The Red Wedding is one of the most memorable and shocking events in the Game of Thrones series. It is the devastating payoff to a revenge and power-fuelled conspiracy by the Houses of Lannister, Frey, and Bolton. The episode, titled The Rains of Castamere, depicts the wedding of Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey, during which Robb Stark and his bannermen are massacred.
Robb Stark's demise was foreshadowed by his breaking of a marriage pact with House Frey. Despite his pleas for forgiveness, the Freys, along with the Boltons, exact their revenge through a grisly coup. Robb is first stabbed by Lame Lothar Frey and then killed by Roose Bolton, who stabs him in the heart. Robb's pregnant wife, Talisa, is also brutally murdered, and his direwolf, Grey Wind, is killed by crossbow fire.
The Red Wedding brings about the end of the Northern Rebellion and secures victory for the Lannisters in the War of the Five Kings. It is a tragic and violent turning point in the series, leaving fans shocked and heartbroken.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Event | Red Wedding |
Type of event | Wedding ceremony and banquet |
Location | The Twins |
Host | Lord Walder Frey |
Purpose | Revenge for Robb's breaking of a marriage pact with House Frey |
Plotters | Lord Walder Frey, Lord Roose Bolton, and Tywin Lannister |
Victims | Robb Stark, Talisa Stark, Catelyn Stark, Robb and Talisa's unborn child, Grey Wind (Robb's direwolf), 200-300 Northern and Riverlander soldiers, and several bannermen |
Survivors | Edmure Tully, Brynden "Blackfish" Tully, Arya Stark, and Sandor "The Hound" Clegane |
What You'll Learn
Robb Stark's death
The death of Robb Stark is one of the most shocking moments in both the *Game of Thrones* TV series and the *A Song of Ice and Fire* book series on which it is based. The event, known as the 'Red Wedding', sees Robb Stark and his bannermen massacred at a wedding feast.
At the wedding feast of Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey, Robb apologises to Lord Frey and his daughters for breaking his promise to marry one of Frey's daughters. After Edmure and Roslin are wed, the bedding ceremony begins and the couple are taken away. Robb's wife, Talisa, tells him that she wants to name their unborn child Eddard. The doors to the hall are then locked, and the musicians begin to play 'The Rains of Castamere', a song associated with the Lannisters. Catelyn Stark, Robb's mother, realises that they have been betrayed. The Freys attack, killing many of the Starks, including Talisa. Robb is wounded by multiple arrows but manages to crawl towards Talisa and embrace her. Lord Frey watches Robb's suffering with amusement. Catelyn, in a desperate attempt to save her son, takes Joyeuse Frey, Lord Frey's eighth wife, hostage and threatens to kill her if Robb is not allowed to leave. Robb, however, is too shocked by Talisa's death to respond. Catelyn pleads with Lord Frey, offering herself as a hostage in exchange for Robb's life, but to no avail. As Catelyn turns back to Robb, Roose Bolton steps forward and stabs Robb through the heart. Robb dies instantly, sharing a final, lifeless look with his mother before he collapses beside his wife.
Bakery's Refusal: Costly Consequences
You may want to see also
Catelyn Stark's death
Catelyn Stark met her demise at the infamous Red Wedding, a massacre that took place during the War of the Five Kings. The event was orchestrated by Lord Walder Frey as revenge for Robb Stark's broken marriage pact with House Frey.
Catelyn, Robb, and most of his loyal soldiers were slaughtered at the wedding feast of Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey at the Twins. After the bedding ceremony, the musicians began playing "The Rains of Castamere", a song associated with Robb's enemy, Tywin Lannister. Realising they had been betrayed, Catelyn seized Walder Frey's grandson, Aegon, and offered to trade his life for Robb's. When Robb was killed by Roose Bolton, Catelyn slit Aegon's throat. In retaliation, Catelyn's throat was then cut by Raymund Frey.
Catelyn's body was thrown naked into the river in a mockery of House Tully's funeral customs. Three days later, her corpse was retrieved from the river by her daughter Arya's direwolf, Nymeria. Catelyn was resurrected by Lord Beric Dondarrion, who gave his own life to revive her. Consumed with the desire for vengeance, she assumed command of the brotherhood without banners and mercilessly pursued and executed those she considered to be Lannister collaborators.
Christina Milian's Wedding: What Went Wrong?
You may want to see also
Talisa Stark's death
Talisa Stark, née Maegyr, was the wife of Robb Stark, the King in the North. She was a healer on the battlefields of the Westerlands, where she met Robb, fell in love with him, and eventually married him.
Talisa was born in the Free City of Volantis and trained as a healer after witnessing a slave save her brother's life by performing resuscitation. She decided not to waste her life dancing with other nobles and never to live in a place where slavery was legal.
Talisa was killed at the Red Wedding, a massacre that took place during the War of the Five Kings. The Red Wedding was orchestrated by Lord Walder Frey as revenge against Robb for breaking a marriage pact between House Stark and House Frey. Talisa was pregnant at the time of her death.
At the wedding of Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey, Lothar Frey, Lord Frey's son, approached Talisa from behind and stabbed her repeatedly in the abdomen with a dagger, killing her unborn child instantly. Robb, wounded with several crossbow bolts, crawled towards Talisa and embraced her, devastated over the loss of his beloved wife and unborn child.
Talisa's death sent Robb into a state of shock, and he remained holding her in his arms as his men were slaughtered around him. Moments later, Robb was killed by Roose Bolton, who drove a dagger through his heart.
Wedding Rehearsal: Final Walk-Through
You may want to see also
Edmure Tully's capture
Edmure Tully, the Lord of Riverrun and Lord Paramount of the Trident, is the son and heir of the late Lord Hoster Tully of Riverrun. He is the younger brother of Catelyn and Lysa. Edmure is captured by his new father-in-law, Walder Frey, after the Red Wedding. Edmure is taken prisoner and remains a hostage of Lord Frey, who remarks to Lord Roose Bolton that Edmure spent his wedding night in a dungeon.
Edmure is still a captive at the Twins when Ser Brynden raises what remains of the Tully army and retakes Riverrun. When Walder Frey learns of this, he summons Edmure into the main hall. The disheveled Edmure is brought up from the dungeons in chains, and Lord Walder orders Lothar Frey and Walder Rivers to use him in taking back Riverrun.
While the Freys are besieging Riverrun, Edmure stands beside Lothar Frey and Walder Rivers with a noose around his neck. They threaten to hang him if the Blackfish doesn't surrender Riverrun, but the Blackfish calls their bluff and dares them to, knowing that if Edmure dies, the only chance the Freys have of taking the castle is by attacking it. Shortly thereafter, Jaime Lannister arrives with a Lannister host to take command of the siege from the Freys. He chastises the Freys for making threats they are not prepared to carry out and orders Black Walder to bathe and feed Edmure.
Later, Jaime meets Edmure in the tent where he is being imprisoned and implores him to appeal to his uncle to surrender Riverrun. The Blackfish is an old man and is willing to die for honour's sake, Jaime reasons, but Edmure has much of his life still ahead of him and would rather live by surrendering. Jaime mentions that despite Edmure only spending his wedding night with his new wife (in the hours before the massacre at the Twins begin), this was enough to impregnate her, and she has given birth to Edmure's infant son. Edmure points out that he has never seen his son, nor has he seen Roslin since the Red Wedding, and he has been in a cell in the Freys' dungeon for years since the massacre. Jaime offers to reunite him with his wife and son and have him live out his days in gentle imprisonment as a hostage at Casterly Rock. His son will be tutored, trained in combat, and given his own keep when he comes of age. Edmure refuses, and incredulously asks Jaime if he actually thinks himself to be a decent person. Edmure then seriously asks how Jaime can possibly stand to live with himself, day after day, after all of the crimes committed by him and his faction in this war, specifically massacring his family. Though Jaime briefly appears shaken by the truth of his captive's words, he threatens that if Edmure declines his offer, he will bring his infant son to the siege and hurl him at the castle walls with a catapult. Edmure reluctantly agrees to his terms.
Edmure approaches Riverrun's gates and requests entry as the Lord of Riverrun and head of House Tully. The Blackfish orders his men not to let him in, as he knows that Edmure is coming to demand the surrender of the Tully garrison. Sworn to the head of House Tully and not the Blackfish, the Blackfish's men see no option but to comply with their lord's demand, and allow Edmure entry. Upon entering, Edmure commands that his men surrender, that the gates be lowered to allow in the combined Lannister and Frey force retaking the castle, and that his uncle be captured. The Lannister-Frey army enters Riverrun, but as Jaime had hoped, it is a peaceful surrender and no lives are lost. A Lannister soldier later reports to Jaime, however, that the Blackfish died fighting when the guards came to restrain him.
Walder Frey later mentions that Edmure is back in a cell, although he has no plans to kill him as "killing [his] son by law would not be right." After the celebration, however, Walder is murdered by Edmure's niece Arya.
Weddings Unveiled: Adapting to COVID-19
You may want to see also
Brynden Blackfish Tully's escape
Ser Brynden Tully, also known as the Blackfish, was a knight from House Tully and the younger brother of Lord Hoster Tully. He was also the uncle of Catelyn, Lysa and Edmure Tully.
Brynden was a seasoned warrior, a veteran of half a hundred battles, and a strong swimmer. He was a blunt and cynical man, who never hesitated to express his opinions. He was well-loved by most of his family, except for his older brother, Hoster, with whom he had a strained relationship due to his refusal to marry.
Brynden was present at the Twins for Edmure Tully's wedding to Roslin Frey, but he left the keep to relieve himself on a tree outside before the massacre in the main hall began. He then fought his way out of the assault on the camps and slipped away from the Twins during the confusion of the night-time ambush.
Roose Bolton ruefully noted to Lord Walder Frey that Brynden had escaped, but Walder was dismissive, saying he wouldn't get far. However, Bolton was clearly concerned that Brynden would reach the safety of Riverrun before he could be found.
Brynden did indeed make it back to Riverrun, where he held the castle in Robb's name, even as other river lords surrendered and bent the knee to the Iron Throne. He expelled refugees from Riverrun and picked the land clean.
A siege of Riverrun ensued, led by Ser Daven Lannister, the new Warden of the West, and Ser Ryman Frey. Brynden refused to give up the castle or Robb's widow, Jeyne, and was unmoved by threats to hang his nephew, Edmure.
Eventually, Edmure was forced to surrender the castle, but not before he allowed Brynden to escape by swimming under the portcullis that had been slightly raised at the Water Gate. Brynden stayed to die fighting for his home, though he admitted he'd "probably make a fool" of himself due to a lack of recent combat experience.
A Lannister soldier later reported to Jaime Lannister that Brynden had been killed while resisting arrest. Though Jaime appeared saddened to have helped facilitate the murder of another member of Catelyn's family, it is unknown if Brynden was given a proper funeral or if his corpse was desecrated as Catelyn's and Robb's had been.
Tom Cruise Wedding: Chaos and Control
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Robb Stark was stabbed and killed by Roose Bolton at the wedding.
Robb Stark's wife, Talisa, was stabbed and killed, as was his mother, Catelyn Stark. Talisa was pregnant with Robb's child, who also died.
The massacre was orchestrated by Lord Walder Frey, as revenge for Robb breaking a marriage pact he had made with House Frey. Lord Frey conspired with Lord Roose Bolton and Lord Tywin Lannister, the Hand of the King.
Edmure Tully, who was also marrying a daughter of Lord Frey, was taken captive by the Freys. Brynden "Blackfish" Tully, Edmure's uncle, escaped. Arya Stark also survived, and later avenged her family by poisoning all surviving male members of House Frey.