The world of Game of Thrones is famous for being grim, but a recent report reveals that the cancelled Jon Snow sequel would have been exceptionally dark. Kit Harington recently confirmed that the project, which was once titled Snow, is officially dead because the creative team couldn’t find the right story. We now know that the proposed plot focused on a version of Jon Snow who was completely broken by his past. Instead of leading a new adventure, Jon would have been living in isolation and suffering from severe PTSD after the events of the original series.
In this scrapped version of the story, Jon had reached a breaking point where he no longer wanted to be a hero. He would have started the series by getting rid of his two most iconic symbols: his Valyrian steel sword, Longclaw, and his loyal direwolf, Ghost. The report describes him living alone in the frozen north, spending his days building small wooden cabins only to burn them down in fits of despair. This cycle of destruction was meant to show how much he was struggling with the guilt of killing Daenerys and the many battles he survived.
The most shocking detail of the pitch was that Kit Harington wanted the series to end with Jon Snow’s death. He wasn’t interested in a comeback story or a final moment of glory for the character. Instead, the actor pushed for a tragic ending where Jon died alone without ever finding peace. HBO executives ultimately decided the idea was “too much of a bummer” and felt that fans would be disappointed to see their favorite hero fall apart so completely. They worried that after the controversial ending of the main show, a depressing sequel would only make things worse.
While the Jon Snow series is on the shelf, HBO is reportedly shifting its focus to a different sequel. A new project is in early development that would follow Arya Stark on her travels west of Westeros. Unlike the dark and stationary Jon Snow story, this new series is being described as a grand adventure saga with sea voyages and exploration of unknown lands. It seems the studio is looking for a more exciting and optimistic way to continue the story of the Stark family.
For now, Kit Harington seems happy to leave Westeros behind. He recently shared in an interview that he has no interest in returning to the character, even for projects like audiobooks. He spent ten years of his life playing Jon Snow and feels that chapter is firmly closed. While some fans might be sad that we won’t see Jon again, many agree that avoiding a “broken hero” story was probably the right move for the franchise’s legacy.
