Bran will be Lord of Winterfell

[Petyr Patter]

... or a compilation of evidence.

Winter is coming, and you are almost a man grown, Bran. You have a duty. –Bran II, A Clash of Kings

1. The name Brandon is the most auspicious in Stark history. Obviously Bran the Builder raised the Wall, Winterfell, Storm’s End, and founded House Stark. Still, there have been a ton of other Brandon Starks, http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Brandon_Stark_%28disambiguation%29. Regardless, the greatest Brandon Stark appears to have been a wizard as well.
   
2. He is by the laws of Westeros and the North, the rightful Lord of Winterfell already. He doesn’t know Robb is dead, though, but Meera and Jojen should be calling him Lord Stark now.
   
3. Bran already held court in Winterfell, during the Harvest feast, though Luwin and Ser Rodrick did most of the talking. However, Luwin had this to say, “One day you will be a good lord for Winterfell, I think…” Bran is learning how to be a Lord.
   
4. His encounter with a Liddle chief on his way to the Wall. “It was different when there was a Stark in Winterfell. But the old wolf’s dead and the young wolf has gone south to play the game of thrones, and all that’s left us is the ghosts.” “The wolves will come again.” Bran is learning what it means to be a Stark, while Jojen promises multiple Stark will return.
   
5. We also have this wolf dream from Bran: “Beneath the great grey cliffs [Walls of Winterfell] a horse was dying noisily, struggling to rise on a broken leg and screaming when he fell. His brother [shaggydog] circled round him, then tore out his throat while the horse kicked feebly and rolled his eyes. When he approached the carcass his brother snapped at him and laid back his ears, and he cuffed him with a forepaw and bit his leg. They fought amidst the grass and dirt and falling ashes beside the dead horse, until his brother rolled on his back in submission, tail tucked low. One more bite at his upturned throat; then he fed, and let his brother feed, and licked the blood off his black fur.” I think this is foreshadowing Bran and Rickon’s return to Winterfell. Rickon might arrive first to claim the prize (a dead horse… er, Winterfell), but Bran will also return and after a brief squabble will assert his superior strength/claim.
   

As an interesting aside, Bran has not had a chapter since less than halfway through A Dance of Dragons. He might already be on his way back to Winterfell.

[QueenOfWhiteWalkers]

Nope it will be Rickon

[The colours of autum]

It's winter. How could he leave the cave without dying?

I do also go with Rickon

[John Hulboy]

Bran will play a significant role in the next books.i don't see him staying in the cave .he will return to winterfell I hope.

[Caesar beyond the wall]

Got to say, the dead horse vision (I think it is a warging experience rather than a dream) is interesting, not something I've seen here before. My instincts say no as far as Bran ending his story arc as Lord of Winterfell is concerned, the whole weirnet, Bloodraven and fight against the others thing doesn't really fit well with it.

[House Lemongrab]

I would personally love for Bran to end up Lord of Winterfell. Rickon can run wild on free with Shaggydog and the unicorns on Skagos for the rest of his days.

[Red Raven]

No, he's going to be a tree.

Rickon will most likely end up with Winterfell.

[Tony of House Stark]

Can't really see him getting out of the cave, not to mention back to Winterfell, at this point.

[Elan Morin Tedronai]

Bran will become a tree

It is known

[Sordelor]

I think Rickon is more likely.

[Master Forel's Fro]

Nope it will be Rickon

Can the younger brother inherit when the older one is alive? Unless he joins the NW or KG and forfeits his inheritance?

I would personally love for Bran to end up Lord of Winterfell. Rickon can run wild on free with Shaggydog and the unicorns on Skagos for the rest of his days.

I'm kinda hoping this is fates chance to fix things by making the calm noble brother lord and his wild brother as his right arm (I'm thinking bran+ned judging from his action when he was only heir I think bran would have been a terrible lord)

[Petyr Patter]

It's winter. How could he leave the cave without dying?

I do also go with Rickon

Can't really see him getting out of the cave, not to mention back to Winterfell, at this point.

If Martin got a crippled boy to the cave, he can get him out of the cave. Perhaps the extensive tunnel network, perhaps a dragon flies down, perhaps they fight their way out with fang, sword, and flaming arrow.

Bran will become a tree

It is known

No, he's going to be a tree.

Rickon will most likely end up with Winterfell.

A greenseer only joins a tree as a way to prolongue their life. Right now, Bran's health is quite stable. There is no reason to "join" a tree at his present state. Quite frankly, if that is what is needed to fight the others... then Brynden Rivers already accomplishes this. What is the point of accessing millenia of knowledge if one cannot disseminate it? No, the Wolves will return, including Bran.

[Jon's Queen Consort]

I think that Bran is gonna root in that cave. Rickon will be the Lord, Jon will be the King.

[Night's_King]

Bran will be a tree.

I think Jon will be Lord of Winterfell and King of the North.

[mb2518]

Bran can't have children can he? A succession issue would arise after his death.

[Jiriki]

Dude's a tree. Tree!Bran ("Branch"?) can't rule Winterfell while he's a tree in a cave outside the Seven Kingdoms.

Unless you think he's going to warg into someone who'll be the figurehead?

[Northernmonkey]

I completely agree with the OP, there's been a lot of set up for Bran becoming lord of Winterfell.

All the people saying "but he's going to be a tree," seem to forget that Bloodraven didn't become a tree until he was a very old man. Bran's still got basically all his life to live before that happens (if it does.) Also, presumably Bran could root in the Winterfell weirwood, so he doesn't need to stay in that cave.

[Jon's Queen Consort]

I completely agree with the OP, there's been a lot of set up for Bran becoming lord of Winterfell.

All the people saying "but he's going to be a tree," seem to forget that Bloodraven didn't become a tree until he was a very old man. Bran's still got basically all his life to live before that happens (if it does.) Also, presumably Bran could root in the Winterfell weirwood, so he doesn't need to stay in that cave.

We don't know when he started to become a tree. All we know is that he was 58 when he was send to the Wall, he was already old in Westerosi standards, and he spend enough time to the Wall to become LC. We don't know how old he was when he when to that cave and we don't know when he became tree.

[Kennedy the Keen]

Rickon 4 Winterfell

[Northernmonkey]

We don't know when he started to become a tree. All we know is that he was 58 when he was send to the Wall, he was already old in Westerosi standards, and he spend enough time to the Wall to become LC. We don't know how old he was when he when to that cave and we don't know when he became tree.

So that suggests Bran has at least another 50 years before he becomes a tree. It would be bad writing by GRRM if he just sits in a cave for the rest of the books.