What is varys's deal?

[myufa]

Who is Varys? What does he want from everything he's created? What is he really responsible for in the chaos of Westeros? What were his actual origins?

I think he might just be psycho but if he's not he must be really clever. I'd he playing the game of thrones or is he key to the song of ice and fire.

[raegal_targaryen]

varys a eunuch, is from lys, joined a mummers troupe. than got sold to a magician who cut his balls off.

Most likely for his kings and dragon blood. than became a thief with illyrio who became a fence.

Than varys ran a guuild of little thieves and sold illyrio the items back at the owner. than they went for things that matters secrets. falsefying documents and etc

the rest i debateable and speculative .

[mdw4950]

we still dont know what varys wants exactly. on the surface he seems like a complete targaryen supporter but we also dont know if thats true or not (though he does obviously favor the targaryens to the lannisters).

he might truly want what he believes is best for the realm or he might be doing all this for shits and giggles. if the stories of his past are true, varys realistically could just have a 'watch the world burn' mentality and get off knowing hes helped cause it.

[TheRevanchist]

Well, two theories (not mine):

1) He's a Blackfyre and wants to put 'Aegon' (his nephew on throne). chances 30%
2) He just wants the greater good and thinks that Aegon Targaryan would be the best leader to lead the humans against the Others. chances 69.9%

On both theories, he had significantly guided on some way or another the events of Westeros.

Nihilistic theory:

1) He wants everything to be burned and so is looking to destabilize Westeros as much as possible, in order for people of it to not have any chance against the Others. chances 0.01%

[Annarkie]

Is there any evidence that he is aware of the existence of the Others?

[mdw4950]

Is there any evidence that he is aware of the existence of the Others?

i would assume so? with everything that he knows i would have to guess he was aware that thorne showed up to kings landing with a supposedly still moving severed hand. but then again tyrion also made thorne wait which then made the hand completely rot and no one took him seriously. i guess it all depends if varys believed it or not.

[UnmaskedLurker]

Well, two theories (not mine):

1) He's a Blackfyre and wants to put 'Aegon' (his nephew on throne). chances 30%

2) He just wants the greater good and thinks that Aegon Targaryan would be the best leader to lead the humans against the Others. chances 69.9%

On both theories, he had significantly guided on some way or another the events of Westeros.

Nihilistic theory:

1) He wants everything to be burned and so is looking to destabilize Westeros as much as possible, in order for people of it to not have any chance against the Others. chances 0.01%

I disagree on your percentage assessment. Personally I think (1) is more like 90% (rather than 30%) and (2) is more like 9.9% (rather than 69.9%).

I also would make a small addendum to (1), which is that rather than being a Blackfyre descendant, it is possible that Illyrio is the Blackfyre descendant and Varys is a Brightflame descendant (through Aerion's son Maegor, who was passed over for Aegon V). I think there is a strong suggestion that both Varys and Illyrio have a strong dose of dragon blood. So my 90% likelihood is really that Varys is either a Blackfyre descendant or a Brightflame descendant. I am not sure which. But I think it is highly unlikely he is anything else. Admittedly, this analysis is largely speculation based only on hints in the text.

[Blazfemur]

I still think "Varys" is still a persona. and the belief that he's a blackfyre/targaryen has become so well-known, i almost dont want it to be true. Id love for him to be a secret Reyne.

But, the fact he's a eunuch, may qualify him to being a blackfyre if essentially he's considered "less than a man," and blackfyres are apparently extinguished int he male line.