If it's been a minute since you watched the previous few seasons of Game of Thrones, you can have forgotten what happened to Uncle Benjen. Here's a refresher, plus some fan theories that counsel there is extra to the tale with the undead ranger.
For probably the most part, all of the undead we've got encountered in Game of Thrones appear beautiful bent on destroying the dwelling on each side of the wall, save for one: Benjen Stark. But if you've forgotten what happened to good ol' Uncle Benjen, we will't blame you. This display has been on hiatus for a minute or two, and TBH it was once form of confusing the primary time round.
So this is what happened to Benjen — and why you should care:
The youngest of Ned's siblings, Benjen joined the Night's Watch after Robert's Rebellion, incomes the rank of First Ranger. But then he disappeared with out a hint in Season 1 shortly after Jon Snow took the black and he was once presumed useless for the next several seasons.
Then, in Season 6, viewers realized that was once handiest half-right. A cloaked figure on a horse rides in with a flaming chain and saves Bran Stark and Meera Reed from a military of wights. He later reveals himself to be Bran's lengthy lost uncle. But he clearly seems a bit bluer than we remembered from Season 1. So, what happened to excellent ol' Benji next?
You guessed it, Benjen is a White Walker... sort of.
After he took an ice sword to the stomach, the Children of the Forest discovered a death however not-yet-dead Benjen. They shoved a piece of dragonglass in his chest, which stopped him from falling to the control of the unfriendly White Walkers. That's why he used to be able to take care of loyalty to his circle of relatives and help Bran and Meera. As for what he's, that is a matter of some debate.
Like a White Walker, he was once made by the Children with a shard of dragonglass during the coronary heart. However, he doesn't have the glowing blue eyes of the Night King and there is not any evidence he has any of the powers the Night King has.
He's now not exactly a wight, both, which is just a corpse reanimated via a White Walker. Benjen can communicate and assume for himself. Nevertheless, like all of the lifeless, he is unable to move through the Wall.
We encountered Benjen one remaining time in Season 7, when he stored some other of Ned's sons from certain death. The Ranger bailed out Jon and his males when they had been surrounded by wights, then put his (also-kind-of-undead) nephew on a horse headed back to the wall. Benjen used to be in a position to fight off the wights long enough to give Jon a lengthy lead time, however ultimately he gave the impression to be overtaken through the military.
But is Benjen dead for just right? Fan theories are divided.
Though we did not see Benjen die for good, most audience assumed he sacrificed himself to save Jon Snow. however as fans on reddit have pointed out, we "had no real confirmation that he's dead." Not to mention, thanks to the Lord of Light's magic, we have now already noticed dying isn't all the time the tip for some other people — like Jon Snow, the Mountain, Beric Dondarrion.
Plus, as any other fans word, it's clear the Children labored out some kinks with the ol' dragonglass-to-the-heart trick since they became some of the First Men into the primary White Walkers. It's imaginable Benjen was once made, not most effective to help save his relatives from the White Walkers, however as a imaginable answer to the issue the Children of the Forest created in the first position with the White Walkers. And possibly he is not the one excellent man with a shard of dragonglass in his heart.
Let's simply put it this fashion: we may not be stunned if Uncle Ben or any person like him displays up again.
Game of Thrones returns for its ultimate season on Sunday, April 14 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO
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