why was Jaqen in this cell

[rhagnar16]

First time Ary met the FM he was in cage to be delivered as a criminal to the wall. So i'm asking you why was he there, and then why did he while in Harrenhal when he could have just vanish as the wind blows.

And finally who is he really working for, was his meeting with Arya a coincidence or planned

[bloodsteel bitterraven]

I think he was planning to go to the Wall to learn more about the dragons.

[Lazy Lion]

He's working for Dr. Evil, and his mission was to locate and destroy Austin Powers.

His mission failed because Powers was in Essos, hiding behind a blue, three-pronged beard...

[RoamingRonin]

I think he was planning to go to the Wall to learn more about the dragons.

I'm pretty sure there are easier ways to get to the Wall. You don't have to be a criminal to get there. You could just ride up and ask to join.

[shk12344]

I'm pretty sure there are easier ways to get to the Wall. You don't have to be a criminal to get there. You could just ride up and ask to join.

Better yet just go there and ask about dragons. Makes some donations and share some beer and bacon and go back to Braavos, just like Tyrion did.

[locke and key]

we still really don't know, It's highly un-likely that a skilled FM would un-willingly be captured by those loyal to Janos slynt, so I definitely think he was there on purpose, and I'm also of the belief that he didn't meet arya by accident

[A Man Has Said]

My theory is that he deliberately allowed himself to get arrested in order to get close to Ned and try and rescue him. He was too late, the plan never reached fruition because Ned was beheaded. They never anticipated that Joffrey would be crazy enough to renege on the deal to send Ned to the wall. If that had happened, it's possible that Jaqen was planning on taking Ned's face and putting it on one of the other prisoners - Rorge, I guess - then killing him. "Ned Stark" would then be dead, but not.

The flaw in my theory is what the FMs purpose would have been in doing that, and how it could have benefited them. What would Ned have been able to accomplish if he was permanently given some other appearance? I'm sure one of you clever people can tell me what the next step would have been.

we still really don't know, It's highly un-likely that a skilled FM would un-willingly be captured by those loyal to Janos slynt, so I definitely think he was there on purpose, and I'm also of the belief that he didn't meet arya by accident

I agree. :agree: Failing to save Ned, he turns to another Stark, eventually inviting her to visit the HoBaW. Was he trying to recruit Ned as a Faceless Man? I think it's significant that he stayed at Harrenhal until Arya left, which is when he left himself. As someone noted above, he could have left 'like the wind' any time he wanted to.

[rhagnar16]

Why would he try to saveNed ?

And if the jaqen=syrio theory wasn't so crackpot !

Indeed we can see Jaqen appears when arya is escaping KL, just after we left syrio.. so maybe syrio was attested then chose the wall thinking of an easy escape on the way.. this can explain why his 2 cell compaignons are so afraid of him id they saw his transformatio...

I Know everybody thinks syrio is dead even in an interview GRRM told it indirectly

But technically if jaqen can transform into him it is that hé is dead.. so now imagine the first sword of braavos giving his body to the white and black god.. now it makes sense no ?

But it still doesnt tell us why is he at oldtown , and whic are fm's interests or just who hired him

[RumHam]

we still really don't know, It's highly un-likely that a skilled FM would un-willingly be captured by those loyal to Janos slynt

I don't think it's that unlikely. Even well trained assassins can make mistakes.

[nara]

Jaqen was the Faceless Man hired by Varys to kill King Robert (and pave the way for a Targ return) and was paid for with Robert’s own money—part of the debt of the kingdom. He was supposed to get himself arrested and thrown in the cells so that he would get into the Red Keep in an unsuspicious manner. Varys would then release him at the right time. (We know that Varys is familiar with helping people get out of cells from when he helped Jaime release Tyrion.) In the chaos of Robert's unexpected death by boar and Ned's imprisonment, Varys was not able to release him and he got caught up with Yoren's NW men.

Variation on this idea… Jaqen was the Faceless Man hired by Renly and the Tyrells (who are very wealthy) to kill Queen Cersei (and pave the way for a Robert to marry Margaery). He was supposed to get himself arrested and thrown in the cells so that he would get into the Red Keep in an unsuspicious manner. Renly or Loras would then release him at the right time. In the chaos of Robert's unexpected death by boar and Ned's refusal take charge of Joffrey, Renly and Loras had to flee KL before they could release him and he got caught up with Yoren's NW men.

[Queen‍‍‍‍‍‍ Alysanne‍‍™]

The sphinx is the riddle not the riddler.

[Lord Flashheart]

I don't think it's that unlikely. Even well trained assassins can make mistakes.

The FM are just human so its certainly possible he just got caught.

[Sullen]

Occam's Razor.

He got caught, he's but human in the end.

[joluoto]

He is a FM, he was definitely on a mission to assassinate someone, because that's what the FM do. Who the target is/ was though, no idea.

[Lyssanne]

Maybe just an assasination of Robert because of the debts of the Iron Throne to the Iron Bank ...

[EstEst]

1. The service of FM is expensive, so if he was on a mission, both his client and his target have to be rich and influential.

2. His target has to be somebody living in KL constantly, specifically, in the palace. like, e.g., someone from king's environment, family, Council etc.

3. If he were caught after killing someone this important we'd know of that, and he'd end on the block instantly. So, we can assume he got caught before that, and nobody suspects his real mission.

4. Him being caught may be staged. In this case, he has to have an accomplice having the access and the keys. (I mean the Red Keep, not the cage on the road to the Wall.)

5. In this latter case, also it's not improbable that his client is not definite yet of the final target. Like, keep your start position in a Red Keep and wait for the further info.

All in all, I like the idea of Varis as a client, or as an accomplice, or as a target.

[DaveSnow House Stark]

I really hope that a lot of what has been said so far is not true. I don't want the whole meeting of Jaqen and Arya to be staged and pre planned. I also don't want Syrio and Jaqen to be the same, no, hell no, please don't do it.

Why was he in the cell? Not sure yet. He may have been there to kill King Robert and had a slip up that got him arrested for something else...

[joluoto]

It could also be he already was on his way to Oldtown (fro whoever his target in the Citadel is), but something went terribly wrong and he ended up in a cell in King's Landing.

[Daphnaerys Seaworth]

Hmmm....

Jaqen H'Ghar was indeed in KL on an assignment to kill someone but who?

I've heard quite a few good explanations but there is sadly no real proof.Maybe it will be revealed later in the books through the continuation of that FM's work in Oldtown.

But, as some suggest, I don't think he was sent there to save Ned.It is likely he was there to assasinate someone.

[Lazy Lion]

The Faceless Man wasn't caught.

Jaqen H'Ghar was.

Jaqen is a role he is playing, and he stays in character even when he gets arrested. A miraculous escape would lead to an investigation and pursuit, which would hinder his mission even more than his stay in the black cells.