Davos Seaworth, Jon’s future hand?
I've seen Jaime thrown around as a possibility for being Jon's hand and while I like that theory, I also wanted to speculate about another person I'd consider a candidate too: Davos.
With Jon having similarities with Jaehaerys and Sansa with Alysanne, I figured it was worth looking at who could resemble Septon Barth. The similarities between him and Davos are not much, but they are there.
The first and most obvious one is that both did not come from nobility, and this is brought up when Davos expresses doubt when being named hand: "Onions," said Davos glumly. "That is what he has in me. The King's Hand should be a highborn lord, someone wise and learned, a battle commander or a great knight . . ." ,"Ser Ryam Redwyne was the greatest knight of his day, and one of the worst Hands ever to serve a king. Septon Murmison's prayers worked miracles, but as Hand he soon had the whole realm praying for his death. Lord Butterwell was renowned for wit, Myles Smallwood for courage, Ser Otto Hightower for learning, yet they failed as Hands, every one. As for birth, the dragonkings oft chose Hands from amongst their own blood, with results as various as Baelor Breakspear and Maegor the Cruel. Against this, you have Septon Barth, the blacksmith's son the Old King plucked from the Red Keep's library, who gave the realm forty years of peace and plenty." Pylos smiled. "Read your history, Lord Davos, and you will see that your doubts are groundless."
Septon Barth was described as very educated, and while Davos may not have his level of education, education plays a role in his story in the form of his efforts of becoming literate. Though he has been described as clever, most notably by Stannis: “You have a passing clever father, Devan. He makes me wish I had more smugglers in my service. And fewer lords.”
Both are horrified/disgusted by fire magic, Barth by the firewyrms and Davos by R’hllor.
The death of a girl by fire(or fire related) will have an effect on them and make them question their god/s. Barth questioned his belief of the seven when he witnessed Aerea being "cooked on the inside" by firewyrms. While Shireen is still alive in the books, her death by fire sacrifice will have an effect on Davos just like in the show and will thus question his loyalty/belief in Stannis who he has described as "his god".
There are also some similarities between him and Ned, who was a Hand once. I belief that the reason why GRRM added these similarities(and some differences which I will touch on) was not just to lay the groundwork for Davos becoming the Hand to a future King of Westeros, but also to show his future closeness(something like a father figure, though this does not mean he'll replace Ned) and loyalty to House Stark.
He and Ned had a close friendship with a Baratheon(Ned with Robert and Davos with Stannis).
Both go on a search for a missing Stark. Ned goes and finds Lyanna, but she dies before Ned is able to bring her home. Davos is currently on his way to search for Rickon in the books and if the show is anything to go by, poor Rickon will die before Davos can take him back home.
Davos ends up in the same spot as Ned: Sweetsister. There, similar events unfold. "Be that as it may. My father sat where I sit now when Lord Eddard came to Sisterton.“ and “My father sent him on his way with his head still on his shoulders. 'If you lose,' he told Lord Eddard, 'you were never here.' ""No more than I was," said Davos Seaworth.
Both die in a region of Westeros they're not originally from and have their heads mounted on walls. Ned, from the North, dies in the South and has his head mounted on a spike on the walls of the Red Keep. Davos, from the South, "dies" in the North and has his "head" mounted on a spike on the walls of White Harbor.
“What is the life of one bastard boy against a kingdom?” “Everything.” Davos manages to save the bastard Edric Storm from Stannis, a Baratheon who wanted him dead. Ned does the same by lying and passing Jon as his bastard son. This saves Jon from the wroth of Robert, a Baratheon who would have wanted him dead.
Now GRRM added some notable differences. Had Davos appeared too similar, he’d have death flags all over him. And yet, GRRM is keen on keeping him alive.
Davos’ loses four children, leaving a father minus four kids. As for Ned, only four of his children will live(going by the idea that Rickon will die in the books as well), leaving four children without a father.
Managed to have a child(Edric Storm) who was in danger escape by boat, whereas Ned did not manage to have Sansa and Arya escape by boat.
Mentioned earlier, when Ned loses his head, he’s gone for real. Davos has not one, but two supposed deaths, most notably the second one which resembles Ned’s own death.
I do not think that Davos’ story ends shortly after he finds Rickon in Skagos. Rickon is already dead in the show and Davos is still there. When Jon becomes King of Westeros, he will need a hand and Davos will be the man he chooses. It won’t come out of nowhere as D&D already have him by Jon’s side as an adviser and he’s placed with Jon and Sansa alot as shown in this post in a way for the audience to get used to these three together.
So how will it go in the books? As I mentioned above, Davos’ search for Rickon will end up with Rickon dead, as Ned’s search for Lyanna did. Like Ned did with Lyanna, Davos will take Rickon’s and Shaggydog’s bones back to Winterfell. By the time he gets there, Stannis will be dead and Shireen burned. In Winterfell, he’ll find Jon, Sansa, or both. With no king and the others looming ahead, he’ll pledge to the Starks. The rest, for the most part, then happens like in the show and we get King Jon, Queen Sansa and Davos the Hand at the end.
