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When it comes to Game Of Thrones, everyone is bound to have a different favorite battle. The same can be said of characters as well, and early on, a lot of fans of Game Of Thrones were big fans of both the honorable heroics of Robb Stark and the pompous nature of Jaime Lannister. The two men are each legendary in their own ways, but fans were thrilled over the idea of the two men coming into conflict with one another.
Surprisingly, the two butt heads rather quickly in the series, right toward the beginning of the War of the Five Kings. The only problem here is, the battle isn’t highlighted in the series the same way that many others are. Despite the lack of onscreen chaos, the Battle of the Whispering Wood is one of the most significant conflicts in the early phase of Game Of Thrones.
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What Was The Battle Of The Whispering Wood?
The Battle Of The Whispering Wood | |
|---|---|
Location: | The Whispering Woods in the Riverlands |
Date: | 298 AC |
Victor: | The North (House Stark) |
Outcome: | Commanding victory for Robb Stark's forces, the capture of Jaime Lannister |
Armies In Conflict: | The North against the Iron Throne |
Once the War of the Five Kings kicked off, it seemed like Robb Stark was going to be in a good position to move into King’s Landing and make the necessary deals in order to take revenge for his father. The Battle of the Whispering Wood was a great step in the right direction for this very goal, even if the Red Wedding would prevent Robb from realizing his goals. This clash, while not seen in a big way in the Game Of Thrones television series was a significant moment, as it allowed for Robb Stark to further advance his large army toward King’s Landing while also taking one of the Lannister’s key players off of the board. Despite Robb’s army having far lower numbers than the Lannisters, Robb Stark’s forces were able to decimate their resistance with little effort. That fact is made clear in a quote by Theon Greyjoy in A Game Of Thrones when speaking to Catelyn Stark:
“My lady, the realm has not seen such a victory since the Field of Fire. I vow, the Lannisters lost ten men for every one of ours that fell.”
The battle was absolutely bloody, as many battles in Game Of Thrones tend to be, but it was almost entirely bloody for the Lannister forces. The portion of the army that wasn’t killed or didn’t manage to escape was captured, with Jaime Lannister being the most important prisoner of them all. The Battle of the Whispering Wood wasn’t simply a head-on clash, as Robb Stark and his allies demonstrated their strategic prowess. The battle is different depending on whether one looks at the series or the novels, but the end result is the same either way, Robb Stark ends the battle with an important victory and the Lannister armies are left embarrassed.
Who Fought In The Battle Of The Whispering Wood?
The Battle Of The Whispering Wood Forces | |
|---|---|
House Lannister | Unknown force in the battle led by Jaime Lannister, but roughly 30,000 men in Riverrun |
House Stark | A minimum of 18,600, but likely slightly more, led by Robb Stark, Rickard Karstark, and Jon Umber |
A variety of houses were involved in the Battle of the Whispering Wood, with the two most important being the opposing forces of House Stark and House Lannister. House Lannister is the only house of note in the television series, though in the novels their forces are said to include other houses like House Banefort, House Brax, House Estren, House Greenfield, and House Westerling. There is also a major discrepancy in terms of army size in this battle when comparing the show to the book as, in the series, the Lannister forces were said to be roughly 30,000 in the area of Riverrun, while in the novels, the Lannister forces were only roughly 2000 strong. Acting as the leader of the battle for the Lannisters, Jaime Lannister took charge of this losing effort that saw his army decimated.
On the other side of the battlefield, House Stark, House Karstark, House Frey, and House Umber were all key, though in the novels an even larger combination of houses was mentioned. Robb Stark, Rickard Karstark, and Jon Umber took primary control of the forces for this battle, leading the Lannister forces back into the Whispering Woods to meet the full force of their ambush. There isn’t ever a definitive number given on the amount of Northmen included in the battle, but it was likely just under 20,000 men, leaving Robb’s army severely outnumbered had the entirety of the Lannister forces met them. The same isn't true in the novels, as Robb's army had roughly 6000 men ready to fight. Despite the odds, the cunning tactic of luring the Lannisters into the woods to attack from all sides, and allowing a spy to report back to Tywin with some misleading information was enough to make up for the difference in forces.
What Did Robb Stark’s Victory Mean For The War Of The Five Kings?
Major Armies Involved In The War Of The Five Kings | |
|---|---|
House Baratheon of King's Landing | Led by Joffrey Baratheon |
House Greyjoy | Led by Balon Greyjoy |
House Stark | Led by Robb Stark |
House Baratheon of Storm's End | Led by Renly Baratheon |
House Baratheon of Dragonstone | Led by Stannis Baratheon |
Robb Stark's victory here is one of the most meaningful in the early phase of the War of the Five Kings. Not only did this battle prove that Robb and his trusted generals were excellent strategists, but it also proved that the North had a resolve like no other. They weren’t going to be bullied by the Iron Throne no matter who was sat upon it, and Ned Stark would be avenged. This victory made it clear that the North’s campaign wasn’t just some foolish fantasy, but instead, a war that could be won if the right moves were made.
He had taken Jaime Lannister captive, and while that move would end up being mostly meaningless, this was undoubtedly a massive boost in morale. Jaime Lannister was known as one of the finest swordsmen in the kingdom, with Robb Stark even admitting that Jaime could kill him if the two fought, something that is equally true of his father Ned against Jaime. This is made even clearer in a line from Jaime Lannister in A Feast For Crows, as Robb had simply outwitted the warrior:
“Robb Stark took me unawares in the Whispering Wood. That will never happen again.”
With Jaime captured, one of the Lannister’s greatest warriors was off of the field, and the North had a bargaining chip when it came to the return of the rest of House Stark. The unfortunate truth is that, in the grand scheme of Game Of Thrones, this battle is mostly meaningless for the War of the Five Kings. Robb’s victory was great, but his time in the limelight was short-lived thanks to the betrayal of House Frey.
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Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones, based on the Song of Ice and Fire book series by George R.R. Martin, tells the sprawling story of warring families in Westeros. This includes the Starks, the Lannisters, the Baratheons, and the Targaryens. Along with human conflicts, Westeros is also threatened by the re-emergence of dragons, and an undead enemy from beyond the Wall.
