Is Benjen Stark Alive?

[ServantOnIce]

Again, why has Martin taken so long in explaining what has happened to Benjen? I don't believe he's Coldhands because Bran would have recognized him in some way (same way folks know that Robert Strong reminds them of Gregor Clegane).

Just spill it out GRRM what happened to Benjen?

[scotcat]

I don't think he's Coldhands, but I'm not certain he's dead either - if for no other reason than there's no body. I have a feeling Benjen will prove to be quite significant in the final two books. I have nothing to base this on other than gut feeling - I could well be proved wrong.

[Serie]

so here's the thing, I'm doing a re-read of ACoK and there's this scene where the NW men are camping on the Fist of the First men. Lord Mormont and Jon are having this conversation about Benjen and here's the dialogue:

“Yes,” said Jon, “but... what if.”

“...he’s (Benjen Stark) dead?” Mormont asked, not unkindly.

Jon nodded, reluctantly.

“Dead,” the raven said. “Dead. Dead.” “He may come to us anyway,” the Old Bear said. “As Othor did, and Jafer Flowers. I dread that

as much as you, Jon, but we must admit the possibility.”

“Dead,” his raven cawed, ruffling its wings. Its voice grew louder and more shrill. “Dead.”

in case the theory that the Bloodraven wargs LC Mormont's raven is true, then this raven knows something. And our dear uncle is dead. Or as dead as Othor was anyway....

[chris999]

We need a Stark to become the next Nightsking. It will either be Benjen or Snow.

Of course everyone thinks that Jon is Azor Azai(I hope not), so that leaves Benjen.

[Nym_Stark]

I'm so looking forward to knowing what happened to Benjen, at this point it's too difficult to guess and I do hope he's alive somewhere beyond the Wall with the Children of the Forest protecting and helping him. He may have a major role for the reconstruction of the North and the Night's Watch.

Besides, I don't think he's Coldhands, Bran who have recognized his uncle, starving or not, tired or not, worried about his friends or not. Bran has already seen him, not once I believe, and at least at the dinner in honor of the King Robert.

[the trees have eyes]

I think Benjen is dead and will not turn up as a wight, a warg or anything else.

I wanted to believe that GRRM's constant references to him since AGOT are to keep him fresh in our minds so we aren't too disbelieving when he does re-appear.

I wanted to believe that he left the cloak, horn and dragonglass that Jon found by The Fist of The First Men.

And I particularly wanted to believe that he and his surviving men had met up with and been sheltered by the children of the forest.

I believe that GRRM was angling down this path but in the end decided it didn't work and ditched it. Bear in mind that he has been writing ASOIAF for best part of 20 years and how he intended to develop it went Benjen went missing in AGOT might not be how he intends to develop it now.

Bran has found the children of the forest and the three eyed crow but not a hint of his uncle. I agree there is no literary reason to have Coldhands actually be Benjen but for Martin not reveal it to us and for Bran to be ignorant of it. Surely Brynden or the children would tell him if he didn't recognise him?

The only slim chance left for Benjen is that when we travel north into the lands of always winter we find him but without the protection of the children / Brynden I can't see how he can have survived. If he is hidden in a warded cave like Bran I rather think Bran would have found him or the Children / Brynden made him aware.

Also, as for the ideas that Children of the Forest are connected to the Others and that Benjen, Bran or even Jon will join or lead the Others who are just misunderstood really - eh? These aren't the books I'm reading!

The question I really want answered from ADWD is who the men in black were who were following Bran and Coldhands and why Coldhands killed them. When Bran confronts him and says he knows they were Nights Watch and that the ravens killed them Coldhands simply states they were foes.

This doesn't quite make sense to me. Given Bran and party are starving and are presumably very far north by now I don't see who is following them or why. The conclusion I came to but don't like is that Coldhands didn't find a sow and feed that to Bran and the Reeds: he served them up human flesh but the editor thought this was too much and blurred it for publicaiton (somewhat like Theon's castration).

If Coldhands really sees Nights Watch as enemies what's the deal with Brynden being former Nights Watch himself? Very confusing picture but it doesn't bode well for finding Benjen alive further north.

[Charles Stuart]

I think benjen was the hooded figure theon saw at winterfell.

[gordong11]

Great board!!

Ok, what are the odds Benjen has become a whitewalker, and somehow strikes a deal with Jon to capture kings landing/Westeros. We do know whitewalkers can be bargained with.... Craster managed it after all.

reading Dragons now..no spoilers plz

[from the arbor]

I have a feeling Benjen ends up on the iron throne

[Bushido]

In ACoK,in the same scene where Mormont's raven is especially chatty (King,King and looking at Jon) he also repeats -dead,dead,dead- when Jon and Old Bear are discussing Benjen's fate. (he may be dead,boy -dead,dead,dead)

[kneo]

In ACoK,in the same scene where Mormont's raven is especially chatty (King,King and looking at Jon) he also repeats -dead,dead,dead- when Jon and Old Bear are discussing Benjen's fate. (he may be dead,boy -dead,dead,dead)

That's his favorite word, so of course he is repeating it often and loudly, especially after Mormont says it out loud.

[Bushido]

That's his favorite word, so of course he is repeating it often and loudly, especially after Mormont says it out loud.

Omg. How would you know that??!!!

[Puck the Goat]

I'm not sure if he'll lead the Others, but I do seem him as a servant/officer in their gang.

[Sir Omkar]

Relly difficult to say what GRRM has in mind, but I sincerely hope that he's alive (and not as a wight).

[Jonaerys]

Not really feeling the whole Benjen is Coldhands theory. Bran most certainly would have recognized him. I want to believe he is alive deep in my heart but without anyone seeing him since AGOT I think he may be a goner. Who knows though if anyone can survive beyond the wall and in the lands of always Winter, its a Stark!

[rmholt]

I think Benjen is dead and will not turn up as a wight, a warg or anything else.

I wanted to believe that GRRM's constant references to him since AGOT are to keep him fresh in our minds so we aren't too disbelieving when he does re-appear.

I wanted to believe that he left the cloak, horn and dragonglass that Jon found by The Fist of The First Men.

I think benjen was the hooded figure theon saw at winterfell.

Currently my crackpottery is that Benjen left the cloak with the stuff and then for some unrevealed reason snuck off to Winterfell. Maybe Brynden told him what was going on there. There must always be a Stark in Winterfell. Maybe Grendels tunnels (or Brynden's tunnels) reach to the lower levels of the crypts of Winterfell. We know they are there but we havent seen them yet. He came out as the Hooded Man - fits with his words to Theon which sound more like they came from a betrayed Stark or some other northern highborn than anyone else - and killed LW - why? Give me a little time - I'll think of something. The Walders knew how to get in the crypts - Rickon showed them. Maybe LW went into the lower levels and had to be killed.

He wrapped it in the cloak bc he knew he didnt want to be wearing that cloak south of the Wall. Maybe not North of it either.

[GhostofSummer]

He was referring to himself because he dared to imagine the death of his uncle. Shortly before he had the conversation with Tyrion about love/hatred of your family. Jon felt very guilty because he knew that he had been jealous of Robb's position and Tyrion knew it too.

Jon's not the greenseer of the group, but he may get sent some dreams by one.

That being said: I am not sure Benjen Stark is dead, simply because we haven't seen his body. It would have been easy to stumble across his body during the ranging in CoK and a neat way to finish that story line.

He was vanishing at a very convenient time as well: He wasn't around when all the bad stuff happened to the Stark family; he could neither protect Jon nor compete with him for LC (would have been no competition too ). But if you just need him out of the way, why not kill him neatly?

Since we know that there's more to Benjen joining the NW than meets the eye, I guess his story is not yet done. I was theorizing that his reason is connected to the elopement of Lyanna, namely that he supported it. We know from the accounting of the Harrenhal tournament that he was closest among her brothers to her. That impression is backed by new evidence.

For that reason I also believe that he knows about Jon's parentage even if Ned didn't tell him. Less sure about Jon being legit. Therefore he shouldn't be around when a succession war is going on in the realm.

He won't be Coldhands though, I betcha!

Agree with this too. GRRM doesn't do offscreen/ambiguous deaths.. I think the fact that he hasn't been seen since Book 1 makes him MORE LIKELY to still be out there somewhere.

If WoW is going to be heavy on the North, White Walkers, and lands way north of the Wall, etc., this would be a perfect time for Benjen to reappear.

Captive of the White Walkers?

[Swiftraven]

I don't think he's Coldhands, at least. That's probably someone Bloodraven has known for a long time...

I have a feeling Bran is going to see what happened to Benjen through a weirwood tree.

[Mran Zark]

I think the cold hands is benjen, before he dies, he swear his oath to third eye crow to protect the new greenseer but was killed by wights. He didn't tell Bran because he wanted him to search for third eye crow and didn't want Bran's emotions stirred him in the practice. But he becomes wight with soul bound by third eye crow.

[Scipio Africanus]

I honestly can't say if he's alive or not. You'd think not but...stranger things have happened.

That he wasn't directly killed off is just another herring for his reader to enjoy and endlessly discuss on forums.

They WHY that he joined the NW is less mysterious. He knew about R+L=J and probably fathered a bastard himself somewhere. Considering Eddard getting everything plus the girl he figured he might's well joint the NW and get some honour there, plus no one would ask about Jonny.

Also, the WHY he hasn't reappeared yet, is also not a big mystery. If he did pop up soon, he would've been chosen LC and would've told Jon about his parents. Now, in a normal book this would of course have happened, but Martin is dragging is story over 7 books or more, can't then have Benjen spoonfeeding one of the biggest plot pillars of the series to Jon and the reader so soon.

I'm convinced he isn't Coldhands though. For one Coldhands knows the Old tongue which Benjen probably didn't know (I doubt any rangers knew that tongue, except Wildlings who had joined the NW ranks). The other thing is that Bran totally didn't recognize Coldhands. He would've known what Benjen looked like, he met him only a few months before.