A man of honor – that’s what they called Ned Stark. The late Lord of Winterfell was the kind of man who’d rather die with honor than live as a traitor. And, as most Game of Thrones fans already know, Ned’s untimely end was met with his honor mostly in tact. So, it’s only fitting that a fan is now paying tribute to the favorite character and honoring the show’s most honorable man.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Youtuber TheGaroStudios uploaded a fan video that reminds long-time fans of Ned’s wisdom and hard-fought morals. The tribute has so far been viewed over 134,000 times, and the creator uploaded the video along with a brief description. He quotes the show, writing, “What is honor compared to a woman’s love? What is duty against the feel of a newborn son in your arms…or the memory of a brother’s smile?” And, then, he explains that the video is “about an honorable man, the best character in game of thrones without any doubt. Well, he is my favourite…His promise, and his wise words mean everything!”
Watching the video, fans will recognize a slew of scenes from Game of Thrones. The footage is primarily sourced from the first and sixth season as the tribute investigates how Ned’s promise to his sister started him on a journey which led to his death.
If you’re unfamiliar with Ned’s promise, the reveal was only made recently during Game of Thrones‘ most recent season finale. It was then that the show confirmed Jon Snow – Ned’s illegitimate child – was actually the secret child of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. The finale found Ned stumbling upon his dying sister who’d recently given birth to her son, and she made her brother promise to never reveal Jon’s true parentage. Ned agreed to take on his sister’s dying wish, allowing the whole of Westeros to believe he’d broken his marriage vows to Catelyn Stark. Even his wife was made to believe Ned had committed adultery when all he’d really done was take in his sister’s child.
Surely, that sort of honor is rare amongst Westeros’ higher-class, but Ned’s beliefs did not end there. The man was defined by loyalty and bred upon honor, a combination which led to his death as he told Cersei he knew of the secret surrounding her children’s conception.
The fan video does an excellent job mapping out the arduous road Ned undertook to become the honorable man he was, and the montage is well-timed with more than appropriate music. The touching tribute has fans eager for Game of Thrones‘ next season as they await to see what Jon will do with the North, but even more so, it has many longing for the days when Ned was still alive.
Long live the King of the North.
