Ghost is a direwolf bonded to Jon Snow, the bastard son of Lord Eddard Stark. He has five siblings. When Jon joins the Night’s Watch, Ghost becomes his closest companion. When Gared of the Night’s Watch deserts, he gets arrested, and Lord Eddard Stark takes his children with him to give judgment. On returning, Ned’s children find a dead direwolf. Although they believe it to be a bad omen, the group discovers a litter of direwolf pups from the dead beast. After begging, Ned allows his children to keep the beasts. However, Jon discovers a sixth direwolf and names him Ghost before leaving the scene.
Ghost Direwolf Details
- Name: Ghost.
- Master: Jon Snow.
- Year of Birth: 298 AC.
- Aliases: The White Wolf, The White that has no voice.
- Siblings: Grey Wind, Lady, Nymeria, Summer, Shaggydog.
- Fur Color: White.
- Eye Color: Red.
Appearance and Behavior
Ghost is an albino direwolf with hefty white fur, blood-red eyes similar to the carved faces on weirwood trees, and a bushy tail. He loves rolling in the snow and playing with Jon. When he got discovered, he was the smallest of the litter. However, he grew and became the biggest of his siblings. He received his name because of his silence and white fur. He never howls or whines but sometimes snarls.
Relevance in A Song of Ice and Fire
A Game of Thrones
After Lord Eddard heads out with his children, he delivers justice to Gared and beheads him. On the way to Winterfell, a dead direwolf killed by a stag was discovered. Before leaving, Ned’s children find five pups. After Bran Stark and his brothers, Robb Stark and Jon, convince their father, he agrees to let them take care of the pups. However, before leaving, Jon finds one smaller direwolf. Theon Greyjoy tries to kill it, but Jon takes him for himself.
With Lord Jon Arryn’s death, King Robert Baratheon travels to Winterfell and asks Ned to become the new Hand of the King. A feast gets thrown at Winterfell, and at the event, Ghost defends his meal from a dog thrice his size. Jon meets his uncle Benjen Stark and asks to join the Night’s Watch.
When Ned learns of his son’s wish, he allows him to follow his uncle. Jon then travels to the Wall. On reaching Castle Black, Ghost starts helping his master hunt for food for Lord Commander Jeor Mormont. When Samwell Tarly arrives and gets bullied, the direwolf comforts him by licking his tears. Jon then uses the beast to threaten Rast and deter him from bullying Sam.
After the bodies of Jafer Flowers and Other get found, Ghost scratches on his master’s door to alert him about the bodies turning to wights. After destroying the undead, Lord Mormont gives Jon his family Valyrian steel sword and replaces the bear-shaped pommel of the blade with that of a wolf. When his father and sisters, Arya Stark and Sansa, got arrested by Cersei Lannister in King’s Landing, he deserts the Night’s Watch. However, Ghost reveals his location to Sam, and he returns to Castle Black.
A Clash of Kings
When Lord Mormont takes his men on the Great Range, Ghost tags along and follows Jon to Craster’s Keep, where he goes hunting and returns with two rabbits. Gilly gets scared of him. The wolf finds a hoard of dragonglass weapons near the Fist of the First Men and shows his master. Before Lord Mormont and his men travel to the Fist, Qhorin takes Jon, his direwolf, and two other men to scout the Frostfangs. After Jon captures Ygritte and kills Orell, his eagle tries to kill Ghost. Later, Rattleshirt captures Qhorin and Jon in Skirling’s Pass, and when the duo gets forced to duel, Ghost helps his master kill Qhorin.
A Storm of Swords
With Qhorin’s death, Jon gets taken to meet Mance Rayder. When Ygritte tries to get closer to him, he uses Ghost to keep her away. However, Jon succumbs to her. He gets tasked to scale the Wall with Styr, but before leaving, he sends Ghost away, hoping he will reach Castle Black and warn them of the incoming attack from the wildlings. After climbing the Wall and escaping Styr’s group, Jon travels to Castle Black. He helps fight against Stys and Mance Rayder at the Battle Beneath the Wall. After Mance gets captured by Stannis Baratheon, Jon reunites with Ghost and becomes the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch.
A Dance with Dragons
When Jon gets a wolf dream, he senses that Ghost knows his litter mates Grey Wind is dead, as Robb got killed at the Red Wedding. The visions continue as Jon peers into the mind of his direwolf. Ghost befriends Melisandre and Val and accompanies his master to the North of the Wall to meet Wun Wun and the Free Folk.
When Borroq’s bear comes to Castle Black, the direwolf gets agitated and becomes feral, and to keep him in check, Jon places him in his chambers. When Jon allows the Free folk to pass through the Wall, he gets stabbed by his men, and before passing out, he whispers Ghost.
Appearance in Adaptation
Ghost is Jon Snow’s direwolf. He appeared in seasons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 and starred in 24 episodes. He is one of six direwolf cubs given to the children of House Stark. Though the runt of the litter, he became the biggest of the pack. After Jon becomes a member of the Night’s Watch, he follows Qhorin on a scouting mission. After returning to Castle Black, he gets made the Lord Commander of the Watch. However, some mutineers stab him to death. Melisandre uses magic to resurrect Jon.
Ghost leaves with his master, Tormund, Sansa, Brienne, and Podrick Payne to rally the North against Ramsay Bolton. After Jon wins the Battle of the Bastards, his direwolf follows him back to Winterfell. Ghost remains at Winterfell as his master travels to meet Daenerys Targaryen. After an alliance, the Queen travels to Winterfell, where she and her men face the Night King. After the Battle of Winterfell, Jon tells Tormund to take Ghost with him as he belongs in the North. When Daenerys dies, Jon gets exiled and reunites with his direwolf.
Ghost: The Mighty Beast
Though A Song of Ice and Fire focuses on its human characters, Ghost is one of the only non-human characters to get a spotlight. He started as a tiny beast incapable of anything, but with time, he became Jon’s best asset. Without Ghost, Jon might have never reached the pinnacle of success as fast as he did.
Also, Ghost is a symbolic animal in George R. R. Martin’s epic tale. Like the rest of his siblings, he represents the life of his master. Jon was also the lowest of his siblings, as he was a bastard son. However, he rose to power and became the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch.
FAQs
Does Ghost get killed in the books?
No. When Jon reaches the cap of the Free Folk, he sends his direwolf away to warn the brothers of the Watch of the attack from Mance Rayder. He later reunites with the beat after reaching Castle Black.
What makes Ghost different?
Ghost has sparkling-white fur and blood-red eyes. He was the smallest of his sibling when born but later became the largest. He also does not howl and instead grits his teeth.
How smart is Jon’s direwolf?
Ghost is an intelligent beast. He is an excellent hunter and helps find a cache of dragonglass blades. He also fiercely protected his owner and defended him from wights.
Did Ghost know of his siblings’ death?
Yes. Ghost was connected to his siblings and could feel they were no more. He knew Grey Wind and Lady got killed, and Jon could feel his grief.