61 replies to this topic

[Balefont]

Pretty self explanatory.

Discuss.

Edited by Balefont, 16 February 2012 - 06:23 AM.

[Balefont]

Wusses.

[TheDrawback]

Hahaha xD i personaly dont have anything against Cat. Think she's really strong in fact. Having to cope with the loss of almost her entire fammily

[OnionAhaiReborn]

Hmm, well I'm a little worried that this might sprawl too far for the 'still reading' forum, but I will try to remain unspoilery. Is the question here about which characters I find most intriguing or most likable? Cat more or less doesn't do it for me on either front, but I would say I find her more 'interesting' than I find her likable, if only because she tells such a large portion of the story through her POV.

My favorite character is Davos Seaworth. He is not at all the most morally complex or intellectually challenging character (for that look to your Lannisters, Dany, or Stannis. But I'm more or less a total sucker for his type of story. He rises to Hand of the King from Flea Bottom by being good. He is loyal and brave. He does what is right when it is difficult, when doing what is right might get him killed. I'm also a big fan of his POV chapters (especially in Dance), which were tough on first read during CoK because I was like 'who the hell is this guy?' but I fell in love with them and now I consider 'Davos' to be the absolute best name I could see on the top of a chapter.

Stannis Baratheon is another character I love, and I consider him to be one of the most complex personalities in the books. Part of this comes from the fact that we never get his POV- having to make inferences can really do a lot to enliven a character. I wrote a post in the CoK forum in the Stannis & the Peach thread that says a lot of what I have to say about this guy. I can really empathize with his inability to express himself and his urgent desire to be loved and respected. Also, in the TWoW gift chapter he is a complete BAMF.

Arya & Sansa. I've come to think of these two as flipsides of suffering, and I really admire the way GRRM has mirrored their tales. I know there are a lot of strong negative opinions for both of these characters, and unfortunately they are often placed in opposition to one another. But I really like the contrast between Arya witnessing the horrors of the Riverlands and Sansa living in isolation in the capital under the threat of rape, abuse, and execution. It seems to me that both grow to comport themselves properly in the new situations they are thrust into, but I think if you flipped their situations around they'd both be truly fucked. Sansa could not survive as a fake boy in the wartorn Riverlands and Arya could not play the proper Lady in captivity in the capital. I really enjoy both their POVs, and I like to think of them as a pair and a contrast because that's how they really come alive in my mind. Thinking about their strengths and weaknesses in comparison lets me appreciate how tough it was for each of them to do what they did, but how they were also weirdly suited for the paths they took.

There are other characters I love a lot, and the four I listed are not necessarily my 'top four' (except Davos is definitely number 1!) or anything, just the four I felt like writing about right now. There are a lot more characters that I love and find interesting, but I hope my thoughts on these four will give you an idea about what I like in characters.

[Light a wight tonight]

Balefont, on 16 February 2012 - 10:15 AM, said:

Wusses.

Nah, the list is just too long and would take too much time for the explanations. Let's say just about everyone who isn't actively execrable.

Spoiler

I'll say Varys, for one. He's an effective character as Cat is not. Not defending all his actions, but he did smuggle Tyrion out of KL after he was wrongly convicted of Joff's murder.

Edited by Xray the Enforcer, 17 February 2012 - 01:13 PM.
add spoiler tag

[Ygrette]

@Light a wight tonight
Spoiler tags, please?

@Onion
Wow, very interesting points, especially about Sansa and Arya. I like Davos, too, because I have a weak spot for grumpy old bastards, especially when they are honourable by their own standards. Flipsides of suffering, I like that and totally agree that the two of them have been put into situations that somehow made it possible for them to survive. Arya and the acorn dress... Sansa in CoK when they were attacked by the "smallfolk"... I think these were pretty impressive examples of what the respective other would look like in their situations.

Thank you for elaborating!

[Fylimar]

First: I like Catelyn very much - she did the best she could in her situation - it's always easy to judgewhile sitting comfortable on the couch, but being in that actual situation is a whole different thing. Well, there are enough threads discussing her behaviour, I just wanted to mention, that I like her as a character.

There are a lot of characters, I like:

I totally agree with Onion about Arya & Sansa, Stannis and the wonderful Onion Knight - for more or less the same reasons.

- Samwell & Tyrion: they both had much to endure from their parents since early childhood and both grew up to be very likeable characters, who care for others and can still see the good things in life - I love both of them and am glad, whenever one of those names appears on top of a chapter.

- Varys: I don't know exactly, what his goal will be, but I love how he has his fingers in everything.

- Brienne: don't know why, just lovethat character - she makes Jaime likeable

- Tywin Lannister: for being such a delightful a**hole (every good story needs characters like him)

- Jorah Mormont: just like him.

- same with Benjen Stark - although he hadn't a major part in the story now and might very well be gone forever (although I hope, we will at least learn his fate), I like him

- I'm at least very curious about the saviours of the little Starks, Meera and her brother and Osha - and of course Hodor.

- Sandor Cleagane: he is as interesting as his brother is cruel. I hope, we will hear a lot from him. I love that he is such a grudge and still try to help in his own crouchy way

Edited by Fylimar, 17 February 2012 - 12:56 PM.

[Manberg900]

I hate Cat. She's the second least liked character beside Joffrey.

Anyways, I like Jon Snow because he's honorable and always does his duty. But he also uses his brain which Cat never does.

I like Tyrion because he's so smart and clever while at the same time having a good heart and generally good intentions.

I also like Robb. He's a badass.

Bran. He's a become awesome.

Arya.She's not an idiot like Sansa.

The Hound. He's a badass.

Brienne. She's an honorable badass.

Jaquen H'gar. He's a badass.

Stannis. He clinches his jaw a lot.

Davos. He's Ned Stark of Dragonstone. He is a badass.

[Light a wight tonight]

Ygrette, on 17 February 2012 - 02:34 AM, said:

@Light a wight tonight
Spoiler tags, please?

Oopsie! Didn't notice that this was the still reading section. Mea maxima culpa.

[Dr. Bob]

Jon Snow - A bastard with a bastard sword, who fights wildings and wights on the Wall
Arya - For loving Jon, unlike her mother, and not stupid like Sansa
Littlefinger - Damn bastard betrayed Ned, but he warned him not to trust him
Dany and her crew - Badasses

This will take too long..Davos, Stannis, The Hound, Brienne, Jaquen, Tyrion...yeah, this will take forever.

[WinterCrow]

Most of my favourite characters are non-POV characters. They are well layered and complicated.

- Varys for obvious reasons. His claims to serve the realm seem to be true.
- Jorah Mormont. His story is much richer than it seems on the surface. I would love to see him as a POV character. He links all the worlds together - Across the Narrow Sea, KL, and The North.
- The Hound. Badass, but not horrid like his brother.

[The Roaring Bear]

Catelyn:  I wouldnt say I hate her.  Her POVs were among my favorites though not because of her, mostly because of the characters she interacted and their stories which were told through her.  Her demeanor annoyed me, she was a downer, and she did some stupid things.  That being said she was also very bright and did bring a lot of good perspectives to the table, though the whole "That wont bing my husband back" schpeel she kept going after really pissed me off (though was correct).

As far as my favorite Characters:

Ned - Badass, loyal friend, honourable even when it was stupid.

Robb - Badass, basically a tragic Alexander the Great type character.  His tragedy, though upsetting makes for a fantastic story.

Tyrion - Witty, brilliant, and always willing to face the odds despite everything being against him from the time of his birth (except being rich of course).

Jaime - Badass, deeper than we are lead to believe in the beginning.   I love his brash act first think later attitude.  I also like that once he is no longer the toughest guy on the block that we can see he is more than just a sword, and quite intelligent as well, but never had to rely on it like his brother.

Jorah - Hardened, flawed, but badass.  I feel there is more to his story than has been revealed and I look forward to finding it out as well as finding out what is in store for him.

Arya - Badass little girl.  She is a survivor, but she survives on her terms and I love her for it.

Jon Snow - He pisses me off at times with the huge chip on his shoulder that he has from being a bastard.  This was mostly in AGOT and I feel he has grown a bit.  Other than that, he is badass, he is clever, and I love how he sticks up for the weak.


My favorite characters are the badasses.  Being a wrestler I feel I connect to the physically strong more.  That being said I also attended postgrad at St Andrews so I do appreciate brains as well which is where Tyrion comes in.  I'm no mother, and I've never had to sit back and watch "The men do their thing" as Catelyn has had to do, so that may be why I dont relate to her as much.

Edited by The Medievalist, 18 February 2012 - 01:38 PM.

[DornishKnight]

Catelyn is not a personal favorite of mine, but I understand her character (unlike Ned Stark or AGOT Sansa).

Jon Snow: He's actually extremely relateable.
Jaime: There is so much depth to a character that started out as a jockish douchebag villain.
Tyrion: Self explanatory.  By the end of ADWD he had snapped out of his only low point.
Red Viper, Asha and Arya: Badasses.
Cersei: So lovably batshit.
Samwell: How could anyone dislike this guy?
Stannis: Morally grey, competent, and badass.
Theon: Extremely well done tragedy.
Euron: There's more to him than meets... THE EYE.
Doran: Only sane man in an insane family.

F**k Dany with an iron rod if she turns into the messiah.  I'm banking on her being one of the best, most developed, most built up villain in the history of literature.

Edited by DornishKnight, 19 February 2012 - 03:11 PM.

[KhaleesiDany]

After reading through the Catelyn is an Idiot thread I think this is a great topic, because everyone who reads feels strongly but very differently towards the characters. Best to leave her out of it, I think. I hate her so I'll answer the question.

Reading this thread I'm surprised to see the combinations and a lot of you named characters I never thought twice about.

My favorite characters are:
Dany: I won't care if she burns or saves Westeros, I want her to win the Game of Thrones.
Arya: Wolf-girl! I love that she would rather fight than act girly. She's crazy though.
Sansa: At first I didn't like her, but now I am always rooting for her.
The Hound: At first I didn't like him either, but his commentary on what a knight is won me over.
Renly: He was my favorite character in Book 1 after Dany...I guess I just thought he was funny. Now he's dead ;_;
Rhaegar: I know he isn't really in the story except for flashbacks, but wanting to find out more about him, Lyanna, Elia, and the rest of the previous generation makes me keep reading.

Well I could keep going. I like a lot of the secondary characters more than the POV characters, but it would be too much to list them all here.

[A Free Shadow]

Do not like Catelyn..

Like Gendry, because he is kind and strong and sensible.
And Syrio Forel, because he makes his own luck, because he is having adventures, because he talks in riddles and is very wise.
And Lyanna Stark, because she stands up for herself and for others, because she makes her own rules.
And Podrick Payne, because he is there when you need him, because he does not pretend or lie.

EDIT: @Light A Wight Tonight. You have the best pseudonym. Awesome.

Edited by A Free Shadow, 18 February 2012 - 08:50 PM.

[ShadowKitty]

I took a dislike to Catelyn in the first book when she told Jon it should have been him and not Bran who fell!

Jon, Samwell (reminds me of Sam in LOTR!), Daenerys,Davos and Tyrion are the most likeable characters, and I also like the Hound, Jorah, Littlefinger and Varys

[Regina316]

Now let´s see... no, I do not like Catelyn.
Who do I like and why? Firstly I do not tend to like a character because I think they are nice and a good person. I tend to like those who make it an interesting read. So you get a smooth player full of surprises like Petyr Baelish. Or an incredibly stubborn little girl like Arya. Or even an outright scandalous and fun hothead like Oberyn Martell. And maybe I could even find a small piece of liking for a creep like Roose Bolton. Because scary read is a good read too... there are others but those are the first to come to mind.

P.s. There are of course those who go just over the top... there´s a difference between a wild dog and a rabid one but that´s not the point here.

[Dracarya]

What's the problem with Catelyn? That "Catelyn is an idiot" thread is a bit much. Personally I see her as a bit naive, she does some stupid things but I can see why she does them, like letting Jaime go. Her attitude towards Jon put me off her a bit, but again I can see why she didn't like him. She probably should have taken her anger out on Ned, as Jon didn't ask to be born (we're going with the official storyline here), but I suppose it's easier to take it out on a young boy you barely have to see than the husband you have to obey and sleep next to at night. I think she's torn, and doesn't know how to act in the best interests of everyone around her. I can't imagine how it would feel to have one child crippled (then thought to be dead, with the youngest), another a king, and her two girls (so she thinks) kept captive by the family she hates the most, not to mention your husband killed by them as well.

I love Arya, for obvious reasons. She's feisty, brave, a bit reckless, tough, everything I wish I could be in times of struggle. She just does what she needs to do to survive, and for a young child she's pretty awesome.
I really like the Hound, actually. I know this won't be popular with some, and that he's a murderer, but he had a tough childhood and he's not as evil as he first seems. He has some good in him, and he's brutally honest, for which I respect him.
Tyrion is amazing - again, might not be popular, but I think he's such a brilliant character. He's been treated like shit pretty much his whole life, for no other reason than being born. He's intelligent, funny, witty, and just wants to be accepted and loved. I thoroughly enjoy his chapters.
I like Jon much better in the later books, for his bravery and the scenes with Ygritte.
With Dany, it's the opposite. I really liked her in the beginning; I saw her as brave and strong, similar to Arya, the perfect heroine who would do great things. Then I think her chapters went downhill, probably starting with ASOS.
I have to disagree about Davos, though I enjoy his POV much better than I did the first time round. He almost seemed insignificant at first, and I was like "who the hell is this Onion Knight?!", but I do like how he was raised up from nothing, he remembers where he came from and how he got there, and he does his best to do the right thing. There aren't very many characters like him, but I'm still a bit ambivalent towards him.

They're the ones that spring instantly to mind. If I wrote about them all, it'd take me about 3 years

[Brielle Baratheon]

Cat sucks IMO. I haaate her POVs!
But I'm only on page 251 of SoS so maybe her chapters will get more interesting?

My Fave characters are thus far:

Jaqen H'gar- I love a strong mysterious man plus he's sort of a good guy/bad guy.

Hot Pie- how can you not love Hot Pie?!

Samwell- I have really high hopes for Mr. Piggy, he may be craven but he is as loyal as they come.

Podrick Payne- He's a very minor character but I think Tyrion needs him and even cares for him more than he realizes.

Jamie Lannister-  I loved a knight as fair as summer, with sunlight in his hair. lol. He's becoming such a complex character the more i read. I'm intrigued!

The Hound- I love him for his superior badassery and for his love...? for Sansa. Even though she's too immature to see him as the knight she's always dreamed of.

And lastly Davos Seaworth- by far my favorite character! He reminds me so much of Ned. Who knew a smuggler had so much loyalty and honor? Plus, he hates Mel.

[Phat Walda]

I love Tyrion. I just do. He's so fucked up and so perceptive, and he's just SO unafraid to make people uncomfortable.

Jamie. What a great POV. He's so smug and so used to being The Best without trying, watching his character change after most of that's taken from him is... awesome.

Tywin. Is he an epic asshole? For sheezy. But homie knows how to play the game.

I liked Dany in the first 3 books. Now I'm frustrated by her. She used to be pretty clear-headed and now she's letting her lust and fear dictate her movements.

I am not a huge fan of Sansa yet, but I have high hopes for her.

I think Littlefinger is gross, but kind of a magician for dealing with people.

Varys is THE SHIT.

(I'm realizing that my favorite characters are the ones who "play the game" the best, regardless of whether they're good or bad guys.)