Game Of Thrones: 20 Stupid Character Decisions With Terrible Consequences

5. Ned Assumes Catelyn's Responsibility

Now we come to the confrontation between Ned and Jaime Lannister, which leads to Ned's leg injury, which riles King Robert so much that he gets drunk and goes hunting, which gets him his own wound. The news has just broken that Catelyn has arrested Tyrion on the King's Road, and Jaime challenges Ned to answer for his wife's actions. Ned, being Ned, stupidly claims that she acted on his orders. Jaime's immediate response to this is to draw his sword. Why does Ned do this? Well we all know why: it's because it is the honourable thing to do, and Ned is all about doing the honourable thing €“ but is it the smart thing, hell, even the right thing to do? That's a big fat N-O. Why not say something like: "Listen Jaime, I've only just heard about this myself, and can't, at this moment, speak for my wife's actions. However I'm sure there is a rational explanation to all of this, and if we just sit down together like adults and wait until all the information is available to us, I'm sure we'll find that there's been nothing more than a gross misunderstanding. There's no need to further aggravate the situation by us acting rashly now." If only courtly politics were so simple...

4. Ned Confronts Cersei

Ned finally learns the truth behind Jon Arryn's death: that Joffrey is no Baratheon, but the spawn of Lannister incest. He is, by all the laws of the Seven Kingdoms, no rightful heir to the late King Robert. Ned stumbles upon this conclusion by chance (certainly not by his own investigative prowess): the final clue delivered to him unknowingly by Sansa. Ned has the evidence he needs at last. He has the black haired bastards of King Robert, and he has the book of genealogy that Jon Arryn uncovered. All the pieces have fallen into place and the Lannisters can be done away with for good! But no, what does good old Ned do with this information? He takes it to Cersei and offers her a chance to run away with her children before he brings the hammer down! Why oh why, Ned? What did you ever see in Cersei that led you to believe she would lie down and admit defeat just because you accused her? This decision is blindingly stupid. Really, this is beyond stupid! There is only one possible result that could come of such action, and that is to allow Cersei warning (which believe me, she will not ignore!) and time to move against him.