Stark

Top 5 Members of the Game of Thrones’ Stark Family

Who are your favorite Starks?

by Todor Ivanov
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In Game of Thrones, the Stark family is one of Westeros’ oldest and most important noble houses. It is recognized for its devotion, honor, and resilience. Winterfell, the Starks’ ancient home, is located in the North, as they are the Wardens of the North. As such, they are in charge of keeping order and protecting the realm from threats beyond the Wall.

Bran the Builder, credited with erecting Winterfell, the Wall, and other key structures around Westeros, founded the Stark family thousands of years ago. Since then, they have been one of the most powerful and revered families in the North, playing an essential part in the history of the Seven Kingdoms.

In the TV version of Game of Thrones, the Starks are the most-loved family. The fans have established a cult following of Ned, Robb, Arya, Sansa, and Jon Snow. 

Game of Thrones and the Stark Family tree

House Stark’s family tree is complex and ancient, with many branches and generations stretching back thousands of years. From the house’s illustrious founder, Brann the Builder, to the current Starks, the family has always been known for its strength, honor, and tenacity. While many of its members have suffered significant loss and hardship, they have always managed to survive and move on due to their strong familial relationships and unyielding sense of responsibility. The fate of House Stark is uncertain when the series closes, but its legacy will most certainly go on for years to come.

Here is a general summary of House Stark’s family tree. However, there are many additional Starks referenced in the novels and shows.

  • Founder: Bran the Builder, credited with constructing the Wall and Winterfell.
  • Domain: The North
  • Motto – Winter is Coming
  • The grey direwolf on a white ground is their coat of arms.

House Stark Members:

  • Brandon Stark (also known as Bran the Builder): More of a mythical figure, he is credited for constructing Winterfell and the Wall.
  • Brandon Stark: Ned Stark’s older brother. He was engaged to Catelyn Tully but was executed by the Mad King Aerys II Targaryen.
  • Eddard Stark (also known as Ned): Lord of Winterfell at the start of the TV show, Warden of the North and King’s Hand to Robert Baratheon. He is a father of five children, which we’ll mention quite often. At the end of season one, he’s executed for treason by Joffrey Baratheon.
  • Catelyn Stark (née Tully): Eddard Stark’s wife and mother of his children; she was murdered during the Red Wedding, along with Robb Stark.
  • Robb Stark: King of the North, son of Eddard and Catelyn Stark; killed at the Red Wedding, along with his mother, wife, and unborn child. 
  • Sansa Stark: The daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark. She initially married Tyrion Lannister and then (forcefully) to Ramsay Bolton. Queen in the North and Winterfell’s Lady at the show’s end. 
  • Arya Stark: Eddard and Catelyn Stark’s daughter, trained as an assassin in Braavos.
  • Bran Stark: Paralyzed from the waist down, son of Eddard and Catelyn Stark. He was later gifted with the power of a warg and the ability to see into the past and future.
  • Rickon Stark, the youngest son of Eddard and Catelyn Stark. He was killed by Ramsay Bolton at the tender age of 11, before the Battle of the Bastards.  

Ancestors:

  • Rodrik Stark: Ancient Northern king who fought against the Andals.
  • Beron Stark: Northern King who battled against the Andals and the Rhoynar.
  • Theon Stark is probably the only First Man nobleman to sail to Andalos and bring the fight to the Andals.
  • Brandon the Burner: destroyed his father’s navy in his grief.
  • Brandon the Shipwright: King of the North, assembled a fleet to explore the Sunset sea. Sadly, he never came back.
  • Rickard Stark: Eddard Stark’s father. He married his son Brandon to Catelyn Tully. The Mad King, Aerys II Targaryen, murdered him. 
  • Lyarra Stark: Rickard Stark’s wife and mother to Eddard, Brandon, Lyanna, and Benjen Stark.

Five most-loved members of Game of Thrones Stark family

House Stark is full of fan favorites – from the mythical Brann, through the honorable Ned and the super-dynamic Arya, to Jon Snow, Robb, and the well-versed in the games of the throne of the Stark Family – Sansa. 

Here’s a list of the five most-loved members in Game of Thrones, the Stark family. We’ll start with a wild card!

Bran the Builder

Bran the Builder

Bran the Builder is a mythical figure in Westeros’ history. He is regarded as the founder of House Stark. He was also in charge of building several of the Seven Kingdoms’ most famous landmarks, including Winterfell the Wall and, as one legend says, even Storm’s End. 

The Wall and the Night’s Watch

The Wall, a gigantic barrier stretching across the Seven Kingdoms’ northern border, was one of Bran’s most significant accomplishments. It was created to keep away the White Walkers. This supernatural danger had been invading Westeros for thousands of years from the lands in the far North. The legend says that Bran utilized both magic and technical skills to erect the Wall, which was hundreds of feet tall and composed of pure ice.

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Bran was also instrumental in the formation of the Night’s Watch, the organization of warriors and protectors that guards the realm against any northern threats. He is claimed to have helped create the Night’s Watch and its traditions, such as the vow of celibacy and the habit of sending rangers beyond the Wall to watch for White Walker.

Winterfell

Bran the Builder was responsible for constructing Winterfell, the seat of House Stark, and his efforts to the Wall and the Night’s Watch. It is said that he again employed old magic and technical skills to build the castle, which has stood for thousands of years and has witnessed many significant events in Westeros’ history.

In both shows of Game of Thrones, it is the Stark family’s home. 

Legacy

Bran’s legacy has endured for thousands of years, and his accomplishments and powers have become legendary among the Seven Kingdoms. Even though much of his biography is hidden in myth and legends, his contributions to the realm’s defense against supernatural dangers and his building of some of Westeros’ most notable sites have assured that his name will be remembered for decades to come.

Eddard’ Ned’ Stark

Ned Stark

Eddard Stark, usually called Ned, was born to Lord Rickard Stark and Lady Lyarra Stark. He was the family’s second son and was not supposed to inherit the lordship of Winterfell. 

Brandon Stark, Ned’s older brother, was slated to be the future Lord of Winterfell. Everything changed when he and their father were murdered by the Mad King Aerys II Targaryen when they came to King’s Landing to protest the kidnapping of Ned’s sister Lyanna.

This was the major catalyst in Game of Thrones for the Stark family, leading to the storyline we see in the books and the show. 

Robert’s Rebellion

After the horrific deaths of his father and brother, Ned was placed as Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. Earlier, he made acquainted with Robert Baratheon. The future king was engaged to Lyanna Stark before Prince Rhaegar Targaryen allegedly took her. This was one of the major catalysts for the rebellion. Ned joined Robert’s Rebellion against the Targaryens, where he fought and achieved great glory. Ned and his allies eventually triumphed, and Robert was crowned King of the Seven Kingdoms.

Return to Winterfell After the Rebellion

Following the Rebellion, Ned returned to Winterfell to govern the North. In a planned marriage, he married Catelyn Tully, the daughter of Lord Hoster Tully of Riverrun. Together they had five children: Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon.

Hand of the King 

At some point after the Greyjoy rebellion, Robert appointed Ned as his Hand of the King, thereby making him his second-in-command of the whole kingdom and a valued advisor. Ned grudgingly accepted the role and headed to King’s Landing. He became caught up in the capital’s political intrigue and power battles.

Ned discovered a horrific secret concerning the actual parenthood of Robert’s children, Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen Baratheon, while serving as Hand of the King. Using this information, he faced Queen Cersei Lannister, but she betrayed him and incarcerated him for treason. 

Despite efforts to spare him, even from his own daughter Sansa, who pleaded with Joffrey, Ned was eventually killed in front of a stunned and horrified audience.

Bran Stark, aka The Three-Eyed Raven

Bran Stark

As a result of his fall, Bran is left paralyzed from the waist down and must use a wheelchair for mobility. He struggles to accept his disability and initially feels hopeless about his future. However, he gradually learns to adapt to his new circumstances and discovers that he has a unique gift – the ability to warg or enter the minds of animals and control their actions.

Bran’s journey takes a mystical turn when he begins to experience visions and dreams that give him glimpses into the past and future. He is mentored by the Three-Eyed Raven, an ancient being who teaches him about his powers and helps him to develop his abilities.

Following Winterfell’s fall and his family’s death, Bran is forced to flee and goes on the run with his companions, Hodor, Meera Reed, and Jojen Reed. He spends several seasons traveling beyond the Wall and honing his warg and seer skills before eventually returning to Winterfell with his siblings.

Ultimately, Bran’s journey culminates in his ascension to the throne as King of the Six Kingdoms. Following Daenerys Targaryen‘s death and the Iron Throne’s destruction, Bran is elected as the new ruler by the lords and ladies of the realm. 

Sansa

Sansa Stark

At the start of the series, Sansa is shown as a young noble lady who dreams of marrying a prince and living a life in the royal court. Initially romantic and innocent, she frequently conflicts with her younger sister Arya, who is more tomboyish and independent.

Sansa’s life is turned upside down when her father is executed on the orders of King Joffrey Baratheon, to whom she was previously engaged. Sansa is imprisoned in King’s Landing after her father’s murder and exposed to a series of terrible events, including physical and emotional torture at the hands of the Lannisters and their supporters.

Despite the difficulties she experiences, Sansa grows into a stronger and more resourceful leader. She learns to negotiate King’s Landing’s dangerous politics. She establishes relationships with many participants in the game of thrones, notably the Tyrells and Littlefinger.

Sansa becomes Queen in the North towards the conclusion of the series, presiding over an autonomous realm that includes her ancestral stronghold of Winterfell. She has triumphed through enormous misfortune and hardship to become one of the most resilient and strong characters in the Game of Thrones realm.

Arya

Arya Stark

Arya Stark, a member of House Stark, is another prominent character in the Game of Thrones series. She is Eddard and Catelyn Stark’s third child and younger daughter.

Arya’s world is turned upside down by her father’s death and the commencement of the war. She is separated from her family and forced to escape for her life, traversing the Seven Kingdoms and meeting a diverse cast of individuals.

Arya also acquires a set of unique skills and powers that assist her in living and prospering in the world of Game of Thrones. She develops to be a superb fighter capable of holding her own against much bigger opponents and a master of disguise and deceit.

By the conclusion of the series, Arya has established herself as a strong and powerful person in her own right. She is instrumental in the downfall of the Night King and his army of the dead, and she exacts retribution on several of her adversaries, notably Walder Frey and his family.

Brandon Stark

Brandon, Ned’s older brother, was a fearless warrior who perished horribly at the hands of the Mad King Aerys II Targaryen. His death was a significant cause for the events that led to Robert’s Rebellion, in which the Starks banded together with other noble families to depose the Targaryen dynasty and install Robert Baratheon on the Iron Throne.

Rickard Stark

Lord Rickard, Ned’s father, is another key member of House Stark. Rickard was a wise, and kind ruler noted for his strategic prowess and devotion to his people. He was slain, along with Brandon, by the Mad King Aerys II Targaryen when he attempted to intercede in his son’s trial by fighting.

Robb Stark

Robb Stark

Ned’s son Robb was also an essential member of House Stark, leading the Northern army during the War of the Five Kings, which erupted after King Robert Baratheon’s death. Robb was well-known for his bravery, tactical genius, and love for his family and people. Yet, he was betrayed and killed at the Red Wedding, an act of betrayal by the Freys and the Boltons.

Jon Snow

Jon Snow

Another well-known member of House Stark is Jon Snow, Ned’s illegitimate son. Jon grew raised in Winterfell with his half-siblings, where he was recognized for his bravery, sense of duty, and devotion to the Night’s Watch. Jon was later proven to be the trueborn son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen, making him the lawful heir to the Iron Throne.

Lyanna

Lyanna Stark

Lyanna Stark, Ned’s sister, plays a critical role in the events leading up to Robert’s Rebellion and the destruction of House Targaryen. She was betrothed to Robert Baratheon until she was taken by Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, sparking the conflict that would destroy the Targaryen dynasty. Lyanna died while giving birth to a son, Jon Snow, whom Ned raised as his own. The mystery of Jon’s parentage is an important plot point in the series. His identity has far-reaching implications for the Seven Kingdoms’ future.

Cregan Stark

Cregan Stark is another mythical figure in Game of Thrones and the Stark family. According to legend, he was a strong warrior and leader noted for his power and honor. Cregan is most remembered for his role in the Dance of the Dragons. This catastrophic civil war shattered the Seven Kingdoms. Cregan returned to King’s Landing after the war to seek justice for those harmed during the fight. Many people admired him for his deeds, and he is considered a reasonable and noble leader.

Winterfell

Winterfell has witnessed numerous significant occurrences over the years. It has acted as a shelter during times of conflict and a meeting place for the rulers of the North. It has also seen several wars, notably the Battle of Winterfell during the War of the Five Kings.

Winterfell was taken by Theon Greyjoy, who worked on behalf of his father, Balon Greyjoy, during the War of the Five Kings. Several of the castle’s residents were slaughtered, including Bran and Rickon Stark, who was thought to be dead but were hiding. Forces headed by Roose Bolton finally drove Theon out of Winterfell.

The Boltons’ possession of Winterfell, however, was brief. In a terrible struggle, House Stark soldiers, commanded by Jon Snow and Sansa Stark, freed the castle from the Boltons. This was a watershed moment in the War of the Five Kings, cementing the Starks’ status as the preeminent house in the North.

On the other hand, the Boltons’ occupancy of Winterfell was brief. House Stark warriors, headed by Jon Snow and Sansa Stark, reclaimed the castle from the Boltons in a brutal struggle. This was a watershed moment in the War of the Five Kings, solidifying the Starks’ status as the preeminent house in the North.

Winterfell was also the location of a great battle between the Night King and his army of the dead during the Long Night. The troops of the living, headed by Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen, waged a hard struggle against the zombie army. Finally, the living could destroy the Night King and his army at a tremendous cost.

Winterfell was reconstructed after the Long Night and was the staging site for the series’ climactic conflicts. The troops of the living, headed by Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen, gathered here to prepare to fight Cersei Lannister and her forces in King’s Landing.

In Conclusion

The Starks are as solid as their home of Winterfell. They are honest, brave, and straight in their deeds as their family Valyrian steel blade Ice. These qualities make them fan favorites, even role models, along with their resilience. Despite their heavy losses during the show and the books – Ned, Catelyn, and Rob, they manage to fight back and end up on not one but two thrones, effectively winning the game of thrones. 

Frequently asked questions

What happened to Arya after the end of Game of Thrones

At the end of the series, Arya assembled a crew and a ship and sailed West. Her faith remains speculation, as it is not specified in the books or the show, but many fans hope to see it in an Arya-based spinoff. 

Did Bran the Builder really erect Storm’s End

As the legend says, Storm’s End, the ancient seat of House Baratheon (before moving briefly to King’s Landing), was built with the extensive help of Bran the Builder. He was called by the equally-mythical Durran Godsgrief, who wanted to create a castle capable of withstanding the storm and the wrath of the gods.  

Who is the last surviving Targaryen in GoT?

Apparently, it is Jon Snow, the illegitimate son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. He has the birth name of Aegon Targaryen. At the end of the original series, he is seen venturing outside the Wall with Ghost and a handful of wildling companions. 

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