Why Did The Hound Have Soft Spots for The Stark Daughters.

[Citadel_acolyte]

The reason he had a soft spot for Arya is that he sees a lot of himself in Arya. At her age, Sandor also probably had a murderous unquenchable rage within him and tried to off his brother at any given moment. The Hound learned to control the rage as Arya had, and so I think he felt that Arya was sort of the daughter he never had. Arya saw the world as he did, which almost no one else did, so the Hound actually started liking Arya.

:agree:

Quite simply, he has a thing for young girls. Not just attraction. I think its true that he relates somehow to their vulnerability based on his experiences with his brother. He wants not only to protect Sansa, but to arm Arya in some way; to help her protect herself. Everything about the way he interacts with her suggests that he feels some kind of personal obligation to her beyond just personal gain. He is a complex man.

[Minsc]

He was a lower born version of Robert Baratheon in my opinion. Honestly I don't know how Ned and Robert ever got along.

How is Robert and Sandor alike besides their size and their ability to fight? Sandor seems like more of grumpy person, while Robert seems more like a outgoing and boisterous person.

[Leif]

Because they haven't done her any truly great wrong. If they had, then she would.

That can be said for 90% of the people in Westeros.

[Downright Daario]

There was nothing soft about his feelings for the Stark girls....

[ARYa_Nym]

Arya is far more like Robert than Sandor is.

[Jem]

Sandor both despised and was attracted to Sansa because of he could see her 'weakness' as being his own. Sandor was once an idealistic young boy who dreamed of being a knight and then his brother burned him and was never punished for it. In fact, Gregor was rewarded for being a monster by being knighted. Sandor became massively disillusioned by this.

People hate it when they can see their own perceived weaknesses in other people. Sandor wanted to punish Sansa for her naive and idealistic nature because Sandor was once punished for having these same qualities. At the same time he also wanted to to protect and save her from the awfulness of the world. So it is a pretty complicated dynamic going on there - on one hand it's "Wake up to yourself you stupid child" and on the other hand it's "There, there let me protect you". Plus I think he was just straight up attracted to her.

Same deal - in a way - with Arya. Sandor could see Arya railing against the injustices of her life and becoming bitter and angry yet determined and strong. Again, I think Sandor could see a lot of himself in Arya.

Basically I think Sandor saw in Sansa himself pre-burn and in Arya himself post-burn.

[ARYa_Nym]

Because they haven't done her any truly great wrong. If they had, then she would.

How do you know? Kinslaying could be her limit. She cares about the pack a lot.

I think if she had been forced to marry Robert Arryn like the Hound wanted kinslaying would be a problem for her killing him. She may do it eventually but she would struggle with it first.

[SerJeremiahLouistark]

@MINSC neither of them really give a damn about anything, killing anyone doesn't matter and their own self interest is more important than anything.

[SerJeremiahLouistark]

KING Robert anyway, I know he cared about Lyanna, but what else except drinking fucking and eating?

[Lord_Tyrell]

Basically I think Sandor saw in Sansa himself pre-burn and in Arya himself post-burn.

Great post.

[AstronautMargaery]

Believe that Sandor is a good guy, even by reading the books I see him this way. He created the Hound persona for himself because he is bitter and has lots of repressed rage. He definitely wants to kill his brother but at the same time he knows he can't (Gregor is stronger or he doesn't want to go far as kinslaying). I do remember when reading most POVs that his appearance shocks and disgust lots of people, the Sandor we know is shown by how other people see him and they see an agry guy with a burned face.

And I believe he has soft spots for both. Sansa, the dreamy and frail girl and Arya the tough resentful girl, but still frail. He does want to be rewarded, because he knows how the things are in this world. He would be protected and rewarded if he gave Lady Catelyn's little daughter safely to her. He needs his damn cozy fireplace and not roam forever in the Riverlands

[Nausicaä]

He was a lower born version of Robert Baratheon in my opinion. Honestly I don't know how Ned and Robert ever got along.

That's an insult to the Hound. He does not leave a bastard everywhere he goes and forget them later; he does not delude himself; he does not make himself out to be some amazing warrior or try to glorify what he does like Robert who pines for his glorious youth; he has never to our knowledge raped a woman, etc. I am not forgiving of his murder of Mycah, but Robert is on a whole other level.

(I don't understand what Ned saw in Robert either. I guess he was starving for some company of his age at the Eyrie, but I don't understand how he had any fondness for him 14 years later. )

[ARYa_Nym]

Well you can be like a person and still not do their crimes.

Many like to say that Arya is like Catelyn but at the same time claim Catelyn is a good person. She's not a multiple murderer. Arya can have similarities to Sandor yet not be interested in kidnapping or have a potential to do the problematic things he did with Sansa.

Arya is a lot like Robert actually. Repost:

Catelyn said that to deny her anything and it becomes her heart's desire which is like #1 in Robert Baratheon's school of thought. It's the reason imo for his obsession with Lyanna. IIRC Cersei also tried to use it as a tactic to kill him.

They both like their brothels and prostitutes.

When they get mad they consider cutting off the person. Robert-Ned. Arya-Gendry.

They are both vengeful but take it to another level with being indiscriminate about it.

They both have the ability to make friends. The difference is that Robert makes friends of enemies although not those he hated (Targaryens).

They both willingly blind themselves or turn the other way to things involving family. Robert of Joffrey and Arya when she learned that Cat freed Jamie.

They both would rather go to Essos than do their highborn duty.

They both like hunting and killing.

They both give into their desires and temptation rather than be repressed.

Elaena mentioned that they both have intentional and insulting humor.

They both would be better off not marrying but a sexual appetite comparison is N/A given Arya's age.

Arya does not have his sexual appetite but she is really like no one in the series as she still shows a complete lack of interest.

[Amadeo78]

Sandor wasn't kind, but he did have a thing about young girls. Not in a perverse way, but his sister died mysteriously and it's heavily implied that Gregor killed her and his father. He jumps in to save Loras not really looking to protect as much as he hated Gregor and the accepted brutality he represented. With the Stark girls I think he had a chance to be around them and while he respected their youth and any innocence that went with it he also wanted to let them know, "This is how the world is", helping them in a way he couldn't help his sister. In comparison with his treatment of everyone else it seemed very kind. He still rode down an unarmed butchers son.

[ARYa_Nym]

Sandor gets called a mentor figure but I think he is mainly that for Sansa. He doesn't hardly teach anything to Arya that she doesn't already. She utilizes Syrio and Jaqen's teachings and used what they told her/did for her to help her but doesn't do the same with Sandor. He taught her where the heart is but he didn't know that she had already killed a lot by then.

[Ser Shaggydog]

They were there, he's attracted to Sansa's obliviousness.

right on with the obliviousness aspect...

[Booknerd2]

The truth is I think Sansa babied/enabled him a bit. And he acted like an ass because of it. She was courteous and her sweet self despite his threats, cursing, ranting, drunkeness, acting a fool, etc. And in a way, I think he was dazzled that she didn't tell him to go f*** off and die at any time, after the way he acted towards her. She listened, was more courteous, tried to understand, talked to him, gave some more courtesy, and he was drawn to her. I think when he actually fell in love with her later, his gruffness got worse, like he was mad at himself and fighting if. You can tell in the dialogue changes during their later interactions. Also, he is/was self-destructive. When she didn't cut him off or ignore him over time, I think he acted worse around her like he was trying to get her pissed off, and then he realized how good she was. Anything he did or said that was caveman/brutish wasn't going to work. Not with her anyway.

So the biggest nail to the heart was saying the very worst things he could to her, and what does she do? She cups his cheek. IT was the last straw. Sure he was disappointed that he couldn't take it anymore and was trying to kiss her and get a pathetic song, but she does the nicest thing ever. I am not sure he thinks he deserves it in a way. He took off the cloak, gave it to her, and left. I am not sure his being upset that she wouldn't look at him was the hardest and most confusing thing for him at that moment. Deserting the Lannisters was a biggie too.

ANd it made it worse for him. Nothing he could say or do was going to make this young girl be rude to him. And her cutting him off would have been better for him and he could have understood it more. I think it drove him nuts...and wild for her.

He never got over her. Poor Arya had to deal with him on the road bringing her sister up all the time, because like any young idiot in love, he has to keep making references to Sansa. I am sort of surprised Arya didn't lose it and stab him just so she didn't have to hear his Sansa comments anymore. His last words to Arya are of Sansa, and for him, he probably thought they were his last thoughts when the fever set in.

[Harold II]

Sandor is one of the characters who seems to be a good person at heart, but has been trapped in life by bad people around him.

He is bitter and angry because if it, but his true nature as a generally nice guy tries to shine through every now and then.

The lost/helpless stark girls have helped him to bring the best out in his character. If he is still alive on that island and he comes back to the main plot, I think we will see a stronger more just hound.

He is a little like Jamie Lannister in that regard. Done bad things, but really wants to be a good guy. And he may yet get his chance.

[Lord Bronn Stokeworth]

Seems like to me show and book wise Sandor had soft spots for both Sansa and Arya. Both for i am guessing different reasons. Did Ned show him kindness as child once or is he a secret stark sympathizer

Because they are him as a child.

Sansa is the little boy playing with the knight toy. He knows the brutality of the world doesn't fit with that fantasy, so he is torn.He both wants to protect and destroy that.

Arya is the brutalized boy who growing up drowning in his own hatred. He seems to understand her well. I get the feeling it makes him hate her (since he has a bit of self-loathing), and he actually wants to help her not become him.

[whitedog42]

I think it's because Sandor didn't really like Joff, and helping Sansa was one way to defy Joff. I do think he appreciated that she took his advice when he gave it to her. She certainly tried to treat him with respect. I think he regretted opening up to her, but she never used the information about his past against him. Maybe on some level, being in the Kingsguard was just a bs job for Joff, but the true meaning of being a member of the Kingsguard he realized with Sansa- he served someone who appreciated him, needed his services, and never asked for them, someone who might truly be worthy of ruling- I haven't decided about her potential as a Queen yet.

As for Arya, I think it was different; true, the ransom was a motivator, and possibly getting employed by the Starks had to be something he thought about, but I think he respected Arya because she spoke the truth to him. She was a child, but she stood up to him (and Joff) about Micah and other things. I think he knew she would be a ticket to some kind of better life if possible, and he could trust her to do the things he asked when they were traveling. I think he might have sympathized with Arya after seeing her to the Red Wedding, and understood that her scars were inside.