'Game of Thrones' just threw a wrench into this theory about Tyrion's 'secret' parentage

HBO

Warnings: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones" season seven, episode six "Beyond the Wall," as well as speculation of future events.

With one epic spear throw, "Game of Thrones" crushed one of the most controversial fan theories: that Tyrion Lannister is actually a secret Targaryen.

During season seven's sixth episode "Beyond the Wall," one of Daenerys Targaryen's dragons was shot out of the sky by an ice spear thrown by the Night King himself. Viserion crashed into the lake, and was resurrected at the end of the episode by the Night King to live on as a White Walker or wight dragon.

This threw a huge wrench into the oft-debated fan theory that Tyrion could be a Targaryen, just like Jon Snow and Daenerys, and would have been the third dragon rider. If the theory had been true, it would have made Tyrion Daenerys' half-brother and Jon Snow's uncle.

Now it looks like that won't be the case — at least on the show.

Why Tyrion could have been a Targaryen

HBO

While it's officially believed that Tywin Lannister and his cousin Joanna were Tyrion's biological parents, the "Tyrion Targaryen" theory suggests that Tyrion's real father was the Mad King, Aerys Targaryen II.

You can read the full theory here, but there actually have been several clues in the books and on the show that Tyrion could have been a Targaryen, including that he looks more like a Targaryen than a Lannister in the books and that he had "dragon dreams" as a child. 

Not only that, but during the sixth season of "Game of Thrones," Tyrion was able to walk into the chamber in Meereen where Daenerys' dragons Rhaegal and Viserion were chained up and he stayed alive, which is something that should not be taken for granted. So far, the only people we've seen be able to successfully touch the wild, fire-breathing creatures have been Jon Snow, Daenerys, and Tyrion himself.

HBO

HBO

That's not all though — the timing for Aerys being Tyrion's father makes sense. In "A World of Ice and Fire," George R.R. Martin makes a distinct point of mentioning that Joanna attended the anniversary tourney in King's Landing in 272 AC, which was held to celebrate King Aerys' tenth year on the throne. During this tournament, we also learned King Aerys insulted Joanna by asking her if nursing her children had ruined her breasts.

The next day Tywin, who was also present at the tourney, tried to resign as Hand of the King, but King Aerys refused him. Perhaps Tywin tried to resign because of Aerys' insult to his wife, or perhaps it was because something much more serious had occurred.

Less than a year later, Joanna gave birth to Tyrion in 273 AC — and, just like Jon and Daenerys' mothers, Tyrion's mother died during childbirth.

All these connections don't necessarily mean that Tyrion has Targaryen parentage, but considering that Martin has a "gardening style" of writing where he plants seed for future storylines, it's likely he wanted at least the option to make Tyrion a Targaryen.

Why he's probably not a Targaryen on the show

Macall B. Polay/HBO

After reading a prophecy, Jon Snow's father Rhaegar Targaryen talks about how "the dragon has three heads." Believers of the "Tyrion Targaryen" theory have long assumed that he would become a third dragon rider alongside Jon and Dany in the war against the White Walkers, or the "third head of the dragon." Now that Viserion is dead, that looks next to impossible.

Tyrion has also taken a backseat to Jon and Daenerys' romance on the show during season seven. A main character in his own right in the books and on the show in past seasons, Tyrion has become a secondary character during season seven, relegated to a mere advisor as Jon and Daenerys plan for their separate wars and struggle with their feelings for each other.

Making Tyrion a Targaryen would also necessitate a complicated storyline that at this point would feel rushed and too saccharine. "Game of Thrones" has been building up to the huge reveal that Jon Snow is a secret Targaryen for seven seasons now — it's unlikely that the show would do the same thing for another character.

So for any Tyrion Targaryen fans out there, it's looking like "Game of Thrones" will not follow through with this theory. Still, that doesn't mean it won't happen in the books — until Martin finally finishes his beloved series, anything is possible.

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