Why did theon greyjoy betray

Theon regrets ever betraying the Starks more than Jon can know. Since he makes his choice, he goes through hell. Ramsay turns him into Reek with a combination of physical and mental abuse no person should ever have to suffer. The lingering effects of what Ramsay does to Theon still haunt him. First of all, Balon wanted revenge as he blamed the Starks for killing both his eldest sons in the first rebellion.

Theon is highborn, but never felt like the Starks other than Robb truly excepted him. He resented the fact that he was a hostage when he thought himself more as a ward. Ramsay turns him into Reek with a combination of physical and mental abuse no person should ever have to suffer. The lingering effects of what Ramsay does to Theon still haunt him. Theon offers to go ask his estranged father, Balon, for use of his fleet. So they betrayed him to get out safely.

Theon perishes defending Bran from the Night King during the Battle of Winterfell , redeeming himself at last. Theon was born at Pyke. Eight years before the start of the series Balon rose in rebellion against the Iron Throne. Theon's brothers were both killed in the fighting.

Balon surrendered and was allowed to remain Lord of the Iron Islands on the condition that Theon remains a hostage and ward of Eddard Stark. Theon is a skilled archer. His cocky arrogance and cavalier actions contrast with the staid ways of the North. Theon is present during the execution of Will , a deserter from the Night's Watch.

He holds the scabbard of Ice , the greatsword of House Stark, as Lord Eddard Stark draws it to behead the condemned man. On the way back to Winterfell , the party finds a disemboweled stag dead in the road. Looking for the killer, they find a dead female direwolf and five pups huddled by the corpse for warmth. A broken piece of the dead stag's antler is embedded in the direwolf's neck. Eddard initially insists the pups be given a quick death, which Theon cavalierly moves to carry out himself, upsetting Bran and angering Robb.

However, Jon Snow tells his father that this is an omen as there are five pups and five trueborn Stark children. Eddard consents to allowing his children to adopt the pups.

Just as the party leaves, Jon finds a sixth pup , an albino. Theon mockingly declares him the runt of the litter and that he belongs to Jon. Later, Robb, Jon, and Theon get shaves and haircuts, as they ponder the impending arrival of the royal party, notably the reputation of Queen Cersei Lannister as a great beauty and the poor reputation of Prince Joffrey Baratheon.

After the royal party's departure, an assassin attempts to kill Bran, who had fallen during one of his climbs and remained comatose.

Theon learns that Catelyn has found evidence implicating the Lannisters in Bran's 'accident' and the failed assassination. Theon and Robb suggest taking revenge through military action, but Maester Luwin counsels patience. Afterwards, as Tyrion is leaving to stay in a brothel, Theon condescendingly tells him to ask for Ros.

Tyrion ridicules Theon for his family's failed uprising , calling it "a stupid rebellion", and ponders how Balon Greyjoy would feel about his last living son being the Starks' "lackey.

He reacts angrily to a further insult from his favorite prostitute, Ros, after sneaking her into the castle to engage her services. Robb brusquely reminds Theon that he is not a Stark. Bran is taken prisoner by wildlings in the forest near Winterfell and Theon saves him by shooting Stiv , the wildling leader, in the back with an arrow.

Robb is angry at him, as Bran could have been hurt. Theon counters that he just saved Bran's life, and Robb was too hesitant to kill. Taking pride in his action, Theon says that you're "only considered a real man in the Iron Islands once you've killed your first enemy. With the departure of Ros for King's Landing, Theon is left at the castle and is bored. He accosts the surviving wildling prisoner, the spearwife Osha , as she is now a servant at Winterfell.

Theon throws his weight around, insisting that she call him "my lord", even though his father still holds the title. He is warned off by Maester Luwin who reminds Theon that he of all people should know that being a guest and a prisoner are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Robb summons his banners to war when word comes of Lord Eddard's arrest.

Theon tells Robb that it is good that he is afraid because it shows he is not stupid. As Theon dines with Robb and his bannermen later after they arrive at Winterfell, he witnesses Greatjon Umber threatening to withdraw his men from the host when Robb refuses to let him lead the vanguard.

Robb counters the Greatjon by saying he is welcome to do so but as soon as he is finished with the Lannisters, he will march back North to route the Greatjon from his keep and hang him for an oathbreaker. As the Greatjon moves to draw a weapon, Theon rises from his chair to defend Robb but Grey Wind darts down the table and bites off two of the Greatjon's fingers.

When Robb mercifully offers the Greatjon drew his weapon to cut his meat for him, the Greatjon calls his meat "bloody tough", which draws laughter from the rest of the men including Theon. As the northern army marches south, Theon advises Robb at strategy meetings and greets Catelyn when the army meets her on the road. When a Lannister scout is captured, Theon obscures their maps and battle plans, to Greatjon Umber 's amusement.

Reaching the Twins , Theon shoots down several ravens leaving the castle bearing messages from Lord Walder Frey , allowing Catelyn to negotiate an alliance. He is present when Catelyn returns to inform her son of the terms set by Lord Walder, one of which is that Robb must marry one of his many female progeny. Theon chuckles when Robb asks his mother if she got a look at them, and her tone suggests they are not very attractive. Theon suggests that they kill Jaime and send his head to his father Tywin, but Robb refuses, fearing that Sansa and Arya will be harmed in retaliation.

When Robb laments the loss of 2, of his men in the feint at the Battle of the Green Fork , Theon assures him that songs will be sung of their bravery.

Robb responds that they will not hear them. Theon asks first if they are brothers, now and always. When Robb's answer is yes, Theon swears his sword and fealty to Robb's service, proclaiming Robb as his King.

Theon appeals to Robb to seek an alliance with his father, Balon Greyjoy , reasoning that Robb needs a fleet to attack King's Landing, and confident that Balon will listen to him. Theon seduces the daughter of the ship's captain and tells her about how he will be welcomed home. He is deflated at the lack of a reception for his return, resorting to bribing, despite his status.

His sister, Yara , poses as a stranger and offers to give him a ride to the castle. She wants to see what Theon has grown up to be. He flirts with her relentlessly, even touching her almost intimately and brags about his own importance. Balon greets Theon coolly, believing that he has forgotten his roots and become loyal to the Starks in his time away.

He insults Theon's fine clothes given to him by the Starks, and is furious when Theon tells him that Robb thinks of him as a brother. Yara reveals her deception and Balon compares Theon to his sister unfavorably. Balon rejects the alliance Theon suggests and is insulted that Theon thought he would accept being given a crown. He reminds Theon that they pay the iron price and take what they want.

Balon reveals that he plans to attack the North while it is poorly defended. Balon gives Yara a fleet of thirty ships to take Deepwood Motte and insults Theon by giving him a lesser mission to raid fishing villages on the Stony Shore , with only a single ship. Theon considers informing Robb of the plot but decides that his loyalty lies with his family.

His first mate Dagmer tells him that he must prove himself to the men and that ironborn do not follow orders. Theon senses the opportunity to attack Torrhen's Square to lure the Stark garrison away from Winterfell. His plan is successful and Theon has his men seize the poorly defended Winterfell. He forces Bran Stark to yield to him by threatening his people. Ser Rodrik regrets that he gave him weapon training and even spits in Theon's face. Dagmer insists that Rodrik must be killed to maintain the respect of the men.

Rodrik baits Theon into performing the execution himself. Theon botches the beheading, taking three swings and a vicious kick to accomplish it, to the horror of Bran and the watching crowd.

Theon is seduced by Osha , who Theon grants her freedom to in return for her sexual service. She then frees Bran and Rickon , fleeing with them [18] while Theon sleeps. When Theon wakes the next day, he is told that Bran and Rickon have escaped. He is angry at his men for allowing the children and the simpleminded Hodor to escape. Black Lorren implies that Theon is actually to blame for their escape by allowing himself to be seduced by Osha. Theon, in turn, responds to this insolence by publicly beating Lorren.

Despite his attempts, Theon is unable to find the escapees. Unknown to Theon, Osha led Bran and Rickon into the Winterfell crypts after realizing that Theon would never give up the chase. She arrives with just twenty men and warns him that everyone in the North wants him dead because of his killing of the Stark boys, and he is too far from the sea to supply or reinforce his position.

Yara tells him about how she remembers him as a child, demanding but sweet. She urges him to abandon Winterfell, return to the Iron Islands, and not to die so far from his home, but he refuses to give up his prize.

Feeling some guilt over the deaths of the two farms boys, his asks Dagmer to pay the farmer for his grief. Dagmer tells Theon that after killing the orphans, he also murdered the farmer and his wife. Winterfell is later surrounded by Northmen under the command of Ramsay Snow , who infuriates Theon by blowing a horn all through the night.

Besieged with no hope for relief, Theon tearfully vents his frustration to Maester Luwin at being constantly reminded by everyone, including Luwin himself, how fortunate he was to be a prisoner of the Starks. Assuming a more sympathetic tone, Luwin advises Theon to flee to the Wall and join the Night's Watch so that he might save his life and attempt to redeem himself, adding he knows Theon is not the ruthless man he is pretending to be.

Theon owes to Luwin that he has done terrible things in his futile attempts to gain power and respect but he refuses to deviate from the course he has set, saying he has gone too far to ever pretend to be anyone else, and also adds that Jon Snow will likely kill him in revenge for allegedly killing Bran and Rickon.

He readies his men for a glorious death in battle, giving a rousing speech, but is betrayed and knocked out by Dagmer, who plans to turn him over to the northern forces so the rest of them can go home. Luwin attempts to aid Theon but is stabbed in the abdomen by Dagmer, who then has Theon dragged away with his head covered by a cloth bag.

Bound to a rack, he is repeatedly tortured by a group of men, some of whom are dressed in the garb of Greyjoy men. One of them pries off Theon's fingernails with a knife while the others drive a screw through his foot. After enduring extensive torture, Theon is given some reprieve.

Ramsay Snow deceives Theon, claiming he is a servant and approaches him and claims he's been sent by Yara to rescue him, before leaving Theon, placing the cloth bag over his head for the night. Ramsay advises Theon to keep heading east where Yara is waiting for him. Theon says he'll make the boy a lord of the Iron Islands for his actions.

The boy replies, "We're not in the Iron Islands. As Theon rides east, an arrow narrowly misses his head, and Theon sees that his captors are following him. After a harrowing chase the former Prince of Winterfell is knocked from his horse by a blow from a flail. The men hold Theon in place as the leading torturer prepares to rape him.

Theon's pleas for them to stop fall on deaf ears but then the leader is pierced by an arrow. Ramsay has returned and swiftly kills all his men. Ramsay helps Theon to his feet and tells him to come with him, because he is far from home and winter is coming.

After rescuing him the boy promises Theon to take him to Deepwood Motte to see Yara. When Theon questions his savior, Ramsay lies that he is ironborn as well, growing up on Saltcliffe , and he witnessed Theon being shipped off to Winterfell.

Some time later the men reach a holdfast, and Theon questions why they have to sneak inside when surely Yara's men are loyal to her. Ramsay warns Theon that some of the men belong to his father Balon, who wants him dead. As Ramsay struggles to open a locked gate Theon confesses his sins. He wanted desperately to impress his father but he knows now that Eddard Stark was his true father. After opening the gate Theon and Ramsay enter a darkened room. The youth lights a torch and much to Theon's horror he's back in the same torture chamber in the Dreadfort.

Armed men enter and Ramsay claims that Theon killed their comrades and escaped but he has brought their captive back. Kicking and screaming, Theon is refastened to the rack. Theon is awakened by the ringing of a trumpet. Ramsay 'begs pardon' for rousing his guest. Theon tries to mumble something but fails. Ramsay understands his prisoner requires water but pours it out all over the dungeon floor to further torment him.

Ramsay proposes a game to pass the time and he asks the heir to Pyke which body part he does not need. Hearing this Theon vows to tell his captor all he wishes to know.

The cruel boy merely mocks him stating that Theon already told him everything of value. Ramsay goes on saying that he realizes Theon wants to know who he is and why he is being tortured. The young man makes a proposal: If Theon guesses correctly who he actually is Theon is the victor, but if Theon begs his tormentor to remove his finger he wins.

Theon then asks if winning said game will secure his release. Theon does guess correctly that he is still in the North. However when the former prince of Winterfell supposes that Ramsay is a son of Rickard Karstark he is revealed to be wrong.

Ramsay slowly flays his captive's finger stating that Theon first should have asked if he was a liar. Theon begs for the finger to be cut off which delights Ramsay since Ramsay has won the 'game'. Theon is later released from the cross by two beautiful young women, Myranda and Violet. They put Theon to bed and they then proceed to fondle him sensually. Both have heard that the heir to Pyke is well endowed and are hoping to get firsthand experience.

Theon is distrustful at first fearing that this is another of his tormentor's tricks. When they disrobe and straddle him, Theon's resolve to resist weakens. Suddenly the familiar horn sounds and Ramsay enters, revealing that Myranda and Violet are two of his bedwarmers.

He too has heard how large his prisoner's penis is and surmises it is Theon's favorite body part. When the sadistic Ramsay brandishes a hooked knife Theon realizes Ramsay means to castrate him.

Horrified, Theon begs for mercy, but Ramsay quips that this is mercy as he is not killing, but merely altering Theon. Two men restrain Theon as Ramsay proceeds to geld him, knocking him out in the process, after which he is castrated. Theon later wakes in his strung up position while Ramsay eats a long plump sausage nearby and motions to Theon's blood-stained, badly sewn-up trousers, momentarily tricking Theon into thinking it is his penis he is eating.

Ramsay mocks him as he laughs about his severed penis and wonders if Theon will have phantom feelings for his lost body part if he goes near any pretty women. Theon finally begs Ramsay to kill him as an escape from the nightmare, but Ramsay tells him he is much more valuable to him alive.

He renames him "Reek" because he smells bad and demands that Theon say that his name is Reek. With an angry look, Theon says his name is Theon Greyjoy, prompting Ramsay to punch him and ask again, and again, smirking slightly, he says his name is Theon Greyjoy.

Ramsay hits him harder, grabs his head and screams the same question. This time, Theon gives in and says his that name is Reek. As Ramsay returns to his table satisfied, Theon weeps silently over his lost pride. Ramsay sends Theon's severed penis to his family in Pyke with a letter detailing his Sack of Winterfell and his demand that the ironborn withdraw from the North or Ramsay will send them more of Theon's body parts.

Balon refuses to surrender, saying that Theon was a fool for disobeying his orders and attacking Winterfell and that, as his castration means that he is no longer capable of producing heirs, he has no value whatsoever. However, Yara defies her father and prepares the fastest ship in the fleet and the strongest men on the Iron Islands to sail on the Dreadfort and rescue Theon. Theon, now going by the name Reek, has been freed from his restraints, but on the condition that he work for Ramsay as a servant.

Because of his torture and emasculation by Ramsay, Theon is now mentally weakened and offers no resistance to his new lord. He accompanies Ramsay and Myranda on their hunt for Tansy , however he struggles to keep up with them due to his injuries. When Myranda brings down Tansy with an arrow to the leg Ramsay asks Reek if it was a good shot.

Ramsay brings Reek before Ramsay's father, Roose Bolton. Roose is angered that Ramsay has damaged a valuable hostage, whom he intended to trade for the ironborn-occupied Moat Cailin. To demonstrate their captive's submissiveness, Ramsay orders Reek to shave him.

Ramsay then reveals to Reek that Robb Stark is dead, and was stabbed through the heart by Roose. Reek holds the razor at Ramsay's neck briefly but continues shaving. When Roose orders Locke to find and kill the Stark boys, the latter asks Ramsay if his "pet rat" has any thoughts on where they went. Without saying a word, Ramsay orders Reek to answer Locke's question by simply giving him a look.

Reek sadly tells him that they may be with Jon Snow at Castle Black. Yara, along with a group of ironborn, infiltrates the Dreadfort to rescue her brother, only to find him in one of the kennels. Believing that this may be another one of Ramsay's tricks, Reek desperately refuses to abandon his master, refusing to be Theon Greyjoy and screaming to be left alone, insisting that he is Reek. Soon Ramsay arrives with a group of Northmen.

As the two sides fight each other, Reek keeps resisting to be taken and bites Yara's hand to return to his cage. Yara escapes after being rejected and Ramsay unleashing his hounds at her. As a reward for his demonstration of loyalty, Ramsay offers Reek a bath, though Reek is hesitant to remove his clothing, due to the many scars of his torture and his earlier castration.

After Reek gets into the tub, Ramsay cleans his servant himself and demands a demonstration of Reek's love: his help to get a castle back. Reek's task is to masquerade as Theon Greyjoy. Outside of Moat Cailin , Ramsay goes over Reek's mission with him one last time: he is to enter Moat Cailin under the guise of Theon Greyjoy, prince of the Iron Islands, and attempt to negotiate with the ironborn garrison holding it in an attempt to convince them to surrender the fortress to the Boltons.

Reek rides up to the fortress gate, and almost blows his cover when asked to identify himself, yet manages to regain his composure and convince the ironborn to let him to enter. Reek enters the ruined fortress of Moat Cailin under the guise of his former self.

Upon riding into Moat Cailin, Reek finds it in a state of death and decay, littered with corpses and the few remaining men ravaged by disease and exhaustion. He introduces himself as Prince Theon and truthfully informs the ironborn that he has been a prisoner of House Bolton and has been sent to Moat Cailin as their envoy.

He reads the terms that House Bolton has laid out for the ironborn, promising them safe passage home if they peacefully surrender Moat Cailin. However, Ralf Kenning , the garrison commander of the ironborn, decries Reek's words as those of a "whipped dog" and that he is no true ironborn, nearly causing Reek to become unnerved and drop his facade.

However, Reek is saved when one of Kenning's own men suddenly buries an axe in his head and accepts Reek's terms of surrender. However, the ironborn are promptly massacred and flayed by Ramsay and his men after they surrender.

Ramsay reveals to Theon that he never intended to let the ironborn go, and congratulates him by patting him. In the aftermath, Ramsay meets with his father and presents him with the Greyjoy banner that was flying over the fortress. In recognition, Roose presents Ramsay with a decree of legitimization , making him officially a member of House Bolton.

Delighted at the knowledge he will succeed his father as Warden of the North , Ramsay and Reek accompany Roose's army as it approaches the ruins of Winterfell, with Ramsay gleefully informing Reek that he's ready for a hot bath. Reek walks through the partially-repaired Winterfell and is clearly shaken when he sees freshly flayed corpses being hung on the castle walls, which reminds him of the burned corpses of Jack and Billy.

Later, while Ramsay and Roose Bolton discuss their delicate position as the new Wardens of the North , Reek serves them their food. When his childhood friend, Sansa Stark , arrives in Winterfell, Reek watches her arrival from a distance. Later, as Sansa explores the courtyard, Reek avoids her but appears to be struggling not to call out to her.

Later, while sleeping in the kennels, Reek is accosted by Sansa, who had been led there by Myranda. Reek shakes his head at her and tells her she shouldn't be there.

Ramsay later confronts Reek about how Sansa approached him and chastises him for keeping it a secret from him. He trained all the Stark sons, including Jon Snow and Theon Greyjoy, how to fight with sword and bow and arrow. He was a well known and respected teacher, supposedly. He knew Rodrick and, even if he had never actually cared for him, Robb obviously did. And yet, Theon lets the man die. It seems only right that Theon should swear fealty to Robb as the King in the North.

Yet, that highlights the problematic power structure that always existed in Robb and Theon's relationship. Robb was always a Stark, the heir to Winterfell. He was always going to be held above Theon, even before he was a king, in terms of power structures. It's very hard to form a real and honest friendship when a power dynamic like that already exists in the relationship. Even if Theon really wanted to be a Stark, in the end, Robb never would have allowed it.

Despite Theon belonging far more in Winterfell than in the Iron Islands, Robb would never have let Theon do as he wished. What does Robb do? He reminds Theon that he is not a Stark.