Was The High Sparrow Really No One Important?

[[Deleted]]

A long held theory here and elsewhere was that we would eventually find out who the High Sparrow really is, the implication being he would come from a known/important House and/or would be a long-lost character from the GoT past, most commonly speculated to be Howland Reed. There was the belief the games he was playing in King's Landing were part of a larger, grand scheme.

Well, after Episode 10, the High Sparrow is nothing more than vapor now. I was a little shocked that a characted that was pulling so many strings could just vanish without ever explaining his deeper motivations, if he had any. Further, I was a little let down that it seems like he turned out to be just some random guy who liked using religion to control people and manipulate events.

Do you think we'll ever hear more about the High Sparrow, who he was, what his plans were, or is his story 100% over and done now that he and his Faith Militant are no more? And do you think he's also no one special in the books?

 

[King Perkis]

14 minutes ago, Aegonzo The Great said:

. I was a little shocked that a characted that was pulling so many strings could just vanish without ever explaining his deeper motivations, if he had any. Further, I was a little let down that it seems like he turned out to be just some random guy who liked using religion to control people and manipulate events.
 

I would have loved to had heard his story but in that final scene you see his true motivations, when he had Lora kneel before him and asks for repentance. His end goal was obvious but hearing his backstory would have been interesting.

[Mourneblade]

Why would anyone believe it was Howland Reed? Reed is 100% in belief in the way of the Old Gods.

 

As to his purpose, in the show, well he certainly was the catalyst for eliminating just about all of Cersei's rivals lol

[Jon's Queen Consort]

He was a zealot turned a tyrant. I don't see what you mean by important.

[Gertrude]

Ah, I'd forgot there was a High Sparrow = HR contingent. I may be a terrible person, because I'm kind of enjoying some of the more crackpot theories getting heavily damaged through show reveals.

[Mourneblade]

1 minute ago, Gertrude said:

Ah, I'd forgot there was a High Sparrow = HR contingent. I may be a terrible person, because I'm kind of enjoying some of the more crackpot theories getting heavily damaged through show reveals.

IKR lol

[[Deleted]]

5 minutes ago, Mourneblade said:

Why would anyone believe it was Howland Reed? Reed is 100% in belief in the way of the Old Gods.

 

As to his purpose, in the show, well he certainly was the catalyst for eliminating just about all of Cersei's rivals lol

The idea was Howland Reed is/was a Stark sympathizer, and so as the High Sparrow he was using the Faith to undermine the Lannisters in KL. I'm sure there are some threads about it on here.

Personally, I never bought the theory, but I'd hoped he'd turn out to be SOMEONE, like a bastard from one of the Great Houses or something.

[[Deleted]]

6 minutes ago, Jon's Queen Consort said:

He was a zelot turned a tyrant. I don't see what you mean by important.

I mean a known character, or someone from one of the Great Houses who was trying to undermine the politics in KL. Basically, anyone other than just some random schmuck.

[Jon's Queen Consort]

Just now, Aegonzo The Great said:

I mean a known character, or someone from one of the Great Houses who was trying to undermine the politics in KL. Basically, anyone other than just some random schmuck.

Only the highborns are important? Davos wouldn't like that. 

[[Deleted]]

7 minutes ago, Jon's Queen Consort said:

Only the highborns are important? Davos wouldn't like that. 

They are important only insofar as that's who we as the audience know and are made to care about. That's why this is called "A Game Of Thrones", not "A Game Of Thatch-Roof Cottages". Although I'd totally love to re-read this story through the eyes of some commoners who survived the whole thing.

[Jon's Queen Consort]

1 minute ago, Aegonzo The Great said:

They are important only insofar as that's who we as the audience know and are made to care about. That's why this is called "A Game Of Thrones", not "A Game Of Thatch-Roofed Cottages" (although I'd totally love to re-read this story through the eyes of some commoners who survived the whole thing!)

My point is that for someone to be important it doesn't need to be highborn, that is why I mentioned Davos. He was important since he ressurect the fanatics into the realm and imprisoned Cersei, Marg and the others.

[Greg B]

Every character does not require a Secret Identity. The High Sparrow was not-Savonarola, and he was the catalyst for much of the plot in King's Landing that ended with Cersei on the Iron Throne. And then he burned, just like Savonarola.

[[Deleted]]

3 minutes ago, Jon's Queen Consort said:

My point is that for someone to be important it doesn't need to be highborn, that is why I mentioned Davos. He was important since he ressurect the fanatics into the realm and imprisoned Cersei, Marg and the others.

Indeed, perhaps "important" is the wrong word to use, then. I only meant someone who we as an audience could connect to other families/past events.

[Nerevanin]

Yeah, I'd be nice to hear something more about his history, not just that most likely made up story about him finding the gods.

But let's pretend for a second that HS = HR. Would you say that he won, or he lost?

Because if HS = HR, is goal would be to make the Crown weak and I'd say that when he made Cersei blow up the sept, he achieved this in a great way.

[Mladen]

Please not with this again... Let it be buried with all the other nonsense that plagued the Internet

[Lockjaw of House Boltagon]

#Thatwasthepoint

[TickTak7]

 No way was the High Sparrow ever going to be someone of noble or higher birth. 

That's what made his character so fascinating - he was pretty much this lowly, overlooked figure that spent 2 seasons creating absolute chaos within the capital, as well as manipulating those of more noble birth / who thought they were smarter than him. 

 

[C.T. Phipps]

Hell, that was the hilarity. NO ONE believed that the High Sparrow really was motivated by exactly what he claimed.

[Clueless Northman]

In the show, he was clearly who he said he was.

In the book, I've wondered a few times if he wasn't Varys in disguise - considering Varys remained in King's Landing and was upset with things going better under Tommen and Kevan's rule, he might have wanted to stir up trouble. Pretty unlikely of course, but we know he had a mummer's past. We'll see sooner or later if there's any confirmation in the books - if there's none, then I'll assume they were definitely 2 different characters.

Howland Reed, on the other hand, would be weird and barely make any sense. Heck, it's more likely that Jojen is actually Howland faking to be his kid...

 

[Mourneblade]

15 minutes ago, TickTak7 said:

 No way was the High Sparrow ever going to be someone of noble or higher birth. 

That's what made his character so fascinating - he was pretty much this lowly, overlooked figure that spent 2 seasons creating absolute chaos within the capital, as well as manipulating those of more noble birth / who thought they were smarter than him. 

 

This. The HS became the figurehead for a movement, that was a direct result of the war of the 5 kings. This was a direct consequence, and a believable one at that. It was interesting to see that the HS was a Fanatic, but also had some pragmatism as well.

 

One other thing, although there is no particular reference, I would think that Trial by Combat, would fall into the realm of the Warrior. I think the show failed really convey that, just as they failed to convey the Smith would have favored the HS's cobbler's work, although the debauchery that followed would have been punished accordingly. Just musings lol