Where is Benjen Stark?

Potential Spoilers Below

  

This blog will attempt to clear up some of the mysteries surrounding Benjen Stark?  Why did he go to the Wall in the first place?  Where is he now? What role will he play in the future?

Benjen Stark

The Wall

But before we get to that I will show you how I came to my conclusions.

TWOT:  Who is Luc Mantear?

Luc was the First Prince of Andor and the brother of Tigraine Mantear.  Tigraine is the mother of Rand al’Thor. Rand is the Dragon Reborn.

Rand al'Thor - The Dragon Reborn

It was said that Gitara Moroso, an Aes Sedai with the gift of Foretelling, set his feet on the path that he eventually took. 

Gitara Moroso

Aes Sedai

“After Luc rode north, never to return, whispers said Gitara had convinced him that his fame lay in the Blight, or his fate. Others said it was that he would find the Dragon Reborn there, or that the Last Battle depended on him going.”

Rand and friends fighting the Blight itself

Shayol Ghul during the Last Battle, with the
ancient symbol of the Aes Sedai overhead among the clouds

After he gets to the Blight it is said he encountered Isam Mandragoran and the two merge into a being named Slayer, the man with two souls.

“Luc came to the Mountains of Dhoom.

Isam waited in the high passes.

The hunt is now begun. The Shadow's hounds now course, and kill.

One did live, and one did die, but both are.

The Time of Change has come.”

Mountains of Dhoom location
Similar to the Wall location?

What is said about Tigraine his sister?

“and with the Aiel came a Maiden named Shaiel, who died giving birth. So many lives changed, lives ended, so she could give birth to him at the proper time and place and die doing it.”

Aiel Maiden of the Spear

ASOIAF: Who is Benjen Stark?

Benjen is the First Ranger of the Night’s Watch and brother of Lyanna Stark.  Anyone who has read my blogs knows that I believe that Lyanna is the mother of Jon Snow.  I also believe that Jon is Azor Ahai.

Men of the Night's Watch training in the Yard

Lyanna Stark

Jon Snow

Azor Ahai Legend

Shortly after Ned Stark returned to Winterfell after the end of Roberts Rebellion, Benjen joined the Night’s Watch for unknown reasons.  My personal theory surrounding Benjen is that prior to going to the Wall he read a page or two from a book of visions written down by Daenys Targaryen called “Signs and Portents” that were meant for him.  I believe he found these scrolls in Winterfell’s library.  On these pages he discovered that his destiny depended upon him going to the Wall and becoming a man of the Night’s Watch.  I also believe that the pages that he read told him that he would be sent on a ranging north of the Wall at a designated time that would change the course of their world.   

Winterfell

Robert's Rebellion
Robert battles Rhaegar on the Trident

What I believe is known of Lyanna:

I believe that she died giving birth to Jon Snow similar to that of Tigraine giving birth to Rand.  Does not what is said of Tigraine seem to apply to her also?

“So many lives changed, lives ended, so she could give birth to him at the proper time and place and die doing it.”  Is that not exactly what happened as a result of Robert's Rebellion?  

To read more about Lyanna and my theories surrounding her read the following blog:

Jon Snow: Do The Prophecies Make the Man?

So that tells us why he went to the Wall but where is he now?  For that I will have to tell you about another character that I believe he gets his personality traits from in TWOT.

TWOT:  Who is Logain Ablar?

Logain is a minor noble from Ghealdan.  He declares himself the Dragon Reborn.  He builds an army and starts a war in Ghealdan.  He is captured and then gentled.  Later at Salidar, Nynaeve accidentally heals him back to his full strength in the One Power.  He escapes with the help of Egwene and Siuan.  He goes to the Black Tower and becomes a full Asha’man.  He finds himself at odds with Mazrim Taim and sets out to find the Dragon Reborn to let him know that trouble is brewing at the Black Tower. 

Logain captured and later gentled

Nynaeve accidentally heals Logain

Asha'men at The Black Tower

What you need to know about the Black Tower is that it was a place, started by the Dragon Reborn, for men who could channel.  Rand sought to use these men as weapons at the Last Battle.  Men who could use the One Power were feared because they would eventually go mad from the taint placed on the male half of the One Power; Saidin. 

After meeting with Rand he is sent as an ambassador to the Sea Folk to have them supply ships to supply food to the people who are starving.  Logain goes missing and those loyal to him find his prolonged absence a frightening mystery.  His followers later find that Taim has taken him captive and that they are trying to turn him to the Dark One.  This process requires 13 Dreadlords and 13 Myrddraal.  Logain has a strong will and resists for a long time until he is rescued by those loyal to him.

The Sea Folk

The Dark One

At the end of the series he has to make a choice between saving refugees or obtaining a sa’angreal of great power:

“I am a fool, he thought. He had abandoned that power for what? To save these refugees? People who would spurn him and hate him for what he was. People who . . .

. . . who looked at him with awe.

Logain frowned. These were common people, not like folk from the Black Tower who were accustomed to men who could channel. In that moment, he wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference.

Logain watched with wonder as the people flocked around his Asha’man, weeping for their salvation. Elderly men took Asha’man by the hands, overcome, praising them.

Nearby a youth looked at Logain with admiration. A dozen youths. Light, a hundred’ Not a hint of fear in their eyes.

“Thank you,” the young mother said again. “Thank you.”

“The Black Tower protects,” Logain heard himself say. “Always.”

ASOIAF: So where is Benjen?

I believe that the Night’s King has taken Benjen captive.  He is being brainwashed and begins to think the same way as he does.  If you have been keeping up with my blogs you know I believe that the Night’s King was made a pawn of the Children of the Forest through the Night’s King Queen that I believe they sent to him. 

The Night's King?

A Child of the Forest

The Night's King Queen

Unlike Logain I believe that Benjen will be turned to their way of thinking.  I also believe that unlike those who have been turned in TWOT he will be able to change his way of thinking at the end.  I believe that after Jon Snow confronts the Night’s King and kills him that Benjen will be set free and return to the Night’s Watch and become Lord Commander.  The Night’s Watch to me is the Black Tower equivalent and in the end people all around their world will see it as a place of honor and once again send their sons to be a part of it.  I believe that the vows will be rewritten to go with the new world that is created after the COTF are vanquished.  The Night’s Watch will have a huge part in reshaping the new world. 

Why is the number 13 important?
In TWOT it takes 13 Dreadlords and 13 Myrddrall
to turn someone who can channel to the Dark One.
If you paid attention there were 13 White Walkers
in attendance when the baby was tranformed by the Nights King
who was the 13th Lord Command of the Night's Watch

Summary:

This is how I would end it but this is ASOIAF and George R. R. Martin has always taken the more death the better concept IMO especially with the Starks.  With that said would he allow Benjen to have a somewhat happy ending?  Probably not.  If the answer is no then it would mean that after the Night’s King is killed Benjen takes over and is eventually killed by Jon Snow or another man of the Night’s Watch.

Comments encouraged.  Love to hear the ideas of others.  Most believe that since I present my ideas as “fact like” I’m not open to change my viewpoints, which is far from the truth.  I simply look at the information presented and go from there.  If you can shine a light on another way of thinking that opens the door to debate.