Robb Stark

The Young Wolf who won every battle, only to fall to broken oaths at The Twins.

Robb Stark, known as the Young Wolf, is the eldest son of Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn Stark of Winterfell. Introduced in A Game of Thrones (1996), he appears through A Storm of Swords (2000) before his shocking death at the Red Wedding. Portrayed by Richard Madden in the HBO adaptation, Robb was fourteen in the novels but aged to seventeen for the screen. Trained by Ser Rodrik Cassel, he is a skilled rider and swordsman with blue eyes and thick auburn hair. After his father's execution on King Joffrey Baratheon's order, Robb was crowned King in the North by his bannermen. He waged war against the Iron Throne but ultimately met betrayal and murder at a wedding feast orchestrated by Tywin Lannister.

Quick Facts

Series

A Song of Ice and Fire character; Game of Thrones

Portrayed by

Richard Madden

Creator

George R. R. Martin

Adapted by

D.B. Weiss and David Benioff (Game of Thrones)

First

Literature:
A Game of Thrones (1996)
Television:
"Winter Is Coming" (2011)

Last

Literature:
A Storm of Swords (2000)
Television:
"The Rains of Castamere" (2013)

Based on

Edward IV

Occupation

Military commander

Lore & Background

Robb assumed command of Winterfell when his father departed for King's Landing. Following Eddard's arrest for treason, Robb called the Northern banners and marched south with an assembled army to free him and relieve the besieged Riverlands. He secured passage across The Twins by promising to marry a daughter or granddaughter of Lord Walder Frey. After crossing, he surprised and destroyed the Lannister force at Riverrun, capturing Ser Jaime Lannister during the Battle of Whispering Wood. Upon news of his father's execution, Robb was crowned King in the North and King of the Trident. In A Clash of Kings, he won crushing victories against Tywin Lannister, earning his epithet. He sent Theon Greyjoy to the Iron Islands, only for Theon to betray him and seize Winterfell, killing two brothers who actually escaped.

Reader's Guide

Robb Stark is a strategic genius who utilized feints and deceptions, unlike his father Ned who fought straight-ahead battles. James Poniewozik of Time notes Robb was less eager for retaliation but more pragmatic, though he sacrificed 2,000 men on a suicide mission to save the Riverlands. In the TV series, his marriage was to Talisa Maegyr instead of Jeyne Westerling. Richard Madden received positive reviews for portraying this transition from boy to warlord. George Martin killed Robb to subvert the predictable hero's journey; as he stated, killing Ned made audiences expect the son to avenge him, so killing Robb became the necessary next step to keep the story difficult to predict.

Did You Know?

Robb Stark was 14 years old at the start of A Game of Thrones in the books, but his age was increased to 17 for the HBO television series.
The Red Wedding was inspired by two events from Scottish history: the Black Dinner and the Glencoe Massacre.
After his death, the Freys mutilated Robb's body by sewing the head of his dead direwolf, Grey Wind, onto his decapitated corpse.
Robb is not a point-of-view character in the novels; his actions are witnessed through the eyes of his brother Bran, mother Catelyn, and others.