Jessie Taylor
In Season 5 of Game of Thrones, Sansa Stark and Brienne of Tarth devise a plan to escape Winterfell. Sansa is to light a candle in a tower, signalling to Brienne that she needs help. Brienne and Podrick would then storm Winterfell and rescue Sansa. However, after days of waiting and watching the tower, Brienne misses the signal as she leaves to fulfil her oath to kill Stannis Baratheon. Sansa's failed message leads her to take her fate into her own hands, escaping Winterfell with the help of Theon Greyjoy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Did Brienne see the candle? | No |
| Who lit the candle? | Sansa |
| Who was the candle a signal for? | Brienne and Pod |
| Who else saw the candle? | Reek |
| What was the plan? | Storm Winterfell and protect Sansa |
| Why didn't Brienne see the candle? | She left to fulfill her oath to kill Stannis Baratheon |
| What happened as a result? | Sansa and Theon escaped by jumping from Winterfell's walls |
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What You'll Learn
Sansa's signal to Brienne
Sansa's failed message meant that she and Theon had to escape Winterfell by jumping off the walls into the snow. This was a risky escape plan. Sansa's character finally put her fate into her own hands and organised an escape in which she alone had the power to leave her prison. She was possibly helped by Theon Greyjoy, but the future Queen in the North no longer relied on others to save her.
The candle signal was not just for Brienne but for all the people who would help Sansa. The old woman who told Sansa about the candle plan said, "the North remembers", implying there were still some unnamed Northerners who would know about the candle plan and not just Brienne. It is also unlikely that Brienne would have known about the candle signal as there was no correspondence between the old woman and Brienne. Additionally, no one knew that Brienne and Podrick were camping around Winterfell. Brienne had to take it upon herself to pursue Sansa despite Sansa's refusal of her protection.
Some viewers have also speculated that the candle signal was a trap set by Ramsay to capture Brienne.
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Brienne's plan to save Sansa
In the fifth season of *Game of Thrones*, Brienne of Tarth is on a mission to find Sansa Stark, Catelyn Stark's daughter, after the girl fled King's Landing. Sansa initially refuses Brienne's protection, but later accepts her services following the Bolton debacle. Brienne remains by Sansa's side as she reunites with her brother, Jon Snow, in Castle Black to prepare for the Battle of the Bastards.
After retaking Winterfell, Brienne stays close by as Bran and Arya also return home. Brienne is then sent to King's Landing to act as a sworn protector of Sansa, defending Winterfell alongside Jon and Daenerys Targaryen's forces against the Night King and his army. Ahead of the Battle of Winterfell, Jaime knights Brienne, and she officially becomes Ser Brienne. She stands on the front lines of the battle, contributing greatly to their victory.
Following Daenerys' assassination, Bran is chosen as the new king, and Sansa is made Queen in the North. Brienne is made Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, ending her duty to Sansa and requiring her to swear new vows. As the head of the Kingsguard, Brienne is now sworn to protect not only King Bran but also the rest of the royal family and their allies. This new role betrays her previous oath to Sansa, who is still in a position that requires protection.
Some viewers have expressed disappointment in Brienne's ending, arguing that it betrayed her oath to Sansa. They suggest that it would have been more fitting for Brienne to become the Lord Commander of the Queensguard, allowing her to continue serving Sansa while also taking on a new and admirable role. However, as Queen in the North, Sansa may have wanted to give Brienne more responsibility and the opportunity to protect a larger area within the Seven Kingdoms.
In the "candle plot," Sansa and an old woman from the North devise a plan to light a candle in a tower as a signal for help. Brienne is watching the tower, and viewers speculate that she is aware of the signal and its meaning. However, others argue that the signal was not intended for Brienne, as there was no prior correspondence between her and the old woman, and Brienne and her companion Podrick were secretly camping around Winterfell.
Despite Sansa's initial refusal of Brienne's protection, Brienne remains dedicated to her mission and plays a crucial role in ensuring Sansa's safety and well-being throughout the series.
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Brienne's blind devotion
Brienne of Tarth is a character in the Game of Thrones series known for her fierce fighting skills and unwavering devotion to her oaths. However, her single-minded devotion to her duties leads to a tragic outcome in the plan to rescue Sansa Stark from Winterfell.
Sansa, imprisoned in Winterfell, devises a plan to escape with the help of Brienne and Podrick. She is to light a candle in the tower, which will serve as a signal for Brienne and Podrick to storm Winterfell and rescue her. However, Brienne's devotion to another oath proves to be her downfall.
Before Sansa can light the candle, Brienne is alerted to the arrival of Stannis Baratheon and his army. Brienne has a sworn duty to avenge the death of Renly Baratheon, Stannis' younger brother, and so she abandons her mission to rescue Sansa in order to pursue Stannis. She finds Stannis wounded in the Wolfswood and sentences him to death.
Meanwhile, unaware that Brienne has left, Sansa lights the candle, only to realise that Brienne is not coming to her aid. Sansa's failed signal results in a risky escape attempt, where she and Theon jump from the walls of Winterfell into the snow. Brienne's blind devotion to her oath to avenge Renly thus results in a delay in rescuing Sansa, leading to a critical missed opportunity and a tragic outcome for both characters.
While some viewers interpret Brienne's failure as a result of her lack of strategic thinking, others defend her character, arguing that the plan was flawed from the start, relying on a signal that could easily be discovered by Ramsay Bolton's followers. Despite this setback, Brienne remains a beloved character, admired for her loyalty and bravery.
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The candle plot
The candle signal was meant to be the catalyst for a rescue mission, with Brienne and Podrick storming Winterfell to save Sansa. Instead, Sansa takes her fate into her own hands and escapes Winterfell with the aid of Theon Greyjoy. They jump from the castle walls into the snow. Brienne's failure to see the candle has major implications for both her and Sansa's character arcs.
Another interpretation is that Brienne and Podrick never intended to directly infiltrate Winterfell. Instead, they would have used the old woman as their "inside man" to smuggle Sansa towards the walls. Some fans have also speculated about the meaning of the candle in the tower. One theory suggests that the candle contained Valyrian Black Powder, and lighting it would cause an explosion that would tear through the castle walls.
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Brienne's missed signal
In *Game of Thrones*, Sansa Stark and Brienne of Tarth devise a plan to help Sansa escape from Winterfell. Sansa is to light a candle in a tower, which will serve as a signal to Brienne that she needs help. Brienne and her companion, Podrick, will then storm Winterfell and rescue Sansa.
However, tragedy strikes when Brienne misses the signal. Unbeknownst to Brienne, Sansa lights the candle just seconds after Brienne leaves to fulfil her previous oath to kill Stannis Baratheon. Brienne had been waiting for days, watching the tower, but her devotion to avenging the death of Renly, Catelyn Tully's late brother, takes precedence.
As a result of the missed signal, Sansa's escape plan fails, and she is forced to take matters into her own hands. She embarks on a risky escape, jumping from the walls of Winterfell into the snow with Theon Greyjoy. Brienne's loyalty and commitment to her oaths are well-known, but in this instance, her conflicting devotions lead to a critical failure, impacting the character arcs of both Sansa and Brienne.
The candle plan and its outcome highlight the challenges faced by Sansa and Brienne in their respective endeavours. Sansa, having been rescued by others in the past, takes agency over her escape, demonstrating her growth and determination. Meanwhile, Brienne, known for her unwavering dedication, faces the consequences of her conflicting oaths, which ultimately result in her missing the crucial signal.
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Frequently asked questions
No, she did not. Sansa lights the candle in the tower a few seconds after Brienne leaves.
Sansa was meant to light a candle in a tower to inform Brienne that she needed help. Brienne and Podrick would then storm Winterfell and protect her.
Brienne had sworn an oath to kill Stannis Baratheon, and she left to fulfill this oath, missing Sansa's signal.
Yes, it is implied that Brienne knew about the candle plan. She is shown watching the tower window, awaiting Sansa's signal.
