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The Height Hierarchy


MightilyOats

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I'm not sure if this has been done elsewhere (though it likely has, this board seems to have been around for awhile) but I think it'd be fun to list everyone, from tallest to shortest, and give approximate heights if you feel you've got it figured out.

For example, Brienne (by Martin's own words) is about as tall as Robert, who was a confirmed 6'6", but slightly shorter than the Hound.

So I've always pegged the Hound to be around 6'7"-6'9", but no taller. I'll say 6'8". That's also about how tall I'd say Dunk is. Closer to seven feet than to 6, and quite a bit taller than the vast majority of people he meets. There's also his being taller than even the Laughing Storm, who was so obviously a physical stand-in for Robert it was stupid.

Jaime and Renly are both described as tall men, though in both cases shorter than Brienne. So to them, I'd say about 6'2". Martin seemed to think of them as alike in physical size here: http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Brienne_of_Tarth/ and going off various descriptions that seems roughly accurate.

Victarion "towers" over other men, but is himself shorter than Andrik, who is described as a giant of a man. Victation I'd peg at 6'9" and Andrik at 7 feet.

Stannis is a weird one. Hes never been compared, directly, to either of his brothers but Jon describes him as towering over him. Stannis I'd say would be about 6'4".

So we've got Gregor at the top at a confirmed what, 7'10"?

Gregor Clegane - 7'10"

Greatjon Umber/Hodor/Andrik - 7'

Victarion Greyjoy - 6'9"

Sandor Clegane/Ser Duncan the Tall/Bronze Yohn Royce - 6'8"

Robert Baratheon/Brienne of Tarth - 6'6"

Who can fill in some more blanks? Eddard would have been what, 5'10"? So..."tall" but still in the average range.

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The tallest recorded man in our own time was 8'11", guess what never happened to his legs.

The current tallest is 8'4".

I'm fully aware that both had/have health problems, but actually the tallest person ever born that wasn't as a result of a birth defect was somewhere in the neighborhood of 7'8" I believe (going purely off memory here, could be wrong but it's close)

Angus MacAskill is probably the closest "real" example but even stories told about him are likely myth, or highly exaggerated. Check out stories of Andre the Giant from wrestlers who are still alive today and you'll see a massive parallel. Bret Hart and Hulk Hogan will both swear up and down that Andre was legit 7'4", when there's doubt he was even 7 feet tall at all.

Nevermind that we're in a fantasy series, and nevermind a bunch of other things.

You could just address the thread with your own suppositions of character's heights.

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There have been people who have reached 8 feet tall in real life. Gregor could be that tall.

But I have to wonder if you're making characters too tall. Just because Stannis towers over Jon doesn't even mean he's over 6 feet tall, much less 6 foot four.

I have no idea where you figure the Hound's figure from.

I think we should just stick to characters specifically outlined as tall: Gregor, Robert, Brienne, Dunc, Laughing Storm, Victarion, Andrik, Greatjon and Hodor. Please note that, realistically, in a medieval setting, 5'10" is pretty tall. Jaime could be that height and would have been considered tall then. Not that ASoIaF is all that realistically medieval...

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But I have to wonder if you're making characters too tall. Just because Stannis towers over Jon doesn't even mean he's over 6 feet tall, much less 6 foot four.

Stannis was always just behind Robert in everything, so his being slightly shorter only adds to that.
I have no idea where you figure the Hound's figure from.
It's a rough guess.

Martin says Brienne is shorter than the Greatjon, slightly shorter than the Hound, and about the same height as Robert.

We know how tall the Greatjon and Robert are, and the Hound is somewhere in-between. So...6'8". Pretty simple, and it's off by maybe an inch in either direction.

I think we should just stick to characters specifically outlined as tall: Gregor, Robert, Brienne, Dunc, Laughing Storm, Victarion and Andrik. Please note that, realistically, in a medieval setting, 5'10" is pretty tall. Jaime could be that height and would have been considered tall then. Not that ASoIaF is all that realistically medieval...
Martin specifically used Renly and Jaime as examples of men who are quite large, but still smaller and lighter than Brienne. He wouldn't have used them in tandem if he didn't view them as roughly the same.

There's also the fact that both Ned and Catelyn made reference to Renly being on roughly the same lines as Robert, though more lithe and less brawny. His looking up to Brienne also solidifies his being shorter.

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At Gregor's level of physical activity, and presumably with his muscle mass, 7'10" is definitely impossible. The feet, especially, turn into giant levers, and the bones of the feet break under the strain (see Yao Ming).

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My dusty old mind seems to vaguely recall some source saying that while medieval people on average were much shorter than the average modern person that members of the nobility had average heights comparable modern people. (we aren't more evolved, nobles just happened to eat better and thus grown taller).

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I always pictured Stannis as pretty darn tall. He's mentioned by Ned as being a big man. But I'd rank them in height order matching their ages from oldest/tallest to youngest/shortest. Renly is described by Catelyn as being almost as big as Robert, who we all know is 6'6". So Renly and Stannis could be the same height I guess, but I guess since he's a better warrior I picture Stannis as bigger than his younger brother.

Well, I believe that Ser Gregor was specifically described as being closer to eight feet than seven, so that's 7'7"-7'6" at the very least. That's not wholly impossible. Manute Bol was around that height, ditto Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq is a good example as he is heavy and strong.

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I had forgotten about that.

Ned going into detail how the brothers Baratheon (the elders) were all big men, and Hodor was, and the Hound I think may also be mentioned though I may be thinking of a different part.

Further contributes to Stannis probably being around 6'4".

It's such a close height to 6'6", but still shorter, so it contributes to Stannis' always being just behind Robert.

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I think we should just stick to characters specifically outlined as tall: Gregor, Robert, Brienne, Dunc, Laughing Storm, Victarion and Andrik. Please note that, realistically, in a medieval setting, 5'10" is pretty tall. Jaime could be that height and would have been considered tall then. Not that ASoIaF is all that realistically medieval...

That's a myth, especially for the nobles. Average height wasn't that much shorter in medieval times than it is in modern times. It's pre-industrial revolution where people got shorter.

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So if Hodor dwarfs all the Baratheon brothers that'd put him taller than six and a half feet. So is that taller than the Hound? I always pictured him as "muscled like a bull" which to me means a bit shorter. Although it is said in ASoS that Greenbeard and Lem can look him in the eyes, both big men admittedly. Sigh...I know its a trivial issue but I'd really like a height chart for all characters!

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So if Hodor dwarfs all the Baratheon brothers that'd put him taller than six and a half feet. So is that taller than the Hound?

Yes. The Greatjon and Hodor have both been called 7' legit, and Robert was 6'6" in the second Ned chapter.

Martin describes Brienne as obviously shorter than greatjon/Hodor, slightly shorter than the Hound, but about the same eize as Robert. So that would put the Hound at a bit taller than Robert, as well.

So 6'7"-6'9", but I go with 6'8" because of...nothing. It could be any of them.

I always pictured him as "muscled like a bull" which to me means a bit shorter. Although it is said in ASoS that Greenbeard and Lem can look him in the eyes, both big men admittedly. Sigh...I know its a trivial issue but I'd really like a height chart for all characters!
The Laughing Storm was also described as being able to look Dunk in the eye, but was decidedly shorter.

So that would put Lem at around 6'4"-6'6" (depending on where Sandor himself lies) and Greenbeard at more or less the same height as the Hound.

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Fair enough. Irregardless, Sandor Clegane is a burly manly man who kicks butt! The fight between him and Lord Beric in ASoS is second to none. Well, maybe his fight in the inn at the end of the same book. Now let's move onto the Kettleblack brothers. Didn't Sansa overhear some washerwomen in the castle saying how Ser Osmund is as big as the Hound but younger and stronger?

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