Cotter

Cotter
Portrayed By	Joseph Balderamma
Characteristics
Gender	Male
Age	Mid to Late 20s
Height	Approx 1.77m
Hair Color	Dirty Blonde
Eye Color	Blue
Status
Status	Deceased
Cause of Death	Poisoned with Nightshade (Determinant) Sacrificed for Blood Magic (Determinant)
Affiliation	The Night's Watch (Formerly) Free Folk
Occupation	Night's Watch Builder (Formerly)
Relatives	Siblings: Sylvi
Media
First Appearance	The Lost Lords
Last Appearance	The Ice Dragon

“	I'm going home, no matter what, Gared. I've heard stories - old tales of a secret forest within a forest. Your lord knew what he was talking about.	”
	— Cotter to Gared in The Sword in The Darkness

Cotter is a main character and builder of the Night's Watch who later deserted with Gared Tuttle and Finn (Determinant). He was sent to the Wall because he stole potatoes to feed himself and his sister.

Character

Cotter is an expert thief and got sent to the wall because he was caught stealing potatoes to feed his sister. He appears to be a bit weak and is untrained in the ways of battle, unlike Gared and Finn.

Game Of Thrones

The Lost Lords

Cotter is the first recruit to greet Gared when he arrives at Castle Black. He says that Gared seems nice, but that's not a good quality to have there.

When Finn starts picking on Gared, Cotter tells him to leave it out. The two of them argue until they catch Frostfinger's attention and he asks Gared which one of them was talking. If Gared remains silent Frostfinger is pleased that he is covering for his brothers already.

When the new recruits must show their skills, Cotter accidentally shoots himself in the foot with a crossbow. Gared shows him how to correctly use one and Cotter shows him a knife he stole from Finn. Finn later notices his knife is missing and instantly accuses Cotter. Gared gets between them and tries to either keep the situation from getting out of hand or attacks Finn, though it results in a fistfight either way.

If Gared covers for Cotter, the man will show him that he hid Finn's knife in his sleeve, smirking. If Gared tells Finn that Cotter stole the knife, he will do the same, but with a threatening expression on his face.

The Sword in the Darkness

At the wall, Frostfinger assigns the new recruits positions in the Watch. If Gared defended Cotter, the latter will be pleased with him while Finn will be annoyed. Frostfinger tells the recruits that Finn and Gared are to be Rangers, while Cotter becomes a Builder. He tells the northerners to follow his lead to a weirwood tree beyond the Wall to take their vows.

On the way to the tree, Jon is glad to see that Gared will become a ranger, but suggests he make up with whichever brother he scorned during the debacle with Finn's knife - if he snitched on Cotter, he will have to make up with him. If Gared befriends his peer, Jon will say he handled it well, then watches as the three of them take their vows.

Gared reunites with his Uncle Duncan. Once the visit is over, Finn and Cotter question him about their conversation, but Gared is secretive. The three of them celebrate becoming men of the Watch, entering the elevator to head for the top of the Wall.

Gared later walks over to Cotter and Finn and talks about going to Craster's. Cotter reveals that he took the North Grove map from him, while Finn walks off because of his disbelief of the North Grove, dismissing the grove as a children's story, but Cotter invites Gared into a quieter space and tells him he can help him find the Grove - Finn doesn't know how to sneak past giants or deal with Mammoths, but Cotter does because he is from the lands above the Wall; he is a Wildling who was caught stealing weapons below the Wall and passed himself off as a local. He begs Gared to keep his secret and in return he'll help him desert find the North Grove.

Sons of Winter

Cotter helps Gared escape his cell early in the episode, and leads him out of Castle Black, hanging back while Gared makes more daring maneuvers. The two encounter Finn if Gared made friends with him in the previous episode, Gared gets the choice to bring Finn along or refuse to. The three (or two) desert the Night's Watch.

A while after, Gared and Cotter (also Finn depending on your choices) run into a few Wildlings. Cotter gets stabbed in the shoulder with a spear, Gared can choose to stay hidden or help Cotter. Gared (and Finn, determinant) fights off the Wildlings, and one gets away. One takes off with the food and Gared can kill her. Gared picks Cotter up and they keep on moving.

Gared and Cotter (and Finn, determinant) arrive at a hut and Cotter asks Gared to look around for water to drink. If Gared took the herbal poultice and bandages from Maester Ortengryn in "Iron From Ice", he can use them to treat Cotter's wound. Gared searches a hut and a wildling named Sylvi points her spear at him, threatening to gut him like a fish. Cotter shows up and reveals that Sylvi is his sister, and that she can lead them to the North Grove.

A Nest of Vipers

Cotter is first seen with his wound getting worse. Sylvi tells her brother that they must go south to join Mance Rayder. She refuses to go to the North Grove and Cotter says that he's come a long way. Gared can try to convince Cotter to convince Sylvi, but it doesn't work and Cotter says that maybe Sylvi is right. He is later seen yelling for help as the Wights attack. Cotter and Gared run over to Finn (Determinant) and find him slouched over, dead. Cotter is sad to see him dead and Gared says they make for the North Grove. The three all agree and run away.

The Ice Dragon

After days of travelling with Cotter and Sylvi in search of the North Grove, Cotter's wound gets progressively worse swelling and getting infected, with his shoulder bone sticking out of the wound, and the area engorged with necrotized tissue. Eventually Gared finally concludes that he may have located it, whilst making their way to the grove, Cotter tells Gared that he knows he isn't going to live much longer and that he can't let anything happen to Sylvi and asks Gared to make sure she is safe and to take care of her once he dies. Along the way Sylvi finds nightshade and tells Gared it can help Cotter's pain in small doses and so they take a portion.

Things take a turn for the worse however as a Snow Bear appears and chases the trio. They outrun the bear after it falls in ice and they escape through a cave. Upon exiting the cave they finally come upon the North Grove, they see what appears to be a village in the distance and go to it. Upon nearing the village, the same bear appears again and starts charging towards them, they run straight into the village and upon doing so, they find out that the bear was being controlled by a warg. The villagers then grab Sylvi and Cotter attempts to fight them but is knocked out by some others.

Cotter is taken into a chamber in order to be helped in an attempt to save his life. Cotter's wound however, becomes far too deadly and comes to the point where he cannot be saved, leaving Cotter having to suffer so much pain whilst slowly dying. Sylvi attempts to end Cotter's suffering by feeding him the nightshade but Elsera will not allow it and has her taken out of the chamber.

Gared arrives after being told by Sylvi that Cotter is going to die. Cotter pleads with Gared to look after Sylvi as his dying request. Elsera informs Gared that Cotter is beyond saving and that his suffering should be ended, however she plans to use his death for blood magic, where she requires Cotter's beating heart to be taken out of his chest and use the blood in it for blood magic so it can make her stronger. However Gared is requested by Sylvi to use the nightshade so Cotter can drift off to sleep and die, Elsera rejects the idea as the nightshade will make Cotter's blood useless and it will not help them with making her blood magic stronger. Cotter pleads with Gared to end his suffering quickly as he cannot bear the pain any longer. Gared is then left with a choice on how to end Cotter.

Give Cotter the poison: Gared apologises to Elsera that he can't do that to Cotter as he believes the least he can do for Cotter is give him a quiet death seeing as how he is the one who got Gared to the North Grove, as well as having to respect what Sylvi asked him to do. Gared takes a dose of the nightshade off and feeds it to Cotter, who willingly swallows it. After sharing a weak smile of appreciation to Gared, he then dies falling asleep.

Use him for bloodmagic: Gared cuts Cotter's chest open and exposes his organs as he screams in terrible agony, and dies of blood loss and shock, ending his misery. He then pulls out Cotter's heart and squeezes the blood into the fire and Elsera performs the ritual.

Regardless of how Cotter died, Gared takes his body to the grove and burns it on the pyre. If Gared used Cotter for blood magic, Sylvi will look at him with an angry stare and Elsera will tell him that he did the right thing. If Gared gave Cotter the poison, Sylvi will nod at Gared and Josera will tell him that he did the right thing.

Appearances

Season One appearances
Iron From Ice	The Lost Lords	The Sword in the Darkness	Sons of Winter	A Nest of Vipers	The Ice Dragon

Relationships

Gared Tuttle

“	Listen, Gared, I know I'm not well. And up here... Up here that can get you killed. I know we haven't always gotten along. If anything happens, I want you to leave me. You take Sylvi and don't look back. Promise me Gared.	”
	— Cotter making his final request to Gared as they are heading to the North Grove.

Gared and Cotter can either form a fast friendship, an uneasy relationship, or can become at odds with each other. In terms of attitude they seem like kindred spirits and Cotter tries to confide in Gared. Later in 'The Sword in the Darkness' the two of them get closer and if Gared didn't sell Cotter out in 'The lost lords' He will be glad to know that he can trust him and during an argument with Finn Cotter stands up for Gared, but if he was sold out he will be rude but Gared will make amends with him. Later when Cotter takes Gareds map to the north grove, Gared will be displeased that cotter stole again. Later Cotter reveals to Gared that he's a wildling and Gared has the option of being distrustful or upset. Regardless of Gared's choices Cotter offers to help him find the north grove and desert the Night's Watch. Later when Gared is atop the wall with Finn he has the option of telling him that Cotter is a wildling. Then after Gared is imprisoned by Frostfinger, Cotter willingly comes to his aid and tells him 'what kind of friend would I be if I left you to die'. As soon as Gared escapes from his cell, he and Cotter run into Finn and if Gared brings him along Cotter will be displeased, but will soon get over it.

Finn

Finn and Cotter initially do not get along. Finn attempts to bully Cotter, but the latter is simply annoyed by him and not threatened. They eventually warm up to each other, building a playful relationship, although there is still an element of distrust.

Frostfinger

Cotter refers to Frostfinger as a "grizzled old prune", suggesting he does not like him much.

Trivia

• The game files suggest that Cotter was originally known as Owyn, or he goes by a surname.
  • It is also possible that Owyn would have been a name he took on to cover up his Wildling heritage. This was likely cut as a name change mid-season might be too convoluted.