Lyanna Stark

"His name is Aegon Targaryen. If Robert finds out, he'll kill him. You know he will. You have to protect him. Promise me, Ned. Promise me."

- Lyanna's final wish for her son, Jon Snow, to her brother Ned.

Princess Lyanna Stark was the daughter of Lord Rickard Stark and sister of Brandon, Eddard, and Benjen Stark. She went on to be the wife of Rhaegar Targaryen, the Prince of Dragonstone, and mother to Jon Snow.

Her alleged kidnapping by Prince Rhaegar Targaryen contributed to the outbreak of Robert's Rebellion. She died near the very end of the rebellion, due to complications from giving birth to a baby boy. Before she passed away, she begged her brother Ned to promise her to keep her son safe out of fear that her formerly betrothed, Robert Baratheon, would have him killed if he ever found out the truth that his father was Rhaegar; this led to Ned raising his nephew as his own bastard son, Jon Snow.

Background
Lyanna Stark was the only daughter of Lord Rickard Stark, head of House Stark and Lord Paramount of the North. The North is one of the constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms and House Stark is one of the Great Houses of the realm. House Stark rule the region from their seat of Winterfell and Rickard also held the title Lord of Winterfell.

Lyanna had three brothers, Brandon, Eddard, and Benjen Stark. Her father arranged a betrothal between her and Robert Baratheon, Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands.

Some time after the betrothal, Lord Walter Whent organized a great tourney at Harrenhal, in which Lyanna saved Howland Reed from a group of squires. Later, she took him to their tent, where she introduced him to her three brothers. Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, the heir to the Iron Throne, was the victor. Afterwards, the Prince rode past his wife, Princess Elia Martell, and placed a crown of winter roses, the crown of the Queen of Love and Beauty, on Lyanna's lap. This action was considered an outrage by many because not only was Rhaegar married but Lyanna was already betrothed to another man.

At some point after these events, Lyanna was supposedly abducted by Rhaegar, who took her south and hid her away in Dorne. In reality, Lyanna had willingly eloped with Rhaegar and married him in a secret ceremony (the High Septon had also secretly annulled Rhaegar's marriage to Elia Martell). Brandon, who had been on his way to Riverrun to wed Catelyn Tully, instead went to King's Landing to demand Rhaegar's arrest and punishment. Unaware of Rhaegar's new marriage, King Aerys II Targaryen had him and all his companions charged with treason. He demanded all their fathers, including Lord Rickard Stark, come to King's Landing and promised they would receive a fair trial. Instead the King had them all burned alive, except for Brandon, who strangled himself trying to save his father.

This incident sparked the uprising known as Robert's Rebellion. Jon Arryn was commanded to arrest and turn over his wards Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark, but he refused. The three of them rose in rebellion along with Hoster Tully of Riverrun after Eddard and Jon married his daughters, Catelyn and Lysa. The war saw House Targaryen almost completely destroyed and Robert installed as king after he personally slew Rhaegar at the Battle of the Trident. During the war Lyanna died of then-unknown causes in Eddard's arms, after her rescue. As per her request, she was buried next to her brother Brandon in the crypts at Winterfell. Robert continued to mourn her despite becoming king and marrying Cersei Lannister. Though Eddard was angered at Robert for refusing to hold Tywin Lannister and his army accountable for the Sack of King's Landing, their friendship was rekindled over the mutual grief for Lyanna.

Lyanna's death, in reality, was from complications from giving birth to her son with Rhaegar. Her death was witnessed by Ned and two handmaidens and most likely Howland Reed. Before her death, Lyanna begged Ned to promise to keep her baby safe from Robert, who would have had the child killed if he found out Rhaegar was his father. Remembering how the Lannisters had already brutally murdered Rhaegar's two children with Elia Martell, Ned complied with Lyanna's wish and took the infant to Winterfell, claiming the boy was his bastard son and naming him Jon Snow. Few knew the truth of Jon's parentage, with Ned, Howland and the two handmaidens being the only individuals bearing the knowledge.

Season 1
King Robert Baratheon visits Lyanna's tomb under Winterfell almost immediately after arriving. As part of their romance, he would bring her feathers from an exotic southern bird. During this visit, he places one in the hand of her statue. Robert says the statue doesn't do her justice. He becomes emotional and tells Eddard how he relives killing Rhaegar Targaryen again and again in his dreams for what he did to Lyanna. He asks Eddard if it was necessary to bury Lyanna in a cold tomb rather than somewhere in the sunlight, but Eddard responds that she was of the North and of House Stark; this is her place.

While departing Winterfell, Jon Snow asks Eddard about his mother, still unaware of her identity, and as to whether or not she is alive or knows about him. Still unprepared to tell Jon the truth about Lyanna and Rhaegar, Eddard merely promises that the next time they meet, they will talk about Jon's mother.

In King's Landing, Robert shares a drink with his wife, Cersei Lannister, and they begin to talk about Lyanna Stark for the first time in their marriage. Robert tells her how much Lyanna meant to him, even though now he cannot even remember her face, saying she was the only thing he ever wanted but then someone took her away from him, and even the entire Seven Kingdoms couldn't fill the hole she left. Cersei reminds him that she once had feelings for him, which he acknowledges. She asks if there had ever been even a moment when he had loved her but Robert says no. He asks her if that makes her feel better or worse. Cersei replies it doesn't make her feel anything.

When Eddard discovers that Cersei has been having an incestuous affair with her twin brother Jaime, he confronts her. Cersei denies Eddard's accusation that she always hated Robert, saying she once worshipped him back when he was young and handsome and muscular. All the girls wanted him, and he was hers by oath. But then that love turned to hate on their wedding night when he came to bed drunk, and afterwards muttered Lyanna's name in her ear.

Bran Stark shows Osha the tombs under Winterfell and gives a quick summary of the events leading to the civil war: how Rhaegar kidnapped Lyanna, who was betrothed to Robert Baratheon, and the Mad King then killed Lyanna's brother and father, triggering the war.

Season 3
When speaking to her daughter-in-law Talisa Stark, Catelyn Stark confesses her guilt over not being a mother to Jon Snow, and even praying for his death "all because [she] was jealous of his mother", not knowing that Jon was Eddard's nephew and not his son, his mother being Lyanna.

Season 4
When speaking to Tyrion Lannister, Oberyn Martell expresses anger that, despite his sister Elia's love and loyalty for her husband Rhaegar Targaryen, he ended up leaving her for "another woman", Lyanna Stark.

Season 5
Sansa Stark, upon returning to Winterfell after being gone for four years, visits her aunt's statue and lights a candle in the statue's hand to honor Lyanna as her father used to do. Petyr Baelish finds her there. They discuss what happened at the Tourney of Harrenhal where Rhaegar Targaryen shocked everyone present by passing over his wife Elia Martell in order to crown Lyanna as the Queen of Love and Beauty. Sansa notes how Rhaegar later kidnapped and raped Lyanna, while Petyr said his choices led to the deaths of thousands.

Season 6
While exploring his Greensight under the tutelage of the Three-Eyed Raven, Bran Stark views an event from his father's past, and sees Lyanna showing off her riding skills in front of her brothers, Eddard and Benjen. She later encourages a young Benjen to fight a bout against the young stablehand Wylis, giving Wylis tips on how to beat her brother.

In yet another vision, Bran witnesses another event, this time during the aftermath of Robert's Rebellion, in which Ned Stark, accompanied by five bannermen including Howland Reed, confront Ser Arthur Dayne and Ser Gerold Hightower of the Kingsguard before the Tower of Joy, in the Red Mountains of Dorne. Before the fight ensues, Ned demands to know where Lyanna is. After the battle, Ned and Bran hear Lyanna scream from inside the tower. Ned hurries inside, but Bran is pulled out of the vision before he can pursue.

Much later, after becoming the new Three-Eyed Raven following his predecessor's death, Bran returns to the Tower of Joy vision and watches as his young father reunites with the dying Lyanna, who is lying in a bed of blood, which is later revealed to be caused by the aftereffects of childbirth. Lyanna reveals her struggle to be brave in the face of death, prompting Ned to order the handmaidens to aid his sister. However, Lyanna stops him and whispers to him about her ordeal. As Ned takes in this revelation, a handmaiden places a newborn child into his arms. It is revealed that Lyanna gave birth to a baby boy, whose father is Rhaegar, and she beseeches Ned to promise to keep her son safe, fearing that Robert will surely have the boy killed if he finds out. Ned sadly complies with Lyanna's wish and holds his newborn nephew, who Bran immediately realizes is his "half-brother" Jon Snow.

Season 7
While reading the journal of High Septon Maynard, who was known for recording every minor detail of his life, Gilly reads aloud to Samwell Tarly that Maynard issued an annulment for "Prince Ragger," who remarried at a secret ceremony in Dorne. This alludes to Lyanna, whom Rhaegar had married after Maynard annulled the marriage between Rhaegar and Elia Martell, though Samwell and Gilly don't realize this at the time.

Upon his arrival at Winterfell, Samwell goes to see Bran, who can no longer contain his excitement about Jon's true parentage and shares it with Sam, explaining that Jon Snow is actually Jon Sand as he was born in Dorne. Realizing now how important Gilly's discovery is, Sam tells Bran that Rhaegar and Lyanna were wed, and Jon is indeed legitimate. At Sam's encouragement, Bran wargs into the past to see the wedding for himself. He confirms that it did happen and that Rhaegar was in love with Lyanna and she was in love with him. Bran then flashes forward to Lyanna's death, and hears Jon's birth name, whispered to Ned Stark with Lyanna's dying breath: Aegon Targaryen, the same as his half-brother.

Quotes

 * Spoken by Lyanna

"We were meant to rule together. If your sister had lived, we would have been bound by blood."
 * Spoken about Lyanna

- Robert Baratheon to Ned Stark about his sister Lyanna.

"I never met my mother. My father wouldn't even tell me her name. I don't know if she's a noblewoman or a fisherman's wife or a whore..."

- Jon Snow about Lyanna.

"Do you want to know the horrible truth? I can't even remember what she looked like. I only know she was the one thing I ever wanted. Someone took her away from me, and Seven Kingdoms couldn't fill the hole she left behind."

- Robert Baratheon to Cersei Lannister about Lyanna.

"And that night, he crawled on top of me, stinking of wine, and did what he did - what little he could do - and whispered in my ear, 'Lyanna.' Your sister was a corpse, and I was a living girl, and he loved her more than me."

- Cersei Lannister recounts how Robert Baratheon drunkedly called her Lyanna when they consummated their marriage.

"Your traitor father teach you that!? Or was it your whore mother!?"

- Qhorin to Jon Snow, unknowingly talking about Lyanna.

"I'd condemned this poor, innocent child to a horrible death...all because I was jealous of his mother. A woman he didn't even know."

- Catelyn Stark unknowingly talking about Lyanna.

"The last time I was in the capital was many years ago. Another wedding. My sister Elia and Rhaegar Targaryen, the last dragon. My sister loved him. She bore his children. Swaddled them, rocked them, fed them at her own breast, Elia wouldn't let the wet nurse touch them. And beautiful, noble Rhaegar Targaryen...left her for another woman."

- Oberyn Martell remembers Lyanna without mentioning her name.

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Lyanna does appear, albeit only in flashbacks and visions. She is described as intelligent, tomboyish and willful, frequently compared to her niece Arya in terms of temperament and appearance.

When Robert says that Lyanna would never have opposed him vehemently as Cersei does, Ned notes that Robert either overlooked or had forgotten Lyanna's iron will. It is also implied she was not as passionate about her betrothal as Robert was.

Lyanna knew about Robert's philandering ways and felt his love for her wouldn't stop him from sleeping with other women. On the night her father promised her hand to Robert, she told Ned "Robert will never keep to one bed. I hear he has gotten a child on some girl in the Vale". Ned could not refute his sister's words because he held in his arms the babe Lyanna referred to (Mya Stone, the elder of Robert's bastards), nor would he lie to her; he assured Lyanna that what Robert did before their betrothal was of no matter, that he was a good man and true who would love her with all his heart. Lyanna smiled and said "Love is sweet, dearest Ned, but it cannot change a man’s nature".

When Rhaegar Targaryen won the great tourney at Harrenhal, he crowned her the Queen of Love and Beauty over his own wife, an action that stunned all present. A year later, Rhaegar kidnapped her, which led to Robert's Rebellion. During the war she was hidden at a remote location and defended by three members of the ​Kingsguard, whom Eddard and his retainers had to kill. Only Eddard and Howland Reed, a vassal of House Stark, survived. However, she died from unknown causes before they could successfully rescue her.

Lyanna's death instilled in Robert a great hatred of the Targaryens, and he vowed not to rest until every last scion of the house was killed, though Eddard refused to let Lyanna's tragic death skew his views on justice and mercy (though on his deathbed, Robert ordered that Daenerys be spared from death).