Torrhen Stark

Torrhen Stark, also known as the King Who Knelt, is an unseen character in Game of Thrones. He is deceased when the series begins and has appeared in "The Complete Guide to Westeros: The Field of Fire (House Stark)" and "The Complete Guide to Westeros: House Stark" featurettes.

Background


Torrhen Stark was the last King in the North until the secession of the North and the Riverlands in the War of the Five Kings and the coronation of Robb Stark. King Torrhen's reign coincided with the War of Conquest, in which the Andal kingdoms south of the Neck submitted one by one to Aegon the Conqueror. Torrhen amassed his army and marched to meet the Targaryen warlord, but by the time he arrived Aegon had already won the decisive Field of Fire and conquered most of the South of Westeros. After seeing Aegon's dragons and his massive host, Torrhen realized the war was already lost. Instead of fighting he chose to bend the knee to spare his people and surrendered his crown. For his submission, Aegon named him Lord Paramount and Warden of the North. Robb Stark believes that Torrhen "saved thousands of lives that day."

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire books, Torrhen Stark's story is the same. It is believed he knelt at the place where the Inn of the Kneeling Man sits at the time of the books.