Who do you consider the "main characters"?

[Mladen]

4 minutes ago, Jon's Queen Consort said:

I always list top 5 or top 3...  

Well, it doesn't work like that. Sometimes, there is one main character, sometimes there are 2,4,5,10. GRRM's story is oriented towards these 6 characters grwing up and reshaping the world around them. How one can include Arya and not Sansa (or vice versa, as for that matter) is enigma for me. Bran has the least number of chapters of all 6, that doesn't mean his role is less significant than Jon's or Tyrion's. Simply, this has always been story about those 6. Not Ned or Catelyn, or any other member of that generation, but of these 6 people who in variety of different ways face terrible reality.

[kimim]

Tyrion, Jon, Dany as top three, followed by Arya, Bran, Sansa in "supporting" roles.

 

[Lord of Raventree Hall]

Hmm, I see a lot of people talking about plot armor, but just asking honestly, did you guys expect Catelyn or Eddard to die? I didn't, and I doubt you did either. GRRM has only given a small amount of plot armor to one character and that is Jon Snow (surviving the decision not to kill the man..if he comes back in the next book) but I still think anyone is free game, now GRRM won't kill all six in the next book for sure, but if one dies in tWoW, don't be surprised.

[YOVMO]

On 10/1/2016 at 9:03 PM, Aenarion said:

Today I read something about how GRRM refers to some characters as part of a "Big Six" (a.k.a. the six main characters). 

 

Just curious: 
a) Who they are? 
b ) Do you agree? 
 

For me, Jon, Dany, Tyrion, and Arya are definitely main characters. Beyond that, I'm not quite sure. I know that some will be very important despite not being main characters (Aegon, Samwell, Littlefinger), but I'm not sure who else I'd call main characters. 

Hot Pie.

 

everyone else is a red herring 

[a black swan]

2 hours ago, Lord Lyman said:

That only happened due to how GRRM split AFFC and ADWD.

Yes, but he explained his thinking process in this. Didn't it involve something about Jon, Tyrion and Dany being moved and he couldn't have his 4 most popular characters not appear in a book. So he kept Arya in both AFFC and ADWD. Couldn't he have added the Mercy chapter into one of the earlier books as well? He had that written pretty early on. Apparently, he has a lot of Arya stuff written that could fill another book on just her Braavos storyline alone. He joked that if he had the time he could write a whole YA on Arya Stark. 

I love how GRRM corrects an interviewer who poses a question that claimed "Tyrion and Dany are two of the most compelling/vivid characters in the series". GRRM disagreed and named Jon & Arya instead. Aww!

When speaking in generalities, GRRM has a tendency to focus on particular characters. Most commonly, Tyrion, Arya, Jon, Bran and Dany. 

[Wrl6199]

On 10/2/2016 at 6:11 PM, Risto said:

There is a link on the first page. But, nonetheless, it was clear enough by reading the series. If you just read it as a cross-generational saga about kids growing up, Sansa fits the mold perfectly. Her role and character obviously changed from the first script.

They all were kids except Tyrion. 

[Lord Lyman]

6 hours ago, DutchArya said:

Yes, but he explained his thinking process in this. Didn't it involve something about Jon, Tyrion and Dany being moved and he couldn't have his 4 most popular characters not appear in a book. So he kept Arya in both AFFC and ADWD. Couldn't he have added the Mercy chapter into one of the earlier books as well? He had that written pretty early on. Apparently, he has a lot of Arya stuff written that could fill another book on just her Braavos storyline alone. He joked that if he had the time he could write a whole YA on Arya Stark. 

I love how GRRM corrects an interviewer who poses a question that claimed "Tyrion and Dany are two of the most compelling/vivid characters in the series". GRRM disagreed and named Jon & Arya instead. Aww!

When speaking in generalities, GRRM has a tendency to focus on particular characters. Most commonly, Tyrion, Arya, Jon, Bran and Dany. 

It was more of a Geographic/POV split with Southern Westeros being put into the Feast and everyone else in Dance. Arya was put in Feast, but that may have been in part because Sam was there. Both were in Braavos at the same time. His story was somewhat tied into the prologue that took place in Old Town. She however doesn't meet any other characters storylines. Tyrion, Jon and Dany are tied into too many other storylines that they couldn't move. Her chapter in Dance is a result of the timeline moving beyond the final events in Feast.

[Asshai Backwards]

In my reading I can certainly see how the six main characters are Dany, Jon, Tyrion, Bran, Arya, and Sansa.  As time has passed, though, if I had to pick six, I'd replace Sansa with the Twins, Cersei and Jamie.  They've become a sort of dualistic character; different yet the same since birth, joined but forever apart.  When Jamie's hand was severed, they were severed, and their arcs have been spiraling away from each other ever since.  I find them extremely interesting to watch.  Jamie is becoming a tragic hero, while Cersei is just becoming tragic.

As for Sansa, well, no disrespect to her fans.  I can certainly see potential for her to change, but thus far, at least to me, her POV has seemed like more a convenience through which to see the goings on at Kings Landing, and later the Eyrie, rather than as anything particularly interesting.  But that is just me.  There is no true right and wrong on Planetos, only endless suffering.

Perhaps someday I'll get around to writing my tinfoil essay about how each of MY six main characters have had a pivotal, guide-like character have a strong influence in their story, and how each of those archetypal characters has the letter "Q" in their name.  I've tried, but I can't think of a Q character to go with Sansa, so, according to me, I must be right.  Wait, what did I just say in the last paragraph?

[Farerb]

As people here already mentioned: Jon, Daenerys, Tyrion, Bran, Arya and Sansa.

The former three are developed as the ones to save the world from the white walkers while the latter three are developed as the ones to rebuild it afterwards, IMO.

[TheDemonicStark]

As of right now, it's Jaime, Jon, Dany, Tyrion, Bran, Arya, Sansa, Sam, Victarion.

[Mladen]

7 hours ago, Wrl6199 said:

They all were kids except Tyrion. 

But Tyrion represents also the new generation of Lannisters, someone who will work with others and understands the world far better than the rest of his family.

[Here's Looking At You, Kid]

On 10/1/2016 at 9:33 PM, blckp said:

Daenerys , rest is expendable

Correct!

 

[Wrl6199]

On 10/4/2016 at 3:57 AM, Risto said:

But Tyrion represents also the new generation of Lannisters, someone who will work with others and understands the world far better than the rest of his family.

He is also not as crazy as the rest of his family. Well or as crazy as Cersei. There was also Jeffrey. But most of the families in the kingdoms had some crazy people.

[Nictarion]

On 10/2/2016 at 3:22 PM, Nevets said:

I define main characters as "Who is the story about?"  In that respect, the story is about Tyrion, Jon, Daenerys, Sansa, Arya, and Bran.  Characters like Stannis, Cersei, et al may have an impact on the overall story, but it isn't really about them.  That's why we see so much of Arya in the Riverlands in ACOK and ASOS.  Those chapters aren't there because of their effect on the overall story.  They are there because of their effect on Arya.

Spot on. The same can be said for Dany in Slaver's Bay. 

[Faydra]

I agree with those who mentioned Jon, Dany and Tyrion as well as the remaining Stark siblings (except for Rickon).

[King Tyrion I]

On 2.10.2016 at 10:36 AM, Risto said:

As was said, and as we spent many a word on this, there are 6 main characters... Given that this is "A song of ice and fire", the series in this concern has somewhat nice symmetry - three Starks: Bran, Sansa and Arya and three dragonriders - Daenerys, Jon, Tyrion. That said, I may be completely wrong  

Couldn't have said it better, my friend. =o)

[The Weirwoods Eyes]

GRRM has said that it started out as 5 but it is now 6, he now includes Sansa, whose character has evolved considerably from what he initially intended. He has even said to disregard the "original outline" He now refers to the big 6, who are indeed Jon, Sansa, Bran, Arya, Danaerys and Tyrion. This is all in the SSM from this years Baliticon.

This is indeed a great big coming of age story, all the big 6 start out immature, most because they are children, and this is a classic story telling motif, and Tyrion because he is vastly immature for his age.  All 6 are on a life altering journey, learning both about themselves, their flaws, the world around them and gaining essential skills in the process. They are experiencing love, war, suffering, pressure and ethical dilemmas.  It is all very classic. I love it. 

[Land's End]

On 3.10.2016 at 7:03 PM, YOVMO said:

Hot Pie.

 

everyone else is a red herring 

You must be kidding, the story is clearly about Dolorous Edd's quest to find the bear who stole his brother's teeth.

[Lady Topspin]

1. Daenerys
2. Tyrion
3. Jon
4. Bran
5. Arya
6. Cersei

[INCBlackbird]

I'm pretty sure that the big 6 are Jon, Dany, Tyrion, Bran, Arya and Sansa. However Jon is "THE song of ice and fire" so I'd say he's the absolute main character. I think you could also say that all characters with their own pov chapters are main characters as they all have their own arc that they stand in the middle off. So I guess it just depends on how you look at it.