Harrion Karstark

Harrion Karstark
Biographical information
Born	At Karhold
Died	298 AC in the Whispering Wood Killed during the Battle of Whispering Wood
Political information
House(s)	Karstark
Affiliation(s)	House Stark
Personal information
Culture	Northern
Religion	Old Gods

Robb Stark: "Those boys didn't murder your son. I saw Harrion die on the battlefield, and Torrhen..."

Rickard Karstark: "Was strangled by the Kingslayer!"

— Robb Stark and Rickard Karstark

Harrion Karstark was the eldest son of Rickard Karstark, Lord of Karhold and head of House Karstark.

Biography

Game of Thrones: Season 1

Harrion fought alongside his father for King Robb Stark in the War of the Five Kings, and was killed at the beginning of the war. It is heavily implied that Harrion was killed by Jaime at the Battle of Whispering Wood; Theon reminds Robb that the Kingslayer cut down ten of their men before his capture.

Game of Thrones: Season 2

When Catelyn frees Jaime out of fear that Rickard Karstark will surely kill him in retaliation for murdering his younger son Torrhen Karstark; she tries to justify her actions on the grounds that the Lannisters have her daughters. Rickard angrily reminds Catelyn that he has now lost two sons, as Harrion was killed fighting by Robb's side in battle.

Game of Thrones: Season 3

While conversing with Roose Bolton over the slaughter of Northern prisoners at Harrenhal, Rickard again laments the loss of his sons while their killer roams free, indicating that it was Jaime who killed Harrion as well as Torrhen. Roose assures Rickard that the debt will be paid.

Later, Rickard breaks into the dungeon at Riverrun and kills Willem and Martyn Lannister as vengeance for the deaths of Harrion and Torrhen. Robb does not accept his rationale, and executes him for murder.

Quotes

Robb Stark: "It took five of you to murder two unarmed squires."

Rickard Karstark: "Not murder, your grace. Vengeance."

Robb Stark: "Vengeance? They didn't kill your sons. I saw Harrion die on the battlefield and Torrhen..."

Rickard Karstark: "Was strangled by the Kingslayer. They were his kin."

Robb Stark: "They were boys!"

— Robb Stark rebuffs Rickard Karstark's "justification" for killing Willem and Martyn Lannister.

Family

Rickard Karstark Deceased

Lady Karstark Deceased

Harrion Karstark Deceased

Torrhen Karstark Deceased

Harald Karstark Deceased

Lady Karstark Deceased

Alys Karstark Deceased

In the books

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Harrion Karstark is the eldest son of Lord Rickard. He joins his father and brothers in the War of the Five Kings.

Harrion takes part in the battle on the Green Fork and taken as a hostage; his brothers Torrhen and Eddard, who served at Robb's personal bodyguard, are the ones whom Jaime kills at the battle in the Whispering Wood. When Jaime realizes that his army is lost, he makes a final push to single-handedly carve his way through the Northern army in an attempt to kill Robb in single combat. Jaime manages to reach Robb's personal bodyguard and kill several of them, including Eddard and Torrhen, before being knocked unconscious.

Harrion is kept hostage at Harrenhal until the northern prisoners are released by Arya and Jaqen H'ghar and the Brave Companions turn on Ser Amory Lorch to deliver the castle to Roose Bolton. Later Roose (who, at this point, secretly collaborates with the Lannisters) sends him, Robett Glover, and Helman Tallhart to take Duskendale. As Roose has planned, they are ambushed and defeated by a combined Lannister-Tarly force. Harrion is taken captive again and his current whereabouts are unknown.

Following his father's execution, Harrion becomes Lord of Karhold. It is unknown whether Harrion is aware of that and if he is still alive.

Harrion's great-uncle Arnolf, who secretly collaborates with the Boltons, tries to get him killed so that he can take over Karhold: he announces in public that he supports Stannis (intending to stab him in the back while fighting the Boltons), hoping that the Lannisters will execute Harrion as a punishment, then his sister Alys will become the heiress of Karhold. Arnolf plans to force Alys to marry his son Cregan and after she gives birth to his son - they will gain ownership legally of Karhold. Alys, however, finds out about Arnolf's twofold treachery, escapes to Castle Black, and informs Jon what her great-uncle is up to. She has no idea what became of her brother as a result of Arnolf's fake announcement.

Harrion's fate has been left unclear in the novels so far.

Eddard Karstark was apparently switched with his brother Harrion Karstark (or at least, the names were switched) so TV viewers who haven't read the books would not be confused that more than one character named "Eddard" exists, even though George R.R. Martin made it a point in the books to re-use certain names for minor characters, i.e. to emphasize that "Robert Baratheon" isn't the only person named "Robert" in the entire continent of Westeros. In the television series, Torrhen and Harrion are revealed to have a younger brother, but named "Harald" instead of "Eddard".

In the TV series, Ramsay Snow briefly masquerades as Harrion during one of the mind games that he plays on Theon. This isn't mentioned in the books, as virtually all of Theon's torture takes place off-page, and is only alluded to.

Appearances

• – "Baelor" (mentioned indirectly)
• – "The Prince of Winterfell" (mentioned)
• – "Valar Dohaeris" (mentioned indirectly)
• – "Kissed by Fire" (mentioned)

External links

• Harrion Karstark on A Wiki of Ice and Fire
• Eddard Karstark on A Wiki of Ice and Fire

House Karstark
Head	Vacant (extinct)	Heir	Vacant (extinct)
Seat	Karhold	Region	North
Titles	Lord of Karhold
Ancestors	Karlon Stark
Deceased	Rickard Karstark · Torrhen Karstark · Harrion Karstark · Harald Karstark · Alys Karstark
Overlords	House Stark