TimJames Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 "You do not have a soul, you are a soul. You have a body."This is a quote from an unknown origin that stands out to me, and I can not think of a more fitting introduction to a theory I have regarding Robert Strong. When most people talk about Robert Strong, they either assume he is a slightly decayed Gregor Clegane or that he is a mindless abomination. Rare is the person who ever delves further into him. However, I have a different theory. I believe that inhabiting Gregor's body does not make Robert Strong automatically a bad person, because he has a different personality and is therefore a different person altogether. In the canon sources, the descriptions of him are sparse. Nobody has seen him take off his helmet, drink, eat, or even go to the bathroom. The TV Show (for what it is worth [which admittedly is not much]) shows Robert Strong as having eyes and ashen skin (therefore meaning he has a head). Even without that, I always found the idea of Robert Strong being a Headless Horseman a bit ridiculous; without a head there would be nothing to keep the helmet from falling off, and him never showing his face can be explained keeping his physical abnormalities a secret. While it is clear that Robert Strong is inhabiting Gregor Clegane's body, that does not mean he necessarily is the same person. Gregor Clegane was a violent rapist with an addiction to Milk of The Poppy (Opium) and an acute lack of restraint (he attempted to murder a man and then admitted to raping and murdering a woman, despite being surrounded by those with the authority to see him dead). By comparison, Robert Strong is able to avoid eating, drinking, talking, or even making bodily functions while in public (if at all). Likewise, when we meet Robert Strong after Cersei's walk of penitence, he picks her up to carry her inside. He doesn't let her lean on his shoulder, he doesn't support her to help her walk in; Robert Strong picks Cersei up with both arms and carries her like a baby. As this is the only notable act Robert Strong has done so far, it leads me to suspect he might be capable of empathy and kindness (he provided more help than was necessary, to someone he might not have even remembered).Now, some might say that he is an abomination and therefore incapable of being not-evil. I have one thing to say to this; Grow Up! There are lots of characters who are brought about by unnatural means but are still capable of goodness; nobody calls Beric Dondarrion an abomination, and the books clearly don't treat Lady Stoneheart as one. It is accurate to call Robert Strong a Frankenstein's Monster, but only in the sense that he (like the nameless monster in that work) shouldn't be judged by his appearance or his birth. I know this is just a theory, and that there is not enough currently to prove it beyond reasonable doubt, but I think there is enough evidence there to at least support it.What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Ravenstark Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 Wait, you find necromantic science fine, but a helmet not falling due a lack of head is absurd?No offense, but you performed some astonishing feats of mental gymnastics. He does not restrain himself from eating, sleeping… it is highly possible he just doesn't need at all. It doesn't mean he has some kind of restraint.Carrying Cersei can't possibly show any empathy. He serves Qyburn, that in turn serves Cersei. That doesn't mean he shows empathy, compassion or anything at all.I don't think morality was never part of the discussion of what Robert Strong is… I was interested in what you had to say, but you jumped at conclusions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dorian Martell Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 *Weird theory*What do you think?I would respond directly but you seem to post these theories and then never go back to them soWait, you find necromantic science fine, but a helmet not falling due a lack of head is absurd? No offense, but you performed some astonishing feats of mental gymnastics. He does not restrain himself from eating, sleeping… it is highly possible he just doesn't need at all. It doesn't mean he has some kind of restraint. Carrying Cersei can't possibly show any empathy. He serves Qyburn, that in turn serves Cersei. That doesn't mean he shows empathy, compassion or anything at all. I don't think morality was never part of the discussion of what Robert Strong is… I was interested in what you had to say, but you jumped at conclusions.What Lord Ravenstark said, Plus, where did the idea that Bob Strong was somehow a different person "Put" in gregor's body come from? It would ignore a lot of character development about Qyburn. Qyburn needs living people to experiment on while they are dying, not after they are dead, hence Gregor. I guess Mr. James is as bored as the rest of us waiting for the next book Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimJames Posted December 19, 2015 Author Share Posted December 19, 2015 Ravenstark, I wasn't saying "This is so". I was only saying "This is within the realm of possibility."My exact words were "I know this is just a theory, and that there is not enough currently to prove it beyond reasonable doubt, but I think there is enough evidence there to at least support it." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stannis in the middle Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 Seeing as Robert Strong has Robb Starks head i'd say its pretty clear he doesnt have the mountains mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarkofWinterfell Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 Seeing as Robert Strong has Robb Starks head i'd say its pretty clear he doesnt have the mountains mindWait really? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stannis in the middle Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 Wait really?There's a lot of compelling evidence. There's a few videos adn theory threads that discuss it in detail.Afterall, there is power in Kings blood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocoalover1956 Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 In all honestly Robert Strong kinda reminds me of Coldhands (undead in a manner we don't understand, hiding his face/identity), who at least seems benevolent. Coldhands is certainly capable of rational thought, decision making, and making interpersonal connections. I don't really see any support for Robert Strong being capable of the same things, but I'm willing to accept the possibility that he might. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YorEmixam Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 I never considered this but I like it. Seeing RS perform an act of kindness wich the Mountain would never do could be satisfying and fits, imo, asoiaf's grey characters and morals compass shifting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Ravens Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 No, you grow up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beautiful Balon Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 I think if we look at the other undead in In a song of Ice and Fire and some of Quyburn's quotes we can get a better idea of Robert Strong The man's face grew strange. "Once, at the Citadel, I came into an empty room and saw an empty chair. Yet I knew a woman had been there, only a moment before. The cushion was dented where she'd sat, the cloth was still warm, and her scent lingered in the air. If we leave our smells behind us when we leave a room, surely something of our souls must remain when we leave this life?"SourceThis quote implies that a shadow or an echo of Gregor Clegane is in Robert Strong. Furthermore if we look at the wights, the undead that seem to be the closest to Robert(Seemingly mindless undead that are in thrall to their creator) we see that they keep a bit of themselves in them. One examples would be the attack on the old bear by the wights Othor and Flowers where the wights seemed to have enough knowledge of their past lives to know where who the LC of the nights watch was, where he lived and how to get to him. Another example would be the implication in The prologue of a ADWD that the wighted Thistle was able to recognize Varamyr in One EyeJust because it is likely that Robert carries a bit of Gregor in him, that doesn't mean that Robert Strong is Gregor. In these Forums people often say that Cat and Ladystoneheart are different entities even though LSH undeniably has a bit of Cat in her. Or this quote by Beric Dondarion "Can I dwell on what I scarce remember? I held a castle on the Marches once, and there was a woman I was pledged to marry, but I could not find that castle today, nor tell you the color of that woman's hair. Who knighted me, old friend? What were my favorite foods? It all fades. Sometimes I think I was born on the bloody grass in that grove of ash, with the taste of fire in my mouth and a hole in my chest. Are you my mother, Thoros?"SourceThis is a quote where an undead dude straight up says that due to the diminishement of himself from repeated undeadification, that he might be a different person than the one he was before he was brought back. So yeah, It's very possible that Robert Strong might be a different person from Gregor Clegane. Good theory OP (: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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