Benjen Stark

[of man and wolf]

I'm really rather curious to see what has become of this character. Many people, when discussing the trials and tribulations of the Stark house seemingly forget all about Benjen. If alive, he could perhaps aid the Starks in some way for the positive, as they've kinda had a difficult go of things.

When I first read the books I always had this idea that he may have also been Coldhands. He did afterall help Bran, and who knows what's happened to Benjen since he left Castle Black...perhaps he fell to the Others and has become one of them.

What do you guys thinks about him and any possible storyline progression for his character?

[Bartimus Stone]

It is a mystery for sure. But I have a feeling he is long dead and his frozen corpse will be found at some point by Jon Snow or Bran

[ReekLeek]

I could see grrm writing a scene where jon snow reborn comes across a wightified benjen and kills him. Though I'd prefer to see an alive benjen prologue from the land of always winter

[Leif]

He's scouting in the Lands of Always Winter - trying to prepare for the Other invasion. Or chillin' at Greywater with Howland Reed and the other missing characters.

[The King Breaker]

he sacrificed him self the wall and for that reason his love protects the wall and the others will never pass

[ReekLeek]

He's scouting in the Lands of Always Winter - trying to prepare for the Other invasion. Or chillin' at Greywater with Howland Reed and the other missing characters.

Your very optimistic I see! I hope your right but I don't see grrm writing this.

[Blutraven]

He's going to show up in the epilogue of A Dream of Spring and ask, "What have I missed? ".

It is known

[Nymeria's Ghost]

Ok so Coldhands seems to point in the direction of benjen.

My theory is something like this;

He is clearly undead. Yet He is also consciously aiding mortals, such as Sam and Gilly..then tracking and guiding Bran.

His whole angle is greenseer ...

Wether or not he knows bran is Stark blood ..it is very bittersweet.

Speaking of Starks, they are all obviously blessed with seer abilities.....With Warging capabilities. So it's fair to say that Benjen had an encounter, as a ranger, far from the black, with the Others. He fought vivacious, and within the active desperate battle, warged a thousand ravens to help him win.....and that old magic power almost overwhelmed the Others Into a kind of "wow...you win..youre sorta special " outcome. He gets to keep the ravens as his.

Hence, we have a despondent, unblinking, unbreathing and neutral character, still capable of consciously assisting Bran towards his destiny. Coldhands may know, intrinsically, that Bran is blood, and "Benjen" possibly feels the link towards Stark redemption and revenge.

Even the Varamyr Sixskins prologue chapter in Dance states that warging winged beasts (aka birds ) is one of the more difficult and demanding tasks when skinchanging. That suggest to me that Benjen was extremely gifted, thus harnessing the power to summon not one, but "scores" of birds to his will.

One can only imagine the encounter...Benjen out in no mans land, delivering the fight of his life against the hideous Others, and summoning his pure, old-blood defence in the form of ultra-warging.....into 1000 ravens!

Why else would Coldhands have this particular "murder" at his beck and call. He himself was murdered....so a murder of crows seems befitting.

[Feunoyr]

I think he is dead, and the only reason GRRM created this character was to introduce NW and lead Jon to it.

[Prince of the North]

My theory is that Benjen was killed while ranging but was brought back, in much the same way as Beric Donderrion and Lady Stoneheart (i.e. though sorcery), by Bloodraven to be an ally/assistant to send to Bran and make sure he got to the cave. Remember, Bloodraven was rumored to be a sorcerer ;) I also believe that it is not Coldhands controlling the crows or elk but Bloodraven helping them.

[Katkara]

I believe that the chances he's still alive are 60% (because otherwise, his character would have been almost useless, and if simply dead, I think the mystery wouldn't have stretched over 5 books), and the chances he'll return as a whight are 35%, and the chances that he's simply dead or will never be mentioned again are 5%. Corpses don't stay corpses beyond the wall for long, and I don't think GRRM just lets characters disappear. Besides, Jon is convinced that he's still alive, and, who knows, maybe Bloodraven knows something and somehow put the belief in Jon's head.

Benjen, in my opinion, can't be Coldhands, because Leaf says about him that "they killed him a long time ago". Two years aren't a long time, least of all to the Cotf.

[Katkara]

Forgot to mention that he has blue eyes, while his siblings all have grey eyes. Not sure if this says anything, but maybe it's a hint that he'll become a wight?

[Ben Blackfysh]

Or a Coldhands... why does everyone doubt this? It's like the most widely doubted theory, yet I see no reason it couldn't happen.

[Katkara]

Of course it's possible that Benjen is Coldhands, but reasons against it are:

- Bran would probably have recognized his uncle (or maybe not, depending on how being undead changes one's appearance)

- Coldhands has, IIRC, black eyes, and Benjen's are blue

- Leaf states that they killed him a LONG time ago

I'll admit, reasons for it are:

- Coldhands wears black clothes

- He helps Bran, maybe because he knows him (but he helped Sam and Gilly too)

- Early in AGOT, Bran says that the children of the forest would help Benjen, which they, if he is Coldhands, apparently did (In my opinion the strongest argument, but still I think it unlikely that he's Coldhands)

[TheBastardofBluegrass]

Or a Coldhands... why does everyone doubt this? It's like the most widely doubted theory, yet I see no reason it couldn't happen.

For me, the Benjen = Coldhands theory died with the "they killed him a long time ago," comment in ADWD, given the context and the matter of fact/blunt way it's presented. Benjen could honestly be anywhere. I personally believe he was attacked by the Others after he was dispatched in AGOT shorty after he and Jon and Tyrion arrived. I think he somehow escaped the Others, then went on the run, discovered the mustering of the Wildlings, tracked them, learned their mission, and went off in search of the Horn of Winter. I don't think Benjen is dead, or a wight, or an Other, but I also think it's likely we never know what happens/happened to him.

[Ben Blackfysh]

If he is really dead, that means he is a wight. Maybe he'll show up at the Wall sometime in the future. I think he still has a purpose though. Maybe it was just me, but Jon seemed to hold onto the thought that Ben was still alive for quite a while. Maybe it was just him being hopeful, and maybe it was some foreshadowing.

[TheTowerOfJoy]

I'm really rather curious to see what has become of this character. Many people, when discussing the trials and tribulations of the Stark house seemingly forget all about Benjen. If alive, he could perhaps aid the Starks in some way for the positive, as they've kinda had a difficult go of things.

When I first read the books I always had this idea that he may have also been Coldhands. He did afterall help Bran, and who knows what's happened to Benjen since he left Castle Black...perhaps he fell to the Others and has become one of them.

What do you guys thinks about him and any possible storyline progression for his character?

I've got a crackpot theory that I haven't been able to fully flesh out yet, where the Others have been trying to turn him into the next Night's King.

[Prince of the North]

Benjen, in my opinion, can't be Coldhands, because Leaf says about him that "they killed him a long time ago". Two years aren't a long time, least of all to the Cotf.

- Leaf states that they killed him a LONG time ago

For me, the Benjen = Coldhands theory died with the "they killed him a long time ago," comment in ADWD, given the context and the matter of fact/blunt way it's presented.

As to the "long ago" statement by Leaf - You know, I started out thinking this, too. But then I realized that the idea that because Leaf is long-lived it absolutely means she must have meant too "long ago" with that statement for Coldhands to be Benjen is just as big of an assumption as anything else. There's no confirmation that Leaf's "long ago" statement definitely rules out Benjen as a possibility for Coldhands. Right now, it's just speculation and interpretation and not the proof that some make it out to be. In the end, Leaf's "long ago" will mean exactly how long Martin meant it to ;)

[TheTowerOfJoy]

As to the "long ago" statement by Leaf - You know, I started out thinking this, too. But then I realized that the idea that because Leaf is long-lived it absolutely means she must have meant too "long ago" with that statement for Coldhands to be Benjen is just as big of an assumption as anything else. There's no confirmation that Leaf's "long ago" statement definitely rules out Benjen as a possibility for Coldhands. Right now, it's just speculation and interpretation and not the proof that some make it out to be. In the end, Leaf's "long ago" will mean exactly how long Martin meant it to ;)

I agree there is no proof that Coldhands is not Benjen, though I do think that Leaf thinking of Coldhands death as "long ago" at least appears to indicate that it's likely NOT Benjen.

[Prince of the North]

I agree there is no proof that Coldhands is not Benjen, though I do think that Leaf thinking of Coldhands death as "long ago" at least appears to indicate that it's likely NOT Benjen.

Sure! You correctly, imo, acknowledge that this is how things appear to you. You aren't claiming that you know one way or the other as fact. The only thing I'm trying to point out to everyone is that the "long ago" statement is not the slam-dunk, smoking gun proof that rules out any possibility whatsoever that Coldhands could be Benjen that some make it out to be. In order for it to be that, people have to assume that Leaf's reference to a length of time in this case has to be related to the length of her life. I simply contend that we just don't know that to be true.