if balon greyjoy rebelled would ned have killed theon

[Pinkie Baelish]

Yes he would have. He killed his daughter's pet because the king said it had to die. And he was always cold towards Theon in case he had to execute him someday.

[kephv]

Absolutely. Maybe he would've tried for other measures first, but if that failed and he had a direct order from his king, Theon's head would've rolled.

[winterstood]

If the re-rebellion happened initially - as in a few years after greyjoy's first rebellion was squashed - then yeah, definitely. Or he would threaten too. But after those years- NO WAY IN HELL. Theon had become part of the family by then and Ned would've thought of some other way. I disagree with those who say Ned would consider it his "duty" to kill Theon. Bringing justice to a runaway night's watchman was his duty since that went to the order of the entire system in the north - and the guy was a "deserter". Holding hostages to use in case of rebellion is a tactic or strategy at best. and there are always alternative tactics. If greyjoy rebelled after theon had already been accepted into the family for a solid number of years...Ned would've gone to war with him but not killed theon.

[Ser Greg of House House]

I see this as everyone judging Ned by todays standards, and because they generally like him, placing on the side of 'mercy.' In the setting the 'right' thing is to kill him, Ned would do it.

Exactly. The only way he wouldn't kill Theon was if he had another use for him, like making him a puppet lord or something.

If he had to, he would kill Theon himself with Ice.

[naik2902]

killing is the sweetest thing.

[Brynden Rivers Bloodraven]

He would kill Theon, as he killed Lady - DUTY

[Blackwater Bronn]

I would say: No, he would not kill him. As others stated before killing Theon after Balon blunders would serve less purpose than having him remain a hostage for an exchange of prisoners or as the new puppet-lord of the Iron Islands after Ned and co. won the war.

I believe there was one passage in the books, where Theon briefly thought that Ned might have married Sansa to him, when she was old enough.

It would´ve been a perfect preparation for an alliance through marriage between the North and the Ironborn.

[Ser Arthyr Dracenstein]

I think Ned would have no choice but to kill Theon. If Balon had rebelled again, Balon would know that he had just signed Theon's death warrant. And if Balon had rebelled and Ned hadn't killed Theon, nobody would believe in Ned's threats (or promises) ever again.

Ned agreed to taking Theon as a ward, so he must have been prepared to do it, if it came to it. If he had a problem with it, he would have told King Robert, then Robert would have given Theon to Stannis to ward.

[aquarianfool]

Ned would have. He wouldn't have like it but it was the 'right' thing to do. The 'use Theon has leverage argument' wouldn't work because if Balon rebelled, it meant Theon was no longer needed. ( new male heir.) If Theon was a child, the answer is still yes. It would have put a rift between him and Rob and it would haunt him, but it was his duty.

[Pope Killdragon]

It was blatantly said in the book that Ned was distant and cold with Theon so that killing him, if he had to, would not be a problem. Stark was a warlord during the middle ages, I don't see him not being able to do it. A better question would be whether or not Balon would've cared.

[Draco_Dracul]

Yes, what's the point of hostages if you are completely unwilling to harm them? The only way I could see Theon surviving is if Robb caught wind of what was about to happen and aid in Theon's escape.

[Ser Arthyr Dracenstein]

Yes, what's the point of hostages if you are completely unwilling to harm them? The only way I could see Theon surviving is if Robb caught wind of what was about to happen and aid in Theon's escape.

I wonder how Ned would react to that?

He would have to punish Robb. Maybe disinheriting Robb and banishing him to the Wall might be going to far....

[Cairo]

if balon rebelled again, then taking theon's head really accomplishes nothing. since another rebellion shows that balon clearly doesn't care for his last son and heir. ned isn't as rigid as stannis. plus the old ways of the north say " the man who passes the sentence, must be the man who swings the sword. if you would take a man's life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. and if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die." if you're saying that ned would kill his squire after years of faithful service because of the crimes of his father, then that doesn't jive with me.

people are saying that if robert ordered ned to do it, but that doesn't sound right either. ned wouldn't order the hit on dany or viserys, people he has no loyalty to at all. ned had a falling out with robert over the sack of king's landing and the death of the royal family. again, people he owed no loyalty to at all. you don't think ned would think twice about defending his own squire? not to mention robb would have pleaded for theon's life.

ned took the life of the night's watch deserter because he broke the law and was speaking like a madman (yes he was speaking the truth, but he sounded like a madman to everyone present)

[Draco_Dracul]

But not taking Theon's head makes any future hostages held at Winterfell completely worthless. If Ned was unable or unwilling to kill Theon in the event of Balon rising again, he would not have been the hostage holder. Killing Theon in the event of a second Greyjoy Rebellion was his duty to his family and to the crown.

[houseHB]

Ned would have sent Theon's head back to Pyke rather than just bits of skin

[DavosSeaworthy]

Ned is obsessed about the death of the Targ kids, won't countenance an assasination of Dany, and brought Jon up without telling anyone about his parentage, in part to protect him from folks like Robert and Tywin who might have it in for him because of his father. Killing Theon, who he took from his own father when he was 10, might strike a bit too close to home for Ned. That's why I'm unsure he'd do it.

Edit: So I don't know.

Worst case for an adult Theon is that his neck would have a date with Ice. Best case is that Ned tells him he is never going to the Iron Islands again and that they are going to kill his father, and possibly forces him to take the Black. I agree 100% with you that Ned would not kill an underage Theon.

[65536ob]

This 100%. Ned wouldn`t have taken him as a hostage in the first place if he couldn`t have killed him in the evetuality of another rebellion. Robert himself, or Tywin, Stannis could have taken him and they wouldn`t think twice before killing him, but Ned took him and with Theon he also took the responsability of executing him in case of another rebellion

he could have taken him in order to ensure he wouldn't be executed if his father rebelled, also the whole point of executing someone yourself is to be sure that you really want them dead, so he could have decided not to kill theon even if he originally intended to do so

[Dagon Greyjoy]

Exactly. The only way he wouldn't kill Theon was if he had another use for him, like making him a puppet lord or something.

Which would be the whole point of raising someone's heir as a ward. The notion that the ward might be killed is to intimidate the father, but if push comes to shove only an absolute moron would kill their very valuable ward that they can make into a puppet lord.

[Alistair's Pantaloons]

I don't think Ned would have. I think he would have just destroyed Balon a second time and beheaded him as he should have the first time.