‘Game Of Thrones’: Will Ned Stark Return In Season 6?

WARNING: Spoilers and rumors abound in this article. Please proceed with caution if you have not watched up to the Season 5 finale of HBO’s Game of Thrones.

Ned Stark (played by Sean Bean) was a fan favorite in Season 1 of Game of Thrones. When he lost his head, television viewing changed forever.

Now it seems fans may be able to enjoy the return of Ned Stark in Season 6 of Game of Thrones. Although, it appears he will not be returning from the dead, but instead a younger version of Ned will appear via a flashback, something that Sean Bean suggested in earlier interviews in relation to Jon Snow’s parentage. He even suggested that his son, Bran, would be the perfect person to introduce such flashbacks. However, considering HBO is now trying their hardest to convince fans Jon Snow is really dead, it looks like Sean Bean’s idea on how he could reappear in Game of Thrones is now redundant.

Regardless of how the flashbacks will occur though, fan site Watchers on the Wall, has reported that 13 year-old Sebastian Croft is to be playing Ned Stark in the Season 6 flashback scenes. They cite “reliable sources” as their evidence at this new casting though, so fans will have to wait until further confirmation from HBO before considering this news as reliable.

Rumors of Ned Stark returning started in May when a casting call was released requesting three roles for young boys. Fans immediately started suggesting one of these characters could be Ned Stark with the other two being either Hodor (pre-injury) or Robert in one role, and potentially, Benjen or Littlefinger in the other. All three characters will be involved in a sparring scene. According to the casting call though, the role that could be of a younger Ned Stark requires the role is a “very good and memorable new part being introduced in this season”, so perhaps the suggestion of a Ned Stark childhood flashback isn’t really correct at all.

While Ned Stark’s possible return will be welcomed, it appears at the other end of the spectrum, one of Game of Thrones most hated characters is also expected to return in Season 6. No, not Joffrey (Jack Gleeson). Lord Walder Frey (David Bradley), the man responsible for the other horrific Stark bloodshed, the red wedding, is slated to make an appearance. Although HBO are remaining tight lipped about the when and the why for Walder Frey’s return.

HBO’s Game of Thrones will return in 2016.

Do you think Ned Stark will return in Season 6 of Game of Thrones? Let us know by commenting below!

[Image credits: HBO / Curtis Brown]