Roughly three years ago, reddit user MikeTysonsLifeCoach posted a new theory asserting that Meera Reed is Jon Snow’s twin sister. The Meera Reed Jon Snow twin theory would also mean that Meera is potentially the third head of the dragon.
The original theorycrafter was influenced by a quote from Alfie Allen, actor of Theon Grejoy, in which Allen said that Jon’s parentage “involves a bit of a Luke Skywalker situation.” The speculation is that the Luke Skywalker-ness of Jon Snow’s parentage is that he has a secret twin.
It’s not a flawless theory, something MikeTyonsLifeCoach readily admits. But it does have plenty of potential. And with R+L=J all but confirmed at this point, it would be very GRRM-like to add a twist to the Jon Snow reveal. A secret twin would be the perfect twist.
Evidence in support of the Meera Reed Jon Snow twin theory:
MikeTyonsLifeCoach spelled out some pros and cons of his or her theory. Included in the pros is the fact that Meera was born the same year as Jon Snow, and that we know nothing about her mother.
In addition to the timelines lining up, the original post notes: “Meera’s physical description is very similar to Lyanna’s and Arya’s. She’s slim and flat-chested, attractive without being traditionally beautiful. She’s got the martial prowess that Lyanna had, and her cheerful but fiery personality is reminiscent of what we know about Lyanna.”
Additionally, Howland Reed (Meera’s father) was at the Tower of Joy with Ned Stark. The Tower of Joy is where Lyanna Stark died in “a bed of blood” (e.g. during childbirth). Lyanna made Ned Stark promise her something (presumably to keep and hide Jon Snow); it’s not too much of a stretch to believe that she made Howland make a promise as well (to keep and hide Meera Reed).
The original poster also notes that, logically, the odds of Lyanna dying during childbirth seems more likely if she had twins. Although it can also be added that Targaryens have little luck with childbirth — Dany’s mom also died during birth, Tyrion’s mom died during birth and some people think that indicates he’s a Targaryen, and if Meera/Jon are also Targaryens, Lyanna’s death during childbirth would follow suit.
Regarding Howland Reed, the original poster wrote: “Howland certainly owes Lyanna a debt, which we know thanks to the story of the Knight of the Laughing Tree. Him taking a second child and hiding it at Greywater Watch could certainly have happened in the time between the TOJ and Ned returning to Winterfell (Ned returning with TWO bastards would have been a real stretch, and having the children in the same place would have put them in much worse danger if their true parentage was discovered.). Is there a more perfect place to hide someone who doesn’t want to be found than Greywater Watch?”
Let’s rewind for a second: Some people think Lyanna was the “Knight of the Laughing Tree,” who fought at the Tourney at Harrenhal to avenge the honor of Howland Reed. That would explain why Howland owes Lyanna a debt.
Additionally, the original poster wrote: “ The northern houses that could propose marriage alliances with the Starks seemed to be at least interested (the Karstarks wanting to marry Alys to Robb), but despite Howland having a daughter of the exact same age, he shows zero interest in such an arrangement (Close friends/allies with children of the same age generally seem very interested in marrying their kids off to each other…but not here…).”
The final evidence in support of the theory is that it would make for a “neat” way to make the third head of the dragon. If this theory is true, then all three dragon riders would be Targaryens, which is why it would be “neat.” It would be neat in comparison to Bran warging into one of the dragons, or Tyrion only being half-Targaryen.
There’s also the fact that in HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” the actors who play Jon Snow and Meera Reed look somewhat similar. It’s possible that was an intentional decision.
Evidence against the Meera Reed Jon Snow twin theory:
“The biggest hole in this theory, no doubt, is that Meera has green eyes,” admitted the original poster. “No Starks have green eyes (Lyanna and Jon both have gray eyes), and no recent Targaryens have had green eyes either (1/2 of Shiera Seastar doesn’t count). However, wouldn’t giving Meera gray (or violet) eyes give this away way too soon? Howland Reed knows some magic thanks to his time on the Isle of Faces, and crannogmen have been described as being able to “blend in” to the neck. Changing her eye color to throw the readers off the scent isn’t something I’d put past Martin, if he really wanted this to be a surprise.”
Additionally, Meera — or someone like Meera — is not mentioned in any of the prophecies. “There’s no foreshadowing or prophecy that mentions twins,” wrote the poster. In a similar vein, “Bloodraven or the COTF might sense her importance (she’s in their cave, after all), but if she seems significant to them, they aren’t showing it.”