Most Competent / Incompetent Characters

[Fearsome Fred]

whaaaa? I'm pretty sure he strangled ONE whore...he may be a serial slut but not a serial killer...

Well, I admit I lack definite proof that Shae was his 343rd strangled whore. But he is definitely a serial killer. In the short time we know him, he murders, off the top of my head, at least 3 people. (I am not even counting they guy he ordered thrown overboard, though technically that should count as a murder too.)

[Fearsome Fred]

That would be awesome... do you have any supporting quotes you could post?

Sorry. One of the benefits of being the most successful serial killer in Westeros is that you don't leave behind much evidence.

But Summer and Shaggy Dog agree with me this much at least: Tyrion sucks.

Aemon also confirms that Tyrion is a "giant", and since he is not saying so to be "kind", we can presume he has in mind the kind of "giant" who eats children for breakfast.

[seanbean4lyfe]

Well, I admit I lack definite proof that Shae was his 343rd strangled whore. But he is definitely a serial killer. In the short time we know him, he murders, off the top of my head, at least 3 people. (I am not even counting they guy he ordered thrown overboard, though technically that should count as a murder too.)

HAHA. In that case, over half a Westeros are serial killers

:cheers:

[Fearsome Fred]

HAHA. In that case, over half a Westeros are serial killers

Statistically difficult. Even assuming that over half of the REMAINING population of Westeros are serial killers (the survivors), such a scenario assumes a rapidly plumetting population. And I was not even counting battle killings, or other events that might not count as "murder".

[Umel of Ys]

I'd say that anyone who has made it to the end of ADWD alive (and yes it includes Jon Snow) is pretty competent...

I'm rewatching GOT and I must say Ned is such an incompetent badass and what about Dany who basically catches her big break - stumbling upon Khal Jhaqo - out of sheer luck (and gastro-intestinal turmoil). Quentyn Martell also comes to mind as well as Robb whom I hated with all my heart after the whole Jeyne Westerling fiasco.

On the other hand Randall Tarly does seem quite competent even though he was a heartless bastard with his son. Tyrion of course won't be easily defeated. However I can see Little Finger getting too greedy and failing miserably. I reserve my judgement concerning Stannis who is undeniably the most competent of the Baratheons but who by now is either freezing in the snow outside Winterfell (optimistic scenario) or peeled like a banana inside Winterfell.

[Fearsome Fred]

I'd say that anyone who has made it to the end of ADWD alive (and yes it includes Jon Snow) is pretty competent...

Especially Hodor.

[Fred Baratheon]

Competent

Tyrion -- survivor, willing to work for whoever benefits him

Tywin -- one of the 3-4 most powerful people under the rule of Aerys, Robert, Geoff and Tommen...no small accomplishment

Mance -- you try to get 20,000 wildlings to march in a straight line....or sneak a fake princess out of a castle

The Hound -- wins a tourney, gets put in the Kingsguard and wins nearly all his fights (unlike some *ahem* great knights)

Littlefinger -- Commoner ends up in control of one of the kingdoms

Jojen Reed -- Speaks the truth and gets people where they need to be

Incompetent

Ned Stark -- Loses head over principles

Robb Stark -- Loses heart over head; loses head over principles

Catelyn Stark -- Protective mother of children who get crippled or die; protective lover of husband who dies; didn't get to screw Brandon

Jon Stark/Snow -- The most politically correct Lord of the Night's Watch ever manages to get himself killed by his own men but only after backing a failing king and letting thousands of wildlings past the wall.

Lyanna Stark -- Hey beautiful, that was an entire continent your ruined...hope you had fun

Sansa Stark -- Engaged multiple times while still managing to keep her virginity. Seems destined to be a special needs babysitter.

[Melpomene]

Competent...

Davos Seaworth

Ned Stark - Even if he wasn't a grand master at the big game of thrones, he still was a good lord to his people in Winterfell.

Early Tyrion Lannister

Asha Greyjoy

Margaery Tyrell

Samwell Tarly (Has that potential)

Meera Reed

The Stark Kids

Incompetent...

Cersei Lannister

Ramsay Bolton

Joffrey Baratheon

Viserys

Later Tyrion Lannister

Renly/Robert Baratheon

Lysa Arryn

Euron/Victarion Greyjoy

Dany.....50/50.

[seanbean4lyfe]

Statistically difficult. Even assuming that over half of the REMAINING population of Westeros are serial killers (the survivors), such a scenario assumes a rapidly plumetting population. And I was not even counting battle killings, or other events that might not count as "murder".

please, continue to take everything literally :)

[Fearsome Fred]

please, continue to take everything literally :)

You're welcome.

[The Bloody Boar]

sorry guys, don't want to offend anyone but can't help it:

actually its "Ned. Dead." :P

she can foresee assassinations, that she does.... but AA???nooooo, she still can't find AA... its like "missing the wood for the trees" thing :P

my list goes like:

Definitely Competent: Robert Baratheon. What??? he has fathered like a dozen of kids!

Olenna would no doubt agree!

[The Bloody Boar]

- All the idiot soldiers that burned crops and such - and this includes Brynden Tully, who did that to starve the Lannister forces. I mean, seriously, WINTER IS FUCKING COMING. It doesn't care if you don't get another bountiful harvest. You destroy your enemies food; you destroy your own food - and then you all die.

Not so, not so. Food that your enemies take is no good to you. Better it be destroyed than that your enemies get it.

[The Bloody Boar]

Renly was ready to seize Joffrey and make himself king. He even came to Ned for help. Once Ned made his proclamtion for Stannis. Renly left KL to go to Highgarden and gather his host. Renly is in fact the only Baratheon that I considered to be competent. Had Stannis not killed him using Shadow Magic, Renly and Highgarden would have most definitly take KL and done away with Cersei and her incestual children. Renly would have been a much better king than either Robert or Stannis. Therefore I consider him to have been pretty competent. I mean who could really have predicted being killed by a shadow baby?

I agree! If it hadn't been for shadow magic (and who could predict something like that?) he would probably have ended up on the Iron Throne.

[voodooqueen126]

Competent

Tyrion -- survivor, willing to work for whoever benefits him

Tywin -- one of the 3-4 most powerful people under the rule of Aerys, Robert, Geoff and Tommen...no small accomplishment

Mance -- you try to get 20,000 wildlings to march in a straight line....or sneak a fake princess out of a castle

The Hound -- wins a tourney, gets put in the Kingsguard and wins nearly all his fights (unlike some *ahem* great knights)

Littlefinger -- Commoner ends up in control of one of the kingdoms

Jojen Reed -- Speaks the truth and gets people where they need to be

Incompetent

Sansa Stark -- Engaged multiple times while still managing to keep her virginity. Seems destined to be a special needs babysitter.

her ability to keep her virginity intact when around a budding sociopath, a whore mongerer who she was forced to marry, Sandor when in stalker/drunk mode, a Pedofinger, and is engaged to Robert Baratheon speaks rather well of her competence.

[verona stark]

Not so, not so. Food that your enemies take is no good to you. Better it be destroyed than that your enemies get it.

Yeah, that's true...but no food for your enemies also means no food for anyone. They've destroyed so much of the crop; if this is going to be the Long Winter, then it's going to be extremely difficult for anyone to stay alive without resorting to cannibalism. From what I learned in AFFC and ADWD, barely anyone in Westeros has enough food to survive two years, let alone eight or nine like this winter might be.

[Winterfell is Burning]

Competent

Lord Tywin Lannister (Head of House Lannister)- Turned his house from a laughingstock to the richest in the Seven Kingdoms.

His house already was the richest of the Seven Kingdoms, and it wasn't a laughing stock- his father was.

[Winterfell is Burning]

Competent:

Davos- Pretty much flawless in his job. The main accomplishments from his side usually come when they listen to him, and it's failures when they don't.

Ned- The perfect Warden of the North, though not suited for the Southern politics.

Tyrion- Fast thinker, adapts well to most situations.

Jorah- The kind of man that can survive in virtually any enviroment.

Barristan- One of the greatest fighters alive at 63, and does very well even in the game.

Mance- He keeps wargs, giants, mamooths, and the most indisciplined people in the series in line. The most natural leader in all ASOIAF.

Incompetent:

Balon- Gets into a war which he is sure to lose, fighting with no allies, gets crushed; 10 years later, gets into another war and attacks the only one willing to ally with him.

Cersei- Not only doesn't know how to deal with her enemies, creates new ones out of nowhere.

Rhaegar- Launches the realm into a civil war by taking Lyanna and refusing to deal with his increasingly mad father, only returns late into the war and loses it despite having more troops, for making a silly mistake (trying to cross a deep river), and because he wanted to get in solo combat with the most skilled fighter on the other side.

[Baitac]

One thing that I have liked about these characters is that they have all been competent, with episodes of incompetence. That being said, I think Cersei is the best competent villain ever, although she is currently undergoing some incompetency issues. Ned was super competent, but his incompetence (honor, family, etc.) was the end of him. Hodor is tremendously competent, especially when Bran can add to his brain power, but would he be considered such in our society? Melisadre, Asha, Tyrion, all competent with incompetence issues. Theon: very incompetent with competent moments. In my opinion, however, by far, the most incompetent character in this universe is Sansa "Sensless" Stark. She started the whole demise of the Starks by lying to her father and the king about the fight between Arya and his supremely competent- while- evil, idiot boyfriend. Her incompetence led to the death of so many, including a precious direwolf. Her decisions qualify her as the ultimate incompetent in whichever world you pick.

[thetitansbastard]

One thing that I have liked about these characters is that they have all been competent, with episodes of incompetence. That being said, I think Cersei is the best competent villain ever, although she is currently undergoing some incompetency issues. Ned was super competent, but his incompetence (honor, family, etc.) was the end of him. Hodor is tremendously competent, especially when Bran can add to his brain power, but would he be considered such in our society? Melisadre, Asha, Tyrion, all competent with incompetence issues. Theon: very incompetent with competent moments. In my opinion, however, by far, the most incompetent character in this universe is Sansa "Sensless" Stark. She started the whole demise of the Starks by lying to her father and the king about the fight between Arya and his supremely competent- while- evil, idiot boyfriend. Her incompetence led to the death of so many, including a precious direwolf. Her decisions qualify her as the ultimate incompetent in whichever world you pick.

I don't know. She was 12 at the time and has since grown into a comptetent character. I can see her offing LF

[Light a wight tonight]

Actually, Mel has a pretty spotty track record of predicting things that actually turn out as she foretold. Now Moqorro is a red priest that can get things done.

You miss the irony, methinks. She doesn't predict the attempts; she's in on the ground floor.