73 replies to this topic

[AngrySoviet]

I am only a young girl and know little of such matters.  But really, why does everyone think he is such a badass?   I am not questioning that he is a cool character.  I'm just curious, since it's been a while since I read, and I kind of rushed through the series, so the minor characters and their deeds/actions tend to escape me.

[birdsong66]

The reasons are vast and limitless.

In no particular order:

Because.

[Gurkhal]

I would think it may be because he's competent, he's pretty laidback as terms of formality goes and he has alot of individualism. All in all I would think that in many ways he's closer to what you expect a 21th century person to be and I would guess that goes well with alot of people. Personally I never catched on to him and of the Tullys I liked Edmure and Catelyn (if you counter has a Tully and not Stark) much better.

[Ser Hippie]

It also helps that we only get a limited view of him - Jaime comments on him being one of his idols, Catelyn views him as a wise and intelligent adviser and man, Robb relies on him. We never really get up close and personal with him to see his warts - why he never married, why that created so much distance between him and Hoster, why he/Robb didn't adequately inform Edmure of their strategy, etc.

I like him as a character from what we know, though. And it might be childish, but I liked his trolling of Jaime in AFFC.

Edited by Ser Hippie, 13 April 2012 - 02:57 PM.

[Lummel]

AngrySoviet, on 13 April 2012 - 02:33 PM, said:

I am only a young girl and know little of such matters.  But really, why does everyone think he is such a badass?...

I don't know about everybody but I'd guess that along with Syrio he is the most popular of the secondary characters.  Not that he is a favourite of mine.

[AngrySoviet]

Ser Hippie, on 13 April 2012 - 02:46 PM, said:

It also helps that we only get a limited view of him - Jaime comments on him being his idol, Catelyn views him as a wise and intelligent adviser and man, Robb relies on him. We never really get up close and personal with him to see his warts - why he never married, why that created so much distance between him and Hoster, why he/Robb didn't adequately inform Edmure of their strategy, etc.

I like him as a character from what we know, though. And it might be childish, but I liked his trolling of Jaime in AFFC.

Wait, when exactly does Jaime mentinon that Blackfish is his idol?  That seems to have gone over my head

[Ser Hippie]

Jaime mentions it twice. The first was when he discusses (with someone, I can't remember who) Tywin's intent to marry him to Lysa Tully. He describes Catelyn as being more 'interesting' than Lysa but adds that neither mattered by comparison to Brynden who he basically harassed into telling him stories about how awesome he was in the War of the nine Penny Kings. He reiterates this again describing Brynden as "The great knight who had once enthralled a squire [Jaime] with tales of the Ninepenny Kings" when they parley at Riverrun in AFFC and later says that a duel between the two would have been worthy of song at one point.

I edited my original post slightly, but Jaime greatly respects the Blackfish as a man and a knight, which is telling given the company he had in the Kingsguard.

Edited by Ser Hippie, 13 April 2012 - 03:07 PM.

[chris999]

He is not one of my favorite characters, because my hate for Catelyn runs so deep, that i unfairly hate all of the Tullys.

That being said, The thing i like most about the Blackfish is his status as a war hero. He has fought in more battles than anybody except for maybe Barristan Selmy. It is the same type of respect you have for someone who fought in WW2.

I also respect the fact that even as an old man, Blackfish is still in the fight. The man is in his 60s, possibly even his 70s, and he is still out there fighting, when he could be sitting by a cozy fire, reading books and playing with his grandchildren.

Not only is he still a soldier, but he is a very competant one as well. Being a scout is one of the hardest jobs in the military, and one of the most dangerous too. It takes lots of skill.

[BigFatCoward]

i think it might be because a gay-hardcore-badass-moral-wise-killer is kind of rare in literature.

[TheLightningLord]

It's his parley with Jaime that turned me to the dark side.

[chris999]

BigFatCoward, on 13 April 2012 - 03:38 PM, said:

i think it might be because a gay-hardcore-badass-moral-wise-killer is kind of rare in literature.

BigFatCoward, on 13 April 2012 - 03:38 PM, said:

i think it might be because a gay-hardcore-badass-moral-wise-killer is kind of rare in literature.

He's gay?

I must have been half asleep when I read that chapter.

[BigFatCoward]

chris999, on 13 April 2012 - 04:03 PM, said:

He's gay?

implied.  but i think its the consensus.

[Fire Eater]

Ser Hippie, on 13 April 2012 - 02:46 PM, said:

It also helps that we only get a limited view of him - Jaime comments on him being one of his idols, Catelyn views him as a wise and intelligent adviser and man, Robb relies on him. We never really get up close and personal with him to see his warts - why he never married, why that created so much distance between him and Hoster, why he/Robb didn't adequately inform Edmure of their strategy, etc.

I like him as a character from what we know, though. And it might be childish, but I liked his trolling of Jaime in AFFC.

In AFfC, he pretty much shoots down every reason Jaime gives him to surrender Riverrun. I also like when Ryman Frey came up half-durnk making threats, Blackfish replied he wouldn't waste fair words on foul men, and put in arrow in his horse's rump, making Ryman fall into the mud when the horse reared.

As for being gay, it's a theory derived from that he refused every marriage his brother arranged for him.

Edited by Fire Eater, 13 April 2012 - 04:14 PM.

[Sand Snake No. 9]

I loved his AFFC dialogue with Jaime, too, although Jaime at least thought of a few snappy comebacks.  Paraphrasing:  "Do you even know what honor is?"  "A horse."

Damn if I had horses I'd name them Honor and Glory.

[Queen Cersei I]

Mostly because he is portrayed in a positive manner.

On first glance, Bryndyn is a brave, defiant, proud man, a badass warrior and a loving uncle and father surrogate into the bargain, to whom his nieces and nepthews went with all their problems.

On second glance, he is a selfish, ruthless man; willing to watch his supposedly beloved nephew be brutally hanged for the sake of his own pride and stuborness. Worse, unlike Edmure (who is, with some unfairness, portrayed as less cool and "honorable" than the Blackfish), Bryndyn is willing to sacrifice numerous innocent smallfolk on the alter of his own perception of himself, idea of honor, and inability to humble himself in order to act for the greater good.

Edmure may be portrayed, for the most part, as a bit of an incompetent wuss inferior in honor (Jaime believes) to the Blackfish. I think Bryndyn's actions in AFFC are selfish and shitty, and, for all his faults and lack of majesty, would rather have Edmure as my overlord than Bryndyn.

Bryndyn is portrayed as a BAMF who proudly puts the Kingslayer in his place, and generally gets more fanfare than poor Edmure, though. I guess it's all in the presentation. Personally, I think Bryndyn and the newly "redeemed" kingslayer should get together for coffee. Jaime's little "You'll want your like..." speech appears to go along with Bryndyn's overall ideology well. Together, these two prove that its not whether you act well or wickedly, selfishly or unselfishly-- its all in how badass you appear while doing it.

[Thunderfist]

Queen Cersei I, on 13 April 2012 - 04:17 PM, said:

Mostly because he is portrayed in a positive manner.

On first glance, Bryndyn is a brave, defiant, proud man, a badass warrior and a loving uncle and father surrogate into the bargain, to whom his nieces and nepthews went with all their problems.

On second glance, he is a selfish, ruthless man; willing to watch his supposedly beloved nephew be brutally hanged for the sake of his own pride and stuborness. Worse, unlike Edmure (who is, with some unfairness, portrayed as less cool and "honorable" than the Blackfish), Bryndyn is willing to sacrifice numerous innocent smallfolk on the alter of his own perception of himself, idea of honor, and inability to humble himself in order to act for the greater good.

Edmure may be portrayed, for the most part, as a bit of an incompetent wuss inferior in honor (Jaime believes) to the Blackfish. I think Bryndyn's actions in AFFC are selfish and shitty, and, for all his faults and lack of majesty, would rather have Edmure as my overlord than Bryndyn.

Bryndyn is portrayed as a BAMF who proudly puts the Kingslayer in his place, and generally gets more fanfare than poor Edmure, though. I guess it's all in the presentation. Personally, I think Bryndyn and the newly "redeemed" kingslayer should get together for coffee. Jaime's little "You'll want your like..." speech appears to go along with Bryndyn's overall ideology well. Together, these two prove that its not whether you act well or wickedly, selfishly or unselfishly-- its all in how badass you appear while doing it.

If only history were full of more people who refused to continue fighting against difficult odds and humbled themselves in order to act for the "greater good". Did you even take a minute to consider the implications of this argument?

OT: He has a really cool nickname, that´s why everyone loves him

Edited by Thunderfist, 13 April 2012 - 04:24 PM.

[A Free Shadow]

Because Blackfish
Is a dish
No one sliced with a knife.
With sword it is him,
Who wins every strife.

Because Blackfish
Wakes a wish
In every squire's heart.
To become like him,
Brave, strong and smart!

Because Blakfish,
Is a rich
Example
Of how
You can make your own luck
But still keep all your vows.

Your question
Must clearly be put on a shelf,
Cause Blackfish
Could bewitch
Melisandre herself!

Edited by A Free Shadow, 13 April 2012 - 04:25 PM.

[The Last Direwolf]

a) He's a badass old man. Fans always love 'em.
b ) He's staunchly loyal to the Tully's and Stark's, the two most loved Houses in the whole series.
c) He's such a stubborn person. His refusing to relinquish Jeyne and Riverrun even when he was outnumbered, without a king, his entire family dead or in captivity and the entire kingdom against him.

Edited by The Last Direwolf, 13 April 2012 - 04:25 PM.

[DornishKnight]

BigFatCoward, on 13 April 2012 - 03:38 PM, said:

i think it might be because a gay-hardcore-badass-moral-wise-killer is kind of rare in literature.

He could just be asexual.  Gay would be Jon Connington.

Blackfish is awesome both in comparison to his family (who are one of the less cool houses), and overall, as it is implied he is in the same ballpark (though maybe not on the same level) as Jaime or Barristan.

[David Selig]

Queen Cersei I, on 13 April 2012 - 04:17 PM, said:

Mostly because he is portrayed in a positive manner.

On first glance, Bryndyn is a brave, defiant, proud man, a badass warrior and a loving uncle and father surrogate into the bargain, to whom his nieces and nepthews went with all their problems.

On second glance, he is a selfish, ruthless man; willing to watch his supposedly beloved nephew be brutally hanged for the sake of his own pride and stuborness. Worse, unlike Edmure (who is, with some unfairness, portrayed as less cool and "honorable" than the Blackfish), Bryndyn is willing to sacrifice numerous innocent smallfolk on the alter of his own perception of himself, idea of honor, and inability to humble himself in order to act for the greater good.

Edmure may be portrayed, for the most part, as a bit of an incompetent wuss inferior in honor (Jaime believes) to the Blackfish. I think Bryndyn's actions in AFFC are selfish and shitty, and, for all his faults and lack of majesty, would rather have Edmure as my overlord than Bryndyn.

I agree. The Blackfish was perfectly willing to sacrifice thousands for his precious honour and stubbornness. This made me dislike him..