Who is the Hooded Man in Winterfell?

[Booknerd2]

Brilliant, but I have no feels for the Theon talking to himself theory either.

Could be Benjen and I always thought he might have made it after the cache was found.

Or just a key person put in place by loyal Stark banners, there to spy or wreak havoc.

But I also love if Wyman is behind this. Really, loving that guy after the last two books. Would not put it past him.

Whoever it is, they are in there infiltrating and causing problems.

[Fender]

It's totally Harwin.

[Tessa Lannister]

I like the idea of the HM being some kind of unStark. We have seen multiple characters come back in the series and we know that one or more of the swords that were keeping the Kings of Winter in their graves were stolen.I cannot see the HM being Benjen Stark or the Blackfish for the reasons as follows...

-Benjen: Is a man of the Night's Watch.Would not have returned to Winterfell without letting someone know. The highest in command of the NW were mostly friends with Jon Snow and at least would have told Jon that his uncle was alive.

-Blackfish: The Blackfish has no ties to Winterfell now that all of the Stark kids are supposedly dead and/or lost. Unless he finds one of his nieces/nephews, which hasn't happened yet, he would have no reason to travel north (especially the heir to Riverrun, Edmure, is in the hands of the Freys)

[Scipio Africanus]

My best guess based on the meager evidence we have is that the HM is Harwin.

Theon would've known and recognized Uncle Ben, same way Bran would've recognized him when he met Coldhands. That they both didn't and despite both of them knew what Uncle Ben looked like, seems to me that he really is written out of the story and is neither character.

Blackfish has no reason to come to Winterfell. Most of his kin is dead (he thinks) and he has no reason to travel north to see Jon. The kin still alive are in the Riverlands (Edmure) and the Vale (Sweetrobin). If he's going someplace it would be either of those two regions.

I don't like any outlandish idea that Theon is pulling a Fight Club on us, or that the HM is an undead. He's just a guy...on a mission.

[Timzy]

The Knight of the Laughing Tree

or

It is Bran as he did speak to Theon through the Weir Wood

Benjen and Blackfish are tied up in other areas

:)

[The Red Hand]

Another thing to consider is that the HM, whoever he is, chose to kill Little Walder instead of any other Frey or Frey man-at-arms. I'm inclined to believe that whoever killed him knew that LW was a terrible kid and would have ended up being Ramsay 2. That supports the Theon Durdin theory but I'm still not sure.

[redriver]

Could be Quaithe.She appears to Dany dressed in a hooded cloak in ADWD.

Then she admits she's not really there.Giveaway clue really.

Then Dany spots she's wearing a mask,coz she's really a bloke.Well,Dany doesn't make the bloke connection,but we can't blame her for that,she is young and unwise in the ways of,erm,anything.

But that Quaithe's a tricksy bird/man,and no mistake.

[FittleLinger]

Didn't read the whole thread, but I've read thousands of those and have flipped opinions a lot. My last and buest guess was Harwin - the guy from the brotherhood without banners who recognized Arya. And one of the main points (besides the ones that have been pointed out - he knows Theon, he feels for the Starks, etc.) is that we've got Tom O' Sevens planted at Riverrun.

Stoneheart has (loosely said) two families - one in Riverrun, and one in Winterfell. Both places are now Frey territory. We've got Tom in Riverrun, and I would think it would be logical to plant someone in WF as well. Besides, it would be logical to check out who the Arya Ramsay is marrying is, thus giving him claim to Winterfell, regardless if the Brotherhood/Stoneheart know that she is fake or not.

[Fender]

FittleLinger pretty much summed up what I've said in previous posts about it being Harwin. Go you! And I'm also of the belief that the Blackfish escaped Riverrun with a pregnant Jeyne Westerling, so this just makes him so much less likely in my mind, with this detail added to the timeline limitations. (Others are free to argue that the existence of another semi-crackpot theory doesn't constitute proof that it cannot be a character, but there it is anyways.)

Stoneheart is told by the Brotherhood that they had Arya but that she then escaped, they probably hear somewhere that a girl fitting the description was with Sandor (potentially from the people that Sandor tricked into letting them cross the Trident), they would immediately assume that the dog was running back to the Lannisters' laps with his prize, and next thing they know "Arya" is going off north to marry Ramsay. It seems very unlikely to me that they wouldn't send someone, and who better than Harwin? We know that he's one of the fastest (if not their fastest) rider, he is a northman and will not look particularly out of place, he knows the north, and he would be able to recognize Arya in an instant. Add to that that he knows Theon well, and we have a pretty convincing argument there. There's even plausibility with the timeframe, since last we saw Harwin was before the Red Wedding. A lone rider is much faster than Bolton's column would have been, so he could catch up to them quickly if he needed to.

Therefore, to paraphrase my earlier statement, "It's totally Harwin."

(Obviously, I don't know what paraphrasing means.)

[The Fallen]

FittleLinger pretty much summed up what I've said in previous posts about it being Harwin. Go you! And I'm also of the belief that the Blackfish escaped Riverrun with a pregnant Jeyne Westerling, so this just makes him so much less likely in my mind, with this detail added to the timeline limitations. (Others are free to argue that the existence of another semi-crackpot theory doesn't constitute proof that it cannot be a character, but there it is anyways.)

Stoneheart is told by the Brotherhood that they had Arya but that she then escaped, they probably hear somewhere that a girl fitting the description was with Sandor (potentially from the people that Sandor tricked into letting them cross the Trident), they would immediately assume that the dog was running back to the Lannisters' laps with his prize, and next thing they know "Arya" is going off north to marry Ramsay. It seems very unlikely to me that they wouldn't send someone, and who better than Harwin? We know that he's one of the fastest (if not their fastest) rider, he is a northman and will not look particularly out of place, he knows the north, and he would be able to recognize Arya in an instant. Add to that that he knows Theon well, and we have a pretty convincing argument there. There's even plausibility with the timeframe, since last we saw Harwin was before the Red Wedding. A lone rider is much faster than Bolton's column would have been, so he could catch up to them quickly if he needed to.

Therefore, to paraphrase my earlier statement, "It's totally Harwin."

(Obviously, I don't know what paraphrasing means.)

Reiterate is the word you're looking for. Although it's possible that you paraphrased your earlier statement into a very shorter sentence! It could also be a summary. A very short one.

I'm not sure who it is. I have to reread ADwD. I'm currently on AFfC. This argument makes sense though, as the BWB did have Arya and I can't see them not telling Lady Stoneheart.

[Summer is Ending]

Don't ever see someone that close to the Starks just letting Theon walk away from a dark and lonely spot that way. You take your own vengeance, you don't comfort yourself at night with thoughts of how someone else took it for you.

My own guess is Whoresbane, someone else with the Umbers or Robett Glover if it's an actual known person.

[The Fallen]

` Harwin ceased being a Stark man. He was a follower of the Lightning Lord. Not sure what he is now.

[Florina Laufeyson]

Personally, i think its Howland Reed. Perhaps he knew that Theon didnt really murder the kids and his own kids. Who knows. But i like to think he's Howland Reed.

[Grip]

Another thing to consider is that the HM, whoever he is, chose to kill Little Walder instead of any other Frey or Frey man-at-arms. I'm inclined to believe that whoever killed him knew that LW was a terrible kid and would have ended up being Ramsay 2. That supports the Theon Durdin theory but I'm still not sure.

I was always under the impression that Big Walder killed Little Walder. About BW: The boy's gloves were caked with his cousin's blood. This after it was said; The body in Ser Hosteens arms sparkled in the torchlight, armored in pink frost. How did BW get blood on his gloves, when LW's blood had frozen?

Edit: From the Wiki;

Big Walder claims that he had warned his cousin, warned him not to go out alone. But that Little Walder said he had to find a man who owed him silver. Ramsay asks who was this man. Big Walder claims that his cousin never mentioned the name of this man. He is consequently unaware of his identity. But he reports that Little Walder won the silver cointhrough a game of dice. ^[10] With some hesitation, Big Walder mentions that a number of men from White Harbor taught dice. Presumably to squires inexperienced with gambling. He claims to be unable to identify these men. His story is enough to implicate Wyman Manderly and his followers in the murder. Provoking a skirmish between Hosteen Frey, Wyman Manderly, and their respective troops.^[10] That Big Walder is so thoroughly covered in blood indicates that he came in contact with the body while it bled. While the lack of blood on Hosteen, who actually transports the corpse, indicates that the man arrived after the blood froze.

[Black Wolf Smith]

Personally, i think its Howland Reed. Perhaps he knew that Theon didnt really murder the kids and his own kids. Who knows. But i like to think he's Howland Reed.

I still think it was Raynald Westerling. I think he was with the Crannogmen after he was shot, and has had time to heal.

The reason that he calls Theon "kinslayer" and "all you are is false" is because the Crannogmen saw Theon go to the Iron men in Moat Cailin and then bring them out to their deaths. Which he is because of the Iron men were his kin, and he was false on telling them they be ok.

I could buy HR as the hooded man for the same reason, but I would think that Theon would thought something about him being short. I also think when we see HR it will for something bigger, like a game changing moment in the series.

[Jon Wolfwalker]

Jaime as the HM? I like it!

The timeline in the books is warped enough for him to be there. Maybe Cat decided it was time for the Lannisters to hold to their agreements. Jaime is making a concerned effort to uphold his word now.

So maybe Brienne challenged him to keep his word and they hop the next train to WF.

[Drogo_BR]

I believe it was Aeron Damphair, after all, he was looking for Theon in order to arrange another kingsmoot and get rid of Euron...

The thing is, when he gets to Theon, well, he sees his nephew is not quite the man to replace Balon, and in the way he was it would be almost impossible to escape. So, he could be waiting for a window. Or creating one with the assassinations.

Has no one thought about that?

If Aeron doesnt strike you as a murderer, it could still be someone else.

[Valyrian Spoon]

Okay I know earlier in this thread I proposed Harwin as the most likely candidate and I am Still around 90% sure this is the case. However I have a crackpot theory that goes as follows:

Theon Durdan + Warg

Theon is being Warged by Bran at certain times (this may account for the "missing" time the character experiences). We know that Bran despised the Frey wards because they mocked Hodor and his own disability so Bran using Theon to kill one makes sense.

As for the Hooded man I propose that either he is a third party who followed Theon with the intention of Murdering him only to see him kill the Frey boy hence why the Hooded Man spared him, Could also explain the wry amusement the hooded man seemed to have.

Or the hooded man is a visual hallucination of a split personality in Theon.

[-Ghost-]

I believe it was Aeron Damphair, after all, he was looking for Theon in order to arrange another kingsmoot and get rid of Euron...

The thing is, when he gets to Theon, well, he sees his nephew is not quite the man to replace Balon, and in the way he was it would be almost impossible to escape. So, he could be waiting for a window. Or creating one with the assassinations.

Has no one thought about that?

If Aeron doesnt strike you as a murderer, it could still be someone else.

Theon would recognize his uncle, he was with him right before Ramsay took him. He saw his face and talked to him.

[Scipio Africanus]

Theon would recognize his uncle, he was with him right before Ramsay took him. He saw his face and talked to him.

Theon would recognize Jamie as well, as he kept boasting how close he was to him several times before he got Reekafied.

Still going with Harwin over here.