Sir Eddard Stark, better known as Ned is the originally perceived hero of the story of Game of Thrones. A man who we understand from very early on in the story, is largely defined by his sense of honor and duty. Throughout the time that we follow Eddard's story we come to know several things absolutely. We know that he would do anything for his family, and he would never do anything to tarnish his or his houses honor. honor.
Young lords in westeros were expected to become great warriors for their houses, and Ned was no exception. As Ned was not the oldest son he was not meant to inherit the lordship of his house, so his father sought out a future for him as a warrior. At the age of eight Ned was sent as a ward to the Eyrie, to be fostered by Lord Jon Arryn, where he befriended future king and fellow ward Robert Baratheon.
At the age of 19, Ned's sister Lyanna Stark was abducted by the Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. In response Ned's older brother Brandon Stark marched on the red keep and demanded that Rhaegar answer to his crimes. King Aerys II responded by imprisoning him and demanding that his father Lord Rickard Stark, Warden of the North, came to court for the judgement of his son. Rickard attended court, and it was revealed that King Aerys only meant to sentence Rickard and Brandon both to death. Lord Rickard demanded a trial by combat, and king Aerys responded by championing wild fire as his combatant. He burnt Rickard alive and made Brandon Stark watch before he killed him too. After, he demanded the heads of Ned Stark and Robert Baratheon, in response Jon Arryn refused and called his banners, along with the young lords.
After the Battle at the Trident, where the tides of war had officially turned and Robert Baratheon killed the Crown Prince, the time to march on the throne was near. Robert had experienced extensive wounds and sent Ned in his place to take the throne. When Ned arrived at Kings Landing all he found was a sacked city in flames, and the Lannister men responsible for it. Finally he found Jamie Lannister, a sworn protector of the king on the throne after he had stabbed his king in the back. The way that Kings Landing and the throne was taken was horrendous in the eyes of Ned. It was the least honorable way to end the war possible, and it haunted him.
After the war was won, Ned sought out to save his sister. He found her in the Tower of Joy, protected by the remainder of the kings guard. After a brief battle, Ned rushed to his sister. He found her in a pool of blood, and came to know the tragic truth. Lyanna was not kidnapped, she ran away because she was in love, and she had given birth to their child, Aegon. She begged him to protect the child at all cost, "promise me Ned." He made that promise as his sister's life faded away. He raised the child as his own, taking him on as a bastard to hide him from the world, and naming him Jon. Ned sacrificed his honor to protect his blood, and to keep the promise he made.
Ned never forgave the Lannisters for what they had done during the war. This eventually led to the clashing of their houses when Ned became hand to the king. When Ned found out about the true lineage of the king's heirs, he made the mistake of allowing mercy to Cersei Lannister, figuring it was the honorable thing to do. Cersei answered this mercy by having him beaten and jailed. And when the judgement day came, it was Jophrey Lannister who had his head taken off. This guaranteed the war between these houses was going to be bloody and final.
Ned tried his absolute best to embue all of his best attributes into his children. All of his children inherited every ounce of their fathers honor and vigor. Unfortunately they inherited his burdens and his conflicts as well. The war with the Lannister's raged on long after Ned's death. The end of the initial conflict came in a gruesome manner, when the battles of Ned finally caught up to his eldest son Robb. The Lannisters arranged for Robb to be betrayed by his allies and murdered under the protection of guest rights at a wedding at the red wedding. Almost the entire war effort had been wiped out, as well as Robb Stark, his wife, their unborn child, and Ned's widow Catelyn. Robb's life came to an end with much suffering, similar to his father.
After all of the hardship the Stark family had endured, it seemed the house had fallen to ashes. Luckily the parenting of Ned lives on fiercely through the children he has left. The pure vigor and warrior spirit, as well as the honorable and humble character, are present in his children, and because of that they have been able to survive all of the hardship they have been through. Now, his remaining children have reunited and combined their forces to reinstate their fallen house into power, defeating the houses that had betrayed their houses in the past. Now House Stark has risen from nothing once again, and it could be said this is entirely due to the values of Ned Stark that he instilled into those he loved. Ned Stark put his family in front of everything at every opportunity, and because of that his family has been able to survive.