Characters who suffered but for who you have no sympathy

[Terrorthatflapsinthenight9]

What are some characters you know suffered some bad if outright horrible things in their past, but for who you have no sympathy due to how horrible they are as persons or because they did things that their past and trauma doesn't justify or excuse ? 

I have 0 sympathy for Cersei who has been a rotten apple since her childhood, with her abuse of Tyrion from his birth, her cruelty as a child and her murder of her friend. 

I have also very little if any sympathy for Lysa Arryn. While what happened to her was surely terrible and traumatic, her rape Petyr at least twice prevent me from pitying or feeling sympathy for her, as does the fact that she betrayed her sister, brother and nephews/nieces and abused and tried to murder Sansa out of petty jealousy. 

Same for Petyr/Littlefinger for obvious reasons. 

I also don't feel any pity or sympathy for Allister Thorne, who was sent to the Wall by Tywin, but is a bully who abuses the Night's Watch recruits while being a terrible teacher (it's telling that they did far more progress far faster with Jon than with him) while pettily antagonizing and mocking Jon about his father despite Jon having nothing to do with what happened to him, and Ned being the wrong person to blame for his situation.

Same for most Greyjoys and Ironborn, who bring what fall on them all by themselves. 

[Odej]

Cersei. Lysa. Theon. Tyrion.

[Ser Arthurs Dawn]

Only tragic character I can think of that I carry 0 sympathy for is Daemon, from F&B. But, tbf, if we had his POV that could change my perspective of him.

[Jaenara Belarys]

Cersei, Lysa, Greyjoys and ironmen, ADWD Tyrion. 

[Sir Tumbleweed]

This will be an unpopular one but I think Joffrey Waters suffered enough to qualify for this topic. As heir to the throne you think he would have been better prepared for when he eventually became king. But no his father was absent and his mother didn't teach him anything beyond "Be a lion! Scoff and trample!".

Obviously he gets no sympathy because of how brutal he was as a ruler, but he wasn't taught how to do any better. He also wasn't provided any companions his age to form lifelong bonds or learn social skills with. All the adults around him seem to have abandoned him from a very young age, making him a complete time-bomb.

[Lee-Sensei]

3 hours ago, Terrorthatflapsinthenight9 said:

What are some characters you know suffered some bad if outright horrible things in their past, but for who you have no sympathy due to how horrible they are as persons or because they did things that their past and trauma doesn't justify or excuse ? 

I have 0 sympathy for Cersei who has been a rotten apple since her childhood, with her abuse of Tyrion from his birth, her cruelty as a child and her murder of her friend. 

I have also very little if any sympathy for Lysa Arryn. While what happened to her was surely terrible and traumatic, her rape Petyr at least twice prevent me from pitying or feeling sympathy for her, as does the fact that she betrayed her sister, brother and nephews/nieces and abused and tried to murder Sansa out of petty jealousy. 

Same for Petyr/Littlefinger for obvious reasons. 

I also don't feel any pity or sympathy for Allister Thorne, who was sent to the Wall by Tywin, but is a bully who abuses the Night's Watch recruits while being a terrible teacher (it's telling that they did far more progress far faster with Jon than with him) while pettily antagonizing and mocking Jon about his father despite Jon having nothing to do with what happened to him, and Ned being the wrong person to blame for his situation.

Same for most Greyjoys and Ironborn, who bring what fall on them all by themselves. 

I understand why people would think Lysa raped LF the second time (although the situation was unclear iirc), but I was under the impression that LF had consensual sex with Lysa at least once, which is why he thinks that he's been with both of the Tully sisters.

23 minutes ago, Sir Tumbleweed said:

This will be an unpopular one but I think Joffrey Waters suffered enough to qualify for this topic. As heir to the throne you think he would have been better prepared for when he eventually became king. But no his father was absent and his mother didn't teach him anything beyond "Be a lion! Scoff and trample!".

Obviously he gets no sympathy because of how brutal he was as a ruler, but he wasn't taught how to do any better. He also wasn't provided any companions his age to form lifelong bonds or learn social skills with. All the adults around him seem to have abandoned him from a very young age, making him a complete time-bomb.

Yes. Jaime was absent.;) Jokes aside, I do feel bad for Joffrey although he seems to have been born a bad egg (possibly due to incest an Cersei's bad influence).

Quote

"Robert ignored him [Joffrey w.]. He would have beat him if I’d allowed it. That brute you made me marry once hit the boy so hard he knocked out two of his baby teeth, over some mischief with a cat. I told him I’d kill him in his sleep if he ever did it again, and he never did, but sometimes he would say things…”

“It appears things needed to be said.” Lord Tywin waved two fingers at her, a brusque dismissal. “Go.”

She went, seething.

I do wonder what kind of things Joffrey was being said to him though.

I do have some sympathy for most characters. Even monstrous ones. That doesn't mean that they don't deserve to die.

[kissdbyfire]

Cersei, Joffrey, Viserys, Dumb & Dumber Greyjoy, Tyrion (especially in Dance).

I will also feel no sympathy for Bowen Marsh & Mel when their time comes; in fact, I’m looking forward to Bowen’s horrific demise, which should come early on in TWoW. 

[Ser Arthurs Dawn]

14 minutes ago, kissdbyfire said:

I’m looking forward to Bowen’s horrific demise, which should come early on in TWoW. 

I can see the Bowen defenders coming this way with torches and pitchforks. They're singing about the Starks..

[sifth]

Jamie, and I'm not even doing this to be a troll. I love Jamie, he's one of my favorite characters; but his "tragic" backstory, makes me feel nothing for the guy. Yea, he killed his king to save the city, but he also did it to save himself. Also why didn't he just arrest the guy? There was no reason to outright murder Aerys, the war was over and Jamie already stopped his plans to burn the city. Just put the mad man in chains and leave him for Ned to kill. And also for the love of everything, tell Ned about the wildfire, that stuff is dangerous.

[Lee-Sensei]

4 minutes ago, sifth said:

Jamie, and I'm not even doing this to be a troll. I love Jamie, he's one of my favorite characters; but his "tragic" backstory, makes me feel nothing for the guy. Yea, he killed his king to save the city, but he also did it to save himself. Also why didn't he just arrest the guy? There was no reason to outright murder Aerys, the war was over and Jamie already stopped his plans to burn the city. Just put the mad man in chains and leave him for Ned to kill. And also for the love of everything, tell Ned about the wildfire, that stuff is dangerous.

I do have sympathy for Jaime and I think that in another timeline, he'd have been a good guy with a clean record by Westerosi standards. I also like the character. He's funny, badass and interesting. But his backstory was never that tragic to me. Unlike Tyrion or even Cersei, Jaime was the golden child. The favorite of Tywin Lannister... the richest and most powerful Lord in the realm. He's one of the most gorgeous men in the world, one of the greatest warriors of all time and well liked by most people (before the Sack of Kings Landing).

Edited September 22, 2023 by Lee-Sensei

[Sir Tumbleweed]

 

46 minutes ago, sifth said:

Jamie, and I'm not even doing this to be a troll. I love Jamie, he's one of my favorite characters; but his "tragic" backstory, makes me feel nothing for the guy. Yea, he killed his king to save the city, but he also did it to save himself. Also why didn't he just arrest the guy? There was no reason to outright murder Aerys, the war was over and Jamie already stopped his plans to burn the city. Just put the mad man in chains and leave him for Ned to kill. And also for the love of everything, tell Ned about the wildfire, that stuff is dangerous.

I don't consider Jaime to be a tragic character. He was born with a silver spoon (gold spoon?) and spent most of his life just going with the flow. Alot of his actions are selfish but he tries to disguise them as moral after the fact, like when he pats himself on the back for never cheating on Cersei while ignoring all the other far reaching consequences of the relationship.

[Craving Peaches]

9 hours ago, Terrorthatflapsinthenight9 said:

I have 0 sympathy for Cersei who has been a rotten apple since her childhood, with her abuse of Tyrion from his birth, her cruelty as a child and her murder of her friend. 

Same. I did not feel any when she had to do the Walk either. Karmic retribution for all those babies she murdered.

[Son of Man]

Jaime Lannister, Jon Snow, Robb Stark,and Robert Baratheon.

[Walda]

Aegon. Or FAegon, if you prefer. He seems like a decent enough young man, but waging war on Westeros because the Iron Throne is your birthright? It is idiotic and hateful. Tyrion purs the idea into his head, and he goes for it.

Jon Con runs with it because he was always a bit hot-headed and hasty, and the greyscale just made him hastier. That's another suffering exile I don't have much time for.

Jorah Mormont the self-pitying slaver, Lord Rickard Karstark who killed boys under the protection of his King and liege in order to prolong the war so he could plunder some wealth from the South. Don't have a lot of time for his grief, either (especially as he seemed to care less than Roose Bolton did for Harrion's fate).

Quentyn Martell, dragonthief. "had played the wineseller but the mummery had chafed at him". And even when he was committed to the role, Garin’s mother had seen him at the Planky Town, she knew her prince was not a merchant. Honestly, the whole scheme is a clueless princeling's arrogance and self-aggrandizement, and it is difficult to feel sorry for him even as he pays the price for stupidly unleashing the dragons. I actually feel more sorry for the former residents of the pyramids of Hazkar, Yerizan and Uhlez, and the half-hundred freedmen slain by the sons of the harpy when they see such an obvious symptom of the breakdown in law and order since their Queen left.

Not blaming Quent for the harpy's sons, though. Barry deserves a bit of side-eye here for deposing the King. But at least he had a plan for government in Hizdhar's absence. The governance of Dany's people hasn't figured in any of Quentyn's plans. Well, thankfully he won't be ruling any kingdoms.

 

[Kal-L]

I'll spare the obvious one such as Cersei who has now been turned into a paragon of virtue and the victim of masculine society by certain fans.

No, I'll go with a more controversial one with the end of Rhaegar of Dragonstone, the prince who played with fire and burned himself as well as his entire family with it. I admit I'm particularly satisfied with the turn that took the Rebellion with a family who entertain the idea that they were gods and got a hard reality crash about the actual extent of their power.

I would love to know how Rhaegar took the news of 35 000 men wainting for him to come out of his hole to take his head as much as I'd love to read the reaction of his lapdogs kingsguards when they realized that their prince had died at the hands of the man he had slighted, that their plan was a total failure and they were the main actors of the fall of the Targaryen dynasty that had lasted almost 300 years through 17 kings.

Another one would be Jon Connington, I have absolutely zero sympathy for that zealous asshole and wish for him to fail hard in his quest at "redemption".

[Craving Peaches]

2 minutes ago, Kal-L said:

I'll spare the obvious one such as Cersei who has now been turned into a paragon of virtue and the victim of masculine society by certain fans.

No, I'll go with a more controversial one with the end of Rhaegar of Dragonstone, the prince who played with fire and burned himself as well as his entire family with it. I admit I'm particularly satisfied with the turn that took the Rebellion with a family who entertain the idea that they were gods and got a hard reality crash about the actual extent of their power.

I would love to know how Rhaegar took the news of 35 000 men wainting for him to come out of his hole to take his head as much as I'd love to read the reaction of his lapdogs kingsguards when they realized that their prince had died at the hands of the man he had slighted, that their plan was a total failure and they were the main actors of the fall of the Targaryen dynasty that had lasted almost 300 years through 17 kings.

Another one would be Jon Connington, I have absolutely zero sympathy for that zealous asshole and wish for him to fail hard in his quest at "redemption".

Yes. I agree. Especially Jon Con. Rhaegar the Overrated threw away a superior position on the battlefield for no good reason, he probably thought he was some messiah and learned the hard way he wasn't/

[Odej]

Barbrey Dustin. Do I understand the reasons why she hates the Starks? Yes. Do I want Manderly and Stannis to display her head on the walls of Winterfell alongside the Boltons and Freys? YES.

[Lee-Sensei]

I could generally start feeling bad for Cersei if she either tarted to feel remorse for her misdeeds and/or was trying to be a better person, but I don't expect that to really happen. If Margaery had been forced to do a Walk of Shame, is there any doubt that Cersei wouldn't have watched and laughed about it?

[SaffronLady]

7 hours ago, Son of Man said:

Jon Snow, Robb Stark

Alliser Thorne, Janos Slynt, Merrett Frey.

[kissdbyfire]

21 minutes ago, Kal-L said:

I'll spare the obvious one such as Cersei who has now been turned into a paragon of virtue and the victim of masculine society by certain fans.

Yes, amazing, isn’t it? Cersei the Virtuous has now taken her rightful place in the gallery of the Best & Brightest that Westeros has to offer. And she’s in good company, standing next to Ramsay the Misunderstood, Janos the Just, Walder the Honourable, and many other upstanding citizens.