A Game of Thrones sequel is on the way, but HBO has chosen the wrong returning character to be its lead, as Kit Harrington's Jon Snow is simply not a compelling enough character. On paper, Jon is the obvious choice, as he essentially becomes the main character in season 8 after Daenerys Targaryen becomes an antagonist and Tyrion Lannister becomes increasingly less compelling. However, there are several other characters who survive both Daenereys' turn to evil and the assault on Winterfell by the Night King's army who would make much better main characters in the sequel.
Game of Thrones is known for its massive ensemble cast, with multiple storylines running in different parts of Westeros, from the Lannisters in King's Landing, to the Starks of Winterfell, to the Greyjoys of the Iron Islands. The main protagonist in season 1 is arguably Ned Stark (Sean Bean), as he is who the audience spends the most time with. However, after his shocking death at the end of the season, the audience follows Daenerys, all three Lannisters (Jaime, Tyrion, and Cersei), Robb Stark, Bran Stark, Arya Stark, and Jon Snow. However, there are many more characters that become important as the seasons go on, such as Sandor "The Hound" Clegane and Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal).
Season 8 finally brings all the stories together, showing characters who have never met each other such as Cersei Lannister and Daenerys Targaryen meeting for the first time. However, as Game of Thrones had killed many of its leads by this point, most notably, Robb Stark, the series focuses much of its attention on the romance and political conflict between Daenerys and Jon. The finale sees Jon kill the woman he loves, as her dragon, Drogon, incinerates the Iron Throne. As such, Jon Snow is consistently established as the show's main character, with the reveal that he is a Targaryen actually named Aegon being one of the biggest moments of season 6. However, despite these revelations, Jon does very little in seasons 7 and 8 and ends up with minimal opportunity to continue his story, so it is strange to make him the lead when there are three other obvious candidates. Here's who the Game of Thrones sequel should actually focus on.
Tyrion Lannister Is An Obvious Game Of Thrones Sequel Lead
Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) begins Game of Thrones as the wittiest, most intelligent man in Westeros, making fools of people like Lysa Arryn, Janos Slynt, and even his own father, Tywin Lannister. However, after the epic trial in season 4 where Tyrion is blamed for Joffrey Baratheon's death, his character starts to stagnate. He eventually becomes Hand of the Queen to Daenerys, but even in this role he accomplishes little beyond getting his closest friend, Varys, burned alive. At the end of the series, Tyrion is still very much alive, however, and once again becomes Hand of the King to the newly crowned Bran Stark.
As a consistent viewer favorite and an iconic part of Game of Thrones, it would be foolish of HBO not to bring Tyrion back for the new series. His arc lends itself much better to a continuation than Jon, who is sentenced to become part of the Night's Watch for his murder of the Queen to appease her followers, represented by the Unsullied's leader, Grey Worm. Tyrion is perfectly placed to start making political decisions that affect Westeros which can make him interesting once again, redeeming his character after he is ruined post-season 4. Furthermore, Peter Dinklage is one of the cast's most consistently solid actors and having a dwarf character as its lead would show that the new series is more concerned with promoting diversity than its predecessor.
Arya Stark's Journey Is Far More Interesting Than Jon's
Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) has always been a more interesting character than Jon Snow. Her refusal to comply with Westerosi society's expectations of her led her to train as a Faceless Man at the House of Black and White in Braavos, becoming a master assassin. She commits arguably the most important act in the whole series by killing the Night King, ending the conflict between Westeros and the undead at the Battle of Winterfell. At the end of the series, Arya is setting off to a new land west of Westeros to see what lies beyond its shores. Her character is far more dynamic, entertaining, and compelling than Jon Snow's as she has far more layers than the honorable Jon, whose primarily character motivation is finding out who is real mother (Lyanna Stark) and father (Rhaegar Targaryen) are.
As well as being more interesting than Jon, Arya is in a far more compelling place than he is at the end of season 8. Taking the audience out of Westeros would be a great way to continue the story, with only occasional mentions of the events of Game of Thrones and limited cameos from surviving characters like Sansa Stark and Gendry. Jon Snow's role with the Night's Watch, even with his Direwolf, Ghost, alongside him, does not have the limitless storytelling potential that Arya's narrative does.
Grey Worm Still Wants Justice For Daenerys' Death
Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) is arguably more of a supporting character than Arya Stark, Jon Snow, and Tyrion Lannister. However, he becomes a vital part of season 8, aiding Daenerys and her army of Unsullied with absolute loyalty after she liberated them from their slavers in season 3. Grey Worm ends the series unhappily accepting that Jon Snow will live in exile as part of the Night's Watch after demanding he be executed for the Queen's murder. After Bran declares this will not happen, he and the remaining Unsullied set sail for Naath, the homeland of his lover, Missandei, who was killed by Ser Gregor Clegane, "The Mountain", on Cersei Lannister's orders.
There is huge potential to tell new, interesting stories with Grey Worm as the lead. He is dealing with the death of Missandei and the loss of his Queen. No longer bound to a master or a Queen, the sequel series could show a different side to Grey Worm, showing how he feels on a deeper level and having him lead the Unsullied against unknown enemies. Like Arya's story, Grey Worm's presence out of Westeros offers far more potential than having Jon as the lead. Additionally, having a person of color as the show's lead character could help redeem the series after Game of Thrones featured very few non-white characters in prominent roles. The adopted son of Ned Stark, Jon Snow is clearly not the right lead for a new series. His story after Game of Thrones has nowhere to go and his appointment as the sequel's lead character negates the potential to cast a more diverse cast with more potential for new and interesting stories.