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Davos - why is he so perfect?


ViennaGirl

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Davos' perfect awesomeness is balanced by the fact that he is incredibly boring.

I never found Davos particularly boring. As one of the few lowborn PoVs in the story, I find that he provides a perspective and experience that is lacking in many of our other windows into Martin's world.

Davos's PoV shows us one of the little contradictions of Martin's world -- that one of its most honest and moral men is a former smuggler. That isn't to say Davos is perfect; read the letter he writes to his wife while imprisoned in the Wolf's Den. He admits cheating on her while away from home, and agonizes about being a largely absent father and husband.

Davos is one of the few people characters truly possessed of actual humility and genuine dedication to Stannis for "making" him. He is one of the advisers I'd want to have if I found myself in a position of leadership in Westeros. He doesn't flinch from telling Stannis the truth and he stands ready to face punishment for defying his king in the matter of Edric Storm. I think the only way this could be boring is if someone just doesn't like good people, for whatever reason. He's one of the few characters who gives readers reason to hope that decent people can do something to make an impact in Martin's world.

Poor Davos seems to spend more time in a cell than just about any other PoV/major character barring Theon. It's darn near once per book.

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I'm definitely one of the biggest Jon fan-girls on planet earth, and yeah, my head would explode if Jon and Davos met. I think Jon is more goody-goody than Davos - I don't know what it is - maybe it's because he's younger? I love Davos' perspective on things. I can't even think of any flaws, unless too much loyalty to his king is a flaw. But I don't think that's even a flaw in a feudal society like this. Actually, I'm a much bigger Jon fan than Davos fan, and now I can't figure out why. Because Jon seems to have some kind of destiny, and Davos doesn't?

Well, Jon is special for me too, he was the first character I really loved and I always felt he was gonna play an important part in the story, it seems I wasn't so wrong about that. I really think Jon would admire Davos if they ever meet, despite his past as a smuggler, he is a good person who gives good advice and it's not afraid to stand up to Stannis when it needs to be done. I think he could be some kind of fatherly figure to Jon.

He'd be great on the Wall, but his poor suffering wife would have to die first, I guess. I can imagine him as LC - he'd kick ass.

I really want Davos to have a happy ending where he goes back to his wife and remaining children, he, out of all the people, deserves to have a happy ending.
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I don't know but it's annoying. Super good people generally annoy me, Davos fits the criteria. Also his decisions are ALWAYS the right ones, did Mr. Martin steal all logic/luck (mostly luck) from Cersei and shovel it into Davos?

Davos certainly doesnt think so. He blames himself for losing his sons. Davos contemplates suicide because of it, or at least just giving in and not trying to live any more.

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Davos certainly doesnt think so. He blames himself for losing his sons. Davos contemplates suicide because of it, or at least just giving in and not trying to live any more.

For one chapter. And in that chapter he's washed up on a spit of land with no food, clean water or shade. He also has dysentery. It's much easier thinking about taking your life when you're probably gonna lose it anyway.

Don't get me wrong though, Davos is a great guy. Just... too great for me. :P

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One thing I really like about Davos is that he manages to keep his moral principles and do the hard things necessary for that, without shooting himself in the foot unnecessary in the process.Ned could've used few lessons in that by him. ;)

Yeah true :) Mel only figures out what Davos is up to because she's some kind of sorceress, unlike Cersei who had her own personal crystal ball in Ned.

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I really want Davos to have a happy ending where he goes back to his wife and remaining children, he, out of all the people, deserves to have a happy ending.

yes...you know, I might even be happy if everyone else died, but the last chapter was Davos making it home to his little tiny castle and sweet wife and remaining kids. He adores his wife, so she must be pretty cool, too.

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I really want Davos to have a happy ending where he goes back to his wife and remaining children, he, out of all the people, deserves to have a happy ending.

Agreed. Although I think that happy endings are going to be in short supply when all is said and done.

I like about Davos because there is nothing particularly special about him - he is basically the common man. He is also one of the few characters with self-awareness. He understands his "place" in the wacky world of Westeros and recognizes that much of what is going on around him is ridiculous/unnecessary/insane. For me, Stannis is a better man because he listens to Davos. If I was "king", I would want Davos to be my Hand.

He's one of the few characters who gives readers reason to hope that decent people can do something to make an impact in Martin's world.

Well-said.

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But we generally don't think he has a great destiny, right? Isn't that kind of interesting? I'm trying to figure out why that is. I assume we R+L=J'ers think Jon has some bigger destiny because of (1) his mystery parentage, (2) all the prophetic dreams he or others have had about him, (3) he's the right age to be "The Hero," and (4) because, hello, white direwolf with red eyes.

Davos is the right type of character to "win," but we mostly don't consider him - even though he's a survivor, he's extremely brave and moral, and he's a landed lord (higher status, maybe, than Jon).

I sort of have to conclude Davos isn't in the running for Westeros Jesus because no one has prophetic dreams about him.

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I like that he's a self-made man. He came from practically nothing and, through loyalty and hard work and merit, was able to become a landed knight and provide a good future for his children. He had nothing handed to him — he's not the blood of a goddamn dragon, he's not a Lannister lion, he's not some pampered Knight of Flowers and he's not even a solid-but-still-nobility Stark. He put his money on Stannis and has continued and will continue to do so, come what may. How can you not admire that? :D

ETA: And no, I don't think Davos has some Westeros Jesus future in store. I think his idea of a perfectly happy ending is one in which he can go back to his wife and kids in one peace. That's it.

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Davos is a great character. Why couldn't it have been him at the Wall instead of Jon? He would have made a much more believable Lord Commander. And I don't like his Stannis-fanboy attitude anyway, so why can't he and Jon switch places? Jon and Stannis would get along fine, and Jon could still be all humble and conflicted about his bastard birth (almost the same as being a smuggler) and he would still have enough morality conflicts. There are even enough children in danger of being burned on both sides.

And then I could just have skipped the Jon chapters on re-reads and would have a wonderful time with the Wall and everything and everyone on and beyond it. Damn. I guess Rhaegar is to blame for that, too.

I know I am probably going to lose all my remaining favourite characters in TWOW, so please, please, at least don't kill Davos. I know Jon is nice, and a good kid, and will do a lot of important heroic things. I just couldn't care less. Davos is the man. Don't leave us with just Tyrion, Dany and Jon - the bad, the mad and the boring...

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