Why was Jaqen in the black cells? Any theories?

[Faceless Frog Eater]

After learning more about the faceless men and the black cells in KL I've been wondering about this. Varys (as ruegen) was the only one who looked after those cells.Did he know what Jaqen was?Also it was seldom used and only the worst of the worst were thrown down there . Was he there when Ned Stark was being held there? Just made me wonder.

[Bastard of Lannister]

Well he was in a different cell than Ned, but yes he was there while Ned was there because right after he was Executed Yoren took Arya to the Night's Watch party heading north and Jaqen H'gar was already there, so yes Jaqen was there when Eddard Stark was.

Jaqen might have been there because he killed someone, and I dont think he could just magic his way out because he can only kill when he's been contracted or owes lives to the red god. So its most likely that Jaqen was there for murder. Varys may have suspected who / what he was from the way he talked but aside for George R. R. Martin, who's to know?

[JonArryn]

Well. Actually it is Yoren who asks Ned about men, which means he gives him Jaqn H'gar amongst many other from the black cells. At least in the series.

Another question that arises after this is: if Jaqen is very skillful, demonstrated to Arya, and he even telling her he could kill the king if she wants to, that makes it difficult to think he could have been caught, if he didn't make a big mistake, but he seem to be very thorough and professional. So does that mean that he let himself be caught by some reason? Or was he imprisoned and changed the face because he didn't want people to know who he really is? (Jaqen = Syrio theory, it would make sense if Syrio keeps Arya in the dark, but then again why not tell her? he was a proud man, the first sword of bravos). At least i think that he let himself be taken to the cells, and didn't end up there by being caught.

[Lan the Clever]

He wanted to go to the Wall. But he couldn't just go there, as that would be suspicious, so he just arranged a way to get arrested.

Remember, you read it here first.

[Faceless Frog Eater]

Okay I'll remember . Interesting theory. What could he have done, I wonder if the black cells were reserved for "special cases". I was wondering if Varys had something to do with it.I hope we'll find out someday...I would give a barrel of wine for a Varys POV chapter.

[Lan the Clever]

Okay I'll remember . Interesting theory. What could he have done, I wonder if the black cells were reserved for "special cases". I was wondering if Varys had something to do with it.I hope we'll find out someday...I would give a barrel of wine for a Varys POV chapter.

I wouldn't, merely because it would probably spoil some things. But that it would be interesting, there's no doubt,

[JonArryn]

I don't really see Jaqen's motive to go to the wall. And if he wanted to go there, why did he stay so long at Harrenhal? I don't think that theory is very accurate to be honest, there are many ways he could have gone to the Wall in that case, but he did not. So that is what I think.

[The Roaring Bear]

My theory: syrio escaped after arya, followed her to make sure she was surviving. Then when he saw her with yoren, while yoren was cutting her hair etc he went to where yoren had the three carted up, killed the real jaquen took his face and place infront of rorge and biter which is why they feared him, and then used his place to observe arya up until he knew she would be fine.

[The Roaring Bear]

Stupid double post.

[gougef]

Crackpot:

Jaqen was not a FM but a prisoner. Varys wanted someone to go with Ned to the wall for whatever reason. Varys replaces Jaqen with a faceless man who assume Jaqen identity.

[Lan the Clever]

I don't really see Jaqen's motive to go to the wall. And if he wanted to go there, why did he stay so long at Harrenhal? I don't think that theory is very accurate to be honest, there are many ways he could have gone to the Wall in that case, but he did not. So that is what I think.

Neither do I, to be honest. But it makes as much sense as anything else, until we get more information.

[Horus Ex Machina]

Another question that arises after this is: if Jaqen is very skillful, demonstrated to Arya, and he even telling her he could kill the king if she wants to, that makes it difficult to think he could have been caught, if he didn't make a big mistake, but he seem to be very thorough and professional. So does that mean that he let himself be caught by some reason? Or was he imprisoned and changed the face because he didn't want people to know who he really is? (Jaqen = Syrio theory, it would make sense if Syrio keeps Arya in the dark, but then again why not tell her? he was a proud man, the first sword of bravos). At least i think that he let himself be taken to the cells, and didn't end up there by being caught.

This is the biggest ? that I've always had.

[Lord Yarwyck]

Some explanations explanations are these:

1. He was captured for something non-Faceless Men related (like a case of mistaken identity with someone else) that he didn't see coming.

2. "Jaqen H'ghar" was imprisoned, but in between his imprisonment and the Riverlands was killed and replaced by a Faceless Man who took his identity.

3. Jaqen needed to kill someone who was already in the Black Cells, did so (taking his place, as per FM making it look like an accident), and went with Yoren to avoid being trapped in a city about to be besieged.

4. Good as the FM are, they can't just break out of a cell - Jaqen may have been waiting to whenever he was let out (presumably prior to his intended execution) before he ran.

[KhaleesiDany]

These theories and explanations are confusing me even more XD

I thought faceless men chose their own identities. Do you think they can take the face of someone else? Is that who Jaqen H'ghar is? Why would he need to kill the original Jaqen? I never thought it worked that way, I thought they just changed their face to look like whatever they could, as best they could. If they can immitate faces, that's a whole new ball game. How can we trust anyone is who they say they are, after that?

I think he was in the black cells because they figured out he was an assassin. I want to know how, though, and why he was in Westeros. It's always bothered me, since I saw him change his face.

I like the theory that he is really Syrio, and changed his face in prison at some point.

[Northern Girl 30]

Maybe he wants to get to the Wall to see what's going on with the Others etc, he thinks Jon Snow is the Prince that was Promised...wants to get in that action.

Man I dont't know. I also think he and Syrio are one. This figure is guarding/guiding Arya to get her to her destiny, whatever that may be.

[DurararaFTW]

I guess he may have had a contract out on someone at the wall, or even Ned himself.

[Faceless Frog Eater]

At first I thought the Jaqen/Syrio thing was wishful thinking but, after rereading Arya's storyline I'm not so sure. Nothing specific really just impressions I got. Also, it seemed like Jaqen has an invested interest in Arya ,more than just admiring the spunky girl thing. If it's not Syrio then maybe there is a Varys connection..who knows what that guy is thinking.

[team wench]

I don't really see Jaqen's motive to go to the wall. And if he wanted to go there, why did he stay so long at Harrenhal? I don't think that theory is very accurate to be honest, there are many ways he could have gone to the Wall in that case, but he did not. So that is what I think.

I think he WANTED to be imprisioned, he is too much a professional to let himslef caught. So he probable wanted to go The Wall, probable he was contracted to go there. Remember that when he says goodbye to Arya he tell her he still has something to do (his original mission)

He stayed so long at Harrenhal becouse he had to pay the three lives to Arya. After all, time is not so important to the FM, thing will get done when they get done.

[The Roaring Bear]

I think he WANTED to be imprisioned, he is too much a professional to let himslef caught. So he probable wanted to go The Wall, probable he was contracted to go there. Remember that when he says goodbye to Arya he tell her he still has something to do (his original mission)

That original mission appears to be at the Citadel and not the wall.

The problem with the "He probably had something to do at the wall" Theory is anyone can volunteer to go to the wall, you dont have to be a prisoner, so it just seems like an extra pointless step.

But regardless, his mission seems to be at the Citadel as I stated above anyway.

[Ciglon]

Hmm, well it's very possible that GRRM just needed someplace to say where the man came from and had to put him in some context so that Arya would have to free him, so maybe there is no history to how he got there...although that's a bit of a cop-out for this thread so here's my thoughts:

Obviously Jaqen was there on purpose, it doesn't make sense that he was seriously found out doing something and makes even less sense that he would have been captured after being caught...so what is there to do in the black cells that you can't do anywhere else? Maybe he had to hear or see something (find information for some mission, much like when Arya was watching the insurance guy) and the best place to do that was in the black cells.

We do know that Varys was constantly in the black cells (and also has a past connection with the free cities), so perhaps Jaqen was there to find some information that Varys would let slip or talk about with someone down there? We know that he was constantly in dodgy parts of KL talking to Illyrio etc in secret, maybe he used the black cells to talk with someone, or meet with his "little birds" and the best way for Jaqen to find out what he had to say was pretend to be a prisoner instead of acting like some ninja in the rafters...Maybe this has to do with why he's in oldtown looking for a certain something? He could have gotten that lead from something he heard from Varys because it doesn't make too much sense why he was in KL and then Harrenhal for a while if all along he knew he had to go to oldtown. The oldtown lead might be something he found out in KL/Harrenhal.

I can't think of anything else that would have gone on down there that Jaqen would have any need to know about in full detail.