Why would Bran stay with BR for his entire lifetime?

[Bear Grylls of Skagos]

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/

[Fire Eater]

Bloodraven is failing, without him the CotF don't have a greenseer, which are extremely rare and so not like to find another for a long while. Besides, in the final ADwD Bran chapter he figured:

What was he now? Only Bran the broken boy, Brandon of House Stark, prince of a lost kingdom, lord of burned castle, heir to ruins. He had thought the three-eyed crow would be a sorcerer, a wise old wizard who could fix his legs, but that was some stupid child's dream, he realized now. I am too old for such fancies, he told himself. A thousand eyes, a hundred skins, wisdom deep as the roots of ancient trees. That was as good as being a knight. Almost as good, anyway.

Bran's come to accept his fate.

[Kadence]

He obviously won't. The whole thing is the 5-year gap issue.

Clearly, Martin intended Bran and Arya to be apprenticed during the interim, then go about their badass "the wolves will return" business. Eliminating the gap means we get to see more Bloodraven+Bran time.

But Bran staying with Bloodraven makes no sense at all. Bloodraven has to stay, he's a tree, he can't move. Plus once the Others come in force, that cave is going to be a very dangerous place to be.

And Bran clearly has an endgame. He can't accomplish this in a cave beyond the Wall, sitting on a tree. He will move South and re-enter the main plot. I frankly don't understand why people have this notion of Bran being stuck as a tree in that cave, it just does not compute in any way.

[Silmarien]

Bloodraven is failing, without him the CotF don't have a greenseer, which are extremely rare and so not like to find another for a long while. Besides, in the final ADwD Bran chapter he figured:

Bran's come to accept his fate.

Wait...don't the CotF have their own greenseers? The ones with Red Eyes (like the Ghost of High Heart)?

ETA: I don't think it's been foreshadowed that Bran will remain in the cave until the Others obliterate everything, or until the dust settles. What's the point? I'm sure he has a huge role to play as a greenseer, but as far as we know, Howland Reed (possible greenseer? or confirmed? I forget) had a normal life (ie a family, kids, kinda-lordship).

GRRM never suggested that once you become a greenseer you become stuck to a tree.

[Zar Lannister]

Wait...don't the CotF have their own greenseers? The ones with Red Eyes (like the Ghost of High Heart)?

ETA: I don't think it's been foreshadowed that Bran will remain in the cave until the Others obliterate everything, or until the dust settles. What's the point? I'm sure he has a huge role to play as a greenseer, but as far as we know, Howland Reed (possible greenseer? or confirmed? I forget) had a normal life (ie a family, kids, kinda-lordship).

GRRM never suggested that once you become a greenseer you become stuck to a tree.

Bloodraven did tell Bran he wouldn't be able to walk, but he would be able to fly. Bran's body needs not to be south of the wall, perhaps?

[Rhieth the Blue]

Why would Bran stay?

Because he is an emo boy who is excited becoming a tree while he murmurs "I am Brandon Stark of Winterfell and almost a man grown" - as if we need a reminder, but unlike him we did not forget this.

Tbh I don't see the point of this Bran side story, but I trully hope he will be as huge positive surprise as Doran was in the last Arianne chapter in aFfC.

[David Selig]

Because it's pretty hard to move around when you are a tree.

[Glyn Tarvoke]

I think Bran's stuck in the cave and will end up like Bloodraven sooner than later. They can still influence events in the South. For example, after Jon signs the deal with the Iron Bank, he comes back to his solar to find his crow sitting above his chair with the loan agreement in front of it. I have to believe BR and\or Bran was warging the crow and reading the document. They can takeover animals, see through the heart trees, and eventually go and see everything without even warging. It seemed clear to me Bran was trying to talk to Theon through the Winterfell Heart tree. It also looks like they can influence weather a bit and healing\non-healing events. When Hosteen Frey brags about the cold not bothering him, he loses an ear to frostbite.

I think some events are influenced by the "old gods" of which Bloodraven is part and Bran becoming part. My guess is that Bran will end up part of the tree. I'd be surprised if he ever returns South.

[Grail King]

Gets out with Hodor and Reeds could end up Lord of GWW .

[Tyrionthebest]

Gets out with Hodor and Reeds could end up Lord of GWW .

I rather prefer him to be Lord of Dead Forever so I never have to read his boring shitty chapters again .

[Brucolac]

I've thought Bran was going to end up in Hodor permanently ever since he started warging with Summer. I expect him to leave in that body, possibly giving up his power when doing it.

[Stannis the Great]

I think it's pretty clear that Bloodraven is a tree because he needed to stay alive to fight against the Others. Bran still has a lot of years ahead of him so he doesn't need to become one with a tree. His arc is also becoming much more interesting as opposed to Tyrion who has a jolly travelogue with Penny and Mormont with the only good parts being YG/Aegon and the end where he joins the Second Sons.

[The Mother of The Others]

Penny may have given him the plague too.

I was assuming that playing the tree game has a price and that it plays out the same every time. So if you like the perks of tree life you have to accept the downside which is gradual petrification. Maybe joining with the trees parallels cocaine use (a slight chance remains that Bran could kick the habit after he gets in deep, but most don't have the will power.)

[The Blind Eye]

Why do people think Bran will be in that Tree seat forever. Bloodraven is in the seat because he's something like 150 years old and it's KEEPING HIM ALIVE. Bran is in that seat next to him because 1- Bloodraven cannot move for health reasons. 2- Bran can't stand on his own. 3- Bloodraven and Bran need to be within speaking distance so Bran can be educated. 4- Its impolite to ask your student's friend to stand still and hold him up while you completely ignore the friend and teach the student.

The Tree seat is simply the most simply and easy way for the children to get Bran and BR together to talky talk with some small comfort.

I really think all the theory's on Bran and his tree have been blown out of proportion.

[The Red Crow]

Well, he is still a child - if someone tells a child "this is your destiny, stick with it" they are usually inclined to believe it (Even if said statement was true or not). It seemed he was outwardly convinced to stay long term, and so on a certain he personally feels like he will stay there forever.

Then you have the added aspect of him having no other home to go to, and being a cripple.

That being said, I hope he doesn't stay up there, and probably won't. He still has family members remaining (Side note, drove me crazy that he didn't tell Jon that he was alive and nearby, but that is another topic) that he might feel urged to return to, and if the war with the Other's happens or something else, it would be hard to just stay in one spot forever. And who knows, maybe Bloodraven will die sooner than anticipated, leaving a bit of a problem. Or Bran learns there is more dangerous aspects of that world, and resists.

[Silmarien]

The Ghost of High Heart is a CotF, with red eyes (normal CotF have amber eyes), and a greenseer. She isn't hooked up to a weirwood. Why does Bran have to be?

I'd assume he wouldn't need one until he got very old, and would die without the weirwood "life-support".

[Tyrionthebest]

The Ghost of High Heart is a CotF, with red eyes (normal CotF have amber eyes), and a greenseer. She isn't hooked up to a weirwood. Why does Bran have to be?

I'd assume he wouldn't need one until he got very old, and would die without the weirwood "life-support".

Where does it ever say in the books that she is a COTF or a greenseer ? That is just pure speculation .

[ARYa_Nym]

Where does it ever say in the books that she is a COTF or a greenseer ? That is just pure speculation .

It's easy to miss but the Ghost of High Heart is the same one who gave the PWWP prophecy. Barriston informed us in ADWD:

"Why did they wed if they did not love each other? Your grandsire commanded it. A woods witch had told him that the prince was promised would be born of their line." "A woods witch?" Dany was astonished. "She came to court with Jenny of Oldstones. A stunted thing, grotesque to look upon. A dwarf, most people said, though dear to Lady Jenny, who always claimed that she was one of the children of the forest. " "What became of her?" "Summerhal."

The Ghost of High Heart told Arya that she gorged on grief at Summerhal.

& it was said in one of Bran's chapters:

"..Those you call the children of the forest have eyes as golden as the sun, but once in a great while one is born amongst them with eyes as red as blood, or green as the moss on a tree in the heart of the forest. By these signs do the gods mark those they have chosen to receive the gift. The chosen ones are not robust, and their quick years upon earth are few, for every song must have its balance..."

She might not be a greenseer though. I'm not sure but I think she definitely had the potential to be one.

[davidjones2492]

Why do people think Bran will be in that Tree seat forever. Bloodraven is in the seat because he's something like 150 years old and it's KEEPING HIM ALIVE. Bran is in that seat next to him because 1- Bloodraven cannot move for health reasons. 2- Bran can't stand on his own. 3- Bloodraven and Bran need to be within speaking distance so Bran can be educated. 4- Its impolite to ask your student's friend to stand still and hold him up while you completely ignore the friend and teach the student.

The Tree seat is simply the most simply and easy way for the children to get Bran and BR together to talky talk with some small comfort.

I really think all the theory's on Bran and his tree have been blown out of proportion.

Yeah I agree with this,

It was also made clear in one of the Bran chapters that he doesn't need to be in the throne to use the Weirwoods. I can definitely see him returning South in the next book.

As far as I'm converned the only reason why he wouldn't go home when he is trained up would be because the Others have cut him off from the Wall. Otherwise why stay? that cave isn't the most exciting place.

If Bran wishes to extend his years like BR when he is older he can return, or make his own throne in Winterfell

Personally I have a pet theory that Bran's skills may be needed to restore Jon to his original body, although thats just wild speculation on my part.

[Argilac]

I'm at work and don't have my copy of ADwD with me, but isn't there a part in one of Bran's chapters when he is in the cave and his cheek is being poked by a branch, as though the tree wants to entangle itself in him?

I could be totally wrong about this.