If Game of Thrones season 9 happens, it could have a positive impact on Jon Snow killing Daenerys Targaryen… without needing to bring her back to life. Daenerys’ death at the hands of her lover/nephew Jon Snow was – and remains – one of the most shocking and controversial parts of Game of Thrones‘ ending. It’s also something that, if the show were to ever continue in any way, it would have to deal with.

One of the biggest theories about how that might happen is that Daenerys could be resurrected by Kinvara, a Red Priestess. This comes after Drogon flew away with Daenerys’ body in the Game of Thrones series finale, with nothing yet revealed about what happened to her. However, if HBO did make Game of Thrones season 9, I wouldn’t want Dany to be resurrected: her ending was flawed, yes, but also thematically and narratively fitting, and there’s little value in undoing it. Still, the idea of Dany returning in some way is a compelling one after season 8.

Jon Snow Killing Daenerys Deserved More Time & Depth In Game Of Thrones

The Series Finale Didn’t Have Room To Properly Explore It

Jon Snow killing Daenerys Targaryen was always going to be difficult to pull off, but (like with many things) Game of Thrones season 8 only having six episodes didn’t help matters. Because it’s so monumental, then even in a 10-episode season it could only ever happen in one of the last two installments. But by having it happen partway through the series finale, there wasn’t a huge amount of time to explore the fallout from it or how key characters felt about it.

Game of Thrones‘ series finale is the show’s lowest-rated episode on IMDb, with 4/10.

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It skips fairly quickly from Jon doing it to the agreed punishment of him going to the Wall, then Bran becoming king, and the Starks saying goodbyes. The focus on the Starks in the ending is an emotional high point of the finale, but it’d be nice if there had been room for much more introspection from Jon and perhaps Tyrion Lannister on what they’d done, why they did it, and how they feel long afterward, not just immediately.

Game Of Thrones Season 9 Could Fully Reckon With Jon Snow Killing Daenerys

It Could At Least Explore His Decision & Its Impact On Him

One of the things I’d have liked to see in the Jon Snow spinoff show with Kit Harington, before it was shelved, was how the guilt of killing Daenerys affected him. Jon is someone with a lot of scars – figuratively and literally – and exploring the weight of his trauma, his murders, and all the other difficult decisions he’d had to make, as well as the people he’d lost, could be fascinating for his character. That holds true for Game of Thrones season 9, especially where Dany is concerned.

While I don’t want to see Daenerys resurrected, it could even have Emilia Clarke return, at least in vision or dream sequences.

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While I don’t want to see Daenerys resurrected, it could even have Emilia Clarke return, at least in vision or dream sequences. Showing Jon being haunted by what he did, and having to more fully reckon with that decision and come to terms with it, perhaps shedding new light on why he had no other option, could be good for its story and one of the few ways to involve Dany. The same goes for Tyrion, because him just being his wise-cracking, wine-drinking self shouldn’t be the case, and there’s room for much greater depth.

In this way, Game of Thrones season 9 could add depth to season 8, without having to undo anything in it. It can add more emotional and thematic heft to Jon killing Daenerys and how it impacted major characters, without having to bring her back to life.