This is a listing of ancestral members of House Stark in A Song of Ice and Fire.
For the main character index, see here
For the main Northern entry, see here
House Stark Ancestors
"They ruled as Kings in the North for thousands of years. Hard men for a hard time."
The Starks are an ancient house descended from Bran the Builder, a legendary figure from the Age of Heroes said to have raised their ancestral home at Winterfell thousands of years in the past, as well as the Wall. They are descendants of the First Men and still follow some of their ancient traditions and the old gods of the forest. The Starks were Kings of Winter in the north for eight thousand years since the Age of Heroes, possibly beginning with Bran the Builder.
No precise lineage of House Stark is known before approximately 100 AC.
- Cartwright Curse: Presumably where Eddarion got the nickname "The Bridegroom" from.
- Due to the Dead: Although it is customary to retrieve and bury as many Starks as it is feasibly possible (not all leave retrievable bodies due to things like dying in shipwrecks far out to sea or what have you) in the crypts, only kings and ruling lords are supposed to have statues on their resting site. We know of three exceptions: Artos the Implacable, who avenged his brother Lord Willam's death by acting as the Stark battlefield commander, and may have gone on to serve as his underaged nephew Edwyle's regent, making him an honorary Lord of Winterfell in every capacity; Ned's brother Brandon, who might have died after his father did and would have been the Lord of Winterfell until his own death moments later; and Ned's sister Lyanna, who only has a statue because Ned loved her that much.
- Heir Club for Men: Rickon Stark, the heir to Winterfell during Cregan Stark's reign, had two daughters when he died. However, neither of them was allowed to inherit Winterfell and it later passed to their eldest uncle Jonnel.
- Heroic Bastard: Brandon Snow, the chief adviser and champion for his brother, King Torrhen Stark.
- Last of His Kind: If the wildling folk tale has to be believed, Brandon the Daughterless was the last Stark of the male line, so his heir was his daughter's only son with the wildling hero Bael the Bard.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: The guy simply known as Brandon the Bad.
- Noodle Incident: The funny nicknames of many Stark Kings (the Bitter, the Sweet, the Bridegroom, the Spring King, the Moonking, the Bad) are yet to be explained.
- Outliving One's Offspring: Cregan Stark outlived his eldest son Rickon, and it is very likely that Edric Stark outlived both his twin sons Cregard and Torrhen.
- Posthumous Character: The books constantly remind readers that all the characters here are dead and buried in the Winterfell crypts.
- Royal Inbreeding: The sons of Cregan Stark, Jonnel and Edric, married their half-nieces Serena and Sansa Stark. Both Cregan and Rickard Stark married cousins.
- Succession Crisis: Cregan Stark, "the Old Man in the North," lived so long that he outlived his oldest son and heir Rickon, who only had daughters, and when those daughters either didn't have children or only had girls themselves, the succession passed through three of Cregan's five sons before the unpublished story "the She-Wolves of Winterfell," which will detail the consequences of that succession dispute when Cregan's great-grandson is on his deathbed.
- They Call Him "Sword": Barthogan Stark known as Barth Blacksword.
- Theme Naming: House Stark has always preferred names that start with 'B', 'E', 'J', 'R', or 'T'; Brandon, Benjen, Beron, Eddard, Edrick, Edderion, Jon, Jorah, Jonnel, Rickard, Rickon, Rodrik, Theon and Torrhen.
- Unexpected Successor: Cregan's sons Barthogan and Brandon Stark were never expected to become Lords of Winterfell, being ninth and tenth child respectively, yet they did because their siblings and half-siblings died without male issue.
- Walking the Earth: Rodrik Stark, the Wandering Wolf, who even became a Second Son.
- Wrestler in All of Us: How King Rodrik Stark won Bear Island from the Ironborn and gave it to House Mormont.
- Youngest Child Wins: Brandon, youngest child of Lord Cregan Stark, ended up continuing the Stark line after all of his siblings had died without (surviving) male issue.
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Wardens of the North
Lord Torrhen Stark
Lord Torrhen Stark
The King Who Knelt
Jaime Lannister: He chose the path of wisdom and bent his frozen knees.
The last King in the North and first Lord Paramount and Warden of the North.
- 0% Approval Rating: Zigzagged. Bending the knee to Aegon certainly didn't make him popular, but many other nobles, both in his own time and in hindsight, saw the wisdom of not bullying literal dragons.
- Demoted to Dragon: He gives up his title as King in the North, pledging fealty to Aegon the Conqueror.
- The Good King: Aspects of both this and The Wise Prince, seeing as you can argue he effectively stepped down from one to become the other. Putting his people and lands before his title as king meant Winterfell didn't meet the same fate as Harrenhal did, and by maintaining his wardenship of the North for himself and his family, the Starks still had the duties of stewardship, rather than potentially leaving it entirely in foreign (or Bolton) hands. As a result, the North didn't face the same degree of upheaval the Riverlands, the Iron Islands, the Reach or the Stormlands did with their sudden power vacuums and restructuring, and could therefore maintain a significant amount of its unique cultural identity.
- Kneel Before Zod: The thing he became known for. It extended to having The Inn of the Kneeling Man, complete with illustration on sign, being established at the place where he bent the knee to Aegon.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: He put aside his pride and bent the knee to Aegon the Conqueror to save his land.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Torrhen's daughter was married off to Lord (formerly King) Ronnel Arryn. When he was usurped and killed, the fate of his wife is not mentioned.
Lord Brandon Stark "The Boastful"
Lord Brandon Stark
The Boastful
Brandon Stark "The Boastful", was Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North during the reign of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen.
- Boisterous Bruiser: Implied in his nickname.
- King on His Deathbed: He was old and ailing by the time he attended the wedding of Lord Rogar Baratheon. He died shortly after returning to Winterfell.
Lord Walton Stark
Lord Walton Stark
Alaric Stark: When the worst of them rose up, the oathbreakers you had sent us, it cost my brother's life to put them down.
Jaehaerys Targaryen: A grievous price, but that was never our intent. You have my regrets, my lord, and my gratitude.
Alaric Stark: I would sooner have my brother.
Lord Walton Stark was Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North during the reign of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen.
- All for Nothing: Walton's quest to hunt the Nights Watch deserters down not only cost him his life, but the deserters were killed by the wildlings anyway.
- Determinator: Chased Nights Watch deserters even beyond the Wall. He was killed by giants.
Lord Alaric Stark
Lord Alaric Stark
I hope you brought something warmer than that.
Lord Alaric remarking on Queen Alysanne's clothing
Lord of Winterfell during the reign of King Jaehaerys the Wise.
- Action Girl: His wife, a Mormont, was one before her death; he proudly tells Alysanne of the time she slaughtered two wolves and made a cloak from their skin.
- Amazon Chaser: From the way he spoke about his late Mormont wife, he definitively loved the fact that she was a badass Action Girl.
- Arranged Marriage: Defied. He doesn't want his children to marry followers of the Faith of the Seven, and instead demands they end up with someone of the same faith. It takes some convincing from Alysanne for him to reconsider the issue.
- Brutal Honesty: Bluntly tells the king he blames him for the death of his brother Walton, since Jaehaerys sending so many of Maegor's men and remnants of the disbanded Faith Militant to the Wall resulted in a rebellion Walton died putting down.
- Cynicism Catalyst: Implied with the loss of his wife, three years prior to his meeting with Alysanne. Also revealed that the death of his brother didn't do much for his disposition.
- Deadpan Snarker: His humor carries an edge to it; he's so dry that he has a reputation for having No Sense of Humor.
- Defrosting the Ice King: Is abrasive and curt with Alysanne upon her arrival, but the two warm up to one another - to the point where Alaric later concedes the New Gift to the Watch at her behest.
- Irony: He boasted about the strength of his two sons by his Mormont wife. Both of said sons predeceased him, leaving a grandson to succeed him.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Was notoriously prickly, stingy, and humorless...but he is loved by his family and the people of Winterfell.
- Multiple-Choice Past: Two maesters have different accounts on why Lord Alaric granted the lands known as "The New Gift" to the Night's Watch. One says that he was charmed by Queen Alysanne into granting it. Another says that the land was seized by force
- Outliving One's Offspring: His two sons predeceased him and was succeeded by his grandson Elric.
- Real Men Love Jesus: Devoutly follows the Old Gods.
- The Scrooge: Notoriously tight-fisted with money.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: While Queen Alysanne manages to defrost him well enough, he and Jaehaerys never became BFFs.
- You Are in Command Now: Became Lord when his brother Walton was killed north of The Wall.
Lord Cregan Stark
Lord Cregan Stark
The Old Man of the North
The snows are falling in the North, and my place is at Winterfell.
Lord of Winterfell during the Dance of the Dragons, in which he supported Queen Rhaenyra, all the way to the days of Aemon the Dragonknight. He was the son of Rickon Stark, himself son of Benjen Stark and Lysa Locke, and Gilliane Glover. He was married three times, to Arra Norrey, Alysanne "Black Aly" Blackwood, and Lynara Stark, and had a total of ten children by his wives.
- A Child Shall Lead Them: Technically became lord of Winterfell at thirteen, but his uncle ruled in his stead. By the time he was sixteen, however, Uncle Stark was a little reluctant to hand over the job. This persisted for two years, until Cregan finally got fed up and imprisoned his uncle, and his three cousins, and became Lord of Winterfell.
- Action Politician: Through sheer strong-arming, he stabilized the Seven Kingdoms and the Royal Court in a single day. Of course, he did it by executing and exiling. Not even the best diplomat in Westeros could be that swift or claim to be nearly as effective. He also was a noted warrior and swordsman, but that fated day of the Hour of the Wolf he was the best politician in Westeros.
- Arranged Marriage: To Alysanne "Black Aly" Blackwood, as part of a deal for Cregan to accept the pardon of Lord Corlys Velaryon and spare him from execution. His other two marriages were likely arranged as well. That being said, Alysanne and Cregan were already attracted to each other before the arrangement.Cregan: All I ask is all of you, forever. I claim your hand in marriage.
Alysanne: A hand for a head. Done. - But Now I Must Go: Went back to the North after serving as Hand for one day.
- The Cavalry Arrives Late: He promised Prince Jacaerys he'd support the Blacks against the Greens, but for a variety of reasons only managed to get to King's Landing after the Dance was over and done, two years after he made his pact.
- Childhood Friend Romance: His first wife Arra Norrey was his childhood companion. She would end up dying giving birth to their only son/child Rickon.
- Cincinnatus: He served as Hand of the King for a single day and stabilized the realm for Aegon III, after which he returned to the North, doing what Ned wanted to do.
- Contrasting Sequel Main Character:
- While both he and his descendant Eddard go south, hold to Honor Before Reason, and act as Hand of the King, their fates are very different. Used as he is to the honor and loyalty in the north, "the Quiet Wolf" Eddard doesn't expect how low people can sink or exactly how disloyal the king's own advisors are to him, begrudgingly works with Petyr Baelish and Varys as he tries to discreetly investigate and unravel plots of treason, arrived with many fewer loyal men than he would've needed to survive the plots (and that number itself was whittled away at by other factors before he had need of them) because he didn't anticipate just how dire the situation would be, and ends up unpleasantly surprised by how dirty they play in King's Landing; "the Wolf of Winterfell" Cregan Stark came in knowing that none at court can truly be trusted, with an army of thousands of northmen eager for war that has the city of King's Landing (whose forces were already decimated by the Dance) surrendering to his will out of fear, publicly conducts a hard and fast investigation with loyal men aiding him, and condemns the generally honorable Lord Corlys Velaryon as just as bad as the rest for his part in poisoning Aegon II (it is implied by the text he also distrusted Corlys from hearing Queen Rhaenyra had imprisoned him for treason and disloyalty, though it's unclear if Cregan knew the context). Eddard is constantly unsure of how to operate in the serpentine southern court, is often out of his depth, and in showing mercy to Cersei he unwittingly dooms himself. Cregan has no patience for court politics and doesn't care about offending anyone, arrests and sentences numerous people, and is disinclined to show any mercy. Cregan consequently gets to go back to Winterfell with his head, while Eddard returns only as bones (and gets lost along the way).
- He can also be Stannis Baratheon if he had succeeded in taking King's Landing at the Battle of Blackwater Bay. Cregan's actions during the Hour of the Wolf was basically what Stannis sought to do as soon as he became king: root out the seeds of corruption growing in the royal court and putting any traitors and schemers to the sword.
- Dead Guy Junior: Named his eldest son Rickon after his own father.
- Death Seeker: Cregan Stark did not expect to make it back home to Winterfell. Although it wasn't as explicit as with the Winter Wolves, who were all older men who left home rather than die in winter, Cregan's army left after the harvest was finished and a long winter began, believing they would not be able to make it home. Much of his army ended up following his example and married women of the Riverlands in Widow's fairs set up after the war.
- The Dreaded: Within about a day of arriving at King's Landing, he managed to flat-out terrify almost everyone into doing as he said. And he was only twenty-three at the time.
- Everyone Has Standards: He was outraged upon learning King Aegon II had been poisoned by his own councilors to end the war, believing that it was one thing to rise against and overthrow a king in battle, and quite another to surprise-poison him when continuing to support him became overly difficult. He arrested twenty-two conspirators, executing two of them (Ser Gyles Belgrave, who did not wish to outlive his king and Lord Larys Strong, whose reasons for choosing death are unknown), while nineteen chose to take the black and serve on the Wall. The only one who was not executed or sent to the Wall was Lord Corlys Velaryon, who was pardoned by Aegon III.
- Famous Ancestor: Likely because of being one of the few to actually go south and his infamous part in the Dance of the Dragons, Cregan was among the most famous House Stark leaders. Cregan Karstark is even named for him in the present day, though they are only Ambiguously Related.note
- The Greatest Story Never Told: Much of Cregan Stark's life is yet unexplained. We don't know why he duelled the Dragonknight, what his reaction was when Baelor the Blessed locked up his sisters rather than fulfilling the Pact of Ice and Fire, what he did after his heir Rickon died in Dorne, whether he was involved in his sons Jonnel and Edric's marriages to Rickon's daughters Serena and Sansa, or whom his five daughters married (if they even did marry).
- Hanging Judge: During the civil war between Aegon II and Rhaenyra, he fought for the latter and later famously executed (Stark style - hands on!) two traitors of the former in an event called the "Hour of the Wolf"; they were traitors to the king he fought against (Aegon II) because they unceremoniously killed said king. Ser Perkin the Flea's pleas that he'd already been pardoned were met with the response "not by me."
- Heterosexual Life-Partners:
- His best friend was an unnamed Lord Cerwyn.
- He was also close friends with Jacaerys Velaryon when the latter travelled to the North to gain their support in the Dance of the Dragons, partially because Jacaerys reminded Cregan of his deceased younger brother, culminating in the two of them swearing an oath of brotherhood and agreeing to bind their families together in marriage and blood with one of Jacaerys' daughters to marry one of Cregan's sons (not unlike Robert Baratheon's desire to have Ned Stark's daughter marry "his" son). According to Mushroom, their friendship hit a snag when Jacaerys entered a relationship with Cregan's bastard sister Sara Snow, but he ultimately gave his blessings. While Jacaerys died without children of his own, Cregan remained loyal to the Blacks and tried to ensure Jacaerys' little brother Aegon would have no more schemers about him at court.
- Honor Before Reason: He made sure to kill and exile all the conspirators of Aegon II's assassination. He was not loyal to that king, but he surmised that he deserved justice regardless. He had the grace of being incredibly quick about the whole affair, since it took him less than a week. By doing so, he ensured that there were no bad apples for Aegon III's reign. Well, almost...
- And note that this was him being reasonable — when he first arrived in King's Landing, the war was effectively over, the Green armies broken, and Aegon III the only claimant to the throne still breathing. He initially wanted to restart the fighting in order to punish the "traitors" (and give his men the deaths they had come looking for); his allies were eventually able to plead him down from restarting the whole war to just executing 23 people (21 of whom managed to take the black just as he was about to get to work with Ice).
- Jerkass Has a Point:
- When Aegon III asked Cregan why he was being confined to the Red Keep, Cregan pointed out there were still plenty in the city who would either seek to kill Aegon or use him as a puppet.
- He was also correct in pointing out to his Riverlord allies that while Aegon II's last supporters still held power at Storm's End, Casterly Rock and Oldtown, the Dance of Dragons wasn't over.
- Ser Gyles Belgrave concedes this right before Cregan executes him. Cregan had made a derisive remark about Belgrave, as a Kingsguard, outliving his king; when Belgrave had the option to take the black, he instead admits that Cregan was right and accepts his execution with dignity.
- He has a point about wiping out your enemies rather than sparing them, in case they should rise against you again; one of his ancestors, Walton, was killed during a rebellion among the Night's Watch that was led by former loyalists of Maegor, whom Jaehaerys had previously allowed to take the black over execution.
- Long-Dead Badass: He has been deceased for well over a century by the time of the main series.
- Massive Numbered Siblings: His ten children (Rickon by Arra Norrey, Sarra, Alys, Raya and Mariah by Black Aly, and Jonnel, Edric, Lyanna, Barthogan and Brandon by Lynara Stark).
- Master Swordsman: The Dragonknight said he never fought a better swordsman, even though Cregan was twenty-eight years older than he was.
- My Sister Is Off-Limits: Bastard half-sister in this case, but he was initially irate when he thought Jacaerys Velaryon had taken advantage of Sara Snow, and only relented when Sara insisted Jacaerys had married her before the Old Gods before taking her virginity. Though it is worth bearing in mind the only source of this claim is Mushroom, Rhaenyra's court fool, who added many salacious details to his accounts of the Dance of the Dragons; more formal historians question whether Sara even existed.
- Not So Stoic: Generally all deathly cold glares and seriousness, but when Alysanne Blackwood made a joke about her virginity, and her absence thereof, he actually laughed.
- Perfectly Arranged Marriage: He and Alysanne Blackwood quickly became fond of each other when they met and were mutually attracted to one another (in Cregan's case, he was drawn to her hands-on, unladylike behavior). They knew each other less than a week before they were betrothed, and it came about in an unusual way that suited these two warriors: Cregan offered to spare Lord Velaryon only if Alysanne would marry him, and she briskly agreed. They had four daughters together and from all we know, enjoyed a happy marriage.
- Old Soldier: Known as The Old Man of the North. His worthy opponent Aemon the Dragonknight was twenty-eight years his junior and still considered him the greatest swordsman he ever fought.
- Outliving One's Offspring: He outlived his son Rickon, who died fighting at Dorne under the Young Dragon.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Cregan didn't bother to hide his contempt when accusing Corlys Velaryon of assassinating Aegon II.Cregan Stark: Finish these foes now, or those of us not in our graves in twenty years time will rue our folly when those sons strap on their fathers' swords and come looking for vengeance.Corlys Velaryon: King Aegon said the same and died for it. Had he heeded our counsel and offered peace and pardon to his foes, he might be sitting with us here today.Cregan Stark: Is that why you poisoned him, my lord? Small wonder you are called the Sea Snake. You may slither this way and that but, oh, your fangs are venomous. Aegon was an oathbreaker, a kinslayer and a usurper, yet still a king. When he would not heed your craven's counsel, you removed him as a craven would, dishonorably, with poison...and now you shall answer for it.
- He also gave Perkin the Flea a very justified denunciation when sentencing the gutter knight to death for his crimes.
Cregan Stark: Once a turncloak, ever a turncloak. You rose up in rebellion against your lawful queen and helped drive her from this city to her death, raised up your own squire in her place, then abandoned him to save your worthless hide. The realm will be a better place without you.- He also gave another one to his allies, the young Lords Tully and Blackwood, mixed with Jerkass Has a Point (on regard to Cregan), in that he pointed out Corlys Velaryon and Larys Strong were just using them as mouthpieces to proclaim the war over, and that while Aegon's loyalists still had strength at Oldtown, Casterly Rock and Storm's End, and could easily proclaim Aegon's daughter Jaehaera his heir, the fighting wasn't done.
Cregan Stark: Are you babes in swaddling clothes, to be cozened by flowers and feasts and soft words? Who told you the war was done? The Clubfoot? The Snake? Why, because they wish it done? Because you won your little victory in the mud? Wars end when the defeated bend the knee and not before. Has Oldtown yielded? Has Casterly Rock returned the Crown's gold? You say you mean to marry the prince to the king's daughter, yet she remains at Storm's End, beyond your reach. So long as she remains free and unwed, what is to stop Baratheon's widow from crowning the girl queen, as Aegon's heir? - Screw This, I'm Outta Here: He was promised by Queen Rhaenyra that a princess of House Targaryen would marry a Stark of Winterfell in what is known as the Pact of Ice and Fire, which led to Cregan sending the Winter Wolves to fight for the Queen during the Dance of the Dragons. When all was said and done and only Aegon III, Baela and Rhanena remained alive out of all Targaryens, Cregan demanded some satisfaction out of the whole ordeal, leading to him assuming the position of Hand and securing the political stance of the child king by executing and sending men to the Wall during the Hour of the Wolf; when he was done, he resigned as Hand and that same day he headed back to Winterfell without most of his retinue (who mostly stayed in the south to avoid becoming burdens on their families come winter). He was that anxious to be done with all that nonsense.
- Worthy Opponent: To The Dragonknight.
- Young and in Charge: He became lord when he was only thirteen, and when he became of age and his uncle Bennard was slow to relinquish his power as regent, he imprisoned him alongside his cousins.
Lord Beron Stark
Lord Beron Stark
Beron Stark was Lord of Winterfell and head of House Stark during the reign of King Aerys I Targaryen. He was second son of Lord Brandon Stark and Lady Alys Karstark. He married Lorra Royce and had seven children, Donor, Willam, Artos, Berena, Alysanne, Errold, and Rodrik.
- Foregone Conclusion: The World of Ice & Fire states that his effort to drive away the Ironborn kills him.
- The Ghost: He is only mentioned as he calls for men to help repel some Ironborn.
- Massive Numbered Siblings: Like his grandfather Cregan, he fathered many children.
- Outliving One's Offspring: His second son, Willam, inherited Winterfell after his death, implying that his first son, Donnor, died before him.
- Plot-Triggering Death: His death causes a Succession Crisis as his wife and four other recent Stark widows made claim for their own children.
- Sequel Hook: Dunk & Egg are on their way North to answer his call to arms when they stumble upon the Whitewalls Tourney, and resume their way there when it ends.
- Unexpected Successor: Beron became Lord after his brother Rodwell died without issue. He is also a second son.
Lord Brandon Stark "The Daughterless"
Lord Brandon Stark
Brandon the Daughterless
Brandon Stark, also called Brandon the Daughterless, was supposedly the Lord of Winterfell when the legendary Bael the Bard was just a common wildling raider.
- Bullying a Dragon: By calling Bael the Bard a coward, he just invited him to sneak in his home and steal away his daughter.
- Heir Club for Men: Brandon named his bastard grandson the heir to Winterfell rather than his daughter.
- Irony: He ended up naming as his heir the son of the man he previously antagonized and insulted.
- Last of His Kind: Was apparently the last Stark of the male line and was nearly the last Stark.
- Shrouded in Myth: We never learn exactly which Brandon Stark he was, and Jon Snow doubts his existence. This may very well be a mere legend, or simply the Starks covered the fact they were extinct in the male line and actually descendants of a wildling king. The publication of The World of Ice & Fire and the first volume of Fire & Blood give credence to Jon's doubts, as almost all the Lords of Winterfell from the Conquest to the time of the main series seem to be accounted for. However, this leaves open the possibility that the title of "Lord" is an anachronism in the wildling tale and the historical Brandon the Daughterless was a King. It wouldn't be the first such anachronism in a story set in the dawn times; for instance, many of them feature knights in a time before the Faith of the Seven came to Westeros and made knights a thing, and similar anachronisms can be found in the real-world Arthurian cycles. Another anchronism is the fact that Bael allegedly skipped down the Kingsroad to reach Winterfell. Said Kingsroad was not built until the reign of Jaehaerys I, decades after the Starks renounced their title of Kings in the North.
Artos Stark
Artos Stark
The Implacable
Artos Stark, also known as Artos the Implacable, was a member of House Stark during the reign of Aerys I Targaryen.
- Due to the Dead: He has a statue in the crypts at Winterfell even though he was never a lord or king. He might have served as his nephew Edwyle's regent, however. On top of his wartime "promotion" and resulting battlefield command. This meant that there was a solid argument to be made that the normal rules upon death didn't apply to (acting-Lord-when-needed) Artos.
- Hyper-Competent Sidekick: What he comes across as having been.
- Number Two: He was a bannerman for his brother, Lord Willam.
- Take Up My Sword: He led the Northern army to victory against the wildlings after his brother was killed. This earned him a load of respect points.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Was not happy that the Night's Watch had allowed a horde of Wildlings to cross the Wall, causing a battle that resulted in the death of his brother Willam, the Lord Stark at the time, that the Watch arrived too late to help with. As punishment, he had the Watch bury the dead.
Kings of Winter/Kings In The North
King Dorren Stark
King Dorren Stark
King Dorren Stark was a King-in-The North from ancient times.
- Bit Character: He is only mentioned in an account of the Night's Watch.
- Here There Were Dragons: The Watch traded with the children of the forest, and fought against giants during his time.
King Brandon Stark "The Breaker"
King Brandon Stark
Brandon the Breaker
Brandon Stark, known as Brandon the Breaker, was a King of Winter and Lord of Winterfell. When the thirteenth Lord Commander of the Night's Watch took a wife and declared himself the Night's King, Brandon amassed a joint force of Northerners and Wildlings to remove him.
- Cain and Abel: If the Night's King was indeed his brother.
- Enemy Mine: Joined forces with the Wildlings to fight the Night's King.
- Legend Fades to Myth: Brandon took steps to ensure the Night's King's name was forgotten and all official records of him were destroyed. Much of the in-universe speculation surrounding the actual events are a direct result of this.
- Staking the Loved One: This possibly happened if the rumors of The Night's King being his brother are true.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Teamed up with his worst enemy to defeat the Night's King.
- Ungrateful Bastard: The Free Folk see him as this, since they helped him defeat the Night's King yet he drove them back outside the Wall.
King Brandon Stark "The Shipwright"
King Brandon Stark
The Shipwright
Brandon the Shipwright, was a King in the North and a head of House Stark.King Brandon was known as Brandon the Shipwright, due to his love of the sea.
- Bold Explorer: He attempted to sail across the Sunset Sea.
- Lost at Sea: After trying to cross the Sunset Sea, King Brandon was never seen again.
- Never Found the Body: His tomb at Winterfell lies empty.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: His death at on the Sunset Sea had consequences he could never have imagined, even if he entertained the notion he might never return from his voyage. Tragically he is the last great seafaring Stark.
King Brandon Stark "The Burner"
King Brandon Stark
The Burner
King Brandon Stark, better known as Brandon the Burner, was the son of Brandon the Shipwright.
- Didn't Think This Through: Destroying his own navy was a massive mistake. It's also not what his father would have wanted in the slightest.
- Excessive Mourning: One of the most famous examples among House Stark. Brandon the Burner took out his grief for his father's death by destroying all of the Stark's ships.
- Kill It with Fire: He burned his father's ships after he was lost at sea.
- Love Makes You Crazy: He clearly loved his father a great deal, which made his grief all the more detrimental to his judgement.
- Revenge Before Reason: He "avenged" his father but deprived his realm of valuable naval assets and forced the North to remain landlocked.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: He deprived the North of invaluable naval power, leading to many defeats over the centuries.
- Unfit for Greatness: His first act as King in the North was to burn his house's naval power to ash. This made the Starks weaker as a military force and led to many avoidable defeats down the line, and they've never restored their naval might.
King Edrick Stark
Edrick Stark
Snowbeard
Edrick Stark was a King in the North.
- Long-Lived: Snowbeard reigned for a century.
- War Hawk: He was constantly at war with the Boltons, the Ironborn, the wildlings and his own family.
King Brandon Stark "Ice Eyes"
King Brandon Stark
Ice Eyes
Brandon "Ice Eyes" Stark was King in the North, Lord of Winterfell and great grandson of Edrick Stark.
- Do with Him as You Will: After defeating the slavers who had taken over the mouth of the White Knife, he allowed their former captives to dispose of them in whatever way they preferred. The slaves opted for a Human Sacrifice.
- Slave Liberation: He freed the White Knife from slavers. He then allowed the freed slaves to make their captors Human Sacrifice to the Old Gods.
King Rickard Stark
King Rickard Stark
The Laughing Wolf
Rickard Stark, known as the Laughing Wolf for his good nature, was a King in the North and a member of House Stark. He was the son of King Jon Stark.- And Now You Must Marry Me: King Rickard took the Neck away from the Marsh King and took his daughter as wife.
- The Conqueror: Conquered (or liberated) The Neck and made the Crannogmen subjects of The North.
- The Good King: Described literally as good-natured.
King Brandon IX Stark
King Brandon IX Stark
King Brandon IX Stark was a King-in-The North during the Age of Heroes.
- All There in the Manual: He is only mentioned in the World of Ice and Fire.
- King Bob the Nth: Unusual among other Brandons that he has no nickname.
- The Conqueror: He defeated the Skagosi and forbade them from taking to the sea, thus keeping the Northern shores free.
King Rodrik Stark
King Rodrik Stark
King Rodrik Stark was a King-in-The North during the Age of Heroes.
- Multiple-Choice Past: Northern legends say that he reclaimed Bear Island from the Ironborn in a wrestling match. Historical scholars claim that he used diplomacy.
- The Smart Guy: Whichever method he used, he made sure not to resort to violence. War only resumed when he died.
King Theon Stark
King Theon Stark
The Hungry Wolf
One of the most fearsome Stark kings who ever lived, he fought off the Andal invasion of the North, as well as several Ironborn invasions and a rebellion in the Rills, before joining the Night's Watch in breaking the power of the wildings so badly they needed a generation to recover.
- Dead Guy on Display: He tied the body of Argos Sevenstar to the prow of his flagship when he attacked Andalos.
- Decapitation Presentation: He had all the heads of the Andals he killed during his invasion of Andalos loaded up onto his ships, and when he returned to the North had had them all placed on spikes along the eastern shore to dissuade any further Andal invasions. It worked.
- Enemy Mine: He teamed up with House Bolton to defeat the Andals at the Battle of the Weeping Water.
- Famous Ancestor: One of the most famous Kings of Winter. Even the Ironborn name people after him.
- In-Series Nickname: He was known as "The Hungry Wolf" not just for his constant conquests. He was also famously gaunt and skinny.
- Lean and Mean: He was a thin and gaunt man.
- No Historical Figures Were Harmed: His determination to keep invaders out of his kingdom at all costs and preserve his forefathers' religion is similar to Vlad Tepes. The story about how he cut up invaders and put them near his borders to scare off invaders comes directly from an account of Vlad doing that to keep the Ottoman sultan away.
- War Hawk: He aggressively expanded the borders of his kingdom, driving the Ironborn from Cape Kraken and Bear Island. He also conquered the Three Sisters, although that gain was later lost back to House Arryn.
- Worthy Opponent: He's one of the few greenlander kings the Ironborn ever respected. They even started naming their own children after him!
Other Starks
Osric Stark
Osric Stark was a man of the Night's Watch who became Lord Commander at the age of ten.
Karlon Stark
Karlon Stark was the founder of House Karstark.
- See the House Karstark page.
Brandon Snow
Brandon Snow
The bastard half-brother of King Torrhen Stark.
- Heroic Bastard: Despìte his bastard status, he was Torrhen's closest ally, and even offered to try to kill Aegon's dragons himself, alone. He instead negotiated the surrender of the North on Torrhen's behalf.
- Undying Loyalty: Not many would have volunteered to try and kill fire-breathing monsters to spare his brother and men from the task. Not many would have negotiated surrender and be seen as a cowardly traitor either.
Sara Snow
Sara Snow
The bastard half-sister of Lord Cregan Stark. According to Mushroom, when Jacaerys Velaryon came to the North to gain the allegiance of her brother, the two grew quite fond of each other. Archmaester Gyldayn doubts she existed in the first place, since out of the three chroncilers of the Dance, only Mushroom asserts she did.
- Alliterative Name: Sara Snow
- Love Ruins the Realm: Or it would have had their relationship come out. Not only was Sara a bastard, Jacaerys was already betrothed to Baela Targaryen. He would have jeopardized his claim to the Iron Throne, undermined his legitimacy even more, and risked dividing the Blacks. That is, assuming there ever was a Sara Snow.
- Shotgun Wedding: According to Mushroom, she and Jacaerys Velaryon married under the Old Gods after he deflowered her. Since Jacaerys was dead not long after, there's no way to be sure.
