren Gutteridge
@TheGutteridge
Darren is a columnist and a co-host on almost all our podcasts, including PopScorn and Gotta Cast 'Em All. He is a long time blogger, known for his previous website The Gutteridge Log, and his in-depth analysis and explanation of pop culture media.
@TheGutteridge
Darren is a columnist and a co-host on almost all our podcasts, including PopScorn and Gotta Cast 'Em All. He is a long time blogger, known for his previous website The Gutteridge Log, and his in-depth analysis and explanation of pop culture media.