Ned is informed that a deserter of the Night’s Watch, the young ranger Will from the prologue, has been captured. Members of the Night’s Watch are sworn never to desert their posts, upon penalty of death. Ned takes his sons Robb, Jon and Bran to witness the execution of the deserter Will. Will faces death bravely, admitting that he deserted the Wall after being attacked, but stands by his statement that he saw White Walkers. Ned himself passes sentence and beheads him. He tells his young son Bran that he who passes sentence “should swing the sword.” When Bran asks his father about the ranger’s talk of White Walkers (the demonic creatures who ambushed the rangers), Ned dismisses it as a madman’s ravings, insisting that the Walkers have been considered extinct for a thousand years.

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48 COMMENTS

  1. Tell me all you want about Valyrian steel and Dawn, but what pisses me off is that Ice is gone from our sight. Both the sword's sheer size and it's own name "Ice" were what made it epic and beautiful.
    That sword was amazing just to look at.

  2. Someone should remind Sansa of Ned's words:
    "The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man's life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die."
    She dishonored her father and his memory by having Arya kill for her.

  3. i'm confused? i feel like ned stark and bran have a conversation where bran asks 'can a man still be brave even if he's afraid?' then ned stark replies, 'that is the only time a man can be brave.' is there a scene like that in the tv series or just in the book?

  4. I get why they shortened it, but it would've been great to hear the full quote:

    The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man’s life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die.

  5. Such heartache…knowing all that we know now after 6 seasons and now going into the seventh…the sacrifice Ned made for his sister to care for Jon…the weightiness of all those years being blamed for "having an affair" and Jon being the bastard…ughhh can't WAIT for Jon and all the other Stark babies to find out the truth! 😩😩😩 what a man of honor, Ned! We miss you!

  6. Ned beheads deserter, betrayed by Littlefinger and Janos Slynt.
    Theon beheads Rodrick, betrayed by ironborn men.
    Robb beheads Karstark, betrayed by Boltons and Freys.
    Jon beheads Slynt, betrayed by brothers of Night's Watch.
    So that's it, never behead anyone and you're on the right track to never getting betrayed.

  7. You know, if you watch this opening scene backwards, it's about a man who gets his head restored in a ceremony by some kind of wizard with a magic sword, then is sent to the Wall to scare wights to death as he uses this same power which Ned gave him to resurrect his own forces as they try to make a stand.

  8. i love how this moment affects all the characters watchin jon rob and theon all had an execution they did after this and rickard was one of the people executed as was ned which leaves bran as the last executioner

  9. In fact, the poor boy was telling the truth. Winterfell should be warned about such danger like white walkers. Ned Stark did not listen to him. And killed him real quick. It looked like he was afraid about missing the breakfast. After a short while someone did not listen to him (about being innocent) and beheaded him exactly the same way. This is called karma payback.

  10. What I love the most about this scene is that Jon, while thought to be a bastard, is clearly the one who learns the most from Eddard. He pays the most attention in all forms, and is clearly the most loyal to his "Father".

  11. GoT feels alot like flipping a coin when shit is about to go down. I always thought Ned was safe, that insults off the Lannisters would never get to far with Lord Stark around and he'd put everyone in their place. Id be lying to say I miss him tho because its such great fucking TV

  12. I miss ned. Rob is a dumb fuckboy. Bran is a crippled cry baby. Sansa is a whore. Catelyn fucks up everything. John……. well actually the "bastard" is doing pretty well for himself actually

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