Most cowardly character(s) of the series?

[Queen Cersei I]

Though really quite hilarious, I think Vargo Hoat was quite the coward. He had to put Brienne in a bear pit because she scared him so much. (Or, okay, because she bit him and wouldn’t let him rape her. But, honestly, I really think it was because, the moment he realized she would fight back, he grew so terrified that he pissed himself, and decided that she must die ASAP.) I do kind of miss him though, because he was quite hilarious. Saphithes!!!

Janos Slynt is pretty far up there, I think.

Heh, oh yeah. To me, the lamest/ most cowardly thing about Janos Slynt is the fact that, during his dinner with Tyrion, he kept referring to himself in the third person. Speaking of "street cred," I think that’s a great way to lose a whole lot of it. The only way to lose more is to use the phrase, "I am of the night," non sarcastically. Yikes.

Cercei for wanting Lady to be killed instead of Arya's Nymeria. And for trying to kill all of Robert's offspring

Re: the first part-- not as nonsensical/ PURE EVIL!!! as it is presented as. A wild, nearly extinct animal attacked and seriously hurt her kid. Even if the animal "had reason" or whatever, Cersei herself still has damn good reason to want "the beast" dead.

As I said, the direwolves are wild, nearly extinct animals. One of their number has just attacked Cersei's kid. It could easily be argued that Cersei has reason to have all of the beasts killed, to protect her kids (and anyone else, including the Stark kids themselves.) Personally, I would have ordered to have them let go, in fear that they might attack someone again. The fact that Cersei has one killed is not exhibiting cruelty any more than parents of kids attacked by dogs are in insisting the dogs be put down. The text pulls out every stop to make Cersei look like a villain for doing what she did to the dogs, and succeeds wildly.

Re: the bastards. Clearly wrong, but I'm not sure why you claim this as an instance of cowardice. Also, contrary to numerous claims, not an act of cruelty for the sake of cruelty, either. Cersei's doing it to protect her kids, not randomly. Definitely and evil deed, but more evil than Tyrion having Symon Sylvertongue murdered and stewed for attempted blackmail? I don't think so. It was evil, but no cruelty for the sake of cruelty, as so many claim.

i agree these are shitty things to do, but some of them don't seem cowardly to me or dont make the person necassarily a coward.

RE: Theon and the miller’s boys—definitely cowardly.

I’m sorry, unless this is some sort of Wersteros version of “The Three Ninja’s”, in which the kids fight back, showing mad kung Fu skills capable of defeating men three times their size and four times their body weight, than I don’t think the millers boys stood much of a chance against Theon.

[Alexia]

RE: Theon and the miller’s boys—definitely cowardly.

I’m sorry, unless this is some sort of Wersteros version of “The Three Ninja’s”, in which the kids fight back, showing mad kung Fu skills capable of defeating men three times their size and four times their body weight, than I don’t think the millers boys stood much of a chance against Theon.

It was also done because Theon was afraid of the reaction he would get if it came to light that he lost Rickon and Bran. So yes, it was cowardly in addition to cruel.

[voodooqueen126]

I wonder why Vargo Hoat become a sellsword if he knew he was a coward.

[Adama cercei rahl]

The Freys who went to war for Robb, and then turned against him and possibly making the whole of the North their enemy by killing him?

Black Walder is definitely not a coward.

yes, still cowards, but stupid cowards.

[Glyn Tarvoke]

On the subject of who is the biggest coward in the series, I'd just like to point out Vince Lombardi's great observation "Fatigue makes cowards of us all." When evaluating bravery, it seems to me that People broken or under duress should not be judged by the same metric as someone acting from a position of mental and physical strength. As a corollary, one often sees folk bigger and stronger acting all tough--until the moment they are not the the biggest and toughest and then turn coward. IME, many bullies fall into this category. GRMM does play up the braggarts as coward theme.

Turning back to the books, among the male characters, I'd have to pick Joffrey and Mr. Blount. What tools. Among the female characters, my selection as biggest coward would be Queen Falyse and Lyssa Arryn. Overall, Queen Falyse is my selection as biggest coward. She thinks herself brave, is in a position of relative strength, but constantly acts the coward. (Come to think of it, maybe she has some things to be scared about but still).

[Young Wolf's Vanguard]

Freys, Boros Blount, LF

as for Sam - it takes courage to admit your cowardice, he is brave in different way

[Geddus]

I think Joffrey is the worst. Right after him Ser Boros, Janos Slynt, Robert (only emotionally), probably Theon, maybe Ramsay. I'd include Lysa Arryn but she's crazy.

Oh, and Walder Frey.

[Young Wolf's Vanguard]

Drey Dalt :D

[BrosBeforeSnows]

I think Joffrey is the worst. Right after him Ser Boros, Janos Slynt, Robert (only emotionally), probably Theon, maybe Ramsay. I'd include Lysa Arryn but she's crazy.

Oh, and Walder Frey.

Joffrey: Yes, without a doubt. Major coward.

Ser Boros: Most cowardly of the Kingsguard, perhaps, but their job description is basically "flesh shield". Anyone who's willing to sign up for that, for whatever reason, probably isn't a coward. A coward would never volunteer to risk his life to protect someone else. And even though Ser Boros hasn't given his life for the royal family when he had the chance, he's still technically risking it every day.

Janos Slynt: I differentiate here between douchebag and coward. Clearly, Slynt's a douche, but I wouldn't necessarily call him a coward. He did command the City Watch, which can't be a completely "safe" job, and he did betray Ned Stark, which, while dishonorable, does take a certain amount of courage to pull off. After all, had he made one wrong move, or hesitated, Stark's Northmen would've cut him in half. So douchebag; yes. Coward; no.

Robert: An emotional coward, certainly, but your emotions can't kill you. The King's army can. I understand your point (i.e. Robert couldn't face his fears, or his wife, or his kids, or just about anyone or anything), but his blatant disregard for his own self-preservation is what made him courageous. His excessive drinking was a part of that. Every time he got totally shit-faced, he was dancing with death, and so long as he woke up in the morning, he won his battle.

Theon: Even if what he did was backhanded and treacherous, he was still risking his life in battle. Much like Slynt, the odds may have been in his favor when he betrayed the Starks, but one false step could've cost him his life (as it pretty much did).

Ramsay: Ramsay's a boss, plain and simple. He may be a psychopath, but he's the exact opposite of a coward; a low-born, rape-baby bastard who, on account of his ruthless and cunning nature, has made himself

heir to the Dreadfort, Winterfell, the Hornwood and Warden of the North.

For a guy who was probably destined to mop splooge off of a whorehouse floor, he hasn't done too bad for himself. If he was a coward he would've either played lickspittle to Domeric, or would've wanted to stay away from his creepy, man-flaying father altogether.

Lysa: She may not be a brawler, but it does take a certain amount of courage for a medieval woman to poison her extremely rich and powerful husband. A more sheepish woman would've bottled up her resentments and behaved as she was told. Lysa certainly didn't do that. She may have been headstrong and determined for all the wrong reasons, but she was indeed headstrong and determined. Verdict: not a coward.

Biggest cowards

#1. Sweetrobin

#2. Joffrey

#3. Hodor

You can possibly throw Sansa in there as well, because unlike her aunt Lysa, she DID bottle up her resentments and do as she was told.

[BrosBeforeSnows]

Oh, and Walder Frey... a weasel, a douchebag, a POS, etc... but NOT a coward. Robb Stark or the Greatjon, or Grey Wind, or any number of Northern Lords would've made mince meat out of him at the RW had they been given the chance. He put himself in a very dangerous situation, and while the odds may have been stacked in his favor, he had no way of knowing whether or not he'd survive the night. Most old men don't put themselves smack dab in the middle of a bloody shit storm like that. Douchebag? Yes. Coward? No.

[Weasel_Soup]

Joffrey: Yes, without a doubt. Major coward.

Ser Boros: Most cowardly of the Kingsguard, perhaps, but their job description is basically "flesh shield". Anyone who's willing to sign up for that, for whatever reason, probably isn't a coward. A coward would never volunteer to risk his life to protect someone else. And even though Ser Boros hasn't given his life for the royal family when he had the chance, he's still technically risking it every day.

Janos Slynt: I differentiate here between douchebag and coward. Clearly, Slynt's a douche, but I wouldn't necessarily call him a coward. He did command the City Watch, which can't be a completely "safe" job, and he did betray Ned Stark, which, while dishonorable, does take a certain amount of courage to pull off. After all, had he made one wrong move, or hesitated, Stark's Northmen would've cut him in half. So douchebag; yes. Coward; no.

Robert: An emotional coward, certainly, but your emotions can't kill you. The King's army can. I understand your point (i.e. Robert couldn't face his fears, or his wife, or his kids, or just about anyone or anything), but his blatant disregard for his own self-preservation is what made him courageous. His excessive drinking was a part of that. Every time he got totally shit-faced, he was dancing with death, and so long as he woke up in the morning, he won his battle.

Theon: Even if what he did was backhanded and treacherous, he was still risking his life in battle. Much like Slynt, the odds may have been in his favor when he betrayed the Starks, but one false step could've cost him his life (as it pretty much did).

Ramsay: Ramsay's a boss, plain and simple. He may be a psychopath, but he's the exact opposite of a coward; a low-born, rape-baby bastard who, on account of his ruthless and cunning nature, has made himself

heir to the Dreadfort, Winterfell, the Hornwood and Warden of the North.

For a guy who was probably destined to mop splooge off of a whorehouse floor, he hasn't done too bad for himself. If he was a coward he would've either played lickspittle to Domeric, or would've wanted to stay away from his creepy, man-flaying father altogether.

Lysa: She may not be a brawler, but it does take a certain amount of courage for a medieval woman to poison her extremely rich and powerful husband. A more sheepish woman would've bottled up her resentments and behaved as she was told. Lysa certainly didn't do that. She may have been headstrong and determined for all the wrong reasons, but she was indeed headstrong and determined. Verdict: not a coward.

Biggest cowards

#1. Sweetrobin

#2. Joffrey

#3. Hodor

You can possibly throw Sansa in there as well, because unlike her aunt Lysa, she DID bottle up her resentments and do as she was told.

Hodor? Lol, he is a simpleton. He can't be judge by the same standards imo.

[StannisandDaeny]

Boros certainly deserves his spot.

Brown Benn Plumm is also pretty cowardly, methinks.

Renly's army (all of those who abandoned Stannis in the attack on Lannisport) are cowards to me. They wanted honour, they wanted glory in battle and all that stuff, but once the tables turned against them they fled like rats. That they would be routed from the field by a sudden attack I understand, but to lose all hope and give up on Stannis is just not right.

Walder Frey may be a coward, but I think it's more likely he's just egoistical more than anything and doesn't feel affiliated with any goal due to a lack of interest, he would prefer if there was no conflict or at least everyone would just leave him alone.

[The Red Crow]

Ramsay Snow.

Definitely.

Can't help but notice (Unless I missed something) that the only people he fight/bullies are those who are obviously weaker than him....."Reek", Jeyne Poole, the women he hunts....and when he has a chance to confront men face to face, he lies and cheats instead, killing them behind their backs through trickery and uses other people to do the messaging and killing itself.

I have yet to see him actually fight against someone his own size, persay. He taunts through letters and while sitting behind his men, but never actually goes up to a real fighter and goes against them himself.

He is a true coward. Just a sadistic dick who attacks and tortures only those who can't defend themselves.

Brown Benn is a good canditate too ^

[the Scorpion Knight]

Ramsay Snow.

Definitely.

Can't help but notice (Unless I missed something) that the only people he fight/bullies are those who are obviously weaker than him....."Reek", Jeyne Poole, the women he hunts....and when he has a chance to confront men face to face, he lies and cheats instead, killing them behind their backs through trickery and uses other people to do the messaging and killing itself.

I have yet to see him actually fight against someone his own size, persay. He taunts through letters and while sitting behind his men, but never actually goes up to a real fighter and goes against them himself.

He is a true coward. Just a sadistic dick who attacks and tortures only those who can't defend themselves.

100% agree

[Jamie Lannister]

Is Ramsay really that cowardly? Sadistic, abusive nutcase, sure, but he's pretty fearless when it comes to actual battle, swinging that blade of his into men like a "butcher's cleaver."

He jumps at the chance to lead the charge against Stannis, and he personally led his men in a rampage through the (numerically superior) northmen at Winterfell. Underhanded, sick, murderous, without a doubt... but cowardly? I don't think so. He could degrade anyone with his sick little fetishes. It takes a certain amount of balls to pull off what he's managed, I think.

ETA: Wow, that's coming dangerously close to defending Ramsay Bolton. I should take a cold shower...

[Ojji]

Sam is a coward. He even calls himself one, but I suppose some of you know better.

Theon wasn't a coward, only after Ramsay tortured him, he became weak and cowardly.

Ramsay Snow isn't a coward. I never even thought him as a coward. The fact he's a sick fuck and tortures ppl just for the fun of it, doesn't nessessarily mean he's a coward. Sending that letter was a ballsy move.

Someone even called Tywin a coward..

Also, Joff was a coward, but he was also a kid.

LF is no coward, the fact he hasn't faced anyone doesn't make him a coward, he know better. He's no fighter, but he is one of the smarters men in Westeros.

[Noimporta]

Ramsay is definitely a coward, for all the reasons stated in the thread. But the scene that really hammers the point is his meeting with Roose: After getting verbally smacked by his father, his first reaction is to tell Theon/Reek that he'd flay another of his fingers when he got him back.

[Jamie Lannister]

Ramsay is definitely a coward, for all the reasons stated in the thread. But the scene that really hammers the point is his meeting with Roose: After getting verbally smacked by his father, his first reaction is to tell Theon/Reek that he'd flay another of his fingers when he got him back.

Really? I got the exact opposite impression from that scene: that he's full of bravado and confidence to the point of stupidity, revelling in the knowledge that everyone knows how much of a merciless monster he is, regardless of how many enemies it makes him.

I suppose it depends on one's definition of "cowardly." When I look at Ramsay, I see a self-made monster... but certainly not a coward. Not quite.

[the Scorpion Knight]

Is Ramsay really that cowardly? Sadistic, abusive nutcase, sure, but he's pretty fearless when it comes to actual battle, swinging that blade of his into men like a "butcher's cleaver."

It wasn't meant as a compliment in the mouth of Roose. He means that even green boys find him easly fight

and being fearless is also a drawback

[MyDogIsNamedDanerys]

Senseless cruelty against the innocents is the epitome of cowardace. Robert beats his wife and bratty son instead of trying to parent his child. As others have pointed out Ramsey (and I think Roose) Bolton also fall into this category. And for this reason, Randyll Tarly is a much bigger coward than his son.

Another form of cowardice is the refusal to accept responsibility for one's actions. Robert Baratheon and Jorah Mormont are both weak and cowardly, in that they refuse to accept responsibility for their own failings. Robert never accepts, to the end, that Lyanna never loved him, and that he murdered children because of it. Maybe Jorah will turn around now he's personally gone through what he put those people he sold through... I'm not sure he will ever accept responsibility for lying to Daenerys for years or blame anyone but Lynesse for the failure of their marraige. But, I have hope (there was never any hope for Robert).