Harald Karstark
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Harald Karstark is the Lord of Karhold in the television series, head of House Karstark after the deaths of his father Rickard Karstark and his brothers in the War of the Five Kings.
Loyal to House Bolton, he carries his family's grudge against the Starks, whom he blames for his father's execution, and that grudge draws him into the fight for control of Winterfell.
War for the North
Inheriting Karhold
After the deaths of his father Lord Rickard Karstark and his brothers, Harald inherits Karhold and command of his house, which has sided with the Boltons in the war for the North.
He shares Ramsay Bolton's plan to storm Castle Black and capture Sansa Stark, and advises Lord Roose Bolton to kill Jon Snow, whom he sees as the last remaining threat from Eddard Stark's line. He makes no secret that his hatred of the Starks stems from his father's execution.
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Death of Roose Bolton
Harald is present when Ramsay murders his own father, Lord Roose, and raises no objection when Ramsay lies about his death afterward or orders the killing of Lady Walda and their newborn son. When Maester Wolkan is slow to call Ramsay "Lord", Harald rebukes him for it.
Together with Ramsay, he meets the Smalljon Umber to secure his support. Harald doubts the wildlings could ever take Winterfell, though Umber believes they could under Jon Snow's command.
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Battle of the Bastards
Death
He rides with Ramsay to parley with Jon Snow and Sansa Stark before the battle, and returns with him to the castle when the talks collapse. In the fighting he leads a cavalry charge straight at Jon Snow.
The Stark cavalry intercepts Harald's riders, and Ramsay's own arrows fall on them. Harald dies in the slaughter, before the walls of Winterfell.
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House Karstark
Succession of Karhold
There is no Harald Karstark in A Song of Ice and Fire. After Lord Rickard Karstark and two of his sons die in the war, it is another son, Harrion, who inherits Karhold.
In that sense the show's character is an invention of the adaptation: in the books the succession at Karhold follows a different path, without the House Bolton storyline that drives Harald on screen.
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Gallery

Harald Karstark, image 2Harald Karstark HBO.png · hieloyfuego.fandom.com · this wiki publishes under CC-BY-SA
Relationships
Family tree
The family of Harald Karstark
Tap any relative to put them in the centre.
Parents
Children
None recorded
Family
- Rickard KarstarkFatherAppears in Inheriting Karhold, Succession of Karhold
Others in their story
- Ramsay BoltonAppears in Inheriting Karhold, Death of Roose Bolton, Death
- Jon SnowAppears in Inheriting Karhold, Death of Roose Bolton, Death
- Roose BoltonAppears in Inheriting Karhold, Death of Roose Bolton
- Eddard StarkAppears in Inheriting Karhold
- WolkanAppears in Death of Roose Bolton
- Jon UmberAppears in Death of Roose Bolton
- Sansa StarkAppears in Death
Books and show
Where they differ
After the deaths of his father Lord Rickard Karstark and his brothers, Harald inherits Karhold and command of his house, which has sided with the Boltons in the war for the North.
He shares Ramsay Bolton's plan to storm Castle Black and capture Sansa Stark, and advises Lord Roose Bolton to kill Jon Snow, whom he sees as the last remaining threat from Eddard Stark's line. He makes no secret that his hatred of the Starks stems from his father's execution.
Harald is present when Ramsay murders his own father, Lord Roose, and raises no objection when Ramsay lies about his death afterward or orders the killing of Lady Walda and their newborn son. When Maester Wolkan is slow to call Ramsay "Lord", Harald rebukes him for it.
Together with Ramsay, he meets the Smalljon Umber to secure his support. Harald doubts the wildlings could ever take Winterfell, though Umber believes they could under Jon Snow's command.
He rides with Ramsay to parley with Jon Snow and Sansa Stark before the battle, and returns with him to the castle when the talks collapse. In the fighting he leads a cavalry charge straight at Jon Snow.
The Stark cavalry intercepts Harald's riders, and Ramsay's own arrows fall on them. Harald dies in the slaughter, before the walls of Winterfell.
- Show only: Inheriting Karhold, Death of Roose Bolton, Death
| Show | Books | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | — | Dead |
| Died | — | 303 AC · Winterfell |
| Played by | Paul Rattray | — |
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