One of the keys to keeping Jon Snow's identity a secret in A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones is his appearance. Despite being the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, The Winds of Winter.

The biggest when The Winds of Winter does finally release, could that even include his appearance?

Jon Snow Will Return With White Hair - The Winds Of Winter Theory Explained

It's An Interesting Spin On Jon Snow's Targaryen Parentage

It's widely believed Jon will come back to life in The Winds of Winter, but one interesting idea is that he will look different too. Or, more specifically, that instead of his typical black hair, Jon will have white hair and red eyes after his resurrection - a haunting spin on him being a Targaryen. While it's pretty out-there, and didn't happen on TV, there is some basis for it.

When Catelyn Stark returned as Lady Stoneheart, essentially a zombified version hell-bent on revenge, her hair had turned white, her eyes were red pits. Granted, some of that comes from her body lying dead in a river for three days; Jon will actually likely be dead for much longer, but his body could be better preserved by the ice of the Wall. Still, Catelyn's resurrection involved the Lord of Light, and Jon's probably will too (via Melisandre), so there is a connection.

And what does Ghost have? White hair and red eyes.

Adding to this is Jon's direwolf, Ghost. A Dance with Dragons set up the possibility of Jon's consciousness transferring into Ghost, which would then factor into his resurrection too. And what does Ghost have? White hair and red eyes. This would also give Jon a clearer connection to the weirwood trees and Bloodraven, which could be an interesting twist as he battles against the Others, as they have white wood and red leaves. As a final point, Patchface (a mysterious, somewhat prophetic character Thrones left out), says this about Jon (who, as a member of the Night's Watch, is a crow):

"The crow, the crow. Under the sea the crows are white as snow, I know, I know, oh, oh, oh.'"

Jon Snow Needs To Be Different In The Winds Of Winter

His Resurrection Should Change Him In Some Way

Jon's return may or may not change his appearance: I'll it, while I think the theory is fun and interesting, it's not the most likely, despite some ing evidence (it would also fit with Elric of Melniboné, a fantasy hero who inspired the Valyrians of Martin's saga). But what matters far more than Jon's looks after he returns is his character, and that absolutely must change, without question.

In a December 2024 update from Martin on The Winds of Winter, the author re-iterated that it is "still a priority," but that "it happens a day at a time."

Death and resurrection are supposed to change people in A Song of Ice and Fire; it comes at a cost. Beric Dondarrion is lesser each time, losing memories; Catelyn is, as mentioned, basically a zombie. That should impact Jon too, and Martin already confirmed as much. In an interview with Time in 2017, when discussing Stoneheart's omission, and Jon's return to the show as him being more "drained," the author said:

"Right. And poor Beric Dondarrion, who was set up as the foreshadowing of all this, every time he’s a little less Beric. His memories are fading, he’s got all these scars, he’s becoming more and more physically hideous, because he’s not a living human being anymore. His heart isn’t beating, his blood isn’t flowing in his veins, he’s a wight, but a wight animated by fire instead of by ice, now we’re getting back to the whole fire and ice thing."

That suggests it will hold true for Jon, who will be less himself in The Winds of Winter. I suspect that could well be an area where Ghost is an influence: that, after living as a wolf, Jon is more angry, more ferocious, more, well, wolf-like. That will allow for a darker take on the character, and allow for a more in-depth exploration of his post-resurrection self, whether he has white hair or not.