House of the Dragon proved that Ned Stark’s fatal mistake of revealing Cersei and Jaime Lannister’s secret in Game of Thrones was avoidable.

When Ned Stark uncovered and revealed his knowledge about Cersei and Jaime Lannister’s incestuous relationship in Game of Thrones, it proved to be his fatal mistake, which House of the Dragon showed to be avoidable. Joffrey Baratheon may have hotheadedly decided to behead Ned Stark. Still, it was Ned’s unwavering dedication to his honor that led him to confront Cersei and to that infamous season 1 moment. It has always seemed that Ned could have been more competent and avoided his execution by not telling people in King’s Landing about what he had discovered, and House of the Dragon solidifies that idea.

As seen in House of the Dragon, one of the best shows of 2022, the parentage of Rhaenyra Targaryen’s children got questioned by people throughout Westeros. This same fate, judgment, gossip, and controversy would have befallen Cersei and Jaime had Ned Stark shown some patience and intelligence.

Instead, Ned, in his infinite honor, decided to bring the secret to Cersei immediately, sealing his fate as the first central character to die in Game of Thrones and the first time a main character got punished for their stupidity and (ultimately fatal) mistakes.

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Ned’s Fate Was Sealed From His Arrival At King’s Landing

While Ned Stark was an undeniably honorable and good man – especially compared to others in Game of Thrones – he was built to be the Warden of the North, not the King’s Hand. From the moment he stepped foot in King’s Landing in search of the truth of how and why Jon Arryn was killed., his death was inevitable because he was so immovable in his ideologies and way of doing things. He did not fit in with the scheming and politics of the capital, yet he still sought out the dark secrets of House Lannister.

Another shrewder individual could have uncovered Jaime and Cersei’s secrets but be aware enough not to reveal this to the then Queen. With such a close friend’s death and the established tension with the Lannisters, Ned would never have sat idly by. As soon as he had discovered some wrongdoing, he would have revealed it. Ned’s immediate judgment of Jaime, the way he looks down on people like Littlefinger and Varys, and how he questions Robert Baratheon, the first King to appear in Game of Thrones, all show that Ned was not built for King’s Landing and was destined to make a fatal mistake during his time there.

HOTD’s “Strong Boys” Story Proves The Lannisters Would’ve Been Discovered

Ned Stark did not need to jump so quickly into the lion’s den, though, and reveal to Cersei that he knew her secret, as proven by the storyline of Lucerys and Jacerys in House of the Dragon. For all their limited time in season 1 of the show, the young Targaryens have accusations of being bastards thrown at them, even called the “Strong boys” by Aemond Targaryen. That secret edges closer and closer to being officially discovered by enemies. With all the brains and schemers in Westeros, time would have been a valuable ally to Ned, who could have prevented or delayed many deaths had he refrained from revealing the Lannisters’ secrets and allowed others to notice what was going on. It is not like Cersei and Jaime were amazing at hiding their relationship, already getting discovered by Bran Stark and Jon Arryn before Ned even had an inclination.

As is often the case with Starks in Game of Thrones, Ned’s honor and incompetence led to his death. It has always been obvious that Ned is primarily to blame for his downfall by revealing what he had discovered to Cersei rather than integrating himself more with King’s Landing politics and showing patience. With Rhaenyra’s children constantly questioned and judged in House of the Dragon for their parentage, it has become abundantly clear that Ned Stark’s fatal mistake in Game of Thrones could have and should have been avoided.