When you think of Game of Thrones, you probably see a man with a weathered face, heavy furs, and a massive broadsword sitting on an iron throne he never actually wanted. That man is Eddard "Ned" Stark. Honestly, it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role. But if you think Sean Bean was the only person to ever put on the Stark sigil, you’re actually missing a huge chunk of the story.
Basically, the role was split. It wasn't just one guy. While Sean Bean is the face on the posters, three different actors have technically played Ned Stark across the series.
The Man Who Set the Tone: Sean Bean
Let’s start with the obvious one. Sean Bean played Ned Stark in Season 1, and his performance was so powerful it basically dictated how every other actor in the North had to behave for the next eight years.
Funny enough, Sean Bean didn't even have to audition. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the showrunners, were so dead-set on him that they flew to London just to have lunch with him at a spot in Soho. They knew that if they didn't get Bean, the show might not even get the green light from HBO. He was the "anchor." At that point, the only other person cast was Peter Dinklage.
Sean Bean's Yorkshire roots actually changed the entire geography of the show. Since Bean spoke with his natural Sheffield accent, the producers decided that all Starks—and basically everyone from the North—had to sound like him. Imagine being Kit Harington or Richard Madden and realizing you have to spend a decade mimicking Sean Bean’s vowels. That’s a lot of pressure.
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Bean knew Ned was going to die. He’s famous for his on-screen deaths, but he’s gone on record saying Ned felt different because he was "out-and-out a good man." Most of his other characters had a bit of a "dark side," like Boromir in The Lord of the Rings. Ned was just... Ned. Loyal to a fault, which, as we all know, didn't end great for his neck.
The Mystery of the Flashbacks: Who Played Young Ned?
After Ned’s head rolled in Episode 9, most people thought that was it. But Season 6 brought Bran’s "Greensight" into play, which meant we finally got to see a younger version of the Warden of the North. This is where things get interesting for the "who played Ned Stark" trivia buffs.
Robert Aramayo (The Young Adult Ned)
If you’ve watched The Rings of Power on Amazon, you’ll recognize Robert Aramayo as Elrond. But before he was an Elf, he was the guy fighting Arthur Dayne at the Tower of Joy.
Aramayo had a tough job. He had to look like a man who could reasonably grow up to be Sean Bean. He’s from Hull, which is also in Yorkshire, so the accent came naturally to him. He spent hours watching Season 1 footage to nail Bean’s specific "hunched" posture and the way he held a sword.
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There’s a bit of a fan debate about that Tower of Joy scene. In the books, Ned is a legendary figure, but Aramayo played him as a man who was clearly outmatched and a little bit desperate. It added a layer of "humanity" to the myth.
Sebastian Croft (The Boy Ned)
Even younger than Aramayo was Sebastian Croft, who played Ned as a child in Bran’s first vision of Winterfell. He was about 13 at the time. You might know him now from Heartstopper on Netflix. He appeared in two episodes of Season 6, sparring with his brother Benjen.
Why the Casting of Ned Stark Still Matters in 2026
Even though the show finished years ago, the casting of Ned Stark remains a masterclass in "anchoring" a series. Usually, when a show kills its lead, the ratings tank. But because Bean played Ned with such a specific, heavy sense of honor, his ghost basically haunted every decision his children made until the series finale.
The casting director, Nina Gold, has mentioned that they needed someone who felt like "old money" but for warriors. Someone who didn't need to shout to be heard.
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Quick Breakdown of the Neds:
- The Icon: Sean Bean (Adult Ned, Season 1)
- The Warrior: Robert Aramayo (Young Adult Ned, Seasons 6 & 7)
- The Child: Sebastian Croft (Boy Ned, Season 6)
There was even a brief moment where Wayne Foskett appeared as Rickard Stark (Ned's father), giving advice to a young Ned, which technically adds another layer to the family tree we see on screen.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into the lore, your next best step is to look into the "Robert’s Rebellion" fan theories. Most of the casting choices for the younger versions of these characters were made with a potential prequel in mind. While House of the Dragon took us further back, the performances of Aramayo and Croft gave us the only real glimpse of what a Rebellion-era show would actually look like.
Check out the behind-the-scenes "Anatomy of a Scene" for the Tower of Joy if you want to see how Aramayo practiced mimicking Bean's fighting style. It’s pretty wild how much work goes into making two different actors feel like the same person.