Wild Game of Thrones Theory Claims That Tyrion Lannister Is a Secret Targaryen, Makes Too Much Sense

Tyrion Lannister is by far the most iconic and popular character of his House in Game of Thrones, and fans adore him. Despite all his positive qualities, though, Tyrion has never been exactly loved by his family, and his father was especially hateful toward the man…and fans have quite a reasonable explanation for it.

The thing is, Tyrion Lannister might have been half-Targaryen.

The original The Song of Ice and Fire books hint at that more often and more obviously than the show: for instance, in the books, Tyrion had a strange mix of black and blonde hair that suggests that he had more than just Lannister blood in him. Also, GRRM pointed out that the Mad King took a special interest in his mother.

The theory about the half-Targaryen Tyrion is largely based on the assumption that Aerys II Targaryen, the Mad King, forced himself upon Tywin Lannister's wife Joanna, and Tyrion was born as a result. While Joanna Lannister was never discussed much in the show, Game of Thrones contained quite a few hints, too.

Tywin Lannister always makes a point of telling Tyrion that he’s “no child of his.”

In the Season 3 finale, he elaborates: “The day that you were born, I wanted to carry you into the sea and let the waves wash you away. Instead, I let you live, and I brought you up as my son. Because you're a Lannister.” Weird wording, right?

After the Battle of Blackwater Bay, Tywin adds even more to his previous claims: “Men's laws give you the right to bear my name and display my colors, since I cannot prove that you are not mine.” This is a straightforward statement: Tywin Lannister doesn’t believe that Tyrion is his son, and it has nothing to do with his attitude.

The theory doesn’t just stand on Tywin Lannister’s speculations, though.

In the show, we only saw three characters who were able to come face to face with Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons without her orders and survive this meeting: Dany herself (an open Targaryen), Jon (a secret Targaryen), and…Tyrion (another secret Targaryen, most likely). If Tyrion was a Lannister, the dragons wouldn’t have spared him.

All these facts clearly point in one direction: this theory is correct. The Mad King did produce another child with Tywin’s wife, and that’s why Lannister Sr. hated him so much. Tyrion was half-Lannister, half-Targaryen, and the dragons could sense the Old Valyrian blood in his veins. Case closed — at least, in our book.