Content Warning: This article has references and videos that contain profanities and violence. Viewers' discretion is advised.
If the Game of Thrones, it will be full of characters whose own sense of nobility gets in the way of their political ambitions. In Game of Thrones, this most clearly took the form of Robb Stark who, though he was a capable enough commander and leader of men, simply couldn’t shake off the legacy of his father.
Through his time on the series, he gradually emerged as one of its most tragic characters, and there are a number of fantastic quotes that neatly summarize his entire personality.
"How Can I Call Myself King If I Can’t Hold My Own Castle?"
Robb Stark Tells Catelyn Stark About His Worries In "The Old Gods and The New" (Season 2 Episode 6)
One of the things that Robb struggles with the most is his attempt to become a worthy king for the North. Given just how seriously he takes his mission to become the kind of ruler that his father would have wanted him to be, the fall of Winterfell to Theon is a devastating blow.
This quote significantly highlights the type of responsibility that Robb always assumes. He is the type of man who feels like no one would be able to respect him if he is not able to control his own kingdom. He wouldn't be able to get the other Northern houses to follow him either if they feel like he cannot protect him.
"I Don’t Want To Marry The Frey Girl."
Robb Stark Tells Talisa About Wanting To Follow His Heart In "The Prince Of Winterfell" (Season 2, Episode 8)
Though he is often guided by his mother’s advice, Robb can’t quite shake off the idea that he wants to lead his own life. It’s for this reason that he rebuffs the marriage that she arranges for him with the daughter of Lord Frey, one of the most consequential decisions in the entire series.
When it comes right down to it, Robb is the type of person who will always be guided by his heart and his own feelings, even if doing so leads him to his own death at the hands of more ruthless people. While it is quite clear to modern audiences that he wants to do the honorable thing and not lead Walder Frey's daughter into a loveless marriage, unfortunately, Walder does not care about these semantics.
"Most Kings Grow Up As Princes. I Was Raised To Be Lord Of Winterfell."
Robb Stark Telling Talisa About His Upbringing In "The Prince Of Winterfell" (Season 2, Episode 8)
Winterfell is, of course, one of the most important and beautiful locations in all of Game of Thrones, as it is the seat of House Stark and the site of several major battles. Robb, as this quote reveals, sees it as his duty and his destiny to be the one to carry on his family legacy.
There is something almost too heavy about his responsibility. Like so many of the other characters, the way that he was raised becomes something that stifles who he is as a person, preventing him from being anything other than his father’s son.
"I’m Not Your Boy, Lannister. I’m Lord Of Winterfell While My Father Is Away."
Robb Stark Teaches Jaime Lannister A Thing Or Two About Respect In "Cr***les, B*stards, and Broken Things" (Season 1, Episode 4)
Jaime Lannister may be one of the best characters on Game of Thrones, but he can also be quite abrasive in his interactions with others, particularly Robb. It’s to Robb’s credit, however, that he isn’t one to be so easily cowed by someone, even someone with as much power and martial ability as Jaime.
When it comes right down to it, Robb is quite capable of exerting his own lineage, particularly when he is confronted by someone like Jaime, who has his own history of bad behavior to contend with. Taking after his father, he doesn't allow him to disrespect him in his own home and teaches him a thing or two about good manners.
"If I’m Going To Lead This Army, I Can’t Have Other Men Doing My Bargaining For Me."
Robb Stark Tells Catelyn One Of Ned's Most Important Lessons In "Baelor" (Season 1, Episode 9)
Like his father Ned, arguably one of the best of the Starks, Robb has a very strong sense of honor. As this quote demonstrates, he is not the type of person to let others do the work that he should be doing as his father’s heir and as someone who has also laid claim to ruling the North as its own king.
It’s to his credit that, as a leader of men, he is willing to do the dirty work of ruling (a lesson that others, such as Joffrey, never really learn).
"Tell Lord Tywin Winter Is Coming For Him. Twenty Thousand Northerners Marching South To Find Out If He Really Does Sh*T Gold."
Robb Stark Sends Tywin Lannister An Eerie Threat In "The Pointy End" (Season 1, Episode 8)
Tywin Lannister may be one of the smartest characters in Game of Thrones, but for a time it seems that he might have just met his match with Robb. What he lacks in Tywin’s strategic brilliance, Robb more than makes up for in simple bravery.
He is, in fact, one of the bravest of House Stark, and he is more than willing to march to King’s Landing and take revenge on the family who saw his own father executed and his sisters prisoner. It is precisely his bravery that will become one of his key personality traits.
"His Grace Summoned Me To King's Landing, I'll Go To King's Landing. But Not Alone. Call The Banners!"
Robb Stark Proves Himself To Be An Efficient And Smart Leader In "The Pointy End" (Season 1, Episode 8)
It would have been very easy for Robb to simply bend the knee once it became clear that Joffrey was going to inherit the Iron Throne. It would, in fact, have been the politically expedient thing to do, as it would have allowed him to hold onto his power.
However, as this quote demonstrates, this simply isn’t who Robb is as either a man or a ruler. He will always do the thing that he believes is right, even if that means rebelling against the throne itself. It also shows his intelligence too since he is well aware that he could be led into a trap like his father, showing all the making of a very strong leader.
"I’ll Kill Them All. Every One Of Them. I Will Kill Them All"
Robb Swears He Will Avenge His Father After Hearing Of His Death In "Fire & Blood" (Season 1, Episode 10)
Revenge is one of the key motivations in Game of Thrones. This is, after all, a bloody and violent world, and it’s one in which both men and women are willing to go to war to exact their vengeance on those who wronged them.
This is true even of Robb, and this quote powerfully demonstrates just how deeply he has taken the death of his father. Like a true man of the North, he won’t stop until he has killed those who murdered his father, and it’s a decision that will have fateful consequences.
"You're Paying For My Sins Uncle, It’s Not Fair Or Right. I’ll It!"
Robb Stark Shows His Honor And Loyalty In "The Climb" (Season 3, Episode 6)
Though he dashes the alliance with the Freys because of his precipitate marriage, Robb is still willing to try to make amends by having the girl in question marry his uncle instead.
While it would have been easy for Robb to just excuse himself, instead he actually makes an effort to show Edmure just how sorry he feels for what he’s done. It’s one of those moments where Robb reveals that, like his father, he is someone who values honor a great deal, even if some of his actions don’t suggest as much.
"I Asked Him, How Can A Man Be Brave If He’s Afraid? That Is The Only Time A Man Can Be Brave, He Told Me."
Robb Stark Fondly Re His Father In "The Prince Of Winterfell" (Season 2, Episode 8)
Eddard Stark is definitely one of Sean Bean’s best roles, and he is a character who has a lot of influence on the lives of his children, none more so than Robb. Indeed, as this quote makes clear, it is often his father’s words that keep Robb going when all else seems lost.
Though he sometimes is more like his father than is strictly a good thing–their sense of honor tends to get the better of them–it is also true that it is precisely his similarities to his father that makes Robb such a good king to his people.