Theon’s big jump landed him in the running for prince who was promised.

Quinn Hargitai
Jul 28, 2017 · 4 min read

*Spoilers, obviously*

At the end of season 5, Theon took a leap of faith from the parapets of Winterfell that was lauded as a spark of courage reigniting within the husk of a man who had faced unfathomable horrors at the hands of Ramsay Bolton. Fans rejoiced, believing this to be the moment when Theon finally disposed of Reek, the sputtering and impotent persona that had until this point consumed him.

But their hopes were dashed in one fell swoop in the final moments of “Stormborn,” as Theon, faced with the threat of death at the hands of his uncle Euron, lapsed into a twitching fit reminiscent of Reek and leapt overboard. This time, Theon’s flight earned him the scorn of social media; fans made it clear that this was his moment of redemption, squandered instead by his cowardice.

However, amidst the deluge of memes mocking Theon’s actions, it seems most have missed a crucial element this episode has just presented: Theon now fits the criteria to be Azor Ahai reborn.

If you’re not familiar with the prophecy regarding the Prince who was Promised (which you honestly should be, given it was referenced earlier in the episode), you can read more on it here. However to understand the prophecy as it pertains to Theon, you need only be familiar with its key points.

When speaking with Jon Snow, Melisandre offers this reading of the prophecy:

“When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt.”

In “Stormborn,” we see Theon meet all of the prescribed criteria within the the span of 10 minutes.

Upon boarding Yara and Theon’s ship under the cover of darkness, Euron and his men slaughter the Sand Snakes, the daughters of Dorne. Their sigil? A red sun pierced by a golden spear. When the blood of the Martell family is spilled, the red star of Dorne bleeds.

As Yara’s fleet is consumed by fire, a hopeless and desperate Theon launches himself into the sea. The moment he crashes into the water, we have the requisite salt and smoke; smoke from the burning ships, salt from the sea.

His being stranded at sea is especially pertinent, as Theon belongs to the Ironborn, a culture known for their belief that drowning at sea is in fact a means of rebirth and renewal. We have seen this both in the books as well as the series. In the third episode of season 2, “What is Dead May Never Die,” Theon is anointed by a priest of the Drowned God, doused with seawater while the two exchange the traditional words.

Priest: “Let your servant be born again from the sea, as you were. Bless him with salt, bless him with stone, bless him with steel.”

Response: “What is dead may never die.”

Priest: “What is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger.”

The ceremonial drowning of the Iron Islands is meant to signify a rebirth, and given Theon’s current predicament, he stands a good chance of drowning before he washes up on a shore somewhere or is fished out of the sea by some passerby. Had he been meant to simply die, he would’ve died then and there on the ship by his uncle’s hand.

There’s one final piece of the puzzle that gave me pause about the most recent episode. Given the episode’s title of “Stormborn,” it’s quite curious that Daenery’s Stormborn Targaryen played a relatively minor role, merely meeting up with a few nobles to discuss tactics. The title hardly seems to fit the entirety of the episode in any way, which is quite a departure considering up until now nearly every episode title has a clear tie to the events depicted. Upon closer examination of the scene where Theon makes his jump, we can see purple lightning illuminate the black sky in the background. We have our storm.

I’m not saying Theon is definitely going to be the one the prophecies spoke of, as many other characters still fit the criteria, but rather that, in light of recent events, his candidacy ought to be acknowledged. Even if he is not the one the prophecies speak of, it’s likely that a rebirth is in order for Theon. After seeing him battered and broken, we will see him born again harder and stronger than before.

All photos used in article originally from HBO

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade