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Jon Snow
Robb is Catelyn and Ned’s son and Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon’s brother. He is also Jon Snow’s half-brother. After Ned is arrested and executed, Robb becomes the Lord of Winterfell and leads the Stark army and bannermen into war against the Lannisters. Robb is only 15 years old at the time, and many consider him too young to be an effective leader. Robb gradually proves many of those who doubt him wrong, though, and Catelyn sees him as a direct continuation of Ned’s legacy. As a character, Robb serves as a subtle foil to Jon Snow, illustrating the inherent injustice of the feudal system of Westeros in which the circumstances of one’s birth determine one’s fate. Jon and Robb are about the same age and have almost identical upbringings. Both are considered to be people of upstanding character with potential for leadership. The primary difference between them is that they have different birth mothers. Thus, while Jon becomes a steward to the commander of the Night’s Watch, Rob is anointed the King in the North.
Robb Stark Quotes in A Game of Thrones
The A Game of Thrones quotes below are all either spoken by Robb Stark or refer to Robb Stark. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 1: Bran Quotes
“Robb says the man died bravely, but Jon says he was afraid.”
“What do you think?” his father asked.
Bran thought about it. “Can a man still be brave if he’s afraid?”
“That is the only time a man can be brave,” his father told him.
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Chapter 26: Jon Quotes
Fat and awkward and frightened he might be, but Samwell Tarly was no fool. One night he visited Jon in his cell. “I don’t know what you did,” he said, “but I know you did it.” He looked away shyly. “I’ve never had a friend before.”
“We’re not friends,” Jon said. He put a hand on Sam’s broad shoulder. “We’re brothers.”
And so they were, he thought to himself after Sam had taken his leave. Robb and Bran and Rickon were his father’s sons, and he loved them still, yet Jon knew that he had never truly been one of them. Catelyn Stark had seen to that. The grey walls of Winterfell might still haunt his dreams, but Castle Black was his life now, and his brothers were Sam and Grenn and Halder and Pyp and the other cast-outs who wore the black of the Night’s Watch.
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Chapter 71: Catelyn Quotes
“MY LORDS!” [Greatjon] shouted, his voice booming off the rafters. “Here is what I say to these two kings!” He spat. “Renly Baratheon is nothing to me, nor Stannis neither. Why should they rule over me and mine, from some flowery seat in Highgarden or Dorne? What do they know of the Wall or the wolfswood or the barrows of the First Men? Even their gods are wrong. The Others take the Lannisters too, I’ve had a bellyful of them.” He reached back over his shoulder and drew his immense two-handed great sword. “Why shouldn’t we rule ourselves again? It was the dragons we married, and the dragons are all dead!” He pointed at Robb with the blade. “There sits the only king I mean to bow my knee to, m’lords,” he thundered. “The King in the North!”
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Robb Stark Character Timeline in A Game of Thrones
The timeline below shows where the character Robb Stark appears in A Game of Thrones. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1: Bran
...is the Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. Bran is with his brother, Robb, and his half-brother, Jon Snow, who is a “bastard” because he was born out of...
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...body of the direwolf and finds a deer antler through its throat. Bran notices that Robb is cradling something in his arms. When Bran moves closer, he sees that it’s a...
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Chapter 6: Catelyn
...Ned accepts the offer. Sansa, Arya, and Bran will go with him to King’s Landing. Robb will stay behind with Catelyn and learn how to rule the north, and the baby,...
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Chapter 7: Arya
...two use wooden swords and are wrapped in layers of protective cushions. When they’re done, Robb challenges Prince Joffrey to another round of combat training. Joffrey says that practice is child’s...
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Chapter 10: Jon
Jon sees Robb getting the horses ready to depart. Robb won’t be traveling to King’s Landing with the...
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Chapter 14: Catelyn
...while Bran is on the brink of death, and she lashes out at Maester Luwin. Robb comes into the room then and assures Maester Luwin that he’ll look into what needs...
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As Robb sits with Catelyn, Bran’s wolf howls. The other wolves join him, and they’re then joined...
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Afterward, Catelyn talks with Robb, Theon, and Ser Rodrik about what happened. No one knows who the man is. They...
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...Catelyn says she suspects that Bran didn’t fall. Instead, she says, Jaime Lannister pushed him. Robb, Theon, and Ser Rodrik say that that’s a grave accusation, but Ser Rodrik adds that...
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Chapter 24: Bran
Robb is visibly upset at Tyrion’s presence (due to his suspicions that the Lannisters killed Jon...
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Chapter 37: Bran
Bran rides with Robb, Theon, Maester Luwin, and several guards. It’s the first time Bran has been outside of...
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Robb and Bran ride up ahead. Robb says that the direwolves have killed something. He goes...
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...straps of his specially-made saddle. The knife cuts Bran’s leg, though he can’t feel it. Robb returns. He and the direwolves fight the group until one of the men puts a...
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Chapter 47: Eddard
...age. He should marry Sansa off to Joffrey, have Arya marry Tommen, and Myrcella marry Robb. By the time Joffrey comes of age, Ned will be like a father to him....
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Chapter 51: Sansa
...is, unless Sansa writes letters to all the members of her family, including Catelyn and Robb, saying that Ned is a traitor, and they must pledge fealty to their new king,...
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Chapter 53: Bran
...watches the Karstarks stream into King’s Landing. They’re the last of the Stark bannermen to arrive—Robb summoned them to help the Tullys defend Riverrun. Robb will march with them. He thinks...
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...that’s the place that Bran likes to go the most. While there, Bran recalls when Robb received the raven with the message from Sansa. Sansa urged Robb and Catelyn to come...
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In the godswood, Bran asks the gods to watch over Robb as he goes to war. Osha appears in the godswood. Bran asks what she’s doing...
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That night, Robb prepares to depart. Bran talks to Maester Luwin and says he wants to be a...
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Chapter 55: Catelyn
...to ward off large armies due to its strategic position. Catelyn is happy to see Robb, though she says that he should have stayed in Winterfell. But she’s not going to...
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Catelyn and Robb talk about military strategy. Robb shows Catelyn the letter he received from Sansa, and Catelyn...
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Catelyn asks again what Robb is going to do. Tywin commands one of the Lannister factions, while Jaime commands the...
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Chapter 57: Sansa
...them. Stannis and Renly Baratheon’s names are on that list, as are those of Catelyn, Robb, Bran, Rickon, and Arya.
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Chapter 58: Eddard
...Cersei is more concerned with Robert’s brothers, Stannis and Renly, than with the threat that Robb and the Stark army might pose, especially considering how young Robb is. Varys also tells...
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Chapter 59: Catelyn
Catelyn and Robb discuss their strategy for facing the Lannister army. A faction belonging to Catelyn’s brother, Edmure,...
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...trade. Two of Walder’s sons will go to Winterfell as wards and another will become Robb’s squire. Additionally, Arya will marry one of Walder’s other sons, and Robb will marry one...
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Chapter 60: Jon
...on his mind that are troubling him. He thinks that he should be marching alongside Robb in the war against the Lannisters.
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Chapter 62: Tyrion
...Maester. Tywin’s army also captured several commanders of the Stark army during the battle, but Robb wasn’t among them. Instead, Tywin’s men say, there are reports that Robb is riding south...
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Chapter 63: Catelyn
Robb rides into battle against Jaime’s forces. Catelyn stays back, guarded by 30 men, who are...
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Eventually, Robb returns. He is covered in blood, but he says that it’s not his blood and...
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Chapter 67: Sansa
...the head of Septa Mordane. He says that he’s reserving spots for Stannis, Renly, and Robb.
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Chapter 69: Tyrion
...to momentous military decisions. Tywin explains that he plans to go to Harrenhal to face Robb’s army. When Kevan leaves to issue the orders, Tywin tells Tyrion that he’s sending him...
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Chapter 70: Jon
Jon mounts a horse to ride out of Castle Black and join his brother Robb in battle. Sam stands before him, pleading with him not to go. Jon doesn’t listen...
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Chapter 71: Catelyn
Catelyn and Robb are on a ship destined for Riverrun. When they arrive, Catelyn goes to see her...
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Catelyn then goes to find Robb, who is praying in the godswood with several other men from the north who worship...
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...there is only one king who he recognizes as true. He points his sword at Robb and says, “The King in the North!” The rest of the people erupt in chants...
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