Robert’s Rebellion was one of the most monumental events in the history of Westeros, with the rebellion influencing the story of Game of Thrones and a Song of Ice and Fire. After hundreds of years of Targaryen rule, Robert Baratheon launched a rebellion based on a lie, that Lyanna Stark was abducted by Rhaegar Targaryen.
While the excuse for rebellion may have been based on a lie, it was inevitable due to the Mad King, Aerys II Targaryen’s barbaric rule that led to the deaths of Ned Stark’s brother and father. Due to the recent nature of the rebellion, it is very well documented, that being said, it doesn’t mean every mystery has been uncovered. This article will discuss some unanswered questions we still have about Robert’s Rebellion.
Why Did Ned Destroy The Tower Of Joy?
After Ned Stark defeated Ser Arthur Dayne at the Tower of Joy and made a promise to Lyanna Stark on her death bed, he destroyed the Tower. Little reason is given for his actions, but it would have been a difficult and lengthy procedure to undertake.
Two questions arise from his destruction of the Tower of Joy: Why did he do it and how did he do it? With the first question in mind, perhaps the Tower was intrinsically linked to his promise to hide Jon Snow’s true parentage. However, the second question is more difficult to answer; the only survivors from the clash with Ser Arthur Dayne’s men were Ned Stark and Howland Reed, so it would have been incredibly difficult for two men to bring down one tower.
Who Was The Knight Of The Laughing Tree?
While not strictly occurring during the rebellion, the Tourney at Harrenhal is one of the events that helped trigger the rebellion. It was at this Tourney that Rhaegar, after winning the tournament, gave a crown of blue winter roses to Lyanna Stark, ignoring his own wife, Elia Martell.
Arguably, what’s even more interesting is the appearance of an unknown Knight known only as the Knight of the Laughing Tree. The Knight appeared to defend the honor of a Crannogman and defeated the knights that mocked him. The mystery knight disappeared during the tournament, though many believe that the knight was actually Lyanna Stark, who wished to defend Howland Reed.
Will Azor Ahai Be Born To The Line Of Rhaegar?
Rhaegar Targaryen was very interested in the Azor Ahai prophecy. While originally he believed himself to be the Prince who was Promised, he came to believe that the legendary hero would be born of his own line. However, will this be the case and if so, who will it be?
While his initial children are said to be dead, Young Griff is currently on the way to meet Daenerys Targaryen, claiming to be Aegon VI Targaryen, son of Rhaegar. Additionally, if the R+L=J theory is confirmed in the books, this also leaves open the possibility that it is Jon Snow.
How Did Ned Stark Defeat Ser Arthur Dayne?
Ser Arthur Dayne was one of the most revered and legendary knights of all time. In addition to being a member of the King’s Guard, Arthur Dayne was also the Sword of the Morning, wielder of the legendary sword of House Dayne, Dawn. Due to Dayne’s reputation as a swordsman and his title of Sword of the Morning, many fans have questioned the claim that Ned Stark defeated him in single combat.
While Ned is a skilled swordsman, George Martin has been clear that he is simply competent with a blade. This begs the question, how did someone who is simply ‘competent’ defeat the greatest swordsman in living memory? The show revealed one possible outcome, but we will not know the actual outcome as Martin envisioned it until the books reveal it.
Why Is Ned Stark So Revered At Starfall?
Despite the fact that Ned Stark killed Arthur Dayne, Ned Stark is still respected and beloved by House Dayne of Starfall. In fact, Arthur Dayne’s older brother named his son after Ned Stark, calling the boy Edric ‘Ned’ Dayne. This points to the fact that we do not know all that happened at the Tower of Joy.
Perhaps the book series will attempt to answer this as there are far more plotlines involving House Dayne in the books than there were in the TV series.
Did Bran/Bloodraven Cause The Mad King’s Madness?
One of the major fan theories about Game of Thrones is that Bran or Bloodraven causes the Mad King to turn mad. This is largely due to the connections between Hodor’s own words and the Mad King. Hodor could only say ‘Hodor’ because of Bran skin-changing into Hodor in the past, damaging his mind.
Is it possible that something similar happened with the Mad King, something that led Aerys II to shout ‘burn them all’ over and over again until his death?
Why Didn’t Rhaegar And Lyanna Tell The Truth?
While it is essentially confirmed that Rhaegar and Lyanna ran off together out of love, rather than obsessive lust from Rhaegar, it is still a mystery as to why the couple didn’t tell their family they ran off together. It was this lie that, essentially, triggered Robert’s Rebellion, leading to so much bloodshed.
Perhaps this will be revealed as part of a larger mystery. Perhaps Lyanna did send word that she agreed to abscond with Rhaegar, but her words weren’t believed or may have even been ignored, allowing the Rebellion to continue.
Is Daenerys The Rightful Heir?
The accepted history of Robert’s Rebellion is that Aegon VI and the rest of Rhaegar’s heirs were killed, leaving Viserys and Daenerys the last remaining Targaryens. After Viserys’ death at the hands of Khal Drogo, only Daenerysremained. It is because of this that she believes she is the rightful heir to the Seven Kingdoms.
However, the show confirmed the fan theory that Jon Snow is the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen which could complicate matters. Did the two marry before the birth of Jon Snow? If this was the case then Daenerys would no longer be next in line to the throne. Although, Jon is not the only potential challenger for the throne.
Did Aegon VI live?
While most people believe Aegon VI was killed at the hands of Gregor ’the Mountain’ Clegane, a character appears in the books who claims to be Aegon VI. Initially going by the name, Young Griff, Aegon VI is traveling to meet Daenerys in order to ask for her help in reclaiming the Iron Throne.
This begs the question though, is Young Griff actually Aegon? Some fans believe that Young Griff may actually be a Blackfyre (a cadet branch of House Targaryen), and the Aegon plot is actually a plan to sit a Blackfyre on the Iron Throne.
What Happened To Ashara Dayne?
Ashara Dayne is the sister of Ser Arthur Dayne and was said to be very close to Ned Stark. Some fans believe that Ned and Ashara were in love, due to the fact that the two danced together at the Tourney at Harrenhal and according to Barristan Selmy, Ashara was ‘dishonored’ by a man at the Tourney.
After Ned Stark returned the ancestral sword of House Dayne to Starfall, Ashara Dayne is alleged to have jumped to her death from one of the towers at Starfall. Mysteriously, however, her body was never recovered. This has led several fans to speculate that Ashara is actually alive, perhaps we will find out for sure as the book series continues.
