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Every Major Jon Snow Moment To Remember Before 'Game Of Thrones' Season 7 Starts

by Ani Bundel
HBO

Game of Thrones Season 7 is right around the corner.

It's been just about a year since the Season 6 finale blew our minds and killed off half the cast in the process. Since then, the long wait has seen other TV shows come and go, history changed and made.

Many other things have cluttered our minds, meaning that when we return to Westeros in July we might not remember everything that's happened over the last few seasons of Game of Thrones.

But never fear, those who don't have 60 hours to go back through the previous episodes. We're here with a refresher course to help you remember all the major moments that have built up to where we are now, starting with our newest King In The North: Jon Snow.

Let us run down his major moments of the last six seasons, from lowly bastard to heralded King.

Season 1: To The Wall

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Jon Snow was never happy in Winterfell. Catelyn Stark hated him with the passion of a thousand suns. He loved his brother Robb, but Robb was going to rule some day, while Jon... wasn't.

And everywhere he went people called him bastard. He loved the idea of following his Uncle Benjen and defending the Wall like some sort of valiant knight, so that's where he went...

Season 1: Stewardship

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...except when he got there, no dice.

It turned out nearly everyone at the Wall was a rapist, murderer, or the least valiant person you ever met. Moreover, while Jon found a few friends, like Sam, Grenn, and Edd, he wasn't allowed to be a ranger. Lord Mormont had other plans -- to make him a stewart, and train him for leadership.

Season 2: Ranging

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But in Season 2, Mormont wound up letting Jon go ranging, as he gathered all of his best men from the Wall for the greatest ranging of the age to find out what exactly was going on out there.

Rumors of a wilding army were swirling as well as talk of wights, and Mormont wanted answers. But the only answer Jon learns is how terrible the allies are above the Wall after he sees Craster sacrificing his sons to the wight army.

Season 2: Joining The Wildings

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As the party traveled further north, Jon and company catch a wilding prisoner, Ygritte.

Jon is supposed to kill her, but can't do it and lets her go free. That act of kindness is relayed. When Jon is told to integrate himself into the wildling army by killing Halfhand, he does so, but his real acceptance by them comes when Ygritte vouches for him.

Season 3: Falling In Love

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The love story of Jon and Ygritte is one of the few pure romances in the entire series. But they are star-crossed lovers; she from the wrong side of the Wall, and he with duty and honor to return to. Still, it was beautiful while it lasted, and Jon will be "kissed by fire" for the rest of his life.

Season 3: Leaving Ygritte Behind

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The heartbreaking moment in Season 3 comes when Jon leaves the wildlings, proving those who doubted his loyalty were right all along and Ygritte was wrong. She shoots a couple of arrows into him as he rides off, but she can't kill him any more than he could her in Season 2.

Season 4: Revenge For Lord Mormont

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Jon's return to the Wall sees him once again trying to convince people of his loyalty -- Janos Slynt and Alliser Thorne would see him hanged for treachery.

But Maester Aemon believes in him, and his judgment overrules theirs. Meanwhile Mormont never returned due to a mutiny at Craster's. To prove his loyalty, and get his first taste of command, Jon is allowed to take a ranging party to kill the mutineers -- though Thorne just hopes the kid doesn't come back.

Season 4: The Battle For Castle Black

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Jon does come back -- just in time for the entire wildling army to arrive on Castle Black's doorstep and demand passage south. Jon learns a lot from Thorne that night, about bravery and command in battle. He also learns how hard loss can be, as Ygritte is killed in the fight right in front of him by his own squire, Olly.

Season 5: Lord Commander Snow

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With the wildlings captured by the timely arrival of Stannis, and the battle won, it's time for the choice of picking Mormont's replacement. (The only democratic action in the entire series.)

Thorne is convinced he'll take the title, but a surprise vote tips the scale in Jon's favor, and he becomes the 998th Lord Commander of the Wall.

Season 5: Hardhome

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Jon is actually not very good at command, it turns out. Rather than play politics he decides to bring in his wildling friends to help guard the Wall, and even go rescue more, trapped up at a place called "Hardhome."

But his idea of gathering more forces is not to be, as the Night King and his wight army attack... and every one they kill becomes part of their unstoppable force of the Dead.

Season 5: Death

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Jon now knows who the real enemy is, and the real stakes at play in Westeros.

But unfortunately, back at the Wall, everyone else is fed up with his ill-explained and heavy-handed choices -- and Thorne wants command. A plot is hatched, and Season 5 ends with Jon dead of his stab wounds, killed by his own brothers at the Wall.

Season 6: Resurrection

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It was the worst kept secret of Season 6 -- would Jon somehow survive? Well... kinda.

He definitely died. And then Melisandre, following Davos' belief in her powers, brings him back to life. (They did manage to drag it out a whole two episodes, but we knew it was coming.)

Season 6: Ending His Watch

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Technically, one's oath to the Night's Watch ends in death, and once Jon had executed those who killed him, he decided that was the best choice. Luckily, before he marched South for Winterfell, Sansa arrived and told him Bolton had taken over their home and that he has Rickon to boot.

Jon agrees to go with her and raise an army to fight for Winterfell...

Season 6: Battle of the Bastards

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...but in the end, he doesn't raise much.

It turns out the North didn't want to remember so much. Jon's forces fight anyway, a battle they're sure to lose... until Sansa arrives in the nick of time to save the day with Littlefinger's army from the Eyrie. Jon survives the battle and gets to do what everyone wanted all season -- punch Bolton in the face.

Season 6: King in the North

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Last season's finale showed us a flashback in which we learn the truth of who Jon Snow's mother and father are. (And maybe his real name?) But while Bran is seeing blasts from the past, Jon Snow is currently sitting in the seat of Winterfell, with all the Northern vassals kneeling. King in the North! Let's just hope his reign goes better than Robb's, OK?