Rickon's Role

[TheHeirToDorne]

I've always thought Sansa might end up continuing the Tully line if Edmure never resurfaces. In that case, the Stark children are next in line to inherit Riverrun (seriously did the previous generation of great lords not realize that marrying off their kids to other great houses would cause messy inheritance like this?)

[WhitewolfStark]

I've always thought Sansa might end up continuing the Tully line if Edmure never resurfaces. In that case, the Stark children are next in line to inherit Riverrun (seriously did the previous generation of great lords not realize that marrying off their kids to other great houses would cause messy inheritance like this?)

It was Hoster's way of securing his borders by ensuring that two of this five borders could provide backup if things "turned south" so to speak with the other three, which they traditionally did for the Riverlands. However his ideal positioning also required Edmure and Brynden to both be married by this point and with their own branches of the Tully family. Instead Hoster got an unruly stubborn brother and a floppy fish for a son.

[Hippocras]

My money is on Sansa becoming the Lady of Winterfell.

I think this is possible - that or queen. The controversial part of how my prediction leans is that if she does I think she will still be married to Tyrion. I think at this point Tyrion would throw away his Lannister identity gladly, and there is a lot pointing to his fate being tied to the North and the rebuilding of Winterfell and the Wall.

However I think she may also become queen, in which case she would not be married to Tyrion - he would take responsibility for his crimes, agree to annul his marriage and become LC of the Watch, while she would become queen of Westeros. In which case, either Rickon would live and become Lord of Winterfell or Bran would return. This feels less likely ATM.

[Masha]

The Stark who would end up with Winterfell would be either Rickon (most likely) or Sansa.

Bran will probably never make it from the North of the Wall, at least in the same form as he went in, Arya can't come back as a Lady after her FM training, and whether Jon stays on the Wall, dies heroically, becomes unJon, or gets the throne - he will never get Winterfell.

Sansa will find her fate and/or happiness south

[aryagonnakill#2]

Don't forget that the Starks are also in line after Edmure for Harrenhall, which Edmure technically inherited when Lady Whent bit the dust.

[WhitewolfStark]

Personally I don't see Sansa lasting until the end. At some point she'll come to a head with her development and fully flower and then in a big send off she'll die. I don't see it as a pointless death more as a purposeful one that'll mark the development of her character. Again, the legend who dies and is well remembered afterwards sort of story line as the other poster mentioned. Personally while she might be traded in marriage a few more times, I think Sansa will ultimately end up as the "Virgin Wolf" so to speak. The events with Littlefinger and Lysa parallel similar events in Elizabeth I's childhood with Thomas Seymour and Catherine Parr--and Sweetrobin is an interesting reinterpretation of Edward VI if that's the case. Likewise, Sansa has been learning that how one conducts oneself reflects upon how you're treated, and all the plots in secret, etc. All of these lessons were very vital to Elizabeth I's life and survival as she too moved from a girl forgotten at court after having watched a parent be beheaded and fall from political grace to political ignorance, and learn and grow after many challenges. So I can easily see Sansa being "the Virgin Wolf" who makes a strong show and plays a role while playing political games. I think she'll emerge as a real player in TWOW, by the end of the novel having outgrown Littlefinger and she'll go into ADOS at a kind of high point for her character.

But ultimately I don't see her surviving to the end in this series. She'll make it to the final book, but die somewhere between the beginning and the final pages.

Though I do wonder if the Elizabeth I parallels continue to roll in if she'll find her own equivalent to executing Mary Stuart by perhaps being responsible for the death of one of her siblings (whom she'll think is false), and that being the beginning of her downfall, but I'm not sure about that speculation personally. I used to be more fearful that it would happen, but now I'm starting to question it.

[Big Daddy]

In the original plotline, I don't believe Rickon even EXISTED, let alone not surviving. Every Stark kid was mentioned in those 3 pages except Rickon. So I think GRRM threw him in mid-stream, had no idea what to do with him, and shipped him off to Skagos for future relavence.

This is what I believe. Martin hadn't created him at the outset of his writing, and added Rickon and put him away or safe keeping. "There must always be a Stark in Winterfell" and all that. Perhaps he wasn't sure when he started writing what the end game for all of the male Starks was going to be, so he created one he could install as Lord of Winterfell at the end of the series. The story isn't about Rickon, and he's not really important to it, other than his place at the end so the family name can go on.

[Liz Stark-Targaryen]

This is what I believe. Martin hadn't created him at the outset of his writing, and added Rickon and put him away or safe keeping. "There must always be a Stark in Winterfell" and all that. Perhaps he wasn't sure when he started writing what the end game for all of the male Starks was going to be, so he created one he could install as Lord of Winterfell at the end of the series. The story isn't about Rickon, and he's not really important to it, other than his place at the end so the family name can go on.

:agree: This seems to be the case. A Stark in safekeeping, so to speak...

[Brother Seamus]

:agree: This seems to be the case. A Stark in safekeeping, so to speak...

yes, but: it's pretty clear that GRRM is still working out the story, making it up as he goes along. some of the main points remain from the original conception, but I think that with very few exceptions everything is up for grabs.

and I think Rickon coming back from Skagos with Davos and a force of Skagosi and perhaps others (not "Others"), and then playing a major role in the story in the north, as a kind of figure-head leader of the northern opposition to the Boltons, is something GRRM decided on and planted the seeds for in the second book.

[Isobel Harper]

It was Hoster's way of securing his borders by ensuring that two of this five borders could provide backup if things "turned south" so to speak with the other three, which they traditionally did for the Riverlands. However his ideal positioning also required Edmure and Brynden to both be married by this point and with their own branches of the Tully family. Instead Hoster got an unruly stubborn brother and a floppy fish for a son.

He got Roslin pregnant on their wedding night. Not too "floppy" if you ask me. :P

[Marcel]

Rickon has the same role as Benjen Stark.

[JonisHenryTudor]

Personally I don't see Sansa lasting until the end. At some point she'll come to a head with her development and fully flower and then in a big send off she'll die. I don't see it as a pointless death more as a purposeful one that'll mark the development of her character. Again, the legend who dies and is well remembered afterwards sort of story line as the other poster mentioned. Personally while she might be traded in marriage a few more times, I think Sansa will ultimately end up as the "Virgin Wolf" so to speak. The events with Littlefinger and Lysa parallel similar events in Elizabeth I's childhood with Thomas Seymour and Catherine Parr--and Sweetrobin is an interesting reinterpretation of Edward VI if that's the case. Likewise, Sansa has been learning that how one conducts oneself reflects upon how you're treated, and all the plots in secret, etc. All of these lessons were very vital to Elizabeth I's life and survival as she too moved from a girl forgotten at court after having watched a parent be beheaded and fall from political grace to political ignorance, and learn and grow after many challenges. So I can easily see Sansa being "the Virgin Wolf" who makes a strong show and plays a role while playing political games. I think she'll emerge as a real player in TWOW, by the end of the novel having outgrown Littlefinger and she'll go into ADOS at a kind of high point for her character.

But ultimately I don't see her surviving to the end in this series. She'll make it to the final book, but die somewhere between the beginning and the final pages.

Though I do wonder if the Elizabeth I parallels continue to roll in if she'll find her own equivalent to executing Mary Stuart by perhaps being responsible for the death of one of her siblings (whom she'll think is false), and that being the beginning of her downfall, but I'm not sure about that speculation personally. I used to be more fearful that it would happen, but now I'm starting to question it.

See I actually do not believe any more Stark children will die. I don't think they end the story controlling the world, but I think they make it to the end.

[Lord Damian]

Rickon will not have to really do a lot except be a rallying person. His wolf being warged by him could do a lot of damage. Yes, though, a sister like Sansa helping him and guiding him would be great and if she continues to have such bad luck with guys, she may just chuck the whole marrying thing and stay at her home and raise her brother etc. However, I think she may not marry Harry the heir but possible be the Queen of Aegon Vi as he is going to need Vale armies to secure the Iron throne, the Golden company and Dorne will not be enough. Sansa will be there when Cersei falls.

Rickon, I can see arriving with the Glover / Manderyly forces along with Davos and they are the deciding factor in the battle of Ice/Winterfell.

[Isobel Harper]

Rickon will not have to really do a lot except be a rallying person. His wolf being warged by him could do a lot of damage. Yes, though, a sister like Sansa helping him and guiding him would be great and if she continues to have such bad luck with guys, she may just chuck the whole marrying thing and stay at her home and raise her brother etc. However, I think she may not marry Harry the heir but possible be the Queen of Aegon Vi as he is going to need Vale armies to secure the Iron throne, the Golden company and Dorne will not be enough. Sansa will be there when Cersei falls.

Rickon, I can see arriving with the Glover / Manderyly forces along with Davos and they are the deciding factor in the battle of Ice/Winterfell.

I think that Sansa is too dutiful to go against her brother over power or to a prince/king that would contest Rickon's rights to being king. However, with Stannis trying to lay claim to the North, we'll likely see the North short some weirwood trees in WoW. And with Rickon soon to be in Stannis' possession, the North will have little power to stop him. Then, I can see Sansa being forced into the decision to either declare herself Queen of the North or Queen Regent, or marry herself to another king (if possible) in order to ally herself with an even greater power that can defend Rickon and her Gods.

As for Harry the Heir, I think it's as likely that Sansa will marry Harry as it is Aegon will marry Daenerys. That is, very unlikely. Overall, I see her role being a "mother" to Rickon, either as a guardian or as Queen Regent, or both.

Speaking of Aegon though... it will be interesting to see how others react to a boy thought to be dead coming out of hiding with his direwolf being the most significant proof of his identity. Reminds me of another boy who might need a dragon as proof of his identity.

[lom678]

Davos will kidnap Rickon and Osha will be burned as a usurper. Peace.

[JonisHenryTudor]

I tend to think of Rickon as a knight or a warrior based on his personality, and I think he will become one when he is older.

I do think he will be used as some sort of "rally point" for the north.

How old is Rickon now?

[Isobel Harper]

I tend to think of Rickon as a knight or a warrior based on his personality, and I think he will become one when he is older.

I do think he will be used as some sort of "rally point" for the north.

How old is Rickon now?

He's 5.

[Lord Cadwan]

I agree with a theory I saw that says Rickon is the Prince that was Promised and will lead hordes of Northmen and Skagosi tho the ends of the Earth from the back of Shaggydog. As that prophecy has not been completed yet and George likes to mix things up a crazy little kid burning all in his path seems as likely to me as anything else.

[Swordofthemornin]

Rickons direwolf is black, the nights watch are the black brothers who reside at Castle Black, Rickon is destined to take the Black

[Lazy Sparrow]

With all the emphasis on Rickon's wildness I suspect he, or Shaggydog on his behalf, will do something terrible by the end out of anger and frustration. Possibly kill Davos and/or doom Stannis's cause, for instance. At least, I suspect something of that sort was the original plan, when Rickon would have been older by this point.