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- "House Stark has returned!"
- ―Morgana to the Northern lords
Queen Morgana I Stark is the eldest daughter and firstborn child of Lord Eddard Stark and Catelyn Tully. She has five siblings - twin brother Robb, younger brothers Bran and Rickon and younger sisters Sansa and Arya.
The eldest Stark child, Morgana grew up differently due to her great analytical mind, martial interests and secret homosexuality.
She developed a close bond with her childhood friend Rhea Snow, the Bastard of White Harbor, and the two eventually became lovers.
Following her escape from Winterfell after Theon Greyjoy's betrayal, she is guided by the Old Gods to the center of the Wolfswood, where she hung herself for nine days and nine nights from the branches of the First Tree as "a sacrifice from herself to herself". This granted her vast magical powers and made her the new Champion of the Old Gods.
After assassinating the Boltons, she ascends as Queen of Winter and her brother's successor in the newly restored Kingdom of the North.
She formally styles herself as Morgana of House Stark, The First Of Her Name, Queen of the North, Trident and Vale, Lady of Winterfell and Champion of the Old Gods.
Appearance and Personality[]
Morgana is a slender, beautiful young woman, with long brown hair , dark grey eyes, and a long face. which are noted to glow green whenever she uses her magic. According to both her father and King Robert, she greatly resembles the late Lyanna Stark, even more so than her younger sister Arya. Jon Snow describes her having a harsh beauty, Her mother finds little resemblance between them, but is proud that she looks so much like her father, unlike her siblings.
As a queen, she wears her hair more wildly and favors black clothing. Her head is crowned by a sword crown made of bronze and iron, similar to Robb's.
Morgana is known for her sarcasm and wit. She always takes an impartial look at events and voices opinions, which are often found controversial. An example of this is when she argues that the Starks themselves started the War of the Five Kings when her mother kidnapped Lord Tyrion with little evidence of his guilt.
Morgana also possesses a great analytical mind, prone to intense pragmatism, and is quickly able to deduce how some people would act or react to certain events. Evidence of that is her suspicion of Theon's loyalty to Robb, whom she suspects could betray her family to his father. A suspicion, which turns out true.
After acquiring her direwolf, Frostfang, she starts receiving visions and hearing whispers in the trees, which later turn out to be guidance from the Old Gods. After she escapes from Winterfell and separates from her brothers, she decides to follow them to the center of the Wolfswood - The First Tree - from which she hung herself for nine days and nights to receive their blessing. That includes knowledge and understanding of much that is currently happening in the world as well as magical abilities. Following all this, her personality changes drastically - she becomes more ruthless, cruel, authoritarian, possessive and pragmatic. That however does not erase her great love for her family and her lover.
Morgana is homosexual, claiming to have never experienced an attraction towards men. She maintains a long-term relationship with her best friend and girlfriend - Rhea Snow, the Bastard of White Harbor. Her father is aware of this and decides against betrothing her to Prince Joffrey, settling for the more idealistic Sansa. Her love has been described as obsessive, with Sansa noting that Morgana could very well kill someone just for looking at Rhea the wrong way.
Abilities[]
Dagger-wielding - From a young age, she has trained to wield daggers in combat and is very proficient with them. She manages to kill two wildlings in short order.
Politics - According to both her sister and even Littlefinger himself, Morgana has a natural aptitude for politics. This is shown, when she suspects that Stannis would use her brother Rickon to usurp her throne, she swiftly declares Rickon her heir, thus foiling his scheme before it is even made.
Magics of the Old Gods - After having hung herself from the First Tree for nine days and nights, she receives the blessing of the Old Gods, which grants her several powers and abilities, as their champion. These include, but are maybe are not limited to:
- Winter Magic - she has the power to freeze anything she comes in contact with, whether slowly or instantly. By the time she becomes queen, she has grown proficient enough to be able to use her power from a distance, channeling it through the ground, to freeze an enemy or object at a distance. She is also able to control both ice and cold, thus being able to keep the winter at bay from Winterfell itself. However, it is worth to note that her power has limits.
- Summer magic - just like she has power over the winter, so she has power over the summer. With the guidance of the Old Gods, she is able to perform powerful restorative spells on the land and make scorched, barren land bloom and rivers fill out. She first demonstrated her power when she restored devastated farming fields to bloom with crops.
- Warging - just like her siblings, she is able to warg into animals end even people. Her most frequent target is her direwolf Frostfang. Unlike them though, she is able to partially warg into people, thus controlling both her own body and theirs. However, such control is limited, because in this state she can't fully control her body and her target's mind is left free, albeit powerless.
- Communication - she can go into a trance in order to communicate with previous champions of the Old Gods and the Gods themselves.
- Hypnotism - she has very powerful hypnotic abilities, which however are noted to work only on the weak minded.
- Weapon shattering - similar to the White Walkers, she can shatter weapons upon impact, except for dragonglass and Valyrian Steel.
- Immunity to foreign magic - Morgana is immune to magic from foreign sources, in particular the magic of R'hllor and dragons. Melisandre's powers do not affect her and she does not burn from dragonfire, due to it being magic like the dragons. However, the same rule applies to her, since her powers do not affect them, which is shown when she couldn't freeze Daenerys upon touching her and she doubts her powers would ever work on the dragons.
History[]
Background and early life[]
Morgana was the firstborn daughter and child of Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell and Lady Catelyn Tully. She is the twin sister of Robb Stark, though the two are noted to look nothing alike. Later on, she has four more legitimate siblings (Sansa, Bran, Arya and Rickon) and one 'half-brother' Jon Snow.
She develops a close bond with her twin, as well as Jon and Arya. At her urging, the boys teach both Arya and Morgana how to defend themselves, much to their mother's dislike on 'straying from proper ideals'. While this prevents them from teaching them, Morgana secretly practices with two long needles on how to fight with daggers. On her 12th nameday, her father secretly gifts her a pair of daggers, secretly forged by the castle's smith, showing his knowledge and approval.
When she is 13, she overhears an older serving woman berating a younger one on how marriages are doomed to failure, since men inevitably ruin them, which convinces the young Morgana never to marry. This begins her interest in girls, since 'girls can't marry or get each other pregnant'.
At the age of 16, she meets her future lover Rhea Snow, bastard daughter of Ser Wendell Manderly, who is sent to be fostered in Winterfell. The two women quickly bond over their shared interests and eventually take things further. It is later revealed that Lord Eddard was planning on betrothing her to Jon but scraped that idea when he learned of the relationship between Rhea and Morgana.
Season 1[]
She is first seen attending the embroidery lessons of Septa Mordane. While the other girls are handling their tasks, with the exception of Arya, she embroiders a bleeding skull, because she was "trying for something more original". The Septa scolds her and punishes her to "not attend the lessons anymore and I shall speak to your parents". In truth, it is exactly what Morgana wants, since she just wanted to get out.
Later, she is shown watching Bran trying to hit the target with bow and arrow and laughs when Arya strikes it first.
She is there, when the royal party arrives and shares Jon's opinion on how Robert looked like a 'drunk oaf instead of a king'. Robert almost calls her Lyanna, until her father introduces her.
During the feast, Cersei talks with her and sneers that it's a pity that she wasn't the one to be betrothed to Joffrey. Morgana counters that "if the skinny twat is Sansa's future husband, then she considers herself the winner here". Cersei rages, but Robert merely laughs and says that "the girl has more balls than half my army" and praises her on the way she acts (possibly being reminded of Lyanna), much to the chagrin of Catelyn, who tells her to leave the feast.
Outside, she meets Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister and chats with them, expressing her views on how ridiculous the rules on bastardy are. Later that night, she makes love to her paramour - Rhea Snow.
She stays in Winterfell, when her father leaves for the capital. At King's Landing, her father seeks to find a good match for her and even goes as far as to confide in Renly Baratheon, hinting at Morgana's preferences. Renly suggests that perhaps Loras Tyrell, the heir to Highgarden, would be the perfect husband for her, hinting at the man's own preferences. Nothing comes of it though, as the situation in the capital forces Ned to delay planning a betrothal for his daughter and it never comes to pass.
After Robb decided to march south, she is left in charge of Winterfell together with Bran and Rickon.
At the Twins, Catelyn is forced to betroth Morgana to Lord Frey, with Theon japing that whether Robb wins against the Lannisters, Morgana was going to kill him.
Season 2[]
Morgana is left in charge of Winterfell in name, but it is Maester Luwin who effectively calls the shots. Nevertheless, she is overwhelmed by the influence she has and leaves a positive impression on the Northern lords who come to deal with the Stark in Winterfell. She begins having dreams of the Wolfswood and a tree calling her, but Maester Luwin dismisses this to nervousness.
Morgana is not informed of her betrothal to Walder Frey by Maester Luwin.
Their successful rule of Winterfell ends however when their remaining garrison falls into a trap, orchestrated by Theon, who betrays the Starks for his father, Balon Greyjoy.
She stoically gets through Theon's tyrannical rule over her home, continuously berating him for his malice and betrayal and promising to kill him in the most brutal way imaginable. He even forces her to watch as he beats Rhea with a whip and promises to rape her, if Morgana does not behave.
Instead of breaking, as Theon expects, Morgana hatches a plan to escape with her brothers, Rhea, Osha and Maester Luwin. Unfortunately, the old Maester decides to stay and fool Theon's oncoming search for them. This eventually leads him to get killed during the Sack of Winterfell by the treacherous Bolton forces. Before he dies, he advices the Starks to separate so that they would be more difficult to find.
Morgana decides to go to the Wolfswood, which seems to be calling her and Luwin tells her of the legend of the First Tree, rumored to be the first Heart Tree ever and that it was planted right in the center of the forest. He asks her for the gift of mercy, death, which she tearfully grants. Morgana, Frostfang and Rhea then head for the Wolfswood.
Season 3[]
She traverses the Wolfswood in search of the First Tree, with Rhea doing her best to distract her of her family's ills with dreams of a better future. Morgana angrily tells her that there could be no future for them, unless she becomes powerful enough to twist man's rules. Rhea calmly tells her that she has fate in her.
In the forest, she encounters a band of wildlings, whom Rhea and Morgana manage to outwit and kill. One of them, tries to stab Morgana in the gut with his dying breath, but much to the surprise of all, the weapon shatters on contact.
Bewildered, Morgana and Rhea turn around when both of them hear a voice in their heads. They see the First Tree, surrounded by a small lake, whose face talks and welcomes them.
Season 4[]
The First Tree explains to them much of the history of Westeros and the nature of the Old Gods - they were spirits of nature who existed in balance until the coming of the First Men, who destabilized the land and waged war on the Children of the Forest. This had culminated with a faction of the Children defying the Old Gods, the latter of whom desired to forge peace with the First Men and used dark magic to create the White Walkers - a living weapon made to hate men. The White Walkers eventually betrayed even the faction, who made them, possibly spurned by their hatred of their forced new nature and began slaughtering all life. The First Tree concluded that despite men and children uniting to stop them and banish the Walkers the lands beyond the newly built Wall, the weakening of magic had eventually allowed them to reawaken. Should the Walkers manage to break through the Wall, the world would be overrun by the dead.
The Tree, which spoke with the voice of the Old Gods, told Morgana that they wanted to make her their champion, as they had done with her ancestor - Brandon the Builder, who was their original champion. They explained to her that in order to do that, she would have to perform a ritual by hanging herself from its branches, thus sacrificing herself to herself, and stay that way for nine days and nine nights.
Rhea is worried for Morgana, but the Tree explains that Brandon's wife too had been worried, but as long as she took care for Morgana during the ritual, she would be safe. Morgana blushes and tells him that they aren't married due to being women, with the First Tree dismissing it as "human customs" and tells her to think about it.
The tree informs them of the Red Wedding and the two women console one another (Morgana's dead mother and twin brother and Rhea's father).
Eventually, Morgana accepts and hangs herself from the tree. Meanwhile, it provides special sap to Rhea to feed both herself and Morgana during the ritual, so that they don't starve to death.
Season 5[]
On the last day of the ritual, Rhea was picking herbs, with which she wanted to make Morgana something to eat, when she was encountered by an old knight, a woman in armor and a young man. Holding them at arrow point, the older man said that he was looking for his grand-niece and confessed that he had been led there by strange voices in trees.
By the time the four returned to the site of the First Tree, it was already night and Morgana had awoken. She stood there, with her eyes glowing green and then returning to normal, and greeted the old man, who was revealed to be Ser Brynden Tully, the Blackfish.
She embraced Rhea, who was happy to have her back, and then introduced her to their three new companions - The Blackfish, Brienne of Tarth and her squire Podrick Payne. When questioned on how they had found her, Morgana demonstrated her new abilities when she freezes the pond. The First Tree berates her on using her powers on nature just to show off, but speaks to the trio, shocking them all, and explains that Morgana was now The Champion of the Old Gods. It further clarifies that it had shown her much of the world around her and told her of events that had happened and were happening. It explains that through it, Morgana had found out about them and guided them to her.
Unperturbed, all three of them swear fealty to Morgana and she declares that she would exact revenge on those who have wronged her family, beginning with the Boltons. Before they leave the site, the First Tree warns Rhea that Morgana was now different, yet the same and urges her to keep her grounded.
On the road, Morgana further demonstrates her abilities by clearing the snows from the road. When the Blackfish asks her what the plan is, she explains that she plans on giving the Boltons a taste of their own medicine.
Morgana goes to Winterfell, where she lures some Bolton men-at-arms and hypnotizes them into capturing her and presenting her to Roose Bolton. There, she fools him into believing her harmless and the new Lord of Winterfell decides to use her to solidify his claim on the North by marrying her to his bastard Ramsay. The bastard shows her Reek, the former Theon Greyjoy who was brutally tortured by Ramsay and is kept in the kennels. Meanwhile, Roose calls upon the northern lords to witness the wedding, many of whom go there to see Morgana. Roose's real motivation is to also use them to guard his new castle from Stannis Baratheon, who had the support of Houses Glover and Mormont as well as several Mountain clansmen and was planning on deposing the Boltons.
At the wedding, Morgana helps her comrades sneak inside the castle. She also encounters the disguised Mance Raider, who had been sent to rescue her in Stannis' name. Morgana calmly explains that she has a plan but could use his help.
The ceremony is conducted at the damaged Godswood. At the end of the ceremony, Morgana uses her powers to freeze Ramsay alive, covering him with ice and then shouting, "Death to the Boltons". Before Roose can even react, the Blackfish stabs him in the back, having disguised himself as a waiter, and tells him that "The Starks send their regards", mirroring the turncloak's own words. In the ensuing chaos, Roose's few supporters are slaughtered by Morgana's overwhelming Stark supporters and most of the castle garrison bends the knee to her.
Morgana uses her powers to draw the blood of the dead towards the Godswood, feeding the trees and restoring them. She declares that the North is once again free, with herself as the new Queen in the North.
Season 6[]
Morgana has all the lords of the North, most of whom are conveniently gathered at Winterfell, bend the knee to her. They all do and declare their support for her. Meanwhile, Stannis Baratheon has already arrived at the castle intending to besiege it, but his troops are thrown in disarray when they see the direwolf banner flying from the castle walls instead of the flayed man of the Boltons. Morgana orders the gates opened and Stannis enters with his forces and is surprised to see that a Stark has already been put into power there but is outraged that she has declared herself queen. Moreover, the northerners who had followed him immediately declare for Morgana.
The situation gets further complicated when Davos Seaworth arrives with her long-lost brother Rickon and Petyr Baelish brings Sansa Stark along with the Vale knights. Despite the schemes starting around them, Morgana and her siblings share a tearful reunion and the two promise to follow their sister. Predicting Stannis' most probable option, Morgana declares that Rickon is her heir and Sansa is named her Hand of the Queen.
Their first act is to deal with the aftermath. Ned Umber and Alys Karstark are both blamed for the treason of their kin - Smalljon Umber had supported the Boltons and the Karstarks participated in the Red Wedding, in all likelihood because of their lord's execution by Robb. Unexpectedly, Morgana pardons them and makes them swear fealty. She sends Ser Wylis Manderly, uncle to her lover Rhea, to go take the Dreadfort and take all its riches and provisions for Winterfell.
Distrustful of Wolkan, due to the man's apathetic outlook on House Bolton's actions, she sends him away and requests from the Citadel to send a new Maester. The request is granted, and they sent Maester Percival, an old, experienced man, who quickly gains the trust of the Starks.
She treats with Mance Rayder and makes a proposal - she would allow his people to settle in the largely uninhabited yet fertile Gift, in exchange they will follow her laws and keep the peace. Having witnessed her power himself and knowing that there is really no other choice, Mance accepts. To his surprise, Morgana agrees to shake hands in a show of friendship, rather than subjugation, which greatly raises her in the Wildling king's eyes.
To cement the allegiance of the Valemen and remove Littlefinger, Sansa and Morgana hold a trial for him, using their combined knowledge and accuse him of orchestrating the entire War of the Five Kings, Jon Arryn's death and Lysa's murder. It is also revealed that Robin Arryn Is actually Baelish's bastard. The Vale Lords shout for his death, with the execution being performed by Morgana herself who freezes him with her touch, getting the fear of the gathered nobility. When Lord Royce asks how they would resolve the situation, since House Arryn is practically extinct, Sansa declares that there is no more noble lord in the Vale than Lord Royce himself. Morgana declares that he should be the new Lord of the Eyrie and Defender of the Vale. Royce kneels for her and declares her Queen of Mountain and Vale, swiftly followed by the other Valemen.
Morgana attempts to negotiate with Stannis. She argues that she will not cede her crown(s) to him and notes that he is in no position to force her to do anything. Without the support of the Mountain clans and the noble houses, who had immediately bent the knee to her, he had less than 1400 men, not counting the sellswords of uncertain loyalty. She offers to let his men winter in the North and when Spring comes and she marches south, she would help him reclaim Storm's End and the Stormlands. Stannis refuses, saying that the whole kingdom is his by right, but Morgana counters that right means nothing unless he has the strength to take it. They fail to reach agreement, but Rhea covertly assures Davos that were Stannis to cause them trouble, his wife and daughter would not suffer Morgana's fury. Only him.
There are clashes between the Northerners and the Southron knights of Stannis, particularly on religious issues. Morgana is staunch in her support of the Old Gods and freezes alive Ser Godry Farring, who insults them and her one too many times and challenges the others to try again.
Stannis had brought two mercenary companies with him - the Stormcrows and the Windblown. Both are recognized by the Blackfish, who realizing that they need to remove Stannis from Winterfell, negotiates with them. He notes their struggles with the weather and warns them that his niece (Morgana) won't support him and he will ultimately lose. Brynden convinces them to leave for White Harbor in the dead of night, providing them with scouts to guide them to the city and two ships to take them back to Essos. The sellswords ultimately agree.
Later, in a fit of desperation, Stannis attacks her in public, but Morgana catches Lightbringer in one hand and shatters it to pieces, much to the surprise of both parties. Stannis' retinue attempt to help him but are prevented from doing so by Morgana's men. Overcome with rage and empowered by the Old Gods, Morgana freezes his blood in his veins and watches him die an agonizing death. With his dying breath, Stannis pleads for her to spare his daughter and Morgana promises so. Brienne of Tarth request to land the final blow, as final act of duty to the late King Renly and, with the Queen's permission, she ends Stannis' life.
Not trusting any of his men, Morgana swiftly freezes them and adds them to her "Ice gardens", an isolated spot, where she has gathered her frozen foes. At Rhea's urging, she spares the life of Ser Davos Seaworth, who had grown disillusioned with Stannis for a while, but followed him out of loyalty. He asks only to be allowed to go to Castle Black and take Stannis' family to safety, which Morgana allows, but warns that should they pursue vengeance against her, she will kill them without mercy.
Having settled her matters home, Morgana plots to invade the Riverlands and liberate them from the Freys and Lannisters. Her side mission is to secure their aide for the Long Night, knowing that the White Walkers were already returning, and the Wall was heavily undermanned. Morgana uses her magic to freeze the Trident around The Twins and casts a thick mist, so that she and a group of about 2500 vengeful northerners could sneak inside. They proceed to brutally sack the castle, massacring all the Freys - men, women, children. She frees her uncle Edmure from captivity and tells him of her next target - Riverrun. She also informs him of the rumors that his wife Roslin, kept at Riverrun, had given birth to a child.
On her way to Riverrun, Morgana's men stop at the Inn at the Crossroads, where she is reunited with Arya. Both are overjoyed and Morgana is happy to see her safe, since all The First Tree had shown her about Arya was that her sister had fled across the sea. They reminiscence about the past and Morgana confirms that Sansa and Rickon are also alive. Arya wants to go to King's Landing and assassinate Cersei, but Morgana warns her that the paranoid woman would be well guarded, and her time would come eventually.
Arya joins Morgana, Edmure and Lords Blackwood and Mallister in their assault on Riverrun, which to their surprise is defended by an 8000 strong Lannister army led by Jaime Lannister, as well as Frey forces. Arya proposes to assassinate the Kingslayer, but Morgana decides to make an example and show her strength and summons a massive tidal wave from the Trident to drown the enemy forces. The Kingslayer manages to evade capture, but the vast majority of the Lannister soldiers are killed and the rest unable to fight back. With Riverrun retaken, Edmure is reunited with his wife and newborn son - Hoster. Morgana is surprised at their emotional reunion, but Edmure admits he never blamed Roslin for what her family did. Emmon Frey, second son of Walder Frey and last surviving Frey, is killed by Arya and House Tully is once more the Lords of Riverrun. The Riverlords gather there and unanimously proclaim their liberator - Morgana Stark - Queen of the Trident and pledge their fealty. She returns North to prepare for the coming winter.
Season 7[]
Sansa and Arya rushes towards the Lord's chambers in Winterfell, in order to inform their sister of an important letter. In the corridor they encounter of Maester Percival, who doesn't know whether to enter or not. Wondering why, they hear the moans coming from the room and Sansa flushes but then shouts at her sister to open.
Season 8[]
to be added...
Trivia[]
- Morgana is the first ever ruling queen of the North. She also breaks tradition by crowning herself, instead of being crowned by someone else (bannermen, a chosen official, priest)
- She is often cited as the most powerful individual in GoT, due to her vast magical abilities and political authority (spanning three regions) and is often tied for the top with Daenerys Targaryen. It is worth noting however that while Daenerys possesses three dragons and vast armies, physically she is not a warrior and her magic is quite limited (not burning, hatching dragons, etc.).
- She is one of the few LGBT+ characters on the show and the only one to openly flaunt it, despite potential political backlash. (It is worth noting however that she only started doing so AFTER she became queen.
- Unlike most power-hungry characters on the show (the Freys, Boltons, Cersei, Euron, Littlefinger and so on...), Morgana seeks more and more power not for power's sake alone, but because she firmly believes that only by being the strongest can she protect those she loves and her/their freedom.
Gallery[]
Quotes[]
Quotes by Morgana[]
- "if the skinny twat is Sansa's future husband, then I consider myself the winner here."
- ―Morgana to Cersei on Sansa marrying Joffrey instead of her.
Quotes about Morgana[]
- "Sansa had always been jealous of her big sister. Tall, proud and unyielding like winter incarnate. And she sat now in front of her - Queen of Winter. "
- ―Sansa's thoughts on reuniting with her sister.