If Varys really serves the realm why did he...

[Mormont'sRaven]

tip off the Mad King to the fact that Rhaegar might be plotting an overthrow at Harrenhall? Surely, Varys must've been able to realize that Rhaegar would've been better for the realm than Aerys, no? So what gives?

[KJR the PR of TaFW]

i think he was thinking that Robert would be better..... mostly becuase Rhaegar wouldnt listen or trust varys

[Maegor the Cuddly]

Or he's a Blackfyre Loyalist, and Aegon's a Blackfyre. Causing a rift between Mad King Aerys and Decent Prince Rhaegar weakened the realm, sowing the seeds of discord that would allow Aegon to seize power.

[Tourniquet]

Varys' motives are still yet unknown. He might not be "all for the realm."

[StarkDragon]

I think the idea of Varys being a Blackfyre loyalist to be hilarious irony, seeing how he works similarly to BloodRaven who is a Targ loyalist.

[Stannis Eats No Peaches]

I doubt very much that Varys actually serves the realm.

[Ser Leftwich]

There is so much about the "Harrenhal-Rhaegar plot" and Varys's motives that we do not know that it makes no sense to make any judgements about it.

[Bright Blue Eyes]

Anytime Varys says something, I look at it from every side, analyze what he could get out of it, what somebody else could get out of it - and then I disregard it entirely, instead relying on a more reliable source. Which would be anyone except maybe LF.

The guy is a master manipulator. I don't believe one word he says is without second thoughts.

[Baelor Swyft]

I doubt that Varys has ever served the realm. He's always had his own agenda. Ned was just someone gullible enough to believe him when he said he served the realm. To one whose real agenda is mysterious, a lot of things can seem plausible.

[Young Nan]

Or he's a Blackfyre Loyalist, and Aegon's a Blackfyre. Causing a rift between Mad King Aerys and Decent Prince Rhaegar weakened the realm, sowing the seeds of discord that would allow Aegon to seize power.

This. He never specifies what "for the good of the realm" means to him.

[KOM]

Or he's a Blackfyre Loyalist, and Aegon's a Blackfyre. Causing a rift between Mad King Aerys and Decent Prince Rhaegar weakened the realm, sowing the seeds of discord that would allow Aegon to seize power.

I'd forgotten that he sows discord at HH.

But yeah, OP, why trust Varys's word for his motives?

[Lion of Judah]

What Varys says should never be held as the standard of truth, he has a horse in the race for the throne.

[Stoned Dragon]

Varys is all about timing.

I do think he is working for the good of the realm, I just don't know what the good would be. The only conversation Varys has had that I feel comfortable trusting is the convo that Arya heard between him and Illyio, and the major point of that conversation was that the time was not right for everything to fall apart quite yet. So I'd assume he told Aerys about Rhaegar's plans because him NOT reporting a mass gathering of Lords at a tournament plotting against the King would probably end with him being burned alive, and that the time wasn't right for everything to fall apart.

[FattyPeon]

I think we can take at face value everything he said to Kevan, because why lie to a dude you're about to kill?

[HouseHarrison]

Varys is a very ends justify the means guy. Keep in mind he says he serves the realm, but he killed Kevan Lannister precisely because he was stabilizing the realm and undoing the damage Cersei had done, which contradicts his/Illyrio's plans to have Aegon and the GC take advantage of the chaos.

[Swan Targ]

Varys is a very ends justify the means guy. Keep in mind he says he serves the realm, but he killed Kevan Lannister precisely because he was stabilizing the realm and undoing the damage Cersei had done, which contradicts his/Illyrio's plans to have Aegon and the GC take advantage of the chaos.

But killing Kevan is going to bring chaos,and that's what they want for Aegon and buddies to take advantage of

[Lord Freypie]

Varys is a very ends justify the means guy. Keep in mind he says he serves the realm, but he killed Kevan Lannister precisely because he was stabilizing the realm and undoing the damage Cersei had done, which contradicts his/Illyrio's plans to have Aegon and the GC take advantage of the chaos.

Serving the realm = putting Aegon on the throne for him.

My opinion is Varys know what is coming (long night), and think Aegon is the answer (promised prince, or just one they have especially prepared for those hard times).

Illyrio is eventually less honest and using Varys to put a Blackfyre on the throne, or he may believe the same.

[anon76returns]

Or he's a Blackfyre Loyalist, and Aegon's a Blackfyre. Causing a rift between Mad King Aerys and Decent Prince Rhaegar weakened the realm, sowing the seeds of discord that would allow Aegon to seize power.

If he's a Blackfyre loyalist then it should be pointed out that *his* Aegon didn't exist until after Aerys was dead. So the endgame of sowing said seeds could not be Aegon seizing power, though perhaps he and Illyrio figured they could produce their Blackfyre when the need arose.

[JonCon's Red Beard]

I think we can take at face value everything he said to Kevan, because why lie to a dude you're about to kill?

I agree. I think the whole "I'm doing it for the realm" was for us to think that he wasn't, that he was just using that to hide his "real motivation", and at the end, it was revealed that his real motivation was the realm indeed.

[Tagganaro]

It's funny to me how people always seem to take Varys at his word that he does indeed "serve the realm". Why? We've been given little reason to actually think this is true. Odds are Varys is flat-out lying or is delusional, not that he's actually truthfully stating outright (as he pretty much never does with anything) his intentions and actual goal.