what happened to jon snow direwolf ghost

‘Game of Thrones’: Where the Hell Is Ghost, Jon Snow’s Direwolf?

It’s been quite a while since we saw one of the last remaining Stark direwolves in “Game of Thrones”

(Spoiler alert: Please do not read on if you haven’t watched Sunday’s episode of “Game of Thrones”)

It was an eventful week for Jon Snow, heading north of the Wall with his elite squad to try to kidnap an undead wight.

Well, not as elite a squad as it could have been, given that Jon’s direwolf Ghost was noticeably absent from this adventure. In fact, we haven’t seen him in Season 7 at all! Ghost has seemingly gone AWOL.

He’s always been something of a free spirit on “Game of Thrones.” When he went north of the Wall with the Night’s Watch, Ghost spent a lot of the time hanging around by himself, hunting and wandering the north before occasionally heading back to Jon.

But even though Ghost has a tendency to disappear for long periods of time on “Game of Thrones,” it’s been quite a while since the direwolf had any screen time. In fact, while Jon (Kit Harington) has been running all over the place, from Winterfell to Dragonstone to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, Ghost hasn’t been around at all.

So where’s Ghost? It’s not really clear, but the best guess is that he’s still at Winterfell with Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner).

Also Read:  “Game of Thrones” 101: How Many Stark Direwolves Are Left?

Shaggydog, the direwolf who belonged to Rickon Stark (Art Parkinson), was killed by the Karstarks when Rickon was captured. Ramsay Snow (Iwan Rheon) presented Shaggydog’s head to Jon before the battle as proof he held Rickon, and Jon wound up holding Ghost back from the Battle of the Bastards to protect him. In the latest “A Song of Ice and Fire” book from which “Game of Thrones” is adapted, “A Dance With Dragons,” Ghost heads to Winterfell with Jon after they capture the fort.

Before that, we last saw Ghost at Castle Black. When Jon was murdered by traitors in the Night’s Watch, Dolorous Edd (Ben Crompton) and Davos (Liam Cunningham) brought his body to one of the rooms in the keep, along with Ghost. Knowing the mutineers would be coming for the men loyal to Jon next, they barricaded themselves in the room, expecting to fight to the death. Luckily, that didn’t happen, and Melisandre (Carice van Houten) managed to resurrect Jon.

We’ve seen Ghost wander around the north quite a bit and show up at key moments. For instance, when Jon and the Night’s Watch went beyond the Wall to find the wildling army, Ghost went off on his own, but showed up to save Samwell Tarly (John Bradley-West) from a wight when the army of the dead attacked.

Also Read:  All 49 “Game of Thrones” Main Characters, Ranked Worst to Best (Photos)

If Ghost is at Winterfell, with all the intrigue going on between Sansa, Arya (Maisie Williams) and Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen), the direwolf might wind up saving another Stark from someone who means them ill will.

Ghost is one of only two direwolves left, though (the other is Arya’s former wolf Nymeria), and along with Summer, the direwolf that belonged to Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright), he was the wolf most involved in the story. We may not seen much of Ghost lately, but with the Night King on his way, we can’t help but hold out hope for Jon’s direwolf to show up again to rip up a few undead bad guys.

For now, the best way to explain Ghost’s absence from recent momentous events is probably that Jon decided it would be rather undiplomatic to take him to Dragonstone — and then they didn’t stop by Winterfell to pick him up on the way to Eastwatch. Still, the lack of direwolf violence this season remains a bit frustrating.

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Game of Thrones finally acknowledged Ghost as the very good dog he is

After fan outrage over their recent parting, Jon Snow and Ghost got a touching reunion in Game of Thrones’ series finale.

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Game of Thrones ’ series finale, “ The Iron Throne ,” didn’t exactly deliver the ending that many fans expected. But there was at least one character who got justice after being treated horribly in an earlier episode: Jon Snow’s beloved direwolf, Ghost.

Ghost became the subject of social media outrage after the final season’s fourth episode, “The Last of the Starks,” saw his owner, Jon Snow, give the animal to Tormund and send him north to Castle Black — all without so much as a goodbye pat on the head.

In an effort to explain why Game of Thrones chose not to show an emotional farewell between Jon and his beloved pet, the episode’s director, David Nutter, said that the goodbye scene played out the way it did because the show’s production team was restricted by the fact that Ghost is, in part, a CGI creation. But this explanation, predictably, only made fans angrier, with many of them responding with numerous examples of all the ways the show could have made Jon petting Ghost work.

For all these fans, the series finale delivered a lovely note of triumph. The final episode saw Jon ironically being exiled back to the (now nonexistent) Night’s Watch in order to satisfy the Unsullied’s demand for punishment after he killed Daenerys . So Jon wound up right back where he started . And who was there to welcome him but his faithful longtime companion?

The moment was exactly as sweet as fans had hoped:

Game of Thrones fans on social media were overjoyed.

I mean, Jon finally petting Ghost was all we really wanted. #GoT — Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) May 20, 2019

“WHOOSAGOOD- it’s you. You’re a good boy.” #ghost #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/Vv0sdOOnwL — Melissa Anelli (@melissaanelli) May 20, 2019

JON: *pets Ghost* Me: #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/aL4CV4e31b — Chris Masse (@cjmasse) May 20, 2019

Some, including Tasha Robinson of Vox sister site The Verge, noted that given how long ago the season finished production, the Game of Thrones production team had surely been eye-rolling all the hoopla over the fourth episode. After all, they would have known Jon and Ghost would be reunited shortly:

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss must have been laughing to themselves so hard when we freaked out a couple weeks ago about Jon Snow not petting Ghost goodbye when leaving the north. There has to have been some "Oh, just wait for it, you whiners" in there somewhere. #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/On6O3AatbJ — Tasha Robinson (@TashaRobinson) May 20, 2019

Hilariously, though, others speculated that the scene had been hastily added after the fact, in direct response to the fan outrage.

The Game of Thrones graphic designer who was given 1 week to CGI Jon Snow petting his dog to make Twitter happy. #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/CAsrcqqhVd — MMA Greg (@MMAGreg1) May 20, 2019

It’s highly doubtful that the scene was added in response to the uproar, but either way, it made many fans happy. And while many other aspects of “The Iron Throne” left fans scratching their heads , in reuniting Jon with his faithful companion, Game of Thrones reminded us that it did have at least two characters’ interests at heart.

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Forget the dragons – why has Game of Thrones exorcised Ghost?

Jon Snow’s trusty direwolf has been MIA since 2016 – but will we ever see him back in GOT?

• Huw Fullerton
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I think it’s about time we filed a missing persons report.

I’m not sure who handles that sort of thing in Westeros – the Goldcloaks of King’s Landing seem quite focussed on municipal crime; maybe the Brotherhood without Banners would have a look for us – but a crucial figure from Game of Thrones abruptly vanished three years ago, with no explanation, and with little to no care shown by his immediate friends and family.

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Something suspicious is going on – because Ghost, Jon’s trusty direwolf companion of many years, is nowhere to be found.

The last time we saw Ghost was in the second episode of Game of Thrones season six, way back in 2016 when he was on guard over Jon’s dead body. (In fact, Ghost waking up was a key visual cue that Jon was about to come back from the dead) But since then? Nada. Did Ghost travel from Castle Black with Jon and Sansa, skulk around in the background of the Battle of the Bastards, pine for his master when he went off to meet Daenerys? We don’t know, because we never saw him.

And considering how important the Stark children’s direwolves once were to the series, it’s especially notable how little Game of Thrones seems to care about Ghost now. Supposedly the first scene George RR Martin ever wrote of the Game of Thrones books was the sequence in which Eddard Stark and his sons discovered a litter of direwolf pups, and the six became important parts of the novels – and the TV adaptation – after.

The culling of Sansa Stark’s pup Lady was the first overt sign of the souring between Houses Stark and Lannister, while Arya setting free Nymeria gave a hint to her own need for freedom and escape.

Meanwhile, Robb’s huge, powerful Grey Wind seemed as noble and indestructible as the King in the North himself – until just like his master he was cut down at the Red Wedding, whimpering as he died in one of the TV series’ more heartrending moments, before his severed head was paraded around on Robb's body by their killers.

Further north, Summer and Shaggydog (the wolves of Bran and Rickon Stark) helped teach the future Three-Eyed Raven how to warg, voyaged through weird and wonderful terrain and generally acted as the protectors of the young Stark boys.

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And then there’s Ghost. Ever since Jon went to the Wall he’s been an important part of Jon’s adventures, finding the very first wight brought into Westeros in thousands of years, battling alongside Jon against the wildling forces and protecting Sam and Gilly from harm when the Night’s Watch turned against them.

In his very last appearance, Ghost watches over Jon post-mortem – but somehow, Jon’s return to life seems to have winked Ghost out of existence, and it’s especially glaring to die-hard fans of the series who have been complaining about his absence for years. Even before he vanished entirely they noted his relative absence compared to the books (where Ghost features a lot), and the current state of affairs is causing some consternation.

So why has the TV version of Game of Thrones left Ghost out of action for so long? Well, the answer is actually fairly simple – creating direwolves onscreen is apparently pretty expensive as they need to use actual wolves before superimposing them into a scene, and in a choice between Ghost and Daenerys’s more plot-centric dragons (which can be done entirely using CGI, as we don’t have real-life dragons to compare them to in our heads), they chose the dragons.

“We did some testing, and at a certain point they look unreal,” showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss told Entertainment Weekly .

“We reached a nice balance with them. And frankly, no matter how much money you spend on CG wolves — and we’ve seen the best that’s out there, state of the art, and some of it looks great — it still doesn’t look, move, and feel like a real animal. With dragons, you get some leeway. You can’t say, ‘Well, that doesn’t look like a real dragon.’”

“The direwolves are tough, because you don’t want to get them wrong,” added visual effects supervisor Joe Bauer.

“So we end up always shooting real wolves and doing a scaling trick with them. But the real wolves only behave in certain ways. I think that has something to do with why the direwolves are in the show, but they’re not maybe as integral as they are in the books.”

When it came to season six’s Battle of the Bastards, meanwhile, director Miguael Sapochnick faced another tough choice…

“[Ghost] was in there in spades originally, but it’s also an incredibly time consuming and expensive character to bring to life,” Sapochnik told Business Insider .

“Ultimately we had to choose between [the giant] Wun-Wun and the direwolf, so the dog bit the dust.”

Later, writer Bryan Cogman revealed that he’d tried to bring back the white direwolf in season seven, but after the scene was cut the series saw no Ghost for the entire run.

“FYI…We shot a Jon/Ghost scene.,” he tweeted after season seven’s second episode aired.

“Didn’t make it in. I tried!”

Instead, the only reference to Ghost in the entirety of season seven was a throwaway line from Sophie Turner's Sansa Stark, wondering if Jon expected her to "sit and wait for him like Ghost." Clearly, he's had to wait a fair old time by this stage.

When the final series of Game of Thrones began Ghost’s absence was also notable, especially given that the series opener focused so strongly on reunions(!) and involved a scene where Jon got better acquainted with one of Daenerys’s dragons. Dammit Jon, Ghost thought you and he had a SPECIAL House sigil-themed friendship! And how can you throw him over for someone wearing one of his cousins as a coat?

Still, perhaps all hope isn’t lost. Ahead of the series’ return, VFX maestro Bauer suggested that Ghost will finally make a comeback in the last few episodes of Thrones, and will actually play a fairly large part in the fight against the Army of the Dead.

“Oh, you’ll see him again. He has a fair amount of screen time in Season eight,” Bauer said.

“He does show up... He’s very present and does some pretty cool things.”

But then again, perhaps we should be careful what we wish for. The last few times we’ve seen direwolves, it’s only been for the showrunners to callously kill them off (Summer and Shaggydog both die, the latter offscreen, in season six) or to send them out of the series another way (Nymeria pops up in season seven but declines to return north with Arya).

This year, Game of Thrones is set to have its biggest battle episode yet on Sunday 28th/Monday 29th April as the White Walkers attack Winterfell – and do we really want to bring Ghost back just to seem him get torn to bits like Summer? Would it be better to imagine him roaming the valleys of the north off screen, rather than unequivocally wiped from the Game of Thrones story on screen? It's a question for the ages.

However Ghost’s comeback goes down (it’s possible he’ll just be cut out again), one thing’s for sure – just as the direwolves are supposed to represent the souls of the Starks (as many fans have suggested), keeping them out of the show saps a certain something from the story of Thrones as a whole.

In short: stop ghosting Jon’s direwolf. With only a few episodes left, we need SOMETHING to cheer us up.

Game of Thrones airs on Sky Atlantic on Mondays at 2am and 9pm

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Wiki of Westeros

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Ghost is one of six direwolf pups that are found by the children of House Stark . He is adopted and raised by Jon Snow . Ghost is an albino with white fur and red eyes. Though he was the runt of the litter when he was born, he quickly grew to be as big as the rest of his siblings. Of their litter, only Ghost and Nymeria remain alive.

• 1.1 Game of Thrones : Season 1
• 1.2 Game of Thrones : Season 2
• 1.3 Game of Thrones : Season 3
• 1.4 Game of Thrones : Season 4
• 1.5 Game of Thrones : Season 5
• 1.6 Game of Thrones : Season 6
• 1.7 Game of Thrones : Season 7
• 1.8 Game of Thrones : Season 8
• 3 In the books
• 5 Appearances
• 7 External links

Biography [ ]

Game of thrones : season 1 [ ].

Jon Snow finds Ghost as a pup.

When a litter of five direwolf puppies are found by the Starks , Jon convinces his father Eddard Stark to spare the pups. He urges his father to allow his siblings to adopt them, stating that there are five pups for the five trueborn Stark children and the direwolf is the sigil of the Stark house. Shortly after, Jon finds a sixth direwolf pup - an albino wolf. Theon Greyjoy mockingly calls the pup "the runt of the litter" and says this pup belongs to Jon. Jon and the other Stark children adopt the direwolf pups. Jon names his direwolf Ghost. [1]

Jon takes Ghost with him to Castle Black when he joins the Night's Watch . Ghost helps him to threaten Rast in the middle of the night, to prevent him from bullying Sam . Jon warns Rast that “no one touches Sam” while Ghost stands over Rast, snarling. [2]

While Jon and Sam say their oath of fealty to the Night's Watch in front of a heart tree north of the Wall , just inside the eaves of the Haunted Forest , Ghost finds the corpses of two rangers , Othor and Jafer Flowers , and brings one of their severed hands back to Jon and a horrified Sam. [3]

Ghost snarls at Rast.

When Jon is confined to quarters for threatening Ser Alliser Thorne , Ghost begins to whine at the door in the middle of the night. Jon understands something is wrong and follows the wolf to the Lord Commander's quarters. Suddenly the door shuts and Ghost is locked outside the room. Jon encounters the undead Othor, risen as a wight , and saves the life of the Lord Commander . [4]

When Jon nearly deserts to join Robb in his war against the Lannisters , Ghost leaves with him. However, they both return to Castle Black. [5]

Game of Thrones : Season 2 [ ]

Ghost at the Fist of the First Men with the Night's Watch.

Ghost follows his master and the rest of the Night's Watch as they venture deep into wildling territory in their great ranging . While the Night's Watchmen stay at Craster's Keep to rest and inform themselves about Mance Rayder, one of Craster's daughters, Gilly , is frightened by Ghost when he approaches her, attracted by a dead rabbit she's holding. Sam, who had already taken notice of her, comes to her aid, and attempts to shoo Ghost away. Although he flicks Sam a baleful look, he obeys and slinks off. [6]

Ghost accompanies Jon north.

Along with the black brothers, Ghost climbs the Fist of the First Men . [7] Later, when Jon asks to join Qhorin 's raiders, Ghost follows, but as they travel, the direwolf separates from the group and ultimately disappears, despite Jon's calls for Ghost to stay with them. [8]

Game of Thrones : Season 3 [ ]

Ghost saves Sam's life.

Following the fight at the Fist , Ghost saves Sam from a wight, giving Jeor Mormont the chance to destroy the wight with fire. [9]

Ghost later accompanies the Night's Watch survivors to Craster's Keep but refuses to enter this time. Instead, he ventures back into the Haunted Forest. [10]

When Sam stumbles across Bran , Jojen Reed , Meera Reed , and Hodor , Sam recognizes Bran due to the presence of Bran's direwolf Summer , having spent enough time with Ghost to be able to recognize a direwolf. [11]

Game of Thrones : Season 4 [ ]

Ghost reunites with his master Jon after being freed by Bran.

Ghost has been captured and caged by the Mutineers . One night, Karl Tanner orders Rast to feed Ghost, which he refers to as "the beast". Rast taunts Ghost by pouring water in front of the cage. Later, Ghost is briefly reunited with Summer for the first time since leaving Winterfell, when his cries summon the other direwolf to his cage, but Summer falls into a trap. [12] After escaping Craster's Keep , Bran and his companions release Ghost and Summer. Ghost remains nearby and kills Rast when he flees the massacre of his fellow mutineers. Afterward, Ghost reunites with Jon after being apart for more than a year. [13]

Ghost kills a Thenn warrior.

They arrive together at Castle Black, yet Alliser Thorne orders Jon to lock him away. [14] During the battle for the Wall , Jon has Sam release Ghost so that he can help kill the wildlings raiding the castle. Immediately, Ghost lunges at a Thenn warrior and tears out his throat. He ultimately survives the battle. [15]

Game of Thrones : Season 5 [ ]

Ghost nibbles on a bone.

Ghost remains in Castle Black, having grown considerably. While Jon trains Olly , Ghost chews on a large bone. [16]

Ghost protects Sam and Gilly from Night's Watch bullies.

After Jon departs for Hardhome and Maester Aemon passes away, Thorne cryptically warns Sam that he is losing all of his friends, presumably prompting him to free Ghost until Jon returns. [17]

Two former criminals in the Night's Watch attempt to rape Gilly and Sam comes to her defense; they beat him, but Ghost arrives to defend him, snarling at them; unwilling to take their chances against the angry direwolf, they flee. [17]

Game of Thrones : Season 6 [ ]

After Jon is assassinated by several of his black brothers, Ghost howls in mourning from his pen nearby. His cries summon Davos , Eddison Tollett , and a handful of other black brothers who quickly move Jon's body. At Davos's suggestion, Edd frees Ghost so that he can help them protect Jon's body. On their way back to Jon's quarters, Edd and Ghost are accosted by Thorne and the mutineers. Ghost snarls at Thorne, aware of his role in Jon's murder. Unnerved, Thorne suggests that they release Ghost beyond the Wall, but Edd refuses and leads Ghost to Jon's chamber, where he sniffs Jon's body mournfully. When the mutineers offer the loyalists peace terms through the locked door, Ghost growls. [18]

Ghost sleeps near Jon's body.

At nightfall, the mutineers attempt to break their way into Jon's chambers to kill Davos and the loyalists. Ghost stands beside the loyalists, ready to fight to the death. Edd and the wildlings arrive in time to save Ghost and the loyalists and place the mutineers in custody. Later, Ghost remains close to Jon when Melisandre seemingly fails to resurrect him, and sleeps beside Jon's body. Once everyone has left, Ghost is roused from sleep by something and is the first to witness Jon come back to life. [19] Ghost then watches Jon intently as he gets up. [20]

Ghost leaves Castle Black with Jon as he travels with Davos Seaworth, Melisandre, Tormund, Sansa , Brienne and Pod as they prepare to rally the North against Ramsay Bolton . [21] Following Jon and Sansa's victory after the Battle of the Bastards , Ghost returns to Winterfell with his master. [22]

Game of Thrones : Season 7 [ ]

Ghost remains at Winterfell with Sansa when Jon leaves to meet Daenerys at Dragonstone . [23]

Game of Thrones : Season 8 [ ]

Ghost charges alongside the Dothraki.

Shortly before the Battle of Winterfell , Ghost stands on the battlements with Jon, Edd, and Sam. [24] He is later seen alongside the strike team on the battlefield beside Jorah Mormont , as they charge the first wave of wights but is not seen for the rest of the battle. Ghost survives the battle, which ends when Arya Stark kills the Night King , defeating the army of the dead. [25]

Ghost is present among the surviving allies in the aftermath of the battle and witnesses the bonfire funeral of the fallen men and women. He is shown to have lost most of his right ear as well as sustaining cuts in the battle. [26]

Ghost watches as Jon departs Winterfell.

Later, as Jon is preparing to march south with the Northern forces and Daenerys's army to defeat Cersei and take the Iron Throne for Daenerys , he suggests to Tormund (who is making his way back to Castle Black with the remaining free folk) that he take Ghost with him. Jon believes Ghost belongs in the true north. Ghost exchanges one last glance with Jon before watching his old master depart. [26]

Ghost reunites with Jon at Castle Black.

Ghost is reunited with Jon, when the latter is exiled to the Night's Watch for Daenerys's assassination after she razes a surrendered King's Landing . Jon and Ghost accompany Tormund and the wildlings on the return to the lands beyond the Wall . [27]

In the books [ ]

Jon Snow by Roman "Amok" Papsuev.©

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Ghost is the quietest and stealthiest of the six direwolf pups. While the other wolves are darker-colored, Ghost is an albino and silent. Jon Snow's younger brother Bran Stark notices that Ghost has already opened his eyes while the other pups' eyes remain closed. Ghost's like-but-unlike nature appeals to Jon as a kindred spirit and he shares Jon's thoughtful, observant, and quiet nature. Also shared is that Jon and Ghost are both part of their respective families, but a bit apart from their siblings at the same time as Jon is an illegitimate child while Ghost is a silent, albino wolf. [28] Ghost's appearance is said to resemble that of the faces found on heart trees in the North .

Jon finds Ghost separated from his siblings. Ghost also matured faster than the others: he was the first to open his eyes and walk on his own, and was attempting to find shelter away from their mother's corpse. Like in the TV series, Jon also convinces his father to spare the pups for his trueborn siblings and later finds the sixth pup shortly afterward. However, unlike in the TV series, Theon suggests they leave the pup to die, which Jon emphatically refuses and Jon himself claims Ghost as his own.

In the books, it is emphasized that Ghost is unnaturally silent: Jon tells Tyrion that he named him "Ghost" partially because of his albino coloring, but also because of how little noise he makes. In the books, Ghost is completely mute, utterly silent making no sound of any kind. This wasn't found to translate well to the screen, so Ghost makes noises like growling at Rast in his bunk or whining at Gilly holding rabbits.

Ghost accompanies Jon when he goes to Castle Black with his uncle Benjen Stark and helps Jon defend Sam from being harmed in training. When Jon joins Qhorin's scouting group, Ghost comes along. When Jon is forced to kill Qhorin as part of Qhorin's plan for Jon to infiltrate Mance Rayder 's host, Ghost helps Jon defeat Qhorin. Before going with the wildlings to scale the Wall, Jon orders Ghost to leave and attempt to return to Castle Black. Ghost departs into the forest, and Jon hopes he understood his command. Many weeks later, several days after the battle for the Wall is over, Ghost returns to the Wall, where Jon and Ghost are overjoyed to be reunited.

In the TV series, Ghost initially shadows Qhorin's scouting group, but he does not appear again after Jon is captured. Apparently, on his own initiative, Ghost made his way back to the Fist of the First Men, the Watch's main base camp, but it had come under attack by the White Walkers. Ghost is later seen with the survivors when he helps Jeor Mormont kill a wight that was attacking Sam. Ghost apparently then tried to return to Castle Black alongside them, but when they reach Craster's Keep, Ghost senses the coming danger, and retreats back into the Haunted Forest. In the TV show, the mutineers at Craster's Keep capture him, but when Jon leads a scouting force back to Craster's Keep to finish off the traitors, Ghost is reunited with Jon and brought back to Castle Black. Afterward, he is let loose during the wildling attack on the fortress to aid the Watch's defense, and is seen to be by Jon's side at Castle Black in Season 5 - putting him back in sync with his book location.

In the books, Melisandre warns Jon of " daggers in the dark " and advises him to keep Ghost near him all the time. However, Jon does not listen to Melisandre, since one of her visions about "a girl in grey on a dying horse" (whom Melisandre believed to be Arya , but turned to be Alys Karstark ) proves to be wrong; this turns to be a fatal mistake for Jon.

In his last breath, Jon whispers "Ghost" - similar to Robb , whose last words were " Grey Wind ". It is unknown if there is a connection between these instances. There is a fan speculation that Robb and Jon, in their last breath, managed to warg into their respective direwolves. It did not do any good for Robb, since Grey Wind was killed shortly after him; it is not the case with Jon, whose direwolf was not around when he was stabbed - he might have survived.

Gallery [ ]

Appearances [ ]

References [ ]

• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 1 , Episode 1: " Winter Is Coming "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 1 , Episode 4: " Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 1 , Episode 7: " You Win or You Die "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 1 , Episode 8: " The Pointy End "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 1 , Episode 10: " Fire and Blood "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 2 , Episode 2: " The Night Lands "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 2 , Episode 5: " The Ghost of Harrenhal "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 2 , Episode 6: " The Old Gods and the New "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 3 , Episode 1: " Valar Dohaeris "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 3 , Episode 3: " Walk of Punishment "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 3 , Episode 10: " Mhysa "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 4 , Episode 4: " Oathkeeper "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 4 , Episode 5: " First of His Name "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 4 , Episode 7: " Mockingbird "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 4 , Episode 9: " The Watchers on the Wall "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 5 , Episode 1: " The Wars To Come "
• ↑ 17.0 17.1 Game of Thrones : Season 5 , Episode 7: " The Gift "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 6 , Episode 1: " The Red Woman "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 6 , Episode 2: " Home "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 6 , Episode 3: " Oathbreaker "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 6 , Episode 5: " The Door "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 6 , Episode 10: " The Winds of Winter "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 7 , Episode 2: " Stormborn "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 8 , Episode 2: " A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 8 , Episode 3: " The Long Night "
• ↑ 26.0 26.1 Game of Thrones : Season 8 , Episode 4: " The Last of the Starks "
• ↑ Game of Thrones : Season 8 , Episode 6: " The Iron Throne "
• ↑ Shaw, Robert (2003). "Interview With a Dragon". Fountainhead Quarterly.
• ↑ In " You Win or You Die ," Jorah Mormont receives a pardon stating that the current year is 298.
• ↑ In " Winter Is Coming ," which takes place in 298 AC, Sansa Stark tells Cersei Lannister that she is 13 years old and Bran Stark tells Jaime Lannister that he is 10 years old. Arya Stark was born between Sansa and Bran, making her either 11 or 12 in Season 1. The rest of the Stark children have been aged up by 2 years from their book ages, so it can be assumed that she is 11 in Season 1. Arya is 18 in Season 8 according to HBO , which means at least 7 years occur in the span of the series; therefore, each season of Game of Thrones must roughly correspond to a year in-universe, placing the events of Season 8 in 305 AC.

External links [ ]

• 2 Daenerys Targaryen
• 3 Rhaegar Targaryen

Entertainment

Proof That Ghost Is Still On 'Game Of Thrones'

The direwolf population is dwindling in Westeros, but two of the litter have managed to survive. Arya's fierce fighter Nymeria is leading a pack, and Jon's companion Ghost is... somewhere. It's actually been a while since we've Ghost on Game of Thrones . So where is that big pup? A likely guess would be Winterfell, but there has been little evidence in Season 7 to prove that.

In Season 6, Ghost was present when Jon Snow popped back up from being dead. He left Castle Black with Jon, Sansa, Davos, and Melisandre. He does not participate in the Battle of the Bastards , but does presumably move in to Winterfell when House Stark reclaims it.

Ghost wasn't part of the entourage when the King in the North went to Dragonstone, was he? It's hard to imagine a direwolf would have sea legs. Game of Thrones writer and producer Byran Cogman tweeted that there was meant to be a scene between Jon Snow and Ghost in Episode 2, "Stormborn," which must have been a goodbye before Jon boarded his ship to visit Daenerys — but it at least seems to confirm that Ghost is alive and well in Winterfell.

Unless he got on that boat too, it's safe to assume that Ghost has taken up in the kennels that Ramsay Bolton's hounds used to occupy.

The two "brothers" have been separated before and everything has still turned out alright for them. For example, Ghost and Jon spent some time apart while he was an undercover wildling and met Ygritte. Could the distance between them now be foreshadowing for his relationship with Daenerys? Every time he leaves his dog behind, Jon seems to find a new girlfriend and a new battle to fight in. It's definitely something to think about.

All in all, Ghost's absence shouldn't be cause for too much concern, though it is a bummer that the direwolf likely won't meet a dragon for some time to come. The significance of the direwolves to the Starks is still a little bit of a mystery on Game of Thrones and it's unclear how their fates align.. Some, like Sansa and Bran, survived without theirs for ages, but others, like Rickon and Robb, did not have the same luck. Arya, too, is separated from her direwolf at a time when she might need her most. Although the direwolves play a larger part in the books, the series tends to show them only sparingly given how much it costs to CGI them into existence . So Ghost's whereabouts might have nothing at all to do with the narrative and everything to do with Game of Thrones' budget. Fans can get a battle or a wolf — but not both, it seems.

For now, there is still a lot of possibility that Ghost returns before the story comes to an end. Maybe Bran can warg into Ghost to help with whatever is to come. Or maybe Jon's massive pet can be the one to take out Littlefinger. Cersei's into poison murders now, and Sansa could make murder by dog her signature move. Whatever it is, fans will be keeping a close eye on Ghost, wherever he is, with great interest.

Where the Hell is Ghost, Jon Snow's Very Good Direwolf, in Game of Thrones Season Eight?

Here's what really happened to the show's best character.

We last saw the good boy Ghost in the beginning of Season Six, when the direwolf was loyally sleeping by Jon Snow's dead body. That was more than three years and two seasons of Game of Thrones ago. In the Season Eight premiere, among long-awaited reunions between, Jon and Sansa, Jon and Bran, Jon and literally everyone—one was most notably missing: Ghost.

Yes, Jon Snow rode a dragon, a moment that fans had been waiting decades for, but there was no Ghost running at his heels, following him around Winterfell. Has Jon replaced his vicious, fluffy pet with a vicious, scaly pet?

He'd better fucking not. Look at this very good boy:

Throughout most of this series, it's been understood that the Direwolves, though beloved, were too costly and too difficult to include in the show because of CGI costs and handling actual wolves. That's why throughout the last few seasons, Snow didn't let Ghost participate in the Battle of the Bastards for the direwolf's own safety (or at least that's what's assumed on the show). Since then, Ghost has supposedly been hanging out at Winterfell, guarding Sansa while Jon Snow is off hooking up with his aunt on sexy boats. The only mention of Ghost in Season Seven was in Episode Five, when Sansa complained that she had to "sit and wait for him like Ghost" when he was off trying to save the world.

It's an interesting choice by the showrunners to cut Ghost out of the show, seeing as the Direwolves are to Starks as dragons are to Targaryens. Plus, given this is the biggest TV show in the world, it certainly has the budget to spend on including these key creatures in Season Eight.

But, the good news is, Ghost will return as more than just a mention in Season 8.

So, why were the Direwolves—who play an important symbolic role in the books and show—absent from the later seasons of Game of Thrones ?

Bauer said it's because it's not so easy working with actual wolves, understandably.

“The direwolves are tough because you don’t want to get them wrong, so we end up always shooting real wolves and doing a scaling trick with them, but the real wolves only behave in certain ways,” Bauer said.

There actually was a scene filmed for Season Seven that explained what happened to Ghost, but Bauer said it was ultimately cut. Which makes sense considering all the other glaring plot holes in Season Seven .

So, Ghost should be back in Season Eight, and hopefully not just to die during the Battle of Winterfell.

Matt Miller is a Brooklyn-based culture/lifestyle writer and music critic whose work has appeared in Esquire, Forbes, The Denver Post, and documentaries.

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Game of Thrones finale reunites Jon Snow and Ghost for one pawfect scene

Jon Snow ignored his loyal direwolf last week, but the series finale offered a pet-lover pleasing reunion.

Ghost was left hanging in the penultimate episode, but he got his much deserved nuzzles in the finale.

Ghost, the albino direwolf Jon Snow adopted in the Game of Thrones pilot, was all but ignored by his human buddy last week. Then came the May 19 series finale , and let's just say it went to the dogs in the best way paw-sible.

Whatever viewers thought of the final episode , it was at least satisfying for pet lovers, who got to see Jon return to the Night's Watch and reunite not only with his red-headed bro Tormund, but with Ghost as well.

And this time, he didn't just look the wolf's way, but got down on Ghost's level and really snuggled the good, good boy who lost an ear fighting for his buddy. And the love for Ghost was deserved, no bones about it.

Social media barked about it, too.

"Tried not to cry the whole episode then Ghost finally got his good boy pats and I lost it!" tweeted one fan.

Tried not to cry the whole episode then Ghost finally got his good boy pats and I lost it!😭♥️ #GOTFinale pic.twitter.com/tCCgVPnAKi — dess (@dessailove_) May 20, 2019

When this was all you really cared about #ghost #gameofthrones pic.twitter.com/CItpEC6tMG — becky rigby (@beckyl20) May 20, 2019

Ghost of House Stark, first of his name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, Protector of the Realm and the Goodest Good Boy pic.twitter.com/RNgniF38rl — ᶻᵃᵏᶦʳ (@ZakirIbtasam) May 20, 2019

#ghost is such a good boy, and last of his brothers. Give him all the scratches — Antonio Ruvalcaba (@iadoresloth) May 20, 2019

Many Twitter users focused on what Ghost was thinking when his oft-gone owner finally, finally gave him some love.

Ghost trying to figure out if Jon was going to finally pet him. pic.twitter.com/kTpN5hwTZJ — real life idiot (@HandsRatedE) May 20, 2019

Ghost when Jon arrived back at Castle Black #GameOfThrones #GOT pic.twitter.com/QwmkzlEpPA — George (@MyTentOrGeorge) May 20, 2019

Ghost’s reception for Jon #GameOfThronesFinale pic.twitter.com/sjoF0HHYMG — mand (@amandalool) May 20, 2019

Many remembered an earlier episode where Jon told Ghost, "I missed you, boy."

Ghost for the win! #BranWho #doglife #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/oDh4G9KQlD — Lori Bruce Cutshaw (@LoriTheBruce) May 20, 2019

Some, however, envisioned a less friendly reunion of the two. "It would have been awesome if Ghost bit his head off and it went to black," one Twitter user wrote.

It would have been awesome if Ghost bit his head off and it went to black. #gameofthrones pic.twitter.com/9rJ3WZHhRY — Valueman (@valuebax) May 20, 2019

And some wondered if the writers hastily concocted the scene as service to complaining fans. Wrote one Twitter user: "They heard y'all complaining about Jon Snow not petting Ghost and said, 'Here, damn!'"

The editors of #GameOfThrones throwing in Jon petting Ghost last minute so we would all shut up. pic.twitter.com/GmwrljeGAJ — squidnie (@sydniefatt) May 20, 2019

I’m mad Ghost didn’t even make him work for it though 😂 the disrespect when they parted ways was inexcusable — ♈ Sarahhhh♈ (@_sarah321) May 20, 2019

They heard y’all complaining about Jon Snow not petting Ghost and said “here damn!” 😂 #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/a1WekaoJ5R — philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) May 20, 2019

But however the Ghost affection made it into the script ... P.S. We'll take it.

Jon being reunited with Ghost #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/z5MgVhNLFp — Jordan (@Jordnyan) May 20, 2019

When Jon pet Ghost: #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/3H3rwDk60c — Andrew McCarthy (@andrewm1119) May 20, 2019

See all the Game of Thrones season 8 photos

Fans Are Furious That Jon Snow Barely Said Goodbye to Ghost on Game of Thrones

• In season 8 episode 4, Tormund tells Jon Snow he's returning to the land beyond the wall. • Jon asks Tormund to take his direwolf, Ghost, with him. • Fans were shocked that Jon would abandon Ghost like that.

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Game of Thrones season 8 episode 4, "The Last of the Starks." If you don't want to know what happens, get out of here!

Ghost, you may recall, is the direwolf Ned Stark gave Jon Snow way back in season 1. You'd think Jon would have some attachment to his faithful pup — but apparently not, given how he hands him off to Tormund Giantsbane without so much as a boop on the nose.

About halfway through the episode, Tormund tells Jon he and the free folk are leaving Winterfell to return to the real North — ie, his native lands beyond the wall.

"That's where be belong," Tormund says.

"That's where he belongs, too," says Jon, turning to look at Ghost. "A direwolf has no place in the south. Will you take him with you? He'll be happier up there."

Jon says goodbye to Tormund, and then to his friend Sam Tarly. As he's getting ready to leave, he passes a whimpering Ghost — AND KEEPS ON WALKING! Ghost hangs his head in sadness. I have to say it's heart-wrenching, and I'm not even a full-blown dog person.

During and after the episode aired, viewers took to social media to complain about Jon and Ghost's goodbye, or lack thereof.

" It's clear none of the writers own dogs ," proclaims one trending Reddit thread.

"How is Jon not going to go even speak to ghost before leaving, knowing he will never seen him again," u/DoctorHolliday wrote. "Ghost literally just went to war for you and there is supposed to be a bond with direwolves, but Jon just peaces out with a nod."

" The goodest can't even get a nose boop ," said another.

Plenty of fans voiced their anger on Twitter:

Ghost in the #GameOfThrones series finale: pic.twitter.com/HDWnfMa3YY — 🅱️itstop Training (@ChrisInTheSix) May 6, 2019

Ghost on the outside: *Holding it together* Ghost on the inside: #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/j5tPUsaNxY — Jenny Matthews (@lejennymatthews) May 6, 2019

Me after I saw that jon didn’t even said goodbye to ghost #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/GlDeNjNY4C — Adriana 🇵🇾 (@augureyl) May 6, 2019

When Jon doesn’t say goodbye to Ghost, the goodest good boy in all of the Seven Kingdoms #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/BdOinFskNi — Pranav Dave (@bigdaddy__dave) May 6, 2019

Ghost, I hope you have a nice life drinking giant's milk with Tormund. You deserve it, buddy.

Jordyn Taylor is the Executive Digital Editor at Men's Health. She is the co-author of 'Best. Sex. Ever.: 200 Frank, Funny & Friendly Answers About Getting It On,' and an adjunct professor at New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. She's covered sex, relationships, health, wellness, and LGBTQ+ issues since 2013, and has previously worked as a reporter and editor at Mic and the New York Observer.  

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Game Of Thrones Episode 4: Here's What Happened To Ghost, Jon Snow's Direwolf (Season 8)

Spoilers beyond!

By Phil Hornshaw on May 5, 2019 at 10:09PM PDT

If you're all caught up, check out why this huge battle's deaths were disappointing , what Melisandre said to Arya back in Season 3 , and just what the battle tactics this episode actually were. You might also be wondering what happened to Jon's dragon and what happened to Ghost , not to mention what new theories we have based on Episode 3 . And for a deep dive into each episode of Season 8, check out GameSpot of Thrones with Westeros superfans Lucy, Ryan, Tamoor, and Dave each week as we count down the final three episodes of Game of Thrones.

Game of Thrones completed what is arguably its biggest and most expansive plotline in "The Long Night," the third episode of the show's six-episode Season 8. Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow, with just about every living major character left in Westeros, met the Night King , the White Walkers, and the army of the dead in a final showdown. We even saw Ghost, Jon Snow's often-missing direwolf, join the fighting. It wasn't clear what the heck happened to Ghost when he raced off with the Dothraki screamers to fight the army of the dead, but we discovered he made it through the battle in the post-episode teaser for Episode 4, "The Last of the Starks."

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Now Playing: Game of Thrones Watch Guide For Season 8 - GS Universe News Update

Now we know what happened to Ghost during the battle: He apparently mixed it up with some wights but ultimately survived. When he shows up in Episode 4, Ghost is a little worse for wear, having lost an ear in the fighting. But don't expect to see any more of the direwolf, because during the episode, Jon revealed that we're saying farewell to his very large doggo friend.

Now that the war with the dead is won, Jon is heading south with Daenerys to fulfill his commitment to her--she agreed to fight his war against the White Walkers, and he agreed to help her get the Iron Throne. The plan is for Jon to head down the King's Road with the bulk of Dany's remaining armies of Unsullied, Dothraki, and Northmen, heading for King's Landing to block Cersei's supply lines and turn the people of the city against her. Ideally, it'll mean the war will end with the people overthrowing Cersei, while Daenerys won't have to attack the city and kill thousands of innocents to take the Iron Throne.

Before heading off, though, Jon says some farewells to his surviving friends. When he talks to Tormund, we find out that the Wildlings have decided to head back north of the Wall to their home. The south, Tormund tells him, is no place for the Freefolk. Jon responds that it's no place for a direwolf either, and asks Tormund to take Ghost with him when he heads back to Castle Black after the winter storms subside.

It sounds like that's the last we'll see of Ghost (and Tormund, for that matter). The direwolf isn't heading down to King's Landing with his master, and that pretty much means direwolves are out of the show. The only other surviving wolf is Nymeria, which belonged to Arya Stark. We briefly saw Nymeria when Arya was traveling to Winterfell in Season 7, when the direwolf and a pack of smaller wolves came across Arya in the woods. The two had a moment together when Arya asked Nymeria to come with her back to her home, but the wolf chose to stay wild instead.

As far as direwolf longevity, though, it's probably good that Ghost isn't going with Jon, since Stark direwolves don't fare so well in the South. Lady, Sansa Stark's wolf, was killed in retaliation after Arya Stark's wolf Nymeria bit Prince Joffrey in Season 1, and Robb Stark's wolf Grey Wind died at the Twins during the Red Wedding. Then again, they don't do great in the North, either--Bran Stark's wolf Summer died north of the Wall defending him during "Hold the Door," when he first encountered the Night King at the Three-Eyed Raven's cave. And Shaggy Dog, Rickon Stark's direwolf, was killed by the Umbers when they captured the youngest stark for Ramsay Bolton.

The dismissal of the last major direwolf is a bummer, though. In the early seasons of the show and in George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" novels on which they're based, the direwolves and their connection to the Stark children always seemed like a very big deal, and a relationship that was leading somewhere. In fact, there were some fan theories that suggested both Ghost and Nymeria would have a part to play in the battle against the Night King and in saving their respective Starks. That the direwolves and their relationships with the Stark family has seemingly amounted to so little is one of the bigger disappointments with the show's adaptation of the novels.

With no direwolves left, it seems Game of Thrones is mostly doing away with its cool animal friends and their relationships with major characters. At least we don't have to watch another beloved canine get murdered at the orders of Cersei Lannister, though.

Check out our reviews for Episode Episode 3 and Episode 4 for our impressions as we move on toward the last two episodes of the series. You might be interested in some complaints about who died in the Battle of Winterfell , as well.

The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email [email protected]

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Phil Hornshaw is a former senior writer at GameSpot and worked as a journalist for newspapers and websites for more than a decade, covering video games, technology, and entertainment for nearly that long. A freelancer before he joined the GameSpot team as an editor out of Los Angeles, his work appeared at Playboy, IGN, Kotaku, Complex, Polygon, TheWrap, Digital Trends, The Escapist, GameFront, and The Huffington Post. Outside the realm of games, he's the co-author of So You Created a Wormhole: The Time Traveler's Guide to Time Travel and The Space Hero's Guide to Glory. If he's not writing about video games, he's probably doing a deep dive into game lore.

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Where is Ghost? Game of Thrones fans demand to know where Jon Snow's direwolf is

Warning: the story below contains slight spoilers for the season eight premiere, article bookmarked.

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Game of Thrones 's season eight premiere has given fans much to discuss – and left them with one major question: where is Ghost?

Curious viewers are eager to find out what has become of Jon Snow 's direwolf, which he adopted as a pup in season one.

Many expected Jon to get reunited with Ghost in the season eight premiere, upon his return to Winterfell, but the direwolf was nowhere to be seen.

Fans have expressed their frustration on Twitter, demanding to know where Jon's loyal companion has gone.

"Am I the only one who’s wondering where the f*** is Ghost and why Jon hasn’t gone to see him yet?!" one person asked in one of many messages questioning Ghost's absence.

Game of Thrones season 8 episode 1 callbacks and Easter eggs

"Last night's # GameofThrones season eight premiere was fantastic, but I feel I speak for most of the fandom when I ask: WHERE IS GHOST?" another viewer wrote.

"Okay it’s heavy on my mind now. Where the hell is Ghost?" someone else wondered.

No official explanation for Ghost's absence has been given so far, but visual effects supervisor Joe Bauer has previously said the direwolf would be back for season eight.

“Oh, you’ll see him again. He has a fair amount of screen time in season eight,” Bauer told The Huffington Post in 2018. “He does show up.”

Game of Thrones is available on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV in the UK, and on HBO in the US.

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‘Game of Thrones’: Ghost the Direwolf Deserved Better Than Jon Snow

Hanh nguyen.

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You know nothing, Jon Snow … about being a direwolf owner. In Sunday’s episode of “ Game of Thrones ,” the Warden of the North (Kit Harington) takes leave of his direwolf Ghost by abandoning him. While his claim that Ghost probably isn’t suited to the South — where Jon is heading to attack King’s Landing — is probably true, the moment feels false, as if Jon knows that he’s making excuses.

It’s a head-scratching moment because even if Jon is heading to King’s Landing, that doesn’t mean he has to completely get rid of Ghost. Direwolves have been companions to Starks for centuries. That’s why they’re on the goddamn sigil for the House. Therefore, it makes sense for Ghost to stay at Winterfell and guard Jon’s cousins (Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Isaac Hempstead Wright).

But even if it is best for him to go with Tormund and the wildlings farther north, Jon’s farewell to Ghost is non-existent. He treats his wolf as if he were a stranger and says nothing. He “ghosts” Ghost. It’s truly bizarre that he doesn’t even talk or pet his own direwolf after all they’ve been through together. Ghost has saved Jon’s life and even Samwell Tarly’s (John Bradley) several times, has fought alongside Jon, and even mourned and guarded his dead body when the Night’s Watch mutinied against Jon.

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Oddly enough, Jon’s neglect of Ghost began almost as soon as he met with Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke). This parallels how, despite all of his protests to Arya and Sansa to the contrary, he continues to pick the Targaryen queen over his own Stark family. It’s as if he’s abandoned being a Stark even though he’s half Stark by blood. Then again, this is Westeros, the most patriarchal of societies, and his Stark blood is on his mother’s side; how quickly Jon forgets what Ned Stark (Sean Bean) did for him and what his family has meant to him in the face of his royal heritage and incestuous love. As Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) so eloquently observes, “Cocks are important.”

This is not entirely Jon’s fault. The show never really knew what to do with the direwolves beyond the template that George R.R. Martin gave them, and even then, the series’ direwolves haven’t lived up to canon. They’re supposed to be massive, the size of a pony, and also have a mental bond with the Starks. This would’ve made for some fascinating tandem fighting in battle – there are just so many potential uses for a telepathic bond with a fierce animal.

But let’s not forget that Martin has teased that Arya’s feral wolf Nymeria has a role to play in his final two books. It’s to be hoped the the show doesn’t continue to dismiss the direwolves’ importance for what would make for a spectacular scene if wolves swoop in to help save the day. Stranger things have happened on “Game of Thrones” when it comes to turning the tide of battle.

As it stands now, though, Jon hasn’t just abandoned Ghost, he abandoned the Starks. But that’s OK because Sansa recalls Ned Stark’s words: “The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives.”

”Game of Thrones” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO .

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Jon Snow Petted Ghost in the Game of Thrones Finale and Nothing Else Matters

At LONG LAST this good boy gets his due!

And so, after eight seasons, Game of Thrones came to an end this evening in a blaze of ash, mixed messages and seemingly endless council meetings. There were a lot of mixed feelings about the way things ended in Westeros – not least Bran being crowned, Daenerys being killed in that absurdly anticlimactic way, and women getting less than ten per cent of the dialogue – but there was one thing we can all be truly thankful for.

In the closing moments of tonight's series finale, "The Iron Throne", Jon Snow was reunited with his loyal, loving direwolf Ghost – and finally, Ghost got the loving caresses and pets he DESERVED like the good boy he is!

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The only finale we really needed ❤️ #GameOfThrones #ghost pic.twitter.com/uB5m7KZo8d — Chai Tea (@chaidasi) May 20, 2019

JON: *pets Ghost* Me: #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/aL4CV4e31b — Chris Masse (@cjmasse) May 20, 2019

If I was Ghost, I would’ve eaten Jon Snow after the way he said goodbye to Ghost #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/OLFHshZrlB — my opinion: (@eandesg) May 20, 2019

That was fantastic. Everything I wanted and more. Ghost will forever be a good boy and deserves all of the best pats and belly rubs that Jon can give him. Couldn’t tell you what happened in the rest of the episode because it’s not important. #GameOfThronesFinale pic.twitter.com/ndwyDxFNn9 — Brotato Chip (@Beembee3) May 20, 2019

Honestly, given that Jon's now had to watch the only two women he's ever loved die in his arms, he's probably better off focusing on trying to mend his relationship with Ghost. Say what you will about direwolves, but they almost never spontaneously decide to burn down entire cities on a poorly-developed whim!

Anyway, can't wait for the prequel series.

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Screen Rant

Game of thrones: the fates of the stark direwolves explained.

The Stark direwolves were a memorable and underused part of Game of Thrones, but what happened to them? Here's where every direwolf ended up in GoT.

• The direwolves in Game of Thrones were more than just pets; they were important and symbolized the Stark family's power and connection to the North.
• Some fans felt that the show failed the direwolves by gradually making them less important due to budget constraints and randomly killing them off.
• Ghost is the only direwolf that survives until the end of the series, and his reunion with Jon Snow in the finale sets up his potential role in the Jon Snow spinoff series.

Though countless human characters die in Game of Thrones , many fans were more concerned about which direwolves survive. The direwolf was the animal featured on the House Stark direwolf sigil and thus incredibly important to the Northern rulers. Direwolves are portrayed as a species of wolf, but much larger and significantly more intelligent. Back in Game of Thrones ' premiere, a litter of direwolves was discovered with each Stark child, including Jon Snow, allowed to care for one. The pets and its siblings quickly bonded with their corresponding owners. However, many of them faced troubles throughout the series leaving fans wondering which direwolves survive in Game of Thrones,

To some, the Game of Thrones direwolf might have just been viewed as pets to the main characters, but they were much more than that. The Stark direwolves were beautiful creatures, but they served a much greater purpose. Many Game of Thrones books fans felt the show failed the direwolves as they were gradually pushed aside and made less important due to budget concerns. This sometimes included randomly killing off the direwolves, although there were some that managed to survive until the end of Game of Thrones.

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Grey Wind (Robb Stark)

Grey Wind is a Stark direwolf that was very protective of his owner Robb. The Game of Thrones direwolf accompanied Robb and his army and played a role in the Battle of Oxcross by sneaking onto the enemy camp, killing guards, and scaring horses. Grey Wind also proved to be a good intimidation tool during some of the tense confrontations Robb had as King in the North. When Greatjon Umber pulled a knife on Robb when he called him an oathbreaker, Grey Wind bit off the man's fingers. And while Jaime Lannister attempted to put on a brave face as Robb's captive, he couldn't hide his fear of Grey Wind.

Unfortunately, Grey Wind was present for the Red Wedding in Game of Thrones . Interestingly, the direwolf seemed to sense the trouble before the Freys' ambush began as he was seen howling and trying to get out of his pen. Sadly, he was trapped inside when the Frey men came and shot him with their crossbows. The image of Arya Stark seeing Grey Wind's eyes close as the direwolf dies is one of the saddest moments in the Redd Wedding massacre.

Lady (Sansa Stark)

Lady was the first of the direwolf casualties and one of the Game of Thrones characters to die in season 1 . Lady is Sansa Stark's direwolf and seems to take after her owner's demeanor. She is gentle and well-behaved, listening to Sansa and going on walks with her. That makes the punishment Lady receives at the hands of the Lannister all the more unjust.

After Arya's direwolf, Nymeria, bit Joffrey and ran off, Cersei Lannister was not willing to let the assault go unanswered. Though Lady had nothing to do with what happened to Joffrey, Cersei ordered the animal to be executed. Ned carried out the execution himself, reasoning that a beast of the North deserved better than to be killed by Lannister men. While she was not among the direwolves who survived, Lady's death was significant as it amplified the rift between the Starks and the Lannisters and also seemed to cause Bran Stark to wake from his coma.

Nymeria (Arya Stark)

The question of which direwolves survive is somewhat unanswered as Nymeria is a bit of a question mark. Nymeria is Arya Stark's direwolf and shares a lot of her fierceness. She continues to show how protective the direwolves are of their owners as Joffrey threatens Arya with a sword only for Nymeria to bite his arms and disarm him. When Cersei's men were searching for Nymeria to punish the direwolf for biting Joffrey, Arya secretly sent her away.

Nymeria wasn't seen again until Game of Thrones season 7 when Arya ran into her while traveling back to Winterfell. The direwolf was revealed to be the leader of her own pack. Arya tried to get her old companion to follow her home, but she understood that Nymeria, like Arya herself, was too wild now to be a pet and was left in the wild. There is no more evidence about what happened to Nymeria on Game of Thrones , but in the books, it is hinted that she is leading a pack of wolves that are targeting the Freys suggesting she is still protecting the Stark family.

Summer (Bran Stark)

Summer is Bran Stark's direwolf and one of the most protective of the pets. Catelyn Stark is at first weary of these animals but she quickly changes her mind when Summer kills a would-be assassin who comes to kill Bran while he is in his coma. Summer constantly stayed by Bran's side after Winterfell was taken over and accompanied him on his journey Beyond the Wall.

Through Summer, Bran learns to warg, entering the direwolf's mind and controlling him. When Bran's group made it north of the Wall, they traveled to the cave of the Three-Eyed Raven. While there, a horde of White Walkers and wights invade the cave. Summer tried to protect Bran by fighting off the Night King's forces. The direwolf was killed in the season 6 attack, but she gave Bran enough time to escape.

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Shaggydog (Rickon Stark)

Shaggydog is the direwolf pet for Rickon Stark and like his owner, he is the one the audience learns the least about. Interestingly, though Rickon is the quietest and most unassuming to the Starks, Shaggydog is somewhat aggressive, angrily cornering Brand and Osha in the crypts of Winterfell before Rickon calls him off.

Shaggydog also accompanied Rickon and the others when the group left Winterfell. Rickon, Osha, and the direwolf eventually split to seek refuge through House Umber. The Umbers later betrayed Rickon and killed Shaggydog to give to Ramsay Bolton as a gift. It was the most unceremonious demise for one of the direwolves on the show and seemed to suggest they were just trying to get rid of them at this point.

Ghost (Jon Snow)

When it comes to which direwolves survive, Ghost is the only one the audience sees make it to the end in Game of Thrones . Despite being the runt, Ghost grew to be the biggest direwolf of the pack. He accompanied Jon to the Wall to serve on the Night's Watch. Not only did he remain Jon's protector but also kept a watchful eye on Jon's best friend Sam as well. He also fought in many battles, including the Battle of Castle Black and the Battle of Winterfell.

In the books, following Jon's assassination by his fellow Night Watch brothers, it is strongly hinted that Jon wargs into Ghost. Fans of the show were disappointed with how little Ghost was used in the later seasons of the show, disappearing at times for no reason and then having Jon ask Tormund to take him back Beyond the Wall. However, the finale finds Jon and Ghost reuniting as they lead the Wildlings Beyond the Wall. This sets Ghost up to return in the Jon Snow spinoff series .

How The Direwolves' Fates Connect To Their Stark Owners

Many of the Starks shared similarities with their direwolf counterparts, to the point that Game of Thrones fans began to theorize that the fate of the direwolves would connect to the outcome of their owners. The theory may not have played out as many had predicted, but there are some correlations. For example, Arya is a leader and fiercely protective of her family, but decided to leave them behind and venture forth on her own. Nymeria's arc was similar, as she was forced to leave her home at a young age and learned to fend for herself.

Ghost was the odd one out as the albino of the litter, something that Jon struggled with as the bastard child of the Starks. The Direwolf needed a role in the world, just as it seemed Jon was destined to work for the Night's Watch. Robb and Rickon were killed in a despicable fashion just like their direwolves. Summer sacrificed herself just as Bran gave up his mind and body to become the Three-Eyed Raven. Then there's Sansa, who often suffered the consequences of other people's actions, just like Lady. Sansa never had a chance in her early life but she grew into an admirable woman. The death of her direwolf was another motivator for Sansa to overcome her oppressors.

Direwolf Differences If A Song Of Ice And Fire

The question of which direwolves survive didn't exactly play out on-screen in the same fashion as it did in George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones book series, A Song of Ice and Fire . In the novels, only Grey Wind and Lady have been killed thus far. Nymeria was chased away by Arya just as she did in the HBO show but Summer, Shaggydog, and Ghost are continuing to serve as companions to their respective owners.

It's not surprising that Game of Thrones changed from the books with direwolves, as the show did so with multiple elements. That's not to say that some of the direwolves won't meet their deaths in the future. There's also the case of warging as it is suggested often in the books that Bran isn't the only Stark who can pull this off. As noted, Jon seemingly goes so with Ghost when he's killed but that's the last chapter of his written so far so only time will tell.

House Of The Dragon Can Fix GoT's Direwolf Misuse

The Stark direwolf is not only on the family's sigil, but the creatures had massive importance in the books which was wasted in Game of Thrones — but House of the Dragon has the chance to change that. In the books, the Starks have the ability to warg into their pets, something not really explored in the television show. The appearance of the direwolves grew less and less with each passing season, to the point that they were virtually nonexistent by Game of Thrones ' ending. Essentially, direwolves are to Starks as dragons are to Targaryens. While has been mainly focused on the latter family, House of the Dragon season 2 promises to bring Game of Thrones ' most iconic House back into the spotlight.

House of the Dragon has only really explored three families: the Targaryens, the Velaryons, and the Hightowers. However, now that the setup is largely over, the scope is expanding, and HotD will bring Cregan Stark into the mix, with the character playing a big role in the Dance of the Dragons. Bringing House Stark back into HotD gives showrunners the opportunity to properly use the direwolves. The special bond between Stark and direwolf portrayed in the books finally has a chance to be shown on the screen, something that Game of Thrones sorely missed out on.