Most cowardly deed in ASOIAF.

[Coolbeard the Exile]

3 minutes ago, Boarsbane said:

Is Stannis is so great then why did he have to resort to underhanded tactics to beat Renly and take Storm's End? 

Because he was facing 20,000 cavalry with only 400 of his own cavalry and 4600 infantry. Impossible ods. He did the right thing and had Renly assasinated.

[Ser Snowflake]

Ser Borros Blount let Bronn and his sellswords kidnap the Heir to the throne. That's the top cowardly act IMO and it goes again everything the KG stands for.

Janos Slynt refusing JS's order to go to Greyguard, looking to Ser Allister for help, and then his reneging of his refusal to go to Greyguard right before his beheading is pretty cowardly as well. He is one of the most despicable characters in the whole series, the very definition of a lackey.

Lysa Tully refusing to help her sister and her nephew during the WO5K is cowardly.  She was so afraid of provoking the Lannisters that she threw the Tullys and Starks under the bus. The Knights of the Vale was itching for a fight and could of tipped the war in her family's favor. Family, Duty, Honor indeed!

The knight (who was the overlord of the Saltpans) who hid in his castle, while vile men raped, killed, and pillaged in his town should have his knighthood taken away. Briennne of Tarth, and Ser Duncan the Tall (both ironically are not knights) would have never stood back and did nothing while innocent people died.....to quote the High Sparrow's Septons..."shame!"

[Boarsbane]

29 minutes ago, Coolbeard the Exile said:

Because he was facing 20,000 cavalry with only 400 of his own cavalry and 4600 infantry. Impossible ods. He did the right thing and had Renly assasinated.

He did the smart thing but it doesn't change the fact it was cowardly. 

[zandru]

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18 hours ago, The Hoare said:

Joffrey hiding when Stannis attacked KL.

Joffrey actually went out and fought.  He withdrew against his will when Cersei ordered it, yet another example of cowardice on her part.

Um, when did Joffrey "actually go out and fight"? He sure didn't during the Battle on the Blackwater. Joffers just sat up on top the wall, (ab)using the three trebuchets for his own jollies by throwing living men, who he'd had his minions nail antlers to their heads first, out into the battle zone. Joffrey PLAYED while the fighting was going on. And when Mommy called, he ran right back inside.

I can't recall anything that Joffrey did that could be considered "brave."

[zandru]

Oh, back to Walder Frey's alleged "bravery": How can you possibly consider it to be "brave" to deliberately expose all your children, grandchildren, any descendents to the total hatred and contempt of the 7 kingdoms just to gain a little temporary advantage? It would be unlikely that Lord Walder would be in any imminent danger, mainly the youngers who have occasion to leave the castles - and they'll be in this danger, held in this contempt and hatred for the rest of their lives, and their childrens' (if any).

I reject the arguments that Walder was "brave" to slaughter Robb and 12,000 unwitting men because he wanted to "advance his family." I reject that he was "brave" because he put said family - and not himself - in danger. When used together, as these arguments are, it seems to me to be even more nonsensical.

[zandru]

Okay; I've removed this duplicate entry and apologize!

[theblackdragonI]

Stannis hiding on Dragonstone.

Rhaegar + KG hiding at ToJ.

 

[Bernie Mac]

2 hours ago, TheYellowAppleFossoway said:

A legitimate succession issue had been raised.

Had it? We as book readers know that, Ned offers the Small Council no such information, he merely tries to force the matter with the swords of his own troops and the Gold Cloaks. 

Ned was committing a coup. 

 

 

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Joffrey had not had his coronation, so his status as king was not official.

Nor was Ned's status as Regent, something that Ned himself acknowledges.

• "I would ask this council to confirm me as Lord Protector, as Robert wished," Ned said, watching their faces, wondering what thoughts hid behind Pycelle's half-closed eyes, Littlefinger's lazy half-smile, and the nervous flutter of Varys's fingers.
• The door opened. Fat Tom stepped into the solar. "Pardon, my lords, the king's steward insists . . . "

 

 

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Ned had an official order from the king naming him lord protector of the realm.

It named him Joffrey's Regent

• The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard examined the paper. "King Robert's seal, and unbroken." He opened the letter and read. "Lord Eddard Stark is herein named Protector of the Realm, to rule as regent until the heir comes of age."

Regents can be replaced, as we saw during the reign of Aegon III in Westeros, or in real life history such as the reign of Edward VI. 

A King outranks his regent. A Kingsguard loyalties would be first and foremost to the King and the Royal family. 

 

 

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Cersei shows utter contempt for the order and willfully violates it.

And Ned showed the same towards Robert's wife and children by trying to arrest them. Also to Barristan

• The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard hesitated. In the blink of an eye he was surrounded by Stark guardsmen, bare steel in their mailed fists.

What do you expect Barristan to do when Ned has no shared any information with him about what he knows?

 

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Barristan should have stepped in as an immediate referee of sorts until the issue could be resolved. He did nothing to take order or de-escalate  the situation. 

What exactly should he have done with Ned's soldiers threatening him with their swords?

Barristan did not have the same information that Ned and the readers did. Ned even acknowledges what he was doing was underhanded

 

• He trusted neither Pycelle nor Varys, and Ser Barristan was honor-bound to protect and defend the boy he thought his new king. The old knight would not abandon Joffrey easily. The need for deceit was a bitter taste in his mouth, but Ned knew he must tread softly here, must keep his counsel and play the game until he was firmly established as regent.

[Jon's Queen Consort]

15 hours ago, Boarsbane said:

Stannis sending a shadowbaby to kill Renly and Penrose.

Stannis sent a shadowbaby to Penrose but not to Renly.

14 hours ago, Damsel in Distress said:

Sansa's age is irrelevant.  It was still a cowardly act.

Said the person who is ok with the mass murder of children because someone isn't brave enough or smart enough to change the society because she is "but a young girl and know little of the ways of war."

4 hours ago, TheYellowAppleFossoway said:

Certainly not the most cowardly act, but Barristan Selmy staring at his feet while the Lannister regime disregards a royal order and grabs the throne was pretty cowardly.

The majority of his career as a KG was a cowardly act.

[The Wolves]

58 minutes ago, theblackdragonI said:

Stannis hiding on Dragonstone.

Rhaegar + KG hiding at ToJ.

 

When did the KG hide out? 

They were following orders and the second it came to fighting they fought and would have fought when it came down to it. 

[TheYellowAppleFossoway]

36 minutes ago, Bernie Mac said:

Had it? We as book readers know that, Ned offers the Small Council no such information, he merely tries to force the matter with the swords of his own troops and the Gold Cloaks. 

Ned wast trying for a coup. 

 

 

Nor was Ned's status as Regent, something that Ned himself acknowledges.

• "I would ask this council to confirm me as Lord Protector, as Robert wished," Ned said, watching their faces, wondering what thoughts hid behind Pycelle's half-closed eyes, Littlefinger's lazy half-smile, and the nervous flutter of Varys's fingers.
• The door opened. Fat Tom stepped into the solar. "Pardon, my lords, the king's steward insists . . . "

 

 

It named him Joffrey's Regent

• The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard examined the paper. "King Robert's seal, and unbroken." He opened the letter and read. "Lord Eddard Stark is herein named Protector of the Realm, to rule as regent until the heir comes of age."

Regents can be replaced, as we saw during the reign of Aegon III in Westeros, or in real life history such as the reign of Edward VI. 

A King outranks his regent. A Kingsguard loyalties would be first and foremost to the King and the Royal family. 

 

 

And Ned showed the same towards Robert's wife and children by trying to arrest them. Also to Barristan

• The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard hesitated. In the blink of an eye he was surrounded by Stark guardsmen, bare steel in their mailed fists.

What do you expect Barristan to do when Ned has no shared any information with him about what he knows?

 

What exactly should he have done with Ned's soldiers threatening him with their swords?

Barrisatan did not have the same information that Ned and the readers did. Ned even acknowledges what he was doing was underhanded

 

• He trusted neither Pycelle nor Varys, and Ser Barristan was honor-bound to protect and defend the boy he thought his new king. The old knight would not abandon Joffrey easily. The need for deceit was a bitter taste in his mouth, but Ned knew he must tread softly here, must keep his counsel and play the game until he was firmly established as regent.

Clearly Barristan fails to take action. Any action. I submit it's a moment of cowardice. Whether he hesitated because of his anti-Stark sentiments that originate from Ashara choosing Stark D is up for debate. Selmy is a weak leader. He may not be a coward in battle, but he wimps out on administrative decisions throughout the series. Look at how the Shave Pate leads him by the nose. 

[The Fresh PtwP]

2 hours ago, The Pimp that was Promised said:

Ser Borros Blount let Bronn and his sellswords kidnap the Heir to the throne. That's the top cowardly act IMO and it goes again everything the KG stands for.

Janos Slynt refusing JS's order to go to Greyguard, looking to Ser Allister for help, and then his reneging of his refusal to go to Greyguard right before his beheading is pretty cowardly as well. He is one of the most despicable characters in the whole series, the very definition of a lackey.

Lysa Tully refusing to help her sister and her nephew during the WO5K is cowardly.  She was so afraid of provoking the Lannisters that she threw the Tullys and Starks under the bus. The Knights of the Vale was itching for a fight and could of tipped the war in her family's favor. Family, Duty, Honor indeed!

The knight (who was the overlord of the Saltpans) who hid in his castle, while vile men raped, killed, and pillaged in his town should have his knighthood taken away. Briennne of Tarth, and Ser Duncan the Tall (both ironically are not knights) would have never stood back and did nothing while innocent people died.....to quote the High Sparrow's Septons..."shame!"

1.) Absolutely! Gonna go ahead and add that to my top 5.

2.) yea

3.) Hmm after what they did to her Lysa doesn't owe them sh*t. It was still cowardly because her letter essentially started WoFK. 

4.) Yes a thousand times over.

[khal drogon]

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[khal drogon]

18 hours ago, The Fresh PtwP said:

Wow the first thing that came to mind is Rickard Karstark, yet nobody has mentioned him. Took eight men to kill two unarmed sleeping squires.

Honorable mention: Theon and the miller's sons

All these

The worst Lannisters Tywin, Cersei and Joffery are up there with the most cowardly people in the series.

Tywin is a type of person who would rather topple the chessboard if he feared he was losing than trying to win it fairly. That is called bravery and cunning by some but it is really not. 

[zandru]

1 hour ago, theblackdragonI said:

Stannis hiding on Dragonstone.

Stannis wasn't "hiding." He was arming. Big difference. When he was ready, and circumstances including the death of his brother the king, followed by the succession (illegal) of Joffrey Lannister-Lannister, Stannis made his move.

[khal drogon]

Just now, zandru said:

Stannis wasn't "hiding." He was arming. Big difference. When he was ready, and circumstances including the death of his brother the king, followed by the succession (illegal) of Joffrey Lannister-Lannister, Stannis made his move.

Arming is quite unnecessary unless he waited for Robert's death before making his move. He could have told the truth much before Robert's death. After Jon Arryn's death he had enough time to let Robert know. 

[The Wolves]

33 minutes ago, khal drogon said:

All these

The worst Lannisters Tywin, Cersei and Joffery are up there with the most cowardly people in the series.

Tywin is a type of person who would rather topple the chessboard if he feared he was losing than trying to win it fairly. That is called bravery and cunning by some but it is really not. 

SO. MUCH. WORD!!! 

[Maxxine]

16 hours ago, kissdbyfire said:

Sansa is 11, she's a child even by Westeros standards. And I'm not talking about Ned killing Lady, but about the fact that he knew what had happened and still kept his mouth shut. 

There was nothing Ned could've done other than ask Sansa to tell the story. She was the witness. What was he supposed to say "Sansa told me..." after she had already lied about it. Even if he had told the story before Sansa came into the room they still would've asked her to corroborate since she was the one who was there. However, I won't put this up there with most cowardly act though. This situation shows more of Robert's cowardice than Sansa's 

[Maxxine]

48 minutes ago, khal drogon said:

Arming is quite unnecessary unless he waited for Robert's death before making his move. He could have told the truth much before Robert's death. After Jon Arryn's death he had enough time to let Robert know. 

I agree that running to Dragonstone was a cowardly act. If you say he was "arming" himself then he knew there was a good chance Robert was going to die. But he still hid out on DS and waiting for it as opposed to warning his brother and telling him about Cersei's children. Even if he didn't think Robert would believe him you don't at least try or maybe wait for Ned and try to convince him. He hid out on DS for one of two reasons. 1) He thought the Lannisters killed Jon Arryn and was afraid he was next, which would be cowardice. Or 2) He didn't care about Robert and just wanted to wait on him to die so then he could press his claim which makes him uninterested in any kind of actual justice which is the complete opposite of what he claims himself to be.

[Stormking902]

4 hours ago, zandru said:

Um, when did Joffrey "actually go out and fight"? He sure didn't during the Battle on the Blackwater. Joffers just sat up on top the wall, (ab)using the three trebuchets for his own jollies by throwing living men, who he'd had his minions nail antlers to their heads first, out into the battle zone. Joffrey PLAYED while the fighting was going on. And when Mommy called, he ran right back inside.

I can't recall anything that Joffrey did that could be considered "brave."

Telling Tywin Lannister he is a coward and was busy hiding under Casterly Rock while Robert was busy fighting and winning a war was pretty brave even Robert didnt have the balls to say such a thing even if he thought it.