In the Radio Westeros episode on the Riverlands, the hosts propose an interesting theory - that the “Hooded Man” in Theon’s “A Ghost in Winterfell” chapter (ADWD 46) is a spy tasked by LSH to investigate rumours of “Arya” being there. Perhaps, they suggest, the spy is there because Jaime tells LSH that the real Arya is not at Winterfell, so Catelyn sends someone to investigate, and it is that person who Theon sees on the walls.

There is nots of speculation in fandom about who the “hooded man” is. It is set up as a mystery, and George is presumably wanted the answer to be something of a reveal, so I don’t think it is likely to be a totally obscure character. The RW folks suggest Harwin, and I certainly think that’s a pretty clever idea. Benjen is another popular choice. But what if we take the Riverlands connection theory and take it a step further. What if the hooded man, one of “the ghosts in Winterfell”, isn’t some random spy, or disposable redshirt BWB member, but Jaime?

This is tinfoil, but let’s look at the passage:

“Farther on, [Theon] came upon a man striding in the opposite direction, a hooded cloak flapping behind him. When they found themselves face-to-face their eyes met briefly. The man put a hand on his dagger. "Theon Turncloak. Theon Kinslayer."

"I'm not. I never … I was ironborn."

"False is all you were. How is it you still breathe?"

"The gods are not done with me," Theon answered, wondering if this could be the killer, the night walker who had stuffed Yellow Dick's cock into his mouth and pushed Roger Ryswell's groom off the battlements. Oddly, he was not afraid. He pulled the glove from his left hand. "Lord Ramsay is not done with me."

The man looked, and laughed. "I leave you to him, then."

So, what can we draw from this?

• Although it is not entirely clear, Theon seems to recognise the man;
• While he makes Theon nervous and defensive, Theon is not exactly scared of him, at least not immediately, and the man is not preoccupied by revenge against Theon - this suggests the Hooded Man isn’t someone who would want to punish Theon on sight, which rules out almost everyone from the North, including probably Benjen, and the BWB;
• The man is in turn not worried by Theon seeing him or revealing he is there, perhaps because they don’t really see each other as a threat to their respective causes, or perhaps they recognise that they have a mutual enemy;
• Theon shows the man his maimed left hand, with the three missing finger - why?
• The man looks at it and laughs - which is something Jaime would do out of a sense of irony.

Also, the hooded man is a bit mocking, arrogant and quippy - a bit Jaime.

There are some thematic links between Jaime and Theon that gives the theory a little extra zing:

• Both of their worst acts involved Bran and Winterfell;
• Both are now thought dead in some sphere - both are now “ghosts”;
• Both lost hands;
• Both have identity crisis going on;
• Both have played roles in harming the Starks - and both are seeking a kind of redemption. Perhaps they both find it at Winterfell?

That said, there is plenty of evidence against the theory. First, obviously, it is pretty tinfoil. Also, Jaime’s hand would make it difficult to disguise himself. There is also no evidence of Jaime previously arming himself with a dagger. And most of all, Jaime just isn’t the type to murder Yellow Dick in the gruesome way it happened, nor murder the groom for no reason (although the groom was pushed from on high...that and yellow Dick’s cracked teeth might be a hint to the identity of the Hooded Man, even if he is not the murderer).

Still, there might be more going on at WF then we are aware of. And whatever that is might explain why Jaime would be in Winterfell, and tie back to LSH. Most of fandom is very focused on something happening at Riverrun, and RW2, but what if LSH instead plans something at Winterfell? What if Jaime convinces LSH to forget the Freys (who I like to think will ‘fray’ and destroy themselves in a Frey civil war without any need for outside intervention - and that civil war is paying out in part in Winterfell already) and that the real villain is Roose, or that the true revenge is retaking Winterfell? Or maybe this is where Bloodraven comes in, and the realise that Winterfell is needed to stand against the dead? GRRM could likely come up with something much more clever.

Granted, there is much I don’t like about this theory I don’t like, chief amongst them that it is not clear what role Brienne would play - I fear they would be split with Brienne perhaps being tasked to find Sansa while Jaime assists with Winterfell. It also, potentially, leaves the Riverlands without a POV, unless Brienne stays there, or you count Arya-in-Nymeria. Still, I thought I’d put it out there as an option, and something at least a bit different to the prevailing theories. After all, who would have predicted the Forsaken?