[ADwD Spoilers] The Hooded Man at Winterfell

[Galen M]

The statue and sword were already there, waiting at an empty tomb for Eddard's bones.

ok, so then definitely 4=4

[MindLikeWarp]

Thanks, but I can't claim any credit there, others absolutely got there first.

I will take that credit, thank you. I can't say if the hooded man is Theon. But the chapter just feels like, Theon is the Ghost.

I like Blackfish as the hooded man, maybe he gained some mind control powers and compelled Theon to do it.

[Vuron]

A Brotherhood man isn't as farfetched as most theories. Surely word of Arya being married off to the Bolton bastard would've reached their ears, and if lords from all over the north could get to Winterfell in time for the wedding, I don't see why one of them couldn't. Harwin would be a likely candidate.

I'm really having trouble remembering anything prior to ADwD, but didn't Brienne know about Arya's wedding to Bolton? The BwB could have found out from Brienne and sent people north. Although, if this were the case, wouldn't they have done something besides kill one Frey kid?

[Former Lord of Winterfell]

I love the Theon split theory! I hope its true. But arent the dead kind of random? Would psycho-Theon/Reek really be trying to provoke inter-faction violence? Would he more likely be going after Ramsay's men one by one as a prelude to killing Ramsay? I *want* it to be true, but it doesnt feel quite right.

The Theon split theory has the advantage of the hooded man being someone who 1) recognizes Theon, but 2) doesn't kill him. I mean, wouldn't most of the "vengeance for betraying the Starks" candidates consider killing Theon, the betrayer of Winterfell, long overdue?

[Forseti]

I love the Theon split theory! I hope its true. But arent the dead kind of random? Would psycho-Theon/Reek really be trying to provoke inter-faction violence? Would he more likely be going after Ramsay's men one by one as a prelude to killing Ramsay? I *want* it to be true, but it doesnt feel quite right.

The double Theon theory doesn't necessarily mean he killed anyone. The seemingly random murders strike me as the work of spearwives, done while exploring Winterfell at night. Yellow Dick could be the work of a spearwife he tried to take certain unwanted liberties with, seeing as where his namesake organ ended up. Little Walder... that's a bigger mystery, but clearly not the work of Theon.

[Arya of House Badass]

I mean, wouldn't most of the "vengeance for betraying the Starks" candidates consider killing Theon, the betrayer of Winterfell, long overdue?

True. Though they might have recognized how pathetic he has become and thought that killing him would be a mercy, one which he doesn't deserve.

[Dio Forel]

If I remember correctly, (and I should be having a reread to be sure) the accusations that the hooded man levels at Theon more or less echo the ones he levels at himself when we share his thoughts in chapters prior to the encounter.

If so, that's another hint that he's seeing himself.

Exactly correct. The insults are the exact ones he gives himself. He also considers himself a Ghost at Winterfell.

[Dio Forel]

The Theon split theory has the advantage of the hooded man being someone who 1) recognizes Theon, but 2) doesn't kill him. I mean, wouldn't most of the "vengeance for betraying the Starks" candidates consider killing Theon, the betrayer of Winterfell, long overdue?

Absolutely correct. Anybody infiltrating the castle under a hood to murder people would thrive on murdering Theon. Even away from Winterfell people blame Theon for what has befallen the family and Winterfell. Why would anybody that is looking to exact vengeance avoid killing one of the key pieces in the destruction/betrayal like Theon? If there was a hidden assassin looking to redeem the North with a list of people to kill a la Kill Bill, Theon would be right at the top of that list.

[Aegonmyface]

Face it, the Reek/Theon split personality option is by far the coolest of the options.

[Patrick Tully]

...How severe does severe trauma have to be? Unloving Father, abusive uncle Euron, insane Mother, unclear but apparently unpleasant relationship with two older brothers. Then the home in which he lives is besieged and sacked, two brothers killed and he is dragged away from family and culture and held as a hostage in a foreign land. As he grows up he seems aloof, behaves inappropriately and it later becomes clear that he's very conflicted over his upbringing as a hostage and divided between his Stark and Greyjoy heritages...

Wouldn't 10 yoa be pretty late for the abusive trauma to cause the disorder. I thought it had to be earlier childhood.

...schizophrenia aspect...

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) or Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) depending on which classification system you use. Schizophrenia is a different condition.

[Swordswench]

Considering the controversy surrounding whether or not multiple personality disorder is even real, I'd be disappointed if the hooded man is Theon/Reek. Besides, if Theon was "seeing" his other personality Reek, wouldn't he be filthy and clothed in stinky rags just about falling off of his body? I have no idea who the hooded man is, and am totally content to wait for GRRM to reveal it to us later on. There's too much of a clusterfrak going on with Winterfell, the Boltons, Mance, Stannis, the Umbers, and Robb's remaining bannermen anyway.

[Forseti]

if Theon was "seeing" his other personality Reek, wouldn't he be filthy and clothed in stinky rags just about falling off of his body?

Not if he was seeing himself reflected, as has been suggested. He might recognize his refection as who he was before he was Reek and address the reflection as such: Theon.

[Tyroshi Sellsword]

Considering the controversy surrounding whether or not multiple personality disorder is even real, I'd be disappointed if the hooded man is Theon/Reek.

This is exactly my feeling. I think it would be cheesy and a bit of a letdown. I want Theon to be transformed, but not into someone who butchers 9 year olds. I like the idea of the hooded man being someone hiding in the crypts, but not a murderer. Big Walder killed Little Walder. He is covered in his spattered blood. Sometimes the obvious explanation is the right one.

[Envie]

Wait so what's your view Blackfish or Benjen?

Why do you find it more likely that the Blackfish abandons Edmure and Robett Arryn or Benjen breaks his oath and sneaks his way south past the Wall either just to kill people on a random basis than seeing Theon as the murderer?

I'm not sure I find either of those choices 'more likely' - I'm just saying I find it decidedly less likely that it's Theon having some sort of identity crisis or multiple personality disorder episodes. I'm not really buying the Theon Durden theories.

But I think if I had to pick, I'd go with it possibly being the Blackfish once he heard what happened to Winterfell. That doesn't make sense with the "Always a Stark in Winterfell" saying. As for why I suggested Benjen (other than he's a Stark) is because the title of the chapter is "Ghost in Winterfell" and at this point I think everyone's certain Benjen is dead.

[tuthmoses]

i thought Blackfish myself

[Dinsdale!]

I would say he is not "seeing" his split personality. He is seeing his reflection. In a mirror. While wandering the grounds of Winterfell, Theon came upon the remnants of the glass gardens. This is why the hooded man seems to stride right towards him and stops directly face to face with him.

Considering the controversy surrounding whether or not multiple personality disorder is even real, I'd be disappointed if the hooded man is Theon/Reek. Besides, if Theon was "seeing" his other personality Reek, wouldn't he be filthy and clothed in stinky rags just about falling off of his body? I have no idea who the hooded man is, and am totally content to wait for GRRM to reveal it to us later on. There's too much of a clusterfrak going on with Winterfell, the Boltons, Mance, Stannis, the Umbers, and Robb's remaining bannermen anyway.

ETA: Blackfish. I don't think that the chronology works. I don't think Brynden escapes Riverrun until after the Bolton wedding.

[Dio Forel]

I would say he is not "seeing" his split personality. He is seeing his reflection. In a mirror. While wandering the grounds of Winterfell, Theon came upon the remnants of the glass gardens. This is why the hooded man seems to stride right towards him and stops directly face to face with him.

ETA: Blackfish. I don't think that the chronology works. I don't think Brynden escapes Riverrun until after the Bolton wedding.

Exactly.

[pow]

Theon is crazy i wouldn't rule anything out about him...

[Zezibesh]

Maester Luwin would be the coolest option in my opinion but it doesn't seem very likely.

[darrylzero]

Absolutely correct. Anybody infiltrating the castle under a hood to murder people would thrive on murdering Theon. Even away from Winterfell people blame Theon for what has befallen the family and Winterfell. Why would anybody that is looking to exact vengeance avoid killing one of the key pieces in the destruction/betrayal like Theon? If there was a hidden assassin looking to redeem the North with a list of people to kill a la Kill Bill, Theon would be right at the top of that list.

Well, I get the sense the guy was absolutely considering it, before he realized being Ramsay's Reek is clearly worse than dying. That's part of why I think our Hooded Man was surprised that Theon is alive. He was reacting to it all, because Theon could have been -- but wasn't -- who he was sent to kill.