Why The Actor Who Played Jon Snow Hasn't Been Seen Since GoT

For such a young actor, the opportunity to play a huge character like Jon Snow must have been an incredible opportunity, but at the same time, there's no doubt in any viewers' mind that the role wasn't exactly an easy task to take on. As the show begins, Jon is presented as the odd man out in the House of Stark, believed to be Ned Stark's (Sean Bean) bastard son and the result of the nobleman's affair with a tavern wench.

Ultimately, Jon's journey is rife with struggles, from his time in the Night's Watch to his mission to unite the wildlings beyond the wall with his brothers in black — a mission that ends in his own death at the hands of his men in the fifth season. (Thanks to some dark magic, he returns at the beginning of season 6.) Things only get more complicated when it's revealed that not only is Jon not a bastard at all, but he has the best claim to the Iron Throne out of anybody.

As it turns out, Ned was simply protecting his nephew, who is the product of a legitimate, secret marriage between Ned's sister Lyanna Stark and Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, Daenerys' brother. As Jon grapples with the truth about his heritage, he must also decide what to do about Daenerys, whose quest for the Iron Throne becomes more violent and tragic than anybody could have imagined. When push comes to shove, he kills Daenerys for the good of the realm, leaving him exiled but content with the fact that he did the right thing.