People Think This "Game Of Thrones" Character Might Return Next Week

    Spoilers if you're behind on the show.

    Jenna Guillaume
    by Jenna Guillaume

    BuzzFeed Senior Editor, Australia

    Remember Benjen Stark, Ned's younger brother who was a ranger in the Night's Watch?

    We've seen him as a child in flashbacks this season, but in the present timeline he disappeared back in Season 1 while north of the Wall. The men he was with were both found dead, and became the wights Jon Snow saved Lord Commander Mormont from.

    It was Benjen's disappearance and the appearance of the wights that led Mormont to take the Night's Watch north of the Wall to investigate. Which then led to Jon meeting Ygritte and the wildlings.

    HBO

    Basically, Benjen's disappearance was the trigger for Jon Snow's whole story arc. And it was Benjen's name that Olly used to lure Jon Snow to his death at the end of Season 5. All this, combined with the fact that his body has never been found, has led to a lot of people theorising about the character – and naturally, many think he is still alive.

    Book readers have long held the theory that Benjen is Coldhands – an undead, hooded character we haven't seen in the show yet. However, a note between George R. R. Martin and an editor on the manuscript for A Dance with Dragons seems to discredit that theory.

    reddit.com

    But show fans are now getting hype thanks to Joseph Mawle, the actor who plays Benjen, appearing in the cast list on IMDb for Season 6, Episode 6 as the "Brother Beyond the Wall".

    HBO didn't respond to BuzzFeed's request for comment on this – and Mawle has since been removed from the list for the episode.

    But Imgur user KainoaBorges has pieced together Meera and Bran's scenes from the Episode 6 preview with a scene in the Season 6 trailer to suggest a hooded figure is going to save them from the wights – a hooded figure who might just be Benjen Stark.

    HBO / imgur.com
    HBO / imgur.com
    HBO / imgur.com