Lady Alys Karstark is the only daughter of Lord Rickard Karstark, the head of House Karstark. Her father supported Robb Stark in his campaign against the Lannisters. However, when Catelyn freed Jaime, Rickard killed some of Jaime’s cousins and offered Alys to the man who brought Jaime and Brienne back; this led to Robb killing Rickard. Later, she got betrothed to Daryn Hornwood of House Hornwood, but the War of the Five Kings led to his death; this made Rickard angry at Catelyn’s decision to free Jaime for the sake of Arya Stark and her sister, Sansa Stark. Eventually, Alys escaped her home and met Jon Snow.
Alys Karstark Personal Details
- Name: Alys Karstark.
- Year of Birth: 284 or 285 AC in Karhold.
- Culture: Northmen.
- Husband: Sigorn of Thenns.
- Allegiances: House Karstark, House Thenn.
- Hair Color: Brown.
- Eye Color: Blue-grey.
- Father: Lord Rickard Karstark.
Appearance and Personality
Alys is a slender-framed pale girl with a small bust and brown hair. She is tall and energetic and has blue-grey eyes matching her slender frame and long face. Though young, Alys has an unwavering determination to get things done; this helps her travel from Karhold to Castle Black. She is also a kind and courteous girl who looks for the best in people.
Biography
Though there is little information on her childhood, Alys got pressured by her father. Because she was his only daughter, Rickard hoped to marry her to someone of high standing. When she was six, Rickard visited Winterfell and told his daughter to charm Robb Stark so he could arrange a marriage with Eddard. However, nothing happened, and she eventually got betrothed to Daryn Hornwood.
Relevance in A Song of Ice and Fire
A Game of Thrones
When Lord Eddard Stark gets killed by Joffrey Baratheon, Robb Stark calls the Northmen to arms, and Alys’s father, Rickard Karstark, obeys. He and Alys’s brothers, Harrion, Eddard, and Torrhen, march to Moat Cailin and occupies the Drunkard’s Tower. Daryn also marches with the Karstarks, and at the battle of the Whispering Woods, Daryn, Eddard, and Torrhen get killed by Jaime Lannister.
A Storm of Swords
After learning of Bran and Rickon’s death, Catelyn frees Jaime, the Kingslayer, and tasks Brienne of Tarth with taking him to King’s Landing. When Alys’s father, Rickard, learns of what Catelyn did, he kills two of Jaime’s cousins, Willem Lannister and Tion Frey, and two of Robb’s guards as payback for the death of his sons.
Rickard sends a message stating that whoever captures Jaime will get his daughter, Alys, for a wife. Upon learning of the bounty, Vargo Hoat leads the Brave Companions on a search for Jaime and eventually captures him. When Robb returns, he sentences Rickard to death.
Harrion gets captured by the Lannisters, becoming a prisoner of the Iron throne. With only her left as the last free member of the Karstarks, Alys’s uncle, Arnolf Karstark, Castellan of Karhold, starts plotting to make his son the lord of Karhold. Harrion remains a captive of the Iron Throne at Maidenpool. With the city under Randyll Tarly’s control, Brienne arrives looking for Arya and her sister.
A Dance with Dragons
Arnolf continues conspiring to make his son Lord of Karhold, and with Alys finally flowering, he sees his chance. He declares support for Stannis Baratheon, hoping the Lannisters will kill Harrion, making Alys the heir to Karhold. He begins preparing to marry her to his son Cregan Karstark and secretly plots with Roose Bolton, Warden of the North, to betray Stannis.
On learning the truth, Alys gets on a horse and rides to the Wall to seek help from Jon Snow. Meanwhile, on the Wall, Melisandre prophesies to Jon about a girl riding a dying horse to escape an arranged marriage. She deduces that the girl will be Arya, Jon’s half-sister. To aid the prophecy, Jon sends Mance Rayder and six spearwives to help. However, they end up freeing Theon and Jeyne Poole, who they thought was Arya.
Alys gets found near Mole’s town by Ty and Dannel. She gets brought to Maester Aemon’s chambers and reveals to Jon what her uncle is planning and how he intends to betray Stannis for the Boltons. When Cregan reaches Castle Black and requests to take Alys back, he gets thrown into an ice cell.
Jon arranges for Alys to marry Sigorn, Magnar of Thenn, and uses their marriage to create a new bond between the Northmen and the wildlings. At the wedding feast, Jon advises Alys to send Karhold’s spare boys to help at the Wall.
Appearance in Adaptation
In HBO’s Game of Thrones, Alys Karstark’s character got portrayed by Megan Parkinson. She appeared in seasons 7 and 8 and starred in 5 episodes. In the tv series, Alys had a different character arc. She is the daughter of Lord Harald Karstark ad his successor as the new head of House Karstark. Her grandfather, Rickard, gets sentenced to death for killing two Lannister prisoners of war, and later, Harald gets killed.
Alys is at the council of Northern and Vale Lords, presided by Jon Snow, King in the North. Sansa suggests giving Karhold to one of the northern lords faithful to the Starks, but Jon states Alys did not partake in her grandfather’s crimes. During the battle of Winterfell, Alys joins Theon and a group of archers to defend Bran. However, she gets killed when wights overwhelm the godswood.
Alys: The Girl of Prophecy
Though she was a minor character, Aly’s presence in A Song of Ice and Fire adds more detail to George R. R. Martin’s world. Her arrival on the Wall explained a crucial part of Melisandre’s powers. It showed that the red priestess is not always accurate, proving that her revelations about the Azor Azai may be false.
Also, Alys’s presence on the Wall introduced a new direction for the relationship between the Northmen and wildlings. Her marriage to Sigorn merged the bridge dividing the realms of men. Though a minor character, Alys remains a crucial piece in the brutal never-ending politically-tense Westeros.
FAQs
Who did Alys Karstark marry?
After her uncle, Arnolf, tried marrying her to his son, Cregan, Alys ran away and reached Jon Snow in Castle Black. After revealing that the Karstarks plan to betray Stannis, Jon weds her to Sigorn of the Free Folk. Alys’s marriage to Sigorn seals the Free Folk’s place in the North.
Who is Alys Karstark?
Alys Karstark is the daughter of Lord Rickard Stark, Lord of Karhold. After he gets killed by Robb Stark for treason, Alys becomes his last remaining free child; this makes her the heir to Karhold.
Did Alys Karstark like Jon Snow romantically?
No, she did not. Alys and Jon did not have a deep relationship, as her arrival was sudden. She married Sigorn else as a political shortcut for Jon and the North.
What is the relevance of Alys in A Song of Ice and Fire?
Alys is a crucial character whose appearance on the Wall solves a political problem. As the wildlings were not a part of the Seven Kingdoms, they could not get inculcated into Westerosi society. However, Alys’s appearance solved the problem with the wildlings.
