In the first season of Game of Thrones, there is an assassination attempt on Bran Stark’s life shortly after he sees Cersei and Jaime Lannister engaging in incest. This kicks off suspicion and conflict between House Stark and House Lannister. But who actually sent the assassin? Was it really Tyrion Lannister, as Catelyn Stark initially suspects? Or was there someone else pulling the strings behind the scenes? Many fans believe Littlefinger may have secretly hired the assassin to stir up chaos between the great houses.
What evidence points to Littlefinger hiring the assassin?
There are a few clues that suggest Littlefinger could be responsible for sending the assassin:
- Motive – Littlefinger thrives on chaos and conflict. He wants to set the Starks and Lannisters against each other to further his own ambitions.
- The dagger – The assassin uses a Valyrian steel dagger, which Littlefinger claims he lost in a bet to Tyrion Lannister. This implicates Tyrion, but Littlefinger could be lying.
- Knowledge of the incest – Littlefinger likely knew about Cersei and Jaime’s incest. The assassination attempt covers up Bran’s knowledge.
- Allies in King’s Landing – As Master of Coin on the small council, Littlefinger has the connections in King’s Landing to hire a skilled assassin.
While circumstantial, these details point to Littlefinger having means, motive and opportunity to hire the assassin and frame the Lannisters.
What evidence counters Littlefinger hiring the assassin?
However, there are also some issues with the theory of Littlefinger hiring the assassin:
- Complexity of the plan – Hiring the assassin requires intricate planning and perfect timing on Littlefinger’s part. Is it too complex?
- Risks revealing his own knowledge – If discovered, Littlefinger risks exposing his spying on the Lannisters and awareness of their incest.
- The assassin fails – If Littlefinger hired the assassin, why did he fail at such a critical moment? An amateur mistake.
- Lacks definitive proof – There is no hard evidence directly linking Littlefinger to ordering the assassination attempt.
With these counterpoints in mind, it makes Littlefinger’s involvement less certain. The complexity and risks seem out of character.
Did Tyrion Lannister hire the assassin?
If Littlefinger was not behind the assassin, the most obvious alternative is that a Lannister sent them, likely Tyrion. There is some evidence potentially linking Tyrion:
- The Valyrian steel dagger – Tyrion apparently owned the blade that was used.
- Access and resources – Being a Lannister, Tyrion has the gold and connections in King’s Landing to hire a skilled assassin.
- Knowledge of the incest – He figured out Cersei and Jaime’s secret, giving him motive to silence Bran.
However, Tyrion maintains his innocence. And it seems unlikely Tywin and Cersei would let Tyrion conduct such a risky assassination attempt on his own. Tyrion seems to be framed by someone.
Key factors to consider
Here are some key considerations when assessing the likelihood of Littlefinger or Tyrion hiring the assassin:
| Factor | Littlefinger | Tyrion |
|---|---|---|
| Motive | To spark conflict between Starks and Lannisters | To silence Bran and protect the Lannister incest secret |
| Means and opportunity | Connections in King’s Landing to hire assassin | Gold and resources of House Lannister |
| Evidence linking them | Dagger, knowledge of incest | Owned the dagger, knowledge of incest |
| Risks involved | Exposes his own knowledge if discovered | Acted alone, against Tywin’s orders |
Evaluating these factors, both Littlefinger and Tyrion have compelling motives, means, and some linking evidence, but also take substantial risks. There is no definitive smoking gun.
Other possibilities
While Littlefinger and Tyrion are the prime suspects, there are a few other possibilities on who could have sent the assassin:
Cersei Lannister
As one of the only others who knew her secret, Cersei has motive to silence Bran. She is cunning and capable of hatching such a plot. But would she trust such a sensitive task to a lowly catspaw assassin?
Joffrey Baratheon
The sadistic Joffrey enjoys violence and may have acted on his own accord. But again, the amateur assassination attempt seems beneath him.
Varys
The spymaster Varys has means to hire assassins and knowledge of the incest. Framing Tyrion advances Varys’ aims to destabilize for his secret agenda. But Varys prefers more subtle methods.
Jaime Lannister
As the other participant in the incest, Jaime is invested in keeping it secret. But directly hiring an assassin seems too reckless for Jaime.
Overall, these other options are less likely than Littlefinger and Tyrion, but cannot be completely ruled out. The full truth is not known.
Conclusion
In the end, there is convincing evidence and motive pointing to both Littlefinger and Tyrion Lannister as the possible masterminds behind Bran’s assassination attempt. But there are also risks and gaps in both theories. While Littlefinger thrives on chaos and seems to gain the most from pitting the Starks against the Lannisters, the complexity of orchestrating the assassination makes it uncertain. Tyrion had means and motive as well, but seems to be framed by someone. It is a true puzzle within the Game of Thrones who was behind this pivotal early plot point, with Littlefinger and Tyrion being prime suspects, but other players like Cersei also potentially involved.