Game Of Thrones' Red Wedding Changed Robb Stark's Last Words & Avoided A Book Theory That Made His Death Worse

The Red Wedding is one of the biggest tragedies in Game of Thrones, and the HBO series makes a few changes to the book’s version of events. The results are the same: Robb and Catelyn Stark are betrayed and killed, giving the Lannisters a leg up in the War of the Five Kings — and rendering House Stark’s future bleaker than before. However, one of the changes made to the Song of Ice and Fire books‘ Red Wedding scene has to do with Robb Stark’s final words. They’re different in both iterations of the incident, and the distinction is important.

Although Robb’s experience at the Red Wedding is devastating in Game of Thrones, one theory about the books somehow manages to make his fate even worse. The HBO show eliminates the possibility of this theory proving true, as it alters the last thing Robb says before he’s stabbed by Roose Bolton. It makes sense, as Game of Thrones leaves out a House Stark storyline that’s much more prominent in the books. Because of that, this theory wouldn’t work in HBO’s adaptation.

Game Of Thrones Changes Robb Stark’s Last Words – What They Are In The Books

He Says “Grey Wind” In The Books, But “Mother” In The Show

In Game of Thrones season 3, episode 9, Robb Stark utters one last word before Roose Bolton plunges a dagger into him: “Mother.” This line is directed at Catelyn Stark, who is doing her best to save her eldest child, despite the massacre unfolding before them. It’s not entirely clear what Robb wants to convey to Catelyn before he dies, as he never finishes his sentence. There are multiple ways to interpret this line, from Robb seeking comfort or forgiveness to Robb asking Catelyn to back down and stop offering her life for his.

One theory posits another explanation: that Robb wargs into Grey Wind during his final moments in A Storm of Swords.

The latter is how it comes off in A Storm of Swords, though the source material doesn’t play out precisely the same way. Although Robb says “Mother, no…” in response to Catelyn’s offer — and “Mother” again after — his true final words are “Grey Wind.” With Grey Wind separated from Robb during the Red Wedding, it’s not entirely clear why he calls out for his direwolf in this moment. It’s possible he’s hoping Grey Wind will show up to save him. One theory posits another explanation: that Robb wargs into Grey Wind during his final moments in A Storm of Swords.

By Changing This Moment, Game Of Thrones Avoided One Wild Red Wedding Theory

Robb Might Have Warged Into Grey Wind During The Incident

A Red Wedding theory that’s made the rounds since A Storm of Swords debuted suggests that Robb warged into Grey Wind before he died, essentially transferring his consciousness to the direwolf. Although Game of Thrones nixes ASOIAF‘s warg storyline, it pops up in many of the Starks’ chapters in George R.R. Martin’s books. It’s most prominent with Bran, Jon, and Arya, but all the Stark siblings have the potential to warg, or enter and control their wolves.

Maisie Williams as Arya Stark blind in Essos, Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark becoming Queen in the North, and Richard Madden as Robb Stark

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This is less explored with Robb, as we never see a warging dream during one of his POV chapters. However, Martin confirmed that all the Starks are capable of warging, and the books drop hints to suggest as much. This puts Robb calling out to Grey Wind in a new light, as it means he might have used his final moments to shift into his mind. We know from A Dance With Dragons that someone can live out another life as a warg. However, Robb clearly doesn’t, so this theory would just make the Red Wedding more tragic than it already is.

Robb Warging Into Grey Wind Somehow Makes The Books’ Red Wedding Even Worse

This ASOIAF Theory Just Means Robb Died Twice

Robb Stark (Richard Madden) looking serious in Game of Thrones

While it would be interesting to learn that Robb unlocks his warging abilities during his final moments, this revelation would just make the books’ version of the Red Wedding worse. Robb warging into Grey Wind would mean he dies twice in the source material, as Grey Wind doesn’t outlive the eldest Stark sibling for very long. Grey Wind’s death is slightly different in A Storm of Swords than it is in Game of Thrones, as we’re told he takes down several Frey men before he’s killed. The outcome remains the same though: Grey Wind perishes right after Robb and Cat.

This means that Robb would have to face death at the hands of people he believed were his allies twice, which is devastating to consider.

This means that Robb would have to face death at the hands of people he believed were his allies twice, which is devastating to consider. It would give readers some comfort, knowing that he went down fighting inside the mind of his direwolf. However, that relief is overshadowed by the thought of Robb believing he’d escaped his fate, just to meet it again.

Robb and Talisa Stark in Game of Thrones

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Thankfully, Game of Thrones avoids this gut-wrenching speculation altogether. Cutting the warg storyline and altering Robb’s final words render this theory an impossibility. It’s safe to say Robb only perishes once in the HBO series, just as viewers can rest assured that Catelyn never returns as Lady Stoneheart. The finality of the Starks’ deaths is somewhat comforting. However, one Game of Thrones change still manages to make the show’s Red Wedding worse than its book counterpart, just in a different way.

to make its Red Wedding sadder than its book counterpart.

Game Of Thrones Made Robb Stark’s Red Wedding Fate Sadder In A Different Way

Including Talisa & Robb’s Unborn Child In The Scene Is Worse Than ASOIAF

Robb may not face the possibility of two deaths in Game of Thrones, but he’s forced to watch the woman he loves die in front of him — something that doesn’t happen in Martin’s books. Jeyne Westerling, who is Robb’s love interest in the source material (she’s replaced by Talisa in the show), isn’t present for the Red Wedding in ASOIAF. Although Robb’s marriage to her is still at the heart of the Starks’ conflict with the Freys, she isn’t forced to suffer the consequences of his decisions. She also never gets pregnant with his child, removing another victim from the books’ story.

Talisa is killed while pregnant with Robb’s child in Game of Thrones, ensuring that the show’s Red Wedding is still plenty devastating.

Talisa is killed while pregnant with Robb’s child in Game of Thrones, ensuring that the show’s Red Wedding is still plenty devastating, even without the implications of Robb’s “Grey Wind” line. As Talisa is the first person stabbed in the HBO series, Robb is forced to watch as his wife dies in front of him. This is probably worse than contending with his own death twice, especially knowing the future they could have had together. Therefore, Game of Thrones still delivers a huge emotional blow with Robb’s ending, which is why “The Rain of Castamere” remains so memorable to this day.