223 replies to this topic

[Rickbarry]

I realize there are characters that we're supposed to dislike.  Joffrey Baratheon, Ramsay Bolton and Walder Frey come to mind.  They're painted to be sadistic, cunning and overall huge dirtbags of the highest order.  Although I do find it strange that I hate Daario Naharis more than the three others combined.  I'm unsure if this was actually Mr. Martin's intention, but every mention or line uttered by this...sellsword gave me the douche chills.  I find myself pining for Strong Belwas to smack his gut or perhaps even give a few pearls of wisdom whenever Dario speaks up.

Why do I hate Daario?  I thought you'd never ask!  I suppose the number one reason would be his overconfidence.  He seems to have a swagger of a Jaime Lannister, but without a proven feat of skill.  (Unless you count turncloaking over gold and cutting your allies heads off.  As I said...douche chills.)  My second reason?  The obvious nature of his character.  He's obviously a man without any type or morals and has little restraint. I get that he's a mercenary, but...Bronn and Dario sell a similar moral compass and yet I find Bronn to be one of the more entertaining characters in the novel and hbo program.  What gives?

Although I think what makes me dislike Dario the most would be Daenerys Targaryen.  Why does she have such an insane attraction to this man?  He represents pretty much everything her character is suppose to despise of the free cities, but yet she can hardly wait to tickle his pickle!  I'm also confused as to how she can find the man attractive.  Every description of the guy involves a ridiculous beard, hair and it's all dyed purple and blue.  W...what?!  And if I have to hear about that freaking gold tooth that she finds so wonderfully appealing...-Counts backward from ten.-  I sincerely hope the pair don't continue their romance in the next book.  It really is a down part to her chapters in my humble opinion.

Hopefully we find out the man has sinister motives.  Personally I'd enjoy Jorah Mormont separating his ridiculously described head from his shoulders.  At least he loves the woman instead of the crown.

I'll finish this thread on a similar theme as my first.  Team Jorah Mormont!  Oh and discuss.

[Valkyrja]

Normally, I try not to 'hate on' characters....but in this case I really do understand your loathing for Daario. I've disliked and mistrusted him ever since he showed up in ASoS. It did not help that he entered the story so close to the banishment of Ser Jorah.  I don't know if Daario has sinister intentions or not, but overall I just find him rather sleazy. I don't see what Dany sees in him at all at this point. I think deep down even she knows he is just a distraction for her.

I get the feeling Daario is like this weird drug for her.....she just can't resist.

I too like Jorah Mormont as a character -- I have my doubts that he and Dany could ever be 'together', but I hope that at the very least she is able to forgive him.

[Castel]

I'm surprised by the Daario hate honestly, it's one of those things (like Darkstar or Jon + Dany)  that never occurred to me while I was reading yet is apparently a big part of the fandom. I personally don't mind him. I've never understood people's problem with arrogance or confidence so I've never really cared about him. For that matter, the same goes for the ridiculous hairstyles.

I guess the problem is Dany's attitude towards him, but I just remind myself that she was raised in Essos, those things probably aren't as big a shock to her as they are to the readers..

That said, Dany needs to keep him in line.

[salt]

Meh.  Dany is allowed to seem like an actual teenage girl from time to time.  At least Daario is more interesting than Darkstar.  When Daario talks about how its important to be well rested before any fight and how he can fall asleep anytime, anywhere- something about the image of him snoring on his horse as he and his sellswords ride toward a battle stuck with me.  He's got a Jaime-with-two-hands amount of carelessness about him.  Obviously hes a d-bag, he was written that way.  Don't hate the character as a character though.

[ARYa_Nym]

This is the first man that Dany was able to choose. I would have preferred Gerris showing up earlier and not being in Quentyn's lot for Dany's first choice but it's okay.

Daario doesn't sound hot at all to me but I liked him for this:

Quote

"Daario shrugged. "Most queens have no purpose but to warm some king's bed and pop out sons for him. If that's the sort of queen you mean to be, best marry Hizdahr." Her anger flashed. "Have you forgotten who I am?" "No. Have you?"

[Valkyrja]

Eh.....just a feeling I get, but I'm hardly going to harp on it. I don't 'hate' him so much that it actually pisses me off when I'm reading or something......more like I just find the character to be annoying.

And, while I personally don't find anything special about Daario, given Dany's state during ADwD, I suppose I can sympathize....a bit. She probably desperately needed a (fun) distraction.

Everyone has their preferences. I adore Sansa,  and I like Dany, and they've received *loads* of hate from the fandom at large.


Edited to say: it could just be my own personal tastes coming into play here......from his description, I don't find Daario to be remotely attractive.

Edited by Valkyrja, 24 May 2012 - 03:10 AM.

[Ser Sweets]

While I don't have any particular love for Daario, I'd agree with Castel; he's never really offended me. Considering many of the subjects around Dany are so stiff and serious (Which they should be, considering she needs sensible advice), it was refreshing for me as a reader to have someone frivolous and careless around her.

Perhaps that is what she sees in him.

Because yes, Rickbarry, I would agree - her infatuation with him is a little irritating, but as salt pointed out she is simply being a normal teenager. I believe one of the reasons her adoration irks me is the fact that we all know he shouldn't be trusted; to an extent, so does Dany, and yet her own instincts are ignored on the matter. That is, however, the natural reaction of a teenage girl.

[ARYa_Nym]

About Jorah he's one of the biggest creepers in the books for me. If I were Dany I'd want to escape from him. He is so controlling/jealous, gross, sees her as his new Lynesse, etc.

[Ser Sweets]

While I like Jorah as a character; if readers are going to complain about Daario being unnattractive, then what about Jorah? The man is practically neanderthal in appearance.

[Dr. Pepper]

ARYa_Nym, on 24 May 2012 - 03:07 AM, said:

This is the first man that Dany was able to choose. I would have preferred Gerris showing up earlier and not being in Quentyn's lot for Dany's first choice but it's okay. Daario doesn't sound hot at all to me but I liked him for this: "Daario shrugged. "Most queens have no purpose but to warm some king's bed and pop out sons for him. If that's the sort of queen you mean to be, best marry Hizdahr." Her anger flashed. "Have you forgotten who I am?" "No. Have you?"

I really liked him for that, too.

I don't really dislike Daario or the sexual relationship Dany has with Daario.  I think it's perfectly fine that she's sleeping with a man of her choosing.  What I dislike is that Dany can't seem to separate Daario the lover from Daario the turncloak leader of a sellsword company.  I almost expect someone like Daario to have ulterior motives.  Dany doesn't just because she's sleeping with him.

[Valkyrja]

Pelki, on 24 May 2012 - 03:14 AM, said:

While I like Jorah as a character; if readers are going to complain about Daario being unnattractive, then what about Jorah? The man is practically neanderthal in appearance.

Haha.....well, I am weird and happen to like hairy bear-men.


But I do agree that Jorah needed to be rejected by her, and should have admitted what he did......I also find his fate in ADwD to be some pretty fitting karma, as much as I like the character.


Edited to say: I actually *try* to be open-minded about Daario. I am truly curious what role he still has to play in Dany's storyline.

Edited by Valkyrja, 24 May 2012 - 03:42 AM.

[The Lady Nym]

Valkyrja, on 24 May 2012 - 02:55 AM, said:

I don't know if Daario has sinister intentions or not, but overall I just find him rather sleazy. I don't see what Dany sees in him at all at this point. I think deep down even she knows he is just a distraction for her. I get the feeling Daario is like this weird drug for her.....she just can't resist.

When I was Dany's age, my taste in men was dreadful.  And yes, they were men, because far be it from me to like a boy my own age.  One in particular was perfectly dreadful; in his mid 20's with track marks on his arms, no job to speak of, etc.  Teenage girls can romanticize anything, and the worse the guy is, the more appealing he seems.  GRRM has characterized Dany with certain human failings and Daario is one of them.

That said, I hate his guts.  Daario, that is, not GRRM.  I'd rather see Dany date Ramsay Snow.

[Valkyrja]

The Lady Nym, on 24 May 2012 - 03:42 AM, said:

When I was Dany's age, my taste in men was dreadful. And yes, they were men, because far be it from me to like a boy my own age. One in particular was perfectly dreadful; in his mid 20's with track marks on his arms, no job to speak of, etc. Teenage girls can romanticize anything, and the worse the guy is, the more appealing he seems. GRRM has characterized Dany with certain human failings and Daario is one of them. That said, I hate his guts. Daario, that is, not GRRM. I'd rather see Dany date Ramsay Snow.

Point taken. I too had some absolutely ridiculous crushes on (much) older men back in my teenage years.

Oh, dear, I must be getting old and forgetting how it used to feel!

[Rickbarry]

I don't think anyone is making the claim that Jorah is an attractive man, but I don't know if I'd describe him as a neanderthal.  He's just...well suited for winter without the need for furs?  He seemed to grow a great deal hairer in this book.  Heh.

I think my main issue is Dany's seeming admittance that if she weren't Queen he wouldn't want her in the slightest.  -Shrugs-  While he's as cocky as Jaime he seems to not have any of the redeeming features the Lannister possesses.

[Vic-tarion Rattlehead]

Dany's unnatural (and unreasonable) attraction to Daario reminds me somehow of Zuskind's "Perfume" - it sound like she's been under some charm or spell, when he's near her . Mayhappes, if his glamour over her will suddenly vanish, she'll drown herself in her chamber pot, out of shame, realizing, whom she's been shagging all of this time...

[Castel]

Vic-tarion Rattlehead, on 24 May 2012 - 04:42 AM, said:

Dany's unnatural (and unreasonable) attraction to Daario reminds me somehow of Zuskind's "Perfume" - it sound like she's been under some charm or spell, when he's near her . Mayhappes, if his glamour over her will suddenly vanish, she'll drown herself in her chamber pot, out of shame, realizing, whom she's been shagging all of this time...

She is, it's called teenage hormones.

[Winter's Knight]

Vic-tarion Rattlehead, on 24 May 2012 - 04:42 AM, said:

Dany's unnatural (and unreasonable) attraction to Daario reminds me somehow of Zuskind's "Perfume" - it sound like she's been under some charm or spell, when he's near her . Mayhappes, if his glamour over her will suddenly vanish, she'll drown herself in her chamber pot, out of shame, realizing, whom she's been shagging all of this time...

Eh, what?

Daario's like a blue haired, sober Jack Sparrow-what's there not to like?

[Vic-tarion Rattlehead]

Winter, on 24 May 2012 - 04:51 AM, said:

Eh, what? Daario's like a blue haired, sober Jack Sparrow-what's there not to like?

What's not to like? Him making laugh of her whole entourage, for instance. And she already had enough "badassed" males around her till the end of ADWD, why would he be exaptional and different from the rest? Aside of him being totally made of hot steam.

[Winter's Knight]

Vic-tarion Rattlehead, on 24 May 2012 - 05:30 AM, said:

What's not to like? Him making laugh of her whole entourage, for instance. And she already had enough "badassed" males around her till the end of ADWD, why would he be exaptional and different from the rest? Aside of him being totally made of hot steam.

He's a good lover who's attractive, reasonably intelligent, confident and so very wrong.
Plus, she's surrounded by bad-assed males? Is she supposed to fall for Strong Belarus? Wetfish Barristan? Consummate Nice Bear Guy Jorah?

[Kittykatknits]

I don't hate the guy but I can't take him seriously. The sword stroking and the fact that he has blue hair - everywhere sound cartoonish to me. However, I am really happy that Dany chose who to take as a lover even if I don't like the guy myself.

I link that quote, makes me like him a little better especially as I found her storyline in Dance to be painful.

As for Jorah, I found her storyline to be much less enjoyable to read after he was banished. I don't ship them together by any means but I liked the dynamics between them and always found him one of the better parts of her storyline. I don't mind hair on men but I can't stand back hair. That would require immediate and regular manscaping. I'm pretty certain that there are references to Jorah having back hair in the text.