Is Eddard Stark the protagonist of the Story and why?

[King Edd of House Tollet]

Maybe the main story has no particular protagonist, but some individual books do have

Ned is cleary the protagonist of AGOT, Tyrion is the one in ACOK and Cersei in AFFC

[Valyrian Blade]

He is the protagonist of the first book and an important character overall. 4 books after his dead he is still mentioned and there are still people willing to fight for his legacy,

[Lord Wraith]

8 hours ago, Lurid Jester said:

I think that just means that there are multiple protagonists and antagonists.  The line between them may be blurry but it's not really possible to Not have either.  

Oh I agree, I just phrased it badly. 

2 hours ago, The Fattest Leech said:

Exactly.

"I've always been attracted by gray characters," says Martin. "I don't see Orcs and I don't see angels. The hero is the villain on the other side."

I have always loved that quote.

[Dex drako]

21 hours ago, whatsupchic said:

Is Eddard Stark the protagonist of the Story and why?

because Ned is the architect of the world and of the one to set up the end game.

1)he was a major force in the war and could have easily been king himself but let robert be king.
2) he raised his nephew and in stilled his values in him and Jon will likely be a major player is not the major player in the end game.
3) and he set the stage for everything that came after his death.

[Ser Walton]

I tend to view the chapters as short stories, and the book as a whole is a collection of short stories that share a universe and nearly always entwine. As stated early, each chapter is a device to see how the story connects to the bigger whole.

The named character at the beginning of each chapter is the protagonist, in their own short story. Sometimes the POV character in a given chapter (protagonist) interact with or around other POV characters who are now the antagonist, freed of their internal dialogue, which is what eventually humanizes them.

Overall protagonist may not be a possibility (at least singular, a  collective protagonist though....) However, an overall antagonist might be more likely. The master players, so to speak, as we are led to believe - Littlefinger, Varys, and Illyrio. Ned was also a master player, as has also been mentioned earlier, he just died before he could see it come to fruition. Of the 4, he is the only one we are allowed inner dialogue, thereby humanizing him. It's almost as if Martin punishes humanity in the short term but rewards in the long. All of the remaining 3 show sociopathic, de-humanized characteristics. As such, they are alive and prospering, now in the short term, but will be punished in the long. In that sense.......Hell.......maybe Ned is the protagonist after all  and we've been witnessing the aftermath of his feint. 

[Dex drako]

6 hours ago, Ser Walton said:

 It's almost as if Martin punishes humanity in the short term but rewards in the long.

"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." MLK

its a realistic view of the world really, humans are a herd/park animal so selfishness is not sustainable in the long term.

[lancerman]

No. Eddard isn't a protagonist. He's actually a Jon Aryn on a greater narrative scale. Just as Jon's death and secret lifted the first book off the ground. Ned's death and secret lifted the series off the ground.

As of right now, the series has Jon and Dany as protagonists. They are the leads of two-thirds of the books narrative and the final third looks like it will be folded into those two stories as the plot develops.

At least now. Other characters have got enough page time that they can rise up. Sansa for instance.