Brown Ben Plumm is a descendant of House Plumm and the current commander of the Second Sons. He rose to power after Mero disappeared from his post. Born to a Dothraki mother, Ben claims to have the blood of many cultures, including House Targaryen. After Daenerys Targaryen became Queen of Meereen, Ben traveled south to prevent an invasion from Yunkai. However, upon returning, he discovered that Dany left the city; this made him switch sides.
Brown Ben Plumm’s father is unknown, but Tyrion Lannister thinks he is a distant descendant of a younger son of Viserys Plumm and may be related to the popular Ossifer Plumm. However, Ben’s complete ancestry is unknown as he has no record.
Brown Ben Plumm Details
- Name: Ben Plumm.
- Aliases: Brown Ben Plumm, Lord Plumm.
- Mother: An unknown Dothraki woman.
- Former Allegiances: House Of Pahl, Queen Daenerys Targaryen.
- Current Allegiances: The Second Sons, Yunkai.
- Hair Color: Grey-white.
- Eye Color: Black.
Appearance and Personality
Brown Ben Plumm is a fit man with grey-white hair, a broad brown face, a broken nose, brown skin, and a salt-and-pepper beard. He has the large almond-shaped eyes of the Dothraki, and there are wrinkles at the corners.
Biography
There is little information on Brown Ben Plumm’s father. He was born to a Dothraki woman. Ben’s grandmother was half-Qohorik and half-Ibbenese. His grandfather died before his birth.
Ben claims multiple ethnicities, including Westerosi, Braavosi, Dornish, Qohorik, Ibbenese, Qohorik, Summer Islander, and Dothraki. He also claims to have a drop of Targaryen blood, stating that an Old Plumm married a dragon princess during King Aegon Targaryen’s reign, but when Daenerys asked which of the Aegons, Ben could not answer.
Though some of his claims are untrue, Ben’s Targaryen heritage is debatable, as Viserion, one of the Queen’s dragons, is particularly fond of him. Tyrion Lannister also suspected that Ben may have two Targaryen ancestors, Viserys Plumm and Ossifer Plumm. Viserys was said to have been fathered by King Aegon IV Targaryen and Princess Elaena Targaryen, Ossifer’s wife.
Before joining the Second Sons, Brown Ben served Oznak zo Pahl’s uncle as a bodyguard. However, he ran, fearing for his life after Oznak killed one of his close associates. On joining the Second Sons, Ben took some leather armor from one of the dead sellswords in battle, but his commanders took his treasures; this made him realize life is worth more than treasures.
Theories and Speculations
There are many theories and speculations surrounding Ben Plumm’s relevance in ASOIAF. Many believe his role in the upcoming battle between Yunkai and Meereen will seal Daenerys’s fate, while others believe he has a more profound role in the overall plot of the coming stories.
From the current narrative, Ben claims to have a drop of the dragon blood; this shows as Dany’s white dragon, Viserion, playfully flapped his pale white wings at him. Some fans believe he may be the one who eventually rides the dragon. Others believe Ben may become a hero as he shows promise in the current state. Ben, like Jon Snow, may become a breakaway character that reshapes the politics of Essos. However, there is no certainty as fans eagerly wait for the upcoming novels.
Relevance in A Song of Ice and Fire
A Storm of Swords
When Mero disappears after the fight at Yunkai, Brown Ben Plumm becomes the new commander of the Second Sons. He joins Daenerys’s war council and joins her on the journey to Meereen. On reaching the city, he suggests to Dany that they invade using the sewer system. After a long battle, Meereen falls, and Dany becomes Queen.
A Dance with Dragons
When Yunkai begins gathering forces against Meereen, Daenerys sends Brown Ben Plumm to guard the south against any invasion. When Ben returns from duty, he switches camps. While Yunkai holds a slave market outside Meereen, Ben meets Tyrion Lannister and Penny. He tries to buy them, hoping to deliver Tyrion’s head to his sister, Cersei Lannister, in Westeros for the lordship prize offered, or Daenerys. However, Yezzan zo Qaggaz outbids him and gets them instead.
Ben attends the feast hosted by Yezzan and plays cyvasse with Tyrion. He and other sellswords are allowed to enter Meereen, and he explains to Daenerys why he turned cloak. When Yezzan slowly dies from an illness, Ben allows Tyrion and Ser Jorah Mormont to join the Second Sons. Tyrion creates a document promising the high-ranking officials of the Second Sons many treasures when he becomes Lord of Casterly Rock. He promises to give Plumm one hundred thousand gold dragons, fifty hides of fertile land, a castle, and a lordship.
Brown Ben Plumm: The Commander
Brown Ben Plumm was a man who trusted his wit when making decisions. He knew that he lived in a world where a miscalculation could result in his death, and cherishing his life over everything else, he never wanted to be in a tough spot. Ben avoided risks and immediately changed sides when he felt Yunkai threatened Daenerys’s cause, and he never felt guilty about his choices because he knew that life was better than loyalty.
FAQs
Who is Brown Ben Plumm?
Brown Ben Plumm is the current commander of the Second Sons. He joined Daenerys Targaryen on her conquest of Meereen. However, when Yunkai led a force against Meereen, he decamped to save his skin.
What happened between Ben and Tyrion?
When Tyrion’s master dies slowly, he and Jorah escape captivity and seek refuge at the Second Son’s camp. Tyrion meets the old sellswords of the company and promises to make them rich when he becomes the Lord of Casterly Rock.
Does Brown Ben have Valyrian blood within him?
When he was one of the Queen’s men for Daenerys, Brown Ben said he had the blood of the Valyrians. Tyrion later speculated he might be loosely related to the Targaryens.
Is Brown Ben from Lys?
Though he claims multiple ethnicities, Brown Ben is not from Lys. His grandmama was half Qohorik and Ibbenese, but there is little information on his other grandparents.
