The premiere of the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones is nearly upon us, and in anticipation of its debut, HBO has been busy getting fans suitably hyped with everything from stunning stills from the new episodes to an ominous teaser trailer. But it's the batch of regal new character posters that have us (and a few other fans) worried about Jon Snow's future on the fantasy epic. Will he survive long enough to claim the throne, or will he suffer a similar fate as his father/uncle, Ned Stark?
As you can see in the image on the above left, the season one poster for the show features the ill-fated Stark patriarch holding his sword and glancing towards the floor while sitting on the Iron Throne. It's remarkably similar to the recently released poster spotlighting Kit Harington's Jon Snow on the throne, who is posed nearly identical to the dearly departed Ned: he's holding his sword with two hands stacked on top of each other, his legs are slightly splayed, and he's leaning ever-so-slightly to the side.
There has been plenty of foreshadowing regarding Jon's character — especially since a weathered statue in the teaser seemed to hint that he would age into adulthood, presumably taking the throne — but is this similar pose in the poster a hint about what his fate will be by the time the six episodes wrap up (i.e. he has his head lopped off by a Lannister) or merely a coincidence? Perhaps it's simply a nod to his roots as a Stark (regardless of the Targaryen blood that actually runs through his veins).
It is worth noting, though, that despite the similarities between Ned and Jon in the posters, there is one key difference. While Ned has his eyes turned downward, looking at the floor (and appears sad, almost), Jon is staring, defiantly, directly into the camera; one might read that as Ned had been resigned to his fate from the beginning, whereas Jon is ready for a fight.
See the posters up close ahead to see if you spot any details we missed, and then keep scrolling to see what fans are saying about Jon and Ned's case of twinning.