Eddard Stark

Lord Eddard Stark, also known as Ned Stark, was the head of House Stark, the Lord of Winterfell, Lord Paramount and Warden of the North, and later Hand of the King to King Robert I Baratheon. He was the older brother of Benjen, Lyanna and the younger brother of Brandon Stark. He is the father of Robb, Isla, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon by his wife, Catelyn Tully, and uncle of Jon Snow, who he raised as his bastard son. He was a dedicated husband and father, a loyal friend, and an honorable lord.

Eddard's execution and revealing the illegitimacy of Cersei Lannister's children sparked the War of the Five Kings between Joffrey Baratheon, Robb, Renly Baratheon, Stannis Baratheon, and Balon Greyjoy, being posthumously responsible for the involvement of four of the kings in this war.

Following his death, his legacy would shape the future of Westeros for years. His son Robb was acclaimed by the Northern lords as the first King in the North since the days of the Conquest. Although Robb later fell at the Red Wedding, the North's desire for independence, which had been awoken by Eddard's execution, was carried on by his alleged bastard Jon Snow's own acclamation as king and, following his exile to the Night's Watch for assassinating Daenerys Targaryen, by his daughter Isla, who refused to allow the North to remain a part of the Seven Kingdoms and was crowned as the first Queen in the North. Following the death of all claimants to the Iron Throne in the War of the Five Kings and the second Targaryen conquest, the Great Council of 305 AC elected Eddard's last living son, Bran, as the new King of the Andals and the First Men.

Background
Eddard Stark was the head of House Stark and Lord Paramount of the North of the constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms, and House Stark is one of the Great Houses of the realm. House Stark rules the region from their seat of Winterfell, and Eddard also held the title Lord of Winterfell. In addition, he was the Warden of the North.

Eddard was the second son of Lord Rickard Stark. Lord Rickard served King Aerys II Targaryen as Warden of the North. Eddard's older brother Brandon was Rickard's heir. Eddard also has a younger sister Lyanna and a younger brother Benjen. Eddard was a stoic, dutiful, and honorable man and was considered to embody the values of the North.

Eddard was a trusted, close friend and counselor of King Robert Baratheon. Both boys were fostered as children by Jon Arryn, the Lord of the Vale, they grew to love each other as brothers and loved Jon Arryn as a father figure. He supported Robert's play for the throne by acting as a general in several major battles. Eddard's sister, Lyanna, who was betrothed to Robert, was purportedly kidnapped by Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, igniting a war. Brandon protested the kidnapping, but his attempt to bring Rhaegar to justice failed. Lord Rickard was summoned to court in King's Landing by Aerys, and both Brandon and Rickard were brutally executed by the Mad King Their deaths left Eddard to inherit Rickard's responsibilities, serving King Robert instead.

Brandon had been betrothed to Catelyn, and Eddard also inherited his brother's bride. Lyanna died in Eddard's arms during the conflict. Despite his happy family life, Eddard still felt the losses of his family quite keenly, often visiting his sister's tomb to light a candle for her as his daughter, Isla, remembered. Despite barely knowing each other, Eddard and Catelyn formed a strong and loving marriage, and had six children, Robb, Isla, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon.

Eddard also had a supposed illegitimate son, Jon Snow, apparently fathered with a common serving girl Wylla, and raised Jon as his son alongside his legitimate children in Winterfell. In reality, Jon is Eddard's nephew since he is the son of Eddard's sister Lyanna with Rhaegar Targaryen. Eddard kept this secret from everyone, including Catelyn, to protect Jon - especially from Robert Baratheon. This would become a source of occasional friction between Eddard and Catelyn, who remained unaware of Jon's true origins. Eddard's younger brother Benjen joined the Night's Watch, an institution of which Eddard was a keen supporter. He also appeared to have troubles keeping his bannermen in line as Stannis Baratheon remembered his brother Robert saying the Northmen were difficult to control, even with Eddard on his side.

Season 1
Eddard Stark executes a deserter from the Night's Watch named Will. Will tries to warn Eddard about the return of the White Walkers, but Eddard dismisses him as a madman. Some of Eddard's children, Robb, Isla, Bran, and Jon accompany him to the execution.

On the way back to Winterfell, the party finds a dead stag and a dead female direwolf. The direwolf is found with her litter of six living pups. Eddard's first instinct is to kill them, but Jon tells his father that since the direwolf is the sigil of House Stark, the pups may be an omen. Eddard agrees to let his children look after them on the condition that they clean, raise, and feed them with no help from the servants.

A raven bearing news of the death of Jon Arryn, Eddard's childhood mentor and foster father, flies to Winterfell. The missive also states that King Robert and much of the royal court is on their way to the castle. Eddard realizes that Robert means to name him as Hand of the King to replace Jon. He ponders refusal. However, when Robert arrives, he makes it clear that he badly needs Eddard's help in King's Landing. He also sweetens the deal by offering to betroth his son and heir Joffrey to Eddard's daughter Sansa. Eddard remains uncertain until a secret letter from Lysa Arryn, Catelyn's sister, implicates the Lannisters in the death of Jon Arryn. Eddard decides to accept to investigate both Jon Arryn's death and a potential plot against the king. He decides to bring all three of his daughters to introduce them at court.

Bran is found comatose at the base of a disused tower following an apparent climbing accident. Eddard reluctantly decides to leave as planned, to his wife's distress. Eddard, Isla, Arya, Sansa, and the royal party head south to King's Landing. At their parting, Eddard tells Jon he is a Stark and that while he does not have Eddard's name, he has his blood. He also promises to tell him about his mother the next time they meet.

On the Kingsroad south to the capital, King Robert calls a halt to discuss troubling news from Essos. Robert's spies have learned of Daenerys Targaryen's marriage to Khal Drogo, whose khalasar is reported to number over one hundred thousand warriors. Eddard points out that the Dothraki cannot cross the Narrow Sea, as they have no ships, but Robert is concerned that the Seven Kingdoms will soon face another war. Robert also asks about Wylla, the mother of Jon Snow, but Eddard quickly deflects the line of questioning.

Joffrey is bitten by Arya's direwolf Nymeria after Joffrey attacks Arya. To save Nymeria's life, Arya and Isla force the direwolf to flee and hides in the woods herself. Arya and Isla are found and Eddard is brought before the king and instructed to punish them. Joffrey lies about the cause of the incident and Sansa supports him, enraging Arya. Queen Cersei insists that a direwolf must be punished and Robert orders that Isla's direwolf, Lady, must be killed in Nymeria's place. Eddard attends to the matter himself, to Isla's anger.

After arriving at King's Landing, Eddard's investigation reveals that Jon Arryn took an interest in Robert's numerous bastard children, including his son Gendry. He learns that Jon borrowed The Lineage and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms from Pycelle. Eddard reads the book but cannot determine why Jon wanted it.

Despite being restored to the king's favor, Eddard worries that the situation may yet come to war. He orders Isla, Sansa, and Arya to return to Winterfell. A chance comment by Sansa that golden-haired Joffrey is a lion, not a stag, and is "nothing like" his old drunk of a father, prompts Eddard to realize the truth of Joffrey's parentage. He consults The Lineage book and sees that in every match between a Baratheon and a member of another house, the Baratheon black hair always dominates. Shocked, Eddard realizes that this means that Joffrey and the other royal children are not Robert's and as a result, they have no claim to the Iron Throne.

Eddard confronts Cersei and warns her that he knows that her three children are not Robert's children, but her children conceived with her twin brother Jaime. Ned warns Cersei to flee with her children into exile before Robert returns from his hunt, when he will tell Robert the truth. Robert is mortally wounded while on the hunt. Wishing him a peaceful death, Eddard withholds his discovery. Robert has Eddard write his will, naming Eddard Protector of the Realm to rule until Joffrey comes of age. Eddard transcribes the command, but does not name Joffrey specifically and instead refers to Robert's successor as Robert's rightful heir.

Eddard is incarcerated in the black cells under the Red Keep. He is visited by Varys who is disguised as a gaoler. Eddard asks about his daughters and Varys replies Arya has escaped the castle, Isla is still inside the walls, and Sansa is still engaged to Joffrey. Varys is bemused by Eddard telling Cersei that he knew about the parentage of her children and adds that his mercy is what killed Robert. Eddard is taken to the front steps of the Great Sept of Baelor. He spots Arya crouching beside the statue of Baelor the Blessed and signals Yoren, who is also present amidst the gathered crowd. Before Ser Ilyn Payne swings the Lord of Winterfell's own sword Ice, Eddard notices that Yoren has taken Arya. Isla, distraught, is restrained as Payne decapitates Eddard before the shocked Cersei and council can intervene while the baying crowd cheers. Before he dies, Eddard mutters a few last unheard words. Yoren is able to smuggle a devastated Arya out of the city.

Eddard's head is placed on a spike above the Traitor's Walk in the Red Keep. Joffrey torments Isla by forcing her to look upon it as well as the other slain members of her household. She overcomes her revulsion and is able to maintain her composure, preventing his satisfaction at seeing her upset. Eddard's death launches the Seven Kingdoms into the devastating War of the Five Kings, with the North and the Riverlands seceding from the authority of the Iron Throne and Robb Stark proclaimed as the King in the North. Tywin calls his execution "madness and stupidity" as the Lannisters - who are also fighting Robert's brothers for the throne - could have used Eddard to end the war with the Starks.