Arianne Martell - Opinions?

[Raksha 2014]

I won't miss Arianne The Annoying as a person, but she is important to the culture and land of Dorne; it's nice to have a female heir who became the heir at birth rather than through the death of an older brother. And, at 23, there was still time for her to smarten up...

[Fat Mac]

I actually really like Arianne. I hope she goes on to do awesome things.

I'll be pretty angry if she was cut.

[Aemond's Eye]

I don't know about Oberyn, but Ariane was the one who put in motion, so that was her plan, she was the leader.

Tyene suggested it to Arianne, and Tyene had discussed it with Oberyn.

Arianne poorly executed it and didn't have the right personnel for the job, but I do wonder if Doran not only knew from the start, but that Darkstar was his cat's paw.

[Dornish Vinegar]

Oberyn's plan ????

You got to admit her plan was very stupid and suicidal, this plan was worse than Balon's plan. She's very lucky Doran was still alive to save her from her failure. Trying to crown Myrcella was foolish and showed a lack of knowledge of Westeros politics (Cognatic primogeniture doesn't apply to the Iron Throne). And who in his right mind would have tried to overthrew her father without good cause, a reigning monarch who rules for several decades, even Roose was cautious enough to wait a good opportunity to strike against Robb. Ariane had no ground and no support to formed a coup against Doran, she was very delusional. I agree, she's hot and all that but not very clever.

There are two issues wrapped up in Arianne's plan that too often are never properly distinguished, and I think that causes a lot of people to dismiss her plan, and by extension her as a character, out of hand. One issue is claiming Myrcella as rightful queen, and the other issue is the internal politics of Dorne, the rivalry between houses Martell and Yronwood, and Arianne's position as a firstborn Martell in that context. I would argue that in many respects, issue #1 was first and foremost a tool Arianne used to address issue #2 and her concerns over it.

In Arianne's defense, she did have good cause in her plan: she thought the Yronwoods were going to shoe in a claim on the rule of Dorne through Quentyn, who had been sent to Essos, she had reason to believe, to hire the Golden Company so that the Yronwoods would have an army to carry out that plan. This was a revoking her of her birthright on the one hand, yeah, but also laying the groundwork for the Martell's most dangerous rivals to make inroads in Sunspear through what, she thought, could have been its own bloody coup. At best she thought her father, given his reputation, would do nothing to stop it, and at worst she thought he was in on it. And given the way she was raised and the relationship she had with her father, I'd say she was totally justified in subverting him in trying to protect herself and Dorne in a way she thought her father could not.

As for "waiting for a good opportunity" and her having "no support" in her attempted coup, those are both really not correct, imo. The opportunity to strike was ripe: Tywin Lannister was dead; Joffrey was dead, giving Myrcella a basis to claim the Iron Throne as next in line by right as Tommen's older sister; and Dorne was calling for blood and war after the Oberyn's death--so much so, remember, that Doran had to imprison the Sand Snakes to keep from inciting the Dornish any further. Seizing this opportunity to crown Myrcella and rebel, giving Dorne an outlet for all this rage, would have brought all of Dorne to her cause, giving her plenty of support in a war against the Yronwoods and the Golden Company--which, at this point, is what she was thinking was going to happen internally in Dorne. Obviously Arianne wouldn't have been able to launch an offensive war to place Myrcella on the IT with just Dorne behind her, but it was a clever move to ensure she would have Dorne on her side should Quentyn and the Yronwoods actually make moves against her claim to the rule of Dorne.

Of course, all this would have caused havoc for Dorne, given the untruths her plans were based on, how difficult it would have been to get allies to actually push Myrcella's claim offensively at that point in Westerosi politics, and Doran's longer-term plays that she was in the dark about, but hindsight is 20/20. The concept of crowning Myrcella and pushing her claim, there is reason to believe, was Oberyn's idea--he mentions it to Tyrion, and some of his daughters advocate the same plan--but Arianne showed the tact to adopt that cause and use it to her own, as well as House Martell's, advantage. Or would have, if there hadn't been a leak in her group. Rag on Arianne all you want, but be fair and acknowledge the political context internal to Dorne that she formulated and initiated her plan in.

[Alayne's Shadow.]

"Do you see the White one, Trystane? That is Nymeria's star, burning bright, and that milky band behind her, those are ten thousand ships. She burned bright as any man, and so shall I. You will not rob me of my birthright!"

- Love, Arianne Martell.

[Lady Blizzardborn]

Guys, we don't yet know that she's been cut. That list is a partial. It ain't over til it's over. They could easily have changed things around so that she's not needed until Season 6.

[Poppa Bolton]

I didn't like her POVs, but it's weird to me that they cut her and Quentyn and seem to have cast the Sand Snakes.

[Hodor!!!]

Guys, we don't yet know that she's been cut. That list is a partial. It ain't over til it's over. They could easily have changed things around so that she's not needed until Season 6.

I think people don't conclude that Arianne and Quentyn will be cut solely by the absense in the casting announcement. But HBO officially listed Trystane as "Doran's heir" and if that is correct, assuming the absense of Arianne is reasonable.

[Queen Ayras Lord Commander]

It shouldn't matter if you liked her or not. If she was important to the greater plot, then she should be in. This makes me think she isn't, and that Aegon is a pretender.

Also, it was totally Oberyn's plan.

[Alayne's Shadow.]

It shouldn't matter if you liked her or not. If she was important to the greater plot, then she should be in. This makes me think she isn't, and that Aegon is a pretender.

I'm not sure, since the books and the series might condense her role in Trystane. Which means she might be important to the greater plot, but her importance is done so by Trystane in the series.

That said, her exclusion does make me think that she'll maybe live in the books.

[Jon's Queen Consort]

I love her she is my #3 female PoV after Mel (#1) and Arya (#2). I don't think that shewill be cut, even if she doesn't appear this year there is always next year.

[Queen of Whores]

I love her. She's sexy as anything (probably the most purely hot character in the books), she's smart (although she still has room to learn, but it looks like she is), she's very determined, very clever, has a cool sense of humour, is likeable as a person, and an actually relatable and realistic character. I also love her relationships with Arys and Doran.

And plus this of course:

She has the best nipples in westeros

[Wmarshal]

I am kind of happy D&D cut her, after Renly Loras and the way to many whores I was afraid what they would do to her.

[Mrs_Darcy]

Guys, we don't yet know that she's been cut. That list is a partial. It ain't over til it's over. They could easily have changed things around so that she's not needed until Season 6.

I think, there are two big indicators, that she has been cut along with Quentyn:

-first Trystane Martell is introduced as the HEIR of Doran Martell, even though that title is Arianne's by right. One could argue, that they have simply changed Dornish inheritance laws, but considering that the whole Myrcella-as-queen-plot is based on the fact, that in Dorne the eldest inherits regardless of sex, this does not make much sense.

-second: we have never had any casting sides etc. for Arianne Martell, which to me suggests, that she has been cut

[Hangover of the Morning]

So far the whole Dornish storyline (and Arianne's chapters) feels like a waste of paper. It's not that it is completely uninteresting or tedious to read but at the end of every chapter I feel that everything that happened could have been summarised in one sentence. It feel that there is zero benefit to witnessing these events first hand rather than just hearing about them because the story or the characters are not interesting enough to merit a POV.

Doran is very enigmatic, which obviously peeks my interest but so far there's little to suggest that he truly is the master planner we all desperately want him to be (though this makes me hopeful:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCsx_OFEYH6uvfZSfec35DXBEpvA9fpm0). The Sand Snakes and Areo are completely one-dimensional and I can't honestly remember anybody else from Martell's court.

Arianne so far feels like an incredibly naive, self-centred and spoiled little girl. Her Queen making plot was probably the most idiotic thing I have read on ASoIaF to date. I still really can't fathom what was she trying to achieve besides endangering Myrcella and dragging Dorne into war. The whole chapter was only saved by the awesomeness of Dorkstar and his memorable lines :-) That said, Arianne has a good heart, some brains and is willing to learn so hopefully she might grow into an interesting character. George should have made her the sole Dornish POV.

[Dorne in the USA]

Isn't the idea of Dornish culture to show that their are no boundaries as to who can inherit their kingdom. Dornish Law was one of the points of focus while Arianne was locked in the tower. The show cutting her part was shocking to me. Give HBO a chance to cast a gorgeous Latin woman and they pass on that opportunity. Very odd! Maybe we are all just speculating too much and she just hasn't been cast yet. If not we are going to be getting Trystane view points! I have also heard that Ellaria will take the part of Arianne and that Jamie will take us through Dorne. So gear up everybody and prepare for monumental changes.

[bloodsteel bitterraven]

I think, it will be very interesting, how the cut of both Quentyn and Arianne will influence the storyline. Another two characters I have nor heard any casting news of are Young Griff/fAegon and Griff/Connington.

A poster on another thread suggested, that they probably cut Arianne, because her story was linked to fAegon and was cut, too. But if fAegon is cut there are two big questions:

-what will Tyrion Lannister do during all of season 5 and probably some of season 6, as GRRM indicated, that he and Dany would only meet later in WoW?

-who will Dorne be loyal to, when they on one hand have not forgotten the atrocities committed by the Lannisters, but on the other stand to gain a lot with a marriage between Trystane and Myrcella and do not have other marriage prospects, because Quentyn and Arianne have been cut?

Tyrion will head to Meereen to meet Dany, he will get caught by Jorah who will try to take him to Meereen, and they will get caught by Yezzan. He will then perform for Dany who will save his life and at the end of season 5, we will see him escape from Yezzan. That's my guess anyway.

[Queen Ayras Lord Commander]

Isn't the idea of Dornish culture to show that their are no boundaries as to who can inherit their kingdom. Dornish Law was one of the points of focus while Arianne was locked in the tower. The show cutting her part was shocking to me. Give HBO a chance to cast a gorgeous Latin woman and they pass on that opportunity. Very odd! Maybe we are all just speculating too much and she just hasn't been cast yet. If not we are going to be getting Trystane view points! I have also heard that Ellaria will take the part of Arianne and that Jamie will take us through Dorne. So gear up everybody and prepare for monumental changes.

Jamie and Bronn will be in Dorne, and they will encounter the ToJ. Then Jamie will think about the White Book and why 3 KG died there and not defending a slayed king or prince.

[Northernmonkey]

I loved her storyline but found her personally to be a bit boring. She's just not that unique a character in terms of ASOIAF.

[Faint]

I personally love her. Easily one of my ten favorite characters and if she had more chapters, probably in my top five.

I also do not think it necessary to get so dramatic about her role in the story now that it has been seemingly confirmed that she is not going to make it into the television adaptation. The only possibilities that news precludes is her marrying Jon Snow, becoming the long-term queen of Westeros, or playing an absolutely vital role in the storyline concerning the Others.

That does not mean the rest of her story will not be entertaining though. She might be a secondary character but I find her to be a great one.