Game Of Thrones' House Stark Family Tree Explained

Updated  Sep 18, 2026, 9:30 PM EDT

Angel Shaw is a Lead Writer and Critic on ScreenRant's TV team, covering new-release and classic TV shows across all major streaming platforms. She has been a writer with ScreenRant since 2022 and specializes in Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and fantasy. 

Angel holds a bachelor's degree in language interpreting and is passionate about all things culture and communication—especially in how it relates to popular media throughout history (from Shakespeare to Friends to Game of Thrones).

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House Stark is the main noble family followed in HBO's Game of Thrones, with a historical lineage dating back to the Age of Heroes, thousands of years before the events of the series. The eight-season drama is based on the A Song of Ice & Fire book series, written by author George R.R. Martin. Outside the five dense main series novels so far, Martin has expanded his fictional universe through books exploring its histories. These texts help contextualize the Stark family lineage, though there are significant gaps.

Westeros, also referred to as the Seven Kingdoms, is a continent with thousands of years of history, developed into its modern society by three main ethnic groups. The First Men, which includes Stark ancestors, were the first to inhabit the continent, with modern influence most notable in the North. The Starks have ruled the North in some capacity from the castle Winterfell for millennia. Subsequent groups, the Andals (House Lannister, for example), and Rhoynar (Dornish), began to inhabit Westeros years later.

Game of Thrones has expanded into various spinoff series, including the two prequels, House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The former has already introduced some Starks of history, and though the drama occurs nearly 200 years before Game of Thrones, Cregan's lineage can easily be traced down to Eddard, Sansa, Jon Snow, and the iconic Stark characters of the original HBO epic.

Brandon The Builder

• Relation To Ned Stark: Ancestor

Bran the Builder was mentioned multiple times throughout Game of Thrones, as he's the founder of House Stark, dating back to the Age of Heroes. Having existed thousands of years earlier, the existence of Bran the Builder is arguably more mythical than fact, though he's largely credited as the man who built Winterfell and the Wall, two of the continent's most legendary structures. The reality of his existence is beside the point, as his most important attributions to George R.R. Martin's world are the things he created.

Torrhen Stark

Illustration by Chase Stone.

• Relation To Ned Stark: Ancestor

For millennia before Game of Thrones, the continent of Westeros was divided into Seven Kingdoms, each ruled by a monarch. By the time the TV series begins, however, there is only one monarch in Westeros who rules from King's Landing, and the other regions of the continent are governed by Lords. In the North, which had seen a long line of Stark Kings, Torrhen Stark was the last, prior to Robb Stark's declaration as King in Game of Thrones season 1.

The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros		Ruling Houses
Kingdom of the North		House Stark (Kings of Winter), House Stark (Wardens of the North, Lords of Winterfell), House Bolton (Wardens of the North, Lords of Winterfell)
Kingdom of the Mountain and Vale (Later the Vale)		House Arryn (Kings of Mountain and Vale), House Arryn (Wardens of the East, Lords of the Eyrie)
Kingdom of the Isles and the River (Later the Iron Islands and Riverlands, respectively)		House Hoare (Kings of the Isles and the Rivers), House Greyjoy (Lords of the Iron Islands), House Tully (Lords of Riverrun), House Frey (Lords of the Crossing)
Kingdom of the Rock (Later the Westerlands)		House Lannister (Kings of the Rock), House Lannister (Wardens of the West, Lords of the Casterly Rock)
Kingdom of the Reach (Later the Reach)		House Gardener (Kings of the Reach), House Tyrell (Wardens of the South, Lords of Highgarden)
Kingdom of the Storm (Later the Stormlands and the Crownlands, respectively)		House Durrandon (Storm Kings), House Baratheon (Lords of Storm's End)
Principality of Dorne		House Martell (Princes/Princesses of Dorne)

300 years before Game of Thrones, Aegon the Conqueror flew on dragonback to Westeros, claiming dominance, a pivotal event that will be shown in Game of Thrones' first prequel movie. While Kingdoms like the Reach and the Rock attempted to resist Aegon in battle, Torrhen Stark famously bent the knee in an effort to avoid bloodshed. He was thereafter known as the King Who Knelt and is regarded for his wisdom and for the sacrifice of his personal pride to save thousands.

Rickon Stark

• Parents: Benjen Stark, Lysa Locke
• Children: Cregan Stark, Sara Snow
• Relation To Ned Stark: Great-great-great-great-great grandfather

Rickon is a common name in the Stark lineage, though this Rickon refers to the father of Cregan Stark. Rickon ruled during the reign of Viserys Targaryen and is notably seen bending the knee, swearing fealty to Rhaenyra as the rightful heir in House of the Dragon season 1. While he isn't a vital character, this brief moment had relevance going forward as his son Cregan became important. In Fire & Blood, Rickon dies a much younger man than he's depicted as being in the show, leaving Cregan as Lord at the age of 13.

Cregan Stark

• Parents: Rickon Stark & Gilliane Glover
• Children: Rickon Stark, Sarra Stark, Alys Stark, Raya Stark, Mariah Stark, Jonnel Stark, Edric Stark, Lyanna Stark, Barthogan Stark, Brandon Stark
• Relation To Ned Stark: Great-great-great-great grandfather

Actor Tom Taylor joined the House of the Dragon season 2 cast to play Cregan Stark, a young Lord of Winterfell in his early 20s who, like most nobles in Westeros, is forced to pick sides in the Dance of the Dragons. At the end of House of the Dragon season 1, Rhaenyra's son, Jacaerys Velaryon, was sent on dragonback to the North to delegate with Cregan, hoping to bring him to their side. He ultimately sends Roddy the Ruin and the Winter Wolves to aid in Rhaenyra's efforts.

Rickard Stark

• Parents: Edwyle Stark & Marna Locke
• Children: Brandon Stark, Lyanna Stark, Eddard Stark, Benjen Stark
• Relation To Ned Stark: Father

Rickard Stark is Ned's father and ruled prior to the events of Robert's Rebellion. His most notable acts were arranging marriages between his eldest son, Brandon, to Catelyn Tully, and his daughter Lyanna to Robert Baratheon. Following Lyanna's alleged abduction by Rhaegar Targaryen, Brandon Stark was arrested by Aerys II, the Mad King, and Rickard Stark arrived in King's Landing to demand trial by combat for his son. He was instead burnt alive in the throne room of the Red Keep for all to watch.

Brandon Stark

Artwork by Mark Hallstein.

• Parents: Rickard Stark & Lyarra Stark
• Siblings: Lyanna Stark, Eddard Stark, Benjen Stark
• Relation To Ned Stark: Brother

While Rickard Stark was burnt alive, Ned's eldest brother, Brandon, was hanged from a noose and forced to watch, leading to death by strangulation. Aside from his brutal death, however, Brandon was notably the heir to Winterfell and was taller, considered to be more handsome, more confident, and a better warrior than Ned. When betrothed to Catelyn, Littlefinger challenged him to a duel out of jealousy, with Catelyn having to beg Brandon to spare his life.

Lyanna Stark

• Parents: Rickard Stark & Lyarra Stark
• Siblings: Brandon Stark, Eddard Stark, Benjen Stark
• Children: Jon Snow
• Relation To Ned Stark: Sister

Lyanna Stark died before the events of Game of Thrones, but she became a well-known character throughout the show's run due to her place in the most common fan theory: R+L=J. The theory, which considered Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark to be Jon Snow's biological parents, was proven true by Bran's visions in season 6. While originally betrothed to Robert Baratheon, Lyanna ran off with Rhaegar Targaryen, where they wed in secret. Her final act was giving birth to Jon in the Tower of Joy, where Ned found her and promised to keep the baby safe.

Benjen Stark

• Parents: Rickard Stark & Lyarra Stark
• Siblings: Brandon Stark, Lyanna Stark, Eddard Stark
• Relation To Ned Stark: Brother

Benjen Stark has a minor role in Game of Thrones season 1 before disappearing for the majority of the show. He's Ned Stark's younger brother, who joined the Night's Watch and became First Ranger and is a well-respected member of the organization's ranks. In season 1, he ventures beyond the Wall to investigate the mysterious occurrences surrounding wildlings and White Walkers but never returns from the journey. In season 6, he returns to protect Bran and Meera Reed, then does the same in season 7, protecting Jon Snow before dying to the army of the dead.

Eddard Stark

• Parents: Rickard Stark & Lyarra Stark
• Siblings: Brandon Stark, Lyanna Stark, Benjen Stark
• Children: Robb Stark, Jon Snow (officially), Sansa Stark, Arya Stark, Bran Stark, Rickon Stark

Eddard "Ned" Stark is the Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North in the first season of Game of Thrones. He's imperfect, but he's often the show's protagonist and moral compass among far more morally ambiguous characters. He shares a loving marriage with Catelyn Tully, has strong bonds with his children, and is respected by the people of Winterfell and the North. Ned was a childhood friend of Robert Baratheon, and the two fought together to overthrow the Mad King, planting Robert on the Iron Throne. Years later, Robert requests Ned to be the next Hand of the King.

Ned's time in King's Landing as Robert's Hand is the catalyst for the show's main stage of events, as Robert's death causes a war of succession and civil wars across Westeros. Ned attempts to do the noble thing at every turn, misunderstanding the political game in King's Landing, resulting in his execution by Joffrey Baratheon. It can't be understated how iconic Eddard Stark is as a culturally impactful TV character. His death set the precedent for Game of Thrones to be a series where no one was safe.

Catelyn Tully

• Parents: Hoster Tully & Minisa Whent
• Siblings: Edmure Tully, Lysa Arryn
• Children: Robb Stark, Sansa Stark, Arya Stark, Bran Stark, Rickon Stark
• Relation To Ned Stark: Wife

Catelyn Tully is the mother of the Stark family, who fights fiercely for her husband and children throughout the early seasons of Game of Thrones. After Eddard Stark's death, Catelyn plays an instrumental role in supporting Robb Stark in the War of Five Kings. Catelyn was born a Tully, the noble house of the Riverlands, which brings a significant force to Robb's side in the war against the Lannisters. She's tragically killed at the Red Wedding along with Robb, though in the books she's brought back to life by Thoros of Myr, becoming known as Lady Stoneheart.