*Warning: This article is dark and full of spoilers*
Jon Snow and Ghost used to be absolutely inseparable. Ghost was fiercely protective over his master, snarling at anyone who dared come near him during his mini-death.
Jon has always treated Ghost much more like a friend and ally than as a pet, even taking him with him as he began his new life at The Nights Watch which, in reality, wouldn’t swing in most workplaces.
However the icy duo haven’t been seen together for many a moon (and stars).
This is of course crazy as there have been so many situations recently where Jon having a gigantic wolf by his side would have proved quite useful. For example, when paying a visit to a lady who views her three jumbo jet sized dragons as being her ‘children’…
Just to rub salt in the wound, we have been seeing plenty of Jon petting his new dragon pal Drogon, but yet no strokes for loyal, brave Ghost.
After a cheeky mention of the cuddly wolf by Sansa last episode, it seems Jon has left him at Winterfell with the rest of his family.
But why would he do this, when Ghost has previously been such an important part of his adventures?
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Some people have remarked this is a deliberate shift in Jon’s character. The direwolves are the sigil of House Stark and by spending time with dragons he is slowly, subconsciously coming to understand his true Targaryen identity.
However, the real reason could be much more technical. According to the creators of the show, the direwolves are just really, really expensive and difficult to include. This makes total sense when you think about the size of them nowadays…
Apparently there was a scene between Jon and Ghost in episode two, where they say their goodbyes before Jon heads off to Dragonstone. However, this scene (which was surely very beautiful) was ruthlessly cut as if by Illyn Payne’s sword.
Apparently, Ghost was also cut from last seasons Battle of the Bastards as they had to spend so much on bringing the majestic tragic giant Wun Wun to our screens.
Jon and Ghost have gone their separate ways before, only to be reunited and not even death could part them. Hopefully we will be seeing some more adventures between the best friends before the show wraps up for good.
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.