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In Game of Thrones season 7 episode 6, Benjen Stark (Coldhands in the books) shows up to save Jon's life after he misses the dragon-bus to school. He is then quickly overpowered by hundreds of wights because he brought a censer to a mace fight.

In season 6 of Game of Thrones, however, it was revealed that Benjen was rescued from a lethal stomach piercing by the children of the forest -- by inserting a shard of dragonglass into his chest. This was previously shown to be the way the Children also created the White Walkers.

The White Walkers have been shown to be impervious to injury by conventional means -- only Valyrian steel and dragonglass have been shown to have any effect. As Benjen was subjected to the White Walker treatment, is he similarly granted resistance to conventional weaponry -- and thus effective immunity to the damage inflicted by the dead man dogpile?

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    Very very very (!!!) interesting question, but unless we see him again (dead or alive) in a future episode, it's hard to tell with the info given up to now.
    – Hans Olo
    Aug 23, 2017 at 18:36
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    Good question so I was going to upvote anyways, but "dragon-bus to school" sealed the deal.
    – Arthur Dent
    Aug 23, 2017 at 19:43
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    @PaulD.Waite Not yet, but they're essentially the same. I wanted to use the book name to avoid show spoilers in the title.
    – user40790
    Aug 23, 2017 at 20:16
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    Just a thought, but Benjen doesn't share the same features as a white walker and we don't know the complete rituals to create a white walker, there could be other magic involved that is left out because of urgency with Benjens turning, (the white walker creation was from a healthy person and therefore more time to prepare the ritual). Also, CotF couldn't control the white walkers, and wouldn't be so eager to create another and therefore maybe just didn't put in as much magic into Benjen. That way they can control him, but he isn't as strong as the white walkers.
    – Mainstroke
    Aug 24, 2017 at 7:01
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    I thought GRRM had dismissed the theory that Benjen was Coldhands?
    – The Giant of Lannister
    Aug 24, 2017 at 7:35

2 Answers 2

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TLDR

  • I think we will have to wait and see...
  • but the writers make it sound like he is gone for good

This ended up too long for a comment...

So at first glance of course officially we won't know his status until the next time he is referred to in the show, cause I would say it is possible he will come back; but I will also add the caveat of the writers/producers that was mentioned at the end of the episode during their bonus content. (FYI - thank god for voice to text or this would have taken quite a number of pause and rewinds to get all of it...)

"For Coldhands I think it is almost a relief in some ways because he has been trapped in this kind of purgatory state between life and death for quite some time and like so many of the characters in the show waiting to find out what his purpose is, you know, why is he still alive when he should be dead and for him it seems like he's found his purpose in these last two seasons by saving first Bran and now Jon - David Benioff (Executive Producer and Writer)

...And there you have it. They make it sound like he is gone for good now... but you never know

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The whitewalkers as far as we know cannot speak or do not speak, Coldhands does so I would assume that they are not the same exactly

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