Why would we ever want our favorite characters to be king?

[Poppa Chase]

Aerys Targeryen

Robert Baratheon

Renly Baratheon

Joffrey Baratheon

Robb Stark

Balon Greyjoy

Khal Drogo

Viserys Targeryen

All these men were claimed, or did claim themselves king. So why would we want our favorites to be king?

[Game Of Thrones]

Because it's his duty.

[Chalais]

Because in the context of the series, getting the Iron Throne equals 'winning'. But as Robert discovered getting the Iron Throne is half the battle, the hard part is ruling Westeros.

[Salafi Stannis]

Because it's his duty.

:agree:

[Rorey Targaryen]

He has been shaped for rule before he could walk. He has been trained in arms, as befits a knight to be, but that was not the end of his education. He reads and writes, he speaks several tongues, he has studied history and law and poetry. A septa has instructed him in the mysteries of the Faith since he was old enough to understand them. He has lived with fisherfolk, worked with his hands, swum in rivers and mended nets and learned to wash his own clothes at need. He can fish and cook and bind up a wound, he knows what it is like to be hungry, to be hunted, to be afraid. He knows kingship is his duty, that a king must put his people first, and live and rule for them.

[JRose1989]

He has been shaped for rule before he could walk. He has been trained in arms, as befits a knight to be, but that was not the end of his education. He reads and writes, he speaks several tongues, he has studied history and law and poetry. A septa has instructed him in the mysteries of the Faith since he was old enough to understand them. He has lived with fisherfolk, worked with his hands, swum in rivers and mended nets and learned to wash his own clothes at need. He can fish and cook and bind up a wound, he knows what it is like to be hungry, to be hunted, to be afraid. He knows kingship is his duty, that a king must put his people first, and live and rule for them.

You are referring to Aegon yes?

Yes he has had all that training, doesn't stop him from being and entitled prick as evidenced by the way he treats Tyrion, and completely changes JonCon's carefully orchestrated plan on a whim and demanding he lead it himself without any discussion with anybody. A great ruler listens to the people around them rather than steamrolling them because he wants something.

As far as the OP's discussion, I guess for me personally I'm hoping that whoever does end up on the IT will bring some honor back to the title of 'King' or 'Queen'.

Hasn't been much of that lately!!

[PirateVergo]

He has been shaped for rule before he could walk. He has been trained in arms, as befits a knight to be, but that was not the end of his education. He reads and writes, he speaks several tongues, he has studied history and law and poetry. A septa has instructed him in the mysteries of the Faith since he was old enough to understand them. He has lived with fisherfolk, worked with his hands, swum in rivers and mended nets and learned to wash his own clothes at need. He can fish and cook and bind up a wound, he knows what it is like to be hungry, to be hunted, to be afraid. He knows kingship is his duty, that a king must put his people first, and live and rule for them.

Sadly he's a side character he stands absolutely no chance against Dany because she is 100 times more relevant/important than him in the plot.

Also he's fake.

[Rorey Targaryen]

You are referring to Aegon yes?

Yes he has had all that training, doesn't stop him from being and entitled prick as evidenced by the way he treats Tyrion, and completely changes JonCon's carefully orchestrated plan on a whim and demanding he lead it himself without any discussion with anybody. A great ruler listens to the people around them rather than steamrolling them because he wants something.

To be fair though, Tyrion was deliberately acting like dick to fish that reaction from him. You also leave out the part where Aegon has Tyrion saved, despite the wishes of everyone else on that boat.

Regarding the decision to head to Westeros, JonCon's Red Beard, in another thread, perfectly sums up the entire issue:

Many people think it was Tyrion the one who made Aegon change his mind. It's not:

Griff drew his longsword. "Yollo, light the torches. Lad, take Lemore back to her cabin and stay with her."

Young Griff gave his father a stubborn look. "Lemore knows where her cabin is. I want to stay."

"We are sworn to protect you," Lemore said softly.

"I don't need to be protected. I can use a sword as well as Duck. I'm half a knight."

"And half a boy," said Griff. "Do as you are told. Now."

The youth cursed under his breath and flung his pole down onto the deck. The sound echoed queerly in the fog, and for a moment it was as if poles were falling around them. "Why should I run and hide? Haldon is staying, and Ysilla. Even Hugor."

"Aye," said Tyrion, "but I'm small enough to hide behind a duck." He thrust half a dozen torches into the brazier's glowing coals and watched the oiled rags flare up. Don' t stare at the fire, he told himself. The flames would leave him night blind.

"You're a dwarf, " Young Griff said scornfully.

First, this is much before the game and we already see hints of Aegon starting to be away from his father's grip, which is understanding. He's 17 and an adult according to Westeros customs. Yet, he's not allowed to even leave the boat. We all understand they need to protect his life and identity, but as a guy still in his teens years, he must be feed up. And Aegon, like every other teen, is a nag when he's pissed off. And we see the confirmation of that in the next chapter:

Young Griff's greeting was less effusive. The princeling was in a sullen mood, angry that he had been forced to remain on the Shy Maid instead of going ashore with Yandry and Ysilla. "We only want to keep you safe," Lemore told him. "These are unsettled times."

Second, this hasn't passed beyond Tyrion's radar. He first called him a dwarf, scornfully, and despite saving his life, he sees him as something lesser. And Tyrion hasn't forgotten about that.

Lemore gave him a reproachful look. "That is because you have a wicked soul. Septa's robes scream of Westeros and might draw unwelcome eyes onto us." She turned back to Prince Aegon. "You are not the only one who must needs hide."

The lad did not seem appeased. The perfect prince but still half a boy for all that, with little and less experience of the world and all its woes.

"Prince Aegon," said Tyrion, "since we're both stuck aboard this boat, perhaps you will honor me with a game of cyvasse to while away the hours?"

The prince gave him a wary look. "I am sick of cyvasse. "

"Sick of losing to a dwarf, you mean?"

Tyrion teased him once and again, first, with his father (both of them), then, about how they saved him. He's fishing for any clues he can use against him. He's quite docile until Tyrion brings the subject of Dany. When he says "she must", Tyrion knows he has him. Aegon is proud.

Aegon's mouth twisted in fury. "I will not come to my aunt a beggar. I will come to her a kinsman, with an army."

"A small army." There, that' s made him good and angry. The dwarf could not help but think of Joffrey. I have a gift for angering princes.

"Queen Daenerys has a large one, and no thanks to you." Tyrion moved his crossbows.

"Say what you want. She will be my bride, Lord Connington will see to it. I trust him as much as if he were my own blood."

Tyrion remembers to be called a dwarf, and he start projecting his own feelings for Joffrey onto Aegon, even though Aegon, while a bit arrogant, it's not Joffrey. Aegon ordered to save him and even liked him. Joffrey, who humiliated him constantly for being a dwarf, put his life in danger many times. They aren't the same at all, except that Tyrion has a big ego and took Aegon's comment of being a "dwarf", badly. And he wants to mess up with his head, out of spite: "I have a gift for angering princes".

Yet. That's not the only thing Tyrion caught: not only realised Aegon's pride, but also, that he trusts his men, specially, Griff, who he considers very close to be his own blood. That's something else Tyrion tries to use against him and it's the motive of this thread:

"Perhaps you should be the fool instead of me. Trust no one, my prince. Not your chainless maester, not your false father, not the gallant Duck nor the lovely Lemore nor these other fine friends who grew you from a bean. Above all, trust not the cheesemonger, nor the Spider, nor this little dragon queen you mean to marry. All that mistrust will sour your stomach and keep you awake by night, 'tis true, but better that than the long sleep that does not end." The dwarf pushed his black dragon across a range of mountains. "But what do I know? Your false father is a great lord, and I am just some twisted little monkey man. Still, I'd do things differently."

Funny thing is that, despite all of this, Aegon actually listens to Tyrion. He's actually very kind to him and open to his advice. Tyrion is, after all, not giving a bad advice to him. It's until Tyrion beat him with obvious mean intend, that Aegon explodes. Tyrion has been a troll the whole game, and it's very intended for us to notice, and Aegon is wrong for being mad?

So, has Aegon followed Tyrion's advice? For some, he has. Truth is, that he has had the good sense to not follow it blindly. First thing he says is "Trust no one".

"I like the sound of that. My army." A smile flashed across his face, then vanished. "Are they, though? They're sellswords. Yollo warned me to trust no one."

Tyrion said "trust no one" and what he does? He doubts it. "not your false father":

"There is wisdom in that," Griff admitted. It might have been different if Blackheart still commanded, but Myles Toyne was four years dead, and Homeless Harry Strickland was a different sort of man. He would not say that to the boy, however. That dwarf had already planted enough doubts in his young head.

Griff wasn't present during the Cyvasse game. But Halden was. And he probably told Griff everything. I suppose that's not the first time the subject was discussed or mentioned. Anyway, Griff keeps talking:

"Not every man is what he seems, and a prince especially has good cause to be wary … but go too far down that road, and the mistrust can poison you, make you sour and fearful. " King Aerys was one such. By the end, even Rhaegar saw that plain enough. "You would do best to walk a middle course. Let men earn your trust with leal service … but when they do, be generous and openhearted."

The boy nodded. "I will remember."

Compare that to Tyrion's advice:

mistrust can poison you, make you sour and fearful

vs

All that mistrust will sour your stomach and keep you awake by night, 'tis true, but better that than the long sleep that does not end.

Connington knows the exact words to calm down the prince. And, his advice is definitely better, because he's also speaking of his own experience with Aerys, the kid's grandpa.

trust "not the gallant Duck", said Tyrion:

[...]Before them went Ser Rolly Duckfield, a snow-white cloak streaming from his shoulders.

A solid man, and true, Connington thought as he watched Duck dismount, but not worthy of the Kingsguard. He had tried his best to dissuade the prince from giving Duckfield that cloak, pointing out that the honor might best be held in reserve for warriors of greater renown whose fealty would add luster to their cause, and the younger sons of great lords whose support they would need in the coming struggle, but the boy would not be moved. "Duck will die for me if need be," he had said, "and that's all I require in my Kingsguard.

~~

"[...]Please, be seated. Ser Rolly, we'll have no further need of you for now."

"No, I want Duck to stay." The prince sat.

So, Aegon hasn't followed Tyrion's advice about trust. The only think that looks like he's actually doing is about going first to Westeros. But, here happened something that Tyrion couldn't foreseen: Dany wasn't going to Westeros and she was out of reach. The GC is wary about her because they can't go to her, and they don't want to sail without her either.

"Then put your hopes on me," he (Aegon said) said. "Daenerys is Prince Rhaegar's sister, but I am Rhaegar's son. I am the only dragon that you need."

Griff put a black-gloved hand upon Prince Aegon's shoulder.

"Spoken boldly," he said, "but think what you are saying."

"I have," the lad insisted. "Why should I go running to my aunt as if I were a beggar? My claim is better than her own. Let her come to me … in Westeros."

Tyrions' advice this time is well used by Aegon to convince the GC about him being trustful. He's not "following" Tyrion's advice, he's using it to his favour.

So, was a good advice? It was mean-intended. He wanted to get even for what Joffrey did, even though Aegon has no blame at all. Either way, the advice resulted useful for Aegon, as he used it to convince the GC. Also, he's giving Dany good reasons to join her for the time she decides to return. It was Tyrion the one who suffered at the end, because he was taken East, when Aegon and the GC parted West, and didn't save him. Karma.

[Primalsplit]

-snip-

:agree:

I remember how I was very angry when I have lost to a older and arrogent man in chess, while I was young. One doesn't need to be a prince to become angry on such a thing. While I never trashed the chess board when I have lost, I was never been teased as Tyrion did to Aegon.

[Jay Lannister]

I think renly would have been a great king

[Ser Arthur Hightower]

Because it's his duty.

"Stannis! Stannis! Stannis!" :commie:

[Ser Arthur Hightower]

Because in the context of the series, getting the Iron Throne equals 'winning'. But as Robert discovered getting the Iron Throne is half the battle, the hard part is ruling Westeros.

The hard part is Stannis' will.

[francisco of house avila]

Sadly he's a side character he stands absolutely no chance against Dany because she is 100 times more relevant/important than him in the plot.

Also he's fake.

Isn't there plan to work together and Mary

[Julia Martell]

Yeah, there are a lot of closet monarchist on this board. Hell, for all I know there openly monarchist, I guess.

I suppose talking about who has the best claim or "right" to the throne makes sense in universe, but some people seem to actually buy into it, and rather more importantly, assume that the author buys into it.

But from a reader's point of view, being King is the worst thing that could happen to a character. Kings are assholes, they kind of have to be.

[nastydream]

Now look, check it, it's simple, it's simple. See this? This the kingpin, a'ight? And he the man. You get the other dude's king, you got the game. But he trying to get your king too, so you gotta protect it. Now, the king, he move one space any direction he damn choose, 'cause he's the king. Like this, this, this, a'ight? But he ain't got no hustle. But the rest of these motherfuckers on the team, they got his back. And they run so deep, he really ain't gotta do shit.

This is why.

[Gibzit]

Sadly he's a side character he stands absolutely no chance against Dany because she is 100 times more relevant/important than him in the plot.

Also he's fake.

nah dany sucks

[The Bastard of Walton]

To Hell with a King "Republic! Republic! Republic!"

[Gibzit]

all hail the people's republic of westeros!

[nastydream]

Because it's his duty.

Are you serious?

[Lord Orys]

Because it's his duty.

:cheers: