Rickon

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Childhood at Winterfell

Rickon receives a black-furred, emerald-eyed direwolf pup while only a year old. Unlike the other pups, his has not yet formed a magical bond when Aermir examines them 62.

As a young child, Rickon is much less afraid of dangerous animals than of unfamiliar people. He and Bran climb on Sith, Aermir’s shadowcat familiar, and Rickon even puts his head inside her mouth. Aermir responds by making the boys watch Sith kill and eat a sheep, teaching them that her tolerance does not make wild beasts harmless 138 139.

Rickon later joins his siblings in Aermir’s warg lessons and wilderness excursions. He and Bran continue to pester Sith despite her rough corrections, while Rickon’s lack of stealth makes him conspicuous during forest travel 145.

The Rift with Aermir

Rickon’s eighth Name Day becomes the occasion for a large feast at Winterfell, organized by his siblings with invitations to the northern lords. Aermir attends and gives him sugarcane candy, but Rickon remains wary of him 162 163 165.

Aermir eventually follows Rickon into Winterfell’s crypts, where the boy is playing with Shaggydog and an ancient sword. Shaggydog attacks to protect Rickon, forcing Aermir to subdue the direwolf before they can speak 168.

Rickon explains that he can see a powerful blue aura around Aermir, unlike the small green lights surrounding his family. Because his sight awakened during Aermir’s absence, he believes Emre the Druid has replaced his friend. Aermir establishes his identity through shared memories, binds Rickon to secrecy with Oath Magic, and explains his Druid persona 169.

Fostering and Magical Study

Recognizing Rickon’s unusual talent, Aermir asks to become his guardian. Catelyn agrees to consider the proposal if Rickon consents and Eddard approves. Aermir then requests permission to foster him at Moat Cailin and teach him magic and swordsmanship 170 172.

The prospect appeals to Rickon’s desire to surpass his brothers. He imagines becoming both a powerful Druid and a legendary knight, and asks whether he might tame a dragon. Aermir answers that they must first find one before they can try 172.

While Aermir and most of his spellcasting familiars are occupied elsewhere, Rickon moves to the Wall to continue studying under Skadi’s example. Visiting Jon provides his stated reason for the stay, but his main work is observing magic and attempting to create a Magic Heart 235.

Breakthrough at Skagos

Rickon discovers his fire affinity while watching the interaction between a campfire and the weirwood’s magic. When a larger bonfire still proves insufficient, Aermir takes him to Skagos’s dormant volcano, where he successfully forms a Magic Heart 236 237 239.

His breakthrough also helps others: Rickon assists Aermir in teaching Dacey and Adru to sense their respective elemental affinities and gather mana to form Magic Hearts 240.

Appearance

• Eyes: Bright blue 172.
• Hair: Jet-black 172.
• Build: Small and thin in the description accompanying the fostering discussion 172.
• Features: Described as resembling House Tully, with a youthful face and an easy smile 172.

Personality

Rickon is lively, curious, and stubbornly competitive. He imitates his older brothers and wants to prove that he can become stronger than them. His ambitions include knighthood, Druid magic, flight, and dragon-taming 172 235.

His early fearlessness around animals contrasts sharply with his unease around people. His trust in Sith initially leaves him unable to recognize the danger she represents, while his later fear of Aermir comes from a specific misunderstanding of the magical auras he sees 139 169.

Rickon learns quickly but pushes himself too far. After spending two days forming his Magic Heart, he refuses to stop practicing until he casts his first Fireball, despite dwindling mana and overwhelming sleepiness. His determination is partly driven by frustration at being treated as a helpless child 239 240.

He also enjoys knowing something his siblings do not. Once entrusted with Aermir’s identity, he takes pride in the secret and deflects Bran’s questions rather than revealing it 173.

Abilities & Skills

Mana Sight

Rickon can directly see mana and magical fluctuations, rather than merely sense their presence as Aermir does 169 172.

• Aura distinction: Sees blue around Aermir and Bo, and green around his family and Erebus. These observations allow Aermir to distinguish Magic Heart users from beings with innate magical talents 169.
• Spell perception: Sees the mana of an unformed Fireball and recognizes its capacity to hurt people before it visibly takes shape 169.
• Element recognition: Identifies different kinds of elemental mana and observes raw magic becoming fire-element mana around a campfire 236.
• Practical value: His sight helps uncover a method of Magic Heart creation that he later helps teach to others 236 237 240.

Warging and Transformation

Rickon learns to merge his consciousness with bonded animals through Aermir’s instruction 145.

• Multiple bonds: Rickon and Bran are described as the most gifted Stark children in this respect, each capable of bonding with three beasts 242.
• Companions: Travels and spends time with Shaggydog, Stoneclaw, and Silverwing 235.
• Transformation: His Transformation ability improves greatly over the year preceding his stay at the Wall; no completed full-body transformation is documented in these passages 235.
• Control limitation: His bond does not guarantee obedience when he is frightened. During Shaggydog’s attack on Aermir, Rickon fails to call him off 168.

Wildfire Druid Magic

Rickon’s Magic Heart makes him a spellcaster, with fire as his primary affinity and nature magic harmonizing with it 239 240.

• Spell range: Can cast every spell Aermir could use as a first-level Druid 240.
• Combat limitation: Initially attacks too directly and relies on force. Aermir teaches him to keep moving, use creativity, and incorporate nature spells 240.
• Absorption limitation: Cannot absorb the fire mana in Aermir’s enhanced bonfire while Aermir is controlling it 237.
• Environmental limitation: Ice mana at the Wall suppresses the bonfire, making it an inadequate source for forming his Magic Heart 237.

Teaching

• Helps Dacey identify her nature affinity and Adru identify his earth affinity 240.
• Assists Aermir in guiding both through mana gathering for Magic Heart formation 240.

Relationships

• Aermir Drasil / Emre the Druid — Teacher and prospective foster guardian. Their relationship recovers after Rickon learns that Aermir and Emre are the same person. Aermir later regards Rickon as the most precious person in his life 169 170 172 239.
• Eddard Stark — Father and an early model for Rickon’s ambition to become a great warrior. Aermir seeks his permission to foster and train Rickon 169 172.
• Catelyn Stark — Mother. Places his safety first and makes her consideration of the guardianship proposal dependent on Rickon’s wishes and Eddard’s approval 170.
• Robb, Jon, Sansa, Arya, and Bran — Older siblings and fellow warg pupils. They organize his Name Day feast; his brothers also inspire his determination to prove himself 145 162 172.
• Shaggydog — Direwolf companion and protector. Attacks Aermir when he perceives a threat to Rickon 168 169.
• Stoneclaw and Silverwing — Brown bear and eagle companions who accompany Rickon during his stay at the Wall 235.
• Sith — Shadowcat familiar whom Rickon treats as a playmate, sometimes with dangerous disregard for her strength and instincts 139 145.
• Skadi — Snowy owl whose spellcasting Rickon observes while attempting to develop his own Magic Heart 235 236.
• Dacey Mormont, Ariana Umber, Gric of Riddle, and Adru of Greywater — Skinchangers assigned to guard him at the Wall. Dacey and Adru subsequently become students of the mana-gathering method he helps develop 235 240.

Notable Quotes

“If I become a Druid, can I tame a dragon?” 172

“Skadi! Call Aermir, I need him! I found it! I found a way!” 236