Who is the Harpy?

[The_Kingslayer]

So guys who do you think is the Harpy? I personally think it is Xaro or possibly Varys.

[Roose The Weddingcrasher]

I think it's Benjen.

[Miriel]

Many think it is the Green Grace. It is most likely to be someone who is actually from Mereen, given that the Harpy's actions all occur in Mereen and they seem to react quickly to events in Mereen. So Varys, who is in KL, is not a likely candidate. Nor is Xaro as why would the Mereenese care what he thinks? They would likely only unite under one of their own.

[Arkash]

I'd go for the Green Grace placing at least one of her powns around Dany (the Shavepate, the Seneschal, Hizdar or any of her direct court Meereenese).

[The Crow's Third Eye]

It could be someone close to Dany. Isn't she owed a third betrayal for gold? Three betrayals, one for blood one for love and one for gold? Mirri=blood Jorah=love so maybe this could be the gold?? Daario perhaps? Or someone else close to her. Just a suggestion

[bloodsteel bitterraven]

Many think it is the Green Grace. It is most likely to be someone who is actually from Mereen, given that the Harpy's actions all occur in Mereen and they seem to react quickly to events in Mereen. So Varys, who is in KL, is not a likely candidate. Nor is Xaro as why would the Mereenese care what he thinks? They would likely only unite under one of their own.

It has to be the Green Grace. Barristan is so naive for trusting her.

[The_Kingslayer]

Don't think it's daario. He isn't from Meeren so I don't know what he can gain from it. Anyone think it could be Shakaz ?

[Tourniquet]

A popular opinion is the Green Grace as she has sufficient access to the nobels of Meereen and enough clout to organize them. The harpy is a "woman" so it makes sense that it would be her thematically. I hope it is not the Shavepate, I really like him.

[Agravayne]

The Harpy symbol is female -- the only available suspect is the Green Grace

[Winged Shadow]

While I think that the style and manner of the Harpy killings are definitely something that Varys could be capable of (ie epilogue of ADWD), I think geography is the main enemy to this theory.

Playing it safe and saying Green Grace, but I would not be suprised if GRRM hits us with a curve ball.

[Fire Eater]

The Green Grace

[Mad Monkey]

There is no Harpy, any more than there is a guy whose name is Alan Qaeda who is in charge of terrorism.

[Røyksopp]

I think the same thing, Mad Monkey; why does everyone think the "Harpy" is an individual? It's odd.

[brut]

The Green Grace, without doubt.

[Tini]

I think the same thing, Mad Monkey; why does everyone think the "Harpy" is an individual? It's odd.

The question remains who is leading the Sons of the Harpy. "Harpy" is as good a name as any for their leadership.

[Bright Blue Eyes]

It's either the Green Grace or just a symbol for a council of like-minded people with the Green Grace being an especially important contributor.

[Mad Monkey]

The question remains who is leading the Sons of the Harpy. "Harpy" is as good a name as any for their leadership.

They may have a leader, but it's not strictly speaking necessary. A terrorist/insurgency type action like this doesn't need a leader. Anyone who wants to can decide to commit some shocking crime and then spraypaint the Harpy's logo at the scene. In fact, it's more realistic and terrifying that way if there isn't a single person who personally directs each and every attack. Most terrorist insurgencies in the real-world and in history were more amorphous than that. Green Grace might be a prominent figure within the movement but even if she were caught the individual cells that she advised could and would continue to operate, just as al Qaeda and its offshoots for instance continued even after the death of Bin Laden.

[Matty-El]

They may have a leader, but it's not strictly speaking necessary. A terrorist/insurgency type action like this doesn't need a leader. Anyone who wants to can decide to commit some shocking crime and then spraypaint the Harpy's logo at the scene. In fact, it's more realistic and terrifying that way if there isn't a single person who personally directs each and every attack. Most terrorist insurgencies in the real-world and in history were more amorphous than that. Green Grace might be a prominent figure within the movement but even if she were caught the individual cells that she advised could and would continue to operate, just as al Qaeda and its offshoots for instance continued even after the death of Bin Laden.

I agree with the terrorist style combat being their plan. The first move is always to splinter into small blind groups who know nothing more than their targets.

What if the Harpy is more like the present day Queen of England. The Queen's support is necessary and important but the direction of the country is decided by parliment or in ASOIAF the Wise Masters. If the GG is the Harpy she could be trying to manuver for more power as well as defeating Dany while using all the chaos she's caused.

This could explain a lot of the trouble in establishing the motives in all of Dany's new Ghiscari councilors. They all want to take her power but they all have different ways to accomplish it. Some would have Dany as queen (Hizdar) and others would just assassinate her with locusts (GG? poision is a womans weapon).

I think imho Dany has been in a viper pit from the momemnt she took Yunkai unmolested. Darrio is more than he seems, he rose to power quickly and was instantly Dany's most ardent supporter. His relationship with her may even have been to sew discord amongst her council. He flips like Jon Snow and the wildlings as soon Yunkai is startegically lost. Then Dany takes Mereen and all the other influential houses find ways of influence in her court while the greater war masses outside and in the shadows.

The Green Grace is almost definitely the harpy, the question I'm left with is ... How big a deal is she or how big a deal does she want to become and could others like Skahaz wish to topple her rule during all these transitions? The predicament would mirror and prepare Dany for the small council at kings landing.

[Mad Monkey]

Agreed. I'm not saying that the GG is not an enemy or affiliated with the Harpy, only questioning that she is a mastermind who directs the actions of every single member of the organization (to the extent where it could fall apart if she leaves). Traditionally insurgencies don't work that way. I think GG vs. Skahaz will be an interesting battle, because of the dichotomy between the old Meerenese nobility -- the people that Hizdahr contemptuously refers to as "old men with withered cocks" who want to keep their whole world trapped in amber forever -- and the radical new nobility, the Shavepates, who want Meereen and the Ghiscari to stop hiding in the past and take on the future.

Right now, both sides are being propped up artificially; Daenerys's occupation helps the Shavepates, and the Yunkish encirclement and economic sabotage strengthens the old Great Masters (it makes it easier for them to point out, "hey, see, our way was better since at least no one was starving!") But eventually Daenerys is going to destroy the Yunkai and leave, and the two sides will have to see how their ideas shape up without someone else's thumb on the scales.

[Net-Viper X]

I think the "Harpy" is actually a cabal of highly placed individuals that work together to direct the resistance movement against Dany. I think that this cabal probably has one person that sits above the others as a sort of Consul or Chairman. I think the Green Grace is this chairman, she isn't absolute leader of the group, but she is the closest thing they have to one and she directs many of their actions through her subordinates. Killing her however would do nothing to stall the attacks by the Harpy troops, only the deaths of every member of the cabal as well as their main operatives on the street will stop the murders.