The Dany Like Thread

[Ellroy]

I think the Dany hate thread that's going on should just be renamed to the 'I'm morally bankrupt and want the bad guys to win because I'm dead inside and have no soul' thread.

I do not think so. I think that it's more of a case of stokholm syndrome gone wild ;). People identify and simpathize more likely with the winners. They know that Dany and her Dragons are not safe and that they could die in any moment. So, they root for the bad guys to feel safe while reading :D.

[Logen Ninefingers]

I think the central issue really is that a lot of people want to believe there is no room for heroes in ASOIAF and although she's far from whiter than white Dany is still a strong heroic figure. Unfortunately if there are no heroic protagonists at all then you've just got a bunch of equally dislikeable individuals scrapping with each other endlessly till one comes out on top and it's up to you to decide who's the least objectionable.

[William The Lion]

I think the central issue really is that a lot of people want to believe there is no room for heroes in ASOIAF and although she's far from whiter than white Dany is still a strong heroic figure. Unfortunately if there are no heroic protagonists at all then you've just got a bunch of equally dislikeable individuals scrapping with each other endlessly till one comes out on top and it's up to you to decide who's the least objectionable.

I want her to win in the end. She is probably the most likeable hero. And in my opinion she is in fact not really looking for the throne as much as she is looking for "home" - the place that is her's and where she feels safe and whole after all the upheavals of her life. The problem is that she does not know where this place is and if it even exists. All other things related to the wars for the throne, marriage to Drogo, leading the armies, etc are thrust upon her by the circumstances.

If I read into her visions in the Book 2 correctly, she will end up with a near death experience in the conflict against the Others and will be saved by her dragons. Afterwards looks like she will end up where her life started - in the Hall of the Conqueror's castle on Dragonstone (red door in the gate made to the likeliness of a dragon's maw). Will she become a Queen or not is secondary. But it would be a just conclusion (provided that Westeros does not completely perish as a continent as a result of the conflict) if the crown goes to the one who deserves it the most - a true hero and most capable leader, not only to the one with right parents. Aragorn became king because he was the best candidate by virtue of his abilities, not because of his blood.

[Kaitscralt]

I like Daenerys, I just find her post-AGOT chapters boring.

[Xenophon]

I think the Dany hate thread that's going on should just be renamed to the 'I'm morally bankrupt and want the bad guys to win because I'm dead inside and have no soul' thread.

No fair. You can't have a "nothing but Dany-love" thread, and then start bashing people who don't like her. If you want people who don't like the character to stay out of the thread, don't provoke them.

[David Selig]

I think the central issue really is that a lot of people want to believe there is no room for heroes in ASOIAF and although she's far from whiter than white Dany is still a strong heroic figure. Unfortunately if there are no heroic protagonists at all then you've just got a bunch of equally dislikeable individuals scrapping with each other endlessly till one comes out on top and it's up to you to decide who's the least objectionable.

You say that as if it's a bad thing. I'd much rather read about a struggle between the likes of LF and Tywin than about Dani, the heroic Chosen One coming over and saving the day.

[Logen Ninefingers]

No fair. You can't have a "nothing but Dany-love" thread, and then start bashing people who don't like her. If you want people who don't like the character to stay out of the thread, don't provoke them.

Meant to be humorous buddy, chill. I don't think you can make a sound judgement on anybody's character just by who they like or don't in a book.

[Logen Ninefingers]

You say that as if it's a bad thing. I'd much rather read about a struggle between the likes of LF and Tywin than about Dani, the heroic Chosen One coming over and saving the day.

That seems to be a fairly common opinion around here. I'm not saying that it's an invalid one, it just isn't one that I hold. The squabbling between the various factions in the Seven Kingdoms is engaging but ultimately it's only a distraction from the reality that 'Winter Is Coming'. LF, Tywin etc. are interesting but if I found everyone in the story morally reprehensible then, no matter how good the writing, I'd lose interest pretty rapidly. But that's me.

[Xenophon]

Meant to be humorous buddy, chill. I don't think you can make a sound judgement on anybody's character just by who they like or don't in a book.

You might not, but, man, that seems to be where all the Dany threads end up sooner or later. Just don't say I didn't warn you when this nice safe space for positive feelings comes crashing down in an orgy of name-calling. ;)

For the record, I like Dany as a character. Not wild about the plot surrounding the character after the second book, but I think the first two books and the basic character concept are great. I like that she's a powerful heroine who isn't just a tomboy. That's been done to death; Dany is somewhat novel.

[em388480]

Eh, she's annoying because shes 14 and has a ton of power and can do what she wants/get what she wants, when what we all want is the Stark family to return to glory and live happily ever after. No one cares about Dany's 'struggles' on another continent.

[witless chum]

That seems to be a fairly common opinion around here. I'm not saying that it's an invalid one, it just isn't one that I hold. The squabbling between the various factions in the Seven Kingdoms is engaging but ultimately it's only a distraction from the reality that 'Winter Is Coming'. LF, Tywin etc. are interesting but if I found everyone in the story morally reprehensible then, no matter how good the writing, I'd lose interest pretty rapidly. But that's me.

Honestly, I think all the characters in "A Song of Ice and Fire" ARE morally reprehnsible by modern standards. But they're understandable, given their culture and place. I think they're fascinating partly because of how we see them push against their roles and break them or not.

Which, with Dany, we don't really have. Because she's making it up as she goes. There isn't a prescribed role for ex-Khaleesi who rebelled against Dothraki convention by not going off to Vaeys Dothrak when Drogo died, then invaded these ancient cultures and destroyed their old-as-old elites by breaking their rules. I think that's the talent Dany has, she's able to accomplish so much because she isn't too stuck in the morals or worldview of any single culture.

I think some take that as too unrealistic, but think about people like Cortes or Pizzaro conquering empires that just had radically different worldviews and ways of doing things. In Cortes' case, he was apparently able to see internal divisions in the Aztec Empire and exploit them as an outsider. (There were obviously other factors, such as horses, smallpox in Peru and the Aztec Emperor's wondering if Cortes wasn't maybe a god.

I like Dany and I don't find her too implausible as a conqueror. Alexander existed, after all. And he didn't have any dragons.

[Ramsay Bolton]

I do not think so. I think that it's more of a case of stokholm syndrome gone wild ;). People identify and simpathize more likely with the winners. They know that Dany and her Dragons are not safe and that they could die in any moment. So, they root for the bad guys to feel safe while reading :D.

This is sarcasm, right?

[limbstan]

Eh, she's annoying because shes 14 and has a ton of power and can do what she wants/get what she wants, when what we all want is the Stark family to return to glory and live happily ever after. No one cares about Dany's 'struggles' on another continent.

I completely agree. I just can't care about Dany when very little of what she's done so far makes any difference to Westeros in general and our beloved Starks specifically.

[David Selig]

I don't mind Dani as a character, but her storyline doesn't have what I really like about the series - the Game of Thrones, the competent opposition to the supposed "good guys", the morally grey characters (except Jorah), the really well developed and plausible setting.

And it would be a real shame if Dani comes up and saves the day thanks to being The True Heir, a good person and having dragons - too much of a tired fantasy cliche. But if she actually earns her victory by playing competently the political game of Westeros, outsmarting top class opponents, and having to make really tough choices, and not just by her Dragons and the Unsullied (aka the blatant plot gift), I would probably like it. Hopefully the multiple PoVs which her plotline will finally have in ADWD will help make her plotlne as complex and multi-sided as the others.

[Salander]

Eh, she's annoying because shes 14 and has a ton of power and can do what she wants/get what she wants, when what we all want is the Stark family to return to glory and live happily ever after. No one cares about Dany's 'struggles' on another continent.

Ironically, I think the only character that might be able to truly help with that is Dany and her dragons :)

I like Dany, but I don't trust GRRM with how events are going to unfold (as a reader/fan girl of Dany). Imho, Dany is one of the two with the best claim to the Seven Kingdoms. (The other being Stannis via right of conquest and he is just not sympathetic). Tommen has no real claim to the throne EXCEPT he currently holds it, but his um, er, "lineage", once exposed, will make his claim and support base desert in droves. Dany looks like the best bet for peace etc to the Kingdom and this is why I think GRRM is going to kill her. Like he did with Ned ... and just rip my heart and stomach out .... AGAIN!!!!

Edit: I find the characters of Tywin and Littlefinger completely boring. My only interest in their characters is to see them be summarily executed. One down (thanks Tyrion) and one to go ... I've got my own little Arya prayer going :)

[MyDogIsNamedDanerys]

Dany is definitely my favorite, but I don't know why people think they have to either love Littlefinger/Tywin/Tyrion and hate Dany or the other way around.

I love all these characters - everyone is unique, well-drawn, and interesting, obviously for different reasons. Some of these people I think are terrible abhorrant people, and some I think I'd like in real life. Dany doesn't really fit into either of these catagories, but I admire her deeply.

At the same time, I'd like all of these characters to reap what they've sown by the end. I doubt we'll see everything fall perfectly into place, the way I expect of course. I believed at the end of AGoT that Robb would marry Dany and they'd rule Westeros together lololol.