Hate me if you want but I think Jon Snow will top my list of Game of Thrones' most overrated characters

I know this is a controversial opinion, but Jon Snow is the most overrated character in Game of Thrones. Yes, the so-called ‘hero’ of the show is brave, loyal, and has a tragic backstory, but that is not enough to make the character layered or interesting.

Since the very first season of the HBO fantasy drama, Jon Snow was established as one of the main characters, and his importance only grew as the seasons progressed. But by the end of the show, his arc never truly delivered on its promise.

He started as someone who ‘knows nothing’ and went on to become someone who ‘does not want it’ despite his rightful claim to the throne. Once you remove the endless declaration of how he was the chosen one, there was nothing actually interesting about Jon’s story in Game of Thrones.

Why I think Jon Snow is the most overrated character in Game of Thrones

In the first season of Game of Thrones, Jon Snow was introduced as the mysterious outsider. He was the ‘bastard’ of Winterfell with a troubled childhood and a serious personality. The setup had immense potential, but as the story went on, the show tried to sell him as the ‘chosen one’ but forgot to actually build his character.

For years, fans theorized that Jon could be Aegon Targaryen, the true heir to the Iron Throne. When the theory was finally confirmed in Season 7, Jon did almost nothing. He did not want the throne, did not stand up to Daenerys, and ended up back where he started: beyond the Wall. It felt like the writers did not know what to do with him, so they just sent him away.

Even Jon’s part in the battle against the Night King was disappointing. After all the build-up, we expected a huge face-off between the hero and the villain. But Arya became the one to get rid of the show’s main antagonist, which made the ‘chosen one’ theory even more questionable.

Then there was immense plot armor. One of the main things that made Game of Thrones different was that nobody was safe in the series. Ever since Ned Stark died in the first season, audiences knew that any of their favorite characters could be killed at any point, a notion that was reaffirmed with the Red Wedding in Season 3.

On the other hand, Jon became the character who was too important to be killed. Even when things looked murky for him, he got saved just at the right moment. For example, during the Battle of the Bastards, he almost lost the fight to Ramsay’s army, but Sansa arrived with the Knights of the Vale.

Similarly, Benjen Stark arrived out of nowhere when Jon was surrounded by the White Walkers beyond the wall in Season 7. The plot armor became so thick over time that we almost knew Jon would make it till the end, so any danger that he faced during the latter seasons did not actually evoke any emotions.

Now let’s talk about Jon’s personality. He did not have Oberyn’s charm, Tyrion’s humor, or Jaime’s complicated journey. His lines were often just different versions of ‘I don’t want it’ or ‘We must fight.’ He started off as a loner with a grim look, and even after eight seasons, he stayed the same. While characters like Arya, Sansa, and Theon grew and changed, Jon did not evolve much.

Some people say Jon was the heart of Game of Thrones. But I think he was more like a missed opportunity. No doubt that he was a good guy who was brave and righteous, but he was also stubborn, not very clever, and too emotional. He walked into obvious traps, made poor choices, and did not play the game smartly.

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And don’t get me wrong, this is in no way Kit Harington’s fault. The actor did a stellar job in the show with whatever material he was given. The problem was with the writing. The show treated Jon like a legendary hero, but it never gave him the development to earn that position. So yeah, hate me if you want, but in a world full of complex and multidimensional people, Jon Snow feels flat. That is why I think he is the most overrated character in Game of Thrones.

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