Jump to content

Dumbest Lord in Westeros history


C.T. Phipps

Recommended Posts

Balon = he was too arrogant to see an incredible opportunity of joining forced with the North. Ironmen Longships could guard the sea and raid the south while Robbs army marches and Moat Cailin would literally be impenetrable.



Cersei = i always thought she was a real danger but the only danger she poses is to herself. She has driven a wedge between herself and all possible allies turned the IronBank to Stannis and destroyed her own family.



Ned Stark = love him to bits but he was always too honorable and honest to play the game as little finger said, You wear your honor like armor but all it does is weigh you down.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Ironborn's entire history seems to be one moron after another with rare exceptions. If the Targaryens flip a coin between genius and madness, the Ironborn flip one for rapist and moron.

And the coin lands on its edge half the time.

This made me laugh for several minutes :rofl: And it's completely correct.

Outside of already mentioned ones, I'd like to nominate Gatehouse Ami's first husband, Ser Pate, who thought he could get famous by slaying the Mountain in single combat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Darklyn of Duskendale. Let me just kidnap the king, can't go wrong!

Personally I am of the opinion that Aerys was probably going crazy against Darklyn before he was imprisoned. The only comprehendible reason for Darklyn to act as he did (unless he himself was mad), was that he paniced when Aerys threatened him with death/exile.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personally I am of the opinion that Aerys was probably going crazy against Darklyn before he was imprisoned. The only comprehendible reason for Darklyn to act as he did (unless he himself was mad), was that he paniced when Aerys threatened him with death/exile.

Well Darklyn did make the first move by withholding taxes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although I'd vote for Cersei in terms of being the ruler with the most dumb decisions (arming religious fanatics after having a septon assassinated? sleeping with everyone? sending away the iron bank? yeah brilliant), I do think that Walder Frey's betrayal is the single most stupid decision. Not the fact that he allied himself with the Lannisters. Robb broke his promise, he was losing the war, fair enough. But there were so many ways to go about it.



Frey could have easily taken his troops away like the Karstarks did or met the Starks in battle, or closed the gates and let the Starks siege the Twins which would prob result in the northerners’ defeat. In all of these cases, no one would bat an eyelid really. If he had to prove his loyalty to the crown by actually killing Robb, he could have him assassinated at camp (granted, not easy to pull off, but the Freys & Roose Bolton were trusted and could have arranged to meet him in private). Northerners still wouldn’t forgive the betrayal, but hey, its war.



Violating the guest right is what makes him and everyone of his house considered to be an abomination by most of the land, hated by many, mistrusted by all. Some of his sons already distanced themselves because of the shame, iirc.



As some of you say, Balon made a stupid decision but you could justify that he thought the north was less defended and thus ripe for picking (and it was). There is some reasoning behind it. What’s Walder’s reasoning behind violating guest right? (not the betrayal, like I said, that makes sense) Basically, he chose to violate guest right because of a shortsighted thirst for vengeance and his inferiority complex (all the high lords looking down on him and refusing his marriage proposals and wards etc) so he prob wanted to see the people who wronged him die if front of his eyes.



Also, I just finished re-reading the GoT and Walder Frey is rather dismissive of his heir. He says something like, “Stevron wants to rule in my stead, but why should I die so he can be lord? I plan to live more years”. He might have cared for losing his heir, but I doubt that was the reason behind the betrayal. Many people lost heirs in the war.


I see Walder as someone who cared not one bit for what his family would do after he died and the Red Wedding exemplifies that, which is what makes it so stupid. He doomed them all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

this is never mentioned in the books at all. And the disdain the Ironborn show when Asha proposes the idea would suggest that isnt what Balon wanted at all

Balon sends a message to Tywin an offer where he keeps his Northern gains in turn for peace in ASOS, only for Tywin to basically write if off because why the hell would he agree to give Balon anything for a service he already provided for free.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although I'd vote for Cersei in terms of being the ruler with the most dumb decisions (arming religious fanatics after having a septon assassinated? sleeping with everyone? sending away the iron bank? yeah brilliant), I do think that Walder Frey's betrayal is the single most stupid decision. Not the fact that he allied himself with the Lannisters. Robb broke his promise, he was losing the war, fair enough. But there were so many ways to go about it.

Frey could have easily taken his troops away like the Karstarks did or met the Starks in battle, or closed the gates and let the Starks siege the Twins which would prob result in the northerners’ defeat. In all of these cases, no one would bat an eyelid really. If he had to prove his loyalty to the crown by actually killing Robb, he could have him assassinated at camp (granted, not easy to pull off, but the Freys & Roose Bolton were trusted and could have arranged to meet him in private). Northerners still wouldn’t forgive the betrayal, but hey, its war.

Violating the guest right is what makes him and everyone of his house considered to be an abomination by most of the land, hated by many, mistrusted by all. Some of his sons already distanced themselves because of the shame, iirc.

This is an interesting point that I tend to agree with...EXCEPT when considering his objective in securing the Edmure/Roslin marriage. Whether this is of importance to Walder is still unclear considering Riverrun was granted to Emmon and Genna, but regardless I think it's safe to assume that neutralizing the Tully line (i.e. Edmure) was a large part of the Red Wedding strategy. While this could conceivably be realized using alternative methods, the appeal of killing two birds with one stone (or three if you count Catelyn) justifies Walder's rationale to a considerable extent. Any alternative method (assassinating Edmure with Robb, marrying Roslin to Edmure and then assassinating Robb or both...) would likely be viewed as similarly duplicitous and underhanded by all relevant parties.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mace tyrell, everything about him screams stupidity to me. He doesn't think things through clearly he only wants power and is desperately trying to reach for it, and he can't even do that very well. Like jon cottingon said he reached to high and fell (or something like that) and when he said that mace came right to my mind, considering their upjumped stewards. What I mean is that he jumps from one team to the other and back and forth and its going to come bite him in the ass.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mace tyrell, everything about him screams stupidity to me. He doesn't think things through clearly he only wants power and is desperately trying to reach for it, and he can't even do that very well. Like jon cottingon said he reached to high and fell (or something like that) and when he said that mace came right to my mind, considering their upjumped stewards. What I mean is that he jumps from one team to the other and back and forth and its going to come bite him in the ass.

As to the bolded, really? He seems to be do pretty well to me. Lord of the Reach, an heir to succeed him, middle son has been given the Lordship of one of their biggest rivals lands and castle (Brightwater Keep), youngest son named to the Kingsguard and probably one of the most famous Knights of his generation, daughter as the Queen, he himself Hand of the King, the Small Council almost dominated by Reachmen...

Yeah, the man really fails at reaching for power...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As to the bolded, really? He seems to be do pretty well to me. Lord of the Reach, an heir to succeed him, middle son has been given the Lordship of one of their biggest rivals lands and castle (Brightwater Keep), youngest son named to the Kingsguard and probably one of the most famous Knights of his generation, daughter as the Queen, he himself Hand of the King, the Small Council almost dominated by Reachmen...

Yeah, the man really fails at reaching for power...

I seriously think that Mace is just playing dumb and Olenna's description of him was simply to throw other people off.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...