Bran Stark is introduced to Game Of Thrones as a wide-eyed child of Eddard and Catelyn Stark, full of wonder and adventure. When his family are faced with arduous times and are subsequently ripped apart, he goes through quite a shift in character. With a war breaking out between the Starks and Lannisters, Bran is forced north.
He discovers his destiny in following and becoming the Three-Eyed Raven, a mysterious entity capable of using greensight to view the past, present, and future. Bran's bizarre journey even sees him becoming the final king of Game Of Thrones. Despite everything that he goes through to get there, his character is still seen as one of the most boring. Perhaps Bran is boring compared to other more exciting storylines and character arcs, but it could be the fault of his own character.
10 Bran's Story Pales In Comparison To The Other Surviving Starks & Their Journeys
One of the main themes throughout Game Of Thrones is families at war. While the Lannisters initially stand in power and are viewed as the antagonists, the Starks are immediately sent through an emotional mangle. They even lose the head of the family, Ned Stark, before the end of the first season.
By the end of the eighth season, only Arya, Sansa, and Bran remain, with Jon being a complicated inclusion due to his heritage. Arya and Sansa suffer great trauma that drastically changes their characters. While Bran also goes through a lot when becoming the Three-Eyed Raven, the journey just isn't as interesting or engaging as his siblings' journeys.
9 His Powers Are Rarely Shown Being Used
When Bran becomes the Three-Eyed Raven, him using his newly acquired powers is rarely shown beyond him disappearing within himself as his eyes glaze over. Bran comes out with historical quotes or descriptions of previous events as proof of him using his sight, but the delivery quickly loses its intended impact without additional visuals.
Other than warging into crows, not much else is shown following his ascension into becoming the Three-Eyed Raven. In a show where action and tension are key tools in engaging the audience, Bran's new character lacks these.
8 He Becomes The King & Knew It All Along
The final season of Game Of Thrones will always be remembered for all the wrong reasons, with most fans believing it ruined a near-perfect show through nonsensical plot threads, disregard of previous growth, and its generally rushed narrative. The final nail in the coffin is when Bran Stark is named as the new King of Westeros. This is despite Bran supposedly being committed to his role as the Three-Eyed Raven and having previously rejected any notions of being a lord.
Bran accepting Tyrion's request to be the new king, while saying "Why do you think I came all this way?", annoyed fans and did nothing to endear them to the new king. The notion that he knew what was going to happen the entire time just didn't sit well with the audience.
7 He Was Left Out For A Season Because There Was Nothing For Him To Do
Bran doesn't appear at all in Game Of Thrones' fifth season. It's left to the imagination that he is simply being trained by the current Three-Eyed Raven during this time, allowing for all of the separate plot points to align properly and pick back up in season six.
The greensight could well have been used during this time and season. However, a whole season of Bran not really moving anywhere is as boring as him not even appearing at all.
6 He Is Merely Used As Bait Against The White Walkers
During the Battle of Winterfell, Bran is stationed at the godswood with Theon and the ironborn, so as to act as bait and lure the Night King out to him. Bran sits, waits, and allegedly wargs into a crow to observe, as Jon and everybody else fights for their lives against the undead.
The episode The Long Night has been criticized for its dark setting and lack of visibility, but it ultimately adds to the gritty and unpleasant fight on everybody's hands. While chaos ensues from all angles in the main battle, Bran's involvement feels like nothing in comparison, despite Theon's defiant demise and Bran as bait luring the Night King to his death.
5 Becoming The Three-Eyed Raven Wipes His Personality, Removing Bran Stark's Core Characteristics
At the start of Game Of Thrones, Bran Stark is a wide-eyed young boy who loves to climb the walls of Winterfell and explore, letting his curiosity run wild. This is until he witnesses Jaime and Cersei Lannister together and is subsequently thrown from a tower window and left paralyzed.
Bran begins to grow cynical as he escapes the clutches of Theon and the Boltons. However, when he becomes the Three-Eyed Raven, he loses all remnants of his former self, in both name and personality. It is often questioned whether it was necessary for him to be stripped of his Bran Stark identity. This new personality and his blank expressions make for moments of monotonous dialogue, regardless of the importance of what is being said.
4 Fans Are More Interested In Greensight & The Flashbacks Themselves Than Bran Learning From The Three-Eyed Raven
When Bran is learning the ways of the Three-Eyed Raven, he is shown several historical moments through greensight, with three being flashbacks. From Hodor's origins to Ned Stark fighting Ser Arthur Dayne and him eventually reuniting with his dying sister, these glimpses into the past are welcomed. However, the fact that Bran is there doesn't do anything to help their positive impact.
While greensight is obviously necessary for viewing these moments, Bran is incompetent during his training. His inexperience and Meera's words are revealed to have inadvertently made Hodor mentally disabled.
3 His Chapters In The Books Are Also Considered Boring By Many
Bran Stark's chapters in the books are also considered to be boring, due to how lengthy and descriptive they can be without getting to clear and obvious action. This is because of the sheer amount of lore that these chapters have packed into them. Most of them are actually necessary to the long-term state of the story but can feel like a chore for the short term.
The sense of boredom that can come from these chapters is not too dissimilar to Bran's story in Game Of Thrones, with Bran's eventual importance stemming from the lore and knowledge that he provides.
2 He Is Rarely Involved In Action-Packed Scenes
Through no fault of his own, Bran Stark's mobility and sense of wonder are destroyed when he is paralyzed after Jaime Lannister pushes him out of a window. Despite help from Tyrion in getting Bran to once again ride a horse, Bran becomes a boy who needs others to mentally and physically help him.
On the few occasions that Bran is attacked, it is his more active companions, Osha, Meera, Hodor, and the wolves who save the day and generate more of an opinion from fans. Bran's scenes are ultimately very linear, with him traveling to the Three-Eyed Raven before becoming the entity himself. His plotline doesn't quite hold up against some of the more exciting and action-packed storylines.
1 Bran Desperately Needed A Villainous Twist To Add Some Intrigue To His Journey
Ever since Bran became the Three-Eyed Raven, rumors began to circulate regarding his likely heading and even past events that he may well have influenced. None of this came to fruition and instead, Bran lost his Stark personality and became the all-seeing Three-Eyed Raven. His most impactful moments came from his use of greensight, creeping out and surprising various characters by recalling events or words from supposedly private situations.
With Bran's ability to warg into creatures and even other people, Bran influencing Daenerys or Drogon into causing the devastation of King's Landing could have been a shocking twist to keep secret until he became king. Some sort of evil twist on his motives would accompany his newly cold and vacant expression perfectly, and make for a more impactful coronation.