We haven’t seen him in 5 seasons and everyone was shocked when he died in season 1, but don’t worry – Ned Stark is coming back.
Not from the dead and not as a zombie though, although that would be badass and I know you’d all love to see him eat Cersei’s flesh undead-style. Instead, he’s appearing in season 6 in flashbacks…as a child.
So yeah, no Sean Bean. Instead we get 13-year-old Sebastian Croft, someone I’m sure you’ve never heard of before until now because I haven’t either. According to Watchers on the Wall,
According to reliable sources, the part of young Ned Stark in Game of Thrones season 6 has been cast. Stepping into the role made famous on the show by Sean Bean will be 13-year-old English actor Sebastian Croft…
Fans first became aware of the possibility of seeing a child Ned in late May, when the casting breakdowns for Game of Thrones season 6 surfaced. The call for a young boy with brown hair, a narrow face, green eyes, and the use of a Northern accent was a good indicator. The boy would be sparring with an older child in their scene.
Rumors surrounding Sebastian’s part in Game of Thrones include that he’ll be involved in a plotline that will FINALLY reveal Jon Snow’s true parentage, as well as introducing us to a young Robert Baratheon. These are just rumors though – not confirmed. They make sense though, since there’s no way in hell the series is going to end without telling us who Jon Snow’s parents actually are because refusing to disclose the information would cause riots. RIOTS! Okay maybe just me running around with a pitchfork in public multiple times. A riot can be just one person, can’t it?
[H/T Watchers on the Wall]