There are plenty of amazing TV moms worthy of celebration, from Marge Simpson to Lorelai Gilmore — but no TV mom has ever been as fiercely protective of her children as Game of Thrones ' Catelyn Stark was. Sadly, Catelyn died during The Red Wedding in Season 3, but before her tragic death, she was a pillar of strength for her family. Some might even say she had a heart of stone (yes, that's for you, book readers). Catelyn was willing to do anything — including destabilizing the realm — to keep her kids safe. Some viewers may have viewed her actions as reckless, but I always thought of Catelyn as the ultimate mom. Powerful, loving, and someone whose bad side you never wanted to get on.
During her time on the show, Catelyn kidnapped, punched, and slit the throats of anyone she perceived to be a threat to her family. Motivated by love and revenge, Catelyn never stopped fighting. Her strength was a well her eldest son Robb drew from as he crusaded across the kingdom — and for the rest of Catelyn's children, the hope of being reunited with their mother kept them going. Since Catelyn's death, Game of Thrones has been missing one of its purest hearts, which is all the more reason to celebrate Catelyn's indomitable spirit.
1. When She Communicated With Robb With Nothing But a Nod
Way back in the pilot, before everything was blood and heartbreak (for the most part), Catelyn pulled the ultimate mom move when she spotted Arya teasing Sansa at the banquet with the Lannisters. Instead of getting up from the head table, Catelyn gave Robb a nod from across the room that clearly said "do something about your little sister's ridiculous behavior oh my God she's embarrassing us so much this is why we can't have nice things." And Robb did it, because we all know what happens when we ignore a mom look.
2. The Time She Took On an Assassin in Bran's Room
It was bad enough Jaime Lannister shoved Bran out of a tower, but when the Lannisters sent an assassin to finish off the kid, Catelyn was not having it. While she is not a fighter by nature, Catelyn literally grabbed the blade with her hands to stop the assassin from hurting her son before Bran's direwolf intervened. The moment proved Catelyn has no fear when there is a threat to her kids.
3. When She Comforted Robb After Ned's Death
Catelyn didn't offer Robb empty sentiments like "everything will be okay" after they found out Ned had been beheaded. Instead, she went straight to promising her weeping son they would avenge his father together.
4. The Time She Had Tyrion Captured
I love Tyrion. You love Tyrion. We all love Tyrion. But in Season 1, Catelyn had every reason to believe Tyrion was responsible for the attempt on Bran's life. Having the Stark bannermen take Tyrion hostage wasn't the best move from a political standpoint — but from the point of view of a woman who believed she was facing her son's attempted murderer, it was a moment of pure awesome.
5. When She Punched Jaime...
After everything the Lannisters did to her family — crippling Bran, beheading Ned, and holding Sansa hostage, for starters — it was gratifying beyond belief to see Catelyn punch Jaime in the face. Did it accomplish anything? No, but it made the audience and Catelyn feel just a little bit better.
6. And Then Set Him Free in Exchange for Her Daughters
Again, politically, everyone thought Catelyn was nuts for sending Jaime off in the care of Brienne to barter an exchange for her daughters. I always thought it was a total baller move though. Robb had to worry about waging a war for the entire kingdom, but to Catelyn, her two daughters were the most important people in the world, and guaranteeing their safety came first.
7. When She Basically Told Robb He Was an Idiot
Robb's decision to cross the Freys and marry Talisa was a massive mistake, and Catelyn was the only one willing to warn Robb there would be repercussions for his actions. Think of how much would have been different if Robb had just listened to his mother.
8. The One Time She Acknowledged Jon Snow
Given the time period and the potential threat to Robb's title, Catelyn's disdain for Jon made sense. However, as a woman who was so full of compassion and love for her children (and other people's— she was a total mother figure to Brienne), it was always hard to imagine her treating Jon with so much bitterness when he was a child. When she revealed she once sat by his bedside when he was a sick little boy, it was clearly a moment when she had to swallow her pride. It was also a reminder that Catelyn was strong enough to offer prayers and comfort to another woman's son.
9. The Red Wedding
The Freys and Boltons took her son and they took her life, but Catelyn fought for her family right up until her horrifying last moments. Catelyn isn't just a great mom, she's a legend.
Images: HBO; Giphy (7), asongoficeandlolz/Tumblr; astropelican/Tumblr
