Until the end of the first season there was a rumour that the person executed wasnt Eddard Stark at all because of the description of him in the book. However it was made clear that it was Sean Bean at the time and the likelihood that a Faceless Man would impersonate him (and be killed) would seem extremely low. So it is certain that he was killed but with Caitlyn Stark resurrected as Lady Stoneheart there remains the chance that the same magic could be used on Ned. Sean Bean even said after season one that It would be nice to come back, if it's relevant to the book, and do a few days, it would be nice to get to see everybody. But really, how would this actually work? In A Clash of Kings, Caitlyn states that the bones received are far too small for Eddard so whose were actually sent? Could his corpse somehow find its way into the hands of the Brotherhood Without Banners (a faction he indirectly founded) and be resurrected by the magic of the Lord of Light? Or the alternative is that the person killed at the end of season one wasnt Ned at all instead Varys disguised someone to appear the same and smuggled him out of the city to support the interests of The Spider. Would Stark support this though, as hes always come across as an entirely honourable man? It isnt something that has been covered by the books as yet and it seems distinctly unlikely. Perhaps the best that fans can hope for is a return for Sean Bean if a flashback is shown at the Tower of Joy to show Jon Snows birth. One thing is for sure, until the rest of the books come out these theories can only grow in number. But what did you think? Do these seem likely, or do you have other ideas of your own? Let us know below!
