Robb Stark
| House / Order | House Stark |
|---|---|
| Race / Culture | Northmen |
| Status | Deceased |
| Origin | The North; The Riverlands |
| Born | 283 AC, Winterfell |
| Died | 299 AC, the Twins |
| Weapon | A longsword |
| Fate | Murdered at the Red Wedding after his direwolf and host were betrayed by the Freys and Boltons |
| Portrayed by | Richard Madden |
Robb Stark is the eldest son of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Tully, heir to Winterfell, and the proclaimed King in the North during the War of the Five Kings. A gifted young commander barely out of boyhood, he never loses a battle on the field, yet is destroyed by the treacheries of politics and the breaking of a marriage vow.
Robb's brief, brilliant rise and brutal fall, culminating in the infamous Red Wedding, make him one of the saga's great tragedies. Notably, he is never a viewpoint character: his story is seen entirely through the eyes of others.
Background
Robb grew up the eldest and most golden of the Stark children, raised to lordship at Winterfell alongside his half-brother Jon Snow, with whom he was close. He was given a direwolf he named Grey Wind, who became his constant companion in war. When his father went south as Hand of the King, Robb was left to govern Winterfell, a boy of fourteen suddenly burdened with rule.
Biography
A Game of Thrones
When Eddard is imprisoned and then executed, Robb calls the banners of the North and marches south to free his father and avenge the family. Outnumbered, he splits his host and, with Grey Wind at his side, wins a stunning victory in the Whispering Wood, capturing Jaime Lannister himself. To gain the strategic crossing at the Twins, he pledges to marry one of Walder Frey's daughters. On news of his father's death, his lords, led by the Greatjon Umber, proclaim Robb the King in the North.
A Clash of Kings
King Robb wins battle after battle in the Westerlands, proving an undefeated general. But the war turns against him politically: Theon Greyjoy betrays him and seizes Winterfell, reportedly killing his young brothers Bran and Rickon (in truth a deception). His mother Catelyn frees Jaime, robbing him of a vital hostage, and the Baratheon-Lannister dynamics shift against him.
A Storm of Swords and the Red Wedding
Wounded and far from home, Robb falls in love with and marries Jeyne Westerling, breaking his solemn betrothal to House Frey, a catastrophic breach of honor that loses him crucial allies. To mend the alliance, he agrees that his uncle Edmure Tully will wed a Frey instead. At the wedding feast in the Twins, Walder Frey and Roose Bolton spring their trap: the Red Wedding. Robb's men are massacred, Grey Wind is slain, and Robb, riddled with crossbow bolts, is finished by Roose Bolton with the words, "The Lannisters send their regards." His corpse is grotesquely mutilated, Grey Wind's head sewn onto his body.
Character
Robb is brave, honorable, and a natural leader, beloved by his men and undefeated in war. His downfall is not military but personal: his honor, in marrying Jeyne Westerling to right a wrong he had done her, leads him to break a graver vow, and his youthful trust in the rules of guest right blinds him to the depths of Frey and Bolton treachery.
Relationships
Robb is devoted to his family, especially his mother Catelyn, who counsels and accompanies him, and his half-brother Jon Snow. His bond with his direwolf Grey Wind is profound. His love for Jeyne Westerling is genuine but ruinous. The betrayals of Theon Greyjoy and the Freys define his fall.
Quotes
Tell Lord Tywin winter is coming for him.
The King in the North! (his lords' cry)
In the television series
In HBO's Game of Thrones, Robb was portrayed by Richard Madden. His arc follows the novels closely, with one change: his wife is recast as a foreign healer named Talisa, who attends the Red Wedding and is killed there, whereas in the books Jeyne Westerling is not present and survives. The Red Wedding itself is faithful to Martin's text.