Bran

[Pliskin]

To me it seems most likely that Bran will fly on the back of a dragon.

Not on his back. He will warg a dragon.

[Westerirei]

Bran will be Kwisatz Haderach. I'm sure of it.

[redriver]

Bit of a head scratcher trying to work out how Bran got involved with Asha.

Possibly Bran found out about what was happening in the vicinity of Stannis' host via the trees.The wildlings carved faces on numerous trees in the area,if memory serves.

He could then have communicated with her by flying to her in a warged raven with a letter attached.Presuming they have means of writing in that cave.

[NymeriaStark]

Well regardless of if the people realize the ravens are useful or not -- they do seem to have some influence on events. In this newly released chapter the ravens start saying "tree" and "Theon" just before Asha ever enters the room and then suddenly Asha wants to bring Theon to a weirwood to have him executed. I don't think Bran or Bloodraven is warging into Asha, but they somehow certainly are manipulating the events.

This. This was my major clue, but for a different reason than you stated. Why on earth would a daughter of the Kraken suggest her blood-brother be executed like a Northman? No, Asha would want a drowning for Theon - even if she isn't pious or religious.. she's still a Greyjoy of Pyke. Her "soft" brother bothered her for much of the previous books based on exactly that, his "softness." The fact she even suggested such a death for him, in her empathy & horror of his current state, means she's being used like a pawn... or perhaps she has become an ally to those who can get her out of Stannis's camp: Bran + BR.

Personally, I can't wait to see what powers Bran can use and how he will utilize them.

This walks me right in to the next subject. See.. back when only 3 books were out and these forums were on ezboards, I had over 2,000 posts.. but lost interest in theorizing since it took the books so long to come out. Since ADWD was released, my interest as piqued again so I'm brand new to these 'new' boards... and oh my. The theories that have cropped up in the past 6 years, lol. So forgive me if I end up repeating something that's been said a bajillion times. I remember how annoying that was.

The most surprising theory-to-date is this most recent one:

"Bran/BR are evil/dark/Others"

Whaaaaa? One of my favorite things to do with this series is come up with crackpot theories if you can argue a possible-logical explanation as to how you came by your theory. But maaaan, I think this is the worst yet! There are so many tiny clues that point in the OPPOSITE direction, it makes me wonder how this theory came to be in the first place.

Then again, Martin may make me eat my words, lol. <_<

The dark and ominous disposition we are left with at the end of the Bran chaptersin ADwD has lead to some readers on these boards to make the same assumption that Melisandre has made: The red eye and Wolf boy in her flames represent the darkness we associate with The Others, and that she associates with the enemies of R'Lhor. Not to mention, Lord Brynden speaks to Bran of embracing the "darkness".

I'm sure GRRM wants it to be confusing, or at least ambiguous, but I just can't bring myself to thinking Lord Brynden and the Children of the Forest are aligned with The Others and are taking Bran with them. Unless, perhaps, the end game is just a big ol' cleansing of Westeros.

This. Yes. I agree.

Theon used Winterfell gently?

Putting aside the men he killed when he entered: He has Mikken stabbed in the hall for mouthing off, Septon Chaylde drowned for his god, theatens Farlen with his daughter's rape unless he helps track Bran & Rickon, kills the miller's wife and children, kills Farlen when he needs a fall guy for his murders of his own men, then gives Farlen's aforementioned daughter to "Reek" in exchange for more men. Oh, and he puts Beth Cassel in a noose.

He looks good in comparison to Ramsay Snow I'll grant...

Look. Theon had classic daddy issues. He was treated poorly by ole Balon for his entire life, and KNEW when he went back he would have no respect from his family due to his length of time in the green lands. I am one of many that believes Theon truly loved the Starks as his own brothers. He truly loved Robb & Bran and felt at home there.. but he was young and confused & tried to prove himself to daddy. He fucked up. He did something stupid, that's true. But since then he has definitely realized his mistake.

Characters change in books. It's what they do. And our Theon, with Ramsay's help, has definitely changed. Methinks his role will be extremely important in the upcoming books as I think he will do everything in his power to help what Starks remain. I can see it now.. when he realizes Bran is alive and powerful, he will fall to his knees in tears of joy.. forgiving himself, finally. Perhaps Martin isn't this kind of writer, perhaps I have my own dreams, but the clues we've been given so far make me FEEL this.

Theon might die eventually.. but he'll die for the Starks. Not for Stannis or the Boltons. Besides... if Ramsay's letter IS true, he's still looking for his wife and his Reek, which means they got away.

Happy thinking? Haha ;)

[Eddward Stark]

Great post, NymeriaStark

Characters change in books.

I think that's one of the prevailing themes of this series. After the first book, I wanted Jaime to die and felt so bad for Catelyn. Now I sort of want whatever Catelyn became to die (once and for all) and I feel bad for Jaime. Crazy, right?? Regarding Theon, I agree with you 100%. He's suffered a great deal for being an idiot and taking Winterfell to gain daddy's praise.

[chrisdaw]

I missed this on the first read through, but it seems rather important. At the end of the chapter when Asha suggests how to execute Theon it stirs the Ravens. One Raven cries only "Theon", the other "Tree". Bran for Theon, BR for tree perhaps.

[4812622]

Bran will be Kwisatz Haderach. I'm sure of it.

I laughed.

Anyway, I think it's quite clear Theon is on the way to redemption, and is definitely not going to die via being executed by Stannis in the beginning of the book. Whether he'll live the series is a lot more questionable.

[Maester of Puppets]

I came across a quote today...and it SCREAMS Bran:

The fact that he's sitting there in this cave at the top of the world, the very embodiment of the North and winter and crows and the old gods and the weirwoods...and names his wolf SUMMER?

Just had to share...

[Brynden Bloodraven]

For all the talk of Bran walking a dark path, becoming the Great Other, etc. I find so far that GRRM is unwilling to define things in terms so blatant as GOOD vs EVIL. I think he will be addressing larger concerns that may seem evil, but perhaps be for the greater good of the realm.

This is always a struggle that characters who gain power have to face. This is why I can't necessarily label Varys as "evil", because despite his methods, he may have the greater good of the realm in mind (more likely a power grab, but that remains to be seen). We see Jon wrestling with this time and again, and he is stabbed for it because his brothers cannot fathom his alliance with the Free Folk being for the greater good.

One problem I have is that Bloodraven is presented as such a menacing presence in Dunk and Egg. This could be very clever storytelling--even then, he wielded a power that few understood, so it was likely that the smallfolk labeled him as an evil sorcerer. As my namesake proves, I think Bloodraven is awesome, and in the end, a force for good (though at the expense of things we, as short-sighted mortals, may prize).

[Brynden Bloodraven]

Master of Puppets:

"In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer."

That's a beautiful quote.

I find it being more of an over-arching theme for how our heroes will live through book 6...

[Peasant Rebel Leader]

The thing with Bran is that his story arc is actually quite a bland archetype of fantasy story: Kid grows up in a sheltered environemnt, but the place gets destroyed and he now is on the move with his friends, also children and a "lackwit". He's on a mission and travels through foreign lands and meets strange people. He arrives at a place and learns about his Magic and what his mission is about in saving the world. He does that and then comes back and no "adult person" believes it happened, but he knows he saved the world from evil. ;-)

It's really really straightforward. But of course here there's more than one story and more than one hero and some of these experience the same obstacles (of Magic), namely Jon. Also an archetypical story, the (kid) hero who gets on the other side (wildlings) and then back. So GRRM made a simple story complex by just adding another story here. So in the end, I don't think we will ever see a Other vs. Dragons Battlefield, I think there will be a way for the adults to dismiss the others as fairy tales/delusions since they have never seen them and their bodies do dissolve... ;)

[Lady Octarina]

Funny; when I read that chapter I simply assumed Asha was setting up some kind of trap for Stannis and using Theon as a bait. And that, obviously, didn't make any sense, so I'm willing to believe Bran or his mentor's influence is there somewhere. That would explain the raven (though, actually, I thought that could be Mormont's raven - assuming that scene is a while after Jon was stabbed. It could even be Jon warged into the bird?)

I came across a quote today...and it SCREAMS Bran:

The fact that he's sitting there in this cave at the top of the world, the very embodiment of the North and winter and crows and the old gods and the weirwoods...and names his wolf SUMMER?

Just had to share...

O.O

Shivers every time I see Camus connected with anything else I love! It is an appropriate quote, is it from his book L'Été (Summer)? I wonder if GRRM is his fan =P

[Ghost714]

The thing with Bran is that his story arc is actually quite a bland archetype of fantasy story: Kid grows up in a sheltered environemnt, but the place gets destroyed and he now is on the move with his friends, also children and a "lackwit". He's on a mission and travels through foreign lands and meets strange people. He arrives at a place and learns about his Magic and what his mission is about in saving the world. He does that and then comes back and no "adult person" believes it happened, but he knows he saved the world from evil. ;-)

It's really really straightforward. But of course here there's more than one story and more than one hero and some of these experience the same obstacles (of Magic), namely Jon. Also an archetypical story, the (kid) hero who gets on the other side (wildlings) and then back. So GRRM made a simple story complex by just adding another story here. So in the end, I don't think we will ever see a Other vs. Dragons Battlefield, I think there will be a way for the adults to dismiss the others as fairy tales/delusions since they have never seen them and their bodies do dissolve... ;)

But it's not like Bran is the only one who knows about the Others. So I really don't understand how you think, Bran will just go back home, and no one believes him, because it was all just "fairy tales". That might have been the case if it was only Bran who knew about the Others, but that not true at all. There are tens of thousands, of Wildlings that know about the Others. There is like a thousand Nights Watch members that know about the Others. Then Stannis has like, fifteen hundred men who know about the Others. And There is Marwin the mage, and a few more people at the Citadel, that Know about the Others. Then you have all the Red Priests that know about the Others, in Essos. All these people know that the Others are the true enemy(also there is probably more people, than what I have listed, that know about the Others), not just Bran. And a lot more people are going to "learn the hardway", that the Others exist, before the Others are beaten.

So I think it is highly unlikely, that Bran will go home one day, and then everyone says...... "Bran where have you been we have been worried sick"....Bran then reply's, "I have been fighting the Others!"..... Then everyone says....."Oh Bran, you sweet child, the Others are just a fairy tale"......

There is no way in seven hells, that will happen. Because there are hundreds of thousands of people, that know about the Others, and not just Bran.

[Peasant Rebel Leader]

Yes, of course. I should have been more clear with the smilies. I was just looking at the storyline "trope" of Bran's arc (comparing it to Peter Pan, Narnia, etc. ...) and I would find it very funny if something like this happens, because it's so "contra-expectation" to all the readers. The Others have been built up so much, they have to have a master plan. Well, no! Of course, it's unprobable that people will think the others are a fairytale as it has happened and as you show, people know already. It just fits that the Magic aspect is more with the young kids (Bran, Arya) while Sansa is totally on the political/people side of the series. And you know, it really fits the trope so far.

In the end it's about Magic. And Magic has been sidestepped in this story most of the time, the focus has always been more on the politics side, or rather on the character's growth. Magic normally destroys this in literature. It becomes more about describing the Magic, how it works and how it gets learned. It gets about Good vs. Evil. And Bran's story is kinda in danger of this. If it gets more about fighting the Others, the evil ones, it gets boring. And I can't really see GRRM putting this into one big end fight of Magic.He has always shown how difficult and unreliable the Magic in his world is. I just don't want the series to end being about Magic.

[Westerirei]

I don't know if I'm not reading to much into this but how significant and foretelling are direwolves names? Everyone sees how well groomed Sansa is and how Rickon isn't, I can imagine Arya as warrior princess, with assassination of Jon, Ghosts name would be obvious. But what about Bran and Summer? Can this mean the boy who will bring summer? OK, that's just speculations just as good it could mean summer child.

[Jaehaerys I]

I don't know if I'm not reading to much into this but how significant and foretelling are direwolves names? Everyone sees how well groomed Sansa is and how Rickon isn't, I can imagine Arya as warrior princess, with assassination of Jon, Ghosts name would be obvious. But what about Bran and Summer? Can this mean the boy who will bring summer? OK, that's just speculations just as good it could mean summer child.

I think this is very good insight. What would Grey Wind be though?

[Ghost714]

Yes, of course. I should have been more clear with the smilies. I was just looking at the storyline "trope" of Bran's arc (comparing it to Peter Pan, Narnia, etc. ...) and I would find it very funny if something like this happens, because it's so "contra-expectation" to all the readers. The Others have been built up so much, they have to have a master plan. Well, no! Of course, it's unprobable that people will think the others are a fairytale as it has happened and as you show, people know already. It just fits that the Magic aspect is more with the young kids (Bran, Arya) while Sansa is totally on the political/people side of the series. And you know, it really fits the trope so far.

In the end it's about Magic. And Magic has been sidestepped in this story most of the time, the focus has always been more on the politics side, or rather on the character's growth. Magic normally destroys this in literature. It becomes more about describing the Magic, how it works and how it gets learned. It gets about Good vs. Evil. And Bran's story is kinda in danger of this. If it gets more about fighting the Others, the evil ones, it gets boring. And I can't really see GRRM putting this into one big end fight of Magic.He has always shown how difficult and unreliable the Magic in his world is. I just don't want the series to end being about Magic.

I believe the story has two parts, magic, and politics. I don't believe the story will end, in one big "magic fight". I think half the characters will be involved in the final "magic fight"(against the Others), and the other half of the characters will be involved in the final "political fight"(for the Iron Throne). So yeah, I believe these two "fights" will happen right at the same time, or one after the other. Either way the ending won't just be about a "magic fight". Both "fights" will be equally big. But even if the Battle against the Others is the last thing to happen, I would not say the book ended, being about magic......... Now that I think about it, I dont believe the two "fights", will happen at the same time. Because there are a lot of characters, that would potentially be in both "fights". So I am now defiantly leaning towards these two events happening, one after an other.

(I hope you guys can make sense of what I am trying to say here)

[CrypticWeirwood]

I think this is very good insight. What would Grey Wind be though?

Gloom and doom, perhaps.

[Pliskin]

I think this is very good insight. What would Grey Wind be though?

"Words are wind". He tried to warn Robb, and he didn't listen.

[SerBronn]

Concerning warging into animals, plants and people - Is it possible to warg into a dragon? I very much hope so for Bran's sake.