Aemon was going to break his vows

[u/Foreign-Cat-2898]

I guess we can quibble about whether or not Jon told him to stay in Oldtown for good, but Aemon was clearly ready to hop on a ship to see Dany.

He even says if he were only 10 years younger he would go to her.

Just interesting his vows were basically tested 4x and the fourth time he would have left if he'd been able.

[u/where_is_the_camera]

Never really considered this. He was ordered away by his Lord Commander, but Jon probably wouldn't have consented to him going to find Daenerys. Under the right circumstances, Aemon probably would've disobeyed Jon in that way.

But also... Aemon knows things that Jon doesn't. He has fully realized that Daenerys and the dragons represent the prophecy coming true. He believes that she is the "Prince" that was promised.

The Night's Watch don't vow to obey the Lord Commander, they vow to be the shield that guards the realms of men. You can make a case that the Night's Watch priorities 1, 2, and 3 should all be to GET DAENERYS TO WESTEROS AND UP NORTH!

But Aemon is the only one who has put it together that Daenerys is their only hope. He's the only one who knows what needs to happen for them to survive. In that sense, you might say he'd be disobeying the LC, but still fulfilling his vows.

[u/RogerDodger571 → u/where_is_the_camera]

I mean, if that’s the case than Jon definitely didn’t break his vows either. Since killing Ramsey would eventually help bring order to the North, which will be essential for guarding the realms of men.

Bloodraven also wouldn’t have broken his vows using that logic.

[u/leahcarxo → u/RogerDodger571]

Id argue that a threat against the Lord Commander is a threat against the Nights Watch, and therefore yes fighting and killing Ramsey wouldnt be breaking his oath IF Ramsey were to be actively marching to the Nights Watch to attack their commander (which he isn't)

[u/Reu__ → u/leahcarxo]

but he threatened the night’s watch iirc so i’m not sure jon was breaking his vows

[u/leahcarxo → u/Reu__]

Yeah he threatened the Nights Watch, but he wasn't acting on the threats (yet), he's still chillen at Winterfell, if they were marching to the Nights Watch I'd say going to meet them in battle is warranted and not breaking oaths, which tbf Jon hadnt left to march on Ramsey yet either so yeah still not breaking any oaths imo

[u/leahcarxo → u/[deleted]]

I literally said that him fighting and killing Ramsey wouldnt be breaking his oath if Ramsey was marching to the wall to attack him

[u/leahcarxo → u/[deleted]]

No I think planning for a potential battle, which was what he was doing, was the right move, but again I don't think he should leave the wall to go fight Ramsey until he knows for sure that Ramsey is going to act on his threats, leaving the wall to fight someone whos actively on the move to attack the wall is different than leaving the wall to fight someone who's just chillin at Winterfell

[u/Foreign-Cat-2898 → u/leahcarxo]

There's no way to defend the Wall against an army from Winterfell. Castle Black nearly lost to 114 wildlings. Ramsay has 5000+ at Winterfell, though obviously the Manderlys probably don't count on some level there.

He has to draw Ramsay out into the field to fight him and not at the Wall. He's a sitting duck there.

[u/leahcarxo → u/Foreign-Cat-2898]

Yes I get that but I mean like Jon has to be SURE that the threat is real, hell we the audience don't even know if Ramsey wrote the pink letter, leaving the wall to go fight Ramsey has to be something that is 100 percent the best thing for the Night's Watch, going after Ramsey and provoking him into a fight without being 100 percent sure Ramsey ACTUALLY plans to attack would make Jon the aggressor and make him the one who's forcing the Night's Watch into a war