Portrayed by Michelle Fairley

Status: Deceased

Origin: Riverrun

Episode Appearances: 25

First Seen: ‘Winter Is Coming’

Last Seen: ‘The Rains of Castamere’

BACKGROUND

Catelyn Stark was born into House Tully of Riverrun and is the eldest child of Lord Hoster and Lady Minisa Tully. She has a younger brother, Edmure Tully, and a younger sister named Lysa. Catelyn is an intelligent woman who is both dutiful and complex. In many ways, she fit the expectations of her house, as well as their words “Family, Duty, Honor,“ but she often found herself at odds with these words. After the War of the Ninepenny Kings, Catelyn’s father Hoster fostered a boy named Petyr Baelish, who grew close to both Catelyn and her sister Lysa throughout their childhood years. Petyr became obsessed and in fell in love with Catelyn, but she never returned his affections. Eventually when Catelyn was betrothed to Brandon Stark, heir to Lord of Winterfell and Lord Paramount of the North, Petyr challenged him to a duel, thinking he could win through pluck and courage but he was promptly overpowered and nearly killed, though Catelyn begged Brandon to spare his life. Embittered, Petyr was cast out of Riverrun.

During the course of Robert's Rebellion, Brandon Stark was killed by the “Mad King,” Aerys II Targaryen, so Catelyn then married his younger brother Eddard Stark. As to further secure a political alliance for House Tully, Catelyn’s sister Lysa also wed Jon Arryn, the new Hand to the usurper king, Robert Baratheon. Though Catelyn and Eddard barely knew one another when they wed, they have formed a strong and loving marriage. Catelyn and Eddard have five children together: Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon. Eddard's illegitimate son, Jon Snow, also lives alongside her trueborn children with Eddard at Winterfell, the ancestral home of House Stark. Catelyn resents the bastard child who represents her husband’s infidelity, which remains the only source of friction between her and Eddard. Despite this, Catelyn is a loving mother to her own children, and her maternal disposition influences much of what she does.