In a series whose greatest reputation is mercilessly killing characters, some folks have a lot of time accepting the deaths of characters that we spend chapters learning to love and admire. Unfortunately, George R. R. Martin has also made a bad habit of killing characters ‘off-screen’, even listing over a dozen characters as “missing” or “thought dead” in his pages upon pages of house appendices at the end of his books, this making the acceptance of these supposed deaths even more difficult for fans. Thus, some of the most popular theories revolve around the vehement denial of the supposed ‘deaths’ of characters. This week, we shall be looking at theories surrounding three characters in particular. In order, spoilers will be surrounding book 1 and season 1, book 3 and season 4, then book 5 and season 4. Read onwards as far as you dare!
We begin with Arya Stark’s beloved Dancing Master, Syrio Forel. The former First Sword of Braavos, hired by Arya’s father to teach her the art of swordplay. After the Lannisters captured Eddard Stark upon accusations of treason against the throne, Ser Meryn Trant and five other Lannister swords were sent to ‘fetch’ Arya to assure that all three of the Starks within the city were kept under lock and key. Syrio, bless his soul, offers himself as a foe for all seven men while urging Arya to run. After disarming all of Trant’s goonies — with a wooden practise sword, no less — Syrio finds himself down to a one-on-one battle with Trant. However, his wooden sword is shown as useless against the Kingsguard’s plate armour, and is swiftly cut in two by Ser Meryn. Since Arya flees the scene before we discover the true outcome of the duel, many refuse to accept the swordmaster’s implied death. While later chapters have Ser Meryn claim to have killed Syrio, it would be Meryn’s personality to lie about losing to a disarmed foreigner after already failing to capture Arya.
Personally, I see this as a 50-50 possibility. Martin is a writer who pays particular attention to realism in his text (somewhat of a strange thing to say about a fantasy writer), always making sure to paint a world where death is a real consequence and threat to all — it comes easily to all, regardless of moral alignment. Syrio sacrificing himself for a brave little girl has a certain painful charm to it, and one that sits well for the rest of the cruel world. However, Martin may just have a grander plan in mind for the Braavosi swordsman.
Next up on the resurrection block is a new addition for you show watchers who watched last week’s finale of season 4— Sandor Clegane, most often called the Hound, left to die mercilessly and alone by Arya Stark after suffering from very grievous wounds. That poor girl brushes with death wherever she goes, it seems.
The favourite theory to deny our dear dog’s death comes from a minor character in one of Brienne’s chapters in A Feast for Crows (it is important for show-watchers to note that in the books, Brienne and The Hound never crossed paths as depicted in last week’s season finale). While the Maid of Tarth and her entourage are visiting the Quiet Isle in search of Sansa Stark, they meet in passing a quiet gravedigger with a terrible lameness, fondness for dogs, and stature surpassing even the grande Brienne. Fan theory popularizes this pour soul as a poor Hound licking his wounds back to health, supplemented by several particular details in the mannerisms of the monks who claim to have witnessed the Hound’s ‘death’. I personally wish for this theory to be true— the Hound was too enjoyable to let die so early.
Our final mystery is also one of the earliest established— Benjen Stark, younger brother to Ned Stark and ranger for the Night’s Watch, appears for a few chapters in the first book, quickly disappear while north of the Wall without so much as a hint of the fate that befell him. We know that the poor souls who die at or beyond the Wall find themselves re-animated as mindless wights, but have yet to find a confirmed Benjen-wight in our adventures in the North. Perhaps he’s just buried under the snow somewhere.
Popular fan theory claims a slightly different fate— many claim him to be tied to the mysterious Coldhands, a character not included in the show, as of yet. In the books, it was he who helped Samwell and Gilly escape pursuit from White Walkers, and escorted Bran and company along in their quest to find the three-eyed raven. He’s a rather nice fellow, all in all— so long as you look past the fact that he’s pretty clearly dead. But he’s different than the other wights— he can speak, dresses in the blacks and greys of the Night’s Watch, even refers to Sam as ‘brother’. Thus far, his motives appear to be good, and he is strangely invested in the well-being of the Stark family… even without delving into the full theory of the magical hocus-pocus needed, it seems a reasonable hypothesis.
Dodging death is a big task in any novel, but we must remember that, without dropping any names, Martin has pulled this very same trick a number of times before –– I, myself, believed one of my favourite characters to be dead for nearly three books. However, ‘resurrection’ is a bittersweet undertaking; often, the characters that Martin ‘returns’ from the dead find themselves quite changed in the process…
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