Game of Thrones just debunked a long-held theory about Jaqen H’ghar and the faceless men’s deadly price

An ancient Game of Thrones fan theory claimed Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish purposely sent the enigmatic Faceless Man, Jaqen H'ghar, to King's Landing to murder Ned Stark. Theoretically, Jaqen intended his imprisonment so that he might be nearer to Ned in the Black Cells; then, before Arya could rescue him, he would kill him.

But the Faceless Men's pricing system's fundamental feature, demanding terrible sacrifices instead of money for high-profile targets, refutes that notion. Littlefinger was not ready nor able to pay the "price" needed to kill someone of Ned's status, which makes the assassination-contract narrative rather implausible.

Game of Thrones theory about Jaqen H’ghar and the faceless men’s deadly price: details

All from Braavos, an assassin-priest guild called the Faceless Men, worship the Many-Faced God and provide the "gift" of murder as a service. Their devotees are instructed to mix in with society and forget who they are, hence enabling them to do secret murders.

One such Faceless Man shows up in the Black Cells of King's Landing under the cover of "Jaqen H'ghar" and triumphantly returns to Braavos to teach Arya Stark. Many are asking if he was just waiting for a ship to Braavos to return to Westeros or whether he was on some secret assignment.

Fans noted that Littlefinger had both the means and the will to kill Ned Stark, who threatened his plans.

Arya in Braavos pays Jaqen with a coin similar to the one Littlefinger offers to a weird woman in Season 7, which was seen as a way to trade faces or goals. This explains Jaqen's unusual behavior during Black Cells' imprisonment and his personal goal in Westeros.

The show runs on the accepted standard that a Faceless Man requires a coin and the phrase "Valar morghulis" to accept a trade. Screen Rant's reading, however, suggests that Arya's Iron Coin is only a membership symbol for the House of Black and White that permits safe passage and admission rather than a payment for the whole assassination fee.

The novels make it obvious that hiring a Faceless Man to kill a desired target like Daenerys Targaryen would be more costly than amassing an army. Tyrion even questions this concept during his conversation with Varys.

This contradicts what supporters think, namely that the price is within a schemer's limited means. It also indicates that the price of the Faceless Men is fixed at an "army-level" scale, meaning it cannot be altered by embezzlement or bribery.

When it becomes clear that the Faceless Men demand absurd, army-level prices, the "Littlefinger hired Jaqen H'ghar" thesis loses much of its narrative appeal. Once again, writers and audiences are left to clarify Jaqen's precise goal in Westeros; this does not exclude the chance, especially if Ned Stark was the planned target.

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Divya Burman is a journalist at Primetimer 

She has completed her graduation in English Literature, which fuelled her interest in writing. A curious learner, Divya isn't scared to move out of her comfort zone and reviews her work from a critical point of view.

Divya has multiple years of work experience, including at companies like TechWhoop and Vimana. She also worked as a programme facilitator at MyCaptain.

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