Ocelot Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Lannister Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I dunno, the Unsullied seemed more to be about rigid discipline and working as one collective whole than about individual strength. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSovereignGrave Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocelot Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 When Dany first sees them she notes the "lean hardness of their bodies." So they're supposed to be muscular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isobel Harper Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 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." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royce da Bronze Yohn Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChillyPolly Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChillyPolly Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monctonvike Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Naw.....they'd be fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myhousigilisthehousecat Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Wedding Cake Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Testicles are weak and fragile anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annara Snow Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poodle Pup From Astapor Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Selig Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bright Blue Eyes Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 They are. Even the Masters said it straight out, in a frigging sales pitch! That should tell you how much weaker they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Wedding Cake Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 People aren't weak just because they don't have testicles. This is a misnomer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~No One~ Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Testicles aren't what make you strong. Ask any woman :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Lepus Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King of Vaes Tolorro Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Testicles aren't what make you strong. Ask any woman :D But women produce testosterone. Eunuch's don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batbob45 Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Unsullied are respected by the dothraki. so much that they have no insulting term for the Unsullied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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