Was The Night King A Stark In Game Of Thrones?

Game of Thrones doesn’t reveal much about the Night King’s true identity before season 8 is finished — though what we know about the villain tells us he could have been a Stark. Of all the Great Houses of Westeros, House Stark is one of the most important throughout Game of Thrones. The Starks play a pivotal role in George R.R. Martin’s books, and this carries over into HBO’s TV adaptation. They’re heavily involved in defeating the Night King in the series, but several of the Starks also appear to have a connection to him.

Unfortunately, Game of Thrones never elaborates on that, only showing a brief glimpse of the Night King’s origin during season 6. Bran’s vision in season 6, episode 5 doesn’t reveal exactly who the villain is. However, it does confirm he used to be human. Combined with what we know about the Night’s King from the Song of Ice & Fire books, it seems plausible the man who became the Starks’ icy nemesis was once a Stark himself. It’s certainly a better theory than the Night King being a Targaryen, as there’s more evidence to support it.

Why The Night King Could Have Been A Stark In Game Of Thrones

He Was One Of The First Men & Has A Connection To The Starks

When the Three-Eyed Raven shows Bran the Night King’s creation, viewers get a glimpse of a human who is almost certainly one of the First Men — and this means it’s possible that he’s actually a Stark. The Starks are among the oldest Houses in Westeros, and they’re descendants of the First Men. Unlike House Targaryen, which emerges much later than the First Men and the Night King, the Starks’ ancestors would be around when this pivotal flashback takes place.

A familial link between these characters adds an interesting layer to their story, suggesting a deeper motivation for the Night King’s actions.

And based on looks alone, it’s easy to imagine the man in Bran’s vision is related to the Starks. He bears a striking resemblance to characters like Robb and Rickon, and he definitely appears to be from the North. The Night King being a Stark would also explain the fact that he has connections to several of them throughout the show. Jon is his biggest rival, he’s chasing after Bran, and Arya is ultimately the one who defeats him. A familial link between these characters adds an interesting layer to their story, suggesting a deeper motivation for the Night King’s actions.

While Game of Thrones only offers subtle hints that the Night King is connected to the Starks, the books more thoroughly support this theory. The version of the character who appears in A Song of Ice & Fire is called the Night’s King, and he’s not the same as the icy villain we meet in the HBO show. However, the similar names suggest the Night King is at least partly based on Martin’s character. And his history is more clearly entwined with that of the Starks.

The Books’ Version Of The Night King Supports Him Being A Stark

He Was The 13th Commander Of The Night’s Watch

A Song of Ice & Fire‘s Night’s King isn’t the leader of the White Walkers in the present timeline; in fact, the source material doesn’t establish any sort of figurehead for these beings. But the Night’s King does have ties to them in Martin’s books, which reveal that he was the 13th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch who fell in love with a White Walker and ruled over the Night’s Watch with her. The Night’s King is said to have done terrible things during this time, making him a villain — even if he’s long gone before A Game of Thrones.

The legends of the Night’s King in the books don’t confirm which House he originated from, but it seems plausible that he was a Stark. For one, the Starks have a long history with the Night’s Watch, and several of them have been Lord Commanders of the group. Additionally, Bran recalls Old Nan’s claims that the Night’s King was a Stark in A Storm of Swords. She tells him that the Night’s King was the brother of Brandon the Breaker, the Stark king who helped defeat him. This is never confirmed, but it adds a nice symmetry to their story.

If the Night King really is seeking revenge in the HBO show, Nan’s legend explains why.

Assuming the Night King in Game of Thrones is another version of this character, it also makes sense of his desire to kill the Starks. He goes after Bran — who has the same name as his alleged brother — and the looks he gives Jon suggest some level of animosity. If the Night King really is seeking revenge in the HBO show, Nan’s legend explains why. The fact that Brandon the Breaker teams up with the Free Folk also clearly parallels Jon joining forces with the Wildlings. Perhaps the familial bond from the legend also carries over.

Will We Ever Learn More About The Night King’s Origin?

HBO Canceled Its Best Chance To Explore His Character

Game of Thrones may not fully explore the Night King’s identity, but one of HBO’s spinoffs can. Unfortunately, the network axed its best opportunity to dig into the Night King’s origins: its Bloodmoon prequel. This canceled Game of Thrones spinoff would have revolved around the White Walkers, giving it ample opportunity to answer lingering questions about the Night King. With it no longer happening, it seems less likely viewers will get this closure.

A pilot episode of
Bloodmoon
was filmed on a budget of around $30 million, but HBO decided not to move forward with the
Game of Thrones
spinoff.

Hope isn’t totally lost, though, as House of the Dragon mentions the Song of Ice & Fire prophecy and the White Walkers during its first two seasons. It’s hard to see how the Targaryen prequel will work a Night King origin story into its run, but it isn’t impossible. The setup is there if the Game of Thrones spinoff chooses to address the villain’s history in some way. And with more additions to the franchise planned, there could be other chances to go there later on.