Theories on Benjen Stark

[Joe Pine]

With Benjen, my thinking is where did he go?

The assumption is North and further North. He's been searched for by a succession of the NW's rangers, there's no trace or sign of him.

For me, that means he went south and for whatever reason, left on a ranging and decided he needed something in the south, my guess is at the Oldtown, at least initially.

[The Broke Howard Hughes]

If Benjen really IS dead then he's a wight and when Roose/Littlefinger/Ramsay or whoever, escapes justice in the main tale they show up in the epilogue only to be killed by Benjen the wight. The kick is they won't recognize him or him them, but it'll be Stark justice none the less.

[~No One~]

If Benjen really IS dead then he's a wight and when Roose/Littlefinger/Ramsay or whoever, escapes justice in the main tale they show up in the epilogue only to be killed by Benjen the wight. The kick is they won't recognize him or him them, but it'll be Stark justice none the less.

"...then he's a wight and when [insert character you want to see die here] escape justice....killed by Benjen the wight."

:D I like it

[Daemon Blackfyre IV]

what comes first i forget, Benjen disappearing or the Dragon's hatching ?

[Daemon Blackfyre IV]

i also cant remember does Benjen find out about Ned before he leaves its been so long

[Ser Cold Fingers]

Dragons Hatched at the end of AGoT. Benjen disappeared during AGoT.

But The Others appeared in the Prologue to AGoT...which means, to me, some form of magic was returning prior to that.

If the Wildlings killed Benjen...then they most likely burned his body.

If the Others killed Benjen...then he is most likely a Wight.

If Bejen is still alive...then he most likely, IMO, is with the CotF...but didn't Leaf say that they were the last of the CotF?

[Veltigar]

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.

That's actually a pretty great theory. Like most people, I suspected that Benjen would wind up as a prologue character, but since that will be in the Riverlands, I think that's off the table. GRRM did say he was going to give Osha a bigger storyline, if she did this than it would certainly be easy for GRRM to elaborate on it. Perhaps she was the one to bury Benjen's cloak with the obsidian at the fist of the first men.

[Ser Cold Fingers]

That's actually a pretty great theory. Like most people, I suspected that Benjen would wind up as a prologue character, but since that will be in the Riverlands, I think that's off the table. GRRM did say he was going to give Osha a bigger storyline, if she did this than it would certainly be easy for GRRM to elaborate on it. Perhaps she was the one to bury Benjen's cloak with the obsidian at the fist of the first men.

I could get behind the Osha killed Benjen theory. Actually...I think the timing works out well. I'll need to check the timeline but I do like it!

I think it was Brynden Rivers through Coldhands who buried the cloak with the obsidian and horn at the Fist of the First men...IIRC, Ghost was acting strange and it 'smelled cold'. And Jon thought that the ground was freshly disturbed as if someone had recently buried it. If Osha buried it, wouldn't the ground had hardened somewhat been harder to dig up?

[Veltigar]

I could get behind the Osha killed Benjen theory. Actually...I think the timing works out well. I'll need to check the timeline but I do like it!

I think it was Brynden Rivers through Coldhands who buried the cloak with the obsidian and horn at the Fist of the First men...IIRC, Ghost was acting strange and it 'smelled cold'. And Jon thought that the ground was freshly disturbed as if someone had recently buried it. If Osha buried it, wouldn't the ground had hardened somewhat been harder to dig up?

That could very well be. I'm just speculating on what GRRM would use to elaborate Osha's storyline :-) I mean, if she killed Benjen (or even if she just knows what happened to him) that's all ready quite a big deal. How would GRRM elaborate on that? Of course, GRRM might have been blowing smoke up our arses and planned for Osha's big reveal all along. That's probably more like it.

[Ser Cold Fingers]

That could very well be. I'm just speculating on what GRRM would use to elaborate Osha's storyline :-) I mean, if she killed Benjen (or even if she just knows what happened to him) that's all ready quite a big deal. How would GRRM elaborate on that? Of course, GRRM might have been blowing smoke up our arses and planned for Osha's big reveal all along. That's probably more like it.

Very true. I honestly didn't even consider the Osha theory before now. If it has been mentioned before, I missed it until this thread.

[Veltigar]

Very true. I honestly didn't even consider the Osha theory before now. If it has been mentioned before, I missed it until this thread.

This was the first time I came across it. It never really crossed my mind before. I have had quite an aversion for the whole Benjen debate because all the ridiculous CH=Benjen theories going around and Osha was always a bit of a bland character, so I didn't really pay attention to her story. The way Jon of the (Evil) Dead mentions it does set off my spidersense :) Plus, I do think it would work well dramatically. That's a first for a Benjen theory.

[Mithras]

I think a better theory about Osha is that she is sister of Tormund Giantsbane because she told Bran that her brother slew a giant.

I do not think that she has anything to do with the obsidian cache.

[redriver]

Redwyn.

[howardh51]

Benjen is way up North... As GRRM has stated - "what lies really north..." What other POV can explain that??? Non other than BenJen...

Has GRRM mentioned anything about new POV's? Or will Bran "go" further north and finally find Mr. BenJen???

• 
  

  "You're definitely going to see more of the Others in The Winds of Winter… What lies really north in my books—we haven't explored that yet, but we will in the last two books." (source).

  
  
  
• 
  

  More Others, paraphrased: "We probably won't get the POV from an Other, but we will find out more about them (history, motives, etc.)" (source.

  
  
  
• 
  

  GRRM: "(We’ll learn more about their) history, certainly, but I don’t know about culture. I don’t know if they have a culture.”" (source)

  
  
  

[Ser Cold Fingers]

Benjen is way up North... As GRRM has stated - "what lies really north..." What other POV can explain that??? Non other than BenJen...

Has GRRM mentioned anything about new POV's? Or will Bran "go" further north and finally find Mr. BenJen???

• "You're definitely going to see more of the Others in The Winds of Winter… What lies really north in my books—we haven't explored that yet, but we will in the last two books." (source).

• More Others, paraphrased: "We probably won't get the POV from an Other, but we will find out more about them (history, motives, etc.)" (source.

GRRM: "(We’ll learn more about their) history, certainly, but I don’t know about culture. I don’t know if they have a culture.”" (source)

GRRM has said there will be no new POV characters in TWoW (except for Prologue/Epilogue). The Prologue will be in the Riverlands and Jeyne Westerling will be in the Prologue but not the POV...so this eliminates Benjen as that POV.

[DarkSister1001]

I think the next time we see Benjen will be through Bran/WW net.

[I S**t Gold]

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.

That's a really great theory mate. Only answer to the 'where is Benjen?' question I've ever been convinced by. Thanks for sharing.

[RightfulHeir]

I think that Benjen Stark is in fact Coldhands. This is slightly crackpot but the way I see it, it is possible. Coldhands is described as some sort of Wight, now if you believe the theory, "Bolt-on," then you would see how it could have been Benjen. Before you question who Benjen would have posed as, consider that he could have been Benjen Stark (father of Rickon Stark) and then died at that time-possibly while visiting the wall. Then he would have been reanimated as a Wight but the Others would have no control over him because of the fact that he is a Stark. This is part of my theory because Leaf says, "They killed him a long time ago." He then could have posed as any number of the servants at Winterfell, masking himself the whole time-likely by flaying people and wearing their skin, which he might have learned from some particularly savage wildlings.

This is where things get really ridiculous-shortly after joining the Night's Watch, Benjen (son of Rickard) and anyone with him get attacked by wildlings, Benjen (father of Rickon) hears of this news and then finds him takes his skin and poses as Benjen (son of Rickard) thus dismissing the attack as a rumour. Then when Benjen and his party are sent out to investigate the attack in the prologue, Benjen's party encounter Others, Benjen is the only survivor-by running off after everyone else dies-but he received several gashes in "his" skin so he decides that it is time for him to hide out in the Lands of Always Winter. He does however leave the face because it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

While roaming the Lands of Always Winter, he sees a cave but cannot enter. After enough shouting of frustration, one of the Children of the Forest notice and go outside of the cave to catch him up. Eventually the Three-Eyed-Crow convinces him-through one of the Children since he can't move-to help Bran Stark. He also learns Jon Snow's true parentage through this method, R+L=J

This accounts for why Bran doesn't recognize him because he is hooded and refused to show his face. He refuses to show his identity because he needs to keep that secret to avoid blowing his cover-Bran has communicated through weirwoods before and he doesn't want to reveal his identity just yet.

Finally, he travels south to the wall where he tells Jon about his true parentage revealing himself as his uncle Benjen and not his great great great great great great great grandfather-yes that is correct I counted.

I just realized that I skipped a part. Benjen (son of Rickard) joined the Night's Watch after Eddard told him that R+L=J. Thus removing any chance of Benjen being killed in a future war of succession in Jon's name.

So I support the belief that Coldhands=Benjen Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North=Benjen Stark, First Ranger of the Night's Watch.

[Ser Cold Fingers]

I think that Benjen Stark is in fact Coldhands. This is slightly crackpot but the way I see it, it is possible. Coldhands is described as some sort of Wight, now if you believe the theory, "Bolt-on," then you would see how it could have been Benjen. Before you question who Benjen would have posed as, consider that he could have been Benjen Stark (father of Rickon Stark) and then died at that time-possibly while visiting the wall. Then he would have been reanimated as a Wight but the Others would have no control over him because of the fact that he is a Stark. This is part of my theory because Leaf says, "They killed him a long time ago." He then could have posed as any number of the servants at Winterfell, masking himself the whole time-likely by flaying people and wearing their skin, which he might have learned from some particularly savage wildlings.

This is where things get really ridiculous-shortly after joining the Night's Watch, Benjen (son of Rickard) and anyone with him get attacked by wildlings, Benjen (father of Rickon) hears of this news and then finds him takes his skin and poses as Benjen (son of Rickard) thus dismissing the attack as a rumour. Then when Benjen and his party are sent out to investigate the attack in the prologue, Benjen's party encounter Others, Benjen is the only survivor-by running off after everyone else dies-but he received several gashes in "his" skin so he decides that it is time for him to hide out in the Lands of Always Winter. He does however leave the face because it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

While roaming the Lands of Always Winter, he sees a cave but cannot enter. After enough shouting of frustration, one of the Children of the Forest notice and go outside of the cave to catch him up. Eventually the Three-Eyed-Crow convinces him-through one of the Children since he can't move-to help Bran Stark. He also learns Jon Snow's true parentage through this method, R+L=J

This accounts for why Bran doesn't recognize him because he is hooded and refused to show his face. He refuses to show his identity because he needs to keep that secret to avoid blowing his cover-Bran has communicated through weirwoods before and he doesn't want to reveal his identity just yet.

Finally, he travels south to the wall where he tells Jon about his true parentage revealing himself as his uncle Benjen and not his great great great great great great great grandfather-yes that is correct I counted.

I just realized that I skipped a part. Benjen (son of Rickard) joined the Night's Watch after Eddard told him that R+L=J. Thus removing any chance of Benjen being killed in a future war of succession in Jon's name.

So I support the belief that Coldhands=Benjen Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North=Benjen Stark, First Ranger of the Night's Watch.

But GRRM inadvertently confirmed Benjen is not Coldhands.

[wolfmaid7]

My Outlander version of the mystery of Benjen Stark

"People disappear all the time. Ask any policeman member of the Nights Watch. Better yet. ask a journalist Osha. Disappearances are bread-and-butter to journalists Singers.

Young girls run away from home. Young children stray from their parents men go out from their fires and are never seen again......

Many of the lost will be found, eventually, dead or "alive". Disappearances, after all, have explanations....

Usually (Diana Gabaldon,Outlander).

1.Poor Benjen will probably be one of so many in the story who went out and never return.Another disappearance

2.He's the Hooded Man in WF