Bran Stark

## Brandon Stark

**Brandon Stark**, commonly known as **Bran**, is the second son and fourth child of Catelyn and Eddard Stark. He is seven years old at the start of *A Game of Thrones*.

## Appearance and Character

Bran has his mother's coloring, with the thick auburn hair and deep blue eyes associated with House Tully.

Bran is a pleasant young boy, regarded fondly by the people of Winterfell. Before he was crippled, he had a significant fascination with climbing and exploring the castle walls and ramparts. Lady Catelyn often said that Bran could climb before he could walk, which Bran supposed was true. After his fall, Bran's rapidly worsening situation forced him to become far more solemn and apprehensive than the cheerful child he had once been.

## Biography

### A Game of Thrones

Bran is riding with his brothers and father to witness his father execute a deserter from the Night's Watch. On the return trip to Winterfell, he and his father discuss the execution and how someday Bran will be Robb's bannerman. They are interrupted by Jon and Robb, who have just discovered a direwolf mother lying dead in the snow. The direwolf left six live pups, one for each of the Stark siblings to adopt. Bran's pup is grey with golden eyes, but he cannot decide on a name for him for a long while.

During King Robert Baratheon's visit, Bran is in a state of excitement to leave for King's Landing. He dreams of someday becoming a knight of the Kingsguard, and is thrilled at the prospect of travelling the Kingsroad by horse. He defeats Prince Tommen Baratheon in a sparring match in the courtyard. On the day before his departure, Bran is saddened and attempts to find a way to bid goodbye to his home. He decides to go climbing, scaling an abandoned tower. He is surprised to hear voices, and discovers Ser Jaime Lannister and Queen Cersei engaged in a sexual act. With a single shove, Jaime pushes Bran from the window with the intent to protect his secret by killing the boy. Bran survives, but falls into a coma.

While Bran is in a comatose state, an unknown assassin sets fire to a wing of the castle as a diversion, and tries to kill Bran with a Valyrian steel knife. Lady Catelyn rises to Bran's defense, fighting off Bran's would-be assailant. The man protests, asserting that Catelyn should not be there and that killing Bran would be merciful. Bran's direwolf intervenes, preventing further attack from the assassin by ripping out his throat.

Still comatose, Bran dreams of falling and of a mysterious three-eyed crow who tells him to open his eye and fly. Struggling internally, Bran finally manages to awaken. He names his direwolf Summer. However, Bran is now crippled for life and will never walk again. He has no recollection of the events leading up to his fall.

In a later visit, Tyrion Lannister gives Bran a design for a saddle which will allow him to ride despite his new limitations. But on his first ride outside Winterfell's walls, Bran is captured by a group of wildlings that want to steal his horse and ransom him back to Winterfell. However, Bran is rescued by Robb, Theon, and the direwolves before he can come to further injury by the wildlings, who are promptly killed. Osha, a spearwife, is kept alive. She and Bran speak in the Godswood and become friends.

 File:Bran stark by aprilis420-d5mntjz.jpg
### A Clash of Kings

When Theon Greyjoy invades Winterfell, Bran surrenders the Keep to him to protect the people of Winterfell, but not wishing to be a hostage, he plans an escape with Osha, Hodor, Rickon, and the two Reed children. Bran heads north to the wall, where his visions are guiding him. The Wildling woman Osha takes his brother Rickon and his direwolf, Shaggydog a different way, because a dying Maester Luwin tells them they need to separate so one will make it through if something happens to the other. Bran travels with Hodor and the brother and sister duo Meera and Jojen Reed. Jojen is gifted with "green dreams" and uses clues given in his dreams to guide the party North.

Bran, along with the rest of the Stark children, is a warg. Throughout the series, he inhabits the body of his own direwolf as well as Hodor. In a dream, Bran is promised the ability to fly by a three eyed crow. Jojen, using his green dreams, promises to help take Bran to meet the three eyed crow and become a trained warg.

Bran and his party nearly meet up with Jon, who is trying to escape Styr's group. Bran wargs into Summer and saves Jon, but Jon only sees Bran's wolf and not Bran. Jon is later devastated when he is told Bran and Rickon were killed by Theon Grejoy. Bran's group comes into contact with Samwell Tarly and Gilly just after arriving at one of the castles at the Wall. He shows them a tunnel passing through the wall. Sam realizes Bran is Jon's brother when he sees Summer. They force Sam into keeping their survival of Theon's invasion a secret from Jon so they can continue north.

By the end of A Dance with Dragons, Bran, Jojen, Meera and Hodor come into contact with the Children of the Forest and one such woman leads them to the fabled Three Eyed Crow. The "crow" is actually an old warg whose body has merged with a godswood tree. This warg begins teaching Bran how to see through the eyes of the godswood. Bran sees several scenes in the godswood in Winterfell, including one of his father praying for Robb and Jon to grow up close as brothers, with only love between them, and for Catelyn to find it in her heart to forgive. Bran sees his father as a child playing his younger sister Lyanna, who looks like Arya.

## Fan Art Gallery

Bran stark by teiiku.jpegBy TeiIkuBran stark by blue zombie.jpegBy blue-zombieBrandon stark by sykaaa-d4ptssv.jpeg