who is the hooded man in winterfell?

[nickdt]

We haven't heared from Howland Reed. What if he is the Hooded Man.

[Daemon Blackfyre IV]

I'm hoping it's Blackfish but whoever it is I kinda had the feeling he was gonna kill Theon but then left him to b further tortured it leaves me to believe the hooded man is the killer.

[AryaNymeriaVisenya]

It was me.

Impossible, it can't be both of us. You are a liar and a fraud sir!

[Lord Lannister]

We haven't heared from Howland Reed. What if he is the Hooded Man.

That might make some sense that he'd be looking into Winterfell and House Stark. Though really wouldn't explain where he's been the rest of the time while his liege lord fell.

[alienarea]

Sigh ... again ...

Davos

[Northernmonkey]

Sigh ... again ...

Davos

Davos makes no sense whatsoever. If he had returned from Skaagos (either with or without Rickon), the first thing he would do is go and find Stannis. There's no logical reason why he would want to enter Winterfell. Especially because he's supposed to be dead and he's quite recognisable.

[alienarea]

Davos makes no sense whatsoever. If he had returned from Skaagos (either with or without Rickon), the first thing he would do is go and find Stannis. There's no logical reason why he would want to enter Winterfell. Especially because he's supposed to be dead and he's quite recognisable.

Davos was spared to search for Rickon by Lord Manderly, so he should report to him first, shouldn't he? And Lord Manderly is in Winterfell.

Who of the Bolton followers would recognize Davos? And if so, see a danger in him?

What was Davos weapon to kill Melisandre? A dagger. The Hooded Man reaches for hhttps://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=880030418681694&id=100000242321765is dagger.

Theon shows his missing fingers to the Hooded Man. Who is missing his fingertips? Davos.

And out of universe: After Theon escaped, we need a POV in Winterfell. And if GRRM sticks to his self proclaimed no new POVs, the Hooded Man will be the new POV. Is the Hooded Man Jaime? Or Brienne? Aeron Greyjoy? Areo Hotah? Sam Tarly? Sansa Stark?

Davos.

[Dofs]

Some random, irrelevant dude. Theon is a Ghost of Winterfell (I believe he even called himself once or twice like that somewhere in DwD), the wildling women are the killers, except they didn't kill that Frey, he was killed by his cousin. That's all there is, imo.

[Northernmonkey]

Davos was spared to search for Rickon by Lord Manderly, so he should report to him first, shouldn't he? And Lord Manderly is in Winterfell.

No. He would go straight to Stannis because he needs to know that Manderly is a potential ally. He needs to know that Davos has Rickon (if he does).

I doubt that Manderly expects Davos to sneak into Winterfell to come and meet him. They probably arranged for him to report back to Robett Glover.

Who of the Bolton followers would recognize Davos? And if so, see a danger in him?.

It's well known that he has missing fingers and he's clearly not a Northerner so he would probably arouse suspicion.

[SnowHeart]

So I'm thinking that either:

- No-one important, not the murder, just a character for Theon to interact with to see more of his character (which I must say is amazingly written, the best in the series)

-Anyone of the above, we just don't know yet, there's not enough to go on.

[Queen.Sansa.Lannister]

Theon.

"There are ghosts in Winterfell. And I am one of them."

[BRANDON GREYSTARK]

Edric Dayne . Harwin .

[BitsOfBrains]

What I didn't get is why the HM was surprised to see Theon.

Its not like it was a secret he was there. Everyone saw the wedding.

Its not that I am against mystery men just being random dudes as i think coldhands is just some guy, but I get the feeling that the Hooded Man is somebody and somebody who may have literally JUST snuck into the castle when he saw Theon.

Way i sees it it must be Davos, Blackfish, (both accomplished sneakers) or Hal (a guy who knows Winterfell well).

I don't see how it could be Davos just timewise, and I doubt Septon Chale has gone hardass (although that would be cool) so my vote is the Black Fish. We all know that guy has some serious ass kicking yet to do and assuming he met up with Cats zombie she would want her daughter back whom talk would have put at Winterfell.

[Lord Lannister]

Davos.

I don't see it. He recognized Theon and seemed angry at his betrayal of the Starks. Davos wouldn't know Theon by sight. So it had to be someone associated with House Stark. Further, I can't see Davos laughing at Theon's maiming. He's too nice a guy for that.

[The Stags Man]

Davos was spared to search for Rickon by Lord Manderly, so he should report to him first, shouldn't he? And Lord Manderly is in Winterfell.

Who of the Bolton followers would recognize Davos? And if so, see a danger in him?

What was Davos weapon to kill Melisandre? A dagger. The Hooded Man reaches for hhttps://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=880030418681694&id=100000242321765is dagger.

Theon shows his missing fingers to the Hooded Man. Who is missing his fingertips? Davos.

And out of universe: After Theon escaped, we need a POV in Winterfell. And if GRRM sticks to his self proclaimed no new POVs, the Hooded Man will be the new POV. Is the Hooded Man Jaime? Or Brienne? Aeron Greyjoy? Areo Hotah? Sam Tarly? Sansa Stark?

Davos.

You almost convinced me with the last part, however I feel like the hooded man is someone Theon knows and Davos doesn't know Theon. The interaction felt very personal between them and besides why would Davos want to attract attention to himself by trying to kill Theon, it just seems so un-Davos.

What I didn't get is why the HM was surprised to see Theon.

Its not like it was a secret he was there. Everyone saw the wedding.

Its not that I am against mystery men just being random dudes as i think coldhands is just some guy, but I get the feeling that the Hooded Man is somebody and somebody who may have literally JUST snuck into the castle when he saw Theon.

Way i sees it it must be Davos, Blackfish, (both accomplished sneakers) or Hal (a guy who knows Winterfell well).

I don't see how it could be Davos just timewise, and I doubt Septon Chale has gone hardass (although that would be cool) so my vote is the Black Fish. We all know that guy has some serious ass kicking yet to do and assuming he met up with Cats zombie she would want her daughter back whom talk would have put at Winterfell.

This is what makes me think it is the Blackfish as well or at least someone from outside the castle. Going back on that no-new POV point, didn't GRRM say he was only going to add one new POV? If he did it could be the Blackfish or at least as a Prolog POV.

[Clegane'sPup]

Ehh, Robett Glover is with the rest of the Manderly army.

Otherwise who else would be leading the army?

Wylis/Wendel (I forget) is in no state and Medrick Manderly would probably be guarding White Harbour.

Would Robett Glover, one of the most important men in the North be walking around with his hood off? Yea nah.

I chuck my lot in with Theon (as Theon was Reek), Septon Chayle (if this hooded men plays no further significance, then I almost certainly think so) or generic Ryswell man 153.

When Davos is in the Lazy Eel he is told that Robett Glover was in the city & trying to raise men with little success. Lord Manderly had turned a deaf ear to his pleas. ADWD p198

Later we learn that Manderly is playing false with the Frey's and that Manderly plays false about killing Davos.

We are given a description of Robett Glover when he came to take Davos from the Wolf's Den so that Davos could meet secretly with Manderly. Glover stays with them during the meeting. Part of Glover's description is a deep dyed scarlet cloak.

All I am saying is that the man Theon met, the one with the hooded cloak flapping behind him, could be Glover and that Glover could be the one who did the murders to bring about the chaos behind the walls of Winterfell.

It appears to me that: when Davos is in the Lazy Eel he is told that Robett Glover was in the city & trying to raise men with little success. Lord Manderly had turned a deaf ear to his pleas. ADWD p198 means that the Manderly/Glover relationship is on the down low.

[aryagonnakill#2]

Some good points have been raised on here, as well as some bad ones.

Good points I've seen in the past few posts:

The Hooded man does indeed seem surprised to see Theon

The Hooded man does indeed seem to recognize Theon on sight

The Hooded man does indeed seem to have known Theon in the past as he calls him false

Glover would be risky

These points make me lean towards Hal Mollen/Harwin more than before because he fits all of these things.

[Viserys - The last dragon]

Oh.. I'll marry an "abusive" woman who'll boss me around.. (closets is Emmon Frey).. yeeeyyy.

[Prince of the North]

I've always believed (and will continue until Martin tells me otherwise) the theory that has come to be known as "Theon Durden".

[Lost Melnibonean]

The identity will never be revealed unless GRRM does so in an SSM. The Hooded Man, who wasn't actually wearing a hood was the ghost of Reek's former self.

It is known.

First, the chapter is titled A Ghost in Winterfell. If the ghost is not Theon, this is the only chapter, other than untitled prologues and epilogues, not titled for the POV character.

Second, reread the first Theon chapter in Clash. Consider the vibe about Theon at the beginning of that chapter and the vibe about the Hooded Man. By the end of that chapter his father had taken him down a peg and set him on the path of betrayal.

From A Ghost in Winterfell, Dance:

Farther on, he came upon a man striding in the opposite direction, a hooded cloak flapping behind him. When they found themselves face-to-face their eyes met briefly. The man put a hand on his dagger.

"Theon Turncloak. Theon Kinslayer."

"I'm not. I never I was ironborn."

"False is all you were. How is it you still breathe?"

"The gods are not done with me," Theon answered, wondering if this could be the killer, the night walker who had stuffed Yellow Dick's cock into his mouth and pushed Roger Ryswell's groom off the battlements. Oddly, he was not afraid. He pulled the glove from his left hand. "Lord Ramsay is not done with me."

The man looked, and laughed. "I leave you to him, then."

Would a recognizable Glover, Mollen, or other Stark loyalist be striding around with his hood down if he were striking folks down from the shadows? No this is a brave and haughty man confronting Reek face-to-face. He was wearing a hooded cloak just like Theon was at the beginning of Theon I in Clash.

Third, Mance's spearwives tacitly admitted to the killings except for Little Walder so there is no Stark loyalist sneaking around and killing Boltons and Freys.

Fourth, the Hooded Man is walking in the opposite direction. This is the ghost of Theon's former self. Reek's character is completely opposite to Theon's.

Fifth, Theon had sworn his allegiance to Robb and thought of Robb as a brother making Robb's brothers his own. He dreamed of wedding Sansa becoming their brother and Ned's son in truth. Of course he betrayed Robb and held out that he had murdered his brothers. (False is all he ever was.) Accordingly his former self named him Turncloak and Kinslayer. Theon who had been chastised by his father for naming Robb a brother meekly denied the kinslaying title not because he didn't actually kill the Stark boys but because he was not actually a Stark. But the ghost of his former self knew better.

Sixth, Reek's lack of fear was odd because he had been afraid of everyone ever since he had become Reek.

Seventh, he always took care to conceal his maimed hands but to the ghost of his former self he displayed the proof that he was no longer whom he had been.

Finally, consider Theon's ark and the progression of the titles of his POV chapters from Clash and through Dance. He was Theon and became Reek, until something awakened in The Prince of Winterfell. Then he was the Turncloak just as his former self accused him in the next chapter, A Ghost in Winterfell. And then he was Theon again.

In Reek II, Dance Reek thinks of Theon as some other man.