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I liked Gregor more than Oberyn


Mormont of House Bear

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I know that a lot of people like Oberyn but personally he never really interested me. Was it his revenge storyline? Or was it because he was a free spirit and just did what he wanted? I liked how he was our first real insight into the Dornish but that is the only thing I liked about him.



During the trial by combat I even wanted Gregor to win... Even though Gregor is nothing but a barbaric brute, he interested me more than Oberyn did. Gregor had presence and when he would appear or another character talked about him, it was interesting. My favourite moment like this is when Arya and Gendry are skulking around in the village after Yoren is killed. When Arya spots the Clegane banner, I knew something was bad was about to go down. This isn't to say that I think Gregor is a swell guy, because he's not. He's a rampant rapist/murderer. But I still found him to be a more interesting character than Oberyn was.



Anybody else have a similar opinion? Or am I alone on this one?


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I know that a lot of people like Oberyn but personally he never really interested me. Was it his revenge storyline? Or was it because he was a free spirit and just did what he wanted? I liked how he was our first real insight into the Dornish but that is the only thing I liked about him.

During the trial by combat I even wanted Gregor to win... Even though Gregor is nothing but a barbaric brute, he interested me more than Oberyn did. Gregor had presence and when he would appear or another character talked about him, it was interesting. My favourite moment like this is when Arya and Gendry are skulking around in the village after Yoren is killed. When Arya spots the Clegane banner, I knew something was bad was about to go down. This isn't to say that I think Gregor is a swell guy, because he's not. He's a rampant rapist/murderer. But I still found him to be a more interesting character than Oberyn was.

Anybody else have a similar opinion? Or am I alone on this one?

Mormont of House Bear "All by myself" xD

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I don't find anything to like about Gregor.


Oberyn on the other hand is witty and cocky, which are traits a lot of people find likeable, including me, and he has an interesting backstory. He's not among my favorites, but I do enjoy his scenes.

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Gregor is an imposing presence in almost every scene he is mentioned in; he certainly deserves the "over them both loomed a giant in armor made of stone" description in Bran's dream.



But, for me at least, there is nothing to like about him. He is a sadistic murderer with no redeeming qualities. There are things to like, or at least respect, about Tywin, Roose, Ramsay, and the other characters that are generally considered evil, but Gregor has nothing going for him. He's big, he's mean, and that is about it.


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There's some dark humor, usually delivered by someone else. Offhand the Hound telling Arya that Gregor beat a man to death because he snored to loud made me chuckle.

Actually, his last words are kind of witty. "I raped her, I murdered her, and then, I smashed her fucking head, like this" (proceeds to smash head). If that's not timing, I don't know what is.

Also, before he rapes that tavern girl, her father says that she's no whore, whereupon Gregor replies "she is now". Also rather witty.

In fact, I really don't see why a lot of people call him unintelligent.

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In fact, I really don't see why a lot of people call him unintelligent.

"An outrider who sees nothing has no use for his eyes, take them out and give them to the next outrider, so he may have four pairs. The next will have six."

Witty, amusing and mathematically correct. Ser Gregor is smarter than people think.

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"An outrider who sees nothing has no use for his eyes, take them out and give them to the next outrider, so he may have four pairs. The next will have six."

Witty, amusing and mathematically correct. Ser Gregor is smarter than people think.

Case in point.

Mostly because rape and murder jokes are not intelligent, but also we're frequently told by most characters who know him that he is not bright. He is merely a strong soldier.

He is fucked up emotionally, that's for sure. But intelligence-wise? I disagree, for reasons already mentioned.

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Someone said "juggernaut" yeah, WWE arch-heel, yeah.


Gregor is the manifestation of man's inhumanity to man, of blatant might-makes-right realities in the system.


Basically, nobody ever stops him, because nobody can stop him. And he knows it. He may be a dullard in every other sense, but he has learned that.



The rest of them (Tywin, Roose, Cersei) are always trying to dress up their malevolence in some sort of respectable front. Gregor knows that he doesn't have to care about such social ribbons and bows, and there is nothing once-noble-now-ruined in his background (unlike Jaime) to live up to, so even the readers don't have an "out". He harms people because he wants to. Gregor doesn't need respect, nor lawfulness, nor charm, nor honour, nor anything that smacks of giving a damn. Who's gonna fuck with him?



Even Tywin sees his value as a weapon, a medieval nuke to be dropped on whatever problem vexes him. "Command responsibility" ? Never heard of it. And before someone finally pins Tywin to that ethical privy, he can always claim Gregor was out of control and say he'll gladly have him executed - but first there has to be a trial, and of course, trial by combat assures that nothing legally can stick to you. (That which cannot kill you makes your case stronger, heh.)



The only way to prevent him from doing something horrible and getting away with it is to kill him - a task that many have tried and only one ever managed.


(And soon, even that option might be off the table. What is dead may never ... oh shit.)


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