Game of Thronesended in 2019, but the world of Westeros is far from gone. In August 2022,House of the Dragon, a brand-new HBO series that takes place hundreds of years before the original series, is set to premiere. Hopefully, this series is able to reignite interest in the fantasy world created by George R. R. Martin.
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This series is set to focus on the Targaryens, which is a departure fromGame of Thrones. The original show, and book series that inspired it, focused mainly on the Stark family from Winterfell. However, there are many aspects of this family unexplored the live-action adaptations, such as these ten facts.
10House Stark Was Formed By The First Men
In the expansive history of theA Song of Ice & Firefranchise, the Starks are one of the most ancient houses. They are descendants of the First Men, the first humans who settled in Westeros. Their founder was known as Brandon the Builder, who went on to inspire the namesake ofBran Stark, a main character inGame of Thrones.
Brandon the Builder was legendary during Westeros' Age of Heroes, becoming notable for building the Stark’s northern stronghold, Winterfell. He also constructed the Wall at the far north of the region to keep out monsters. Alongside House Karstark, the Starks are one of the few families in Westeros with ancient origins.
9The Ancestor Of The Starks United The North
For centuries, theStarks ruled in Winterfell as the Kings of the North. Many Houses tried to overthrow the family, but to no avail over the course of several centuries. Despite this, the Starks had created a massive force in Northern Westeros, from the Wall to Bear Island, proving undefeatable.
Blood was shed all across Westeros to keep the Starks' power in the North intact. In the East, the Red Kings of House Bolton were forced to abandon their ritual of flaying their enemies. Elsewhere, the Marsh King in the Neck was killed by Rickard Stark, bringing House Reed under the leadership of the powerful Starks.
8The Night’s King May Have Been A Stark
Little is known about the Night King, the ruler of the White Walkers who appears in the show. However, as of the most recent entry in the book series, the Night King has yet to even appear. His closest counterpart in the books is the Night’s King, a legendary figure from the Age of Heroes not dissimilar to Brandon the Builder.
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According to Westeros legend, the Night’s King was the 13th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. After falling in love with a white-skinned woman, the Night’s King declared himself the ruler of a castle at the Wall known as Nightfort. According to rumors, this horrific ruler was once a Stark, though his identity remains lost to history.
7Many Starks Follow The Old Gods
Traditionally, House Stark is loyal to the old gods, who predated the more popular Faith of the Seven. As a result, the Starks keep a weirwood tree near Winterfell. This spot is even where Ned Stark prays during the first episode ofGame of Thrones, when his wife Catelyn informs him about Jon Arryn’s sudden death.
The Starks' faith in the old gods also informs their burial rituals. It is tradition that Starks are to be buried underneath Winterfell, in the crypts. This location becomes significant in the series for being a place where the surviving Starks go to rememberthose they’ve lost, such as Ned, Lyanna, and Rickon.
6The Starks Have Lackluster Naval Forces
During this reign as Kings in the North, theStarks weren’t just impressive on the battlefield. They also succeeded during many naval conquests, such as the Battle of the Weeping Water during the Andal invasion. However, their power at sea was unfortunately disrupted by tragedy that struck the Stark household.
Thousands of years before the Targaryen conquest of Westeros, Brandon the Shipwright was King in the North. Brandon made it his goal to sail across the Sunset Sea west of Westeros, though his ship never returned. In a fit of grief, his son burned the northern shipyards, earning him the name Brandon the Burner.
5House Stark Surrended To The Targaryens
After years of maintaining their power in the North, the Starks became the targets of Aegon Targaryen. The King in the North at the time, Torrhen Stark, marched south with thirty thousand soldiers to face the Targaryen king. Upon arriving, the King was faced with Aegon’s army of already-yielded houses, as well as dragons.
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While some Starks felt they could potentially assassinate the dragons while they slept, Torrhen had other ideas in mind. Knowing the destruction wrought by Aegon’s dragons at places like Harrenhal, he opted instead to kneel without a fight. This choice tarnished Torrhen’s reputation, earning him the title “The King Who Knelt”.
4The Starks Stayed Out Of Politics
Following Aegon’s successful union of the Seven Kingdoms,the Starks remained in Winterfell as Wardens of the North. However, Torrhen’s offspring continued to despise the Targaryen rulers. As a result, the Stark household kept themselves removed from many of the goings-on in Westeros' political sphere.
Despite the obvious ire from Torrhen’s sons against the Targaryens, no Stark rebellion took place in the years following Aegon’s Conquest. They also remained neutral during several skirmishes that ensued, such as the Faith Militant uprising. The relationship between the crown and Starks remained tense for years to come.
3The Starks Eventually Became Allies Of Targaryens
The Dance of the Dragons was a pivotal conflict during the Targaryen reign. A civil war between Aegon II and his half-sister Rhaenyra over the throne, this eventually led to the extinction of the dragons. However, the Starks had a big role to play in the inevitable conflict, though they would unfortunately be late to the party.
Queen Rhaenyra requested the aid of Cregan Stark, the Warden of the North at that time. Though the North was seen as too remote to have any influence, Cregan sent troops to aid Rhaenyra’s forces. Cregan himself led an army to demand justice for the murder of Aegon II, eventually being promoted to Hand of the King by Aegon III.
Robert’s Rebellion predates the events ofGame of Thrones, though the series mostly focuses on the aftermath of the conflict. After the supposed abduction of Lyanna Stark by Rhaegar Targaryen, Brandon Stark confronted the king, Aerys II. He was swiftly arrested, and his father Rickard was summoned to answer for his crimes.
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At the hands of the Mad King, Rickard and Brandon were brutally executed. Rickard was burned alive, while Brandon strangled himself trying to reach his father. Once news of this horrific, public execution reached Winterfell, the Warden in the North Ned Stark joined his friend Robert Baratheon to finally overthrow the Targaryens.
1The Starks Are Close With The Night’s Watch
Since Brandon the Builder’s construction of the Wall, the Starks have been closely tied to the Night’s Watch. As a result, many Starks have left their seat at Winterfell in place of protecting the Wall from Wildlings and White Walkers. One Stark, Osric, even served as Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch in 400 BC.
The Starks remain close to the Night’s Watch during the events ofGame of Thrones. Jon Snow even joins them to fight alongside his uncle, Benjen. Jon Snow,who is actually the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen, goes on to become Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, and the show ends with him returning to his post.
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