Game Of Thrones: 10 Unpopular Opinions About Ned Stark, According To Reddit

6 min readSep 5, 2022

In House of the Dragon, the Targaryen family conflicts are at the heart of a war that seems ready to tear the Seven Kingdoms apart. Yet, while many fans came to love House Targaryen, thanks to the influence of Game of Thrones’ Daenerys Targaryen, many fans still wish for a more Stark-centric show.

After all, the legacy of Ned Stark remains strong, and his children proved capable of destroying an army of the dead, a dragon queen, and even the proud House Lannister. Unfortunately, some fans don’t exactly have the same high view of Ned Stark that most do. If they take a look on Reddit, there are some pretty strong unpopular opinions about Ned Stark that deserve unpacking.

Ned Was A Horrible Father

Though Ned is often viewed as a man who raised some strong and healthy kids, there are some fans who view him as a terrible influence. “What’s the difference between a father sacrificing the security, happiness, and health of his family for a vague value like ‘honor,’ over something equally stupid like Tywin’s obsession with ‘The Family Name’,” asks Reddit user jevais2.

Ned definitely made some poor decisions that ruined the lives of his children. Yet, given that the show emphasized that Tywin Lannister was a truly evil villain, it seems harsh to compare Ned to him. Ned sacrificed his honor to save Sansa’s life, confessing to treason he never committed, so it’s a bit cruel to call him a poor father for it.

An Honorable Fool

Ned is always seen as one of the more honorable characters in the show. However, that doesn’t mean he was the most intelligent Game of Thrones character. “Who goes to a Lannister and tells them “I have proof that will destroy you, your brother, all your children, you will be imprisoned and cast out no less” and expect any other outcome than a fight?” says Redditor wheels_onfire.

Ned thought that Cersei would run away because he couldn’t comprehend that she could stay and fight. However, though it was honorable to tell her to run, it certainly wasn’t smart, and it was why she put the plan to kill Robert into action. Had he not warned her, Ned would have been sleeping in Winterfell within a fortnight.

Did Nothing Wrong

Of course, while Ned certainly caused the majority of his family’s destruction, not every fan thinks he was wholly at fault. As an honorable man doing what he thought was best, “I still think Ned Stark made the right choices,” says Reddit user flashmedallion.

Ned managed to uncover the Lannister treason, nearly spirited away Arya and Sansa, and was willing to warn Robert. Given that he had no way of knowing that Robert would be killed by some random boar, it was actually well-thought-out. His actions after Robert’s death, though, leave room to be desired, as he should have sided with Renly or Littlefinger.

Too Boring

The honorable house that won the game of thrones, House Stark is often viewed as the best the show has to offer. Some fans, though, disagree. “I hated the Starks. Ned especially, their whole “honor” thing plus they were just so boring made me happy they died. I felt like the show is better without Ned and Robb,” Redditor The_Great_Guacamole.

Book fans know that House Stark isn’t actually about honor. It was Ned who was honorable, while his ancestors and his descendants didn’t particularly care for it. Ned’s honor was a consequence of being raised by Jon Arryn, and it was hardly anything that made him boring. In contrast with the rest of King’s Landing, his sense of honor was fascinating.

Not Honorable

While Ned is known for his pure heart, thanks to the influence of House Arryn, some fans, like Thinkingpotato, think he wasn’t among the most honorable characters in Game of Thrones at all. He was just “a good man.”

Given that there are only 9 upvotes on the comment, it’s pretty clear that this was an unpopular opinion since Ned Stark did plenty of honorable things in order to save the kingdom. Not only did he protect a war from breaking out by not revealing the true parentage of Jon, but he also saved the lives of many innocents too, who would have been caught up in something that wasn’t their fault. He even saved the Lannisters, and given that his family couldn’t stand them, it was pretty admirable that he put their grudge aside to help them.

One Of The Few Likable Starks

By the end of the first season, Ned was dead, and it was left to the rest of the Starks to carry on his name. Unfortunately, some felt Ned was among the only good Starks. “The Starks used to be my favorite family when Ned and Robb were around. The only one left I somewhat like is Arya,” says Reddit user nightimestars.

It’s true that Ned has little in common with the rest of his family. After all, Arya was certainly dishonorable when she slaughtered House Frey, and Sansa’s refusal to swing the sword on executions made her very unlike Ned. Still, he shares similarities with his family, as Jon was certainly as honorable as Ned, Arya was just as much of a skilled fighter, and Bran was a great lord before the Three-Eyed Raven.

His Death Was Necessary

The death of Ned Stark is often viewed as a simple shock value or a plot device. Instead, Redditor LeThePandasDie argues that “The real shock was that even people like Ned, weren’t safe, and actually made you care for the characters.”

It’s certainly a good point as most shows have some degree of plot armor for their characters that leave fans without any worry that their favorite might die. Yet, when Arya was being chased through the streets of Braavos, there was a very real feeling that it could be the end of her, which was fascinating. So, more than just a plot device, Ned’s death was the emotional link for the entire show.

Jon Ruined Ned

The decision to raise Ned as his own son showed how much Ned loved his sister, but some fans just can’t see past the initial act. “Jon being the trueborn son of Rhaegar and Lyanna is boring and it ruins Ned Stark as a character,” says Redditor ckasanova.

Rhaegar was one of the most powerful Targaryens in history, and his death left a gaping hole in Westerosi politics, as Jon would have been the clear heir. By hiding him, Ned appears to have been a fool who dishonored himself. However, it hardly ruined him; instead, it showed just how far he would go for his family. He ensured a good life for Jon, even if it meant hiding the truth from Jon, the kingdom, and even his beloved wife.

Joffrey Was Right To Kill Him

There are few acts as utterly reviled in Game of Thrones as the murder of Ned Stark. It launched the kingdoms into a bloody civil war that destroyed entire armies and led directly to the deaths of six different kings. Yet, some fans think that Joffrey didn’t necessarily have a choice.

“His punishment to Ned was the only way to make the Northerners bleed,” says Reddit user modada. Of course, considering that Joffrey didn’t have to make the Northerners bleed, it was just pointless bloodshed. The Lannisters were already moving to take back Tyrion, and Ned easily could have been sent to the Wall. There’s a reason every character in the show saw it as a mistake.

His Detective Skills Were Poor

Ned isn’t exactly viewed as the smartest Westerosi. But, while Ned uncovered the fact that Joffrey was Cersei’s bastard son by discovering that King Robert’s heirs would have had black hair, some fans are confused about how he realized Jaime was the father. “Is Jaime the only blonde man in Westeros?” asks Reddit user nolancamp2. “Why would he make such a huge leap of logic like that?”

While it was right, and it clearly a realization to help him further the plot, it does seem surprisingly foolish in hindsight. The accusation would have led to the death of a member of the Kingsguard who may not have done anything wrong. The move hardly seems all that clever from an educated lord.

Originally published at https://screenrant.com on September 5, 2022.