With the announcement of a Jon Snow spinoff in early production, Game of Thrones fans will get the opportunity to see at least one of their favorite characters back in action.
However, fans will never again get to see Ned Stark as the great character he was in the first season of this epic series. Ned Stark was a man of honor and dignity, always fighting and bargaining for what he thought was the most respectful way. However, it was Ned's honor that led him to make all of the mistakes that resulted in his downfall.
Not Telling Robert The Truth
Not telling King Robert the truth about his children was one of the biggest mistakes Ned Stark made. While he discovered it at an inopportune moment, he still could have brought it up, even when Robert found himself on his deathbed after being mauled by a boar.
King Robert was not yet dead when Ned had the chance to speak to him. Instead, he let the king write a letter leaving Ned in charge, and allowed him to die without knowing the truth. While this seems like mercy to his old friend, dismissing this letter was as easy as Cersei ripping it up. Had the king known his supposed children weren't his own, he might have acted in a way that would have further solidified Ned as the Hand of the King.
Bringing His Daughters To Kings Landing
While it was impossible for Ned to refuse King Robert's offer to be anointed Hand of the King, his daughters could have stayed behind in Winterfell. Though Sansa was betrothed to Prince Joffrey, she was not yet of age and therefore could have stayed at home.
Though Ned chose to follow traditions and what was expected of him, there was no denying the capital was a dangerous place. Both of his daughters had quite interesting storylines, and have the potential to be intriguing characters in the Jon Snow spinoff, but they may have endured less suffering had they remained in the North. Their fate may have still been dark at Winterfell, but they wouldn't have had to face Cersei's ruthlessness.
Using His Position
Ned Stark was loyal to King Robert, but he didn't seem to fully grasp the power of his position as Hand of the King. While he did not have the power to overrule the king's demands, he could have persuaded his old friend to put people on the council who were trustworthy.
After Robert's death, he had the opportunity to use his position to gain the power of the guard and separate Cersei from her impressional child-king. However, his honor and lawfulness allowed his judgment to cloud his ability to use his power to keep control and his head.
Following In Jon Arryn's Footsteps
When Ned reached King's Landing, it didn't take him long to realize the death of the former King of the Hand, Lord Arryn, wasn't due to natural causes. This led him to begin investigating the reason for the Hand's untimely death.
However, in doing so he began investigating the same secrets in the capital that cost Lord Arryn his life in the first place. Instead of investigating things discreetly, he had the help of different people within the castle that were only loyal to themselves.
Trusting Little Finger
When he was investigating the death of Jon Arryn, he trusted many people he didn't know well. Little Finger was a close friend to his wife Catelyn and therefore Ned thought he could trust the man to help.
However, Little Finger was the evilest villain in Game of Thrones. While he didn't try to usurp any thrones or murder a monarch, he had no problem backstabbing whoever he needed to to get what he wants. Trusting the man who was in love with his wife was one of his most fatal mistakes.
Confronting Cersei
There were many dangerous people Ned encountered in King's Landing, but threatening Cersei and her children was one of the most reckless decisions he made.
When Ned told Cersei he knew her children were not the king's, he was attempting to be honorable and give her a chance to flee with her children before they all ended up executed. However, amidst Ned's mercy, he failed to recognize how capable Cersei was in taking care of herself. When he confirmed he knew about her relationship with her brother, there was no way she would have let him live with that knowledge.
Dismissing Renly's Plan
It was a shame to see Ned die by the end of the first season, but he did have a chance to fight for his own survival. Following the death of his brother king, Renly confronted Ned and proposed they separate Cersei from Joffrey and hold the new king hostage.
While it wasn't the most honorable thing, capturing the bastard-born king would have ensured Ned's survival. However, his belief that Stannis Baratheon was the one true king and trusting the wrong people inevitably led to Ned's capture. Had he worked with Renly when Robert died, he may have survived.
Confronting Joffrey
Not many people got to experience Joffrey first-hand, but Ned had spent enough time with the young heir to know he was vile and selfish. Yet he somehow thought that Robert's dying command would stop the boy from taking control of King's Landing.
One of the best episodes in Game of Thrones is the final episode in season 1. When Ned Stark died, it turned the tables on the original plot and let fans know to expect the unexpected. When he confronted Joffrey and Cersei in the throne room, he left himself vulnerable to the mercy of s twisted new monarch.
Not Going Back To Winterfell When He Had The Chance
When Ned refused to plot to kill Daenerys Targaryen, he resigned as Hand of the King and planned on leaving the capital. However, Robert told him to stay on and never defy his choices again.
It may have been foolish to refuse the king and ride back home. But when Robert died and Ned chose to Stannis Baratheon's claim to the throne, he should have escaped to the safety of the North instead of confronting all of his enemies in their own place of power. Had he taken the couple of chances he had to return home, he may have played a more intricate role in the wars to follow.