Nobody thinks the Others are pure evil, right?

[shk12344]

Here's the timeline that may interest some of you.

-Around 12,000 years ago The First Men appeared on Westoros. They make contact with the Children of the Forest who were already living in Westoros.

-For 2,000 years The First Men and the Children of the Forest fight for the control of the continent.

-Around 10,000 years ago truce between the two groups are signed, leading to 4,000 years of peace and co-operation between the two group.

-Around 8,000 years ago the Other appeared in the scene for the 1st time, CotF and First Men joined together and defeated the Others invasion.

-Around 6,000 years ago The Andals first appeared. Andals take control the southern portion, the First Men retained the north. CotF gradually dissappeared from the history.

[chrisdaw]

A major point, perhaps the major point of the series is that humanity are morons for fighting amongst each other while the true enemy are preparing to exterminate everyone.

I feel making the Others a somewhat reasonable entity undermines this. If the Others are not pure evil it is no longer clear cut that a war must be fought against them and that Westeros should be preparing for their imminent attack. The Others essentially become just another faction like a great house or Essos city.

[Kharn]

GRRM has stated that there is no PURE evil force/affiliation in asoiaf...

To that I say....Gregor Clegane.

But he still stated that there is no PURE WHOLLY good OR evil faction.

[chrisdaw]

I thought it was no good or evil characters.

[Brightstar_]

GRRM has stated that there is no PURE evil force/affiliation in asoiaf...

To that I say....Gregor Clegane.

But he still stated that there is no PURE WHOLLY good OR evil faction.

There is no TRUE EVIL period. Would you consider a dog ( a litteral dog) that has been trained all it's life to savage other dogs without an apparent reason as truly evil? You probably wouldn't. The same can probably be said of Gregor. He most likely has some condition that causes him to be completely lacking of a conscience, which coupled with his upbringing and Tywin's use of him has caused him to be the way he is. Of course you can still consider him a " bad guy"( because he is) but don't ever assume that anyone or anything is PURE EVIL at it's core. How would you even define "evil"?

[Blazfemur]

not to sound condescending, but debating this topic is pointless as there is next to NO written evidence yet. especially the night's king. until further evidence is written, its pointless to debate and the thread SHOULD be a simple answer thread

so to answer, no, i dont think The Others are evil. in fact, if i recall correctly, and i could be wrong, i think the only time we saw an Other, was AGOT prologue, the rest is all heresay by character word-of-mouth, and they havent seen an Other in their lifetime either.

[Mal Malenkirk]

Here's the timeline that may interest some of you.

-Around 12,000 years ago The First Men appeared on Westoros. They make contact with the Children of the Forest who were already living in Westoros.

-For 2,000 years The First Men and the Children of the Forest fight for the control of the continent.

-Around 10,000 years ago truce between the two groups are signed, leading to 4,000 years of peace and co-operation between the two group.

-Around 8,000 years ago the Other appeared in the scene for the 1st time, CotF and First Men joined together and defeated the Others invasion.

-Around 6,000 years ago The Andals first appeared. Andals take control the southern portion, the First Men retained the north. CotF gradually dissappeared from the history.

But these are the mythic dates. In the books, we have mentions of maesters doubting that the Andals arrived in Westeros more than 2000 years ago.

Beside, before the Andals we have no written records and before the Citadel we have nothing organized in terms of chronicling history, so all of these ancient dates and events need to be taken with a shipload of salt.

[King of Vaes Tolorro]

If the Red Priests say you are bad, then you are incredibly good, or unbelievably bad. I believe the Others are the big bad, but not so much evil as natural. If they are not bad, then nothing is.

[Blazfemur]

If the Red Priests say you are bad, then you are incredibly good, or unbelievably bad. I believe the Others are the big bad, but not so much evil as natural. If they are not bad, then nothing is.

Thats my secret, cap.

[UtherSnow]

The Others are portrayed as the ultimate in evil. Are they? What's the good in Westeros or Essos?

Who doesn't look for some greater evil? You're surrounded by so much that isn't particularly good.

What if The Others are a necessary 'evil', to maintain balance? Their purpose being to cleanse the evil from The Realm of Man. That places a whole different perspective and aspect on The Others.

[Lady Fevre Dream]

not to sound condescending, but debating this topic is pointless as there is next to NO written evidence yet. especially the night's king. until further evidence is written, its pointless to debate and the thread SHOULD be a simple answer thread

so to answer, no, i dont think The Others are evil. in fact, if i recall correctly, and i could be wrong, i think the only time we saw an Other, was AGOT prologue, the rest is all heresay by character word-of-mouth, and they havent seen an Other in their lifetime either.

Cough, cough, Puddles, cough, cough. How else.........did he manage to Puddle, anyway, if he didn't start off as Ice, LOL

[Blazfemur]

Cough, cough, Puddles, cough, cough. How else.........did he manage to Puddle, anyway, if he didn't start off as Ice, LOL

puddles...? wait what?

[King of Vaes Tolorro]

Just sayin' Humanity (westeros division) kinda Has It Coming.

No, the world has it coming. These are a species that have had to kill to survive. And now they use that law among themselves. They are not at fault, We are not at fault. Nature is the root of all evil.

[Gormless Jon]

Their little habit of slaughtering people left and right, then zombifying some, if not all of them, does kind of make me think they're Evil. Or at least devoid of empathy or compassion or tolerance; and thus either dangerous animals or enemies to be driven out or killed.

What about the prologue when we meet the Others for the first time and they slaughter Waymar Royce and laugh about it?

These.

There's so much Goddamn euphoria in these sorts of topics. If Gurm doesn't do pure evil, how the fuck do you explain Gregor and Joffrey and the Boltons and many others I can't be assed to name at this moment?

To all the peeps saying they're not evil because their sense of right and wrong is just Different... you can say the same things about the Daleks.

[Equilibrium]

Maybe it's like with Blacks from Metro 2033? Maybe they know winter is coming and they want to save humans by transforming them to wights and Others.

Then again maybe they are humans slightly adapted and magically very powerful, like anti-Valyrians.

Maybe Gerion Lannister grew bored of Valyrian heat and decided to revive long lost art of advanced cryomancy and one up Tywin, if you can't win the game you can change the game.

Or anything else except long lost race of orange/blue morality-clad omnicides.

Also Mountain isn't evil he is just very physically sick and unable to think straight or control impulses. It's not like with Tywin who weights every choice and then do whatever suits him most, Gregor is unable to choose.

[TheLastStark]

There is no TRUE EVIL period. Would you consider a dog ( a litteral dog) that has been trained all it's life to savage other dogs without an apparent reason as truly evil? You probably wouldn't. The same can probably be said of Gregor. He most likely has some condition that causes him to be completely lacking of a conscience, which coupled with his upbringing and Tywin's use of him has caused him to be the way he is. Of course you can still consider him a " bad guy"( because he is) but don't ever assume that anyone or anything is PURE EVIL at it's core. How would you even define "evil"?

I think your forgetting Sandor's burned face story.

[Black Crow]

But these are the mythic dates. In the books, we have mentions of maesters doubting that the Andals arrived in Westeros more than 2000 years ago.

Beside, before the Andals we have no written records and before the Citadel we have nothing organized in terms of chronicling history, so all of these ancient dates and events need to be taken with a shipload of salt.

Add to which there is NO evidence in the books that men and the children of the forest ever fought side by side against the white walkers

[Lady Fevre Dream]

Maybe it's like with Blacks from Metro 2033? Maybe they know winter is coming and they want to save humans by transforming them to wights and Others.

Then again maybe they are humans slightly adapted and magically very powerful, like anti-Valyrians.

Maybe Gerion Lannister grew bored of Valyrian heat and decided to revive long lost art of advanced cryomancy and one up Tywin, if you can't win the game you can change the game.

Or anything else except long lost race of orange/blue morality-clad omnicides.

Also Mountain isn't evil he is just very physically sick and unable to think straight or control impulses. It's not like with Tywin who weights every choice and then do whatever suits him most, Gregor is unable to choose.

I did just have to LOL at the bolded, even though I don't get the reference. Just the thought of the Others trying to save humanity by zombification seems reason enough to laugh.

The Mountain seems to have migraines, by the way, so do I, I don't recall them causing me to run off and pillage and plunder, just sayin'.

[sj4iy]

I'm all for the Others being evil. I don't see any real advantage to the story by having them NOT be evil.

[Equilibrium]

I did just have to LOL at the bolded, even though I don't get the reference. Just the thought of the Others trying to save humanity by zombification seems reason enough to laugh.

I don't know, maybe they think their human friends prefer to be undead rather then plain dead.