Why would Bran stay with BR for his entire lifetime?

[Brucolac]

He couldn't use the trees until he ate the seed mixture, and that is probably what starts the transformation to a tree state you see in Bloodraven. I don't think his original body can stop the changes it will make in him.

The purpose of the introduction chapter was to define the rules of warging and what it is capable of; it could be just to set up for what will happen to Jon, but it could easily be for Bran too. He is already capable of using Hodor, and Hodor's cast as a simpleton has always seemed slightly dehumanizing to set up for Bran eventually stealing his body.

[gogorath]

Umm, Bran can't walk. If he's going to do anything active in whatever role he takes, he's likely doing it from the cave. People seem to have this image of him rounding up a bear or something and riding into battle. I have a feeling if he leaves the cave it will be fleeing something.

I don't think Bran is going to find a lot of happiness outside of warging. I'm always surprised when I read predictions of good things happening, especially to Starks. More plot and change is driven by crisis, not happy times. Bran isn't likely to be any different.

[Kadence]

Umm, Bran can't walk. If he's going to do anything active in whatever role he takes, he's likely doing it from the cave.

But that's the whole thing. What can he do from the cave? Even Bloodraven himself hasn't been able to do all that much. He got Jon elected Lord Commander, and maybe he sent the dire wolves - but other than that, it would seem nothing. There's just not much you can do when stuck in a tree and warging animals is all you are capable of. You have all this information, but no way to share it. Bloodraven needs Bran because Bran wouldn't be tied to the cave, and can become an active and powerful player.

Apprenticing is the only reason for him to be in the cave. That's it. Once the apprenticeship is done, or is the Others come around making the cave more dangerous, then Bran has every incentive to leave and none whatsoever to stay.

And as I said above, it's likely all about the 5-year gap. Bran was probably intended to be send out of the cave much quicker when the gap was around, because he'd be more advanced. Without the gap we'll get to see more of Bran/Bloodraven. Originally it was probably intended for us to see a little of Bran/Bloodraven, get some flashbacks on what happened, then Bran leaves and re-enters the main story.

Also it's clear that Bran *will* re-enter the main plot - and in a big way. That's just a certainty, as readers we know this. He can't really do this from the cave. He has to travel south.

Big Things will happen later with Bran, and probably family re-unions as well - the wolves will return and all that. The Starks have been separated for years - the family reunion is the obvious payoff, though they may scarcely recognize the personalities their family have become. Arya assassin, Sansa manipulator, Bran demi-god, Rickon god knows what, Jon reluctant leader (and possibly reluctant King).

[mediterraneo]

I did not like but thought very possible the "because he's becoming a tree" answer given above to the thread question.

Speculation alarm on but I had an horrible thought about Bran and the Starks tombs, under Winterfell, under Winterfell's weirdwood.

How did Bran feel in that tomb? The tomb cave that was the other place (beside the roofs) where the three eyed crow attracted him.

Could it be that the tradition of sculpting sitting Starks in the cave under the weirwood paralled some creepier sit other Stark did in the same cave under the roots of the weirwood?

I also fear that eating that thing is a ritual passage that have no step back, but it does not need to be to something locked in that same cave: the seeds are made to fall far from the body of the tree, aren't them?

And more: there are a lot of whights wandering the north to the point that the Watch plots insubordination just not to go there, and a group of kids, with a Wight, can pass, heading to a remote, hidden cave whose door is guarded by wights, that make going out almost impossible. In the cave sits the less (or more, or different) than human being that has the gift of seeing the past and future and nevertheless incited Bran to go climbing on "his" tower.

What kind of transformation is Bloodraven plotting for Bran?

On whose side of which war is Bloodraven?

I bet that in the Dunk and Egg novel about Winterfell a lot of news will be given about the fire that burnt that tower, about Old Nan's advice to Bran of not listening to the crows, and on why the Starks are so special: that "there must be always a Stark in WInterfell" things could be nothing, but it could also mean something important. No human ruling dinasty dured a tenth of the time that the Starks endured in the Winterfell seat, and Martin teached us that "this is just fantasy" is normally not a good enough answer.

[redriver]

I think Bran will stay in the cave,but be pivotal to the overall plot resolution via some uber-warging through kings,animals,and especially a dragon.You will never walk,but you will fly.

[gogorath]

I expect Bran to leave, but I don't expect it to be his choice. And I do think he can affect plenty from the cave. I'm not sure it will be exciting (so I agree with you there), but I do not know that the levels of interaction we've seen are the levels he is really stuck to. Bloodraven has been content to watch, but they control the animals they warg into -- and lots of those animals can do a lot of damage.

[Ser Ilyn's Tongue]

As an author, GRRM seems to throw the odd curve-ball - but Bran permanently staying a tree would surely be a completely unsatisfactory result for everyone who has read hundreds of pages of his POV (which I generally quite enjoy btw). Put simply, it ain't gonna happen.

Plus there's been plenty of hints to suggest that the Starks will reunite at somepoint (although the image of the Stark kids just kicking back in cave with their 'tree brother' is kind of fun).

[Sister Goldenhair]

Bran's powers will grow and he loves the darkness and the blood. Believe all of the Starks will end up working with Bran and the Others who will fight the Light Bringer wielded by (Jaime?) and Bran may conquer humanity this time.

[Stark@heart]

Bran being a trueborn Stark of the North, belongs to the Old Gods and they have need of him. The Old Gods gave the Stark children the direwolves and their warging abilities so they could make use of them later on as needed.

Bran has been "chosen" to replace BR, just as BR replaced someone once. (Crackpot - I think the reason there "must always be a Stark in Winterfell" or why there's always a Stark on the Wall is to fill the need of a "seer" for the Old Gods/Weirwood trees if a vacancy comes up.- I know BR is no Stark but he has the abilities needed, so maybe there wasn't a Stark available and he got drafted)

Bran was chosen because Winter is Coming. I don't think BR is strong enough to fight Winter/ Others on his own now and needs Bran/ the Stark with the right abilities.

I think Bran's body will stay in the cave, safe from harm, while Bran goes about as Hodor & Summer & Weirtrees, maybe dragons, etc. to help save the world and rebuild Winterfell.

[Sister Goldenhair]

Bran being a trueborn Stark of the North, belongs to the Old Gods and they have need of him. The Old Gods gave the Stark children the direwolves and their warging abilities so they could make use of them later on as needed.

Bran has been "chosen" to replace BR, just as BR replaced someone once. (Crackpot - I think the reason there "must always be a Stark in Winterfell" or why there's always a Stark on the Wall is to fill the need of a "seer" for the Old Gods/Weirwood trees if a vacancy comes up.- I know BR is no Stark but he has the abilities needed, so maybe there wasn't a Stark available and he got drafted)

Bran was chosen because Winter is Coming. I don't think BR is strong enough to fight Winter/ Others on his own now and needs Bran/ the Stark with the right abilities.

I think Bran's body will stay in the cave, safe from harm, while Bran goes about as Hodor & Summer & Weirtrees, maybe dragons, etc. to help save the world and rebuild Winterfell.

Believe most of your post but not sure Bran will be involved with the dragons, perhaps as their enemy.

[Brucolac]

The children of the forest and Other alliance is pretty hard to believe. They helped build the wall to stop them in the past, and I don't think the dynamics have changed enough to have an Other/CoF alliance. They might have their own agenda, but I don't think there is any collusion going on and I doubt they are in control of the Others or aiding them. Bran might decide to leave because of the fate that is in store for him, but not because he has fallen in with the arch enemy. Melisandre's vision of them being the enemy can't really be credited since her fear and decision of their intent was based solely off their appearance and association with darkness. She twists the future to her own desire with lies and manipulations, and she is possibly the mot evil person we have encountered in ASoIF.

[Sister Goldenhair]

The children of the forest and Other alliance is pretty hard to believe. They helped build the wall to stop them in the past, and I don't think the dynamics have changed enough to have an Other/CoF alliance. They might have their own agenda, but I don't think there is any collusion going on and I doubt they are in control of the Others or aiding them. Bran might decide to leave because of the fate that is in store for him, but not because he has fallen in with the arch enemy. Melisandre's vision of them being the enemy can't really be credited since her fear and decision of their intent was based solely off their appearance and association with darkness. She twists the future to her own desire with lies and manipulations, and she is possibly the mot evil person we have encountered in ASoIF.

I think Melissandra is the opposite of Cold Hands, a conduit for the fire god so sometimes she misinterprets but I think she gets true visions. She is either very, very old and/or not alive at all - if not alive she would be like Cold Hands who does not eat or sleep nor does Melissandra. They both seem to be instruments of countering forces.

[Black Crow]

Indeed, I think the whole point of the story being revealed is that the Others are not utterly evil, but rather the "other" side in the war being waged between Ice and Fire. Neither is the good side and humankind is just caught in the middle

[Smooth]

I don't think I would really enjoy Bran leaving on the back of Hodor, a lifetime of being crippled. I think I would like the tree magically giving Bran the use of his legs back even less. So I'm not sure what I would actually approve of as an outcome other than Bran staying where he is, playing super-warg. I've been sort of expecting some walking-taking-killing trees myself.

[Black Crow]

Bloodraven was pretty specific about that; Bran will never walk again, but by sitting in the weirwood he will see and manipulate things far beyond.

[Lokii]

I think that in some point in the series BR or the cotf are gonna do something that horrifies Bran (real power comes with a price, that seems to be a theme here), and hes gonna rebel against them. Martin wouldnt have spent so much time on his character if he was gonna be stuck in a cave for the rest of his life

[davidjones2492]

Indeed, I think the whole point of the story being revealed is that the Others are not utterly evil, but rather the "other" side in the war being waged between Ice and Fire. Neither is the good side and humankind is just caught in the middle

I agree with you here, you get the sense that Rholler and the great other represent natural forces in an enduring struggle against each other who don't really give two hoots about people. I always assumed that this is the reason why the seasons are all over the shop.

Bloodraven was pretty specific about that; Bran will never walk again, but by sitting in the weirwood he will see and manipulate things far beyond.

I got the impression that he doesn't need to be in the cave to do this though. We know for sure that he doesn't have to be sat in the weirwood chair itself to "access the tree network", so I can't see why he couldn't use the weir woods from anywhere in the North (or whereever there is a grove).

We all assume he will play a prominent role of some kind in the last books; it will be far more difficult for him to do so if he's stuck in a cave hundreds of miles from any action.

[Black Crow]

All depends how you define stuck. In a world of magic physically stuck aint the same as roaming around out there seeing the world through other eyes and moving things along as Bloodraven has been doing.

[boojam]

I don't see any reason for him to stay with the 3EC once the war with the Others is over. I don't understand why people believe that he will stay with BR for his lifetime? Bran will rebuild the wall and Winterfell with the help of COTF. He is Brandon Stark come again. \Bran/

So where is it written how the war with the Others will be resolved?

[Stark@heart]

Bran has a big part to play in the fight against the Others and the future of the North, as a warg. Mel sees him as the enemy because she's a narrow minded zealot. If your not for the Lord of Light then your against him in her eyes. GRRM always shows us that things are never that black & white and even being the good guy and doing the right thing comes at no easy cost.

I think we'll see several groups come together to stand against the Others, as they did last time. AA & the RB are just one aspect of all the powers we've seen so far. The children will come ( CPT=and bring someone we've been waiting to see, this is where Howland Reed finally makes his appearance and spills his secrets) The Maesters of the Citadel must also know that the threat of the Others is real, can't see them staying out of it much longer. Dany & the dragons, etc. Bran will be able to "see" all these groups coming together and let Jon & us know. He needs to be "wired in" to be able to play his part.

Bran will live a long, long life as part of the Old Gods. As a warg, its possible that he could live forever. As a Stark, it was just his bad luck to be the one chosen to fulfill the pact between the Old Gods, the First Men and the Children of the Forest.