Game Of Thrones' Biggest Ned Stark "Plot Hole" Was Already Solved 13 Years Ago

Summary Ned Stark's belief about Cersei Lannister's children in Game of Thrones season 1 is said to be a plot hole and based on flimsy evidence.

However, this isn't really accurate, as the show (and book before it) provided multiple good reasons for Ned's allegations.

While there may have been flaws in Ned's approach, his actions were driven by a deep sense of honor and duty.

Game of Thrones season 1 seemingly has a plot hole in part of Ned Stark's story, but that's not actually the case. When it comes to plot holes in HBO's fantasy hit, it tends to be the build-up to Game of Thrones' ending that comes in for the most criticism. That's certainly true of things like season 7, episode 6, "Beyond the Wall." (just how fast did Gendry run? How fast can a raven fly?) and season 8, episode 4, "The Last of the Starks," (where Daenerys Targaryen forgot about the Iron Fleet).

Game of Thrones' earlier seasons did have a tighter narrative, but that doesn't mean there aren't any plot holes and contrivances - or alleged ones. From the show dropping the warlocks for Qarth being out for revenge on Dany, to the so-called plot hole with Melisandre's necklace, there have been various complaints raised over the years. One such charge has even been leveled against Ned's campaign against Cersei Lannister's children, but it's not really accurate.

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Game Of Thrones' Ned Stark "Plot Hole" Explained

Was Ned's Belief About Cersei & Robert's Children Based On Flimsy Evidence?

Back in Game of Thrones season 1, Ned Stark begins investigating Robert Baratheon's bastard children, much like Jon Arryn did before him. He comes to two shocking conclusions:

Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella Baratheon are Cersei's children, but Robert is not the father. Jaime Lannister is actually the real father of Cersei's children, and they are a product of incest.

Ned not only believes these statements to be true (and, obviously, he's right), but he believes them so strongly that he stakes everything upon it, and it ends up costing him his life. The apparent plot hole that comes with that is the idea that Ned based it on relatively flimsy evidence: the genetics of hair color, because Baratheons being born black of hair - and Cersei's kids very much looking like Lannisters - is a major reason for the allegations.

That plot hole is twofold. Firstly, that the genetics weren't enough for him to be so convinced Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella were bastards, especially when his own family is proof genetics aren't that simple.

That plot hole is twofold. Firstly, that the genetics weren't enough for him to be so convinced Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella were bastards, especially when his own family is proof genetics aren't that simple. Some of Ned's own children take after him and look like Starks, but others take after Catelyn more and have a Tully look. And, of course, there's the fact Jon Snow does not look like a Targaryen. This isn't to say Ned was wrong, but that he didn't have enough to go off.

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The second part is then that he reaches the conclusion Jaime is the father, despite incest being one of the most terrible deeds imaginable, especially for the Queen and a member of the Kingsguard. Again, the allegation is that Ned didn't have much evidence for this and that he jumped from "they're not Robert's kids" to "Jaime is the father" without much to connect the dots. These are both understandable points, but not entirely fair ones.

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Game Of Thrones Perfectly Explained Ned Stark's Genetics Plot Hole

There Are Several Good Reasons He Realizes The Truth About Cersei's Children

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It's true that the black hair of the Baratheons is the primary piece of evidence that makes Ned think the children were fathered by Jaime and not Robert. However, it's unfair and, really, inaccurate to label it a plot hole, because there is plenty of other evidence and other motivating factors that go into his decision-making (not to mention there should be some allowance for Ned not being an expert on genetics science):

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As mentioned, Jon Arryn was looking into Robert Baratheon's bastards, and had died saying "the seed is strong." The importance of this can't really be overstated, because Jon was like a second father to Ned (and indeed, Robert). If he was investigating Robert's bastards, he would've had an excellent reason for doing so, and combined with his line that "the seed is strong," it's clear he was on to something. Given Jon then died in suspicious circumstances, it would certainly make Ned a lot more curious and, with that, open-minded to learning the truth.

It's unknown exactly how many bastards Robert Baratheon had, though Maggy the Frog prophesied it would be 16, which seems a realistic number.

Ned also meets Gendry, who has the Baratheon look - every bit a young Robert, in fact. This may not confirm that every Baratheon would have a similar appearance, but combined with the fact that Cersei's children look nothing like him, and, again, that line of how "the seed is strong" echoes in his mind, and the pieces start to add up. However, perhaps none of that is as important as a line that comes from his own daughter, Sansa Stark, that really makes him look into it and realize the truth:

Arya Stark: The lion's not [Joffrey's] sigil, idiot. He's a stag, like his father. Sansa Stark: He is not. He's nothing like that old drunk King.

It's one thing to see the difference, but to hear it so clearly spoken - from his own daughter who is, at that point, biased in favor of Joffrey (and so would have no reason to cast any kind of doubts upon him), is a huge factor in his investigation and ultimately his firm belief in the parentage of Cersei's children. The book actually takes this a little further with another line of dialogue that cements the importance of it (though Ned's face in the show says it all as well):

"Father looked at her strangely. 'Gods,' he swore softly, 'out of the mouth of babes...'"

Ned knows that someone who cared deeply about Robert was looking into the lineage of his children. He knows that Baratheons typically have black-haired children, that Robert in particular seemed to have strong genes, and that Cersei's kids don't look like him. He hears his own daughter speak that not only don't they look alike, but they're nothing alike in personality, either. He knows the Lannisters can't be trusted: Jon's own wife warned him, there was an assassination attempt on his son's life (with Lannister involvement suspected), and there have been rumors about Cersei and Jaime's romance for years.

Martin's book does provide more detail and context. In particular, it confirms that Baratheon and Lannister matches, specifically, have always produced children with black hair: "No matter how far back Ned searched in the brittle yellowed pages, always he found the gold yielding before the coal." However, this is supplementary, and Game of Thrones itself did enough to show clear logic and evidence for Ned Stark realizing who the father of Cersei's children was - and wasn't - without it being a plot hole.

Ned Stark Did Make A Mistake About Cersei Lannister's Children In Game Of Thrones

Ned's Error Wasn't To Do With Their Lineage, But How He Handled It

Ned Stark's allegations about Cersei's children may not be a plot hole, but that doesn't mean his actions were free from mistakes. He was very wrong to confront Cersei the way he did. He was definitely wrong to put any kind of trust in Littlefinger. But those mistakes, and the danger of his mission itself, are the point: that Ned is a man who values honor above all, which means he can not only spot dishonorable actions quite easily, but that he could not possibly act in any other way.

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Ned is making the kind of allegations that could - and do - get him killed. He's driven by a strong sense of justice, and a steadfast belief that he - like Jon before him - had uncovered the truth, and that it needed to be dealt with in a manner he could deem proper. Call him a fool for handling it the way he did, but don't call it a Game of Thrones plot hole.