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Theories on Benjen Stark


Reynestorm

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After the dramatic plot twist of Benjen not being yet another character, hope for Benjen is diminishing.

I still refuse to believe that GRRM would go all this time just to have him be a dead body that a night's watch guy randomly finds.

So, that leaves us wondering:

Where the hell is Benjen?

My theories are:

-Hooded guy at Winterfell

-Random Wight general that will appear sooner or later

-Has spent the last 5 books out in the wilderness and will return after single-handedly destroying an army of wights, likely while inquiring "So, any stuff happen?"

-Joins a wildling army and marches to the wall

What are your theories about the forgotten Stark?

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I think he is the hooded man at Winterfell and that he is not responsible for the killings and that Big Walder killed Little Walder. I think there is something in Winterfell that Benjen needs maybe in the fight against the Others or is there because maybe there is proof of Jon's parentage in Lyanna's tomb. So I feel that Benjen is not there because he is a deserter, but because he is there after finishing his mission and possibly had help from the COTF in getting there through the rumored secret tunnels of Winterfell. They know Benjen is a Stark and would not betray the secrets of Winterfell to anyone else.


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If he's alive and has just been screwing around up beyond the wall for the last three years, he's highly negligent in his duty. His first duty would've been to warn the NW of the Others before something like say.... the battle at the Fist of the Men happened. I'd have to say that he's probably either a wight, or maybe is going to pull something like the Night's King returned. I do agree that he wouldn't have as much buildup as he did if there wasn't going to be a payoff.


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I would be very very disappointed if Benjen is found dead, or worse if the Benjen case is never elaborated, but I'm sure that GRRM wouldn't create some mysterious disappearance at the start of the books only to completely forget about it and the end. My guess, he has been captured by the Others and is being held prisoner in the lands of always winter.

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A theory of mine is that Osha killed him way back in aGoT or at least she knows what happened to him but she ain't telling. When we first meet Osha, she's travelling with a couple of NW deserters, Wallen and Stiv, and I think they were in Benjen's last ranging party, before he disappeared. One of them says something like, "The boy [bran] is a Stark alright. Only a Stark would threaten when other men would beg". That's downright ominous to me. And then later on Osha says that she killed a crow once.

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I would be very very disappointed if Benjen is found dead, or worse if the Benjen case is never elaborated, but I'm sure that GRRM wouldn't create some mysterious disappearance at the start of the books only to completely forget about it and the end. My guess, he has been captured by the Others and is being held prisoner in the lands of always winter.

The Others kill every crow they see but they capture Benjen because of plot and.... because he's a Stark.

Mmmm, what do the Starks have in their blood that the Others may need it??

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A theory of mine is that Osha killed him way back in aGoT or at least she knows what happened to him but she ain't telling. When we first meet Osha, she's travelling with a couple of NW deserters, Wallen and Stiv, and I think they were in Benjen's last ranging party, before he disappeared. One of them says something like, "The boy [bran] is a Stark alright. Only a Stark would threaten when other men would beg". That's downright ominous to me. And then later on Osha says that she killed a crow once.

I'm only arguing because I really don't want this to be true, but if they had been in his ranging party, they would have known Benjin for a long time. They wouldn't have needed to kill him to know how he behaves in danger

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I think that when he and his group were attacked by the Others Othor & Jafer were slain. That scared Stiv and Wallen into desertion while Benjen fought on (hence Stiv remark about the starks when they attack Bran). I tend to think Benjen survived and will be found alive by Stonesnake. Stonesnake will bring him up-to-date (as much as he can), then they have a long and perilous journey back to the wall...or to a certain cave.


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I think he's alive, but I'm at a loss as to what he's doing or where he is. I lean toward him being nearby, since there always needs to be a Stark in Winterfell...but ?



So guesses.



He is either hooded man and on a greater mission via the tunnels between Winterfell and other side of the wall



OR



He was saved, and went through the tunnels and he's now on the other side of the rubble, deeper in the tunnels digging his way to the crypts with a spoon.



OR



He's a prisoner of the Other's and the king hasn't hurt him because they are related and he wants a warm-blooded buddy.



OR



He has amnesia and a secret baby....but that's unlikely. :)


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The first Other was a Stark. What makes an Other is latent in their blood. That is why they can never be turned into a wights. But a friendly nod on the cheek turn them in to an Other. The truth is, the Others were never "sleeping". They were however much much less then they were 8000 years ago. Until someone (Crester) started populate them again some 50 years ago. Crester of course have Stark blood in his veins. Now the Others numbers start grow stronger and stronger again..


Benjen was caputerd by the Others who immediately knew he was a Stark and brought him to their king, The Night King. The Night King tried to recruit Benjen to their cause. Benjen however refuses to believe this real "King beyond the wall". So instead of turning Benjen he (if turned he cant walk past the wall) tells him to go to the Winterfell crypts wheres proof is to back his story up. And that is what The Hooded man Banjen is doing right now. Winter is coming.


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My theory is that he is even dead or GRRM has something extraordinary for him, something we cannot just guess, and we will be surprised by Benjen's fate. I hope the second one is correct.

First off luv the profile pic! But fuck Benjen, I want to know where stonesnake is! Just kidding, sorta. But seriously I'm rereading thrones now, and if I'm right, I think the Others/Wights stop picking of rangers once benjen was sent out. At least until the fist Of the first. If that's true then maybe the others were trying to lure out the first ranger all along. Maybe they need him to do something only a Stark can do, like a special quest or ritual, or maybe they need him to sacrifice? Whatever happened I'm sure it's going to, or did, have major consequences.

I've been trying to figure out why/how Othor and Jaffers got separated. The only thing I can think of is benjen sent those two back with a message but whatever was happening Benjen felt he had to jeep on going. I think he may have had something to do with the dragon glass ghost found. But why not trust the birds? or maybe Other and Jaffers were killed by wildlings and the rest just didn't have time to bury them, or the ground was to hard so they just buried them in snow?

Whatever the case, we may not actually see benjen, but i think his story will be told.

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A theory of mine is that Osha killed him way back in aGoT or at least she knows what happened to him but she ain't telling. When we first meet Osha, she's travelling with a couple of NW deserters, Wallen and Stiv, and I think they were in Benjen's last ranging party, before he disappeared. One of them says something like, "The boy [bran] is a Stark alright. Only a Stark would threaten when other men would beg". That's downright ominous to me. And then later on Osha says that she killed a crow once.

Damn, I had never thought of that. Awesome idea though. :thumbsup:

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Well... it was said that a Stark had to always be in Winterfell and when they all left Winterfell seemed to die (the springs ran cold). We also know there's power in king's blood.



I think Bran the Builder used the kings blood power to make some impressive magical structures, like Winterfell and Storm's End and... the Wall.



I'm in the thought process that the Others needed Stark blood to bring down the wall. To further this theory, I believe that the Horn of Winter is the one that Jon found by the Fist of the First Men, that Benjen had it from when he visited Winterfell in the fist book, and took it North. He probably didn't know what it was, and when he was captured by the Others the horn fell and the greenseer/CotF buried/guided Jon to the horn. It would also explain the attack on the Fist being the first on the Night's Watch since Benjen because Jon Snow was there? Maybe they are drawn to Stark blood or, more interestingly, the horn (they only attacked after the horn was removed from the dragon glass cache).


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A theory of mine is that Osha killed him way back in aGoT or at least she knows what happened to him but she ain't telling. When we first meet Osha, she's travelling with a couple of NW deserters, Wallen and Stiv, and I think they were in Benjen's last ranging party, before he disappeared. One of them says something like, "The boy [bran] is a Stark alright. Only a Stark would threaten when other men would beg". That's downright ominous to me. And then later on Osha says that she killed a crow once.

Not a bad theory at all and would obviously have implications for Osha if Bran and Rickon found out.

I do think Benjen is dead. Doesn't the (warged) raven say "Dead" when Jon mentions Benjen and what happened to him? The mystery is how he died, but if Osha was involved then that would explain why it's been unexplained up to this point.

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A theory of mine is that Osha killed him way back in aGoT or at least she knows what happened to him but she ain't telling. When we first meet Osha, she's travelling with a couple of NW deserters, Wallen and Stiv, and I think they were in Benjen's last ranging party, before he disappeared. One of them says something like, "The boy [bran] is a Stark alright. Only a Stark would threaten when other men would beg". That's downright ominous to me. And then later on Osha says that she killed a crow once.

Might be. But this one is reassuring:

All Bran could think of was Old Nan’s story of the Others and the last hero, hounded through the white woods by dead men and spiders big as hounds. He was afraid for a moment, until he remembered how that story ended. “The children will help him,” he blurted, “the children of the forest!”

Theon Greyjoy sniggered, and Maester Luwin said, “Bran, the children of the forest have been dead and gone for thousands of years. All that is left of them are the faces in the trees.”
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