How will Jon 'survve' the stabbing

[sj4iy]

I think the entire point of Jon's death/near death plotwise is to get him out of the Night's Watch and onto the next part of his journey. I think he'll appear to be dead and will warg into Ghost for a chapter. I think he definitely will have words said over his body that officially release him from his vows. Maybe they will go to burn his body and he will rise from the pyre, like Dany did at the end of AGOT? That would be an intentional call back to her arc and "rebirth".

And if a newly reborn Jon rises freed from his vows, I can see the remaining Watch not allowing him to retake his vows. That would drive the point home that he didn't abandon them, they send him away for his own good or out of fear of him.

As for the show, I don't think it was any coincidence that at the end of season 4 they made a point to have Aemon release the dead NW brothers from their vows before burning them. Mark my words, that will be a call back next season with Jon to remind viewers what it means.

Oh, and I wouldn't be surprised at ALL to see Jon return in the season 5 finale and not do a cliffhanger ending.

As cool as I think it would be for Jon to rise from the pyre, I'm not sure how the NW or Wildlings would take it, considering they don't like the dead coming back to life.

[Jon_Samwell_Snow]

Personally, I think it will be 50/50 if comes back or just dies. It's up to G.R.R.M to bring him back to life or just kill him off. It is not our jurisdiction to say if Jon is alive or dead from his wounds. I think G.R.R.M left us wondering about the outcome of Jon's stabbing.

[Big Daddy]

As cool as I think it would be for Jon to rise from the pyre, I'm not sure how the NW or Wildlings would take it, considering they don't like the dead coming back to life.

I just don't see Jon coming back as a subtle, behind the scenes kind of thing. I see it happening as one of Jon's defining moments in the series, with everybody there to bear witness to it. The more shock to the witnesses, the bigger the rippling effect and word can travel across Westeros.

This isn't happening so Jon can quietly go back to work as LC on the Wall.

Also, you make a good point about how the wildlings and the Watch would take it. Maybe they WOULDN'T take it well. They are all pretty superstitious. But that could make it an interesting plot point, one that makes Jon no longer welcome there and he has to find another way to help the realm.

[Pod The Impaler]

Anyway, I myself hope that he will just survive the stabbing somehow and stays at the wall to fight the others as LC of the NW. What are your thoughts?

I think Jon will survive the stabbing. Not die and be reborn but actually just survive his wounds.

Reading the text, it's clear the neck wound was a glancing blow; perhaps much like with Tyrion / Mandon or Myrcella / Darkstar, the target's moving suddenly caused the assassin (Wick) to not get a clean blow in:

He saw the glint of steel, turned toward it. "No blades!" he screamed. "Wick ! Put that knife ..."

... away, he meant to say. When Wick Whittlestick slashed at his throat, the word turned into a grunt. Jon twisted from the knife, just enough so it barely grazed his skin. He cut me. When he put his hand to the side of his neck, blood welled between his fingers.

Basically, I think Wick was actually trying to creep up and cut Jon's throat without being seen. Jon turns, instinctively tries to avoid the slash, and Wick's attack goes off target the side of his neck. Wick tries a second time, but Jon blocks it and disarms him. By itself the cut is serious, and should Jon pass out without help, he'd bleed out.

The most serious wound is from Bowen Marsh. A belly wound can be fatal, or not, depending on whether the intestines were pierced or not. It was only one stab, and clearly punched in hard. would have had to get through both furs and perhaps some small amount of leather armour, so it may not be fatally deep. If Bowen's stab missed the intestines and vital organs, Jon is not certain to die. Once again, we're back to "may bleed out without medical help".

The third stab's effect is unknown. We don't know who stabbed him, only that it got him between the shoulder blades. That can also be anywhere from just bleeding muscles to fatal, depending on the accuracy of the strike. Jon is already engaged in combat, but not really able to defend properly. He goes down, face first, so he's pretty helpless against any follow-up by whoever it was.

The fourth knife ? We cannot even be sure he got stabbed again.

He never felt the fourth knife. Only the cold ...

In short, this could be a fourth stab (by the same guy as the third, or someone else), or simply indicated a fourth attacker, or simply that Jon expected a fourth knife but never felt it. Jon could be dead, or passed out in the snow.

So while Jon's death is possible, it is not certain. Other characters have been just as close to their demise in the reading of the text, yet lived.

I personally think Jon is badly injured but lives. He may be comatose for a while though.

If Jon's allies can protect him from being finished off, and no single stab wound already received is by itself fatal, and they get him help ASAP, then Jon's odds of survival are good.

Jon's attackers are around him (3 at least), but so are some of his friends in the Watch, and some wildlings, and one huge giant which just saw men attack one of his only friends.

In the immediate term, the skirmish over Jon's body will go on. I think the attackers are not likely to survive - Wun Wun is going to squeeze pomegranate juice out of Bowen Marsh.

[James Arryn]

Living Jon > dead Jon > undead Jon.

I am hoping he Jack Whyte's it.

[sj4iy]

I just don't see Jon coming back as a subtle, behind the scenes kind of thing. I see it happening as one of Jon's defining moments in the series, with everybody there to bear witness to it. The more shock to the witnesses, the bigger the rippling effect and word can travel across Westeros.

This isn't happening so Jon can quietly go back to work as LC on the Wall.

Also, you make a good point about how the wildlings and the Watch would take it. Maybe they WOULDN'T take it well. They are all pretty superstitious. But that could make it an interesting plot point, one that makes Jon no longer welcome there and he has to find another way to help the realm.

Oh, I completely agree that he's not going to come back to just be the LC again. There's definitely going to be a change.

I'm just not sure rising from the dead is the best thing to do in front of people who hate that sort of thing XD

[Berric_Dondiedagain]

I know its mundane- but I watched one of those "I survived" shows where a woman was stabbed 42 times, had her throat cut and was left for dead- Jon was stabbed- grazed on the neck- one in the belly-one in the back and one he didn't feel -

Is that the way I want it-no- but its not unrealistic- not everything has to be magic-

That said- I think the prologue is there for a reason

[Jon_Samwell_Snow]

He does make it. Jon will be out for blood in his own little way.

[Attitude]

Great thinking all! Really get's things going.

Myself just realized (mainly after reading Pod's post), that it isn't even unthinkabe that an other group of the NW is actually behind Jon. I mean, it's not impossible that only Marsh & Wick (and maybe 2 more people) were planning on killing Jon.

Look at this:

Jon get's stabbed 3 or 4 times, but before that happened nobody was really able to attack. Then one of the NW which is still loyal to Jon draws his sword and attacks Marsh, Wick (and 3 and 4?). They are most likely outnumbered and killed. After a while Jon will get healed and when he get's out of bed and goes to the dining room, someone there will start talking: Jon, we realized that the real threat is behind the wall, and your actions to kill of the boltons was merely to make sure that stannis' army can join us in the fight against them.

Maybe it's a bit stretched, but not impossible.

[JamesOfHouseMurphy]

Pretty much a stab in the dark but if it is wildling magic that saves him it could have something to do with the arm rings Tormund gave him, that were relics of the first men, because Jon has the blood of the first men it may have some sort of protective powers.

Could explain too why Tormund is still alive having stuck his member in a bear.

[Pod The Impaler]

Myself just realized (mainly after reading Pod's post), that it isn't even unthinkabe that an other group of the NW is actually behind Jon. I mean, it's not impossible that only Marsh & Wick (and maybe 2 more people) were planning on killing Jon.

Look at this:

Jon get's stabbed 3 or 4 times, but before that happened nobody was really able to attack. Then one of the NW which is still loyal to Jon draws his sword and attacks Marsh, Wick (and 3 and 4?). They are most likely outnumbered and killed.

Horse and Rory are there, presumably with Jon already; they came with him to the scene. Then it says:

"Men poured from the surrounding keeps and towers. Northmen, free folk, queen's men..."

Leathers is mentioned, in trying to get someone to talk to Wun Wun. So, we've got Jon surrounded by all kinds of people, including Watch allies and obviously Watch foes. Wun Wun is nearby, and Jon is trying to keep order, especially from the Queen's Men who will be angered at Ser Patrek's death.

The scene will be chaos.

[Attitude]

I'll try to add up the possibilities so far.

- He will survive and be healed. (Also, he wasn't really hurt that bad because of (light) armor, alternative; he uses ghost or Wun Wun to clear the area around himself).

- He warges in ghost (Bran similar) until his human body is healed, then he will go back. (Also including a big chaos)

- He will be revived by Melisandre (like Beric by Thoros of Myr)

- He will be stuffed in an ice cell intill he is presumed dead. Then they'll attempt to burn him.

- Ice magic

- He will die. (Not really an option since I assume he won't)

- Jon won't die and revives with help of Bran (& Bryden Rivers, maybe Melisandre)

- LS gives Jon a kiss and sacrifices herself

I don't really see any more options at this point. But according to the dicussion here I will make a top list of things that most likely will happen.

First of all, he will survive.

Second of all, there will at least be chaos at castle black.

Third of all, I think for the story he will have to get 'released' from his vows to the night's watch.

Adding those things up, and considering some logic the most likely posibilities IMO are:

- He will survive and be healed. (Also, he wasn't really hurt that bad because of (light) armor, alternative; he uses ghost to clear the area around himself).

- He warges in ghost (Bran similar) until his human body is healed, then he will go back. (Also including a big chaos)

- He will be revived by Melisandre (like Beric by Thoros of Myr)

I know 1 and 2 look quite alike, but the difference is wether he will (at first) accepts to continue his life as a direwolf. This is possible, but Jon as a human has to come back IMO.

The third one is plausible, but we haven't seen melisandre do this (yet). Therefor I don't know if it will happen.

The thing that most likely will happen (IMO) is that he will simply survive. That only leaves the question how he will be released of his vows.

[King of the Bastards]

Bran did the same thing. It looks like somehow the direwolves can help keep the humans alive.

Also, at this point, I think any 'are they dead?!' cliffhanger is cheesy because we've had it so many damn times already.

Bran really was in a coma and he didn't warg into Summer like Varamyr Six Skins explains happens after someone dies (and that's because he didn't die), but he also had the dreams where the three eyed raven communicated with him. So that's another story. And that the direwolves can heal is just an assumption.

Btw something I just noticed was that IF Jon would warg into a new body (as crackpot as it may be), he would be released from his Nights Watch vows.

[Game Of Thrones]

Why can't the knives have just missed all the vital organs? So Jon is disabled like Bran but survives. Seems better than magic of any sort (unless it's Jon becoming a wight)

[Attitude]

Why can't the knives have just missed all the vital organs? So Jon is disabled like Bran but survives. Seems better than magic of any sort (unless it's Jon becoming a wight)

Jon getting disabled would be awful. Please kill him then instead.

[Game Of Thrones]

Jon getting disabled would be awful. Please kill him then instead.

Why?

[I'm the Party Pooper]

Jon getting disabled would be awful. Please kill him then instead.

A crippled Jon? Well, if we didn't already get it with Bran ... would have been cool!

Just imagine him on his wheel chair on top of the wall commanding the NW and Wildlings against WW.

[Attitude]

Why?

How the hell would he be major part of the story then? The only reason that bran got crippled is because he was supposed to be a greenseer / the next BR.

A crippled Jon? Well, if we didn't already get it with Bran ... would have been cool!

Just imagine him on his wheel chair on top of the wall commanding the NW and Wildlings against WW.

Yeah, let's NOT do that.

[fuem]

Stannis will give him the kiss of life.

[sj4iy]

Bran really was in a coma and he didn't warg into Summer like Varamyr Six Skins explains happens after someone dies (and that's because he didn't die), but he also had the dreams where the three eyed raven communicated with him. So that's another story. And that the direwolves can heal is just an assumption.

Btw something I just noticed was that IF Jon would warg into a new body (as crackpot as it may be), he would be released from his Nights Watch vows.

Every time they kept Bran from hearing Summer, Bran started to weaken. Let him hear Summer again, and he grew stronger. It's not an 'assumption', it's right there in the text.