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HBO’s Game of Thrones was released in 2011, and it didn’t take viewers long to learn that plot armor rusts quickly in Westeros. With so many memorable and well-written characters, many fan-favorites that would be safe in other series become expendable. What makes the deaths in Game of Thrones so powerful is not just that George R. R. Martin and the show’s writers are willing to go there, but because of the layered storytelling, losing certain characters has an exponential impact that ripples throughout the plot seasons later. The deaths are not executed for mere shock value. The political landscape of Westeros is constantly shifting, and that means no one is safe in Game of Thrones.
Perhaps one of the most shocking and potent demises in the series still belongs to the beheading of Ned Stark. Readers of A Song of Ice and Fire may have mentally prepared to lose Ned Stark, but those who were introduced to George R. R. Martin’s world through the HBO series were blindsided by the loss of Sean Bean’s character. Not only was his death shocking, but how he died left a bad taste in the mouths of Stark fans. For much of the first season, House Stark received the most screen time and attention, luring viewers into a false sense of security concerning the safety of the Warden of the North. Nearly 15 years after his execution, losing Ned Stark still sparks debate among Game of Thrones enthusiasts.
Ned Stark Maintained His Honor in a Dishonorable Westeros
Chivalry is a Death Sentence in Game of Thrones
One of the first times viewers witness Ned Stark on screen in Game of Thrones, he is executing a deserter of the Night’s Watch. Considering the manner of his eventual demise, this could be viewed as a proper foreshadowing of things to come. In the early episodes, fans experience the hardened world of Westeros primarily through the eyes of Ned Stark and his family. The Starks govern the North as a devoted family, with a father striving to nurture his children, a supportive mother concerned about their well-being, and each child exploring their unique identities as they navigate their place in the world.
While the whole of Westeros may seem dangerous and in constant political turmoil, the Starks and Winterfell offer a familiar home-like setting. Concerning the execution of the Night’s Watch deserter, it’s clear that Ned doesn’t want to or enjoy killing the man, but it is his duty. This act exemplifies Ned’s sense of duty and honor to his kingdom and family. The act was his sole, solemn responsibility. This scene displays his moral code of law, order, duty and protecting his people.
It is these same qualities that place Ned Stark on the execution block himself later in the first season. In a series filled with betrayal and self-serving characters, Ned’s unwavering loyalty and personal moral code are a breath of fresh air. While Jon Snow is not Ned’s true biological son, many of these traits were passed down to Snow and led to him becoming a fan-favorite protagonist.
The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword — Ned Stark
Ned’s devotion extends to his friends. When King Robert Baratheon takes the King’s Road to Winterfell to offer Ned the title of Hand of the King, his allegiance to his childhood friend and King trumps his true desire to stay in the North. Despite Catelyn disputing his decision to take on the role, rooted in the troublesome fate of the previous Hand of the King, Ned cannot deny his friend’s request. Not only did the death of Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, not deter Ned from traveling south, it encouraged him further in his position to uncover the nature of Arryn’s death and restore order to the Iron Throne.
The first season of Game of Thrones weaves an illusion, leading viewers to believe that Ned Stark is the central figure in the series. Ned’s quest to uncover the truth behind Jon Arryn’s death and Joffrey Baratheon’s lineage granted him an aura of narrative significance and protective plot armor, or so fans believed. This false perception ultimately led to Ned’s death being so shocking. To many that were unfamiliar with the books, Game of Thrones had just killed the main character in the first season. With Ned Stark’s execution, the safety net was ripped from beneath viewers. It highlighted the unforgiving nature of Westeros and enforced just how vulnerable everyone was concerning the pursuit of the Iron Throne.
Ned Stark's Death Was Inevitable in Game of Thrones
The Hand of the King's Downfall Was Written on the Wall
Though Ned Stark’s goal to unveil the wrongdoings going on behind the scenes in King’s Landing was honorable, his approach was anything but practical. When Ned becomes Hand of the King, he investigates Joffrey’s parentage behind the scenes, as Ned believes Jaime Lannister to be the boy’s real father. The Lannisters are one of the most ruthless and wealthy families in Westeros, so any attempt to question or upset their power is dangerous.
When Ned uncovers evidence to support his claims, he makes a fatal error in approaching Cersei Lannister with an ultimatum. Ned tells her to flee King’s Landing with her children before he informs King Robert that Joffrey is not his son. This is a case of Ned’s moral principles doing more harm than good to his goal. He knows that her punishment would be death should the truth about Joffrey come out. He wants to offer her a chance to escape with her life, but in reality, he shows his hand and gives Cersei and the Lannisters a chance to retaliate.
Cersei warns him that when you play the game of thrones, you win, or you die. Ned Stark is a warrior and honorable man; his inexperience navigating the cut-throat political landscape of King’s Landing is exposed in his approach to the problems at hand. He severely underestimates his enemies and the lengths they will go to maintain their position of power.
Ned’s meeting with Cersei is not his only misstep in King’s Landing. Another fatal error was trusting Petyr Baelish with the knowledge of his plan to install Stannis Baratheon as King after the death of Robert Baratheon. Littlefinger ensures Ned that he will back his plan, as will the City Watch, and encourages Ned to proceed with the operation. Littlefinger would eventually turn on Ned, holding him at dagger point and giving him over to the Lannisters.
It was Littlefinger’s plot from the beginning to kill Jon Arryn and throw King’s Landing and Westeros as a whole into a state of political chaos. Ned appeals to the authority of justice and law in a setting that is devoid of both, and that is ultimately his undoing. When King Robert Baratheon dies, he gives Ned Stark a piece of paper that states he wishes for Ned to rule until Joffrey comes of age. Ned believed this would be enough to give him time to install Stannis as King, but this was also a stumble on his part.
Cersei is now Queen, backed by her father, Tywin Lannister. She tears up the paper in front of him and the court. Power in King’s Landing is taken by force and wealth, not law, and Ned realizes this much too late. Ned is placed in the dungeons and awaits his trial before he is ultimately executed at the hands of Joffrey.
Ned Stark's Execution Made Television History
His Death Established the Unpredictable Nature of Game of Thrones
It’s been fourteen years since Game of Thrones aired, and Ned Stark’s death still looms over discussion about the series to this day. It’s not just that a fan-favorite died in the manner in which he did, but the gut punch of watching a man die while remaining true to his moral code and sense of justice. Even when re-watching Game of Thrones, it still feels like a shock all over again when the scene happens. Viewers witness every decision that leads him to his final moments, hoping that maybe this time it will be different.
The fact that Arya witnesses her father’s execution first-hand adds even more gravity to the tragic scene. Ned Stark’s execution highlights that Game of Thrones was not afraid to challenge and subvert viewer expectations. Ned served as a tool to ground fans in the harsh world of Westeros. The Iron Throne is ultimately won by the spilling of blood, not ideals and morals. This decision changed fantasy television, highlighting that real stakes could exist, and bad things happen to the good guys. In the subsequent seasons of Game of Thrones, fans often referenced Ned’s death as a reminder not to get too emotionally attached to any character.
