Jaqen H'ghar

[astonedtargaryen]

I'm just beginning the re read of aCoK and wondered to myself....what is Jaqen H'ghar doing in a black cell?

I don't have the exact quote, but it's in Arya's POV that we hear about the three men Yoren keeps locked up in a cart, all procured from the black cells of the Red Keep.

As far as I know, Black Cells are reserved for the nastiest of the nasty, H'ghar's companions in the cart are shining examples of this, Biter and Rorge are their names I believe. From what we see of him later on, H'ghar seems to be an alright guy. His motivations are not entirely clear, but he does keep his word to Arya after she saves him.

Also, he is a master assassin. Very stealthy, it seems, and able to change his features.

How on earth did he end up getting thrown in the dungeons? And more importantly what could he have been doing to earn a place in the black cells?

I don't have any theories myself, but I am curious to hear yours :)

[The Answer]

Well, we know he's a faceless man, so I imagine he was there on his own accord. Like you, I don't know why exactly he would want to be in locked in the cells. I know this has been talked about many times in the past, try and search the topic I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for.

[Stargaryen]

I like to think that somehow Syrio is Jaqen and Syrio either was forced or allowed himself to be put in the black cells. Then, once in the cells, he changed his face and left with Yoren.

[The Mountain That Flies]

Jaqen's goals are clearly centered on the Citadel/maesters, since after he is freed from his debt to Arya he immediately sets off there (he is the Alchemist who kills Pate and steals his identity). Whatever he was doing in King's Landing, it would likely be linked to that. There are theories he's on assignment to find a way to kill the dragons, but that doesn't make sense timeline wise, since he was grabbed by Yoren out of the cells right around the time the dragons were born. He may be in Oldtown to steal information, but this isn't really what the Faceless Men do, so unless he's gone rouge, there's really no way to tell what his deal is.

However he wound up in the black cells, Rorge knew enough about him to be afraid of him, which is saying a lot. Maybe Jaqen was involved in similar criminal elements of King's Landing in his pursuits, and wound up getting arrested through those. Not wanting to reveal his skills, he went along with the charade until he owed Arya, then stayed around to pay her the three deaths.

Once and for all, Syrio is dead. The Lannisters/Kingsguard/City Watch were butchering all Stark men, even those who put up no fight. They're not just going to arrest one of the guys who was fighting back (and had just humiliated four gold cloaks and challenged a Kingsguard knight).

[Kham of the Gods Wood]

I don't know what he might have done to get thrown in the black cells but I figured he was just waiting to get to the wall or just out of that cart before he threw another face on and got low. Maybe it was in his best interest not to use that trick when he got caught, however that was.

[Timzy]

Syrio declared himself the first sword of Braavos not a Stark, that could be what kept him alive. Then getting put in the cells with three dangerous criminals he took the face of one and they other two were scared after.

Which is possible as he can glam himself up and makes him more likely to want to help Arya.

:)

[The Mountain That Flies]

Syrio declared himself the first sword of Braavos not a Stark, that could be what kept him alive. Then getting put in the cells with three dangerous criminals he took the face of one and they other two were scared after.

I see what you're implying, but he was a Stark retainer. GRRM has never made it clear in interview how Eddard came to hire him (he's even expressed the fact he never really thought about when writing the character), but he's Eddard's man, so he would have been killed. And he's no longer the First Sword, he just was at some point in the past.

[DDDUnit]

I am a big fan of the Syrio theory especially since they both talk in the third person and Jaqen knew that she was Arya Stark. However, I do find it hard to believe that Mandyn Moore, one of the deadliest and by far the least merciful, would let Syrio live. I also think that Jaqen is at the Citadel under the employ of Euron Grayjoy looking for a way to either kill Dany's dragons if she opposes him or to hatch the dragon egg that he supposedly "dropped" into the ocean.

[astonedtargaryen]

I like to think that somehow Syrio is Jaqen and Syrio either was forced or allowed himself to be put in the black cells. Then, once in the cells, he changed his face and left with Yoren.

I never considered that! Would be wonderful wouldn't it? I loved Syrio as a character and would definitely welcome his reappearance. As would Arya, I'm sure.

[astonedtargaryen]

Jaqen's goals are clearly centered on the Citadel/maesters, since after he is freed from his debt to Arya he immediately sets off there (he is the Alchemist who kills Pate and steals his identity).

Aaaah yes! I had forgotten that. I'm on my second go through of the series and haven't gotten there yet.

[Green Dream Girl]

I like to think that somehow Syrio is Jaqen and Syrio either was forced or allowed himself to be put in the black cells. Then, once in the cells, he changed his face and left with Yoren.

This is an amazing theory. I love Syrio as I love Jaqen and there are definite similarities between the two... Such interesting ideas in the forum...

[corbon]

This is an amazing theory. I love Syrio as I love Jaqen and there are definite similarities between the two... Such interesting ideas in the forum...

Its a terrible (as in logically inconsistent when you examine things more closely) theory that has been thoroughly disproved in several million threads (ok, I exaggerate slightly, but please, do go and search, rather than have me go through all the evidence again). It is still much loved though.

There is no actual evidence of any sort that ties them together.

Most importantly, they are both present at the same time, so cannot be the same person. Jaquen was in the black cells while Syrio was still training Arya.

Faceless Men are not supermen. They are skilled people with some small 'special' abilities, but they can still be caught, still be imprisoned and still be unable to escape basic chains/cage, as evidenced by Jaquen being chained, caged and going in the opposite direction to his purpose and would have died in the fire had not Arya rescued him by tossing the axe. .

Jaquen does one single thing that was beyond a normal person's abilities in all the time we saw him, and that was change face. It takes more than a face change (and thats all that changes) to change from an older, bald, slight, small man to a larger, younger man.

[a white raven]

I am a big fan of the Syrio theory especially since they both talk in the third person and Jaqen knew that she was Arya Stark.

The fact that they both speak in the third person is probably just because they are both from Braavos

[Saxony]

I think Jaqen had some dealings in KL and got caught facechanging and some guard immediately restrained him and threw him in the cell.

[corbon]

The fact that they both speak in the third person is probably just because they are both from Braavos

Even this isn't true.

Jaqen is from Lorath, which is also one of the Free Cities, so probably shares general linguistic and cultural roots with Bravos. Hence their both speaking with a similar style, or accent.

[Marya]

I always liked to think maybe he got himself thrown in the cells on purpose, maybe to get close to a fellow inmate who had some kind of information, or maybe to break someone out (should not have watched prison break again over christmas). Although I admit that, since FM aren't supermen, as corbon pionted out, that would have to include one hell of an exitplan...

[SeanSnow]

I think its weird that Rorge and Biter obeyed/followed Jaqen. They were definitely afraid of him.

[TheGreyKraken]

He was probably in the black cells because he either got caught or just made himself get thrown in for some unknown purpose.

[Casey Siren]

Most importantly, they are both present at the same time, so cannot be the same person. Jaquen was in the black cells while Syrio was still training Arya.

Is there any quote somewhere that can prove that Jaqen was in the cells at the same time that Syrio was in KL?

From what I remember, Yoren hadn't even gathered up the inmates until all hell broke loose and Ayra was running from the scene where Syrio was allegedly killed.

I've learned in these books that no one is actually dead unless you "see" it from whomevers characters perspective you are reading.

Syrio or not, I think it would be perfectly logical for Jaqen to have broke into the prison, or been thrown in prison with a different face and killed/took on the face of the actual Jaqen and whatever the actual person before did is why Biter and Rorge are so frightened by him. I think it's possible that he had a use for that face. Maybe his old face was infamous and he needed a clean way of getting out of KL.

[A wilding]

Jaime's questioning of Rennifer Longwaters early in AFfC covers most of it. More generally it would seem unlikely that the high security prisoners would be released on Ned's order after Ned had fallen and when he himself was locked up in those very same cells.

I myself don't see any logic in Jaqen deliberately breaking into a high security jail just to substitute himself for one of the prisoners there. If he wants to go to the Wall, he just has to walk up to Yoren and volunteer - with the added advantage of not then going there in chains.

Not do I see any problem with Jaqen putting a scare into Rorge and Biter. As a member of an organisation of particularly notorious assassins, I would have thought it at least as likely he would be able to do so as some random other prisoner.