A Song of Ice and Fire: Killing Bran Part 2

A series looking into the original murder mystery of Ice and Fire. Who sent the Catspaw to kill Bran Stark? Part 2 is here!

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[drew]

GRRM: “Here’s who is responsible for sending the cats paw.”

PJ: “Will we ever find out the truth?”

[shinespider]

I just want to say how much I appreciate your terrible intros. It's an art form.

[LEGOMANIAC]

"The War of Five Kings played right into Mance's hand... I mean, besides Stannis."

Stannis is the exception. Cue the Mannistage.

[chadsummerchild]

Wait so your telling me Sir Pounce didn't send the catspaw?!

[catathielemann]

That travelling dagger cracks me up.
Thanks a lot, Preston

[ArcticTemper]

Hold on Mance, the Stark children weren't allowed to bring their wolves to the feast. Jon notes this, Ghost was only able to come in because they weren't anywhere the dais. (Jon I aGoT)

[jaysoncordy]

Mance wouldn’t need to scale the wall, he could have easily gone through the weirwood gate at the nightfort, as he IS a black brother. This also wouldn’t be something he would mention to John, in order to keep this option available.

[SamButler]

"Will we ever find out..." if we did; would you take it at face value?

[arthurdayne]

Me when I first finished the books: “I won’t watch theory videos, I don’t want possible spoilers”
Me, one year later: *watches these videos again ad again*

[melledevries]

I always just kind of assumed it was either Joffrey or Littlefinger, and when you first brought up Mance I didn't buy it at all, but you completely convinced me! It makes way more sense than if it had been Joffrey!
Littlefinger is equally plausible if you only look at in-canon material, but GRRM said he'd reveal the murderer in aSoS. In that book, nothing is really revealed about Littlefinger that implies his involvement.
Mance, on the other hand, has that really weird and out of place exposition dump/monologue to Jon, where he for whatever reason reveals he went to Winterfell around that time.

[dirrdevil]

Bran has a dire wolf named Summer.
Robb has a dire wolf named Grey Wind.
Bran nearly dies.
Grey Wind and Death.
Greyscale is called the Grey Death.
Shireen tried to kill Bran, CONFIRMED.

[Ta-cfig]

Bloodraven did it to ensure a time paradox wasnt created

[MichieHoward]

We put so much thought into this stuff.
I swear we give GRRM far too much credit. If half of what we obsess about in these books is actually resolved by the final installment, it would be a miracle. I won't be holding my breath

[ognjengaric]

There is another downside to the Mance theory: he leaves north of the wall, unknowing wheather or not his plan is successful, and unable to coordinate events in it's aftermath. Personaly, Littlefinger is the culprit, assuming a raven can go from Winterfell to King's Landing and back in three weeks.

[rossmcfarland]

Preston Jacobs - The conversation between Mance and Jon Snow that you cite throughout this video also took place within Storm of Swords, which qualifies it as another possible choice for the explanation of Bran's attempted murder that GRRM mentioned.

[only_one_chrisfantazzi]

Tommen is never suspected. Yet I would say he has a motive. Bran beats him badly at sparring. Just a thought.

[RobCleverPig]

But.... have you considered a time travelling foetus?

[TheKrostiman]

Wouldnt Bran's fall give Doran an opportunity to make his enemies fight each other? Ser Aron Santagar controlled the actual access to the dagger and he had the specific knowledge of the dagger. If all the Doran Hype is real he shouldve been involved with the conflict from the start, he at least had the means of communication, motive and a asset in place to make a move and like the other suspects all the results benifit him as well. Moreover the note wouldnt Mance in all his interactions with Jon say something about a potential mecry killing of his little half brother? Besides killing Starks would enrage the North and make them hate wildlings even more? it seems counter productive. I cant be sure but Varys and Little Finger seemed to improvise together on the dagger which leads me to suspect the other master schemer in the story.

[Jooooger]

Val's discussion with Jon seems to be one from fear. If she saw Bran on Hodor's back I do not think she would have responded with the same hatred. That was just specific to the greyscale which may have some unknown property that only the wildlings remember. Val doesn't want to kill Shireen out of mercy, but out of sheer terror and disgust.

[LightningNC]

I love that, in the intro, the ornate dragonbone and Valyrian steel dagger has become just an iron dagger from Skyrim. The thing that you gather raw materials for and just spam out to grind up your smithing skill because it's so basic and worthless.
Should've gone with the dagger from Skyrim that has a hilt of fine metal and a blade of dragonbone, just to fuck with people.