Who Deserves to Rule Westeros?

[Queen Elsa]

<snip>

We should join forces :cheers: .

Appoint a rep from North,south,East and West.Plus elect a rep from the faith of the seven,Red Lot,Old God's,Maesters,Giants,COTF etc. Go all round-table with no one being the head and make the realm a republic.Booyah!

Republic of Westeros. Woot!

[Knight of the Teabags]

For gods shake.. why Stannis?

Before you get all the usual arguments about Stannis' various 'qualities' or not as the case may be, here's one that cannot be denied - his experience of actually ruling anything is vastly larger than any other of the potential claimants. Stannis ran Storm's End in Robert's absence (arguably initially with Cressen's help) since he was about fourteen till Robert's rebellion seven years later where he had prepared the castle well enough to successfully withstand a two year siege. That says a hell of a lot about Stannis' skills as an administrator and governor even as a young adult. Then in Robert's reign Stannis is moved to Dragonstone a foreign region and one loyal to the ancien regime of the Targaryens that Stannis' brother has just overthrown, however Stannis then precedes to rule Dragonstone for fifteen years without incident.

Also during this time he is the master of ships, the chief naval administrator for the crown. Stannis organizes the fleet well enough to decisely defeat the Ironborn at sea eight years into the job.

The evidence is that Stannis is clearly at least competent at ruling which you can't really say about any of the other major candidates for the Iron throne.

[silentwanderer]

Stannis and Daenerys together.

I've got to agree.

Aegon Targaryen and Arianne Martell if the first two are not available (a.k.a. dead).

[The Killer Snark]

A coalition between Patchface, Hodor, Moonboy, Butterbumps and zombie Jinglebell.

[Lady Nastja]

Daenerys, IMHO.

[zmflavius]

Hodor Hodor Hodor Hodor Hodor.

[Citadel_acolyte]

Stannis may be most deserving, but the point in moot. I doubt he will survive to rule.

[Citadel_acolyte]

Dwarves, bastards and whores.

[Leonardo]

Stannis deserves it but I have a feeling GRRM is gonna kill him off in the next book. I also feel he will put someone nobody expected on the throne maybe Gendry or Edric Storm.

This.

All of these characters that people love who have a claim will probably die fighting the Others or eachother, so finally it's just going to come to "PLEASE let's all just pick a king it doesn't matter who, grab that Edric storm kid, grab Trystane Martell put him there, anybody, because it's not going to matter in a few months who it is if we don't work together"

[roxWolfox]

All these points are marvelous, and the Iron Throne is superfluous if the Others start stumbling down The Neck.

As it stands, the only one to see the urgency in protecting the realm now, before going after throne is Stannis. At this point in the story, he is meritorious. Jon Snow had wanted to be a Stark all his life, and was offered Winterfell, but turned it down. He'll do the same (if he survives the recent event relatively unscathed) if offered the Iron Throne. Tommen's greatest goal as King is to ban foods he doesn't like. I still haven't figured out what Euron's endgame is, so can't speak about his worthiness. Outside of Stannis, the only one actively seeking the throne is Aegon. Whether he's the real deal or no, he's determined to claim it.

Someone somewhere (for the life of me I cannot remember on what site) said that the only way Dany can save Westeros is if she decides to rescue the Others. Right now, the way she's destroying everything she touches, I have to agree with that assessment. Maybe in two (or three) books, she'll have worked out all her issues, and started thinking about Westeros again. Only Mr. Martin knows for sure.

So.

Stannis...would be more competent as king than Robert, and be more benevolent with Davos as Hand. Without Davos, he's a no-go.

Jon...has never shown any interest in ruling the kingdom.

Tommen...has a prophecy working against him.

Dany...too busy growing up to worry about Westeros.

Aegon...groomed all his life to be 'the people's King', but believing he's entitled doesn't make him a sure bet as a king, especially with Jon C's 'condition'.

Euron...don't know. He's got big plans, but I just can't see him on the Iron Throne. Most definitely the kingdom would split apart and reform into separate kingdoms once more.

[Jehane]

Hodor, of course. His will be a reign of endless hodoring :D

Joking aside, this is a tough question. I'd like to see Dany on the Iron Throne but I don't think she's fit to rule and I don't think that right now she could unite the seven kingdoms. Sure, she has a claim to the throne. So does Stannis. I think he'd make a good king but he's just so rigid that it'd be difficult for him to persuade the people that he's actually their best choice. And it would be even harder for him to make people like him but I guess Stannis doesn't care whether people like him or not. Also, I agree with roxfox1962 - Stannis would need Davos as his Hand. They're a good team. I doubt that Stannis will be king in the end, though, I wouldn't be surprised if GRRM killed him off.

Other candidates... let's see:

- The Targaryen boy - nope. I can't help the feeling that he's a fake and even if he isn't I'd be very disappointed if he won the Iron Throne simply because he's been introduced so late in the series and we really don't know much about him.

- Tommen - nope. Too young, no claim once the identity of his real father is revealed. Also, I think he's got not interest in ruling, he's just a little boy.

- Jon - nope. I don't see it happening. He'd have to stay alive to begin with. Also, he's sworn to the Watch; even if he does survive I can't see him breaking his oath unless he's expelled from the Watch. In that case I think he'd go back to Winterfell. Also, he doesn't have a valid claim to the throne since he's a bastard (as far as we know right now).

- One of the Greyjoys - I think Asha might make a good queen but I also think she's perfectly happy with sailing the seas (if she survives, that is). I don't see her wearing expensive clothing and sitting the throne all day. Victarion - probably. Why not? He's kinda cool and might just pull it off.

- One of the Starks - no way. Bran will stay where he is right now, Sansa will become a politician but not a queen (and I think after all she's been through she wouldn't want to be queen), Arya becomes an assassin, and Rickon will rebuild Winterfell. None of them want to rule.

- One of the Lannisters - Jaime might make a good king, he's changed a lot but still has a certain hardness about him that would enable him to make difficult decisions. But I think he'd not want to be king. Also, the people would never accept him, being the Kingslayer and all. Tyrion has some experience in ruling Westeros but I don't see him as a king. Cersei is out of the game; also, there's that prophecy and I expect her to be killed off. She had her chance and blew it.

[Ser Oswell]

Stannis Baratheon.

But think there will be a new king in the North by the time it all ends ,Probably Rickon or Jon.

Dany doesn't look like reaching Westeros and even if she does i think she will screw it up somehow.

[theriveryeti]

I wouldn't be surprised if it was Jaime, at least for a bit.

[ApathyZer0]

I'm kind of surprised by the arguments here. Stannis is already dead, as much as that pains me to admit. Jon is dead and will probably warg into Ghost for his second life, Dany isn't going to westeros and I'm glad. Given the nature of the series it will most likely be Baelish, a Bolton, or a Frey.

[theriveryeti]

I'm kind of surprised by the arguments here. Stannis is already dead, as much as that pains me to admit. Jon is dead and will probably warg into Ghost for his second life, Dany isn't going to westeros and I'm glad. Given the nature of the series it will most likely be Baelish, a Bolton, or a Frey.

Believe the pink letter, do ya?

[Archangel of Winterfell]

I think it will come down to one of these four:

Jon Snow

Daenerys Targaryen

Stannis Baratheon

Jaime Lannister

I would put Arya on that list, but I think she will most likely be the Queen of the North by the time the series ends.

[Archangel of Winterfell]

Jon...has never shown any interest in ruling the kingdom.

Keep in mind that Jon has always thought himself to be a bastard. He would only be Lord of Winterfell if Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon die. However, if it's proven that he's the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna, that changes things, even moreso if he is also revealed to be Azor Azai reborn. While I think he'll be "dead" in The Winds of Winter, I think Melisandre will revive him.

[roxWolfox]

Jon had been given the opportunity to be legitimized by Stannis, and claim Winterfell as a Stark:

He did not understand why Lyanna [Mormont] should be writing Stannis, and could not help but wonder if the girl's answer might have been different if the letter had been sealed with a direwolf instead of a crowned stag, and signed by Jon Stark, Lord of Winterfell. It is too late for such misgivings. You made your choice. Jon I, aDwD.

What caught my eye was this, from Varamyr's prologue PoV:

"The world beyond the Wall is not for our kind," Haggon used to say. "The free folk fear skinchangers, but they honor us as well. South of the Wall, the kneelers hunt us down and butcher us like pigs." I think this counts as foreshadowing.

[Jaqen H'gcarl]

Keep in mind that Jon has always thought himself to be a bastard. He would only be Lord of Winterfell if Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon die. However, if it's proven that he's the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna, that changes things, even moreso if he is also revealed to be Azor Azai reborn. While I think he'll be "dead" in The Winds of Winter, I think Melisandre will revive him.

Does it, though? He'd still be a bastard, right?

[Mr.Sandman]

Hot Pie for King? (He knows how to bake bread, he can keep the kingdom soft and delicous...)

Tormund Giantsbane? (he could end every royale decree with "Har!")

Sweet Robin of the Vale? (yep definetly, best king ever)

But Really I think Stannis should have it, he played by the rules his whole life and got nothing for it (Renly got Storms End etc...). But more importantly, Stannis would rule, stannis would make it his self appointed duty to make sure every tiny thing was being done properly.

Robert allowed the Small Council to conduct its own meetings of "less important matters" (almost everything). I beleive Stannis would attend every meeting, listen to every complainatn from every farmer (he might tell them to hurry up, but as a Kingly duty he would obliege). Stannis would let the Throne consume him, he would eventually die of sleep deprivation/stress.

Stannis isnt perfect (lacks emotional stuff) but Davos as hand would make it better, and the Iron Throne would be covered in white dust that is all that remains of Stannis's teeth. But the kingdom(s) would be better, place: better to have a king obsessed with running a country than a king in it for glory/popularity.

Maybe Stannis should jump from the book into real life.....I'd vote for him.

also: Patchface for master of coin