Robb Stark

Robb Stark is a major character in Game of Thrones. He is played by starring cast member Richard Madden and débuts in the first episode of the first season.

Robb Stark is the King in the North, the ruler of the North. Following the death of his father, Lord Eddard Stark, at the order of Joffrey Baratheon, the King on the Iron Throne, Robb became the head of House Stark and the Lord of Winterfell. He was declared King by the forces of House Stark and its bannermen and allies after Eddard's execution. He is leading these forces in a rebellion against Joffrey, designed to break the North away from the control of the Iron Throne.

Robb is the eldest son of Eddard Stark by his wife, Catelyn. He has two younger trueborn brothers, Bran and Rickon, and two sisters, Sansa and Arya. He is also close to his bastard half-brother, Jon Snow, and to his father's ward, Theon Greyjoy, whom he counts as his best friend outside of the family. He has been trained from childhood to wield a sword and wear armor by Winterfell's master at arms, and is highly proficient with both for his young age. He has a pet direwolf named Grey Wind.

Season 1
Robb attends the execution of Will, a deserter from the Night's Watch, by his father Eddard Stark. On their way home with Theon, Jon and Bran, they find a litter of newborn direwolf cubs. Robb adopts one of them as his own, naming him Grey Wind. He welcomes King Robert Baratheon to Winterfell with the rest of his family. He helps his mother maintain discipline during the feast, removing his Arya when she starts flicking food at Sansa. Robb displays an antipathy to Joffrey from the start, noting that he's a "right royal prick".

After his father's departure for King's Landing and Bran's injury, Robb helps his mother and Maester Luwin run the castle. When Catelyn and Ser Rodrik Cassel depart for the capital, Robb is left in command of Winterfell. Aware that the Lannisters may be behind Bran's injury, he later greets Tyrion with hostility, only to be confused when Tyrion gives Bran a special saddle to help him ride. Robb visits a recovering Bran.



A band of wildlings tries to take Bran hostage while he tests the saddle outside the castle. Robb and Theon kill all but one of them and take the survivor, Osha, prisoner. Osha says that the greatest danger lies north of the Wall, from the White Walkers, not from the Lannisters in the south, but Robb disregards her warning.

Following Robert's death and Eddard's arrest in King's Landing King Joffrey summons Robb to pay him fealty. Robb instead calls his banners, marching House Stark's vassals to war. His youth and inexperience is questioned by Greatjon Umber, but the formidable Northern lord is cowed when Grey Wind bites off two of his fingers and he becomes one of Robb's most loyal retainers. Robb's army marches south, reuniting with Catelyn and Ser Rodrik along the way and feeding the Lannisters false intelligence on their movements. Robb wins the allegiance of the prickly Lord Walder Frey and his troops by agreeing to marry one of Frey's daughters. He sends a small force of men to delay the main Lannister army under Lord Tywin Lannister at the Battle of the Green Fork. His main army attacks Jaime Lannister's forces near Riverrun winning the Battle of the Whispering Wood and taking Jaime as a captive.



Robb is devastated by news of his father's death. He and his lords debate supporting either Stannis or Renly's claim to the throne before the Greatjon says neither appeals and declares Robb the King in the North. Other lords of both the North and the Riverlands take up the cry.

In the books
In the Song of Ice and Fire novels Robb Stark is 14 years old when the action begins. He is his father's son, with a keen sense of honor and justice.

There are some minor differences from the books. He tells Bran that when Grey Wind tore off the Greatjon's fingers, he was very scared about the possible consequences but couldn't show it. Later, he accepts his mother's tactical advice whilst splitting his army in two, appointing the cautious, experienced Roose Bolton in command of the army tasked with delaying the Lannisters at the Green Fork.