Rickard Stark

Rickard Stark is a character who is deceased when the events of Game of Thrones begins. It is unknown if he will appear in flashbacks in the series, or only in dialogue.

Rickard Stark was the Lord of Winterfell and ruler of the North. He was the father of Brandon, Eddard, Lyanna and Benjen Stark. When Lyanna was kidnapped by Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, the son of the Mad King, Rickard's eldest son and heir, Brandon, rode to King's Landing seeking justice. Aerys II imprisoned Brandon and ordered that Rickard ride south to answer for his son's impertinence. Against advice, Rickard agreed, assuming that the matter would be settled through a trial or a bargain of some kind. Instead, Aerys had Lord Rickard burned alive whilst Brandon watched, and then had Rickard's son strangled.

The kidnap of Lyanna and the cold-blooded murder of Rickard and Brandon Stark in front of the entire Royal Court made the new Lord of Winterfell, Eddard Stark, declare war against the Targaryen family, supported by Lyanna's betrothed, Robert Baratheon, and the powerful lords Hoster Tully and Jon Arryn. This sparked the beginning of the war known as Robert's Rebellion, which led to the near-destruction of House Targaryen and its removal from the Iron Throne.

Eddard name his youngest son Rickon in his father's memory.