Game Of Thrones Season 6: 26 WTF Moments
16. Ned Stark Wasn't That Great A Hero
There were certain things you could rely on in Westeros without question: fire burnt, ice froze, Hodor said "Hodor" and Ned Stark was a paragon of virtue. It might have been a stoic, cold sort of virtue, but that came with a sort of gruff Northern majesty that was as solid and dependable as his word.
Except, he was a damn dirty liar. Or he had allowed a lie to grow like a weed by not killing it at its root.
That lie - that Ser Arthur Dayne died in combat with Ned and his companions in what was assumed to be an honourable contest - built Ned's reputation, and by omitting the key detail that he was stabbed in the back, Ned allowed a myth to grow around himself.
It doesn't necessarily detract from Ned's appeal as a character, but it was another one of those moments that shone true light on an assumed character's legend with stark revelatory results. And it was a truly shocking moment.