What was Ned's worst/most costly mistake?

[The Drunkard]

Accepting the position of Hand and going south. If he didn't, if he made up some reasoning to stay behind (''Mance Rayday is preparing an attack'', ''I don't know how to rule in the south'', ''I have this terrible rash''), the family would be together, the North would be united. He could've stayed out of the war entirely.

[conon394]

Well saying going south is easy, but it had to be done...

The King came in person to ask and offered a Royal marriage and (at the time) Ned was under the impression Jon Arryn was assassinated by the Lannisters, which was certainly backed up by Lysia flight.

I don't see an alternative for Ned here. To turn down the king would have put a deep wedge between them, open the door to more Lannister influence, and more or less said the alliance that put Robert on the throne was dead and Ned was going to bury himself in the North.

But it does raise a long term mistake Ned took no interest in the affairs of Kings landing and he seemingly did little to keep in touch with the key people who had made the new King - Not Stannis, not the Tullys, not Jon, no agents in KL etc. Ned actively - through his passive isolation created basis for his failure.

Second in King's landing. Having taken the measure of Robert on the Trident and seen the preponderance of Lannister forces and or tools at court Ned needed to act. The Tourney would have provided cover for upping his manpower total - he should have sent for more men immediately, and not only that tried to get some in Robert's service. Second he either needed Stannis at court, to talk to him or replace him period. Why not Tully men? Replace Stannis with a Tully or at least figure out how to get the Edmure or the Blackfish to court.

Ned was screwed because he had no time to say eliminate Varys (who should never have been retained anyway) or LF but he could and should have acted to balance the playing field as soon he realized how alone he was.

[Groat]

And a terrible military commander. Cersei was planning a battle, Ned wasn't. And in war, well, you really, really need to win those things.

Ned made too many mistakes, it's hard to think which was the worst. I think it boils down to refuse to think people's motivations, which is specially true regarding Littlefinger, Sansa and his refusal to allow Loras to go hunting the Mountain. He just expected to order and people to obey just because.

I'm not sure why you quoted me with this post, as you made no attempt to reply to anything I said. Suffice to say, everything you have said here is wrong. Ned gave orders to have archers at Moat Cailin, thus preparing for war. Ned was one of the leaders of RR, and proved to be one of the best military commanders of his era. Sansa even admits that she had never done anything like that before, when she told Cersei the plans, so I'm not sure how Ned was supposed to predict that. Ned was given false information regarding LF, so I'm not sure how he was supposed to predict LF's real motivations when his own wife claimed he was a brother to her. Finally, in a feudal society, when a high ranking official (like the Hand of the King) gives an order, people obey. It's kind of the linchpin to how the whole society functions.

[Tharvot]

Could you please provide textual evidence for this statement, because it is 100% wrong.

Furthermore, Ned doing the honorable thing is what makes him such a great person, and such a great dad. Doing the decent, honorable thing is why his kids are so awesome, it's why his kids will carry on the Stark tradition. This event could be seen as ensuring the survival of his house.

Doing the "decent and honorable thing" is what got Ned killed.

I see that you apparently like Ned. I do too. He was a good dude, but he was also out of his element in KL and he made the mistake of acting as if people shared the same honor system that he did, to his peril.

Cersei knew he was snooping around, but she didn't know he figured it out yet. Had he said nothing to her, she would have never known and he could have gotten his family out of KL after Robert's death. Instead he opened up to her in a laughably out of place act of kindness. Furthermore, she manipulated him. She could have just denied the whole thing and claimed he was a traitor to the throne to Robert (which she did anyhow, just not to Robert). This would have gotten Ned sent home or to The Wall.

[Groat]

Doing the "decent and honorable thing" is what got Ned killed.

I see that you apparently like Ned. I do too. He was a good dude, but he was also out of his element in KL and he made the mistake of acting as if people shared the same honor system that he did, to his peril.

Cersei knew he was snooping around, but she didn't know he figured it out yet. Had he said nothing to her, she would have never known and he could have gotten his family out of KL after Robert's death. Instead he opened up to her in a laughably out of place act of kindness. Furthermore, she manipulated him. She could have just denied the whole thing and claimed he was a traitor to the throne to Robert (which she did anyhow, just not to Robert). This would have gotten Ned sent home or to The Wall.

Really dude!?

Cersei arrested Ned because he challenged Joffrey's claim. Cersei's exact words were "You gave me some advise a short time ago Lord Eddard, allow me to return the favor, bend the knee." She did not arrest him because he knew the secret, and she did not attack Ned's guards because he knew the secret. She did this because he challenged Joffrey's claim.

I especially like your last statement, because this is what literally happened in the books. Ned was supposed to take the black, but for unknown reasons, Joffrey executed him. Once again, this all hapened because Ned challenge Joffrey's claim.

At what point in time, did anything actually bad happen to Ned because of what he told Cersei?

[Knight Of Winter]

Ned biggest mistake was failing to understand office of King's Hand and not using it's power in the first place. Really, if he put his position to good use he could have easily 1) replaced Janos Slant with loyal commander, 2) summon more levies in king's name when the situation was worsening and 3) ordered Stannis to come from Dragonstone and question him about Jon Arryn. If he had done so, he would have no need of either Littlefinger, Renly or Janos Slynt in the first place.

Refusing Renly, telling Cersei about his discovery and not sending Loras after Gregor are just cherries on top the the cake, which just show how horribly clueless Ned was about playing the Game.

Sansa even admits that she had never done anything like that before, when she told Cersei the plans, so I'm not sure how Ned was supposed to predict that.

Easily - just by posting some guards in front of Sansa's and Arya's room (which he should have done anyway, purely for their safety). This part actually troubles me - if Ned was (rightfully) so afraid for his daughters' safety, then why did he allow them to run around the castle without any kind of surveillance?

[The Fallen]

` This again? His biggest mistake was Robert Baratheon being killed by a bore.

What did he disclose to Cersei that was so crucial? That he knew? She already knew that, hence why she doesn't bother denying it. And do you know why she didn't bother denying it? Because she had already put into action her own brilliant plan (Project Bored) to get Robert really drunk in hopes of his suffering an accidental death.

Ned didn't tell Cersei anything about his plans other than telling her he would tell Robert. Again, this is something that Cersei already knew. She was planning to kill Robert before Ned had found out.

Now seriously, how would Renly's plan have worked? I want to know how it would have played out successfully.

[Mark Antony]

One that kinda pisses me off is not sending Loras to deal with the Mountain. Even Varys was like you're an idiot.

[Groat]

Easily - just by posting some guards in front of Sansa's and Arya's room (which he should have done anyway, purely for their safety). This part actually troubles me - if Ned was (rightfully) so afraid for his daughters' safety, then why did he allow them to run around the castle without any kind of surveillance?

So let me get this straight, Ned should have anticipated Sansa telling Cersei the plan to get the girls out of KL, when Sansa has never done anything like this before, and informed his guards as such? Why do you assume the girls didn't have guards on them? It sounded to me like Sansa had to escape to talk to Cersei anyways. Furthermore, she was at court, it would have looked wildly suspicious if Ned locked his girls away.

All this is irrelevant anyways because this wasn't even that big a deal in the grand scheme of things, Martin has said so.

[The Fallen]

Refusing Renly, telling Cersei about his discovery and not sending Loras after Gregor are just cherries on top the the cake, which just show how horribly clueless Ned was about playing the Game.

Ned wasn't playing the game. He didn't need to because he had Robert on his side (theoretically).

Ned got to King's Landing in the 9th inning with the bases loaded and no outs and the game tied and he's expected to save the day. Ned didn't know about all the scheming that was going on from Varys to Littlefinger to Cersei and Jaime. And he was busy investigating Jon Arryn's death. When he realizes that King's Landing was getting dangerous he plans to have his daughter's spirited away before making his move. Now, it would not have mattered by that time as Littlefinger decided to side with Cersei. But Ned was at a great disadvantage from the get.

[The Fallen]

So let me get this straight, Ned should have anticipated Sansa telling Cersei the plan to get the girls out of KL, when Sansa has never done anything like this before, and informed his guards as such? Why do you assume the girls didn't have guards on them? It sounded to me like Sansa had to escape to talk to Cersei anyways. Furthermore, she was at court, it would have looked wildly suspicious if Ned locked his girls away.

All this is irrelevant anyways because this wasn't even that big a deal in the grand scheme of things, Martin has said so.

I actually think it was a big deal, not necessarily for Ned, but for Robb and the North. But it boggles my mind when people say things like that. That Ned should have posted guards at Sansa's door. Heck, Arya was practicing with Syrio. Sansa's actions were out-of-character.

[Colonel Green]

This event could be seen as ensuring the survival of his house.

The main reason his house is in jeopardy could be said to be because of Ned's honourable behavior in the first place. It's only pure luck (and the machinations of others) that his daughters didn't end up as Lannister rape-slaves, and Robb's inherited inflexible honour did him in in the end.

There's one point where I will say that I think Ned's stupid decisions ultimately matter less: namely, the purchasing of the Gold Cloaks. Even if he'd tried to do that himself instead of leaving it to Littlefinger, I really have never seen why Janos Slynt et al. would ever support putting Stannis on the throne, given that Stannis would put an end to the gravy train of graft and probably give them the Davos treatment, if not sending them to the Wall.

[DogLover]

While I don't consider accepting the Hand of the King position and heading south a mistake, Ned exercised poor judgment by not turning back to Winterfell with girls in tow after Joffrey, Sansa's to-be husband, revealed his true character and Cersei had Lady killed.

[Knight Of Winter]

So let me get this straight, Ned should have anticipated Sansa telling Cersei the plan to get the girls out of KL, when Sansa has never done anything like this before, and informed his guards as such? Why do you assume the girls didn't have guards on them? It sounded to me like Sansa had to escape to talk to Cersei anyways. Furthermore, she was at court, it would have looked wildly suspicious if Ned locked his girls away.

No, I suggested that Ned should have put guards outside of Sansa's door for her own safety - and if guards were there, they would have stopped Sansa from wandering around the castle.

Of course I'm not saying that Ned could have predicted Sansa will run off to tell Cersei his plan :)

Ned wasn't playing the game. He didn't need to because he had Robert on his side (theoretically).

Not entirely correct, I think. Ned soon realized he has enemies and Robert was too drunk and irresponible to shield him from them - that's why he e.g. sends letters to his bannermen to fortify Moat Cailin. So he knew who are his enemies (Lannisters), and he knew he couldn't count on Robert - hence he should have started "playing" (and being King's Hand - he was in good position to do so).

[Leif]

Not going along with Renly's Plan was his biggest blunder.

Telling Cersei of his plans was equally stupid though.

Yup.

[Robar]

Not understanding the true nature of the handship. He styled himself as Robert's truest advisor, not the Hand of the King. Only once did he use his full powers, namely when he sentenced Gregor to death. Had he simply officially summoned Stannis, Ser Hugh and others, all would have been much easier.

His failure at gaining the monopoly on armed forces was the next worst decision. He should have appointed Jory Cassel as commander of the Goldcloaks as soon as he got to King's Landing and, voilá, 4,000 soldiers are under your direct command. Notice that Tyrion (Jacelyn Bywater) and Tywin (Addam Marbrand) did the same, but I can't recall what Cersei did.

[Rob Snow]

His biggest mistake, letting Jon go to the wall without letting him know who his mother was.

Second biggest mistake, Allowing Cat to leave KL without a decent size guard, and the girls. If he sent Arya and Sansa home with her and a sizable guard: 1) She wouldn't have run into Tyrion at the Inn at the Crossroads; and 2)When Ned was taken by Janos Slynt and the City Guard in the Throne room confrontation with Cersei and Joeffry, they wouldn't have had the leverage to get him to admit to treason.

[Colonel Green]

Notice that Tyrion (Jacelyn Bywater) and Tywin (Addam Marbrand) did the same, but I can't recall what Cersei did.

Cersei did the same thing, putting Ser Osfryd Kettleblack in charge (actually Baelish's man, of course, but she didn't know that). Mace Tyrell is apparently restaffing the Watch itself with Reach men, so he also sees the value in keeping the loyalty of that force.

[Arya kiddin']

I understood all the honorable BS going on with the great Lord Stark, but it baffled me to no end when he told Cersei that he knows the whole incest thing. Damn honour it was a plain stupid thing to do.

[gamegeknee]

I don't consider any of Ned's actions mistakes. He's just too honorable and good for the world he lived in.

He severely under estimated the lengths those around him would go for power. He has the same trait as Sansa of just being oblivious to what the world is really like.