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This Game of Thrones Theory Explaining Why Hodor Can’t Speak Is So Mind-Blowing It Could Be True


Since Day 1, Game of Thrones fans have known Hodor to be mute. The man can only speak his name, but most people have kind of accepted it. Nobody really questioned why Kristian Nairn’s character can only say “Hodor” - that is, until the latest season 6 episode.

Warning: Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 3 spoilers are up ahead. Read at your own risk.

 

 

 

In last Sunday’s episode of the hit HBO series, we saw Bran Stark going back to the time of his father Ned and his aunt Lyanna’s youth. A young Hodor was also there, and we saw something that’s as surprising as the moment Jon Snow was brought back from the dead – Hodor talked!

Apparently, Hodor’s real name is Willis, and Willis has some sword skills. Lyanna invites Willis on a sword fight but he is forbidden to do such by his mom, who says he’s better as a stable boy.

When Bran returned to the present, naturally he asks Hodor what happened to him. Bran never knew the answer to that since the present Hodor could only say well, “Hodor.”

Well, a new crazy theory by Redditors gbinasia and TazoGreenTea is circulating the internet that aims to explain Hodor’s mysterious past that led to his condition, and it’s just so insane that it’s actually genius.

The gist: Hodor was a warg and he spent too much time into his animal that he completely lost a part of himself, which is something that Jojen Reed warned Bran about.

Another possibility is that Hodor’s animal was killed while he was still warged into it. This could have caused too much trauma that Willis lost his mind.

While both of these theories are possible, it begs the question of which warg animal Hodor has. According to Gbinasia, it is obviously Lyanna’s horse. The Redditor explains:

As a stable boy, it would make sense that his choice would be to warg into a horse since, like dogs, they are docile and are accustomed to his presence. And if the (possibly) only girl treating him nicely was Lyanna, it would make complete sense that this is the horse he would warg into. 

Since Lyanna died at the Tower of Joy, her horse (as Hodor) could have died with her, causing the trauma.

If you’re doubting this theory, here are proof:

Evidence 1: One piece in George R.R. Martin’s novels compares Hodor to a horse.

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According to Redditor PliersD3, in A Clash of Kings, Hodor was called a horse, literally:

Little Walder cast his splintered lance aside, spied Bran, and reined up.
“Now there’s an ugly horse,” he said of Hodor.
“Hodor’s no horse,” Bran said.
“Hodor,” said Hodor.
Big Walder trotted up to join his cousin. “Well, he’s not as smart as a horse, that’s for certain.”

Little Walder even thought Hodor meant “I love you” in horse language. Also, in A Game of Thrones, Maester Luwin did say: “Hodor is a man, not a mule to be beaten.”

Evidence 2: Hodor has horse features.

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In the novels, after Bran became crippled, he was described as riding the back of Hodor. We also see this numerous times in the TV series. In addition, Hodor seems to be afraid of dark and lightning, very much similar to a horse.

An excerpt from A Storm of Swords goes:

The lightning flashed again, and this time the thunder came at six. “Hodor!” Hodor yelled again. “HODOR! HODOR!” He snatched up his sword, as if to fight the storm.

Evidence 3: Wargs go insane when their animals get killed.

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In the novels, Melisandre kills an eagle while a wildling is still warged into it. The wildling goes berserk and loses control of his other animals.

Evidence 4: The three-eyed raven has been keeping a close eye on Hodor all this time.

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According to Redditor TazoGreenTea, there’s a scene from Season 4 where the three-eyed raven tells Hodor, Bran and Meera that he has been “watching you — all of you — all of your lives.” 

There must be a completely good reason that the three-eyed raven chose to watch Hodor and not anyone else.

Going back to Bran’s flashback scene, there was a point where Lyanna was on a horse and Hodor was talking. This was the when the three-eyed raven warns Bran not to stay in his visions too long. Again, there must be an explanation for that statement at that certain moment.

If the theory is true, everything certainly makes sense now. The the three-eyed raven warns Bran referencing what happened to Hodor.

What do you think?

Read: Finn Jones' Game of Thrones Theory About Bran Warging Into A Dragon

Read: Game of Thrones 'Book of the Stranger' Episode Photos and Preview Tease Reunions

Read: Why a Recent Game of Thrones Direwolf Conspiracy Isn’t True, According to Show’s Star

Read: This Game of Thrones Fan Theory About Bran Stark is Mind-Blowing

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