The Rings of Power make it clear that Joseph Mawle is being typecast in a hilariously obscure way

Back when direwolves were barely a thing, Season 1 of Game of Thrones saw Joseph Mawle debut as Benjen Stark, a sworn member of the Night’s Watch and loving uncle of Jon Snow (Kit Harington). While Benjen’s moral compass is a little straighter than Adar’s, both characters are notable for their slight swings to the dark side. Just like Adar, Benjen becomes a nightmarish creature when he is attacked by White Walkers and rescued by the Children of the Forest. His cool character, who wanders between the living and the dead (just like the ending of this show in general), has his potential snuffed out when he’s finally taken down in the Season 7 episode “Beyond the Wall.”

Like Adar, Benjen sees Mawle playing a character who is broken by an imposing force but still retains fragments of his former self, despite being a bit evil. The connection between the Starks and Sauron doesn’t stop there either. You will recall that Benjen is also the brother of the noble but Noggin-losing Lord of Winterfell Ned Stark, played by Sean Bean. Bean’s most notable appearance in a fantasy tale proves that typed stars appear to come in pairs before he took a job as the King’s Hand in Game of Thrones, as Boromir, the Arrow Magnet son of Gondor. We hope Mawle’s time in JRR Tolkien’s world doesn’t take a similar path depending on your attitude towards orcs.