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Rickon Stark may not have had a substantial arc in Game of Thrones, but a major theory for The Winds of Winter would finally fix these failures. Although Game of Thrones primarily centered around the six Stark children (including Jon Snow), only four of them survived until the end of the series. Arya, Jon, Bran, and Sansa ended Game of Thrones season 8 as some of the most important figures remaining in Westeros, with their brother Robb having previously made a name for himself as the King in the North before being brutally murdered at the Red Wedding. The Starks prevailed as Winter arrived, but the youngest sibling, Rickon, didn’t have the same narrative impact.

Since Game of Thrones surpassed George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books around season 4, the series ended up taking many different directions with the characters than were laid out in the novels. The next book, The Winds of Winter, still has plenty of untold storylines concerning Game of Thrones’ now-deceased characters, which may see the book narrative take significant deviations from HBO’s resolutions. Rickon memorably died in Game of Thrones’ season 6 episode “Battle of the Bastards” when Ramsay shot him with an arrow as he tried running to his older brother Jon, but in the books, the youngest Stark is thought to still be alive. More importantly, the books hint at The Winds of Winter featuring Rickon’s most important storyline yet, but whether or not it will actually be significant is yet to be determined.

With Rickon being notable in Game of Thrones as the only Stark sibling to be a relatively unimportant character, hopes are high for The Winds of Winter to finally amend this failure. While Rickon has still yet to serve a substantial narrative role in the books, the set-up for the young character at the end of A Dance with Dragons suggests he could take on a momentous arc for The Winds of Winter, thus making him just as significant as his siblings. One theory for The Winds of Winter, in particular, predicts that rather than his “shaggy dog” story in Game of Thrones, Rickon Stark will take on crucial leadership as the Lord of Winterfell.

Rickon’s “Shaggy Dog” Story Ending In Game Of Thrones Explained

Just as the name of his Direwolf foreshadowed, Rickon’s Game of Thrones ending amounted to nothing substantial, with the only result of his death being Jon’s increased desire to kill Ramsay. In literature, a “shaggy dog” story is one that’s long-winded with many irrelevant incidents that ultimately end in an anticlimax. While Rickon didn’t have too interesting of a story once he and Osha went into hiding, the entire purpose of the character was thought to have been extremely anticlimactic, which much anticipation of his being one of the last Stark heirs amounting to nothing. Just as Rickon was introduced back into Game of Thrones after a three-season absence, he was killed off without even uttering a line of dialogue. As such, Rickon is remembered in Game of Thrones as being the most significant unimportant character. While it’s suggested that Rickon could still end up with a “shaggy dog” story in the A Song of Ice and Fire books, George R.R. Martin has much more liberty to give the youngest Stark child an important role than the TV series did.

Where Rickon Stark Is In A Song Of Ice & Fire

The end of A Dance with Dragons finally brings Rickon back into the action of Game of Thrones’ books, with Wyman Manderly telling Ser Davos that the young Stark heir is believed to be alive and in hiding on a nearby island. Rickon was last seen in the second A Song of Ice and Fire book, A Clash of Kings, where Osha took the 3-year-old and his Direwolf Shaggydog to hide at an unknown location. After his whereabouts were unknown for so long, A Dance with Dragons’ ending revealed that Rickon, Osha, and Shaggydog are on the island of Skagos, where the Onion Knight, Ser Davos, must go to retrieve him if they want the Manderlys to join Stannis Baratheon’s cause.

The Winds Of Winter Theory: Rickon Becomes Lord Of Winterfell

With Rickon seemingly revealed to be alive going into The Winds of Winter, a theory by Reddit user emmaa5382 claims that the book will see Davos return with the young Stark heir for Wyman Manderly to name him the Lord of Winterfell. It’s possible that with the Manderlys on their side, Stannis will be able to take Winterfell from Ramsay, with Rickon – who is assumed to be the last male Stark heir – ruling for House Stark. Rickon never came anywhere close to being the Lord of Winterfell in Game of Thrones, so even if The Winds of Winter‘s plot shows him as the Warden of the North for just a short time, he’ll already have a more substantial role than in HBO’s series.

When D&D suggested cutting Rickon out of Game of Thrones because of their already extensive cast, George R.R. Martin explained that the character would end up playing an important role in the books. Since Rickon’s story in Game of Thrones still didn’t amount to much, the theory suggests that GRRM’s comments are referring to Rickon finally becoming Lord of Winterfell. Furthermore, The Winds of Winter’s Lord Rickon theory explains that his leadership would be savage on behalf of his upbringing, with the young lord tormenting the North. Game of Thrones’ books established early on that Rickon harbored an animalistic demeanor, with Bran pointing out that Rickon’s direwolf Shaggydog was almost as wild as the youngest Stark child. On top of his already unruly behavior, Rickon has spent the past few years being raised by the wildling Osha on the island of Skagos, whose residents are rumored to be cannibals who purposefully lead passing ships to their destruction and perform human sacrifices to weirwood trees.

Alongside his untamed Direwolf, Rickon is being raised in an isolated area full of seemingly barbaric activities with the idea that his family abandoned him. As such, the Winds of Winter theory suggests Rickon would return to the North as a beast-like child who abuses his power as House Stark’s Lord of Winterfell after feeling so helpless the past few years. With the 5-year-old Skagos-raised Rickon in power at Winterfell, the Maesters and regents may not be able to contain his aggressions, especially with Shaggydog at his side. However, this would also mean that Rickon would be the embodiment of a Stark lord with “wolf blood,” thus returning to the wildness of many Winterfell leaders before Ned’s time.

Will Rickon Stark Survive The Winds Of Winter?

Even if The Winds of Winter’s Lord Rickon theory proves to be correct, it’s unlikely that Rickon will survive through the next two books. Supporters of the theory of Rickon becoming Lord of Winterfell also suggests that even if he is named the liege lord, it won’t last due to his wild nature and Jon’s new claim. Before Robb Stark shockingly died at the Red Wedding, his will legitimized Jon Snow as the heir to Winterfell, which may make his claim just as strong as Rickon’s in the North (the South would likely render it moot since they didn’t consider Robb a king). If Rickon becomes too unruly as the Lord of Winterfell, the other houses in the North may decide to overthrow Rickon and establish Jon as the Warden of the North instead (that is, if he’s resurrected).

On the other hand, Rickon’s tenure as Lord of Winterfell could be cut short by his death, as George R.R. Martin also revealed that at least one more Stark will die before the end of the books. Considering Rickon would be the most obvious death, it’s been widely suggested that the books will see Arya die at the very end, which would go against the Stark character’s Game of Thrones season 8 ending. Even if Rickon is the next Stark to die in the books, at least The Winds of Winter making him the Lord of Winterfell would give him a more important storyline than in Game of Thrones.