Bran Stark

Bran Stark becomes King of the Six Kingdoms (with the North becoming independent under the rule of his sister, Sansa). Nominated by Tyrion Lannister during a great council, he assumes the throne under the title Bran the Broken, abandoning his former identity to fully embrace the role of the Three-Eyed Raven.

Personality
Before the incident of his fall, Bran was an extremely curious and adventurous boy. His mother and brother Robb noticed that he climbed the walls of Winterfell [1] many times without ever falling. [8] After the fall, Bran became melancholy, stating that he would rather be dead than unable to walk. [9] However, Bran was happier when Tyrion gave him the plans for a special saddle, as he also loved riding as much as climbing. [10]

Raised under the tutelage of Brynden Rivers, Bran retained his curious nature, defying Brynden's warnings about the Sight on several occasions. [2][35] Bran's personality changed significantly after the battle in the Three-Eyed Raven's cave, during which his mind was filled with an overwhelming amount of knowledge in a short time. [35][3] He became extremely calm, to the point of almost distancing himself from everyone around him. [38]

The Sight is the ability to receive prophetic visions, which begin in the form of dreams. Bran's powers go far beyond simply observing events unfold; he is able to influence past events, although he cannot change what was already predestined to happen. His power increased exponentially when Bran became the Three-Eyed Raven, making him almost omniscient. However, he still needs to know about certain events independently of the Sight before he can see them.
Warg - Bran is a warg, a human capable of transferring his consciousness into the mind of an animal, seeing through its eyes and controlling its body as if it were his own. Jojen Reed states that this is a different, though related, ability to the Sight. Although still needing training, Bran is inherently a very powerful warg, capable of even entering the mind of another human or multiple animals simultaneously, something that wargs among the wildlings are incapable of and reluctant to do. Bran has already become skilled at entering the mind of his direwolf, Summer, in which he becomes a dangerous fighter, capable of defeating several wildlings or undead, and uses Hodor to perform more complex tasks or to complement Summer's fighting ability.
The ability to skinchange with a Heart Tree, a heart tree with a face carved by the Children of the Forest, allows Bran (when combined with the Sight) to have vivid visions of past, present, and future events, including those far away, though he is now able to do so without needing to skinchange with a Heart Tree. During the visions, Bran regains the ability to walk.

After a brief struggle, Arya manages to plunge the sword Bran gave her into the Night King, causing him to explode and drain the life from all members of his army present in the battle. Arya's gaze meets Bran's for a moment, with evident relief on her face. [44]

Following Daenerys' assassination, Bran attends a Great Council at the Dragonpit to decide the fate of Tyrion and Jon. Tyrion convinces Grey Worm to let the new king of the Seven Kingdoms decide Jon's fate, stating that stories bind people together. He argues that Bran should be king because he is a reluctant ruler and has the best story, being the memory of the world. When Tyrion asks him if he will lead the Seven Kingdoms in the best possible way, Bran asks why he thought he had come so far. The council agrees with Tyrion and votes Bran as king of the Six Kingdoms, with Sansa asserting the independence of the North, which he allows. To repair the damage caused by his predecessor, Bran names Tyrion as his Hand of the King, despite Grey Worm's opposition. The siblings bid farewell to Jon, who is exiled to the Night's Watch by Bran to prevent a war between his supporters and the Unsullied. Later, during the first meeting of the Small Council, he asks if they know where Drogon has gone. When they are unable to give a satisfactory answer, he decides to search for the dragon on his own.

Bran is among those who greet Jon and Daenerys in the courtyard of Winterfell upon their return to the North. Having last seen Bran in a coma before leaving for the Wall, Jon rushes to embrace him. Following the tense exchange between Daenerys and Sansa, Bran states that there is no time to lose; the Wall has been breached and the Night King has taken control of Viserion. [42] Soon after, Jaime returns to Winterfell and is shocked to see Bran. After a tense meeting with the council, which decides to spare Jaime's life, he apologizes to Bran for what he did to him. Bran replies that he is not angry, much to Jaime's astonishment. Bran discovers that he is seen as the Night King's primary target, as, being the new Three-Eyed Raven, he holds the memories and history of humanity, and that is what the Night King wishes to erase. [43] During the Battle of Winterfell, Bran sits in the godswood with Theon Greyjoy and the rest of the Ironborn forces protecting him. At one point, he enters the mind of a raven and observes the battle unfolding from above. After a long siege, the undead finally subdue most of Bran's escort, leaving only Theon as the sole surviving defender. When the Night King is finally within a few feet, Bran calls out to Theon, telling him he is a good man and thanking him for his efforts. With these last words, he witnesses Theon making one last reckless charge against the Night King, who quickly disarms and kills Theon with the butt of his own weapon. The Night King finally crosses the gap between them, and Bran looks up to meet the Night King's gaze, the two finally meeting face to face. As the Night King reaches for his weapon, he senses something is wrong and manages to grab Arya, who leaps out of nowhere in an attempt to catch him off guard.

Later, Bran meets with newly arrived Samwell Tarly in his chambers. After explaining his abilities to Sam, Bran confirms via a scroll sent by raven that Jon is returning to Winterfell along with Daenerys Targaryen. Although Bran already knows the truth about Jon's lineage and emphasizes that Jon also needs to know, Sam reveals that Jon is, in fact, the legitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, the High Septon having secretly annulled Rhaegar's marriage to Elia Martell. Using the Sight, Bran witnesses Rhaegar and Lyanna's secret wedding, realizing that they truly loved each other and that Robert's Rebellion was based on a lie. Recalling the vision of Lyanna giving birth to their son, Bran hears Lyanna tell Ned that Jon's name is Aegon Targaryen and therefore the one and only true heir to the Iron Throne. Later, through his flock of ravens in Eastwatch, Bran observes the Night King destroy a large part of the Wall using the undead Viserion, allowing his army to march south. [41]

Later, Bran is brought to join Sansa in what initially appears to be a trial for Arya, but is actually for Petyr. Sansa accuses Petyr of murdering her aunt Lysa Arryn, orchestrating the murder of Jon Arryn, and conspiring with the Lannisters to betray her father, leading to the deaths of the entire Stark family in King's Landing, as well as the execution of Ned. At first, Petyr denies the accusations and points out that none of them saw him commit such acts. Bran reminds Petyr that he himself held a knife to his father's throat and repeats what he told him at the time: "I warned you not to trust me." Arya then shows Petyr the same dagger that was supposed to kill Bran and tells him that he lied to her parents, saying it belonged to Tyrion. Bran watches as his former childhood friend and his mother's suitor collapses to the ground and begs for his life before Arya slits his throat with his own dagger. [41]

Bran thanks her for her help, though she is upset that he has nothing more to say, despite Jojen, Summer, and Hodor sacrificing themselves to help him. However, Bran states that he is not "Bran Stark" and that the many generations of the Three-Eyed Raven have come to inhabit his body, meaning he can experience everything. Meera, in tears, tells Bran that he died in the Three-Eyed Raven's cave. Having another vision in the Godswood, he is reunited with his sister Arya, whom Bran initially thought was going to King's Landing to kill Cersei, a target on her victim list. With Ned and Catelyn's three surviving children together, Bran gives the dagger to Arya, explaining that it would be a waste on a crippled person. When she asks why an assassin of such humble origins would have a Valyrian steel dagger, Bran monotonously replies that someone of far greater power must have hired him and given him the dagger. The three siblings then continue together into the castle, Arya pushing Bran's chair. [39] Later, Bran enters the mind of a flock of ravens to scout the army of the dead, discovering that they are dangerously close to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. Unfortunately, the Night King sees him and promptly disperses the controlled ravens. As soon as he comes out of the trance, Bran orders Maester Wolkan to send messenger ravens. One of them is sent to Jon, who learns of Bran and Arya's return to Winterfell, and that their survival is also mentioned in the letter. [40]

He reunites with Sansa in Winterfell.
Bran then travels to Winterfell and arrives shortly after Jon leaves for Dragonstone. Sansa runs to Bran and hugs him, as they haven't seen each other since Sansa left for King's Landing. Later, Sansa and Bran talk near the heart tree in the godswood of Winterfell. Bran declares his intention to speak with Jon when Sansa mentions him. Initially, Sansa believes Bran will be the Lord of Winterfell, but Bran tells her that he is now the Three-Eyed Raven and needs to be informed about present and past events. To convince her, Bran tells Sansa about the white wedding dress she wore when she married Ramsay Bolton, which surprises and disturbs Sansa. [38]

Now in a wheelchair made by Maester Wolkan, Bran is greeted by Petyr Baelish, who hands him the Valyrian steel dagger used in the assassination attempt against him. Uninterested, Bran simply asks Petyr if he knows who possessed the dagger before the assassin, to which Petyr replies that the question started the War of the Five Kings. Petyr then questions him about how he survived beyond the Wall, only to return to such chaos, to which Bran replies: "Chaos is a ladder," the same thing Petyr said to Varys after thwarting his plan to marry Sansa to Loras Tyrell and allowing Joffrey Baratheon to kill Ros for his role in Varys's plot, leaving Sansa to marry Tyrion. Petyr, visibly stunned, leaves with Meera's entrance, addressing Bran as "Lord Stark." However, Bran corrects him, saying that his profession as the Three-Eyed Raven does not permit this. Meera then announces that she is returning to Greywater Watch, to which Bran asks if she is leaving him, but understands that she needs to be with her family when the White Walkers arrive.

Benjen leads Bran and Meera to a weirwood tree beyond the Wall and explains that he cannot pass due to the magic used during the Wall's construction to ensure the dead cannot go beyond it. He then departs, leaving Bran and Meera alone near the weirwood tree. Bran sees the weirwood tree and begins to crawl towards it. Meera asks if he is ready, and he replies that he is now the Three-Eyed Raven – he must be ready. He then places his hand on the tree and returns to his vision in the Tower of Joy. Following his father inside, he watches Ned find Lyanna in a bed of her own blood. She whispers to him and reveals that she has just given birth to a newborn son, imploring Ned to protect him from Robert Baratheon. As Ned takes his newborn nephew in his arms, Bran watches and swallows hard, realizing the baby is his "half-brother" Jon. [ 36 ] Upon arriving at the Wall, Bran and Meera are greeted by the men of the Night's Watch, led by Acting Lord Commander Eddison Tollett. To Edd's surprise, Bran already knows of his service in the Night's Watch and recognizes the White Walkers, having witnessed everything from the heart tree. Convinced of their identities, Edd and the Rangers escort Bran and Meera to Castle Black. [ 37 ]

Meera drags Bran through the forest beyond the Wall, while he is still trapped in visions of past and future events. They are pursued by undead, and when they are about to kill them, a hooded figure arrives and manages to kill all the undead using a flaming chain. He begs Bran and Meera to accompany him. Later, when they are camping, their savior reveals himself and, to Bran's surprise, it is his uncle Benjen, whom he presumed to be dead. He explains that he was stabbed by a White Walker and left for dead, but the Children of the Forest rescued him and prevented him from becoming undead. He says that Bran must now be the new Three-Eyed Raven and that he will be waiting for the White Walkers when they arrive in the realms of men.

The Night King arrives with three other White Walkers and an army of undead outside the cave, while Bran and Brynden have a vision of the past, of their father's departure from Winterfell to the Vale. Meera tries to wake Bran, and undead invade the cave, giving way to a White Walker. Meera kills the White Walker with a dragonglass-tipped spear, and several of the Children of the Forest die fighting. Brynden advises Bran to listen to Meera's voice, imploring him to enter Hodor's mind, whose voice now echoes in his vision. Bran sees a young Wylis and enters his mind, resulting in Bran also entering the mind of the present-day Hodor. Hodor, under Bran's control, helps them escape the cave. Summer stays behind to defend them from the undead and is stabbed to death. The Night King then enters the cave and kills Brynden, causing him to disintegrate in the vision along with Bran. Leaf sacrifices herself to stop the undead from advancing towards Meera, Bran, and Hodor. Hodor, still controlled by Bran, creates an escape route. Hodor, now in control of himself, holds the door to prevent the undead from killing everyone, and is slowly being overwhelmed. Meera carries Bran's unconscious body into the Northern winter. Desperate and frightened, she screams "Hold the door!". Still in the vision of Winterfell's past, Bran sees young Wylis faint after his mind returns to his body. Young Wylis continues to scream "Hold the door" repeatedly until he transforms into "Hodor"; Bran's possession of young Wylis in his vision of the past fragments young Wylis's mind, who hears echoes of Meera's screams, which makes his mind simplistic and only able to repeat one form of the last words he heard before dying: "Hodor". Bran can only watch with remorse as he realizes what he has done to Hodor. [35]

In another vision of the past, thousands of years ago, Bran and Brynden witness several Children of the Forest, including Leaf, creating the first White Walker. Upon emerging from the vision and shocked by the revelation, Bran asks Leaf why they did this, and Leaf confesses that it was to prevent the First Men from destroying more of their sacred heart trees and the extinction of their people during the war that endangered the Children. She then reminds Bran that it was their ancestral culture that inevitably made this action necessary. [35] Bran, without Brynden's consent, connects to the weirwood tree with the Vision and sees an army of undead and White Walkers. The Night King, who is present, intercepts his vision by touching him. Brynden informs Bran that the Night King now knows their location and that the magic of the cave will not prevent the entry of White Walkers or undead due to the mark placed on Bran's arm.

In another vision, Bran and Brynden witness the events that unfolded at the Tower of Joy at the end of Robert's Rebellion. Ned Stark rides to the Tower of Joy with five of his vassals, one of whom is Howland Reed, to find Lyanna Stark. The tower is guarded by two members of the Kingsguard: Ser Arthur Dayne and Lord Commander Gerold Hightower. After the two refuse Ned's requests to learn the fate of his sister, the eight men duel. Although Gerold Hightower is killed early on, Arthur Dayne single-handedly defeats almost all of Ned's men and is about to kill Ned himself when Howland Reed unexpectedly stabs Dayne in the back of the neck, having been wounded earlier but not killed. Bran is shocked to realize that the stories he had heard were not as honorable as the events that actually happened. Ned finishes Dayne off by partially decapitating him with his own sword, Dawn, and hears a woman's scream coming from the tower. As Ned runs to the tower to find Lyanna, Bran calls to him. Ned stops to look around, but is confused because he can't find the source of the voice. Before Bran can discover what's in the tower for himself, Brynden brings them back to the past. Although he acknowledges that young Ned heard Bran, he also warns him not to interfere with the past. [34]

Bran continues his training with Brynden. He and Brynden witness a vision of his late father, Ned, and his uncle, Benjen Stark, as young men, training on the grounds of Winterfell under the supervision of a young Rodrik Cassel. Bran also sees his late aunt, Lyanna Stark, as a child, and a much younger Hodor. Through the vision, Bran learns that Hodor used to be a stable boy named "Wylis" before becoming a simpleton, and that he was carefully protected from harm by an old, middle-aged woman. Although Bran wishes to remain in the vision, he is pulled away by Brynden, who warns him that he might become too attached to the past and unwilling to return to reality. Bran finds Meera outside the cave, observing the world beyond; still grieving the loss of Jojen. Meera tells Bran that she was having difficulty coping with their apparent inaction in the face of the impending war. In response, Bran reminds her that it is no longer safe to be anywhere out there, to which Meera continues to reject him. After Bran leaves, Leaf tells Meera about her importance to Bran's future. [2]

It is still widely believed that Bran died along with Rickon at the hands of Theon. When Sansa returns to Winterfell to marry Ramsay at Petyr Baelish's request, Ramsay initially forces Theon to maintain the charade and apologize to Sansa. [32] Eventually, however, Sansa's fury at believing Theon murdered her brothers forces Theon to finally admit that he did not kill Bran and Rickon. Shocked by this admission, her anger towards Theon subsides, but when she asks if he knows where they might have gone, he breaks down and leaves the room, fearing what Ramsay will do if and when he finds out what he has just told her. However, Sansa seems to be left with a renewed sense of hope by the revelation that Bran and Rickon, as well as Jon, are still alive. [

Bran asks if Brynden will help him walk again. Brynden replies that Bran will never walk again, but he will fly. [ 31 ]

Bran and the others are being held prisoner in a tent. Karl enters the tent, ties up Meera, and prepares to rape her. Jojen offers to help them, saying he possesses the Sight. Karl refuses, and just before cutting Meera, Jon and members of the Night's Watch attack the fortress. Locke, who serves Roose Bolton, searches for Bran, finds him, and tries to escape the fortress with him, as he was also tasked with finding and killing Rickon. However, Bran enters Hodor's mind, who breaks free and reaches Locke. He lifts Locke off the ground and breaks his neck. Bran sees Jon and tries to crawl to him to get his attention. Jojen arrives and intervenes, telling him that Jon won't let him search for the Three-Eyed Raven if he returns with Jon to Castle Black. Bran agrees and prepares to leave. [30]

Bran and his group finally reach the gigantic heart tree on the hill, but are attacked by a group of undead. Jojen is fatally stabbed, and Meera tries to save him, but Jojen tells her to leave him to die. They are helped by Leaf, a Child of the Forest, who leads them to a cave after burning Jojen's body when he dies. She explains that the undead cannot enter, as the magic that reanimates them has no power there. She then leads them to the bottom of the cave to the Three-Eyed Raven, who reveals himself not to be a bird, but Brynden Rivers, a very old man whose body is fused to the roots of the heart tree. Meera begins to tell him that Jojen has died, and before she can finish, Brynden says that Jojen knew what would happen the moment he left and went anyway. When Meera asks how he knows this, Brynden says that he has watched them all his life with a thousand eyes and one. Brynden tells Bran that it is late, and Bran replies that he did not want anyone to die for him. Brynden states that Jojen died so that Bran could find what he lost. Bran asks if Brynden will help him walk again.

Later, Bran and his companions are resting near Craster's Keep. They hear the faint sound of a baby crying. Bran enters Summer's mind to investigate and finds Ghost, Jon's direwolf. However, before he can free Ghost, Summer falls into a trap. Against Meera's pleas, they go to rescue Summer and Ghost, but are taken prisoner by Karl Tanner. While Hodor is tormented by Rast and the other mutineers for sheer amusement, Karl threatens to kill Jojen and Meera before Bran reveals his identity. [29]

Bran, Hodor, Jojen, and Meera are north of the Wall, and Bran is looking through Summer's eyes, now having the ability to look through them whenever he wants. They wake him, which infuriates Bran. They warn him that if he remains in the wolf for too long, he will be trapped in Summer forever and lose everything he knows. Later, Summer discovers a Heart Tree, and Bran asks Hodor to take him to it. Bran skinchanges with the tree and has a vision of another Heart Tree on a hill, the Three-Eyed Raven, his father about to be executed, a flock of ravens, White Walkers and undead, including a glimpse of the Night King transforming Craster's last son, the empty Iron Throne with snow falling around it, himself falling from the tower, a dragon flying over King's Landing, and finally, the same tree on a hill again, all while a strange voice tells him to meet it "under the tree, to the north". Bran suddenly regains consciousness and then tells the others that he knows where they should go.

Samwell, noticing the gigantic Hodor and Summer, recognizes Bran and offers to take them to Castle Black, but Jojen tells Sam that they are going beyond the Wall, as no force in the kingdom of Westeros could withstand the threat posed by the White Walkers. Sam reluctantly shows them the secret exit and gives them the obsidian blades found north of the Wall, which he previously used to kill a White Walker. That night, Bran, the Reeds, Hodor, and Summer finally cross the Wall. [27]

After taking shelter in an abandoned windmill during a storm, the group notices a band of wildlings chasing an old man. The sounds of thunder terrify Hodor, who screams in panic. Fearing discovery, Jojen tells Bran to silence Hodor, who remains panicked. Bran unintentionally uses his Warg powers to knock Hodor unconscious. With the wildlings still outside, Jojen convinces Bran to skinchange with Summer and Shaggydog, who then kills some of the wildlings. [26]

While controlling Summer and Shaggydog, Bran tells Rickon that he saw his half-brother Jon fighting the wildlings outside, but assures Rickon that Jon managed to escape. Osha says that Jon will go to Castle Black and that they should go too, but Bran insists that he needs to go beyond the Wall to find the Three-Eyed Raven. However, he wants Rickon to be safe, so he asks Osha to take his brother with her to the stronghold of Greatjon Umber, a loyal Stark vassal. Bran bids farewell to an emotional Rickon, who departs with Osha and Shaggydog, while Bran continues north with Hodor, Summer, and the Reed siblings. [26]

Finally, they reach the Wall and spend the night at the Night's Keep, an abandoned castle on the Wall that is rumored to be haunted. During the night, Jon's Night's Watch companion, Samwell Tarly, along with Gilly and her son, emerge from a secret passage.

On the way to the Wall, Bran's group camps. Osha remains suspicious of Meera and Jojen Reed and reacts with horror when they mention that they intend to go beyond the Wall. Osha categorically refuses to go, explaining that she lost her husband, who then rose from the dead and tried to kill her. She rages, saying that none of them understand what lies beyond the Wall and that there is nothing left for men there. However, Bran agrees with Jojen, arguing that the raven has been waiting for him since Bran fell from the tower. [25]

Bran is having a shared dream with Jojen Reed. They are walking through the forest and see the Three-Eyed Raven again. Jojen advises Bran to follow the raven, and when he becomes confused, Jojen points out that he should follow it by climbing a tree. Bran begins to climb the tree where the raven landed, but soon becomes terrified, remembering the fall that left him crippled when he climbed a tower in Winterfell. [23]

He has a vivid dreamlike memory of his mother Catelyn, repeating her warning, in which she made him promise never to climb a tree again; a promise he broke and which indirectly led to the fall that crippled him. Bran is so terrified by the memory of Catelyn yelling at him that he falls from the tree. Bran and Jojen wake up in their forest camp, disappointed that he failed to follow the Three-Eyed Raven. [23] Tension rises in the camp between Osha and Meera Reed before Bran defuses the situation. Jojen Reed has a seizure in his sleep, and Meera explains that they are caused by his visions. Jojen then tells Bran that in his vision he saw Jon with the wildlings. [24]

Bran is on his way to Castle Black, along with his brother Rickon, Osha, Hodor, and the direwolves Summer and Shaggydog, to seek shelter with his "half-brother," Jon Snow. Bran keeps dreaming that he is chasing the Three-Eyed Raven, but encounters a strange boy in his dream. He tries to shoot the raven, but the boy tells Bran that he cannot shoot the raven because he is the raven. Bran wakes up suddenly, worrying Hodor for a moment, but he says he is fine. Osha says they already have enough trouble without dreams of dark magic. Bran, Rickon, Osha, Hodor, and the direwolves Summer and Shaggydog continue north from Winterfell towards the Wall. [22] Later, he meets Jojen Reed and his sister, Meera. Jojen possesses the Sight, the rare gift of seeing the past and present through his dreams, and is able to speak to Bran through their dreams. Jojen also saw the Three-Eyed Raven, who is apparently responsible for bringing them the sight, and tells Bran that he is a 'Warg', someone who can control the minds of animals. Osha is suspicious of her brothers.

They flee to a nearby farm. Theon tracks them down with dogs, but loses their trail on the farm. He returns to Winterfell with two charred corpses, publicly displaying them and claiming they are Bran and Rickon. [19] Meanwhile, Bran and Rickon return, using a stream to mask their scent and are hiding right under Theon's nose in the crypts of Winterfell. Bran overhears Luwin telling Osha that the bodies must be those of Jack and Billy, the two orphaned boys he had previously assigned to help a shepherd. They remain hidden while Winterfell is besieged by an army of northerners. The ironborn flee and the Starks emerge from the crypts to find their home looted and abandoned. They find Luwin dying in the Godswood and he advises them to go north to find their half-brother Jon at Castle Black, who will protect them. Bran bids farewell to his mentor with tears in his eyes and they follow his last advice. [21]

He dreams again that he is the wolf. This time, Summer enters his room and he sees himself waking up through the wolf's eyes. He discusses the dream with Maester Luwin, who reassures him that magic has been absent from the world for centuries. However, he mentions that he once heard of beings that could implant themselves into the minds of animals. [Bran dreams again of the Three-Eyed Raven and seeks advice from Osha. She questions him further and he reveals another dream about the sea flooding Winterfell and drowning Winterfell and its people, including Ser Rodrik Cassel. She offers no explanation and leaves abruptly. After delivering two orphans to a farmer in exchange for shelter and food, Ser Rodrik brings news that Torrhen's Square has been besieged and Bran orders him to take the remaining garrison to relieve the siege. [17] Bran is awakened by Theon, who tells him that he has taken Winterfell. Theon tells Bran that he must surrender the castle to protect his people. Bran reluctantly agrees to a public announcement. Rodrik is captured on his return from Torrhen's Square. He insults Theon, calling him a traitor to Ned, and spits on him. Theon is pressured by his men to execute him. Theon ignores Bran's pleas and carries out an unsuccessful execution. Osha tells Bran that his dream has come true; the Iron Islands (represented as the sea in the dream) have reached Winterfell. Bran escapes with Osha's help. They are joined by his brother Rickon, their direwolves, and Hodor. [18]

Bran tells Osha about his dreams with the Three-Eyed Raven while riding on her shoulders, saying he saw his father in the crypts. Osha is skeptical. Bran teases her about her fear of the catacombs, and eventually, she agrees to take him to the crypt. Bran recites the names of his deceased relatives as they pass them. They approach the spot where Ned was in Bran's dream. There, they are surprised by Shaggydog and Rickon. Rickon also dreamed of his father in that place. Osha and Bran return to the surface, and Osha tries to calm Bran's concerns about his father. As they leave the crypts, they cross paths with Maester Luwin, who reveals that Ned was executed for treason. [14] Bran continues to have strange dreams while receiving leadership lessons at Winterfell from Maester Luwin. He dreams that it is summer, while the direwolf roams the Godswood and sees his reflection in the lake. He asks Osha to accompany him to look into the lake and is relieved to see that his reflection upon waking is his own, aware of the red comet above him. Osha tells him several theories she has heard, before stating that it is a symbol of the return of dragons to the known world. However, Bran states that all dragons are dead. [15]

After having another dream about the Three-Eyed Raven, Bran tries out his new saddle on a ride in the godswood and is thrilled to find that it works. While riding, he is attacked by wildlings led by Stiv. He tells them that he cannot dismount from the saddle due to the design of the straps, allowing them to see his crippled condition. During the ambush, he is cut by Wallen on his upper left leg, which allows him to discover that he is immune to pain, as well as immobile. Robb and Theon Greyjoy defend Bran, killing Stiv and the other wildlings, except for Osha, who surrenders. [12]

Robert Baratheon dies after being wounded by a boar while hunting in a drunken state. [13] Ned challenges the legitimacy of Robert's heir, Joffrey, with evidence of Cersei's infidelity and is imprisoned. Bran bids farewell to Robb as he leads the Stark armies into war in response. He also unsuccessfully tries to reassure Rickon that Robb will return. He prays in the godswood for his safe return. Bran is accompanied by Osha, now a servant of Winterfell, who tells him that Robb's army is marching in the wrong direction and that the real threat lies to the north, beyond the Wall. [5]

Bran begins having a recurring dream in which a Three-Eyed Raven flies into the crypts of Winterfell. He is awakened to find Tyrion, who has stopped at Winterfell on his way home. Out of consideration for Jon, Tyrion has designed a special saddle that will allow Bran to ride despite his injuries. [10] Bran receives a lesson on the coats of arms and mottos of the Great Houses from Maester Luwin, who is confident that Tyrion's saddle will work. Luwin also suggests that Bran could learn to use a shortbow on horseback, in the manner of the Dothraki. Bran bitterly analyzes the irony of the house mottos and refutes Luwin's claim that his mother will return soon, but Luwin relents and says he cannot tell him why she left Winterfell. [11]

During Robert's visit, Bran goes out to explore. While climbing a decrepit tower, he catches the king's wife, Queen Cersei, and her twin brother, Jaime, in a sexual act. To keep him quiet, Jaime pushes him out of the tower window. [1]
Summer
Summer defends Bran, who is in a coma.
Bran survives the fall, but falls into a coma, forcing Ned to leave him at Winterfell. While unconscious, an assassin attempts to kill him. Catelyn fights the man until Summer arrives and rips out the would-be assassin's throat. Summer then stands guard at Bran's bedside. Bran awakens with no memory of what happened a few weeks later, at the same time his father is forced to kill Sansa's direwolf, Lady. [8] After Catelyn leaves for King's Landing, Old Nan sits beside Bran's bed to watch over him. She offers to tell him the story of Duncan the Tall, and Bran replies that he hates her stories—he prefers scary ones. She retorts that he is a "sweet summer child" who knows nothing of fear, and tells him that fear is for winter and for the Long Night, a winter season thousands of years ago that lasted a generation, in which those who did not freeze to death had to face the White Walkers, who ventured south for the first time and swept through Westeros. They are interrupted by Robb, and Bran asks if it is true that he will never walk again. Sadly, Robb says yes. Bran says he would rather be dead, much to Robb's dismay. [9]

Bran is the fourth child and second son of Lady Catelyn and Lord Ned Stark of Winterfell. [6]

Bran was born and raised in Winterfell. He has an older brother, Robb, a younger brother, Rickon, two older sisters, Sansa and Arya, and an older "bastard half-brother," Jon Snow, who is actually Bran's cousin through his aunt Lyanna Stark. Bran was named after Ned's older brother, Brandon, who was brutally executed by the Mad King along with Bran's paternal grandfather, Rickard Stark. He is only called "Brandon" by his mother when he does something wrong. Bran dreams of being a knight of the Kingsguard and his favorite pastime is scaling the walls of Winterfell, using its old roofs and passageways to get around. [7] Bran is being trained by his father, brothers, and the castle staff in leadership and combat. Bran is considered old enough to see some of the darker sides of life, and his father takes him to see a Night's Watch deserter being executed. The Starks find a litter of direwolf pups and Ned reluctantly agrees to let them be adopted by his children, as they are the symbol of his House. Bran finally decides to name his direwolf Summer. King Robert Baratheon's party arrives at Winterfell, and Ned agrees to serve as Hand of the King and accompany Robert back to King's Landing, taking Bran, Sansa, and Arya with him. [1]