Prince That Was Promised

Melisandre believed Stannis Baratheon to be the prophesied Lord's Chosen, the Warrior of Light.

"The Lord let you come back for a reason. Stannis was not the Prince Who Was Promised, but someone has to be."

―Melisandre to Jon Snow

"The Prince Who Was Promised" or "The One Who Was Promised", also known as the Lord's Chosen, the Son of Fire and the Warrior of Light, is a mythic figure in the religion of the Lord of Light. According to prophecy, this figure would be reborn "amidst salt and smoke" and pull a flaming sword from the flames, Lightbringer, to combat the coming darkness.

According to Lady Melisandre, priestess of the Lord of Light, Stannis Baratheon is the prophesied Prince. However, after Stannis has fallen and Jon is raised from the dead, Melisandre says Stannis was not the Prince, but "someone must be", suggesting she may now believe it is Jon.

Another Red Priestess, this one in Volantis, preaches to a group of slaves that Daenerys Targaryen is their prophesied savior.

In the books

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the Prince That Was Promised is implied to be the reincarnation of a hero known as Azor Ahai. He was a legendary warrior who rose up and defeated the Others - the books' name for the White Walkers - during the Long Night. He wielded a sword of fire, called Lightbringer. There is some debate amongst fans as to the interchangeability of "Azor Ahai" and "The Prince That Was Promised". It seems that Azor Ahai is the name given to the legendary figure, while the Prince That Was Promised is more properly his reincarnation. However, the books do not in fact make explicit the connection between the stories of Azor Ahai and the prophecies of the Prince That Was Promised.

The prophecy about the Prince That Was Promised said he would be born from the line of House Targaryen - Stannis Baratheon does match this description because his grandmother was a Targaryen.

Although Daenerys's gender should raise doubts as to the Red Priestess's identification of her as the Prince That Was Promised, in the books Maester Aemon points out that in High Valyrian (the language most versions of the prophecy were written in), the word corresponding to "Prince" is gender-neutral.

See also

• The prince that was promised on A Wiki of Ice and Fire (MAJOR spoilers from the books)

References

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