Jon Snow is a character.
Jon Snow (character) . Jon is a main character in the TV series , and his storyline in the 2015 season 5 finale generated a strong reaction among viewers . Jon is introduced in 1996 's A Game of Thrones as the illegitimate son of Ned Stark , the honorable lord of Winterfell , an ancient fortress in the North of the fictional kingdom of Westeros . Jon returns as a prominent character in a A Dance with Dragons ( 2011 ) , working to negotiate an alliance between the Night 's Watch and the wildlings . His storyline follows the character 's plot arc from the novel series , though season 6 of the TV adaptation continued on from the events of Martin 's latest published installment .