Daario and Dany - what do you think?

[hollowcrown]

Basically I saw a post on tumblr explaining why the they shipped Daario and Dany together, why they are meant to be basically. Can't say I agree, but I guess it's an interesting read.

He is a douchebag. And I love him for it. But because his confidence doesn’t match with traditional aspects that might make a reader comfortable, they tear him down for it instead of being all YES BODY CONFIDENCE LOVE YOURSELF or something.

Daenerys and Daario are two very beautiful, talented, young people with a lot of power behind them…. and quick tempers over their egos, yes.

Daario is in his late 20’s/maaybe early 30’s and the leader of a company of sellswords. If people don’t like him he just kills them, or wins them over, or doesn’t care. He got to be a commander not because he inherited the title like in Westeros, but because of skill and the confidence his men have in him.They could kill him if they didn’t like him, like he killed his co-captains. They don’t, they really like him (as seen in TWOW chapters). He wasn’t raised to lead an army, he learned along the way.There are old sellswords and there are bold sellswords, but there are no old bold sellswords. Daario wears all of his wealth and uses his appearance and bravado to stop people from attacking him. It’s part of the act. His rings and silks are the sellsword equivalent of Drogo’s braids. They are plunder, they show how many battles he’s won, how many men he’s stripped of their finery. And he has a lot of finery. He comes from Tyrosh, a land known for flamboyance (and torture deviceses ayyy)and even by their standards his swag is crazy. He’s highly skilled, highly independent, and highly deadly. Everything he has he had to earn.

Beyond this, he actually gives a lot of great advice to Daenerys. He reminds her of the truth of the world they live in. He tutors her in cultures she hasn’t come across yet (as she notes during the Ghiscari meal, he had warned her about it) as he has had the chance to travel all around Essos and the free cities, interacting with Rulers who hire him and commoners he kills. He’s probably interacted with the highest variety of social classes due to this, actually. He is the one who speaks up to Dany about remembering WHO SHE IS. He doesn’t tell her, he just reminds her to think about what she’s doing and what she wants to do, and what Dragons have done before her time. He causes her to self-reflect, as opposed to trying to delude herself about the reality of her situation. He makes her better in this way, really. He comes up with battle plans, with strategies for Dany to protect herself from her enemies, to protect her people. He knew that Hizzy’s peace was fake from the start, and urged her to murder all the slave masters in the city as they would rise up against her. She didn’t do this, and now thousands will die in war because of it. It’s sad but true that it’s better to be the butcher than the meat, and at least Daario is reminding Dany that ruling -while you can be just- isn’t some happy song about being a Queen. As soon as she marries the Hiz she actually passes off ruling on to HIM. Which… is obviously not good. Daario was the one who asked her if she wanted to be a breeding machine or actually rule. No one else brought this up with her, really.

Is he arrogant? Of course. He has a lot of self confidence. Wouldn’t you, if your life involved killing others and winning? If you don’t win, you lose. And he is still alive. So clearly he IS a winner. Everything that belongs to him was something he worked for. What other character can say that? Why shouldn’t he be confident?

Also, when he met Dany she had recently had all her hair burnt off. She described herself as dead inside before she knew him. Everyone keeps talking about how he’s going to betray her, but he never has. When he’s upset with her, she knows it. He doesn’t pretend just because she’s the queen and could kill him with a word. He continually protects, defends, and uplifts her. What’s wrong about that?

People who are uncomfortable with themselves look down on him because he refuses to stay within the rules of society that make them comfortable. He’s a man in a relationship with his female superior and he is proud of that, he doesn’t feel the need to overpower her or something. He’s comfortable with his masculinity but since his values don’t match the traditional our-world values of masculinity it makes readers uncomfortable.

I have never seen a single post tearing Daario down for anything valid. It’s always superficial things about appearance or personal attraction. Since he’s a woman’s paramour he’s considered worthless by fans, because there’s no traditional masculine value in that position.

If anyone were to ever make a real, solid, well thought out (or half thought out) post about why Daario is a meritless one-dimensional character I’d love to read it.

This post got really long, so I didn’t have space to get into Dany/Daario but honestly I just love what he brings out in her and they have a lot of fun together. There isn’t another consensual relationship in the series like this, so it’s nice to have

I still personally don't agree with this but it makes some good points. For me Daario seems like a ridiculous character, not really something Dany would find attractive physically what with the stupid blue beard, but a dangerous guy that Dany might find attractive in a "teenage rebellion" kind of way. I find Daario selfish and altruistic and dishonorable and bloody, wanting to carry out an Essos style Red Wedding type affair.

He's a violent, horrible character that is at odds with Dany's desire to be a good, kind ruler, a mother.

[Suzanna Stormborn]

Um in the OP you say that these are the authors reasons....Are any of the above actually quotes from the author?

[Berkilak]

People hate Daario because they wish they could be Daario.

[hollowcrown]

Um in the OP you say that these are the authors reasons....Are any of the above actually quotes from the author

Sorry I meant the author of the blog, not George himself.

[Jauqin]

Hard for any "one" to be meant to be with a woman destined to have two husbands.

[Wmarshal]

I think he is just a faze for Dany, that or Martin's attempt to say f*ck you to 80s and 90s movies where the douchebag(Daario) and the heroic nerd(Quentyn) does something amazing to the girl(Dany).

[Dany Girl]

I like Daario, mainly because of what he brings to Dany's character. I don't much think about him as a character in his own right, but as someone who adds demention and insight into Dany.

He's pretty much the only person who's ever cared about Dany for Dany. Who's ever asked what Dany wants, not the Kahleesi, not the Princess, not the Queen. He's the only person who reminds her who she is and the only person she feels like she can truly be herself with.

That's why I like him, despite his douchy-ness. Yes, he comes off like a cocky doyche, he brags about sleeping with Dany, but I feel any guy that Dany chose would brag about that. It's just part of the Essos culture, especially the Tyroshi, they're braggers and cocky, they like to stand out. I don't feel that's a reason to condemn him though.

[A Bastard Snow]

Daario is not loyal to Dany.Anyone who can betray people like he did to the officers can do it again.

"Once you turn your cloak you will find it easy to turn it again"

[Suzanna Stormborn]

I like Daario, mainly because of what he brings to Dany's character. I don't much think about him as a character in his own right, but as someone who adds demention and insight into Dany.

He's pretty much the only person who's ever cared about Dany for Dany. Who's ever asked what Dany wants, not the Kahleesi, not the Princess, not the Queen. He's the only person who reminds her who she is and the only person she feels like she can truly be herself with.

That's why I like him, despite his douchy-ness. Yes, he comes off like a cocky doyche, he brags about sleeping with Dany, but I feel any guy that Dany chose would brag about that. It's just part of the Essos culture, especially the Tyroshi, they're braggers and cocky, they like to stand out. I don't feel that's a reason to condemn him though.

Excellent points, I completely agree :)

[Dany Girl]

It doesn't matter if he stays loyal is my point, he doesn't matter at all. What matters is that he's reminded Dany that she's an actual person, not just a Queen/Kahleesi. And as a per person, what she wants matters, not always bending over to appease everyone else. He reminds her who she is and what she stands for in a time where she's been trying too hard to make the former GMs happy and forgetting what she actually wants, liberation of the slaves. His presence stands to refocus her on what's actually important to her.

[MoIaF]

It doesn't matter if he stays loyal is my point, he doesn't matter at all. What matters is that he's reminded Dany that she's an actual person, not just a Queen/Kahleesi. And as a per person, what she wants matters, not always bending over to appease everyone else. He reminds her who she is and what she stands for in a time where she's been trying too hard to make the former GMs happy and forgetting what she actually wants, liberation of the slaves. His presence stands to refocus her on what's actually important to her.

I'm not his biggest fan, however, I've learned to appreciate his role in Dany's life. After reading this post (which makes a lot of the same points you do) I think I can tolerate him a little better.

http://theloupgaroux.tumblr.com/post/83926416828

[A Bastard Snow]

It doesn't matter if he stays loyal is my point, he doesn't matter at all. What matters is that he's reminded Dany that she's an actual person, not just a Queen/Kahleesi. And as a per person, what she wants matters, not always bending over to appease everyone else. He reminds her who she is and what she stands for in a time where she's been trying too hard to make the former GMs happy and forgetting what she actually wants, liberation of the slaves. His presence stands to refocus her on what's actually important to her.

The thing is if he does betray her then she will never trust people again.So he needs to die before he does that.

[hollowcrown]

It doesn't matter if he stays loyal is my point, he doesn't matter at all. What matters is that he's reminded Dany that she's an actual person, not just a Queen/Kahleesi. And as a per person, what she wants matters, not always bending over to appease everyone else. He reminds her who she is and what she stands for in a time where she's been trying too hard to make the former GMs happy and forgetting what she actually wants, liberation of the slaves. His presence stands to refocus her on what's actually important to her.

I think he might be a good influence on her - if she wasn't a Queen. It'd be kinda like Bronn advising Joffrey or something. These characters know what is best for themselves and how to get what they want, but ruling is about compromise. If Dany can't compromise she's going to be just another Aerys, she needs to know what is best for her people, and that's not always what she wants. Jon has learned this the hard way, I'm guessing Dany might too - or she might give in to her impulses.

So if Daario convinces her to run off to Tyrosh and start a family with him, then cool. If Daario convinces her to travel the world in the Second Sons with him, then cool, good for them. But Daario is not the kind of person to help Dany become a good ruler, because he is all about selfishness and being a ruler is the opposite of that.

[Ziggy Targdust]

Finally some Daario love.

I made a Daario appreciation thread once and pretty much all responses were "he's a douche because I don't like the way he looks!, he's a clown!"

Nice blog about Daario there. I've always said he is the closest thing to a non-emo Rockstar in asoiaf.

[Suzanna Stormborn]

Finally some Daario love.

I made a Daario appreciation thread once and pretty much all responses were "he's a douche because I don't like the way he looks!, he's a clown!"

Nice blog about Daario there. I've always said he is the closest thing to a non-emo Rockstar in asoiaf.

Oh didnt you know? Anyone who Dany likes is a clown, and anyone she doesn't like is a hero worthy of worship, like the slavers. Geez try to keep up!!! When Dany is involved all sense, all accuracy, and all evidence from the books is thrown out of the conversation and there is only 1 principle that matters;

Say anything and everything to make Dany look bad. NO matter what!

[Eyron Stark]

She's what, 16? Bad relationships come before good ones... Especially when you are young.

[Sleeve of Wizard]

Dany's boyfriends if she were still in high school (because that's how old she is!):

Drogo - Brando-esque (The Wild Ones) with his motorcycle.

Daario - Mc Conaughey - esque (Dazed & Confused) with his sweet Chevelle 454 SS

PREDICTION

Victarion - Kitsch-esque (Battleship) with his big boat (Rihanna as Dusky Woman)