Ser Gerold Dayne, AKA Darkstar: A Second Impression; A Second Chance?

[raegal_targaryen]

I personally liked darkstar,and i do expect great things from him, and i was very intrigued by him and i do think that hard headed Balon swann will get knocked the fuck down and murdering a little child like trystane those lion fucks can screw them selfs. deserve whats coming to them anyway.

ILL cheer all the way from dorn to kings landing for balons head to be given to cersei and a note telling her ur family is not safe anymore :D

[Light a wight tonight]

I just wonder how many Kingsguard they're going to keep sending down to Dorne. Like friggin' Bic razors.

Next up: Boros "Badass" Blount.

[Daecon Dayne]

I wish everyone though of Darkstar like that. I really like he's going to be badass in TWOW and might be important with Dawn and Starfall.

Indeed. All we really know of the Daynes (correct me if I'm wrong) is that they're an esteemed house who have resided in Westeros for a long, long time, they're honourable warriors, and Ser Arthur was the bees knees back in the day. Oh, and they have Dawn (speculated to be LB). Taking into account that Darkstar juxtaposes all of these Dayne qualities to a degree, I think we're in for a highly intriguing Dayne character. The Daynes (even if it is merely a 'cadet' branch) have certainly taken their sweet time in joining the mayhem of post-GoT events. Let's hope Ser Gerold doesn't disappoint!

[Strongest Of All Belwas]

I think what it boils down to is that Darkstar is in an area of flux, a grey zone. Guys like Bronn and Sandor carry themselves in a way that should make you dislike them, logically speaking, and yet they've done things that make most love them. Others, like Daario, carry themselves in a similar manner, yet show nothing to back it up, and are disliked by many.

Darkstar hasn't done enough to warrant a true judgement as a character, but going off of what he's said and what he HAS done (albeit a very small amount to work with), it would seem that many see him at the Daario side of the spectrum.

[Light a wight tonight]

I can't see getting excited about Darkstar. Especially the "emo" business, which sounds like a lot of jumping on the bandwagon. He's a pretty pale version of the Red Viper, if that's what was intended. Oberyn had some substance, striking sparks off Tyrion from the get-go later and declaring that he was going to kill The Mountain.

Who knows, maybe he does something awesome later. Dorne seems destined to be involved with Aegon's attempt at restoring the Targs.

[Daecon Dayne]

the "emo" business, which sounds like a lot of jumping on the bandwagon.

Who knows, maybe he does something awesome later. Dorne seems destined to be involved with Aegon's attempt at restoring the Targs.

Firstly - my thoughts exactly. It seems like folk are wary of acknowledging him as a legitimately interesting character, instead resorting to "the bandwagon", and projecting the whole "Ha! He's a melodramatic bitch. I can't dig that" For me, I have absolutely no qualms with saying this: Darkstar seems cool as shit. His melodrama, sense of self-righteousness and his petulance are half of the appeal, for me (the other half being that he's still somewhat of an enigma at the moment).

Secondy - Dorne will certainly have associations (or attempted associations) with Aegon - Arianne is currently on her way to treat and meet with him. Another interesting idea is that Darkstar is an ideal candidate for, say, pretending to be a Targaryen (his Dayne, Targaryen-esque features). Who's to say Arianne won't arrive at Storms End and find Darkstar supping a pint with young Aegon? He seems like quite the tricky customer. It mightn't be hard at all for him to convince Aegon that they are related, or to at least persuade Aegon that the Daynes would be of value to his conquest of Dorne/Westeros. I can't imagine Aegon brokering deals with the Martells, really.

The potential for an Aegon/Darkstar relationship developing into some form of villainous antithesis to Rhaegar/Arthur's bromance appeals to me immensely, also. That'd be a cool game-changer. Who doesn't love a good, twisted parallel, eh?

[Veltigar]

I think he's going to kill Doran. That way Arianne is free to fuck things up as she sees fit

[Urswyck the Faithful]

I think you're really going overboard with this...

[LordStoneheart]

I'm not sure if I understand either side. I don't really see whats to like or dislike about the character. He was just kind of a plot point, I thought. Sometime to infuriate the Lannister/Martell tensions. I also never understood why people put his name in purple text.

Also, not sure if I understand the criticism of him failing to kill Myrcella. Is it mocking his incomptenance or actual disappointment that he didn't kill a Lannister?

[Jslay427]

Every once in a while I read a post on this forum where I come away saying wow. This is one of them. I agree with everything you wrote 100%. The Jamie/Darkstar comparison is perfect (both failing at killing children). I wasn't around on the forums but I bet before Jamie became a pov he was regarded much like Darkstar. And Darkstar being regarded as poisonous by Oberyn? If that's not Martin telling you to watch out for this dude I don't know what is... Again, great post .

[Florina Laufeyson]

Its no secret. I love me some Darkstar. Mostly because ham and cheese, but i also think he holds a key to Dorne's plotline (which is awesome, fuck the police.) and whats coming. The guy is a wild card. Its unclear what he might do and his motives for such. I dont think hes amazing on the battlefield or anything, but im sure Doran refers to him as the Most Dangerous Man In Dorne for a reason. It could be something he knows....

Is Darkstar someone's spy? The entire continent is covered in "Little Birds" and whispers. If he is someone's spy or catspaw, who's? And why? So yeah im interested in the guy.

[roxWolfox]

You just devoted about four times as much ink to Darkstar as GRRM did in A Feast For Crows.

I'm depressed because Darkstar just got more love in this board than my favourite 'grey-haired dude' of the series, Qhorin Halfhand, did. :crying:

It's just not fair....

[Florina Laufeyson]

What are you talking about? Qhorin is awesome! He helped Jon understand and grasp the idea of "Take a third option!" Same with Mance. Qhorin rules!

[Leif]

I didn't find him interesting nor impressive. He's just... There.

[roxWolfox]

What are you talking about? Qhorin is awesome! He helped Jon understand and grasp the idea of "Take a third option!" Same with Mance. Qhorin rules!

Not according to the OP...:sniffle:

If Darkstar finds a way to kill a few Freys/Boltons on his path of vengeance and destruction, I'll be happy to consider him worthy as being in the same awesomesauce circle as my favourite Ranger.

Until then, GD is just a failed Mountain in my eyes. And I despise that particular Mountain.

[Toshio.Keepiru]

It'll be interesting if Darkstar ends up being the end of Aereo Hotah as Arianne's body guard suggested might be a possibility in the preview chapter...

Whether by being an actual BAMF or by foul trickery.

e2a

Taking into account that Darkstar effectively had a single shot, was surrounded by enemies, and may not have even intended to kill the girl, the whole thing "he's so pitiful that he couldn't even succeed at the one thing he pursued in the chapter" seems quite moot to me.

Maybe he just took a swing without caring much either way if it found the mark or not? He could really just be that insouciant.

[tydides]

Im not going to have an opinion about him until he actually succeeds in doing something

[coil]

Being both a new reader and a recent forum user, I'm free from these "preconcepts" about Darkstar.

While at first I thought he was quite a presumptuous guy it's also true that he is in good company indeed.

Same can be said for good looking or womanizing characters.

Probably the difference between him (or Daario, if that matters) and others it's that he doesn't actually show what he's capable - or what he says he's capable - of.

On the other hand, we have other reliable characters who define him as the most dangerous man in Dorne.

Let's just say that Doran Martell had the Red Viper as brother, so he knows what he's talking about.

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss Darkstar, especially when there's so much confusion about Myrcella. Something's fishy around there, and I wouldn't be surprised to know that she's already dead.

Killing/failing to kill little girls aside, he's noble, defined as dangerous by other characters than himself and from a famous House: he will come back to play some role, big or small according to the plot.

[Daecon Dayne]

...we have other reliable characters who define him as the most dangerous man in Dorne.

Let's just say that Doran Martell had the Red Viper as brother, so he knows what he's talking about.

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss Darkstar, especially when there's so much confusion about Myrcella. Something's fishy around there, and I wouldn't be surprised to know that she's already dead.

Killing/failing to kill little girls aside, he's noble, defined as dangerous by other characters than himself and from a famous House: he will come back to play some role, big or small according to the plot.

In case you're interested: in the new WoW except (on Martin's site) contains an instance of another character who fortifies Doran's remark about Darkstar. It's always interesting to consider a Myrcella double being employed by the Dornish, as well. They can seem quite dense at times, but the Martells have cunning.

[Lord Freypie]

I think many things contributed to make Darkstar the symbol of something that didn't worked :

- he's an AFFC character, born in the most criticized Martin's book, released after the first long night wait

- he was probably seen as the incarnation of the often judged excessive number of secundary characters with high pretentions and their own plots added after ASOS, only to divert and slow the main story, and was certainly a bit scapegoated for all the added cast (in an unfair way as he is certainly not in the filler category, unlike say some of the Kingsmoot pretenders or all the Nimble Dicks of Brienne arc)

- he's a Dayne, a long awaited for family name, meaning huge expectations of him advancing the plot in an expected direction (revealing things about Ashara, Rhaegar and Lyanna, etc..) and he just didn't deliver

- he's introduced like if he's going to be important but fail to be in this book (and even worse the later), that's 8 years of failing to become an important protagonist, antagonist or source of revelations, and staying limited in memories to that famous "I'm of the night" quote and being the most dangerous dornishman failing to kill a girl)

Now there's no reason to dismiss Gerold Dayne as someone with potential, as it's because he had that potential and didn't deliver, that he is mocked more than all the other secundary characters.

Personnally I'd consider one of the following :

He's in Aegon camp (being in relation with Ashara / septa Lemore), and maybe Varys main agent in Dorne. His goal was to make sure to break Lannister/Martell alliance before Varys breaks Lannister/Tyrell.

The irony of the situation is he will end serving the same side as the Martells while being their public enemy.

He knows for Jon parentage and legitimacy from his family (Arthur who may have send a message to them at some point before Ned arrived at the ToJ) and asked Doran to offer support to the true king, but they refused as Jon wasn't the son of Elia, and because someone educated as a bastard in the north would never be recognized or serve dornish interest ; so they prefered to continue with their plan of Viserys/Dany support. It's why he is considered as "the most dangerous man in Dorne", Oberyn considered to kill, he's dangerous because he knows a pretender with a better claim than the ones Dorne plan to support. His actions may be some kind of revenge against the Martell refusing to follow his plan, or a way to force them to support Jon in an indirect way (a Lannister-Martell war) while he's part of a group planning to bring Jon the truth about his parentage and their support (his overplayed comtempt for his family may be a red herring, a farce he plays to hide the true Dayne plan).