Why Was House Bolton Spared?

House Bolton is an exceptionally cruel house know for despicable deeds. Why have the starks not eliminated them?

#gameofthrones #houseofthedragon #fireandblood #georgerrmartin #got #hotd #windsofwinter

[nelsonchereta]

"Because every House has need of a mad dog from time to time." - Tywin Lannister

[johngaelnox]

We have to bear in mind also that before the Mad King ended with Ned Stark's father and brother lives they weren't AT ALL like Ned. Ned was raised and trained in the Vale like a noble Andal, not like a Stoic Northener

[ucnguyenanh]

Roose Bolton had proven to a capable commander even before the War of the Five Kings. He fought in Robert's Rebellion. If I have to bet, he played a hand in the Rebellion victory in the Trident.

[wild]

I mean, King Theon Stark destroyed one of the Andal invasion forces. He mounted their body and heads on his ships. Crossed the Narrow Sea and sacked many Andal villages and holding there. He then staked the heads of the slain along the shore as a warning.

The Stark is honorable in some things, but they can be just as ruthless when needed. Living in a harsh land that was constantly at war before meant the ancient Stark Kings needed to be tough to secure their reign.

[Dattemp]

I think it’s because those rebellions ended in conditional surrender. The Boltons were powerful enough still to merely bend the knee.

[vardiganxpl]

I would like to mention that the starks were not always characterized as these noble and honorable rulers, in fact, most of their history, the stark's key traits are their wildness, and thejr ferocity, really Ned is the outlier, further enforced as he was raised in the vale by the Arryns, an Andal house, he was raised with Arryn values and code. A true stark would be someone like Ned's older brother Brandon, or his sister Lyanna

[chickenandksivideoreviewer]

Can't even flay a man without getting canceled these days

[bigbadcatbigbcy]

When Andals invaded Westeros, King Theon Stark, defended the North against them and he was the only First Men King succesfully defending his kingdom. Not just that later he invaded Andal's homeland, put their king's head on a spike and placed it on top of his warship. He commanded Lord Bolton to flay the men who fought against him and also put their bodies on spike on their homeland known as "Andalos"

[TheSamuraijim]

It is also not common for one house to eliminate another outright. Some were eliminated during the conquest, Tywin drowned the Reynes, and Aerys slaughtered all the Darklyns and their kin. But it isn't common. Even Robert allowed the Targaryen children to flee.

The Martells allowed the Yronwoods to live, and continue to have power after centuries, even though their claims to Dorne are mutually exclusive.

The Riverlords fought each other for centuries, particularly the Blackwoods and Brackens, with few overt massacres. Thus, why events like the Red Wedding were shocking.

Individual murders and battles are common in Westeros, but extinctions are not, and neither the Faith not the Old Gods approve of breaking guest right, child murder or kinslaying.

[BehuraStudio]

I think the fact they survived the Starks for so long is some kind of foreshadowing that House Bolton might live through the end of ASOIAF, Roose and Ramsey will probably die but Roose and Walda’s kid might live, and who knows he could be a good kid (like the GOAT Domeric)

[mohammadahmad]

How I wish Robb Stark used the Boltons properly.

[ModernDayRenaissanceMan]

This is why I wanted the long night prequel. Because the Starks would have been the great power in charge and bad guys for the most part. Every great building from hightower to the wall was built by them. That is a lot of influence and other than Garth Greenhand Not many people could rival that.

[aegorbittersteel]

Interesting thinking the more ruthless probably Starks actually got along with House Bolton.

[NWOLYFBABY]

Man this is why I love ASOIAF so much. The fact that even House Starks need someone to do dirty work for them tells me how many grey characters are there in this world

[AN-jzkf]

I knew flaying was outlawed, but I didn't know it was within living memory. This changes a lot

[chriswi]

They could only outlaw flaying when they were powerful enough to so do.

[B-TRU]

Sucks we will never get a dedicated book about the ancient Stark kings of winter...so much potential

[ogheezy]

Anyone remember that time the Bolton’s turned the capitol of the 3 sisters into a city of skin and blood?

[whatisreddin]

The Boltons probably survived their rebellions in the past by giving up land. Considering they once ruled a large part of the North, they probably still controlled alot of land even after they submitted to Winterfell. Its how the Osgreys, Conningtons, etc. survived.

[DaBroSquad]

I'm pretty sure when Boltons rebelled one half of the family does it and another stays out of it