Wouldn't the Unsullied be weak w/out testicles to produce testosterone?

[Ocelot]

There were slave soldiers in RL, and eunuch slaves, but no eunuch slave soldiers. Why? B/c if a man has no testicles to to produce testosterone he won't be very strong physically. So, eunuch slave soldiers=unrealistic?

[Lord Lannister]

I dunno, the Unsullied seemed more to be about rigid discipline and working as one collective whole than about individual strength.

[TheSovereignGrave]

Yeah, it's not that they're powerful because they're strong. They're powerful because they fight with rigid and unwavering discipline. And I don't think not having testicles automatically makes someone weak.

[Ocelot]

When Dany first sees them she notes the "lean hardness of their bodies." So they're supposed to be muscular.

[Isobel Harper]

Yeah, it's not that they're powerful because they're strong. They're powerful because they fight with rigid and unwavering discipline. And I don't think not having testicles automatically makes someone weak.

Yeah, what they said. ;)

When Dany first sees them she notes the "lean hardness of their bodies." So they're supposed to be muscular.

Lean, but not "bulky muscular."

[Royce da Bronze Yohn]

Its basically like the best possible army of women. Its pretty tough to imagine that because AFAIK there's no historical example but its not "unrealistic" to say that they still could have been a formidable force, although I think GRRM has made them a little too powerful in the books.

[ChillyPolly]

I dunno, the Unsullied seemed more to be about rigid discipline and working as one collective whole than about individual strength.

Of course, in RL, eunuchs are not war robots.

[ChillyPolly]

There were slave soldiers in RL, and eunuch slaves, but no eunuch slave soldiers.

There were Eunuch soldiers in the Ming Dynasty in the 16th Century, including an entire Eunuch Battalion.

[Monctonvike]

Naw.....they'd be fine

[myhousigilisthehousecat]

Real eunuchs tend to be tall, plump, and keep their voices they had when they were kids. They'd have less muscle tissue because of less testosterone, but they would still have some size advantage on the battlefield, not to mention being totally brainwashed killing machines.

[Red Wedding Cake]

Testicles are weak and fragile anyway.

[Annara Snow]

Real eunuchs tend to be tall, plump, and keep their voices they had when they were kids. They'd have less muscle tissue because of less testosterone, but they would still have some size advantage on the battlefield, not to mention being totally brainwashed killing machines.

They wouldn't be plump if they had rigorous physical training all the time.

[Poodle Pup From Astapor]

I don't think it's unrealistic. Think of child soldiers in modern day Africa. A well trained and indoctrinated child with a deadly weapon can be a deadly soldier.

Slavers don't need unsullied to be good at fist fights or carry significant weight. They fight in light armor, in large formations.

[David Selig]

Very little about the Unsullied make any kind of sense. They are one of Martin's worst ideas IMO.

I don't think it's unrealistic. Think of child soldiers in modern day Africa. A well trained and indoctrinated child with a deadly weapon can be a deadly soldier.

Physical strength is way less important when you have access to firearms.

To be able to fight with spears and hold formation for a long time requires a lot of strength and stamina.

[Bright Blue Eyes]

They are.

Even the Masters said it straight out, in a frigging sales pitch! That should tell you how much weaker they are.

[Red Wedding Cake]

People aren't weak just because they don't have testicles. This is a misnomer.

[~No One~]

Testicles aren't what make you strong. Ask any woman :D

[Ser Lepus]

People aren't weak just because they don't have testicles. This is a misnomer.

But they are weaker because of lack of testosterone.

I guess they could pick kids that are really tall, big boned and muscular so that would balance the loss of muscle after castration.

Real eunuchs tend to be tall, plump, and keep their voices they had when they were kids. They'd have less muscle tissue because of less testosterone, but they would still have some size advantage on the battlefield, not to mention being totally brainwashed killing machines.

Weren't the Unsullied castrated once they were almost adults? Daenerys bought kids already trained as fighters but that hadn't still been castrated.

If they were castrated so late, their skeleton wouldn't be different from regular men, so their limbs would have normal length.

[King of Vaes Tolorro]

Testicles aren't what make you strong. Ask any woman :D

But women produce testosterone.

Eunuch's don't.

[Batbob45]

Unsullied are respected by the dothraki. so much that they have no insulting term for the Unsullied.