The Curious Case of Coldhands 

Knowing George's love of puns and references, the fact that Gilly called him Cool Hands is *proof positive* that his name, at least in life, was Luke.

Maybe the reason Coldhands can't open the Black Gate despite being a brother of the Night's Watch because he is dead and the oath specifically mentions giving their Life to the Watch and the line they say at death is "and now his watch has ended." Like the loophole Jon uses to leave the Watch after his resurrections in the show

"Im your monster, Brandon Stark." I believe this quote is Colhands telling Bran that his own name is also Brandon Stark. Coldhands was the Night's King.

I like to think he was a Ravens teeth that went out with Bloodraven. He was attacked by someone or something as they got close to finding the children. They were able to change him into what he is now

Sam could have told Coldhands what happened at Crasters. I mean... they were together for quite a bit of time, and Sam is a talker,esp when he's nervous.

A love these episode where it’s just information presented in a written out way!

Night King: Assistant to the Regional Manager

Love this!!Brings me back to your Weirwood tour❤

One of y’all’s best discussions! Thank you. 😀

I think the Occam’s Razor answer would have to be he’s a former Raven’s Teeth, feels like the neatest, least convoluted back story.

One of my favorite side characters in the whole series! So glad this episode got made. You ~~3~~ 2 rock! (Sorry Sean! xD)

Amazing live stream! Thank you for exploring the mysteries of Coldhands

I wonder if there is a fire wight who guards the Shadow of Asshai who is named HotHands?

I suspect Cold Hands is one of the Raven's Teeth, the honor guard that followed Bloodraven to the wall, as you guys say. He probably died right outside the tree, defending Bloodraven. His life's blood soaked into the earth, along with his soul, and the Weirwood ate it. Bloodraven, once he needed to, simply put that soul back in it's original body. That's probably what all the wights around the tree are....the dead Raven's Teeth, but Bloodraven only has enough power to reanimate one of them. The Others claimed the rest. As for whether Bloodraven or Coldhands is warging the elk or all the ravens.....we are directly told that every raven has a Child in it. There are hundreds of desiccated Children corpses hooked up to the tree..it doesn't all have to be Bloodraven.

Often missed discussing coldhands, but cold really can preserve an insanely long time. Ötzi was found with tattoos intact on his skin and his clothes still on, and he’s from the Neolithic. Add in looting some fallen black brothers for clothes and gear when necessary, and thousands of years is certainly possible.

I suspect Blood Raven can circumvent the wards of the Wall because he's an advanced greenseer. Blood Raven told Bran that greenseers see first through the weirwoods, and then through other trees, and eventually beyond the trees. Blood Raven has almost certainly reached that final point. And can therefore observe and probably influence creatures on either side of the Wall.

Bran feels bad about the Elk's death, but continues to use Hodor.

Cold Hands' eyes are black. Seeing as how the wights controlled by the Others eyes change to blue, matching that of their masters, I would assume that if Cold Hands were controlled by Blood Raven his eyes would be red. That indicates to me that Cold Hands is an autonomous ally to Blood Raven, rather than his magical puppet.

I don't think Cold Hands' clothes are a reliable indicator of his age. Clothes that see frequent usage and are exposed to extreme elements wouldn't last long in any case. Therefore if Cold Hands has been north of the Wall more than a decade he would have to have changed his clothes multiple times by now. And it's probably been longer than that, as Leaf said he died long ago. A statement that can only conclusively exclude people who died recently. Also Cold Hands is a magically animated corpse, so he's not just preserved by the cold. Beric was undead for months, if not years in the warm climate of the South and showed no conclusive signs of decomposition. His increasingly ragged state appeared to be the result of the succession of fatal wounds he suffered. And even those wounds were described as having healed to an extent. Probably because Thoros always resurrected him within moments of his death. Lady Stonehaert's state of decomposition could be attributed to the fact that she was dead for days before Beric resurrected her. If Beric hadn't given up his life to resurrect Stoneheart, who can say how long he might have lasted. Cold Hands' black hands indicates that more time passed between his death and resurrection than any of Beric's. But nothing we've seen from other wights indicates that Cold Hands would have continued to decompose after being resurrected. So Cold Hands could be anyone who died long ago, whatever that means.

Why couldn’t Coldhands find a sow? Bowen Marsh mentions the forest north of the Wall being filled with boars. Fandom too obsessed with Bran cannibalism

I think Jon would be able to cross the wall, as would any fire wight (assuming that is how it goes down). Same for LS. Gregor idk, but I would assume yes. I think it’s specifically ice magic that can’t pass. From the southern vs northern side is interesting… logistically one would think you’d WANT any straggling undead to be able to cross on the southern side but not the northern side. But that doesn’t seem like a factor that would be considered at the time (imo)

I wonder what Adrian Veight would think of Bloodraven.

The Wall doesn’t block Jon’s connection… it is broken when Ghost helps kill Qhorin. Just compare Jon’s last 3 chapters of CoK vs his first 4 of SoS (before he crosses the Wall).

A quick point about Ben Jen, i am ambivalent about Cold hands identity but I don’t think George s comment to his editor means anything. He constantly plays around with identity, changing the characters chapters names. Ex: Reek, with Theon dying at the dreadforts dungeon. Arya being no one, etc. re animated Benjen could easily by a new entity so I see George denying it without any issues. Is stone heart Catlyn? Would George agree with that ?

It being Benjen would've been the most satisfying answer, which is why I can't understand why Martin doesn't want it to be him. It being someone from the far flung past only works if it's someone we would know and doesn't seem likely unless a magic corpse can last for thousands of years. All other answers, Raven Teeth or otherwise are boring AF answers. It shouldve have been Benjen. Im prepared to die on this hill.

His hands really are cold.

It's weird-The warg Wildling with the boar calls Jon 'brother' when he sees Jon. Ok-I LOVE this topic, Coldands not being able to cross the wards at the wall or at the cave. The cave, I can understand. The Wall, though-Coldhands SHOULD be able to pass THAT ward. He isn't a whyte-and he IS a Brother of the Watch. THIS is CRAZY since the whytes that Jeor brings through CAN pass and still rez. *note* AS long as The Watch STAYS TRUE. The watch just killed their 2nd Lord Commander in a row. THIS will matter soon-The Others have twice already in tested The Wall. Those Brothers who come back as whytes? THEY were 'plants' to see if they could rez after passing the Wall. HOW were they able to rez? Jeor INVITED them through-as Lord Commander he likely should NOT have done THAT. I dont think they went for Jeor because they 'remembered' him so much as they went for Jeor because he was Lord Commander. Those whytes would have went for whoever the Lord Commander was. The question is, for me, can Coldhands pass IF The Lord Commander allows/invites him to pass? And if so, why can't Blood raven allow him to pass into the cave? IF Coldhands being a different type of undead-like Lady Stoneheart, means that he can't pass, even with permission-then Jon's body better not EVER go beyond the wall before he is rezzed. If THAT happens, it seems like Coldhands indicates that Jon will be trapped past the Wall, in the same conscious state as Coldhands/LSH and surrounded by Others, until the Wall comes down. Which also is bad considering that Mel is at the wall and her shadows CAN pass the wards in place. Something that really bothers me is how Coldhands makes me feel in general. I can't help but to feel like he is being punished. That might just be me, and how I would see it for myself-but man...I just do not get the feels that Coldhands extended life is a reward for something awesome he did in life. It comes off more like he is paying a debt of some type. But why is it happening anyways? I mean-isn't there a Pact? Well, what was IN the Pact? To me, how it reads all together, at least PART of the Pact concerns First Men blood. I do not think The Others can kill people who have pure First Men blood. THAT is why Gared gets a walk after The Others kill Waymar and Will. It is also why they are killing some Wildlings and not others. More Wildlings will have pure blood...but it has been a LONG time and a lot of peeps have mixed their blood now. Example-Craster, he says that he is 'right' with the gods...he is talking about his blood. Ygritte brings it up to Jon as well. Craster CAN'T be killed by the Others. So...WHAT makes HIS blood even MORE special as First Men blood? Craster IS special-so why? WHO is his daddy? I am guessing his Mom is also his first wife. and The Pact? I am almost 100% sure that The Others already have someone on the way to the Isle of Faces-for this i go back to waymar Royce's death. His sword, specifically. His sword was broken, with blue stones in the hilt. It was with The Others last we know. THAT broken sword hilt is brought back to the wall by one of the Wildlings. They gave it as payment to pass through. THAT Wildling 'agent' is either AT the Wall getting ready to cause shit OR they are on their way to the Isle of Faces. OK- About how Bran gets back-they take the cave system and follow the Black Sea. The Black Pool at Winterfell is a part of that 'Sea." Bran can warg his way back-but there are potential for guides. Benjen is one. Leaf is one. IF anyone survives Bran in that cave, it will be Leaf. If Benjen isn;t WAY up North, or undead like Coldhands, he can find them. But I kinda think we are more likely to get a POV from Benjen WAAAAY North at Others...capital? I really think that Bran is going to kill Blood Raven when he goes to save Jojen. There is just NO WAY that Bran is simply going to allow Jojen to die. The oaths, his thoughts...his warging into Summer AND Hodor...Bran is like to FLIP out and warg uncontrollably-Bran's emotions ALONE are going to set Summer off FOR SURE, whether he wargs her or not. You are RIGHT-no way can Bran go BACK the same way they came. Anyways-The Watch hasn't been 'true' so their end is nigh. O-and the elk and ravens Coldhands has with him? It makes me wonder how Nymeria and Lady Stoneheart will interect. Will Arya warg Lady Stoneheart? Did Robb warg Cat right before she dies? I think so-I think that is why we read about Thistle ripping at her eyes when she is warged-Cat does the SAME thing and Robb says 'mother.' SO-IF Arya wargs LSH will Arya also sense Robb's presence? I don't think Lady Stoneheart is just Cat in there. And leaf-she doesn't really talk 'down' to Bran-it's interesting. EVERYTHING Leaf says is crazy interesting. She doesn't talk down to Bran-yet she is not being honest with him. She's another one of those Old God Schoolies that doesn't exactly lie-but isn't telling the truth, either. Roose talks the same way. Barbrey. Wull. The Reeds. When Leaf tells Bran 'they' killed Coldhands long ago-does she mean The Others? i don't think, they haven't been 'public' THAT long. Someone else killed Coldhands. Brothers? Wildlings? OR Did Coldhands go TOO far North? Because to me, it reads that the only way The Others could have killed Coldhands is if Coldhands went to THEIR place WAAAAAAY up North. I am sorry this reads so disjointed-I am following along lol and I am not that great at writing what I am trying to actually say. There's a strange difference for me. Can Clegane cross the wall? No. Neither can LSH. Neither will Jon if he gets rezzed North of the Wall. Here's why it really matters-if Jon rezzes North across the wall and cant pass back south..but whytes CAN, then what? If The Others can't pass the wall but can still control their whytes...holy shit. IF Jon is stuck with The Others...the wall almost HAS to come down then. But...as of NOW, in text, whytes can pass and looks like they can still be controlled. THAT has happened at least once. The wall...it was constrcted in a really shitty way. Nan and Ygritte know all about the wall and the Wildlings and what happened. The Wildlings ARE why the wall is there, not just Others. Ygritte tells Jon they were forced beyond it after the Giants were magically ensalved and forced to 'help' construct it. Nan talks mad shit about Wildlings-that is telling us, the readers, why the Wildlings are even there to begin with. The first Wildlings were being 'punished/banished.' They consorted with demons, slept with Others and made babies, warged, all kinds of shit, according to Nan. Ok....gonna go eat. I will watch the rest after i get back later lol

RPC says “try it out”

Did Coldhands find Bloodraven too?

yyyyuuuuusssss!!!!

Are you a Friend of the Reach?

Cold hands cold could be stonesnake

The means justifying the ends is just not a good enough excuse to have that mindset. You don’t know the ends when you’re justifying your crimes.