who is the hooded man in winterfell?

[Lost Melnibonean]

@northernmonkey: It's not like it's a split personality thing. It's Reek remembering who he is before he transitions back to Theon. Theon has the roundest character arc in the book. The George developed him as much as any other in the tale, with a lot fewer pages mind you.

[Brother Seamus]

Upon first reading I took what he said "I leave you to him then" as an indication that killing him would be a mercy, better to let him be tortured by Ramsay to suffer for his crimes.

And, if the speculation is correct that the hooded man is someone important, on some mission, then he wouldn't want to risk his mission by killing Theon unplanned, just because the opportunity fortuitously arose.

Or, if the HM is not important, and this is all some huge wild goose chase, then the HM is just some random northman and wouldn't kill Theon without authorization from a higher lord. Theon may be abused by Roose/Ramsey, but he is also theirs, and under their protection, and no one is going to feel free to just attack or kill him without fearing punishment.

[Brother Seamus]

It kind of does. We read what he thinks - so if he recognised him he would obviously think "oh look its ....."

I agree with Northernmonkey. Unless this is really sloppy writing, Theon does not recognize the HM.

[Brother Seamus]

Can't it be just a... random guard?

I still do not understand why this passage is so... famous.

I'm with you. I'm entirely open to it being something important, but I'm also open to it being nothing, and all this speculation being just a wild goose chase.

[Castle Black]

I feel as if there are three options here for who the HM could be:

1. Theon himself: I think it's safe to say that by this point in the story Theon is not the most sane person. It's very possible that what he saw was a caricature of himself, displaying all of the regrets over what he did to the Starks and how he really feels of himself. The most revealing evidence confirming this would be that he so easily exposes his maimed hand, which he is very much against doing to anyone else.

2. Robett Glover: If the HM is not Theon, he definitely knows of him personally. Before Theon became Reek, he was very smug and arrogant and would not take an interest in most other people, even if he/she was highborn. After the meeting between Glover, Manderly, and Davos in White Harbour, no one knows where Robett went. it's very possible he went to WF to keep a close eye on the current events. Obviously he would be secretly communicating with Manderly, or at least attempting to.

3. Harwin: Reasons are similar to Glover, except he was sent by LS and the BWB. He knows his way around WF and knows Theon personally. He fits into my argument that Theon doesn't care to notice most other people around him, and Harwin not being high born would be beneath him. On the contrary, Theon should have a better recollection of Harwin than Robett Glover.

Personally I lean to Theon himself.

[Lost Melnibonean]

It doesn't sound like a man-at-arms. He sounds highborn, no?

[Suzanna Stormborn]

I feel as if there are three options here for who the HM could be:

1. Theon himself: I think it's safe to say that by this point in the story Theon is not the most sane person. It's very possible that what he saw was a caricature of himself, displaying all of the regrets over what he did to the Starks and how he really feels of himself. The most revealing evidence confirming this would be that he so easily exposes his maimed hand, which he is very much against doing to anyone else.

2. Robett Glover: If the HM is not Theon, he definitely knows of him personally. Before Theon became Reek, he was very smug and arrogant and would not take an interest in most other people, even if he/she was highborn. After the meeting between Glover, Manderly, and Davos in White Harbour, no one knows where Robett went. it's very possible he went to WF to keep a close eye on the current events. Obviously he would be secretly communicating with Manderly, or at least attempting to.

3. Harwin: Reasons are similar to Glover, except he was sent by LS and the BWB. He knows his way around WF and knows Theon personally. He fits into my argument that Theon doesn't care to notice most other people around him, and Harwin not being high born would be beneath him. On the contrary, Theon should have a better recollection of Harwin than Robett Glover.

Personally I lean to Theon himself.

Exactly

It doesn't sound like a man-at-arms. He sounds highborn, no?

Yes, and he uses the word 'Kinslayer', suggesting not only that Theon killed his own family, but that he, the HM, is also a member of Theon's 'family'. he is referring to Bran and Rickon as 'kin'. So he knows a lot about Theon's history. So unless the HM is in fact a ghost or a dead body/random live body being warged by Bran, i think Theon Durden is the best candidate that has been put forward.

[FittleLinger]

Exactly

Yes, and he uses the word 'Kinslayer', suggesting not only that Theon killed his own family, but that he, the HM, is also a member of Theon's 'family'. he is referring to Bran and Rickon as 'kin'. So he knows a lot about Theon's history. So unless the HM is in fact a ghost or a dead body/random live body being warged by Bran, i think Theon Durden is the best candidate that has been put forward.

Except that Theon himself knows that Bran and Rickon are not his kin, as well as that they are not dead. So the argument could be made that if you believe Theon Durden rates the Stark kids as his kin, then someone close to the Stark affairs and the Stark-Theon dynamics would also consider them kin.

[Jon Weirgaryen]

"no one" is my favoured crackpot since Tuesday.

[Suzanna Stormborn]

Except that Theon himself knows that Bran and Rickon are not his kin, as well as that they are not dead. So the argument could be made that if you believe Theon Durden rates the Stark kids as his kin, then someone close to the Stark affairs and the Stark-Theon dynamics would also consider them kin.

That's true....wait now I have forgotten the quote, is the kinslayer remark meant for Bran and Rickon or for abandoning Robb Stark? I was thinking it was bran and rickon, but now i am second guessing.

[FittleLinger]

That's true....wait now I have forgotten the quote, is the kinslayer remark meant for Bran and Rickon or for abandoning Robb Stark? I was thinking it was bran and rickon, but now i am second guessing.

He calls him turncloak and kinslayer - turncloak for turning against Robb, kinslayer for Bran and Rickon. And then Theon thinks to himself that he didn't kill them, but actually says that he was ironborn. "False is all you were" follows, which to me shows that the HM has known Theon for quite some time - Harwin in my opinion.

It's very compelling that Tom O'sevens is planted at Riverrun - it would make sense for Lady Stoneheart to send someone to WF, too.

[Jon Weirgaryen]

That's true....wait now I have forgotten the quote, is the kinslayer remark meant for Bran and Rickon or for abandoning Robb Stark? I was thinking it was bran and rickon, but now i am second guessing.

I am placing my bet on the younger of the miller's boys. We should go ask Wex about it.

[Suzanna Stormborn]

He calls him turncloak and kinslayer - turncloak for turning against Robb, kinslayer for Bran and Rickon. And then Theon thinks to himself that he didn't kill them, but actually says that he was ironborn. "False is all you were" follows, which to me shows that the HM has known Theon for quite some time - Harwin in my opinion.

It's very compelling that Tom O'sevens is planted at Riverrun - it would make sense for Lady Stoneheart to send someone to WF, too.

OMG, reading that Tom was planted at riverrun was possibly one of my favorite things to hear in the books ever. Catelyn is obviously setting up for some major revenge.

[Mithras]

I've re-read this many times. Theon looks the man full in the face and doesn't recognize him. If GRRM makes it's someone Theon knew then I'll be disappointed. I suppose it's possible Theon didn't know Harwin well enough to recognize him, but I still won't like it.

I think we should also reserve the possibility it's just some random north man who was giving Theon s**t, and it doesn't mean anything.

Otherwise, I think the other floated possibilities are either too far out (Davos, Blackfish) or excluded by the fact Theon doesn't recognize them (Septon Chayle, Benjen Stark).

No. Theon absolutely recognized the HM. People at WF were all the time calling him turncloak, spitting at the sight of him and Theon was not giving shit to any insults or accusations. So why did he engage with the HM? And most important of all, why did he think the HM might be the killer? Since Bolton's men were being taken out, Theon cannot assume some random guy would do that. Therefore, he recognized the HM as a Stark loyalist and calling him night walker suggests that he was thinking the guy was dead (like Septon Chayle, Harwin etc. but not Robett) and he saw his ghost or Theon went nuts and started to see the real ghosts.

[Thucydides]

No. Theon absolutely recognized the HM. People at WF were all the time calling him turncloak, spitting at the sight of him and Theon was not giving shit to any insults or accusations. So why did he engage with the HM? And most important of all, why did he think the HM might be the killer? Since Bolton's men were being taken out, Theon cannot assume some random guy would do that. Therefore, he recognized the HM as a Stark loyalist and calling him night walker suggests that he was thinking the guy was dead (like Septon Chayle, Harwin etc. but not Robett) and he saw his ghost or Theon went nuts and started to see the real ghosts.

I agree. I think that Theon recognized the Hooded Man based on the hints provided in the text.

Admittedly, the text is not perfectly clear on the matter -- it simply doesn't speak directly to the issue of whether Theon recognized him. GRRM's POVs don't give us free reign inside the minds of the characters, and not every perception is met with italicized, inner-voice explanations. So I don't think that such an omission allows us to assume that Theon didn't recognize him.

[MadScience]

Ok, I think we can at least eliminate Septon Chayle. If only for the fact that yes, he's alive, and shown to be at the wall.

If you go to the Jon chapter, 3 chapters past A Ghost in Winterfell, they're performing the wedding for Alys Karstark to the Magnar of Thenn, performed by Mel in the style of the Lord of Light. As Jon is looking to see who's there and who's not, it says this:

"Othell Yarwick and Bowen Marsh were amongst the missing. Septon Chayle had emerged briefly from the sept, fingering the seven-sided crystal on the thong about his neck, only to retreat inside again once the prayers began."

Based on the info presented, I'd personally say it's the Theon theory. But it's definitely not Chayle.

[MadScience]

Ok, well after a little more research, I've found that some updated versions on E-Books have updated "Chayle" to "Cellador." Which obviously makes a whole lot more sense, especially since he's been known to touch his crystal when he's worried. So that's definitely a typo. But still- if GRRM actually has plans for Septon Chayle in any significant role, I doubt that he makes that error.

[Thucydides]

Ok, well after a little more research, I've found that some updated versions on E-Books have updated "Chayle" to "Cellador." Which obviously makes a whole lot more sense, especially since he's been known to touch his crystal when he's worried. So that's definitely a typo. But still- if GRRM actually has plans for Septon Chayle in any significant role, I doubt that he makes that error.

Yeah, that's been a known type for a while. The argument could also be made that it means GRRM accidentally used Chayle instead of Cellador because he intends to bring him back. Personally, I think that this typo is just a typo.

[Odon]

I think Arya is the Stranger. I think that's what the Ghost of High Heart meant.

Well the God of Many Faces has...many faces. In this case he's the hooded stranger who asks Theon why he's still alive.

[The_Crannogman]

Personally I have been convinced of the theory that Howland Reed married Ashara Dayne and that Arthur Dayne is still alive (http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/89012-howland-reed-ashara-dayne-meera-jojen/). As I believe this I have come to the conclusion that Arthur Dayne is the hooded man. I believe this as the Hooded man would not be recognised by Theon but would know all that he has done. If Dayne had been in the Neck he would have been subject to all the information in the North thanks to Howland Reed. Furthermore Dayne could be at Winterfell on Howland Reed's orders. Howland is probably involved with the other Northen lords and the Blackfish who haven't been seen in a while. They would presumably want to be disrupting Roose Boltons plans and are doing this through having a man in Winterfell and what better man could they have than possibly the most dangerous sword in the whole of Westeros but also someone who is extremely loyal and so won't get intimidated or turn to Boltons side.