Rickard Stark
| House / Order | House Stark |
|---|---|
| Race / Culture | First Men |
| Status | Deceased |
| Origin | The North |
| Born | Before Robert's Rebellion |
| Died | 282 AC, at King's Landing |
| Weapon | |
| Fate | Burned alive by King Aerys II Targaryen |
| Portrayed by |
Rickard Stark was Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, the father of Eddard Stark, Brandon, Lyanna, and Benjen. His murder at the hands of the Mad King Aerys II Targaryen was one of the sparks that ignited Robert's Rebellion and ended the Targaryen dynasty.
Lordship
Rickard was an ambitious lord who looked beyond the North, forging marriage alliances with the great southron houses. He betrothed his daughter Lyanna to Robert Baratheon of the Stormlands and fostered his heir Brandon with House Tully of the Riverlands, weaving the North into a web of southern alliances that would later become the backbone of the rebellion against the crown.
Death
When Prince Rhaegar Targaryen was accused of abducting Lyanna, Brandon Stark rode to King's Landing demanding satisfaction and was seized by the Mad King. Rickard answered the summons to answer for his son and demanded trial by combat. Aerys named fire his champion: Rickard was roasted alive in his armor while Brandon strangled himself trying to reach a sword to save his father.
Legacy
The murders of Rickard and Brandon drove the North to war alongside the Baratheons, Tullys, and Arryns. Lordship of Winterfell passed to his second son, Eddard, who had been fostered in the Vale. Rickard's death is remembered as one of the Mad King's cruelest acts.