Game of Thrones: Top 10 castles in Westeros, ranked
8. Riverrun
The ancestral seat of House Tully has been inhabited by Catelyn Stark’s family for hundreds of years. Although they weren’t always the lords of the Riverlands, the Tullys built and have inhabited their castle for most of its existence.
Riverun is strategically located where the Tumblestone and Red Fork rivers meet, making a siege very difficult. During invasions, a large moat can be filled and a drawbridge lifted to effectively surround the castle by water on all sides.
When the Targaryens invaded Westeros, the Riverlands were ruled by the Ironborn king Harren the Black. When the cruel king was roasted alive inside Harrenhal, Aegon the Conqueror named Edmyn Tully the first Lord Paramount of the Trident.
During the Dance of the Dragons — the war we’ll see play out on House of the Dragon — the elderly Grover Tully opts to support the greens in their conflict against Rhaenyra Targaryen. Grover’s grandson Elmo disagrees with him and bars his men inside Riverrun against Grover’s wishes.
Addam Velaryon eventually makes his way to Riverrun on top of the dragon Seasmoke to ask them to support Rhaenyra. Elmo agrees to fight for the blacks, assembling 6,000 rivermen.
Grover dies of old age and Elmo follows soon after from drinking bad water. Elmo’s son Kermit ascends as Lord of Riverrun and leads the rivermen to victory against a large Baratheon host.
In A Song of Ice and Fire, several prominent characters hail from Riverrun, including Catelyn, Lysa, Edmure, Brynden “the Blackfish” Tully and Littlefinger, who grew up a ward at the castle. Eddard Stark and Jon Arryn married Catelyn and Lysa in Riverrun’s sept at the beginning of Robert’s Rebellion, and Robb Stark was born at Riverrun nine months later.
At the beginning of the War of the Five Kings, Catelyn’s father Hoster falls ill, leaving his son Edmure to command the Tully forces when Jaime Lannister besieges Riverrun. When Robb Stark arrives with his northern army, they lure Jaime into the nearby woods. Thanks of his uncle Brynden of shooting down Lannister ravens and eliminating scouts, Robb’s army is able to enter the area undetected. In the battle of the Whispering Wood, Robb’s forces capture Jaime and lift the siege of Riverrun. With all of the lords from the North and Riverlands present, Robb is proclaimed the King in the North at Riverrun, and the castle’s blacksmith forges him a bronze crown.
After campaigning in the Westerlands, Robb marries Jeyne Westerling instead of one of Walder Frey’s daughters, leading to the Freys abandoning the cause. The Northerners attempt to win the Freys back by offering Edmure to one of Walder’s daughters, but the Freys spring a trap and kill Robb, Catelyn and hundreds of others at the Red Wedding. Edmure is imprisoned. Before he leeaves Riverrun, Robb leaves the Blackfish to protect the castle and his queen Jeyne. The Freys then launch another siege on Riverrun, which leads to a stalemate since the Freys are unwilling to execute Edmure and the Blackfish is unwilling to yield to their threats.
Jaime is eventually sent to resolve the situation. Jaime convinces Edmure to surrender the castle on the threat of launching his newborn child over the castle walls. The Blackfish escapes and the garrison consisting of hundreds of men is allowed to walk free. Lord Emmon Frey and his wife Johanna Lannister become the new rulers of Riverrun at the end of A Dance with Dragons.
