Highlights
- Robb Stark’s inexperience in politics led to decision-making that ultimately lost him the war in
Game of Thrones
. - By trusting Roose Bolton, Robb overlooked his dishonorable suggestions, leading to betrayal and his demise.
- Robb’s love for Talisa over duty to his alliance with the Freys led to the disastrous Red Wedding massacre.
Ned Stark’s heir, Robb, was a brave soldier, but a bad leader in Game of Thrones. He was on the road to early manhood when the Lannisters imprisoned his father in dungeons under the Red Keep and asked him to come to King’s Landing to bend the knee. Even though Robb did the right thing by calling Ned’s banners to Winterfell, he was ill-prepared for war with seasoned politicians of the South.
Robb refused to act on his mother, Lady Catelyn’s advice and lost the war. He was skilled in combat but lacked the cold-blooded shrewdness that Tywin Lannister and others had. Robb’s inexperience led to bad decision-making and the decimation of his host in Game of Thrones.
6 Executing Rickard Karstark
Lord Karstark’s Army Deserted Robb
The Karstarks share blood with the Starks and were one of their closest allies at the outbreak of war. Lord Rickard Karstark, who ruled from Karhold, was the second man to lay his sword at Robb’s feet and proclaim him King in the North after the latter showed military genius and won the Battle of Whispering Wood. But things become worse after Jaime Lannister kills Karstark’s son, Torrhen while attempting to flee, and Catelyn frees him. Rickard’s faith in Robb began to shake with each passing day.
In Game of Thrones Season 3, Episode 2 “Dark Wings, Dark Words,” Rickard tells Robb he lost the war the day he married Talisa Maegyr. Robb ultimately executes him and his men for treason when they kill Martyn and Willem Lannister in the dungeons of Riverrun. Robb should have listened to his mother, wife, and uncle and held Rickard hostage until the war was over. Robb needed the Karstark army more than ever, but they left him after their lord’s execution.
5 Keeping Roose Bolton In Important Positions
Roose Drove a Dagger Into Robb’s Heart
Robb took the biggest risk by placing faith in the Boltons. The Lord of the Dreadfort, Roose Bolton, was a dishonorable man. To begin with, his House continued with the outlawed practice of executing enemies by flaying. He sired a bastard (Ramsay) from a woman he’d violated and at the end of Robert’s Rebellion, he suggested that Ser Barristan Selmy be executed for performing his duty as Aerys II’s Kingsguard.
Robb kept Roose close despite his dishonorable suggestions such as flaying prisoners of war. Roose ended up betraying the Starks and the North by teaming with Walder Frey and Tywin Lannister. He saw to it that Lady Catelyn, Robb, and Talisa Stark did not escape the hall at the Twins.
4 Breaking Oath By Marrying Talisa
Chose Love Over Duty
Game of Thrones stresses love is counter-intuitive to duty and exemplifies their conflict through Jon Snow/ Ygritte and Robb/ Talisa’s romances. Jon chooses duty over Ygritte’s love and returns to Castle Black, while Robb’s marriage to Talisa does the alliance with the Freys irreparable harm.
Robb is forced to mend the relationship with the Freys when he realizes how badly he needs them. Lord Walder doesn’t forgive the Starks and secretly joins hands with Tywin and Roose to conspire against them. He slaughters them and their host by having the door to the hall at the Twins sealed.
3 Trusting Walder Frey After Betraying Him
Mistakenly Believed Lord Walder Would Forgive Him
Robb’s most loyal bannermen and aides, such as Greatjon Umber, warned him about Lord Walder before they struck an alliance: “Expect nothing of Walder Frey and you’ll never be surprised.” Robb was also told the man was called “the late Lord Frey” after failing to provide timely assistance to his overlord, Hoster Tully, in Robert’s Rebellion.
Lord Walder sired numerous children, took multiple wives, and kept complaining that his heirs piled up. The intricacies of politics were lost on Robb. Despite being well-informed about Lord Walder, he went to the Twins to seek an unforgiving man’s forgiveness and paid with his life.
2 Bringing Talisa To The Red Wedding
Rubbed Salt Into Lord Walder’s Wounds
By bringing a pregnant Talisa Stark to the Twins, Robb not only added insult to Walder’s injury but risked her life as well. Walder didn’t give her the slightest bit of respect and made a couple of backhanded compliments.
Talisa was the first casualty of the Red Wedding massacre. The moment the Rains of Castamere started to play as a signal of a massacre, Lothar Frey approached Talisa from behind and repeatedly stabbed her. Robb could barely make sense of the commotion, stabbings, or the musicians shooting arrows, and before he knew it, he was shot too. His wife, child, and mother were killed because he didn’t think about keeping his guard up during the negotiations.
1 Trusting The Greyjoys
Robb Trusted Theon Against The Advice Of His Mother
Eddard Stark took Theon Greyjoy as a ward after quelling the Greyjoy Rebellion but raised him honorably. When Robb marched south, Theon swore fealty and proclaimed him as King at the outbreak of the War of the Five Kings.
Things took a turn for the worse when Theon suggested he travel to Pyke and ask his father, Balon, for ships to take King’s Landing. Catelyn was against allying the North with Balon, but Robb dispatched Theon to the Iron Islands and never saw him again. Robb was told Lord Greyjoy wasn’t trustworthy, but Robb needed his ships. Theon changed loyalties after spending some time with his father and sister, Yara, at Pyke. He took Winterfell from Robb, forcing Bran and Rickon out of their homes in Game of Thrones.
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