Is Arya the main character?

[Skahaz mo Kandaq]

Arya doesn't like you either.

Then I guess I had better watch out for a little runty Faceless Man stalking me at the mall.

[Mulled Wino]

If by "main", you mean "best, then the answer is yes.

[Rhaegar Targaryen's Ghost]

just some fun notes, over the 5 book span the number of times a character is mentioned and number of POV's is broken down like this:

Jon: 3,009 times--- 42

Tyrion: 2,932 times---46

then a huge jump to

Arya: 1,767---33

Jaime:1,701---17

Dany:1,594---31

Sansa:1,524---24

Bran:1,439---21

Eddard:1,367---15

Catelyn:1,229---25

thennnn Cersei with 1,180--- 10

so idk how you guys have Dany over Tyrion, or Cersei as high as you do. Its the Tyrion thats crazy to me. #1 pov, #2 mentions.

[Garlan Marius]

Nice post, Rhaegar's Ghost. Never seen it broken down that way.

I think it comes down to different definitions of what it means to be "main character."

[Kittykatknits]

She's one of the main characters but not the main character. I think Dany/Jon/Tyrion are probably the closest to main characters with the Stark children followed very closely behind.

I'd also add that I think all the important characters were introduced within the first two books of the series. That includes Theon, Jaime, Sam, Brienne, Stannis, Davos, and so on. These are the characters we are seeing with the richest story arcs and the most character development. Those that appear later, like the Damphair and Jon C. exist primarily to move the plot along.

[The Sleeper]

Well, she's the main character for me. 5 five chapters in two books are way too few.

As much as I idslike him. Stannis is a top tier character. Somehow, somewhere most of the story arcs involve him.

[Silverx2]

I think of Arya the same way i think of bastion in the never ending story, Ultimately she is the key to everything.

[Rhaegar Targaryen's Ghost]

Nice post, Rhaegar's Ghost. Never seen it broken down that way.

I think it comes down to different definitions of what it means to be "main character."

yeah, i think it has to be a balance between the povs and mentions, because dany has a few less mentions, but way more povs then Jaime. stuff like that.

[summer_stark]

just some fun notes, over the 5 book span the number of times a character is mentioned and number of POV's is broken down like this:

Jon: 3,009 times--- 42

Tyrion: 2,932 times---46

then a huge jump to

Arya: 1,767---33

Jaime:1,701---17

Dany:1,594---31

Sansa:1,524---24

Bran:1,439---21

Eddard:1,367---15

Catelyn:1,229---25

thennnn Cersei with 1,180--- 10

so idk how you guys have Dany over Tyrion, or Cersei as high as you do. Its the Tyrion thats crazy to me. #1 pov, #2 mentions.

I think the Dany thing is due to the fact that in terms of "mentions" she's the only POV in her world (except when the 1-offs come in -- selmy/quentyn), so it's not like there are a lot of people around to talk about her. And her war is so far away that no one hears much about it; whereas Tyrion was in KL in a role central to the realm.

But, I don't think that means he is more of a main character than Dany (though I like him much more than I like her and I'd be happy if the Dothraki shot an arrow and killed her right after the end of her last chapter in ADWD...).

As for POV chapter=main character, I guess that's one way to look at it, but I think of it more in terms of their impact on the larger story (or potential impact, I suppose).

[SerStinger]

just some fun notes, over the 5 book span the number of times a character is mentioned and number of POV's is broken down like this:

Jon: 3,009 times--- 42

Tyrion: 2,932 times---46

then a huge jump to

Arya: 1,767---33

Jaime:1,701---17

Dany:1,594---31

Sansa:1,524---24

Bran:1,439---21

Eddard:1,367---15

Catelyn:1,229---25

thennnn Cersei with 1,180--- 10

so idk how you guys have Dany over Tyrion, or Cersei as high as you do. Its the Tyrion thats crazy to me. #1 pov, #2 mentions.

Wow you must have gone through a lot of effort to compile that, I suggest you start a new topic for this to get more attention and maybe it leads to interesting discussions.

[Crown]

I'm not a big Arya fan since she left Westeros.

[Kittykatknits]

As for POV chapter=main character, I guess that's one way to look at it, but I think of it more in terms of their impact on the larger story (or potential impact, I suppose).

I agree. To me, the story is about the Starks and the threat of the Others. I don't think looking at number of POVs or mentions tells quite enough. Some characters have less POVs but their chapters tend to be very long while other characters have the opposite.

[The Sleeper]

just some fun notes, over the 5 book span the number of times a character is mentioned and number of POV's is broken down like this:

Jon: 3,009 times--- 42

Tyrion: 2,932 times---46

then a huge jump to

Arya: 1,767---33

Jaime:1,701---17

Dany:1,594---31

Sansa:1,524---24

Bran:1,439---21

Eddard:1,367---15

Catelyn:1,229---25

thennnn Cersei with 1,180--- 10

so idk how you guys have Dany over Tyrion, or Cersei as high as you do. Its the Tyrion thats crazy to me. #1 pov, #2 mentions.

I think you have to go at it a bit different. Most POV's follow events. In Jon's, Stannis's and Dany's case POV's and events follow them.

[Blisscraft]

Great list RT. That's amazing.

Sometimes characters are more about quality than quantity.

[Garlan Marius]

Wow you must have gone through a lot of effort to compile that, I suggest you start a new topic for this to get more attention and maybe it leads to interesting discussions.

I agree. "Number of mentions/ chapters" would be a great topic.

[Rhaegar Targaryen's Ghost]

thanks SerStinger. i posted a new thread

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/70587-measuring-the-most-important-characters/

[total1402]

Bran is the main character. Its why he is the first POV. He is Frodo.

Dany is Aragon "with teats" and dragons. Or possibly Sauron depending on your POV.

[mcb]

just some fun notes, over the 5 book span the number of times a character is mentioned and number of POV's is broken down like this:

Jon: 3,009 times--- 42

Tyrion: 2,932 times---46

then a huge jump to

Arya: 1,767---33

Jaime:1,701---17

Dany:1,594---31

...

As for the first number, did you just count words' occurrences? Because Jon is the one main character without unique first name, Jon Arryn, and later Jon Connington were mentioned quite a few times.

[Pod The Impaler]

I don't think there is a single main character.

I would tend to agree. There may be tiers, and she is one of the top tier. Speaking of which...

Tier 1- Tyrion, Jon, Dany, Arya

Tier 2- Bran, Catelyn, Sansa, Cersei

Tier 3- Jaime, Davos, Theon,

Tier 4- Eddard, Stannis, Sam, and Robb

Tier 5- Brienne, Littlefinger, Varys

Tier 6- A lot of others who we hear a ton about, Tywin, Jorah, the Hound, Joffrey... etc.

obviously there is no right or wrong answer, but this is the way i would set it up

I might add Bran and Sansa as tier 1 characters, but then also I would not have as many tiers.

[Faint]

There are basically six main characters, with the trinity of Jon, Tyrion and Daenerys occupying the top shelf, and the trinity of Starks occupying the shelf right below (i.e., Arya, Bran and Sansa).

Those six are immortal until the final book; everyone else is expendable and can die at any time.