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Could Coldhands be the Night's King?


DoctorSwerve

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I posted this thought in a different thread, but I've long thought that the white woman of the NK was actually dead and not a wight. I think the NK was a necromancer who started raising the dead- possibly also wightifying the other Nights Watch members (i.e. "ensorcelled" them). I could see Coldhands being one of these if not the Night's King himself (forever wandering undead in penance for having raised the dead).

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I think that the Night's King walks the earth until the Others return in order to fulfill some type of penance for his past actions, cursed by the King of the North & the King Beyond the Wall. It's sort of like when Isildur cursed the traitors who abandoned him to not have their souls rest until they fulfill their oath to the King of Gondor in Lord of the Rings. Since George R.R. Martin has said that LOTR heavily influenced his stories, I could see this as a way for him to pay homage to LOTR.

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A thought just came to me, and this is a lot of "ifs", but if Coldhands is the NIght's King, and he was a Stark, he may have a role in saving Jon and/or bringing him back to health. He could then even explain what happened to him when he was the Lord Commander. This would be a really cool way for George R.R. Martin to shed some light on the early days of the Night's Watch, through the eyes of a Stark. Damn this would be cool.

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Coldhands is the NK, aka Brandon the Builder.

End of the first Bran chapter in ADwD:

"I'm your monster, Brandon Stark."

Bran is never referred to as Brandon Stark, simply saying, Coldhands is referring to himself here.

but there have been many many Brandon Starks

also bloodraven knows brans full name from his CoTF magic

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I love this theory! I never thought that it made 100% sense for Coldhands to be Benjen...

Anyhow, I think it sheds (possible) light on Bran's future, too...if you think of this story as a possible parallel to the Nights King (which makes even more sense if the Nights King was Stark called Bran!)...consider this: the King in the North had to team up with the Wildlings to bring the Nights King down. What if Bran takes his place and becomes a NEW Night's King!?? We already see the NW (under Jon, technical heir to TKITN) teaming up with the Wildlings...maybe Bloodraven wants Bran to somehow help in facilitating the Others's attack? Just a wild theory here...so bear with me.

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I think the Night's King is on the short list for Coldhands. Also could be some other (small o) character contemporaneous with Bloodraven. As Coldhands says, Boodraven is "a friend."

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  • 3 weeks later...

The way Bran mentioned him just before Coldhands appered seems to fit, but I like to think he is one of craster's son... a Walker that rebeled, he uses the ride of the walkers (a dead horse) and look alike them also... if he were just a ghost, I would think that he would be more like the ghost of Renly that some said to have seen in the battle.

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I had always assumed that Coldhands was Benjen Stark, but I had no rationale for thinking this.

The big question for me with Coldhands is, how can he be a wight, but clearly out of control of the Others? Your return to sanity theory is as good as anything I can think of.

Well, Bloodraven is controlling Coldhands, and who is to say that Bloodraven is not the leader of the Others as well?

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  • 1 month later...

if he were just a ghost, I would think that he would be more like the ghost of Renly that some said to have seen in the battle.

Wasn't Renly's ghost just loras wearing Renly's armour in an attempt to break the ranks of the Lanister/ kings landing host?

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Why bring up the Night's King in the story, then coldhands appears. It could well be that the Night's King is trying to redeam himself through the centuries for what he did. I perceive coldhands to be a good guy.

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Why bring up the Night's King in the story, then coldhands appears. It could well be that the Night's King is trying to redeam himself through the centuries for what he did. I perceive coldhands to be a good guy.

I agree that the timing may be significant, but otherwise things are a little more complicated than they first appear.

He's obviously dead but won't lie down, yet he's not a Wight in that he lacks the starry blue eyes and is pretty well in full control of both his mental faculties and speech. There's been a debate over how just much the Wights remember, but none of the other northern ones speak - or at least haven't so far.

On the other hand while he is certainly working for the Children and Bloodraven, he doesn't appear to be controlled by them and the fact he can pass neither the Wall nor the portal to the caverns suggests he doesn't belong to them.

On balance therefore and given the comment about him being killed long ago by the Wights I don't think he's Benjen and unless he's nobody, which seems a little unlikely, Bran Stark the Nights King looks the most likely. as for redeming himself for what he did, however, I have to say that on the Heresy thread at least the jury is still out and minded to acquit.

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The Night's King should have been cut in so many pieces it would never be possible to walk as a wight ever again.

I believe Coldhands is a wight, but warged by Bloodraven. It could well be he is indeed Brandon the Builder, but only if THEY killed him long time ago. And also that would make him about 8000 years old. For me it's not recessary Coldhands is a character we know, him helping both Sam and Bran's group is cool enough for me.

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