The 50 Best Game of Thrones Characters, Ranked
21. Lord Eddard “Ned” Stark
I’ll always have a soft spot for Ned Stark, and not just because he’s played by Sean Bean or can pull off a half-ponytail better than me. Lord Eddard is dedicated to honor in a way that’s seldom duplicated in the Seven Kingdoms. Even people who are ambivalent about Ned, like Stannis, admit that much.
Lord Eddard was a hard-working man who valued loyalty and honesty, and instilled those values in his children (and Jon Snow). But his devotion to those values ultimately put his head on a spike. His friendship with King Robert drew him into the seedy political world of King’s Landing, when he would have been much better off staying in the North, a land he knew better. Ned pulled at the Lannister bloodline thread too much, and in a city where power comes before honor, it was a fatal mistake.
Ned was only with us for one season, but remains an integral part of the show. We’re still learning things about his life even into Season 6. It turns out he was even more honorable than we thought, as he pretended to have committed a dishonorable act (cheating on his wife) to keep a promise to his sister. They don’t make ‘em like Ned anymore.