#game of thrones analysis

[sanguine-prince]

the main issue i found with daenerys’ madness arc is partially, yes, the condensed time frame in which they decided to actually take it seriously (basically seasons 7-8), but i think emilia clarke was a good enough actor esp in season 8 that they could have pulled it off.

but they didn’t. because they couldn’t follow the most basic and honestly one of the most crucial rules of writing: they told instead of showing.

for example: all the times skeptical characters ask if she’s really different than the mad king are meant to make the audience ask ourselves the same question, but often this question arises unprovoked of any indication that we should doubt her judgement.

when she executed the tarlys, the outcry of the other characters (namely tyrion, whom we have followed as a voice of reason) was meant to signal to us that this was Morally Bad™️. when jon executed janos slynt, it was seen as a tough choice but, since no one said ‘hey maybe you’re overreacting,’ it’s an instance of maturity and complexity.

personally, i had no idea i was supposed to be ‘worried about her state of mind’ until varys says that he worries in s8 ep4, apropos of no trigger.

suddenly, pragmatic and ruthless advisors like tyrion struggle with accepting the casualties of war, and we are supposed to ignore that tyrion was willing to hurl casks of wildfire at stannis’ fleet but accounts her desire to use her dragons a ‘bad impulse’ or a quick temper.

that is what makes her transformation in s8 so annoying: we are told that it is happening, but we can’t see it ourselves.

[it-happened-once-in-a-meme]

Margaery Tyrell with Joffrey Baratheon & Homophobia (One of the Things I Dislike About the Show) 💀🏳️‍🌈

People talk a lot about how cute show!Margaery is with Sansa and say she's such a great ally, but when Joffrey mentioned having toyed with the idea of punishing homosexuality with the death penalty, Margaery was way too eager to support him.

I personally really hated that since it:

a) makes her disagreeable unncessarily (her own brother is homosexual, and she's probably not straight either)

b) isn't smart of her: her goal should be to make Joffrey like her enough to become Queen and to make sure he doesn't treat her badly.

This would've been a good moment to support his gentle side.

She could've complimented his hesitancy to enact such a cruel law.

[feyres-divorce-lawyer]

i don’t have the credentials for this because i never read the books nor did i finish the show, but somebody needs to make an analysis of the parallels between feyre toppling spring and daenerys burning king’s landing. “something, something, innocent people died for interpersonal conflict, something, something, the narrative tries to make it look like a good thing” pls and thank you, i’ll eat it up🙏🏿

[ladystoneshart]

I think it's interesting that the character who paints the most...redeemable? flattering? picture of cersei in their povs is probably catelyn. I'm not saying cat doesn't hate her, she absolutely does and for good reason, but she also sees cersei as a sort of mirror to herself and her motherhood. when catelyn goes to the sept in the (spoilers for acok i guess) chapter renly dies, she takes a moment to think about how even though she hates cersei for what she did, she can't say she wouldn't have done the same in her place, for her children. she sees cersei in the image of the mother and wonders if she prays to her too, which is more humanising than pretty much anything her brothers have to say about her in their povs. and this coming from the woman who said "give me cersei lannister and you'd see how gentle a woman can be" btw. idk I just think it's interesting

meanwhile in her povs cersei is like "catelyn stark was a MOUSE"

[amber-laughs]

catelyn throwing her blanket off her with ned’s cum still running down her legs in front of maester luwin vs Jon being ass naked dripping wet in front of alliser thorne, othell yarwyck and bowen marsh STOP calling each other names! neither of you have any fucking decorum

[fanfictionroxs]

Alicent being a victim to a council of misogynist men being a 'gotcha' moment for some fans really shows their true mentality. This isn't about feminism to these fans, Rhaenyra is just a shield they use to hide their own misogyny with feminism. Otherwise Alicent's circumstances are so clear to even casual watchers (especially in an episode where both her and Rhaenyra have parallel scenes having their council speaking over them). A child bride forced to operate in the patriarchy to protect her kids, that girl getting thrown aside by men, isn't 'payback' or karma.. it's just the patriarchy wheel going on, crushing woman after woman under it. People enjoying Alicent's 'downfall' simply fail to understand the victims of patriarchy or do not care about them (which is why for many of these 'feminists', Rhaenyra's worth is tied to Daemon and not as an individual).

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

There are two ways I’ve seen writers do “contrarian” fiction. If there’s an official name for that, let me know.

There’s the spiteful way, like Game of Thrones. GRRM literally admitted he killed off Ned and Robb because the audience would think they were the main characters. So, going against audience expectations in a mean-spirited way.

And then there’s the more chill, delightful way like DanDaDan. It’s contrarian in the sense that it goes against what is expected of it in the genre. The girl with the heart of justice is the bully instead of being the main character. The mean girl is one of the main characters instead of being the bully. The handsome, kpop singer-looking guy isn’t the love interest and makes stupid faces most of the time. But all in all, the series goes against the genre’s expectations in a delightful way.

[ethnicallymoral]

Vander and Ned Stark Parallels

I could write an essay on the parallels between Vander and Ned Stark.

Fighters turned into father figures. Holding on to morals and virtues that no longer function in the world they lived in. Both their deaths become catalysts, leaving the next generation to pick up the pieces.

"Love is the bane of honor, the death of duty."

Ned knew the truth and had leverage but chose honesty & loyalty instead. He adopted Jon, knew his lineage & kept it a secret for honor. Vander could've joined Silco with shimmer but he judged him for it instead.

They were too naive, nostalgic, and short-sighted for the leadership that was demanded of them.

Both Ned and Vander were betrayed by men from their past who played the game better than them. And underestimated their counterpart at the exact time that it mattered the most. Their principles made them predictable and weak in a game that doesn't care if you're playing fair.

They're the "good guys," in the narrative, yes, but refusing to adapt causes more harm than good in leadership positions. They left themselves and others extremely vulnerable for morals that I would deem as selfish. Their deaths left the one's they swore to protect and their community abandoned in a ruthless world that they were not prepared for.

Their roles as father figures are central to their stories and echo each other. Especially when you look at what their children inherit from their deaths. And it's interesting because both Ned and Vander chose fatherhood out of their sense of duty AND the chance for redemption. Ned Stark with Jon. Vander with Vi and Powder.

The child's innocence dies with their father.

Both Arya and Powder watched their fathers die traumatically. Arya becomes a weapon of vengeance driven by guilt and anger. Sansa's thrown to the wolves. Vi driven by guilt and anger. Powder spirals into Jinx.

But they survive — DESPITE their father's lessons.

Anyway, I actually really like that there is fault in their approach and that these two characters aren't infallible. But I think a lot of the nuance gets lost in season 2 and maybe it didn't really matter in the end. I just couldn't stop thinking about this.

Thanks for reading.

I post a lot more Silco posts on Twitter, if you’d like to find me there too.

[flying-ham]

I got bored at work this afternoon so I decided to find out the breakdown of male vs female povs in asoiaf by wordcount. so far I've found affc to have the greatest proportion of female povs with 60.76%, and adwd to have the smallest with 25.68%.

full breakdown:

agot - 45.01% female, 54.99% male

acok - 41.35% female, 58.65% male

asos - 39.66% female, 60.34% male

affc - 60.76% female, 39.24% male

adwd - 25.68% female, 74.32% male

total series - 41.24% female, 58.76% male

I'd like to play around w things more when I'm not tired of reading in data BUT that's what I've got so far lol

[fan-goddess]

MY ANALYSIS OF THE SCENE BELOW

Gif and photo credit goes to @barbieaemond

A/N: First of all! I want to say these are personal opinions and ideas I have come up with and discussed further on! None of the things I will say are confirmed! I am merely speculating and debating theories! The start is less on topic but it gets more focused the more I talk.

I didn’t want to bother users by directly tagging but there users are there and in some cases links to their posts are added in bold. I also bolded certain quotes.

Okay, first of all I want to discuss the words they had playing when they showed this scene before we look into the scene itself. When listening to the voiceover I couldn't tell who it was who was saying the quote, but after putting on the captions I found its Larys Strong which is interesting given his character is pretty much the master of whispers. He's the man who knows everything on everyone the man behind the curtains as shown in season 1 when he manipulated Alicent to make her believe she was responsible for Harrenhals fire and therefore make her guilty enough for her to feel the need to keep Larys in kingslanding where hes at his most powerful. Why go back to Harrenhal and trust his birdies to bring him the information while he sits back when he can do the dirty work himself? That is a key aspect of his character which is why it makes the quote so noteworthy.

The quote itself though is this: The enemy without may be fought with swords. The enemy within is more insidious. Even the use of camera shots which are placed while he's saying that have meaning, as when he says the enemy without its showing Rhaenyra who has lost her daughter, her son, her crown and her throne. And when he says may be fought with swords Aegon shows to be possibly mourning the loss of Jaehaerys, and it's known that after finding out about blood and cheese Aegon went on a rampage killing all ratcatchers in the city. This is showing the shots they’re showing in this line have meaning, meaning we need to take into consideration the scenes/words they show next.

The shot saying The enemy within shows Daemon walking down in a dimly torch lit tunnel somewhere underground with no real indication of where he is. Perhaps they'll play around with blood and cheese by having Daemon come with them to show them the tunnels needed to get to Helaenas chambers, but that would not make sense as it's been highly discussed how Dyana (A maid shown in season 1 who had been a victim of Aegon) would be a part of season 2 for a few episodes, so its much more likely she'll be the one guiding blood and cheese to Helaenas chambers. Though I must say I feel Dyana will most likely be punished and killed for this as she has affectively been part of a plot to kill the innocent son of Helaena. I suspect her guilt will show, and maybe Alicent or maybe even Aegon himself can see that she knows something and questions her, leading to Dyanas confession and death.

Though the scene with Aemond as Larys says is more insidious, that is what caught my eye and no doubt brought you here. We can still that the whole line as part of the reasoning for the use of that scene, as I have discussed with @/anjelicawrites and we have thought of the possibility on this being Aemond crumbling down from his usual, "Tis I the younger brother who studies history and philosophy, it is I who trains with the sword, who rides the largest dragon in the world. It is I who should be-" This is a new side of Aemond. A version of him which we beleive is him finally directly suffering for his actions in the war, AKA killing Luke and indirectly causing the death of Jaehaerys. He looks as though he is becoming something that even he said he would never become as he even says to Criston, as Anjelica mentioned to me, that the two of them were people with morals. It's honestly quite an interesting take as by having the usually stoic Aemond break down in front of this woman, the identity of whom I will talk further on later, shows even he is not safe and that no one is truly immune to the grief of war and that sacrifices must be made by all.

Now we do not know the setting in where the photo takes place but if this truly is a brothel then maybe Aemond went back to the place which truly psychologically hurt him in order to enact punishment on himself, as what punishment can really be done after what Aemond has had to go through. Torture is not an option especially since he's already had to suffer through the major damages of loosing an eye which has already permanently damaged not only Aemonds vision but his whole nervous system. There is a post where a lovely individual goes through the medical side of Aemonds injury which I shall link here for those who would like to take a further look. Going to the brothels as well could be a sign of him becoming what he hates most of all. Aegon. Aegon has always been Aemonds biggest jealousy as he has everything Aemond wants. Aegon has the title of first born son, two eyes, a valyrian wife, heirs, even an actual inheritance and yet he throws it all alway and very easily wanted to when Aegon tried to convince Aemond to allow him to board that boat to wherever he was planning to run off too (Probably Lys when you think about all the people there who have silver hair and the violet eyes.) To see Aemond slowly develop into Aegon would be almost strangely poetic to see as he becomes the epitome of what he hates and wanted most, especially when its just the worst side of Aegon he becomes and not the good parts.

Now onto the context of the scene! The way Aemond is laid on the women suggests intimacy, as he has his hair put down naturally, has his sapphire eye on pure display, and most noticeably of all is naked as the day he was born. He also has his back to the person, which to him especially given his lack of vision on his left side, means he trusts them enough to be vulnerable. People are heavily implying that Aemond is in a brothel, but when you think about how Aemond reacted to the brothel owner in the first season, who it turned out to be the woman who SA'd 10 year old him, I do not believe he would go back there willingly with that much sense of vulnerability around those sort of people. But when you think about the idea of him going back there to punish himself for his misdeeds then it cannot be ruled out as a possibility. Though someone mentioned it didn't seem right how Aemond was the one in the nude while the woman he is laying his head on is still fully dressed, which is certainly odd especially when you remember that when we got a first glimpse of the whores they pretty much walked around the room stark naked with very little clothing. Perhaps Aemond walked in with her naked and demanded she dress in clothing that was either laying about or even brought her clothes for her to wear (possibly Helaenas or even his mothers) we will not know until we watch the scene on screen.

When discussing the position Aemond is in with the woman too like I said earlier defenitely gives an idea on intimacy, possibly bordering on motherly. We know that when Aemond returns from storms end and tells his family of what he had done, 'Queen alicent went pale when she heard what he had done, crying "mother have mercy on us all." nor was ser otto pleased. "you only lost one eye" he is reported to have said. "how could you be so blind?" In the books it is said that since Aemond did kill Luke with intention to kill, he was expecting to revieve pretty much a heroes welcome. But since they changed that and make Lukes death accidently Aemond will no doubt go back to kingslanding feeling grief and regret, with maybe some happiness that he finally in his own way got revenge back for Luke taking his eye. Going back to the almost motherly seeming position he is in, I suggested that perhaps Aemond went to the brothel for a sort of motherly comfort for what he has done as Alicent almost certainly will not be giving it to him for what he has done. Perhaps he went there to get comfort from women but not in a sexual way but in an emotional way so he can feel less at fault for what he has done, even when the physical reminder haunts him daily.

Some people have suggested this to be Alicent who he is with, and whilst that makes sense given the intimacy of the position he's in it does not make much sense to me as why would he be naked with his mother. That to me is more of an Aegon move than an Aemond move. Though it was also brought up how she possibly came into his chambers at night whilst he sleeps nudes which very well could be a possibility so I've decided not to rule out that idea.

Another possible idea on who the woman is is the brothel lady from season 1 who I talked about earlier as being the one who SA’d Aemond when he was 10 years old. When looking at how other people have viewed the picture and came across a user named @/scaly-freaks who gave great insight on this topic which I shall leave a link for here. Firstly they mention how of course CSA is a sensitive topic, I want to mention that first. Though what they further talked about what how in some cases a victim can subconsciously find traits of their abusers in romantic partners (which thinking about it may be why he went for Alys given that she was a much older woman similarly to the brothel worker) or they can return to their abuser even at an older age. I won’t discuss these two points further as consideration for those who may feel triggered with this topic and so I will just say to click on the link for the post and read the rest there. Like I said about Alicent, I will not rule out this brothel woman as a possibility especially as it’s supposedly been confirm that she has filmed some nude scenes for season two. We do not know if she will be the woman in the scene, especially since in the picture the woman is seen wearing clothing, she may have filmed some general brothel scenes involving Aegon. I read another user @/lovelykhaleesiii theory about who the woman was and she said it was the brothel women and that it was her, as possibly Aegon may have taken him to the brothel to celebrate Luke’s death as we’re apparently getting scenes of Aegon at the whore house. This would make a lot of sense given the evidence shown and makes it a lot more believable as to why Aemond is in a brothel in the first place as like I had mentioned earlier it’s a more Aegon thing to do not really an Aemond act. Also a user named @/magnificentdelusionr has spoken out about how apparently the woman Aemond is with and the brothel lady share the same scar, so my belief in this being the woman has increased I’ll tell you that now. Though like I said, I will not rule her out as a possibility. The evidence for the brothel is bellow. I think this may be the most likely theory honestly given all the evidence that has been shown for her to be the one Aemond is with.

Now, this third possibility for who the woman is technically unknown as we do not know who she is. The actress from the scenes shown appears to be a dancer and the theory as it shows in the photo shown bellow is that she may have been sent by Mysaria as a distraction for Aemond. But looking at the scenes (pictures of which are shown in the twitter post down bellow) I don’t believe the scene in the top right is of Aemond and her, purely from the fact Aemond does not wear rings and the fact it looks very similar to Daemons ring. Furthermore the woman looks as though to be a younger Aemma purely from her face shape so that is why I’ve decided to rule out this theory. I will admit that it’s a high possibility that Aemond would be seduced by a dragonseed, as in my mind Aemond wants tradition of his culture. If he could’ve he would’ve married Helaena, as those are the ways of his people and the culture he cares for. He also, as was shown in the scene where Driftmarks inheritance was called into question, is seen to have a great admiration for Daemon who has married two women of Valyrian blood and has fathered technically 6 children (two of which did not survive past the womb). Aemond in my mind if the war never happened would’ve 100% been a sort of student under Daemons wing so in my mind it is not hard to imagine Aemond as wanting to mimic Daemon in his own way, that way being bedding a Valyrian woman. Yet even so when looking at the dragonseed people believe to be the woman Aemond was with I believe she plays a different part of season 2, my belief is that her role of season 2 is to be one of the dragonseeds team black or team green hunt down to try and recruit, as it was said team black went around Westeros finding anyone of dragon blood and offering them a chance of a dragon. So I do not think she is who Aemond is with.

Now the final idea on who the woman is is Alys Rivers. I have seen people freaking out over the idea of Alys changing her looks to seduce Daemon, and that is who we see in the scene shown at the top left of the twitter post screenshotted above. But that is not Alys style as there is honestly less of a chance she could get shit done with Daemon. What there is though is a chance she could use Aemond given he was younger, more naive and ultimately more emotional and needing an outlet she is happy to become to ensure her freedom. Though in context with the scene, when discussing the idea about Alys with @/anjelicawrites, she brought up the idea about Alys possibly visiting Aemond in a dream. This lead me to think about her doing this which would ultimately force Aemond to come to Harrenhal and fulfil his ‘duty’ of coming to Alys and giving her a son of pale hair. I spoke to her saying how I like the idea of Alys visiting Aemond in his dreams, as this would further the witch allegations. With the context of the scene though I believe she could put this image of a finally calm Aemond who is finally at peace with himself in his mind and make him crave that part of himself. This would ultimately force him to come to Harrenhal in the future. One thing I do want to bring up is this connection that was brought to my attention by user @/boundlessfantasy. They made the connection about Alys possibility being the woman holding Aemond in a dream since Ewan said in the interview with TGC where they discussed three scenes from season 1, that the process of killing Luke haunts his dreams possibly hinting at a dream aspect of the season. This may end up being just a sarcastic comment, but if this actually a hidden Easter egg then I must applaud Ewan for being so sneaky. There is a screenshot of the interview down bellow with the line also a link to the interview here.

We cannot see the woman’s face therefore we cannot be sure on this woman’s identity, but out of these four main theories on the woman’s identity I think this is most strongest in my opinion. Though us could very well be some random women we’ve never seen in the series before so I very much am not exoecting my theories or anyone else’s to be particularly right. I accept them all (pretty much) but am expecting pretty much for the unexpected.

Some other theories though I would like to take into consideration is the idea it’s Helaena in the picture. I do like that idea as it brings further this idea of Helaemond, a ship I do enjoy personally, especially as they hinted at the idea that Aemond was the father of Helaenas children. The clothing the woman is wearing by the looks of it does seem to be a similar shade of blue that Helaena is usually seen wearing, and there are seem similarities in the hands (this idea was brought to my attention by @/lady-phasma who has talked on this idea on their account) Though I do suggest you click on the photos bellow to see them much more up close as then it’ll be a clearer image. Helaena and Aemond have been shown to be close together so it’s no surprise if he’d want to break down and show weakness with her. It’s a very intimate position as his back is to her showing he in his own way trusts the woman, making it believable this woman could be Helaena. I haven’t made this a main theory as there are some more compelling evidence for the other cases but still I will say this theory is quite strong especially when looking at other theories like the idea the woman is Alicent.

And the final theory on who the person is which I would like to take into consideration is that the person Aemond is with is Aegon. Now I’m sorry to have to break it to the Aegmond shippers but I do believe out of all these 6 theories I’ve talked about this one is least likely. For one it’s clearly a woman who Aemond is with, given the way the body is shaped, even when we cannot see her breasts. I will admit I have seen people though speculating it’s Aegon which is why I’ve decided to mention it and discuss it. One user named @/cyeco13 has done some incredible art of what it would look like if Aegon was the person Aemond was with and I shall link it here for those who wish to go see it (I do recommend it!)

Okay, out of the six Ive decided to rank those that I believe are most believable to be the woman!

1) The brothel madam

2) Helaena + Alys (as I’m tied with these theories not gonna lie)

3) Alicent

4) The unnamed dancing dragonseed woman in the trailer

5) Aegon

This is all I really can say on the matter as there are constant new theories daily and sad to say I cannot directly talk about them all. Still send me your favourite theories I am interested in hearing and if people would like debating them with me.

[cryptgrrrl1313]

Stannis the Mannis

Stannis Baratheon, rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms, the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Protector of the Realm, and self-appointed commander of the Nightfort, is a man cloaked in titles and burdened by destiny. To his red priestess, he is the Lord’s Chosen, the Son of Fire, the Warrior of Light. But beneath the prophecy and pomp, Stannis is a living paradox: justice without mercy, duty without love. His rigid devotion to law and obligation hollows him out, leaving behind a tragic husk consumed by his own relentless righteousness.

Stannis suffers from textbook middle child syndrome but not the kind that breeds rebellion. Instead, it bred a quiet, festering resentment. After watching his parents die in a shipwreck off Storm’s End, he was left in the ruins with Renly, too young to understand anything except that their eldest brother, Robert, was gone spirited away to the Eyrie, where he flourished under Jon Arryn, laughing with Ned Stark and Brandon like a golden boy out of legend. Meanwhile, Stannis learned silence, isolation, and responsibility. The message was clear: Robert was chosen; Stannis was convenient. That abandonment calcified into bitterness toward Robert, and toward the brothers Robert chose when Stannis had no choice at all. Cressen, the old maester of Storm’s End, saw the damage. He clung to Stannis not because Stannis was lovable, but because he needed love more than anyone. Even as a boy, Stannis was severe and joyless an old soul trapped in a child’s body, carrying burdens too heavy for his narrow frame.

When Robert rebelled against the Targaryens, it was Stannis who held Storm’s End through starvation and siege, keeping the Baratheon name intact through sheer grim will. His reward? Dragonstone a volcanic rock reeking of sulfur and isolation. Robert handed the ancestral seat of House Baratheon not to the brother who earned it, but to the youngest, Renly, untested and politically naive. It wasn’t strategy. It was a slap in the face.

To truly understand Stannis Baratheon, you have to look beyond his titles and sense of duty to see the man himself shaped by bitterness, driven by responsibility. Yet the same qualities that make him strong also lead to his downfall. He seeks justice but lacks compassion, is proud yet plagued by self-hatred, and clings so tightly to his idea of “right” that it suffocates everything around him. These contradictions define his journey, his ultimate failure, and the tragic impact he leaves on Westeros.

And yet, for all his rigidity and moral absolutism, Stannis is a walking contradiction especially when the Iron Throne comes into view. A man so obsessed with law, order, and legitimacy becomes shockingly willing to strike deals in shadow and blood. Another version of Stannis surfaces here not the ironclad judge of Westeros, but a desperate claimant willing to wager his soul for power.

Stannis is a practical man not pious, not fanatical. He never placed much faith in the Seven, especially after the untimely death of his parents and a lifetime of feeling like Westeros had it out for him. But everything shifts when he witnesses the very real results Melisandre can conjure. It isn’t her faith that seduces him it’s her power. Though, let’s be honest, the red priestess herself is hard to ignore. From there, his already shaky moral compass begins to spin wildly.

First comes the burning of the Sept troubling, but arguably tactical. Then the leeches: Edric Storm’s royal blood leeched and burned as Stannis names his rivals Balon Greyjoy, Robb Stark, and Joffrey Baratheon. It’s a compromise, yet it sets a grim precedent. And we all know what comes next. Mel will ask for a greater sacrifice. Maybe it’s Shireen. Maybe Val, our icy eyed wildling princess, lights the pyre with eerie satisfaction. Personally, I subscribe to the theory that Melisandre will attempt some sort of shadow-binding resurrection ritual a callback to Mirri Maz Duur’s fiery chaos to yank Jon Snow back from his second life inside Ghost. Something something, “mount go into the spirit of the rider.”

If Melisandre is the whisper of fire and temptation in Stannis’ ear, then Davos Seaworth is the gravel-voiced conscience clinging to his other shoulder his Jiminy Cricket. Davos is loyalty forged in hardship, honesty sharpened by poverty, and the one man brave (or foolish) enough to tell Stannis when he’s wrong. Their relationship is messy built on mutual respect, frustration, and the push-pull of idealism versus pragmatism. Davos tries, time and again, to tether Stannis to something resembling a soul, warning against the dangers of prophecy and blood magic even as his king begins slipping further away.

Then there’s Shireen his daughter, his blood, and the crack in his granite shell. With her, we glimpse a softer Stannis: the man who reads history books to his child, who tries to explain the world’s complexities, who almost almost smiles. Shireen is his last link to innocence, the anchor to whatever humanity he has left. The moral horror of her death, when it comes, will mark his final transformation from man to monster. It’s the moment where duty and prophecy obliterate love entirely.

And finally, Jon Snow. The bastard of Winterfell and the would-be king meet at the cold crossroads of duty both stoic, both burdened, both bound to thankless causes. Yet where Jon bends toward compassion, Stannis breaks under pride. Their uneasy alliance is laced with mutual respect, but never full trust. Too alike, too different two men standing in the snow, trying to lead ghosts.

Stannis thinks he’s the only one with the stomach to do what’s right but justice without mercy? That’s not justice. That’s tyranny wrapped in legitimacy. Unlike Ned Stark, who tempered honor with empathy, Stannis wields the law like a blade, driving it straight through the heart of anyone who stands in his way even if that someone is his own daughter. Ned would bend to save those he loved; Stannis sets them on fire to fulfill a prophecy.

And speaking of prophecy Azor Ahai, the flaming sword, the whole Lightbringer mess it stops being a metaphor the second he lets Melisandre sacrifice Shireen. The story shifts from saving the realm to a man unraveling for a crown no one truly wants him to wear. Stannis becomes a fiery inversion of the Night’s King: cold death versus burning righteousness, both enchanted by supernatural forces, both losing whatever made them human in the first place. One weds a corpse queen; the other burns his bloodline alive. The difference is that only one of them thinks he’s saving the world.

In the end, Stannis Baratheon isn’t a hero but he’s not exactly a villain either. He’s what happens when duty calcifies into dogma, when law is treated as sacred scripture, and when mercy is seen as weakness. He embodies justice stripped of compassion and love sacrificed at the altar of legitimacy. In a world where the lines between good and evil blur, Stannis doesn’t straddle them he burns a straight path through, convinced of his own moral clarity. And that’s what makes him so terrifying. In the broader themes of A Song of Ice and Fire, where power corrupts and prophecy distorts, Stannis stands as a stark reminder that righteousness without empathy doesn’t save kingdoms it razes them. In the shadow of dragons and the firelight of prophecy, he remains: not a savior, not a monster, but a warning. One that tells us the real danger isn’t in choosing the wrong side, but in believing so completely that you’re right you forget what you’re fighting for in the first place.

[it-happened-once-in-a-meme]

Game of Thrones Analysis/Things I Noticed & Theories Masterlist

Margaery Tyrell with Joffrey Baratheon & Homophobia (One of the Things I Dislike About the Show) 💀🏳️‍🌈

Theon Greyjoy "What could he do should have been a rockstar"

[wintywriter]

Just something casual about Daemon who literally changes because of Nettles but who can’t be changed because it def goes against his whole nature.

That’s why he commits suicide. That’s why he ends his life. That's why this change, putting someone else's life before his own, is killing him. This is his first and last sacrifice and his redemption at the same time. Nettles is his redemption. His life is his sacrifice.

The aforementioned sacrifice and redemption, however, do not concern the remnants of his family. They're both his victim and his sacrifice.

Duty over love. Love over duty. Duty is the death of love. Love is the death of duty.

Daemon Targaryen. Rhaegar Targaryen. Jaime Lannister. Always at cost of their families. Always for the sake of love.

Nettles. Lyanna Stark. Brienne Tarth.

Rhaenyra Targaryen. Elia Martell. Cersei Lannister.

Jon Snow. Finally, for the sake of love to his family.

Arya Stark.

[rise-my-angel]

"Show Jon is stupid and book Jon was smart"

WRONG the essence of Jon Snow in both versions has always been he is a really smart idiot. Our brooding emo himbo. He's smart and stupid and thats part of the charm. Book Jon is busy swapping babies and having a beef with a bird, thats dumb behavior just in a really funny way. Hes not that much different then show Jon once you stop having weird book bias.

[timelordhonour]

Daenerys Targaryen and how she Relates back to the Lore of the Realm of Westeros and Essos

An analytic thesis I have been thinking about, heavily inspired by @hallowed-harpy and her videos on TikTok.

To begin with, there's this theory that when the Great Empire of the Dawn broke apart, they separated into different cultures, ie, one branch became the Dothraki, one branch became the Valyrians, etc. And there are theories state the Azor Ahai story is another myth of the birthing of the first dragon (due to the language used between each dragon myth ie when the second moon fell into the son, it cracked and birthed dragons; Nissa Nissa let out a piercing scream, which cracked the moon and birthed Lightbringer). So, if this is all true (and they are all the same story told through a different cultural lens), then figure that was Azor Ahai was the first Dragonlord and Dragonrider and became the foundation for the Valyrians and, in turn, the Valyrian Empire.

Now, in saying this, if Azor Ahai, the first dragonrider, is one of the people who became the Valyrians, and by extension, the Targaryens, are also all related to the Amethyst Empress? This isn't directly confirmed in A Song of Ice and Fire, but there are a few aspects of the lore which do hint at possible connections between the Amethyst Empress and the Targaryens (with them being the most prominent Valyrian family).

Take the physical traits of the two. Both the Amethyst Empress and the Targaryens are strikingly unique in features, including the violet ( or amethyst-coloured, if you will) eyes. This is a very unusual and significant characteristic, and can reinforce their common ancestry. Also, the Targaryens are also known for their silver-gold/platinum hair, which is associated in many cultures with divine or noble ancestry, which can also link them to the mystical rulers of the Great Empire of the Dawn.

Then there's the cultural similarities. Both the Great Empire of the Dawn and the Valyrian Empire are associated with Fire and dragons. Now, the first ruler of the Great Empire of the Dawn is known as the God-on-Earth - an ancestor of the Amethyst Empress. If this theory (and analysis) is true and the Targaryens are descendants and relatives if the Amethyst Empress, then that makes them relatives of the God-on-Earth, too. And this connects with this quote by young Rhaenyra:

"Everyone says Targaryens are closer to gods than to men."

Now, the mythical parallels between the Great Empire of the Dawn and the Targaryens. The Great Empire of the Dawn had the blood betrayal (caused by the Bloodstone Emperor when he killed the Amethyst Empress, his half-sister, and usurped her throne. This blood betrayal ushered in the first Long Night, which is the beginning of the end for the Great Empire of the Dawn (because when the first Long Night ended, every tribe of men under it went their own way ie the tribe that would eventually become the Dothraki, the tribe that would eventually become the Valyrians, the tribe that would eventually become the Rhoynar, etc. This explains why each culture has their own version of the Prince that was Promised prophecy (which is the Westerosi equivalent; where Azor Ahai is the Essosi equivalent; and the Stallion Who Mounts the World is the Dothraki equivalent). This also mirrors how the Valyrian Empire fell apart, and further on, the Targaryen decline in Westeros (beginning with the Dance of the Dragons).

So, the Dance of the Dragons. A big moment in Targaryen history, which is the start of House Targaryen's decline in Westeros. With the Dance of the Dragons, we see clear parallels with House Targaryen and the Great Empire of the Dawn. We have Rhaenyra Targaryen. She is the second reincarnation of the Amethyst Empress. Her claim for the Iron Throne parallels the Amethyst Empress' usurpation by her brother, the Bloodstone Emperor, which, in this period of Targaryen history is Aegon II. And similar to the Empress, Rhaenyra suffers a tragic death by her half-brother.

The Dance of the Dragons also brought about the destruction and extinction of the dragons. With no more dragons, the winters became colder, harsher and longer (which is mentioned by the maesters). And this can be attributed to the fact that the Others are becoming stronger. A second Long Night is coming.

Now, skip to 300AC. We have Daenerys Targaryen. She is the third reincarnation of the Amethyst Empress. But she is not just the reincarnation of the Amethyst Empress. She is also the Mother of Dragons. She brought back the dragons. She rebirthed them. She brought back the fire magic (the opposite to the Ice magic of the world. In George's world, fire means love, fire is passion, fire is sexual ardor and all of these things. Ice is betrayal, ice is revenge, ice is… you know, that kind of cold inhumanity). Daenerys' arc as a saviour and the breaker of chains aligns with the subversion of the Bloodstone Emperor's legacy.

This can be also be applied to Daenerys if she is a descendant of the Amethyst Empress - and by extension, the reincarnation of the Amethyst Empress - whose role can complete the cycle by restoring balance and making sure that light triumphs over darkness. And by doing that, Daenerys will have to self-sacrifice herself. This is in line with the narrative style of George RR Martin. His style often juxtaposes grand heroism with deep tragedy. This act of a self-sacrifice will directly oppose the selfishness and the darkness of the Bloodstone Emperor. This self-sacrifice will symbolise the redemption for the ancestral sins of humanity (and, in turn, heal the maternal wounds of the world).

Daenerys' self-sacrifice will also fulfill the Azor Ahain prophecy, which fortells the coming of a hero to wield Lightbringer (which would be a dragon - a flaming sword in the sky. In Daenerys' case, this is Drogon, whose black and red scales perfectly describe Lightbringer). This will bring an end to the darkness that threatens to consume not just Westeros, but Essos and the rest of the world.

Daenerys' self-sacrifice will restore the balance of Light and Dark, Fire and Ice. Daenerys' self-sacrifice will break the cycle of betrayal and loss (she is the breaker of chains, after all). The emphasis on her being 'the last hope' hints at her mythic role, and her dragons are a resurgence of fire and life.

This ties together the mythological symbolism of the Amethyst Empress and the Bloodstone Emperor that are tied to the first Long Night. It ties in to the fact that Rhaenyra Targaryen is the middle chapter of this Song of Ice and Fire, where her tragedy echoes the past but doesn't break the cycle and resolve it. But it all ties together, with a neat, little bow, with Daenerys. She will be the culmination, whose actions can redeem the past and secure the future of the realms. Of the world of Westeros, Essos, Ulthos and Sothoryos.

This befits the rich tapestry and story created by George RR Martin, where history, prophecy and personal choice are all entwined. It is in fact fitting that with Daenerys being the chosen hero and fulfilling the Azor Ahai prophecy, because this would be a subversion of the classic male fantasy hero archetype, and perfectly fits in with the style of George RR Martin. George frequently subverts traditional fantasy tropes with regard to gender roles, moral complexity, and the nature of heroism.

One of the most important nuances of the prophecy of he Prince That Was Promises is that, in High Valyrian, the word for 'prince' is gender-neutral.

"What fools we were, who thought ourselves so wise! The error crept in from the translation. Dragons are neither male nor female, Barth saw the truth of that, but now one and now the other, as changeable as flame. The language misled us all for a thousand years." ~ Maester Aemon to Sam Tarly

This is a prophecy that is open to interpretation, but Daenerys fits many of the requirements: born amidst salt and smoke, waking dragons from stone, etc. Her journey that we have seen so far is full of imagery and challenges commensurate with any messianic story that makes her the saviour of the world.

However, most of the fandom say the Prince That Was Promised (or Azor Ahai) is Jon Snow. However, his story arc heavily leans into the trope of the reluctant hero, whereas Daenerys pursues her destiny to break chains and challenge oppressive systems, making her role more transformative and revolutionary.

Also, Daenerys has fulfilled the prophecy organically (which happens at the end of the first book, A Game of Thrones). She did so without knowing of the prophecy, and still doesn't know the prophecy (hopefully she finds out in The Winds of Winter. Looking at you, George. No rush).

Now, George RR Martin has said that prophecies are confusing, difficult, and not easy to interpret. People in this fandom love saying this to use it against Daenerys, saying this proves she is not the Prince That was Promised. However, what George has said regarding prophecies relates to a theme of the series, regarding fulfilling a prophecy naturally and organically vs forcing a prophecy to happen. Take Rhaegar, for example. He knew of the Prince That Was Promised prophecy. Absolutely loved it where it brought about the destruction of his house. Jon was born in the shadow of this. He was born in the shadow of forced prophecy. Now, you have Melisandre forcing the prophecy onto Stannis. And when it won't work on Stannis, she will move onto Jon.

But, like I said earlier, Daenerys fulfilled the prophecy organically, without knowing about it. What til Melisandre finds out about that, where she finds out the reason her attempts haven't worked is because they've already happened and happened organically and naturally to Daenerys.

Now, back to George and his subversions. He has made a habit of his career subverting gender roles in unexpected way. Cersei, Arya, Sansa, and Brienne, among others, buck the trend of how women usually exist in fantasy novels, through often very morally grey or imperfect means. Daenerys, with her dragons and leadership, occupied a space usually meant for men and stood very far from a simple embodiment of 'good'. Her messianic figure, torn by power, morality, and identity, finally can strike a much deeper tone when combined with George RR Martin's deconstruction of heroism as suc

Her rise from a powerless abused pawn in her brother's schemes to a ruler commanding armies and dragons is a powerful feminist narrative. So, when she does her self-sacrifice to save the world - to end the Long Night - it would be a culmination of her arc as both ruler and redeemer, complicating the patriarchal norms in traditional fantasy. This elevates Daenerys as the Prince That Was Promised/Azor Ahai/The Stallion Who Mounts the World, and would not only pay service to her arc but will also redefine the way fantasy novels treat their female protagonists and heroes (bearing in mind, A Song of Ice and Fire began in the 1990s, where it was rare to have a female protagonist).

By making Daenerys - a woman - the saviour of humanity in the series, George RR Martin will solidify his critique of rigid fantasy conventions, and it will reinforce that heroism transcends gender and is defined by actions, sacrifice, and leadership.

[reallyprofoundkryptonite]

Concepts for the Fandom IG

If your hair follicles are damaged, hair can grow back white or gray.

Now because of Sandor’s burns being particularly bad, there probably is a mass die off of a lot of his hair follicles so he just physically cannot grow hair on some parts of his head, but on others, due to the melanocytes (the thing needed to produce any form of color in the hair, skin and eyes of the human body) dying or being damaged first, the hair that would grow back like his eyelashes and the occasional stream of hair would be white or gray.

I know there is dye of some form in ASOIAF, hair dye has been around since literally forever in our world, with the oldest recipe to date being found to be from 2177 BCE (4191 years ago), so legitimately he could most certainly just dye the white hairs to hide them since, with how self conscious he is about his bald spot, the more hair he has, the better it would be to cover it up so shaving them off would defeat the purpose of the combover more or less. If they’re white they’ll stick out like a sore thumb.

Also, with Sandor’s scarring being the way it is, I know George said everything works just fine on that side of his head, but Sandor’s face is actually MELTED.

Genuinely, a large portion of his outer ear is GONE, with his helix being fused with the rest of his head and most of it from that portion down being gone as well. If they’re fire did that much damage to his outer ear, it’s very likely he’s possibly mostly or completely deaf in that ear.

With the same thing being said about his eye, he’s probably also blind in that eye for the most part, it is just that a cataract never formed over that eye, which in some eye injuries just genuinely doesn’t happen, but it doesn’t negate the blindness that would have been caused by the fire potentially detaching his retina or even rupturing it due to the damage from the fire.

Mind you this is all speculation considering this would be before skin grafts were ever a thing let alone modern surgery, so Sandor’s wound would be a lot more debilitating in my own opinion. And it definitely leaves room for me to further understand and develop Sandor in my own writing being particularly grumpy because he has chronic pain due to his facial scarring.

The reason that it doesn’t bother Sandor as much is because he’s like 35 in the HBO show and therefore has literally been dealing with these issues for 28 YEARS so he’s completely adapted to his disabilities. He would definitely have flare ups though and that skin would most definitely be VERY thin and weak. Fingernails would be absolutely able to tear it open.