Asha is one of the most likeable characters in this entire series!

[Caris]

Seriously. She's great. In addition to being strong, and intelligent, and a good leader, she is the only non-insane Greyjoy. But I agree with J Keats: the only one left with her father or no, her character seems unlikely in the context of the Iron Islands. I will thoroughly enjoy her chapters regardless.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

She's not hugely interesting to me, however.

I find her interesting because she was raised in and is a product of this harsh, brutal, misogynistic society, but is still somehow smart, moral, tough and whatnot. She earned the respect of her countrymen and her crew by being a competent and skilled commander. You can tell she inspires genuine loyalty in people — look how guys like Tristifer Botley give up their inheritances in order to follow her.

[Lady Arianne Martell]

I find her interesting because she was raised in and is a product of this harsh, brutal, misogynistic society, but is still somehow smart, moral, tough and whatnot. She earned the respect of her countrymen and her crew by being a competent and skilled commander. You can tell she inspires genuine loyalty in people — look how guys like Tristifer Botley give up their inheritances in order to follow her.

I find her interesting because she keeps her light humor but is serious when she needs to be. She isn't cruel, and she still manages to fit in with the Iron Islanders. She made Iron Men WANT to follow her for more than just sex; she made men respect her in a heavily chauvinistic and male dominated society. That, in-of-itself, is amazing because Cersei did it through sex and title, Dany did it through dragons, and Brienne does it through brute force.

Asha has done it as a leader, as a politician, and as a speaker. That's something that very few women in Westeros can do.

[FuzzyJAM]

I find her interesting because she was raised in and is a product of this harsh, brutal, misogynistic society, but is still somehow smart, moral, tough and whatnot. She earned the respect of her countrymen and her crew by being a competent and skilled commander. You can tell she inspires genuine loyalty in people — look how guys like Tristifer Botley give up their inheritances in order to follow her.

Hm. . .I guess it would be more accurate to say I find her characterisation fairly uninteresting, not her character itself.

I mean, it's interesting to see a surprisingly decent human being come from a terrible culture and family background, but that hasn't been explained or explored at all and is simply how things are.

[salt]

She's awesome. Loved her ADWD chapters.

[Lady Arianne Martell]

Yara Greyjoy, However, looks like a slab of meat.

I'm sorry, this is mean of me, but WHY did they give her such terrible looks on the show? The actress herself could be pretty, but they made her look like a bridge troll.

That is NOT asha -__-

[Faint]

I find her interesting because she was raised in and is a product of this harsh, brutal, misogynistic society, but is still somehow smart, moral, tough and whatnot. She earned the respect of her countrymen and her crew by being a competent and skilled commander. You can tell she inspires genuine loyalty in people — look how guys like Tristifer Botley give up their inheritances in order to follow her.

I agree with your general point but using Botley is an example isn't the least bit convincing. He simply wants to get into her pants. There are untold armies of men who've given up more than that for far lesser women. In the current example, even if Asha was a terrible leader and incompetent commander, Tris Botley may have still given up his inheritance to follow her.

[deadphoenix]

Yara Greyjoy, However, looks like a slab of meat.

I'm sorry, this is mean of me, but WHY did they give her such terrible looks on the show? The actress herself could be pretty, but they made her look like a bridge troll.

That is NOT asha -__-

I doubt a woman in charge of leading raids is going to have time be made to look pretty...Yara on the show looks fine to me...I just don't understand why they changed her name. Did they really think people would confuse two characters who have similar names who are never in the same scenes together?

[Lady Arianne Martell]

I doubt a woman in charge of leading raids is going to have time be made to look pretty...Yara on the show looks fine to me...I just don't understand why they changed her name. Did they really think people would confuse two characters who have similar names who are never in the same scenes together?

She looks NOTHING like Asha in the books though. Asha is supposed to be...different than that haha...

[PatrickStormborn]

I find her interesting because she keeps her light humor but is serious when she needs to be. She isn't cruel, and she still manages to fit in with the Iron Islanders. She made Iron Men WANT to follow her for more than just sex; she made men respect her in a heavily chauvinistic and male dominated society. That, in-of-itself, is amazing because Cersei did it through sex and title, Dany did it through dragons, and Brienne does it through brute force.

Asha has done it as a leader, as a politician, and as a speaker. That's something that very few women in Westeros can do.

Asha also did it because of her position as Balon's de-factor heir, however. Cersei was never valued by Tywin as anything other than Queen, and Dany was an exiled child with no claim to power after the death of her husband. I don't want to devalue Asha's character, but I doubt she would have many men respecting her if she had lived Dany or Brienne's lives.

[Lady Arianne Martell]

Asha also did it because of her position as Balon's de-factor heir, however. Cersei was never valued by Tywin as anything other than Queen, and Dany was an exiled child with no claim to power after the death of her husband. I don't want to devalue Asha's character, but I doubt she would have many men respecting her if she had lived Dany or Brienne's lives.

You're right, but I also think Asha's personality and area helps. She's so salty and piratey, it works with the ironborn.

[Cressit]

Yara Greyjoy, However, looks like a slab of meat.

I'm sorry, this is mean of me, but WHY did they give her such terrible looks on the show? The actress herself could be pretty, but they made her look like a bridge troll.

That is NOT asha -__-

Wow - that's pretty harsh. I really don't think that GoT Yara was unattractive - I don't get the criticism.

Asha may be my favorite adult woman in the books for almost all of the same reasons people have given above. GRRM lets us see her in so many situations (in battle with her men, with different members of her family, in political situations, in bed, as a prisoner, etc.) that a reader has a real opportunity to form a bond with her (or a distaste for her I suppose). I want her to survive the series and rule the Iron Islands, happily widowed.

[Gingerly Grumkin]

Smart? The only reason she lost the Kingsmoot is because she had to compete with fricking Crows Eye dragons

No one could have won that.

Funny? Still funny.

Sexy? Victarion, Theon, many men in the series have had boners cuz of her her, big nose or NOT.

Powerful? She still asserts her dominance in interactions, whether she lost or not. She's a powerful woman. Shes not a meek one.

Humane? How is cheating, making enemies with uncles, or fooling around considered inhumane? WTF.

Theon CONDONED the killing. Ramsay ASKED him first.

Theon AGREED to it. Theon takes that blame.

Smarts. For sure she lost the Kingsmoot on some bullshit (though she gave into Vic before Euron came), but that doesn't proove her intelligence

Funny. Yeah, still funny. But that doesn't make her a non Greyjoy. Theon's mad funny, as is...hmmm. Reek's funny.

Sexy, All right I'll give into that also, even if she doesn't look good she's got something to her

Powerful. She's more powerfull then Sansa's Septa, but not as powerfull as Cersei or Cat. She's an Ironborn princess that can only be defeated by wolves and stags (like all other Greyjoys)

Humane. She's ironborn, she lets her soldiers get saltwives she tricks Theon when they first meet, then she gives him a look of disgust, she usurps, she's...Ironborn

She wasn't even AT her wedding...

THIS.

How is Asha inhumane? Monsieur, your logic is whack.

Whack! :D . For sure, she never met her husband, but still... (not that i really care, Asha can do what she pleases)

I love Asha but she's Iron to the core

[salt]

I hope that in TWOW we will learn more about the seal that stood proxy for Asha at her 'wedding'. What's its agenda? Is it being warged by Bloodraven, or is it simply a secret Targ in the employ of Littlefinger?

[Lady Arianne Martell]

Smarts. For sure she lost the Kingsmoot on some bullshit (though she gave into Vic before Euron came), but that doesn't proove her intelligence

Funny. Yeah, still funny. But that doesn't make her a non Greyjoy. Theon's mad funny, as is...hmmm. Reek's funny.

Sexy, All right I'll give into that also, even if she doesn't look good she's got something to her

Powerful. She's more powerfull then Sansa's Septa, but not as powerfull as Cersei or Cat. She's an Ironborn princess that can only be defeated by wolves and stags (like all other Greyjoys)

Humane. She's ironborn, she lets her soldiers get saltwives she tricks Theon when they first meet, then she gives him a look of disgust, she usurps, she's...Ironborn

Whack! :D . For sure, she never met her husband, but still... (not that i really care, Asha can do what she pleases)

I love Asha but she's Iron to the core

-_____-

That's just being coy and smart thats NOT being inhumane.

Inhuman is Gregor Clegane...

Kingsmoot shows her smarts off because she had a logical and well thought out argument that looked at the future.

She's proved time and time again that she can think well.

She's powerful because she's a woman in a mans world still doing what she pleases.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

I agree with your general point but using Botley is an example isn't the least bit convincing. He simply wants to get into her pants. There are untold armies of men who've given up more than that for far lesser women. In the current example, even if Asha was a terrible leader and incompetent commander, Tris Botley may have still given up his inheritance to follow her.

Fair enough. :P

I doubt a woman in charge of leading raids is going to have time be made to look pretty...Yara on the show looks fine to me...I just don't understand why they changed her name. Did they really think people would confuse two characters who have similar names who are never in the same scenes together?

I agree. I have no problem with how she looks on the show. For pete's sake, she's a warrior-culture woman who's out on a ship most of the time. She's going to look a little rough. I've seen the actress in normal lighting, dress and makeup, and she's quite cute. But that's not Asha and the show reflects that.

[WhiteFawn]

definitely agree

shes my favorite in the whole series

[Lady Arianne Martell]

I apologize for insulting the show's actress btw.

I just feel it didn't fit the asha I had in my head.

[TheEvilKing]

Boring, cliched SASSY INDEPENDENT WOMENZ character written in to appeal to (not so) subtly appeal to MODERN WOMENZ.

Less please, GRRM.

PS: I have no problem with strong women characters, I love Arya and Arianne, and admire Cersei and Cat and Brienne, but Asha is a sickly stereotypical fantasy sympathetic tomboy. There's a character in Robin Hobb's Liveship Trilogy called Althea Vestrit or some such (a white since I read it) who is exactly the same character.

ETA: For my money TV Yara is much more interesting. Omg she's ugly!!!! So what? I'm as superficial as the next man. I like a hot piece of ass on my screen. But Yara's look suits the Ironborn perfectly. Omg she's not hopping around yapping about ridiculous catchphrases like "my dirk is my husband" or whatever!

Thank the Drowned God. Never change, Yara. You are one of the few improvements over the books in season 2.

[Lady Arianne Martell]

Boring, cliched SASSY INDEPENDENT WOMENZ character written in to appeal to (not so) subtly appeal to MODERN WOMENZ.

Less please, GRRM.

PS: I have no problem with strong women characters, I love Arya and Arianne, and admire Cersei and Cat and Brienne, but Asha is a sickly stereotypical fantasy sympathetic tomboy. There's a character in Robin Hobb's Liveship Trilogy called Althea Vestrit or some such (a white since I read it) who is exactly the same character.

I would argue that is not true at all.

Asha is different, she uses her feminine wiles when she has to and acts independent when she does as well. In addition, Asha shows complexity and depth when it comes to ADwD...she's very different from a stereotype in that book.