Kit Harington

Harington appears as Jon Snow in the first episode of Game of Thrones, Winter is Coming. Sean Bean plays his father, Lord Eddard Stark. Jon accompanies his younger half-brother Bran Stark, played by Isaac Hempstead-Wright, to watch the execution by Lord Eddard of a deserter from the Night’s Watch. He praises Bran’s courage in being able to witness the act. Heading back to the Stark stronghold of Winterfell, the group encounter a dead direwolf by the road. They discover that it has five pups that are still alive, one for each of the trueborn Stark children. Jon convinces Lord Eddard to let the children raise them. He discovers a sixth pup, the smallest of the litter, and takes it for his own. At Winterfell, King Robert Baratheon arrives to name Lord Eddard the Hand of the King. As Lord Eddard’s illegitimate child, Jon is barred from attending the banquet with the royal party by Lady Catelyn Stark. He is comforted by Tyrion Lannister, played by Peter Dinklage, who relates the difficulties of being a dwarf with the difficulties of being illegitimate, and tells Jon that he must embrace who he is.

Harington appears as Jon Snow in the third episode of Game of Thrones, Lord Snow. Peter Dinklage plays the dwarf Tyrion Lannister, the youngest son of the Lannister noble family. Owen Teale plays Ser Alliser Thorne, the master-of-arms at Castle Black. At the Wall of Westeros on the northern edge of the Seven Kingdoms, Ser Alliser pits Jon against other Night’s Watch recruits in training. Jon’s castle training allows him to easily defeat the others, however Ser Allyser remains unimpressed. After the training several recruits accost Jon and threaten to beat him, but Tyrion prevents this. Jon complains that they resent him for being better than them, but Tyrion informs him that while Jon was raised in a castle, they are mostly impoverished farm boys and peasants. Jon is informed that his younger half-brother, Bran Stark, is alive after an accident but has been left crippled. He decides that to survive at the Wall he must make allies. At training, instead of humiliating the recruits, he helps them improve.

Harington appears as Jon Snow in the seventh episode of Game of Thrones, You Win or You Die. John Bradley-West plays Samwell ‘Sam’ Tarly. At the Wall of Westeros, Jon is frustrated to learn that he has been named the personal steward to the commander of the Night’s Watch. He had expected to be made a ranger due to his combat skills. Samwell informs him that while the choice may seem unfair, it is a chance for him to study leadership skills directly. Jon and Samwell head north of the Wall, out of the Seven Kingdoms, to take their oaths as men of the Night’s Watch in a sacred grove. As their vows are completed, Jon’s direwolf emerges from the woods carrying a severed hand.

Harington appears as Jon Snow in the ninth episode of Game of Thrones, Baelor. James Cosmo plays Jeor Mormont, the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. Peter Vaughan plays Maester Aemon, Night’s Watch healer. At Castle Black on the Wall of Westeros, Jon is given a Valyrian steel sword for his courage in saving Jeor from an attack by an undead corpse. Jeor says that he has sent Ser Alliser Thorne to King’s Landing with the severed hand of the undead creature to prove to the king that the White Walkers exist. Jon considers deserting the Night’s Watch to join the army of his half-brother Robb Stark. Maester Aemon reveals that he is descended from the Targaryen royal family but that he remained a dedicated Night’s Watchman even though he had the chance to rule Westeros. He tells Jon that Jon must decide where his own duty lies.

Harington appears in the first episode of the second season of Game of Thrones, The North Remembers. James Cosmo plays Jeor Mormont, the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. Robert Pugh plays Craster, a tribal ‘wildling’ man north of the Wall of Westeros. The Night’s Watch camp overnight at Craster’s keep while ranging north outside the Seven Kingdoms. Jon is disgusted by Craster’s crude manner and the fact that he apparently commits multiple incest with his many daughters. He argues with Craster when Craster says that no matter the internal politics of Westeros, everyone from the south of the Wall is a ‘southerner’. Jeor reprimands Jon and tells him that while Craster is distasteful, without his aid many Night’s Watchmen would have died while ranging. He tells Jon that if Jon wants to lead, he must learn to follow.

Harington appears as Jon Snow in the third episode of the second season of Game of Thrones, What Is Dead May Never Die. James Cosmo plays the Night’s Watch Lord Commander, Jeor Mormont. Robert Pugh plays Craster, a ‘wildling’ human from north of the Wall of Westeros. At Craster’s fortified homestead, Craster has beaten Jon unconscious after Jon witnessed him leaving a baby boy in the snow, as an offering to the undead creatures that roam north of the Wall. Craster orders the Night’s Watch out of his keep due to Jon’s actions. Jeor questions Jon, who says that he saw a creature take the baby. Jon realizes that Jeor is aware of Craster’s human sacrifices, but that he will not intervene as Craster is a valuable source of information and shelter for the Night’s Watch. He is horrified by the revelation.

Harington appears as Jon Snow in the sixth episode of season two of Game of Thrones, The Old Gods and the New. Simon Armstrong plays Qhorin Halfhand, the leader of a band of Night’s Watch rangers on a mission in the Frostfang mountains north of the Wall of Westeros. Rose Leslie plays Ygritte, a red-headed young female wildling warrior in the army of Mance Rayder, the King-Beyond-the-Wall. Qhoren’s rangers encounter a group of wildling scouts in the Skirling Pass through the Frostfangs, killing all of them in combat except Ygritte. Qhoren leaves Jon alone with Ygritte with orders to execute her as the rest of the party continue up the mountain. Jon hesitates, allowing Ygritte to escape, and then pursues her and takes her prisoner. Separated from the rest of the party, they realize that they will have to spend the night together in the mountains before searching for the party when daylight returns.

Harington appears as Jon Snow in the eighth episode of the second season of Game of Thrones, The Prince of Winterfell. Rose Leslie plays Ygritte, a young redheaded female warrior in the army of Mance Rayder, the wildling King-Beyond-the-Wall. Simon Taylor plays Qhorin Halfhand, the leader of a scouting party of Night’s Watch rangers north of the Wall of Westeros. In the Frostfang mountains, Ygritte brings the captured Jon to the leader of her wildling war party. He plans to kill Jon as they already have Qhorin, and don’t need two captives from the Night’s Watch. Ygritte points out that Jon is a member of the Stark noble family, and says Mance will want to personally decide his fate.

Harington appears as Jon Snow in the first episode of the third season of Game of Thrones, Valar Dohaeris. Ciarán Hinds plays Mance Rayder, the King-Beyond-the-Wall who leads an army of wildlings north of the Wall of Westeros. After gaining the trust of the wildlings, Jon is brought into Mance’s tent. Mance questions him, and Jon is able to gain his trust by stating that he agrees that the humans must fight against the undead White Walker creatures, or face death.