One of the most highly anticipated characters in the long-awaited season two of HBO's House of the Dragon was Cregan Stark.

When the first episode premiered Sunday, we caught a few scenes with the Lord of Winterfell and Prince Jacaerys (Harry Collett).

But who exactly is Cregan Stark?

In the show, he's played by Tom Taylor. He starred in the 2023 Netflix romantic drama Love at First Sight. He also appeared in the BBC hit drama Doctor Foster, the 2017 feature based on Stephen King's The Dark Tower and 2019's The Kid Who Would Be King.

Cregan Stark of House Stark

Game of Thrones poster; Kit Harington as Jon Snow

For those of you who are huge House Stark fans since you heard the words “Winter is coming,” he's Ned Stark's great-great-great-great grandfather. During the timeline of House of the Dragon and George R.R. Martin's 2018 novel Fire and Blood, he is the Wolf of the North.

Remember that Fire and Blood is a collection of histories on the Targaryen family during the Dance of the Dragons so keep in mind that most of what's said about him come from historians and their interviews of people who knew him.

As a Stark, he is considered to be a good friend to the Night's Watch, and his closest friend is Lord Cerwyn of House Cerwyn. The Dragonknight, Prince Aemon Targaryen (Daemon and Rhaenyra's Rhaenyra's grandchild through Viserys II, said that he was the finest swordsman he'd ever faced.

During the Dance of the Dragons, Jace was sent to to the North to convince the Starks to join their cause. Grand Maester Munkun wrote that Cregan and the prince became friends, as Jace reminded him of his late younger brother, and eventually swore an oath of brotherhood.
However, Septon Eustace (Simon Chandler) wrote that instead of spending their time drinking, hunting and training, Jace was trying to convert Cregan from the Northern old gods to the Faith of the Seven. Mushroom, court jester to the kings, also claimed that Jace had a relationship Cregan's half-sister Sara Snow which angered the Lord of Winterfell until he was told that the couple had secretly married in the godswood. But Mushroom is known for his ribald stories, so take that part with a grain of salt.
In the end, Lord Cregan and Prince Jacaerys reached an agreement named by Munkin as the Pact of Ice and Fire. This bethrothed Jacaerys' future firstborn daughter to Cregan's son, Rickon. This effectively pledged the North's support to Team Black.

What happened during the Hour of the Wolf?

I'll need to spoil you a little bit about what I think is going to happen in the second season if it somewhat faithfully follows the book, but let's just skip that part and go on to what Cregan does next. He sent word to Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) that he would gather 10,000 northmen to march south. Even after SPOILER ALERT! Rhaenyra's death, he kept his promise. However, the Rivermen defeated the Baratheons in the Battle of Kingsroad while the northerners were still on the march.
If the rest of the events below don't fit in season two, don't worry. House of the Dragon has been renewed for a third season. Now back to the spoilers: As soon as the Lord of Winterfell arrived in King's Landing, he imprisoned many courtiers for the poisoning of Aegon that led to his death. Cregan stayed in the Red Keep for six days, which Munkun called the Hour of the Wolf. He confined Rhaenyra's son Prince Aegon the Younger to Maegor's Holdfast. Aegon the Younger then named the Lord of the North Hand of the King.
As Hand, he released Septon Eustace but condemned Grand Maester Orwyle (Kurt Egyiawan) and the Kingsguard's Ser Gyles Belgrave. He also condemned 22 others, including House Strong soldiers who freed Lady Baela Targaryen (Bethany Antonia) from being imprisoned. However, she defended them by brandishing a sword which made Cregan agree to spare their lives.
He also condemned her grandfather, Corlys Velaryon, Lord of the Tides, as well as Larys Strong, Lord of Harrenhal. Corlys defended himself and said he only acted for realm's good, while Larys refused to offer a defense.
Both Baela and her sister Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) interceded for their grandfather, and Cregan agreed. However, Mushroom has a more scandalous version: that it was through Alysanne Blackwood, also known as Black Aly, impressing the Lord of the North. In exchange for Corlys' freedom, she agreed to marry the widower Cregan.

The Hand for six days

Ned Stark (Sean Bean) must have gotten it from his ancestor, as in the first episode of Game of Thrones, Cregan decided to personally behead those he who condemned with the Stark ancestral Valyrian greatsword Ice. (Coincidentally, Tom Taylor played the younger version of the actor in the crime drama, Legends.) However, he spared those who volunteered to take the Black and join the Night's Watch. In the end, he only beheaded two, Gyles and Larys. The following day, Cregan resigned as Hand of the King.
Two weeks after Aegon the Younger was crowned as King Aegon III Targaryen, the Lord of the North journeyed back home. He declined to serve in Aegon's regency. However, many of the men who marched south with him chose to remain and married women of the riverlands or served as guards and men-at-arms.
Cregan lived to old age, earning him another nickname, The Old Man in the North. He was Lord of Winterfell under the reign of four Targaryen kings: Viserys I (Paddy Considine), Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney), Aegon III and Daeron I. He was entombed in Winterfell's crypt.