Stannis will break before he bends.

[Salafi Stannis]

I was thinking about Donal Noye's comments about the three Baratheon brothers, in which he says "Stannis is pure iron, black and hard and strong, yes, but brittle, the way iron gets. He'll break before he bends." Now, a lot of readers are taking that as evidence that Stannis is brittle. However, that's inaccurate, I agree that he will break before he bends, because he hasn't bent yet (and even if you disagree, it can't be debated that it's extremely difficult for him to bend) but he's definitely not brittle, for one reason, he hasn't broken yet. He held Storm's End in his brothers name for half a year, surviving on rat's and glue from book and he didn't break, and afterwards, rather than being thanked by his brother, he was then blamed for something over which he had no control, and he didn't break, he was then slighted of Storm's End, the castle which is rightfully his, and he almost suffered a slow agonising death to defend, and he didn't break, then man he fought for fucked his wife's sister on his wedding bed and he didn't break, he was defeated on the Blackwater after coming so close, and he didn't break, he sailed to arse-end of the world to defeat (what he believes to be, and what probably is) the ultimate evil, then he finds out (or believes he does) that the man closest to him, the closest person to which he considers a friend, was beheaded and had his head put on display, and he didn't break, he's still fighting, fighting against the Others, fighting for the realm, he's still going on. So again, I believe it's accurate to say he will break before he bends, but I don't get how people can say he is brittle because he hasn't broken.

[Gar Weg Wun Sygerrik]

So much empasis is put on the quote of a blacksmith that knew 3 brothers as children.

[TeethGrinder]

I think this is pretty obvious at this point.

There's literally no conceivable scenario where Stannis makes it out of this alive IMO.

[Stannis's Lawyer]

Of course Stannis is not brittle. That's obvious.

[Salafi Stannis]

So much empasis is put on the quote of a blacksmith that knew 3 brothers as children.

Well so many fans are using this as ironclad evidence of Stannis' brittleness.

[Salafi Stannis]

Of course Stannis is not brittle. That's obvious.

You'd be surprised.

[Gar Weg Wun Sygerrik]

Well so many fans are using this as ironclad evidence of Stannis' brittleness.

I think the point in time is key for considering this information. There is certainly nothing to contradict it until Stannis comes north. It plays directly into Cagelyns observations about Renly's knights of summer and how she views Stannis whom she describes as being "notoriously with out mercy". We're given a false view until we can interpret it ourselves. Typical tricksey grrm.

[Northbound3.0]

Well so many fans are using this as ironclad evidence of Stannis' brittleness.

Because, even with him being as firm and ironclad as he is; he is still a mortal man. Eventually we all break, thus the brittle characterization.

[Minstral]

So much empasis is put on the quote of a blacksmith that knew 3 brothers as children.

One that supposedly knew the three boys pretty well in comparison to others, and at the same time having a good enough head on his shoulders to organize an effective defense of Castle Black.

Well so many fans are using this as ironclad evidence of Stannis' brittleness.

Of course it is not an absolute example, but it was also not wrong in relation to the other brothers.

[A spoon of knife and fork]

One that supposedly knew the three boys pretty well in comparison to others, and at the same time having a good enough head on his shoulders to organize an effective defense of Castle Black.

Of course it is not an absolute example, but it was also not wrong in relation to the other brothers.

Disagree. Unless we are talking solely about combat prowess Robert was in no way "true steel". More like cardboard. He's an incredibly weak person in every aspect of his life except that one aspect.

Just one example. Remember how renly was kind to Brienne, danced with her, and made her feel worthy when he visited her father? Can you imagine Robert doing that? No way, he'd take one look and then head for a brothel or grab some hand maid or wench and drag her upstairs. Stannis would probably sit there and grind his teeth which is also Better than Robert.

Nah, noye has just been revealed To be either a poor judge of character or has a biased perspective having observed them mostly at arms where indeed Robert did excell. It's an opinion, not some statement from god/GRRM.

[Stannis's Lawyer]

Disagree. Unless we are talking solely about combat prowess Robert was in no way "true steel". More like cardboard. He's an incredibly weak person in every aspect of his life except that one aspect.

Remember

Aye. I was his man, a Baratheon man, smith and armorer at Storms End until I lost the arm. Im old enough to remember Lord Steffon before the sea took him, and I knew those three sons of his since they got their names. I tell you this- Robert was never the same after he put on that crown. Some men are like swords, made for fighting. Hang them up and they go to rust.

Noye is right. Why do people always omit this part?

[Gar Weg Wun Sygerrik]

One that supposedly knew the three boys pretty well in comparison to others, and at the same time having a good enough head on his shoulders to organize an effective defense of Castle Black.

Of course it is not an absolute example, but it was also not wrong in relation to the other brothers.

I don't remember anything suggesting that he knew them pretty well. Robert would have been at the Vale for a large part of his life, and how often does a blacksmith really encounter 2 lordlings?

Your suggestion that mounting an effective defense has a bearing on his ability to determine the character of 3 kids. What?

[unitron]

Brittle ain't necessarily fragile.

Iron will break before it bends, but it'll take a lot of punishment before the force thrown at it gets to be enough to break it.

And so will the man who, if he gets there, will likely be the most iron man ever to sit the Iron Throne.

[A spoon of knife and fork]

Remember

Noye is right. Why do people always omit this part?

IMO Roberts weakness was on strong display when he was king, but it was always there. He just wasn't in situations where he was able to harm that many people.

We know from Ned's PoV that he made bastards everywhere without a care about it, that Lyanna knew that he'd cheat on her when they wed. We know that before he was crowned he smiled upon the corpses of dead children.

Robert was jovial and good at smashing things before and after he was crowned. He was also selfish, uncaring, and morally weak.

[Ser Malthred Storm]

The quote about Stannis breaking before he will bend does not necessarily mean that he is brittle. It could just as well mean that he will never bend, making breaking more likely, but still damn hard to break.

Noye is simply saying that Stannis will never concede defeat and is willing to fight to the bloody end.

[Salafi Stannis]

The quote about Stannis breaking before he will bend does not necessarily mean that he is brittle. It could just as well mean that he will never bend, making breaking more likely, but still damn hard to break.

Noye is simply saying that Stannis will never concede defeat and is willing to fight to the bloody end.

Noye also said that he is brittle. That's why I said that I agree with the statement that Stannis will break before bends, but not with the statement that he is brittle.

[Bronn Urgandy]

Noye is a fucking liar. He was never even a master armourer and I doubt he forged Roberts hammer, seriously, if some puny Island rebels against you and you have all the power of the Seven Kingdoms to spank them with, would you take and risk your very best blacksmith to fight? Of course you wouldn't, that'd be madness, Gendry was spared and he was only a bloody apprentice.

I spit upon Noyes opinion. Spit.

[JonCon's Red Beard]

So much empasis is put on the quote of a blacksmith that knew 3 brothers as children.

Agree. Stannis has learned he needs to bend. Davos has taught him to.

(...that sounded odd, right?)

[Bright Blue Eyes]

Agree. Stannis has learned he needs to bend. Davos has taught him to.

(...that sounded odd, right?)

Oh yes.

On both counts.

[Stannis's Lawyer]

Agree. Stannis has learned he needs to bend. Davos has taught him to.

(...that sounded odd, right?)

I think you're misunderstanding what "bend" means here. Stannis has often listened to others and changed his opinion even before ASOS, like not bringing Mel to the BW. What 'bend' means IMO is that he will never surrender: he will break before he bends, meaning he will die before he surrenders. In other words 'he will fight to the bitter end, then some'.