dreamingsnowflake2013: “A monster has taken our home and our brother. We have to go back to Winter
dreamingsnowflake2013: “A monster has taken our home and our brother. We have to go back to Winterfell and save them both.” When people say that Jon “stupidly” jumped right into Ramsey’s trap, it seems they have completely forgotten why he agreed to join this battle in the first place. It would go against his personality and character development if he didn’t ride like mad to save his little brother because it was only the HOPE OF SAVING RICKON which managed to persuade him to join the game of thrones again despite his determination not to be part of it ever again and instead live his life to the fullest. His motivations is what sets Jon apart from every single character in the story - some want to be kings and queens, others fight for power, glory, revenge, duty, birthright or honor - because no one has seen or experienced the things he has, no one has seen the oblivion and come back from the dead. Therefore what drives him to rejoin the fight and sacrifice his life must be something visceral and profound and for Jon it’s his family that he cherishes and loves above all else. That’s why he is so disbelieving and incredulous after hearing Sansa giving up on their brother. SAVING RICKON IS HIS PRIORITY NOT WINNING THE BATTLE AND WINTERFELL, and despite all the loyalty that the North has for the Starks, in the end Jon is the only one who cares for his brother (for this doomed, innocent little boy) above all else, above duty and honour. And even if his death was gruesome, it must have meant so much for Rickon that the last thing he saw during the final moments of his ill-fated life was his brother racing towards him, risking everything for him to protect him and reaching out his hand to catch him and save him. There might be some who would deem Jon Snow’s action foolish BUT IT WAS A LAST ACT OF LOVE RICKON STARK DESERVED. Ned Stark once told his children that they needed to protect each other and riding to save Rickon is exactly what would he, Lyanna, Robb or Arya do. Again, some people might find the Stark ways foolish, but they managed to rule the North with it for thousands of years (something all the kings, even the Targaryens, found difficult), perhaps those ways might not be so bad and foolish after all. -- source link