Game of Thrones fans haven't seen Eddard "Ned" Stark since the show's first season, which culminated in his beheading. Sean Bean played the noble lord of Winterfell in those early days on the show.
Numerous sources are reporting that Ned Stark will return in Season 6, but not in a resurrected form. A younger Ned will be seen in a flashback, expected to be depicted as approximately twelve years old. Cast in the part is an English actor named Sebastian Croft, whose age is thirteen.
Based on casting sheets that surfaced in May, it sounds as if young Ned will be sparring with another boy using wooden swords. It's anybody's guess as to what important moment from Ned's past Game of Thrones will be showing us with this flashback, since the show has entered story territory where the George R.R. Martin books haven't ventured yet. There's plenty of backstory to choose from, though. Perhaps we'll witness a key moment in Ned's friendship with Robert Baratheon.
Actor Sebastian Croft has appeared in a number of live theater productions, including Matilda, Les Miserables, Coriolanus, Oliver! and more.
New seasons of HBO's Game of Thrones typically premiere in April, so April 2016 is the likely timeframe for Season 6 to begin.
In related news, Jon Snow is still dead.
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