Game Of Thrones: 10 Worst Things The Starks Have Ever Done

Travelling south has rarely ended well for anyone called Stark. Rickard and Brandon Stark were killed at the command of the Mad King Aerys, Catelyn Stark journeyed to King's Landing never to see Winterfell again, and Robb Stark doomed the entire north after marching south.

Ned Stark was no different. Years after helping Robert Baratheon win the Iron Throne from the Targaryen dynasty, Ned was asked to travel south to King's Landing and help his best friend rule the country. Though he never wanted the position of Hand of the King, after some persuasion from Catelyn and against his better judgement, he accepted the offer.

Following the death of the previous Hand, Jon Arryn, Catelyn pushed Ned south to investigate the truth of what happened after a big accusation from her sister, Lysa. Had Ned stayed home in Winterfell and allowed the Hand of the King position to fall to Jaime or Tywin Lannister, things would have been very different for the Starks.

Though there is no guarantee war would not have eventually broken out, the north would have been in the safer hands of Ned Stark, Catelyn and Robb would not have been slaughtered at the Twins, Bran and Rickon would not have had to go on the run from Theon, and Jon would have learned his true heritage long before he ever heard the name Daenerys Targaryen.