Osha

Osha is a spearwife and a free folk woman from beyond the Wall. When Others become a threat to the wildlings, she travels beyond the Wall to the North. She meets Bran Stark, who had been crippled from a fall by Jaime Lannister, and tries to take him captive. However, her plan backfires, and she becomes a captive in Winterfell and later helps Bran. She and Rickon Stark later depart for White Harbor, while Bran, Hodor, and the Reed siblings head North to find the three-eyed crow.

Osha Personal Details

• Name: Osha.
• Allegiances: House Stark.
• Culture: Free Folk.
• Hair Color: Brown.
• Religion: Old Gods of the Forest.

Physical Appearance and Personality

Osha is a Free Folk woman with a stern face, rough brown hair, and a slender frame. She is taller than Robb Stark and has many scars from a rugged lifestyle. She is also flat-chested and looks like a man sometimes. She is resilient and obeys commands without hesitation. She has a vast knowledge of the history of Westeros and Wall and the creatures beyond it.

Biography

There is little information on Osha’s past. However, she was a spearwife of the wildlings. She also had vast knowledge of the history of the creatures thought to be extinct, like the Children of the Forest. After the Others became a threat to the Free Folk, she and her companions escaped and crossed the Wall into the seven kingdoms.

Relevance in A Song of Ice and Fire

A Game of Thrones

Osha flees from south of the Wall with three wildlings and some deserters of the Night’s Watch, Stiv, and Wallen. After crossing the Wall, she and her companions reach the Wolfswood north of Winterfell and come across a disabled Bran learning to ride the improvised horse created for him.

Thinking he is alone, Osha formulates a plan to take the Stark boy and use him as a hostage to cross the Wall and return to Mance Rayder, King Beyond the Wall. However, Robb Stark, Theon, Grey Wind, and Summer come to Bran’s rescue, and everyone in her group gets killed but her.

Osha gets taken hostage to Winterfell for questioning on the intents of Mance Rayder for Westeros. After a while at the castle, she gets some freedom and becomes a kitchen servant.

When Robb learns that his father, Lord Eddard Stark, has been taken prisoner in King’s Landing, he calls the North to arms, and everyone arrives at the castle. Bran goes to Winterfell’s Godswood and prays. He meets Osha, who tells him that the Old Gods have no power in the south because the weirwood trees got cut by the arrival of the Andals. She states that Robb wants to march the wrong way and should be marching North instead of South. Bran tells Maester Luwin, but Robb continues marching toward the Lannisters.

Bran gets a dream where he sees his father in the crypts of Winterfell. When he wakes up and informs maester Luwin of his vision, he travels with the help of Osha down the catacombs as Hodor gets scared and does not agree to go down. Beneath the catacombs, Bran, maester Luwin, and Osha meet Rickon with his direwolf Summer. They learn Rickon also had the same dream.

Luwin states that nothing is wrong, and when they all return to his turret, he tells Bran about the history of the First Men and how they fought with the Children of the Forest. He also narrates about the coming of the Andals, and later, a letter arrives stating that Lord Eddard is dead.

A Clash of Kings

Osha continues working in the kitchen. She gets close to Bran and begins advising him and telling him of her past, including how she killed a Night’s Watch ranger. After the War of the Five Kings begins, then gets sent by Robb to travel to the Iron Islands and make his father an ally.

However, Balon Greyjoy declares himself King, and Theon joins Dagmer Cleftjaw to begin harrying on the Stony Shore. Unsatisfied with his task, then convinces Dagmer to divert Rodrik Cassel, Winterfell’s Castellan.

When the knight travels to stop the capture of Torrhen’s Square, Theon sneaks in and takes over Winterfell. Osha knees and declare her loyalty to Theon, to Bran’s dismay. However, she kills Drennan and helps Bran and his brother escape captivity.

During the sack of Winterfell by Ramsay Bolton, Osha escapes the castle with Bran, Jojen Reed, Meera Reed, Hodor, Summer, and Shaggydog. However, before they leave, she helps a mortally wounded maester Luwin with the gift of mercy. She splits ways with Bran and heads to White Harbor with Rickon and his direwolf, Shaggydog.

A Storm of Swords

After Osha travels with Rickon, news of the Winterfell Princes’ deaths reaches Catelyn and Robb. Grief Stricken, Catelyn frees Jaime leading to Rickard Karstark getting killed and eventually the Red Wedding.

A Dance with Dragons

After surviving the sack of Winterfell, Wex Pyke travels to White Harbor, where he tells Lord Wyman Manderly and Davos Seaworth that Winterfell got burned by Ramsay and that Rickon is alive and in Skagos with Osha.

Appearance in Adaptations

In HBO’s Game of Thrones, Osha got portrayed by Natalia Tena. She appeared in seasons 1, 2, 3, and 6 and starred in 16 episodes. In the tv series, she was a courageous wildling spearwife who became the bond and sworn protector of Bran and his brother after Winterfell got sacked.

In the tv show, there were differences from the novels as there was no mention in the books Osha had a spouse called Bruni. She burned her husband after he returned to their hut as an undead wight. 

With the rising threat of the White Walkers, Osha flees south of the Wall with a group of wildlings. She takes a boat across the Bay of Seals east of the Wall. She crosses the Wall and travels to Wolfswood, where she forms a band of wildlings with some deserters of the Watch. She meets Bran and tries to steal his horse. However, her group gets killed, and she is taken captive by Robb. When Theon demands she calls him lord, she states that he is not entitled to any honorific title as his father is still alive. 

Osha becomes a servant in Winterfell, and when Eddard gets arrested, Robb decides to march south, but she states he is heading in the wrong direction. Later, Bran dreams of his father in the catacombs of Winterfell, and after going down in it, they meet Rickon, who explains that he had the same dream as his elder brother.

After leaving the tomb, Osha tells Bran that nothing is wrong. She later remarks that Hodor may have giants’ blood in him and tells Bran that the Long Night is coming. Later, Bran learns of his father’s death. 

With Bran having greensight visions, he sees a three-eyed raven and tells Osha he needs to meet him. Theon captures Winterfell and Osha helps the Starks by seducing Theon and escaping with Bran and his brother. Later, she and Bran meet Jojen and his sister, and Jojen reveals that Jon Snow is on the north side of the Wall, in the company of enemies.

Later, the group splits, and Osha travels with Rickon and his direwolf. They arrive at Last Hearth but get betrayed by its lord, Smalljon Umber, who hands them to Ramsay Bolton. Osha gets killed by Ramsay, and Rickon eventually dies while his brother, Jon snow, watches.

Osha: The Fierce Spearwife

Osha is one of the best-designed minor characters by George R. R. Martin. Her involvement in the events in Winterfell makes her a crucial character in A Song of Ice and Fire. Because without her, Bran would have never escaped Winterfell, Osha remains a character of indisputable relevance.

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