A Jon Snow sequel show is happening at HBO with Kit Harington returning, but it could very easily just end up feeling like Game of Thrones season 9.

A Jon Snow sequel is happening, and the spinoff show could well just end up being Game of Thrones season 9 in all but name. When Game of Thrones ended in 2019, it was already clear HBO had big plans for continuing to explore Westeros. However, the expectation then – and for a couple of years afterwards – was that the spinoff shows would all be brand-new stories, with considerable distance from Game of Thrones. There could be multiple prequels, but it didn’t seem like there would be any direct sequels.

That has changed with news of a Jon Snow sequel show, which will see Kit Harington return to the role that made him famous and pick up his story after Game of Thrones‘ ending. Snow is set up as its own distinct series with a new creative team – there’ll be no return for Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss – but it’s not quite as simple as that. In contrast to something like House of the Dragon, this spinoff will be inextricably linked to its parent show. And with that, it will be the closest thing possible to Game of Thrones season 9.

Jon Snow’s Sequel Is Continuing Game Of Thrones’ Main Character Story

Game of Thrones may have been an ensemble show, featuring a massive cast and a sprawling story that spanned continents, but Jon Snow was its main character. That may not have been immediately clear in Game of Thrones season 1, but the show increasingly narrowed its focus to Jon and Daenerys Targaryen. The latter’s death at the hand of the former cemented that Game of Thrones was Jon Snow’s hero’s journey above all others – the (supposed) bastard who rises to greatness, the heroic figure who leads the realm against the coming darkness, a man who is both King (in the North) and an heir, and the last person viewers saw.

With a Jon Snow sequel, then it means Game of Thrones is continuing the story of its main character. This isn’t a more typical spinoff where a breakout character gets fleshed out more, but instead more of the story viewers have already seen. Indeed, with the Jon Snow sequel’s story likely to follow his adventures beyond the Wall, then it’s something Game of Thrones itself has already done (albeit now with even greater focus). It may not be about the Iron Throne or the White Walkers, but both shows are ultimately Jon Snow’s story, and that in effect makes the spinoff feel a lot like Game of Thrones season 9 than a true spinoff.

Jon Snow’s Sequel Could Bring Back Several Other Game Of Thrones Characters

As well as the White Wolf himself, there could be other Game of Thrones characters in Jon Snow’s sequel. Certainly, it would be a surprise if Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju) and Ghost weren’t both back, given they were with Jon Snow as he went beyond the Wall at the end of Game of Thrones. Others, including Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) and Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), could have reasons to return as well: Jon visiting Winterfell wouldn’t be a stretch given its proximity to the Wall, while Tyrion didn’t rule out a visit in Game of Thrones season 8.

If Jon Snow’s sequel is expanding the journey of Game of Thrones‘ main character, and it features multiple other characters from the show, it blurs the line between spinoff and continuation. That’s a balance it has to get right, because it shouldn’t just be Game of Thrones season 9. It has to find its own way of standing apart, especially as there was already a strong argument Game of Thrones ended too early, and being too much of a continuation risks making that feeling worse. The Jon Snow sequel could be a more intimate, introspective character study that doesn’t draw too much on its parent show, but it would be all too easy for it to happen.

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