The Fate of All Stark Direwolves Explained

Although many human characters die in Game of Thronesmany fans are more concerned about which direwolves will survive. The direwolf was the animal featured in the sigil of House Stark and was therefore extremely important to the rulers of the North. Dire wolves are portrayed as a species of wolf, but much larger and significantly more intelligent. In Game of ThronesIn the premiere, a litter of direwolves was discovered and each Stark child, including Jon Snow, was allowed to care for one. The animals quickly bonded with their corresponding owners. However, many of them faced problems throughout the series, with most dying.

For some, the Game of Thrones The direwolf may have been seen as just a pet for the main characters, but they were much more than that. The Stark direwolves were beautiful creatures that served a much greater purpose. Many Game of Thrones Fans of the book felt that the show failed the direwolves, as they were gradually sidelined and became less important due to budgetary concerns. This sometimes included randomly killing the direwolves, although there were a few that managed to survive until the end of Game of Thrones.

Gray Wind

Estate of Robb Stark

Gray Wind is a Stark direwolf who was very protective of his owner, Robb. THE Game of Thrones The direwolf accompanied Robb and his army and played a role in the Battle of Boi Cruz, sneaking into the enemy camp, killing guards and scaring horses. Gray Wind also proved to be a good intimidation tool during some of the tense confrontations Robb had as King in the North.

When Greatjon Umber pulled a knife on Robb when he called him an oathbreaker, Gray Wind bit off the man's fingers. And although Jaime Lannister tried to pretend to be brave as Robb's prisoner, he could not hide his fear of Gray Wind. Unfortunately, Gray Wind was present at the Red Wedding in Game of Thrones.

Interestingly, the direwolf seemed to sense the problem before the Frey ambush began, when it was seen howling and trying to break out of its enclosure. Sadly, he was trapped inside when the Frey men came and shot him with their crossbows. The image of Arya Stark watching Gray Wind's eyes close as the direwolf dies is one of the saddest moments of the Red Wedding massacre. As a final insult, Robb's corpse is decapitated and Gray Wind's head is sewn to his body to mock his nickname "the Young Wolf".

Madam

Property of Sansa Stark

Lady was the first of the direwolf's victims and one of the Game of Thrones characters will die in season 1. Lady is Sansa Stark's direwolf and seems to follow her owner's behavior. She is kind and well-behaved, listening to Sansa and going on walks with her. This makes the punishment Lady receives at the hands of the Lannisters even more unfair.

After Arya's direwolf, Nymeria, bit Joffrey and fled, Cersei Lannister was unwilling to let the attack go unanswered. Although Lady had nothing to do with what happened to Joffrey, Cersei ordered the animal to be executed. Ned carried out the execution himself, reasoning that a beast of the North deserved better than to be killed by Lannister men. Although she was not among the direwolves who survived, Lady's death was significant as it widened the divide between the Starks and the Lannisters and also seemed to cause Bran Stark to awaken from his coma.

Nymeria

Arya Stark's estate

The question of which direwolves survive remains somewhat unanswered, as Nymeria is a question mark. Nymeria is Arya Stark's direwolf and shares much of her ferocity. She continues to show how protective direwolves are of their owners as Joffrey threatens Arya with a sword only for Nymeria to bite his arm and disarm him. When Cersei's men were looking for Nymeria to punish the direwolf for biting Joffrey, Arya secretly sent her away.

Nymeria was not seen again until Game of Thrones Season 7, when Arya encountered her while traveling back to Winterfell. The direwolf revealed himself to be the leader of his own pack. Arya tried to get her former companion to follow her home, but she understood that Nymeria, like Arya herself, was too wild to be a pet and was left in the wild..

There is no further evidence about what happened to Nymeria in Game of Thronesbut in the books, it is suggested that she is leading a pack of wolves that are targeting the Freys, suggesting that she is still protecting the Stark family.

Summer

Bran Stark Estate

Summer is Bran Stark's direwolf and one of his most protective pets. Catelyn Stark is at first fed up with these animals, but quickly changes her mind when Summer kills a would-be assassin who comes to kill Bran while he is in a coma. Summer constantly stayed by Bran's side after Winterfell was taken over and accompanied him on his journey Beyond the Wall.

During the summer, Bran learns to warg, entering the direwolf's mind and controlling it. When Bran's group arrived north of the Wall, they traveled to the cave of the Three-Eyed Raven. While there, a horde of White Walkers and creatures invade the cave. Summer tried to protect Bran by fighting the Night King's forces. The direwolf was killed in the season 6 attack, but it gave Bran enough time to escape.

Shaggy Dog

Property of Rickon Stark

Shaggydog is Rickon Stark's pet direwolf and, like his owner, is the one the public learns the least about. Interestingly, although Rickon is the quietest and most unassuming one to the Starks, Shaggy Dog is somewhat aggressive, angrily cornering Brand and Osha in the crypts of Winterfell before Rickon calls him out.

Shaggydog also accompanied Rickon and the others when the group left Winterfell. Rickon, Osha, and the direwolf eventually split up to seek refuge at House Umber. The Umbers later betrayed Rickon and killed Shaggy as a gift to Ramsay Bolton.. It was the most unceremonious death for one of the show's direwolves and seemed to suggest that they were just trying to get rid of them at that point.

Ghost

Property of Jon Snow

When it comes to which direwolves will survive, Ghost is the only one the audience sees coming to an end in Game of Thrones. Despite being the runt, Ghost grew to become the biggest direwolf in the pack. He accompanied Jon to the Wall to serve in the Night's Watch. Not only did he remain Jon's protector, but he also kept a close eye on Jon's best friend, Sam. He also fought in many battles in Game of Thronesincluding the Battle of Castle Black and the Battle of Winterfell.

In the books, following Jon's murder by his fellow Night Watch brothers, it is heavily suggested that Jon transforms into Ghost. Fans of the show were disappointed with how little Ghost was used in the later seasons of the show, sometimes disappearing for no reason and then having Jon ask Tormund to take him back to Beyond the Wall. However, the ending shows Jon and Ghost reuniting as they lead the Wildlings Beyond the Wall.

How the fates of dire wolves connect to their strict owners

Fan theory suggests deeper bond between Stark and Direwolf

Many of the Starks shared similarities with their direwolf counterparts, to the point that Game of Thrones fans began to theorize that the fate of the direwolves was tied to the outcome of their owners. The theory may not have worked as many predicted, but there are some correlations. For example, Arya is a leader and fiercely protective of her family, but decides to leave them behind and venture out on her own. Nymeria's arc was similar in that she was forced to leave her home at a young age and learned to fend for herself.

Ghost was the odd one out as the albino of the litter, something Jon struggled with as the bastard son of the Starks. The direwolf needed a role in the world, just as it seemed Jon was destined to work for the Night's Watch. Robb and Rickon were despicably killed, as were their direwolves. Summer sacrificed herself once Bran gave up his mind and body to become the Three-Eyed Raven.

Then there's Sansa, who often suffers the consequences of other people's actions, just like Lady. Sansa never had a chance as a child, but she grew up to be an admirable woman. The death of her direwolf was another motivator for Sansa to overcome her oppressors.

Differences between the Direwolf in A Song of Ice and Fire

Direwolf Stories Differ in Source Material

The question of which direwolves survived didn't quite appear on screen in the same way as it did in George R.R. Martin's film. Game of Thrones book series, A Song of Ice and Fire. In novels, only Gray Wind and Lady have been killed so far. Nymeria was kicked out by Arya just like she did on the HBO show, but Summer, Shaggydog, and Ghost continue to serve as companions to their respective owners.

It is not surprising that Game of Thrones changed from the books featuring direwolves, as the show did so with several elements. This is not to say that some of the direwolves will not meet their deaths in the future. There's also the case of war, as it's often hinted in the books that Bran isn't the only Stark who can do this. As noted, Jon apparently does the same to Ghost when he's killed, but that's the last chapter written so far, so only time will tell.

Fans were disappointed with how the show handled the direwolves

Stark's animal companions were underused

Game of Thrones may be one of the most successful and acclaimed TV shows of the 21st century so far, but that doesn't mean it's without its flaws. On the contrary, there are many aspects of the series (especially the much lamented final season of Game of Thrones) who were heavily criticized for the conclusion of the HBO series. Just like John Snow being resurrected or Arya's ability to change her appearance, the amount in which direwolves appeared Game of Thrones (or, more accurately, didn't) upset many fans of the show.

In the first seasons of Game of ThronesEspecially in the first season, there was a lot of focus on the Stark direwolves. They were the Stark equivalent of Targaryen dragons, a unique aspect of the Stark family that set them apart from the other noble houses of the Seven Kingdoms. Given how distinct they made the Starks as characters, there were expectations that the direwolves would feature heavily in the plot of He picked up - or at least be present in most of it.

While Arya's Nymeria was still alive at the end of Game of Thrones and Ghost went north of the Wall with John, the rest of the Stark direwolves met horrible ends, many of them early on. What's more, they didn't really have any relevance to the overall plot - especially notable with Bran's direwolf, Summer, who many felt would play a larger role given Bran's capacity for war. To add to the heartbreak this caused many fans, the show never fully explained why all the Starks had direwolves in the first place. Being such a unique aspect of House Stark and Game of Thrones, There should have been a lot more focus on the direwolves. Unfortunately, though, the show treated them poorly as characters and as a concept.

House Of The Dragon Could Fix Misuse Of GoT's Direwolf

The inclusion of Cregan Stark could bring direwolves to the prequel

Not only is the Stark direwolf a family secret, but the creatures had enormous importance in the books that were wasted on Game of Thrones - but Dragon House has the chance to change that. In the books, the Starks have the ability to attack their pets, something not explored much in the television show.

The appearance of dire wolves grew less and less each season, to the point that they were practically non-existent. Game of Thrones' finishing. Essentially, direwolves are to the Starks what dragons are to the Targaryens. As Dragon House begins to expand on what is known about dragons and their connection to the Targaryens, the show may also address direwolves and their importance to House Stark.

Dragon House the first season only really explored three families: the Targaryens, the Velaryons, and the Hightowers. However, season two saw the scope expand and Cregan Stark was introduced into the mix, with the character playing a big role in A Dance with Dragons. Bringing House Stark back HotD allows the showrunners to use the direwolves appropriately. The special bond between Stark and the direwolf depicted in the books finally has a chance to be shown on screen, something that Game of Thrones much missed.

Direwolves & Dragons kind of defines A Song of Ice and Fire

The creatures highlight certain aspects of House Stark and House Targaryen

Although direwolves and dragons have been background aspects of the A Song of Ice and Fire franchise, they are essential parts of this world that have great significance for the main houses of history – House Stark and House Targaryen. Just as the direwolves of the North are the sigils of House Stark, dragons are the sigils of House Targaryen, each creature representing the “Ice” and “Fire” of the larger story.

The creatures also reflect the houses they represent. Dire wolves are only found in the North and rarely interact with the rest of the world. They travel in packs and fiercely protect their loved ones. Dragons, on the other hand, come from an exotic place and are not creatures of Westeros. They are mesmerizing and strangely beautiful, but they are also unpredictable and can be destructive.

Dragon House did a better job exploring dragons and their connection to the Targaryens and it would be nice to see a Game of Thrones spinoff gives direwolves a similar treatment, exploring the ways in which these fearsome beasts are so connected to the Starks. While a Jon Snow spinoff series could have done this, since the series was scrapped, fans will have to look elsewhere to see justice for the direwolves.