Bran: Champion of "the Other"

[Ser Dylen of the Green Oak]

Slightly crackpot, but could Bran be being trained by the Greenseer to control the Others for the upcoming winter?

I can't remember exactly, but I vaguely remember Melisandre saying that "the Other" had already named his champion (who could be Bran or the Greenseer), so she had to find AA.

These things being said, could there be come kind of reason for Bran to be given control of the Others during TWOW, as the champion of the Other to fight against R'hllor?

IMPORTANT EDIT: I am not suggesting that Bran would become evil, but that the Others would turn out to be good in the fight against R'hllor.

[TyrionsFlagon]

This is a popular belief that Bran is going to control the Others. I'm not sure what he would do if he did have control over them. Bran would have to go through a pretty dark transformation to want to be in charge of all things evil.

If it's true, does this also mean that Bloodraven is currently in charge of the Others? What would he want in all of this?

[facelessWarg]

revenge for the demise of the children of the forest? first post.

[Ser Dylen of the Green Oak]

revenge for the demise of the children of the forest? first post.

Welcome :) Could be.

I see this as a potential twist though. Bran could either use the wights for his own ends or refuse to do evil. OR the others could - although I don't know how - turn out to be less than evil.

I'm just spitballin' here.

[facelessWarg]

honestly, i dont think bran is heading down that road... i see him basically as the "controller" of dragons/ dire wolves/ other gnarly things, during the inevitable battle against the others... that is probably not happening either, however for him to, as previously posted by someone above, totally take a path of evil, seems to be a stretch... with only 2 books remaining, brans turn would have to be sudden and quick ... what would cause that? sure, there are hundreds of answers, and we wont know until 100 years from now when the series is complete! :bang:

[Cold-King]

Personally i wouldnt like to see bran as a force for evil, afterall, why would bloodraven and the children of the forest be training him to be a champion for the others, i mean bloodraven couldnt be that pissed off at westeros to wreak havoc throughout the place. I have read other threads talking about bran heading in a darker direction and some points of that sound quite convincing, but i cant wait to see how it pans out! :D

[Dreadnaught]

I don't think Bran, the COTF, or Bloodraven have anything to do with controlling the Others or wights. For the simple fact that they were attacked by wights when entering the cave entrance. Even if there is some link between the COTF and Others, the Others are still their enemies.

[Jslay427]

Bran will not turn into an evil leader of the others. His transformation that he will/is undergoing will I think help those who fight the other if/when they attack the wall. I heard somewhere people mulling the idea that Bran is AA or the PTWP but I doubt that. He is however someone very important.

[Sandara Stark]

Please help me with this bit of confusion. :blushing: I'm not a native English speaker.

• When one says "the Others" -this term is plural meaning there are many and it's synonymous with the White Walkers, right? Is it used interchangeably?
  
• What about "the Great Other"? I've come across this term and it's in singular form-does this refer to the "leader" of "the Others" or is it a totally different entity?
  
• Or, is the term "Others" used as a collective noun to segregate those that don't belong among humans,CotFs, giants, direwolfs, White Walkers, etc.? Like for example in a "checklist" akin to "none of the above"?
  

Thank you! :laugh:

[Titus Andronicus]

Well, Bran is already going down a dark path. As a warg, he has broken quite a few of the abominations that Varamyr laid out in the prologue of ADWD, namely eating the flesh of man as a warg and warging into another human. That, combined with the suspect Weirwood paste, which many people believed to be made with Jojen, I think Bran's story is only going to get darker.

[Adam Carmack]

Please help me with this bit of confusion. :blushing: I'm not a native English speaker.

• When one says "the Others" -this term is plural meaning there are many and it's synonymous with the White Walkers, right? Is it used interchangeably?
  
• What about "the Great Other"? I've come across this term and it's in singular form-does this refer to the "leader" of "the Others" or is it a totally different entity?
  
• Or, is the term "Others" used as a collective noun to segregate those that don't belong among humans,CotFs, giants, direwolfs, White Walkers, etc.? Like for example in a "checklist" akin to "none of the above"?
  

Thank you! :laugh:

others is normally used as a synonym for white walkers.

The great other is in reference to the opposing deity set up against R'hollar in that particular religion

[Sandara Stark]

others is normally used as a synonym for white walkers.

The great other is in reference to the opposing deity set up against R'hollar in that particular religion

Thank you! This helped a lot. :bowdown:

[Black Crow]

In making the cosy assumption that the Children will help Bran to defeat the Others, its worth bearing in mind a couple of points; first GRRM has declared his dislike for absolutes and suggested that the Others are not necessarily the embodiment of evil, consequently we're looking at shades of grey rather than black and white. Secondly and more immediately to the point, although the motives and allegiances of the Children are far from clear and their purpose in acquiring Bran uncertain beyond a conspicuous lack of any mention of the Others, we can at least be certain of one thing which appears to be totally overlooked in considering this question.

Mel the Pyromaniac, the rest of the Red Lot, the dragons and Azor Ahai are definitely not the allies but the enemies of the Children, and intent on their eradication and the burning of the weirwoods containing their spirits.

[Black Wolf Smith]

This is a popular belief that Bran is going to control the Others¹. I'm not sure what he would do if he did have control over them. Bran would have to go through a pretty dark transformation to want to be in charge of all things evil².

1. Really I never seen that any where.

2. You do understand what you are saying, don't you? If you are saying that the Others are evil, it means that the Burning of people alive is good! If you compare what the Others and those who follow R'hollor have done, there is a better case to say that the Others are good, but as Black Crow already said GRRM has said, its not a black or white world.

[TheWildWolf]

If he did take control of them, wasn't t mentioned that if a warg takes control of something, it starts to act like it? (It was mentioned if you take control of a deer too long, you will always be scared.) would this have the same effect on Bran if he controlled an Other ?

[Black Wolf Smith]

If he did take control of them, wasn't t mentioned that if a warg takes control of something, it starts to act like it? (It was mentioned if you take control of a deer too long, you will always be scared.) would this have the same effect on Bran if he controlled an Other ?

I do not remember that. It was said you could get "lose" yourself inside of something, and never come back. Not sure what your point is, again if you think that Others are evil, that Bran will become evil? again I don't see that.

[TheWildWolf]

I do not remember that. It was said you could get "lose" yourself inside of something, and never come back. Not sure what your point is, again if you think that Others are evil, that Bran will become evil? again I don't see that.

Yes, maybe not necessarily evil, but maybe change a big part about him. And the quote was one of Haggons Rules in aDwD...

"Elk and deer were prey, wear their skins too long and even the bravest man became a coward"

[Ser Dylen of the Green Oak]

...GRRM has declared his dislike for absolutes and suggested that the Others are not necessarily the embodiment of evil, consequently we're looking at shades of grey rather than black and white...

Mel the Pyromaniac, the rest of the Red Lot, the dragons and Azor Ahai are definitely not the allies but the enemies of the Children, and intent on their eradication and the burning of the weirwoods containing their spirits.

Thank you, this is the kind of assumption I was basing the idea on. Not than Bran would become evil, but that the Others would turn out to far less than evil (especially when compared to the R'hllorites).

[Black Crow]

Thinking that way you may find the Heresy threads to be of interest

[The Fat Huntsmen]

My theory is not that Bran necessarly becomes evil but more detached from other life forms. He will still see himself as good. But the shear scope of his power and the truths he would learn would make him value life less. Causing him to kill groups of people without feelings of remorse or guilt or doing anything for what he sees as the "greater good" It's just a theory and a little crackpot, but I feel anyone with the powers Bran is getting would start to value life diffrently.