Strong Women of Westeros and Beyond Appreciation Thread

[Alia Atreides]

Yesterday Metopheles has suggested to me such an appreciation thread decided to take it up here. I know we all have our favorite characters and have had various topics about it but I was wonder no matter who the Woman is even if she is pretty much hated is she a strong woman still even if she is hated? How is she strong or assertive and why you admire this in her regardless of her deeds.

Asha Greyjoy: She is sexually assertive and tosses on its ass the gender roles of the Iron Born, she commands her own ship and has the respect of her men. They are willing to follow her in to battle and even die for her if necessary.

I wanted to start off small and see how it goes as I will of course add more women I admire or find strong. Who are yours?

[Roxy Carmichael]

Genna Lannister seems pretty cool. She's got the whole fat, sassy aunt thing going on, and she takes no shit from her husband or family.

[Mladen]

There is a long list of female characters in ASOIAF I admire. Generally, my favorite characters are female.

The number one spot goes to She-wolves: Sansa, Arya, Cat and Lyanna

Then we go to Northern women: Mormont ladies and Wylla Manderly

Brienne, Val and Asha are truly great characters

Arianne, Margaery, Cersei and Danerys are, with all their flaws, worthy of mentioning

Ellaria Sand and Queen of Thorns - for great wisdom...

[Bael Abel]

I'm fascinated by all the Sandsnakes that we've met. I'm excited to see what they each end up doing now that they've been spread out and given different tasks. I have a feeling Lady Nym will haunt Cercei's dreams (figuratively) while she's on the small council, and Tyene will make life miserable for Cercei and/or Margery, depending on how their trials go. Sarella has been seen all of twice, and she's already one of the most enigmatic characters in the series in my mind. The little Lady Lance (Elia Sand) was delightful in the Arianne gift chapter, and I hope to see much more of her as well. I'm also hopeful that the littlest sand snakes will rub off on Myrcella.

I have high hopes for Mrycella before her inevitable death. She's about the same age as Arya, as beautiful as her mother, but intelligent and courteous, and bold enough not to fear her "viscous idiot" of an older brother.

[Alia Atreides]

I have to add even though she is not a woman yet Missandei to my list as well. In the face of the dangers she's faced since joining Dany she controls her fears well.

[Ziggy Targdust]

Septa Lemore!!!!! One of my favorites!!!!

Even though she has accomplished pretty much nothing other than being a freaking BLAST to flirt with.

[Dornish Vinegar]

We really got to give it up for the women of Westeros--they start with little and less compared to men in their same positions, and still end up as some of the best people and strongest players of the Game.

For my part I'm gonna preach the worth of my girl Arianne mofuggin Martell. Here she is growing up thinking that she's gonna be cheated out of her birthright, that her father's a coward, that her family was stepped all over in the Rebellion. So she gets all rebellious and whatnot, getting all cray against her pappy, just waiting for a time to assert her independence and worth. And she sees it in Little Myrcella Baratheon. She takes the little princess under her wing; incepts her with the idea that she can be Queen, that she is worthy of such a position FOR THE EXACT REASON BEING that she is a woman; seduces her Kingsguard; gets a team of Queenmakers together; and sets in motion a coup that fails only because there is a leak in the ranks.

So her plan fails and she gets summoned by her father. A Kingsguard is killed and her princess is horribly maimed on her watch, because of her actions. What does she do? She confronts her father, finds out that she was wrong, that he was planning all along just like she was, and JOINS HIM. After years of thinking of her father as weak, as foolish, as an enemy of her status, she joins him. Because she realizes that she's been wrong all along, not him. She admits it. After years, she comes to terms with it, admits it, and grows. That takes a strength of character that few in this universe possess.

She's a schemer and a plotter natural-born, and now she's working under the tutelage of her father, a schemer and a plotter rivaled only by Varys. She's learning from the best, fated to be Princess of Dorne among seven kingdoms ruled by men as two Targaryens come to make war across the land and as some ancient evil bears down from the North. She's becoming as prudent as her father and as people on this forum are so happy to point out she already possesses the fire of her uncle's. This, combined with the humility to admit when she's wrong and adjust accordingly? I won't bet against her.

But really she's one among many, obviously. The Sand Snakes, Meera Reed, Sansa and Arya Stark, Brienne, Catelyn and Lyanna, the Mormont women, Olenna and Margaery, Asha Greyjoy... They're all great characters, and some of my favorites in the books.

[Batbob45]

Shireen- she survived Greyscale.She got disfigured by it. Shireen is not a typical female badass in the books, but she a kid not scare of a giant. She is a badass in the show. She stood up to Mel.

[Oberyn2cool4Westeros]

Arya, Melisandre, Asha, and the Sand Snakes.

[Olligarchy]

I appreciate Catelyn Stark nee Tully whom managed to be a powerful woman in her own right, without having to go overboard in trying to battle gender roles or attempts at being a man.

[Prince of the Green]

Arya -- there are very few women, and fewer children, who would still have a desire to live after all of the things that she has gone through and the horrors she faced.

She's incredibly cynical, but I think that is to be expected. She's still very much the same Arya as she was in AGOT -- stubborn, willful, and wild -- but I believe her pragmatism is very interesting.

I found the scene where she tells the Kindly Man about how Arya of House Stark killed Dareon, the Night's Watch deserter, particularly stirring.

[Mithras]

The strongest woman of all times is Eleana Targaryen.

[Bael Abel]

A bit off topic, but can I just say that Helaena Targaryen is one of the most sympathetic and tragic characters I've ever read.

As for strong, Baela Targaryen was 13 and fearless when she got on her relatively small dragon Moondancer and challenged Aegon II to a dragonfight.

[Alia Atreides]

I've always found Gilly to be strong as well.

She gave birth to her fathers baby, faced with Sam a White Walker and lived, and agreed to take Mance's babe and entrust her child to Jon.

[Parizad]

Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, a.k.a the Queen Who Never Was

She is the maiden, the mother, the worrier, the crone (in terms of wits) and the dragon all together

[Lord Varys]

To comment on some of the already mentioned ladies:

Genna is not really exceptional, in my opinion. Pretty much any noblewoman from a family as rich as the Lannisters would call the shots if married to a man like Emmon Frey.

I really like Shireen, although actually more the Kerry-Ingram-version. The real, book-Shireen is nothing but a frightened, lonely child.

Wylla Manderly is really great, though.

Not sure what's supposed to be great about Helaena Targaryen, though.

Of the historical girls I really like Rhaenyra Targaryen (for stuff happening before TPatQ) and Laena Velaryon. I guess Lady Jeyne Arryn, the Maiden of the Vale, could be a very interesting person, as well as Alysanne and Visenya Targaryen.

[Dicer]

I love Alys Karstark. Escapes her treacherous family, gets on a horse and makes it to the wall. With no help from anyone. Marries a wildling! First Northern house to make an alliance with the Wildlings. Total badass. And she loves to dance too! I hope we see more of her.

And of course Dany and Catelyn. Some SMART, capable and determined women.

[Bael Abel]

Not sure what's supposed to be great about Helaena Targaryen, though.

Didn't say she was great, just tragic and sympathetic.

[Parizad]

If Sarella = Alleras, she is really great too. All the sand snakes really!

[ShadowCat Rivers]

"To the bitter end, and then some"

This is said for Stannis, but in truth, it describes Catelyn better than any other character.

She fought her fights, she was brave especially when she was afraid, she was willing to suppress her own feelings for the sake of others and the greater good, she was intelligent and politically thinking out of the box, she was able to think pragmatically and still be compassionate and kind.

And she stopped a valyrian steel blade with her bare hands. Who can match that?

RIP lady Catelyn, but not before you finish the task you came back for...