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WARNING: This article contains spoilers for all of Game of Thrones the TV show and the books. If you're not up-to-date, look away now.
George R. R. Martin might as well not finish his next book. As soon as the Game of Thrones TV show outstripped the novels, it started spoiling theories and questions fans of the books have had for years. The show might have changed the odd thing from the books, but it's still following Martin's blueprints.
Last week, it was the origin of Hodor, which the series' showrunners confirmed came from the author, not them. This week, it's the true identity of Coldhands.
If you've not read the books, Coldhands is a mysterious character like a Wight but not, who first appears in A Storm of Swords and saves Samwell, Gilly, and her son from Wights and leads them back to Castle Black. Yes, that's right, in the books Sam doesn't kill the White Walker himself.
Coldhands later shows up to lead Bran, Hodor, Meera and Jojen to the cave of the Three-Eyed Raven, but he never uncovers his face leaving his identity unknown. Fans have been theorising that he is in fact Benjen Stark - Ned Stark's brother and Bran's uncle - who was First Ranger of the Night's Watch and supposedly lost in the first book (aka season 1).
If you were hoping to wait for the upcoming book to reveal the truth, bad news. This week's episode, Blood of My Blood, saw the TV debut of Coldhands and the reveal of his true identity as none other than Benjen Stark. Thanks HBO.
The show even revealed how he was saved, explaining that after he was attacked and left for dead by White Walkers, the Children of the Forest found him and used a shard of Dragonglass to stop his transformation into a Wight.
Now it seems this mysterious-no-longer character will be helping Bran with his metamorphosis into the Three-Eyed Raven. Give it up now George.
Game of Thrones season 6 airs on HBO each Sunday in the US, and a day later on Sky Atlantic in the UK.
Images: HBO
