Dullest characters

[The Commentator]

2 hours ago, David Selig said:

You are my hero.

I guess it's the three of us then.  I find Jon completely boring.  The northern story arc is really sleep inducing and Jon just makes it even more so.  Talk about ramping up the dullness.  The northern arc could be improved with a different pov and we may get our wish.  Here's to hoping Jon doesn't come back to life.  The story would be better with him gone.  Too many people have come back to life already.  The last thing we need is this traitor to come back to life.  

[C-Cool]

Dullest to me changed when I read a second time. I originally didn't have much time for Bran but knowing where the story goes helped me appreciate it much more. Tyrion and Danny in the East can drag on.

The POV character that stands out the most to me as dull was Brienne. I really didn't enjoy when her chapters came up.

[Cas Stark]

Arianne, Brienne and Queytyn.  Dull and not necessary.

[spauldo17]

Easily Sansa.  The show seems to be giving her some semblance of meaning just at the very end, but all in all she's a boring character, who is a non factor in every single situation.  Just allows herself to be the victim

[Lucius Lovejoy]

@ftheking @ravenous reader @Traverys I co-sign most of what you wrote.  I'm annoyed by Dany's win-everything-never-really-in-danger story since the end of AGOT and rarely enjoy her chapters.  Not enough good characters around her, I think she'd be far more interesting as a villain.

Bran and Brienne were by far my least favorite POVs, and at certain points I didn't like Arya's or Sam's, but I wouldn't call them dull characters.  Areo Hotah and Quentyn are duller than dull, and while I hated Quentyn's chapters I wasn't too bothered by Hotah's as I found Doran interesting enough.  For an off the wall choice, I am not too into Randyll Tarly - he strikes me as Roose or Tywin light.  Nothing really exciting.  Can't say I find Queen Selyse (or any of the Florents) all that interesting either.

[Ser Loras The Gay]

Just now, Lucius Lovejoy said:

Bran and Brienne were by far my least favorite POVs, and at certain points I didn't like Arya's or Sam's, but I wouldn't call them dull characters.  Areo Hotah and Quentyn are duller than dull, and while I hated Quentyn's chapters I wasn't too bothered by Hotah's as I found Doran interesting enough.  For an off the wall choice, I am not too into Randyll Tarly - he strikes me as Roose or Tywin light.  Nothing really exciting.  Can't say I find Queen Selyse (or any of the Florents) all that interesting either.

 

Quentyn was so dull to me that I simply forgot he had died. Now that you mentioned his name I'm giving props to Martin for killing him fast.

[HaeSuse]

Jon and Dany.

[spauldo17]

25 minutes ago, HaeSuse said:

Jon and Dany.

So you're either delusional, you misunderstand the meaning of the word dull, or you simply have a vendetta against these two and you're trying to stir up the hornets nest.

If anyone can possibly read the books and say that those two are dull, I'm not certain their mental capacities are functioning fully.

Jon: Youngest commander of the Knight's watch ever.  Has a direwolf as his personal body guard, known as one of the better swordsman in Westeros, spends time with the wildlings, lives, and even thrives. Defeats an army of wildlings and brokers a tentative peace between the two groups. Gets brought back from the dead when he's betrayed. Has the ability to warg into the aforementioned Direwolf.  And oh yeah, he may be a legitimate Heir to the throne and the product of the greatest love story in the book.

Dany: Young princess spirited away from Westeros to avoid the slaughter of Targaryens, the last remaining heir (allegedly) to the Iron Throne. Gets burned alive and comes out with three dragons that are loyal to her. gathers an army.  Literally stops slavery Abe Lincoln style. Now hell bent on coming back to Westeros with her army and wreaking havoc.

 

You literally chose the two people the entire series is probably about.

[Ser Loras The Gay]

1 minute ago, spauldo17 said:

So you're either delusional, you misunderstand the meaning of the word dull, or you simply have a vendetta against these two and you're trying to stir up the hornets nest.

If anyone can possibly read the books and say that those two are dull, I'm not certain their mental capacities are functioning fully.

Jon: Youngest commander of the Knight's watch ever.  Has a direwolf as his personal body guard, known as one of the better swordsman in Westeros, spends time with the wildlings, lives, and even thrives. Defeats an army of wildlings and brokers a tentative peace between the two groups. Gets brought back from the dead when he's betrayed. Has the ability to warg into the aforementioned Direwolf.  And oh yeah, he may be a legitimate Heir to the throne and the product of the greatest love story in the book.

Dany: Young princess spirited away from Westeros to avoid the slaughter of Targaryens, the last remaining heir (allegedly) to the Iron Throne. Gets burned alive and comes out with three dragons that are loyal to her. gathers an army.  Literally stops slavery Abe Lincoln style. Now hell bent on coming back to Westeros with her army and wreaking havoc.

 

You literally chose the two people the entire series is probably about.

The dullness of these characters don't come from theirs acompplishments but rather from theirs personallities and actions. They change the story a whole lot and have cool ass stories behind them, but that doesn't mean they can be just boring as human beings. And Jon is never described as one of the best swordmen he's not even in the top 100.

[Cas Stark]

I don't think either Jon or Dany are dull characters, but her chapters in Dance were REALLY repetitive and dull.  But I see that as a different thing.

[White Ravens]

Quentyn Martell.  Areo Hotah.

[Lucius Lovejoy]

42 minutes ago, Ser Loras The Gay said:

 

Quentyn was so dull to me that I simply forgot he had died. Now that you mentioned his name I'm giving props to Martin for killing him fast.

LMAO he didn't kill him quite quick enough for me.  It's a pretty lopsided match, but this is one area where D&D score over GRRM by omitting Quentyn entirely.

[spauldo17]

8 minutes ago, Ser Loras The Gay said:

The dullness of these characters don't come from theirs acompplishments but rather from theirs personallities and actions. They change the story a whole lot and have cool ass stories behind them, but that doesn't mean they can be just boring as human beings. And Jon is never described as one of the best swordmen he's not even in the top 100.

I doubt that the Westeros Times keeps a running board of the top 100 swordsman, but I recall (and this will be super fuzzy so apologies) a fairly accomplished swordsman turning down a one on one with him on the premise that Jon would undoubtedly beat him.  I would imagine he's pretty good.

I accept your premise, but I'm curious to know exactly why you find them boring?

[HaeSuse]

37 minutes ago, spauldo17 said:

So you're either delusional, you misunderstand the meaning of the word dull, or you simply have a vendetta against these two and you're trying to stir up the hornets nest.

If anyone can possibly read the books and say that those two are dull, I'm not certain their mental capacities are functioning fully.

Well... Let's do this!

 

dull

1. lacking interest or excitement.

 

So. To me, I have to absolutely force myself to read Jon's and Dany's chapters. I can't stand them. It doesn't mean I don't like them as people, but rather, that their arcs bore me. I have quite literally zero interest in what Dany has done, or is doing. I'll care more when she lands and actually affects Westeros, probably. With Jon, it's a bit above zero interest, but not much. They are both too far removed from the rest of the plot. Also, Jon is boorish. Just like I don't think I'd enjoy a nonstop parade of Ned chapters. Both are amazing people, who, if I lived in Westeros, I would count lucky to have as friends and/or family. They are amazing. I hope my children grow to be half as honorable and noble as Ned/Jon. But they bore the ever loving jesus out of me. And Dany is so contrived. I can't stand her thought processes. I can't stand her never ending list of deus-ex-machina events. I can't stand her strange version of morality and ethics. I'd still count myself lucky to be her friend and/or kin, as with Jon, but they both completely lack interest and excitement, for me, as a reader. 

 

I think that 100% satisfies the dictionary definition of dull.  Right? I'd happily read 100 Sansa chapters, before reading a single Jon or Dany chapter. There's some hornet's nest stirring.

 

 

[HaeSuse]

1 hour ago, spauldo17 said:

Easily Sansa.  The show seems to be giving her some semblance of meaning just at the very end, but all in all she's a boring character, who is a non factor in every single situation.  Just allows herself to be the victim

I love Sansa. Something about being the victim of every single situation, I enjoy. I hope, and have since I first read the books, 10-ish years ago, that she sits the Iron Throne, or her kids do.

[spauldo17]

1 minute ago, HaeSuse said:

I love Sansa. Something about being the victim of every single situation, I enjoy. I hope, and have since I first read the books, 10-ish years ago, that she sits the Iron Throne, or her kids do.

It's interesting, the way you view Jon and Dany, I view Sansa.  I can't stand her chapters because she doesn't DO anything.  She simply lets others use her as a pawn in their plans, and her inner monologues mostly consist of, "poor me, look what other awful thing has happened to me" She takes no initiative, take no action, she's simply there.  If it weren't for her last name she would've been dead books ago.

[Sullen]

Jon's mindnumbingly boring as far as PoV characters go.

Bran's chapters turn pretty bad too past ACoK.

[Sea Dragon]

Bran is dull. He is not needed to fight the others, so I am not sure what his part is.

Arya was ok in a storm of swords, but she was very dull in the last two books. I hope her and Tyrion meet in Braavos and hook up. I see this being a real chance now. 

Dorne is dull and I hope it picks up speed soon.

Sam is a little but dull but I think his next chapters in the next book will be really good. 

[David Selig]

1 hour ago, spauldo17 said:

So you're either delusional, you misunderstand the meaning of the word dull, or you simply have a vendetta against these two and you're trying to stir up the hornets nest.

If anyone can possibly read the books and say that those two are dull, I'm not certain their mental capacities are functioning fully.

Jon: Youngest commander of the Knight's watch ever.  Has a direwolf as his personal body guard, known as one of the better swordsman in Westeros, spends time with the wildlings, lives, and even thrives. Defeats an army of wildlings and brokers a tentative peace between the two groups. Gets brought back from the dead when he's betrayed. Has the ability to warg into the aforementioned Direwolf.  And oh yeah, he may be a legitimate Heir to the throne and the product of the greatest love story in the book.

Dany: Young princess spirited away from Westeros to avoid the slaughter of Targaryens, the last remaining heir (allegedly) to the Iron Throne. Gets burned alive and comes out with three dragons that are loyal to her. gathers an army.  Literally stops slavery Abe Lincoln style. Now hell bent on coming back to Westeros with her army and wreaking havoc.

 

You literally chose the two people the entire series is probably about.

ROFL. All of the stuff you listed has nothing to do with how interesting a character is. Stop embarrassing yourself.

[Traverys]

21 minutes ago, spauldo17 said:

It's interesting, the way you view Jon and Dany, I view Sansa.  I can't stand her chapters because she doesn't DO anything.  She simply lets others use her as a pawn in their plans, and her inner monologues mostly consist of, "poor me, look what other awful thing has happened to me" She takes no initiative, take no action, she's simply there.  If it weren't for her last name she would've been dead books ago.

"Courtesy is a lady's armor," or at least that's what Sansa was raised to believe. I have fairly (non-radical) feminist beliefs, so it surprised me when I ended up liking Sansa's chapters. I think GRRM does a good job bringing to life a young highborn girl that is content to be a lady. She's young, she's a prisoner in a deadly decadent court, she has no friends (and can't make any), and, worst of all, her betrothed despises her and is probably a sociopath. Not doing anything was probably the smartest thing for her to do, though I definitely see how that reads as boring.