Why Gerold "Darkstar" Dayne is the most dangerous man in Dorne?

[Willam Stark]

Gerold was first introduced to us during the Queenmaker's plot led by Arianne, and after his attempt to kill Myrcella, he finally fled.

It was when Arianne confronted her father that the famous sentence was said:

"You were a fool to make him part of this. Darkstar is the most dangerous man in Dorne. You and he have done us all great harm."

A Feast for Crows, Chapter 40, Princess In The Tower.

Do you have any ideas?

[Alester Florent]

Darkstar was generally handled quite badly from a narrative perspective, and this - all tell, no show - was part of it.

It is presumably because he is a skilled warrior (possibly the most skilled in Dorne now that Oberyn is dead, Areo Hotah aside) and has a degree of influence due to being a member of the Dayne family, but he is also ruthless and unpredictable, with uncertain loyalty to the crown of Dorne (or, indeed, anyone). This makes him dangerous to deal with, because he can't be trusted, and Doran at least considers that he's powerful enough to cause real trouble if he's given the opportunity.

[Takiedevushkikakzvezdy]

The popular theory is that GRRM wanted to create a new, cool character in the vein of Oberyn, but it didn't quite work out the way he planned, as Darkstar wasn't particularly well recieved by fans.

[Damsel in Distress]

I think he is a bastard of Aerys Targaryen. 

[Megorova]

13 hours ago, Willam Stark said:

Do you have any ideas?

In my opinion, he's a double agent.

He either works for Varys/Blackfyres/Golden Company, or maybe he had joined the Faceless Men Guild, so in this case maybe he is working for the Sealord of Braavos. 

What supports this second option is that in the past the Martells did made a deal with the Sealord (the one according to which they were planning to marry Arianne to Viserys). Thus it's logical if the Sealord set up his agent/recruited a local Dornishman from an important House as his agent, that will watch for him over the Martells from within of their court. So Gerold probably is the Sealord's overseer/spy. Maybe.

Though there's also certain details that support the first possibility too - in my opinion, Balon Swann is definitely working for Varys/BF/GC, and when he was sent to Dorne, he supposedly went after Gerold. GRRM didn't inserted Gerold into the plot for Balon to kill him, and Balon also hasn't played out his role yet, so GRRM can't kill either of them, at least for now. So how could be resolved the situation in which those two will meet and confront each other? The answer is simple -> the two of them aren't going to fight, because they both are Varys' agents (either they are exclusively Varys' agents, or Gerold is also working for the Sealord. I think that Littlefinger is bloodrelated to the Sealord - could be that both of them are the descendants of the First Black Pearl of Braavos. And, in my opinion, in the past Illyrio Mopatis also was in the current Sealord's entorage - could be that his father or mother were raised by the Sealord at his court in Braavos. I'm sure that Littlefinger in the past used to be one of Varys' little birds, and that he has (blood) connection with the Braavosi. So it makes sense that Varys also made (political) connections with the Braavosi faction. So could be that Gerold Dayne is working for both - Varys and the Sealord).

So when the two of them (Gerold and Balon) will meet in Dorne, they aren't going to fight with each other. The scene of their meeting will occur in the chapter with Areo's POV, and those two instead of fighting each other, will attack and kill Areo. And maybe that's when they will reveal to him who Gerold really is - for whom is he really working. Or something like that. Though I'm not persisting that this is exactly how it will play out.

[Lord Lannister]

Apparently he has a tendency to slice up little girls for no discernible reason.

[Takiedevushkikakzvezdy]

1 hour ago, Lord Lannister said:

Apparently he has a tendency to slice up little girls for no discernible reason.

He is of the night, that's his reason for everything.

[Universal Sword Donor]

2 hours ago, Megorova said:

In my opinion, he's a double agent.

He either works for Varys/Blackfyres/Golden Company, or maybe he had joined the Faceless Men Guild, so in this case maybe he is working for the Sealord of Braavos. 

What supports this second option is that in the past the Martells did made a deal with the Sealord (the one according to which they were planning to marry Arianne to Viserys). Thus it's logical if the Sealord set up his agent/recruited a local Dornishman from an important House as his agent, that will watch for him over the Martells from within of their court. So Gerold probably is the Sealord's overseer/spy. Maybe.

Though there's also certain details that support the first possibility too - in my opinion, Balon Swann is definitely working for Varys/BF/GC, and when he was sent to Dorne, he supposedly went after Gerold. GRRM didn't inserted Gerold into the plot for Balon to kill him, and Balon also hasn't played out his role yet, so GRRM can't kill either of them, at least for now. So how could be resolved the situation in which those two will meet and confront each other? The answer is simple -> the two of them aren't going to fight, because they both are Varys' agents (either they are exclusively Varys' agents, or Gerold is also working for the Sealord. I think that Littlefinger is bloodrelated to the Sealord - could be that both of them are the descendants of the First Black Pearl of Braavos. And, in my opinion, in the past Illyrio Mopatis also was in the current Sealord's entorage - could be that his father or mother were raised by the Sealord at his court in Braavos. I'm sure that Littlefinger in the past used to be one of Varys' little birds, and that he has (blood) connection with the Braavosi. So it makes sense that Varys also made (political) connections with the Braavosi faction. So could be that Gerold Dayne is working for both - Varys and the Sealord).

So when the two of them (Gerold and Balon) will meet in Dorne, they aren't going to fight with each other. The scene of their meeting will occur in the chapter with Areo's POV, and those two instead of fighting each other, will attack and kill Areo. And maybe that's when they will reveal to him who Gerold really is - for whom is he really working. Or something like that. Though I'm not persisting that this is exactly how it will play out.

Idk what’s worse:

* reading that entire thing thinking “what idiot would team up Balon Greyjoy with Gerold?”

* not remembering Balon had been dead for almost a year at this point in the series 

re-read really cleared up both points 

[Jaenara Belarys]

He's got a temper that fluctuates when the wind blows. Makes him hard to deal with, and he's fairly good with a sword.  

[Megorova]

41 minutes ago, Universal Sword Donor said:

Idk what’s worse:

* reading that entire thing thinking “what idiot would team up Balon Greyjoy with Gerold?”

* not remembering Balon had been dead for almost a year at this point in the series 

re-read really cleared up both points 

Yes, I was writing about Balon Swann - the Kingsguard, not that Balon, who was an Ironborn, and is indeed long dead.

It's just that if Septa Lemore is who I think she is - Jeyne Swann, then it makes perfect sense for Balon Swann to be one of Varys' agents. So if he is indeed working for Varys, then the real reason why specifically him, and not some other Kingsguard, was sent to Dorne, to deliver there the Mountain's head, and to bring back Myrcella to KL, is because Varys gave him an additional mission. And because Balon, instead of just taking Myrcella and going back to KL, went after Gerold, this looks veeerryyy suspicious. Though, if Varys sent him to Dorne to get in touch with Varys' people there, and if those people's leader is Gerold Dayne, then the real reason why Balon went supposedly on the hunt after Gerold, was actually done for the purpose to get rid of those people from Martell court, that were also sent after Gerold, such as Areo Hotah.

[Corvo the Crow]

30 minutes ago, Jaenara Belarys said:

He's got a temper that fluctuates when the wind blows. Makes him hard to deal with, and he's fairly good with a sword.  

Wind blow you say? Tattered Prince from the Wind BlowN's cloak is made up of different cloth pieces sewn together and he has silvery hair. Gerold has silvery hair with a streak of black. who knows perhaps he's tied up someone else's hair there. Gerold is Tattered Prince confirmed. This is known.

[Mordred]

Hyperbole.  Doran exaggerated.  Darkstar is a man of strong feelings.  Doran is not.  Darkstar is young, virile, and good at combat.  Doran is not.  Doran fears what he doesn't understand.  What Darkstar represents is the same to the Martells as was what the Blackfyres were to King Daeron Targaryen.  An ideological as well as a political threat.  Bravery is an admired quality and many warriors will follow Darkstar for that reason alone.  Doran is looked on with the same pity as Bran.  A bedridden man is not an inspiration to some. 

[Mourning Star]

He could be Lewyn Martell's son, and so, by the Laws of Westeros (not Dorne), rightful heir to House Martell, because the seat passed through Doran's mother (Lewyn's sister).

[Loose Bolt]

He can hypnotize everyone bc he knows how to dance Lambada.

[Falcon2909]

If darkstar is the most dangerous man in dorne, why hasn't doran put a bounty on him or an arrest warrant? 

[Corvo the Crow]

3 hours ago, Loose Bolt said:

He can hypnotize everyone bc he knows how to dance Lambada.

 

Hypnotoad Herding Sheep - YouTube

 

Nah he's hypnotoad.

[Corvo the Crow]

11 hours ago, Mordred said:

Hyperbole.  Doran exaggerated.  Darkstar is a man of strong feelings.  Doran is not.  Darkstar is young, virile, and good at combat.  Doran is not.  Doran fears what he doesn't understand.  What Darkstar represents is the same to the Martells as was what the Blackfyres were to King Daeron Targaryen.  An ideological as well as a political threat.  Bravery is an admired quality and many warriors will follow Darkstar for that reason alone.  Doran is looked on with the same pity as Bran.  A bedridden man is not an inspiration to some. 

So you are  saying that Doran got penis envy for Darkspawn since Dark Spawn's better at sperm competition as he's got bigger balls both physically and figuratively and is also emitting more big dick energy all over the Dorne than the Sunos of the Planetos is emitting Ultra Violetos rays?

[three-eyed monkey]

23 hours ago, Damsel in Distress said:

I think he is a bastard of Aerys Targaryen. 

Yep, me too. Aerys and Ashara Dayne. Unlikely to have been consensual, and the reason Ashara was sent home from court. Timeline would fit.

[Takiedevushkikakzvezdy]

20 hours ago, Jaenara Belarys said:

He's got a temper that fluctuates when the wind blows. Makes him hard to deal with, and he's fairly good with a sword.  

I don't know how good he is with a sword given that he failed to deliver a killing blow to Myrcella.

[Megorova]

29 minutes ago, Takiedevushkikakzvezdy said:

I don't know how good he is with a sword given that he failed to deliver a killing blow to Myrcella.

I think that he did it on purpose - just maimed Myrcella instead of killing her. It's a parallel to what happened to Tyrion, when he was attacked and maimed by Mandon Moore. Tyrion believed that the attack on him was ordered by Cersei, and Cersei thinks that Myrcella was attacked on Tyrion's order. In my opinion, the real mastermind behind both of those attacks just used against the Lannisters principle "divide and conquer". Thus both Mandon and Gerold are in the Faceless Men Guild, or they both work for Varys.