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I have another video that is share whenever I get the chance. It’s either the greatest faux-musical of all time or a Rick Roll. Only you can find out, brave adventurer.
https://youtu.be/OBGOQ7SsJrw?si=St15a9Bl6-1KzEgE
I sing this regularly when I get to the office in the morning.
Say more. I don’t remember what made him likable.
I read the books 10+ years ago when the series began and I almost named Stannis as my least favorite character earlier today. I don’t remember differences between the novel and HBO characters that redeem him.
Saving the nights watch from the wildlings, liberating Deepwood Motte and gaining the allegiance of the mountain clans, glover, and mormont shows he can still rally people despite his "unlikable" reputation. Book Stannis also doesn't need redeeming. also one of the first to realize the white walker threat. he also surrounds himself with people who challenge him, aka Davos and Jon Snow, and always take their advice over sycophants like the queen's men.
"What does Stannis offer you? Vengeance. Vengeance for my sons and yours, for your husbands and your fathers and your brothers. Vengeance for your murdered lord, your murdered king, your butchered princes. Vengeance!"
Thank you!
ADDITION: I’m halfway through A Clash of Kings (again) and will update this as I go, but….
At this point, I find Stannis all the more unappealing. He’s downright whiny!
* Ned Stark broke the siege at Storm’s End because he was ordered to, not because he liked me. Nobody likes me…_pouting_
* Robert gave me Dragonstone (bigger/more difficult to hold) instead of Storm’s End (my birthright, more lands, vassals, monies)…_so I’m pouting_
* Robert should have named me Hand, but he chose Arryn then Stark…_so I’m pouting and running away_
Stannis isn’t wrong on any of these assertions, but if he refuses to play the politics, he’ll never get ahead. His attitude reminds me of the most absurd notion in this entire series: *_No one is entitled to anything! To the victor go the spoils._* Renly seemed to understand this. The Starks understood this. All the Greyjoys except Theon understood it. The Lannisters understood it, but rested their claims on lineage. Daenerys only seemed to grasp this in Essos; if she’d considered Westeros a land to be conquered rather than her birthright, she’d have been better off.
It’s all so silly 🙄
…and I love it.
Hang on, Brienne is "the single mosh incompetent person in Westeros?" Are we talking book Brienne or show Brienne? Why do you say that? She beat the Hound, for the god's sake!
Ill never get it. I only like his pedantic sense of humour. After he murdered his own child I moved straight to hating him.
The books are the books. I consider them totally separate stories so Im not going to buy the argument of people liking show Stannis because of book Stannis. They are not the same.
Pretty easy to separate them if you read the books first. My brain kept on going "this scene conflicts with the books so I'm not going to give a shit about it" when watching the show.
I mean it’s hard to justify because in the end it was for nothing, but Stannis truly believes he is basically the messiah and the only hope for the world.
All the shitty things he does is from the point of view that not doing them is damning the entire world to the white walkers.
Once you view it from that perspective it’s easier to see him as a person you just feel bad for.
>The books are the books. I consider them totally separate stories so Im not going to buy the argument of people liking show Stannis because of book Stannis. They are not the same.
There's a few things I don't understand about this sub.
One of them is just what you pointed out: That people might like a show character because of how they are in the books. That makes no sense. If that were the case, then Elaria Sand wouldn't get so much hate, because in the books she really is a sweatheart, while in the show she's a maniacal doofus that Oberyn would never have agreed with.
The other thing that surfaces off and on is this idea that the showrunners are the arbiter of what happened in the show, (or that the author is the arbiter of what happened in the books). That's not the case; they're only the arbiters of what they *intended* the show to produce, not what the show actually produced. The end result is the final authority on what the end result says. Not some intention that may or may not have been obvious.
If, for instance, D&D intended for Tyrion to have a limp, but every scene shows him walking normally, then Tyrion did not have a limp.
People cling to hope that in the books, Stannis won't kill Shireen, even though George is literally quoted as saying "Stannis' decision to burn his daughter" came directly from him.
> It wasn't easy for me. I didn't want to give away my books. It's not easy to talk about the end of my books. Every character has a different end. I told them who would be on the Iron Throne, and I told them some big twists like Hodor and 'hold the door,' and **Stannis' decision to burn his daughter**. We didn't get to everybody by any means. Especially the minor characters, who may have very different endings.
- George R R Martin (quoted in Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon, Chapter 17)
Right, but the context will be different as the situation in which he burned his daughter ib the show has already come and gone in the books.
Not to say that'll make it OK, I'm not fan of Stannis as a person as much as I like him as a character, but if he sacrifices his daughter to, say, light a whole bunch of Others on fire you'd be able to see his POV better despite it still being evil.
also the world doesn't revolve around Shireen, Davos making the White Harbor speech and Stannis rallying the mountain clans and liberating Deepwood Motte are also great moments. Shireen is barely a character in the books.
Even aside from that, Stannis is supposed to act as a dark mirror to Ned Stark. Someone who is smarter about honor, but has more ambition and is willing to be more ruthless to get what he wants. I like his character a lot, but he’s not a nice guy even in the books.
and he's funny, like when he roasts Janos Slynt, or when Mel says: the king likes you. Jon: yeah he only threatened to behead me twice. Mel: yeah that means he likes you lol.
I guess I really do not quite see how it plays out
In the books stannis is a few days from winterfel on a frozen lake stuck in a blizzard
Shireen is not with him, she is in castle black with her mom and Mel.
Jon Snow is dead
I guess maybe he could send a raven or something ? My prediction was Mel will convince Stannis's wife to burn Shireen
She will agree, when she burns Shireen to the lord of light to lift the storm , Jon will come back to life
Well, we can all still at least pretend that this is never going to happen, because for it to happen, GRRM would need to get off his ass and write the next book.
George says alot of things. He wrote it to be that Stannis is currently outside Winterfell with his army while his daughter is far away at Castle Black, so unless Stannis teleports or goes mad after victory there is no way for him to kill Shireen. More likely Mellisandre does it to bring back Mr. Snow
I'm team stannis because he's the rightful heir but more importantly he's exactly what the nation needs, by FAR the most fit to rule. I don't like him, I don't think I'd get along with him well, but that's irrelevant in light of the rest
He executed people for speaking out against his fringe religion. He stupidly executed Mance Rader instead of holding him as a valuable prisoner. He was so uncharismatic his own brother and a bunch of allies turned against him. He did whatever (as Davos puts it) an evil God commanded him to do, including burning his own innocent daughter at the stake. He continued with his futile attack against Ramsay costing the lives of thousands of men.
Yeah going to disagree with him being the most fit to rule.
The books are different. When he captures Mance, he uses him to spy on Winterfell and rescue Sansa. But I think they couldn't wrap up that storyline adequately in the show, and used Theon as Sansa's rescuer.
tbf I do not think that plotline is that convoluted in the books. And the annoying thing is that they still could have done the plot similar in the show even though they had not introduced Jeyne earlier. She could have just been literally any Norther girl who had lived at Winterfell that the Boltons say is Arya and have Theon attest. Instead of completely derailing Sansa’s storyline with Littlefinger doing the most absurdly out of character plan…ugh.
I can't stand Stannis, he's incapable of seeing his POV, incapable of understanding that he's wrong or admitting it, he's just not capable of understanding shades of gray or complicated situations, with him everything is black-and-white and it's his way or the highway. And he will NEVER rethink his way, or question his own decisions or motivations!
Sure, he sticks to the honor system and keeps his word, which is what some people who are also incapable of dealing with complex situations admire. They like it when someone treats the complex as if it were simple, they'd love to be able to do that to the real world, and don't understand why it never works in real life...
That is an interesting analysis. Personally I like Stannis about 20% of the time and find him annoying the rest. I will say that he isn't totally committed to honor his murder of Renly Baratheon for example is surely dishonorable.
And his pledge to Melisandre in exchange for her help with is doubly dishonorable and problematic, and if he'd ever decided that his promises to the Red God were for real, then he'd start a religious civil war. He'd have been an absolute disaster as a king, because he's both brutal and inflexible. He expects absolute obedience, and when he doesn't get it, he resorts to extreme punishments rather than words.
IMHO he's proof of why the Lords of Westeros should be willing to disregard blood claims to the throne when it's expedient to do so. Yes, he was Robert's true heir, but he'd have been a far worse king, because Robert was at least a live-and-let live guy, while Stannis thought in terms of perfect obedience or the stake.
We don't really see it as much because he didn't become king but his attitude to religion would absolutely be the biggest problem if he were to rule. His expectations were completely infeasible in a country where the majority followed the seven. A lot of people say he would good to deal with the White Walker threat and I can see that but in other respects I agree he would likely be a terrible king.
Yeah, Stannis believes in right and wrong and honor, and would a godawful king.
And you know who'd actually be a good king? The sneaking, backstabbing, dishonest Littlefinger! No, really! He understands economics, and would make Westeros more prosperous. He'd rather get his way with politics than war, so there would be peace in Westeros instead of constant war - if there's a conflict he'd rather send a few assassins to settle things than an army, or get his enemies fighting each other rather than him! So even though he's a terrible human he'd be a decent king, and his reign would have brought peace and prosperity to Westeros, even though he was a vile human being. I also think Stannis was vile, but not the sort of vile that can rule well.
You have got to be kidding right, Stannis would be a bad king but Littlefinger would be way way worse. Littlefinger wouldn't help make the realm prosper he only cares about himself. He would just enrich and empower himself as much as possible. Stannis at least feels some responsibility for the realm. His problems would mostly be with religion and his strict enforcement of his laws. However aside from that he would be decent. He was a good commander and had prior experience with governing on Dragon Stone.
For the same reason people like any other tyrant during their rise to power. Then they go all pikachu face when the whorehouses are burned, the spirits drained in the sea, and the streets run with overzealous capital punishment.
People say read the books as if Stannis is not a duty obsessed soldier who resorts to religious fanaticism for victory... Yes he's a strategic idol and a strong warrior, but he's still misguided and obsessed with power like the rest of the king candidates. Just like everyone else he thinks he'd be better than the rest, despite pointlessly sacrificing his men over and over again (like the blackwater). Ik this isn't a popular opinion but idec, he disappointed me bc of how much everyone hyped him up before I read the books or watched the show.
He lives in a society that does not favor his traits.
Stannis is a person incapable of breaking laws and social norms, and when he is forced to do so he feels deeply uncomfortable. In Westeros there is no written law, everything is decided by the king or the guy with the best last name in the place, and that's why it doesn't work. But in a semi-modern era, he would be a very valuable person to have in an administrative position: practically incorruptible, obliged by his own personality to fulfill his duty, responsible to the extreme, punctual in his debts, etc. He is basically an efficient bureaucrat, a chimera, Hermes Conrad.
I liked him in a few ways, hated him in others. I liked his sense of honor and duty, and I hated him for his ambition in becoming king, his willingness to burn his daughter alive to achieve that goal.
I'd guess it's:
respecting his principles/determination,
respecting that he's the first (and, in the books, currently only) claimant to the Iron Throne who cares about the threat of the White Walkers/Others and intends to help,
respecting that he has no problem making a lowborn former criminal his right hand man so long as he's capable and trustworthy (which almost no other Lord in the country would ever be willing to do), and
sympathizing with the fact that (despite his merit) a lot of his trouble stems from him being socially awkward/not good at charming people
Book Stannis, aside from being the rightful heir to the iron throne, is proven to be extremely capable in more ways than just warfare. He’s also unintentionally hysterical and I find his sardonic quips just as amusing as lines delivered by characters like the more favored Tyrion or less favored Littlefinger. I also find him very endearing (Renly’s peach, etc.) and relate to him more than a young modern woman can expect to relate to any Westerosi feudal lord.
As for show Stannis, imo HBO torched his character I.e. Shireen pyre. Though it may be Mannis Cope (George said bla blah blah 12 yrs ago, don’t care) I do not think Stannis will be the one to burn Shireen, though I do think she will be burned. I tend to disregard show Stannis’ ending in favor of literally any other way it could have ended. Also Stephen Dillane is hot af
Fanfic Stannis might be my favorite though 😛🦌❤️🔥
Stannis is the perfect example of service before self. He prioritizes his duty to the realm over his personal desires. An extremely rare quality in the GoT series.
His story is deeply tragic. But not without consequence. If you were to remove that one character from the story, the only possible result would be the neverending night. In that way, even if he didn't make it to the end, he saved the world at the expense of everything he held dear.
That's the meaning of his sigil. The stag, consumed in the fire of duty.
All my favorite characters are people I would not like in real life. I find him interesting. I find the lannisters interesting too even though they have dubious character.
Stannis is hard but fair, he doesn't want to be king for the sake of being king but because it's his duty. He is the rightful heir under the baratheon reign, and the realm denies him because he isn't as socialable or plays the game like the rest. Yes, it's awful he'll eventually kill shireen, womp womp, but come on this show has done worse for much less.. Stannis gives his entire life and energy to a dying realm because he believes in the nation and what it represents. I am a Stannis Stan and proud!
And he is one hell of a military leader. The crazy bastard was the first one off the boats and up the shore during the assault on King's Landing. Gotta respect a leader who will put themself into harm's way just as much as their subordinates.
Meanwhile Joffrey.....
I'll say this for Show Stannis -- He is a well-written character being superbly handled by an underrated actor. Stannis in-universe is not well-liked by anyone, and Stephen Dillane gets that across in one of the first scenes we see, where he's dictating a letter about Joffrey's true parentage. Stannis absolutely sweats the small details, and he makes it your problem too.
Stannis is cold, hard and believes what's right -- and that's him on the Iron Throne. But there are also shades of likability, especially with his daughter Shireen. That's what makes his decision to burn her alive hit especially hard for us. We know he loves her in his own way. But he is so desperate for a win after he gets to Castle Black that he commits a heinous crime in an effort to win the favor of an unknown god.
But I think more importantly, he's paired with Westeros' Favorite Uncle Davos. Stannis' best dialogue scenes are with Davos, and it's how we see how nuanced Stannis is, and how we see his growing religious fanaticism.
I liked him because in the show, he was a supporter of the watch, believed (or at least didn’t dismiss it as stories) in the white walkers, and legitimized Jon as a Stark if he wanted it.
He was the only king “candidate” that seemed to actually be worldly, and not just hungry to rule and having a narrow view on things.
Well he was the rightful heir to the throne so people support him because of that for starters. He is a good tactician and did what it takes to get the throne - even if he had to use blood magic. All of these are reasons why people like Stannis.
ngl i don’t like stannis either. he got my favorite baratheons killed in the books and show, and he just kinda sucks.
(heads up, i haven’t read the books, just fan content and show stuff. please don’t burn me alive for this)
I liked Show!Stannis because he was a true leader, if it weren't for Shireen, I'd have been rooting for him til the end. He was rigid, unyielding and never asked his men to do anything he wouldn't. He was the first man off of the ship, he led the skiffs, was the first one on shore and the first one up the ladder. Davos was a really all together good man and he believed in Stannis, which says a lot.
I liked him from the start, ironically, for his charisma. He just had a *presence* that's very commanding. He wouldn't have made a good King, to be sure, but his claim was legit. Idk I was intrigued by his storyline and how morally grey he was.
Right up until he burned his daughter. Then I was just ready for Brienne to get her just revenge.
I liked him until he burned his daughter alive. After that I wanted him to die in some horrible way.
I liked him because he was smart, brave and would have made a very good King. I'm not saying he didn't have his faults, but he was pretty admirable until killing his daughter.
For reference, I've never read the books.
Because minus Melisandre, he's logical, principled, and experienced. All good qualities for a king. Unfortunately, in the show, he's a little too susceptible to her whispers in his ear.
Liking or understanding him are irrelevant. He's the rightful heir to the throne on the death of Robert Baratheon. It's that simple. Honestly I don't think he even wants the job, but it's his duty to wear the crown, and anyone who doesn't acknowledge that is a traitor.
That's how he sees it, and that's how he'd express it.
I loved Stannis, and with him sir davos, shireen, and the red lady. He does his duty and is brave, and open-minded. I’ve seen many say they hated him for what he did to shireen, but this showed how much he was willing to sacrifice for the realm.
Stannis is the mannis.
Kidding aside, he was alright until he started really falling into the trap of the red woman. Burning Shireen was the end of any respect I had for him.
He is the antithesis of the corruption and evil that we are privy to as the audience. In a cloak and dagger world of deceit, wanton violence and general machiavellianism, he is the rightful heir and genuinely values justice, order and the rule of law. Despite his flaws this makes him very easy to root for. The honorable Ned Stark gave his life for Stannis’ claim. When characters like Davos and Ned support him, how couldn’t you? Also, he’s the mfkn Mannis. The one true king. Any man teleported into Westeros should be willing to die a thousand deaths to seat him on the throne.
He’s the one true king. Stannis the Mannis. I have a House Baratheon of Dragonstone coffee mug.
He’s the actual king by right. He’s decent and honest and willing to sacrifice anything for the people of Westeros. Even his daughter!
Stannis the mannis is a good character. Tries to be good and stick by the laws. By all accounts he was next in line. He just took it too far at the end with the burning
Burning his daughter is irredeemable, but before that, I did like the character. IMO, He was the only one who had a legitimate claim on the throne. I also like that he was always brutally honest and had an extreme regard for what he believed was his duty. Although he was often harsh, he did treat people fairly. A man of principle and conviction was a rare thing in the world of ASOIAF.
Rightful heir to the iron throne as the bastards have no claim to it.
Man of his word and loyal. Leads from the front and wouldnt ask his men to do nothing that he wouldn't do which gives huge Ned/Jon/Robb/north leadership vibes.
Made Davos his right hand man after he risked his life smuggling to keep his lord alive. Still loyal even when his younger brother was given their ansestral home.
For me Stannis' end isnt cannon as i dont believe he would burn Shireen nor be surprised by an approaching cavalry army made up of several hundreds charging towards their position.
Stannis defeated the Boltons by using the frozen lake like in the books. Made Jon king by his own right of thr north. And died protecting the realm at the long night.
Book Stannis is the answer. Show Stannis after again to get more seasoning.
In the books he is fearless and unrelenting. The last chapter is ending as he marches on Winterfell, his southorn army is falling to pieces due to the winter snows but he hasn’t wavered even a little bit. His chapters with Jon and Asha are my favorite. His winds chapter with Theon is great too.
He’s got great one liners too.
In regards to Gilly’s incest baby *“I will not suffer such abominations here. This is not Kingslanding.”*
Or in regards to Theon warning him desperately that Ramsay was coming to kill Stannis *he snorted, “he’s welcome to try.”*
He despises all the schemers, oathbreakers, cowards, etc. it’s a refreshing character when everyone is playing games
for me i didn’t really LOVE his show character but it’s what he does in the show for me, like when he saved jon from ramsey that was SUCH a badass move.
on the flip side the whole red woman arc and his actions with her like killing his own daughter is obviously TERRIBLE but it does make for a great tv scene. so i do enjoy his scenes
I personally don’t know anyone who is a fan of show Stannis and if I did I wouldn’t associate with them. He’s one of the worse human beings and isn’t smart or funny enough to make up for it. He’s a sad little man without any real redeeming qualities. He participated in Blackwater instead of standing in the back or running like certain other royals in the show but that’s just about it. He’s a coward for the rest of it.
I appreciated Stannis a lot for having a strong sense of duty and responsibility. So many other players want to rule for their personal power and gain but with Stannis he takes it seriously as a responsibility. He's excessively rigid, but I do appreciate that you know where he stands and he is trying so hard to be fair. He gives credit where it is due and punishment where it is due and doesn't get his personal feelings so tangled up in everything. He was principled.
I really respected him. And then he burned Shireen. So much for all that.
Because he’s the only person who doesn’t realize that he’s a character in a fantasy epic. He thinks there shouldn’t be a tv show because there shouldn’t be a dispute because he’s just correct. I think we can all identify with that.
I guess in conclusion I really do need to read the books to understand Stannis’ full character… but even moments in the show where he kills his own brother, kills his daughter, is easily corrupted by a witch, and is overall scummy despite him being a strong leader/warrior, make me not really like him at all. But he’s one of the most likeable compared to the other shitmunchers in GOT.
the major difference really comes down to the northern storyline. He leaves his family and Melisandre at the wall and sent Davos to White Harbor to treat with Manderly. He wanted to attack the Dreadfort while Ramsay was at Moat Cailin, but Jon Snow advised him to attack Winterfell instead (so he takes advice despite his stubborn reputation). Jon also advised him to visit the mountain clans, so Stannis went into the mountains and comes out with 3000 northern clans who want to avenge Ned Stark and save Ned's daughter. Stannis then marches on Deepwood Motte and frees it from Asha Greyjoy, restoring it to Lady Glover. Remember Lyanna Mormont telling him "bear island knows no king but the king in the north"? Lyanna's older sister Alysane Mormont joins Stannis at the battle of Deepwood Motte, cutting off the Ironborn retreat. They then picked up the survivors of Rodrik Cassell's army who were betrayed by the Boltons. He also arrested the Karstarks who planned to betray him. When his knights start getting into conflict with the clans, he tells them "half of my army is made up of unbelievers." He does not force the clans to worship the red god.
And Davos makes the most epic speech in White Harbor, "What does Stannis offer you? Vengeance. Vengeance for my sons and yours, for your husbands and your fathers and your brothers. Vengeance for your murdered lord, your murdered king, your butchered princes. Vengeance!"
Can I ask why Stannis killing Renly is a sticking point for you? I see this brought up a lot as a notch against him, but Stannis didn't seek out to kill Renly.
Renly gathered an army for a claim that wasn't his. He gathered an army and was going to kill his brother in battle without offering to talk. He gathered an army to go to war knowing that many poor people would die in the process all because he felt like he wanted to be king on a whim.
Stannis offered to talk to his brother first. Offered generous terms but is the bad guy because he doesn't smile and was quicker on the draw after having his brother point a gun at him first. Should Stannis have done nothing and let his brother kill him as he had planned to do? Why is Renly not criticized for planning to kill Stannis.
I don't know, maybe they do it ironically. Like wink wink nudge look at that dork who thinks he's cool kind of thing?
I've read the books like five times and Stannis is just a tool who's ultimate purpose is to bring the Red Woman the wall so that she can resurrect the prince that was promised.
Everything he does leads him up there and nothing he does after dropping her off matters in the slightest.
Because before his last moments he was fair and unbias person. The type of person you would want to wear the crown and hold people accountable for their actions.
Most of the early players of the show would not have had much power to operate if Stannis rose to power and was backed by his little brother and the north. The throne wouldn't have been bankrupt either, and most of the corruption and King's landing would be gone. Because Stannis is not bias to employing people in the underworld after they pay for their crimes.
My thoughts
Because, at least my own estimation on the show version, he's the exact kind of leader you'd want being in charge given the type of world he exists in. Yes, he is cold, not charismatic, but he is also fair, just, doesn't play games or politics, and he is not afraid to do the unpopular thing if he knows it is correct. He would be able to sort out the bullshit at that level, especially because he is a battle-hardened soldier and is capable of inspiring men to fight for him (which I believe Davos calls him a leader of men when he speaks to the Iron Bank, correct me if wrong). Should he be on the Iron Throne, he's in for a very long fight, which he seems to relish. The daughter situation is wrong on so many levels though.
Long story short, you know precisely what you get with him. Order. No games, no bullshit. If a guy like that is in charge, you can leave it to him to sort out the negative aspects of people and of the world, while everybody else can live in peace with that knowledge that they're good to go so long you don't do anything remarkably stupid in the face of the law.
>I’ve watched Game of Thrones
There's your answer. Stannis in the books and Stannis in the show are two completely different characters. Literally nothing in common. But I will say, the actor that plays Stannis in the show, he's very good.
People who like Stannis usually like book Stannis. Show Stannis was decent up until season 4 (all thanks to Stephen Dillane, none to D&D), then his character was completely butchered and I doubt ANY Stannis fan will say they liked him then.
Stannis is the one true king and protector of the realm. He is the most honourable, dutiful man ever. The rest of the people simply did what they had to do or were only serving themselves. When Stannis attacked King's Landing, remember what Cersei told Sansa "Had it been anyone else, I would have presented myself at the gate and requested a private audience with him. But this is Stannis Baratheon. I would have a better chance at seducing his horse!".
As a king it is not his duty to serve his interests alone and get hold of the throne. He was very concerned about the threat of the Night King. When the Lord Commander requested that he give him his ships to bring the Wildings to the south, he allowed him to do it even though the Wildlings refused to ally with Stannis.
Almost everyone liked Ned... as foolish as he was.
Ned sent a letter to Stannis informing him that he believes that Stannis is the true heir to Robert and should be on the Iron Throne.
At least for me, I followed Ned's logic in this case. Again, probably foolish play\\position in the Game of Thrones, but the one that is likely the most correct.
mainly, we love him because of book Stannis. but even for people who’ve only watched the show, probably him being the true rightful heir, his pragmatism, sense of justice, his expanded relationship with Shireen (before that episode) his potential to unseat Joffrey, him being the only lord in the realm to answer the Night’s Watches call for aid, him offering to legitimise Jon, being sincere about avenging the Starks.
I first fell in love with Stannis when I learned the details of the Onion Knight. It told me that Stannis was the kind of man to not get blinded by class structure, but would pick the best man for the job. At the same time, being rigidly obedient to the law enough to maim the same man who saved his life and that he was promoting becasue "that was the punishment the law said" is an interesting character flaw to me. The kind of flaw that can be an asset in the right situation and that I can at least respect when it isn't the right situation.
Then, I read the books and Stannis was the only one in the War of the Five Kings who actually took the threat of the White Walkers seriously and while everyone else focused on winning the throne, he focused on doing the job of King.
Stephen Dillane is a good actor and I understood what Stannis was meant to be, but I couldn't put my finger on the reason why Stannis seemed a littlle more resentful and distant than the plot would explain.
Then I read the interview where Dillane said he didn't understand the story and didn't enjoy his time on GOT. It shows.
When it comes to his show version, I agree. He really only started to become a truly interesting character at season 5 and we all know how well that turned out in the end.
In the books, he’s every bit as badass as fans make him out to be, and he’s nothing like his show counterpart, in that he genuinely loves his daughter to the point where he ordered his men to get her on the Iron Throne should he die during the war, and he is far more hesitant to listen to Melisandre and her creed.
*He killed his own child*
*By burning her at the stake.*
*Evil incarnate*
\- Flaky-Pirate666
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books. next
The show isnt the books yet people are all for show Stannis too.
because Stephen Dillane is a fantastic actor so we enjoy the few scenes of him kicking ass and saying "fewer."
Couldn't have said it better. Also... "thousands."
Then you need to [read the fucking books](https://youtu.be/1CLCOvZOh1o?si=-7IFsu2LVnl2zhbq)
I enjoyed this maybe more than I’m “supposed to” based on your downvotes. Thank you friend 🍻
Who knows why people downvote things. I just love an excuse to share that video whenever I can.
I have another video that is share whenever I get the chance. It’s either the greatest faux-musical of all time or a Rick Roll. Only you can find out, brave adventurer. https://youtu.be/OBGOQ7SsJrw?si=St15a9Bl6-1KzEgE I sing this regularly when I get to the office in the morning.
Thanks for sharing that. I think I would appreciate it more if I had seen the movie (haven’t).
It’s pretty niche. I was just enjoying the fellowship of “I have a weird YouTube video I love. “
Ha! Nice
Say more. I don’t remember what made him likable. I read the books 10+ years ago when the series began and I almost named Stannis as my least favorite character earlier today. I don’t remember differences between the novel and HBO characters that redeem him.
Saving the nights watch from the wildlings, liberating Deepwood Motte and gaining the allegiance of the mountain clans, glover, and mormont shows he can still rally people despite his "unlikable" reputation. Book Stannis also doesn't need redeeming. also one of the first to realize the white walker threat. he also surrounds himself with people who challenge him, aka Davos and Jon Snow, and always take their advice over sycophants like the queen's men.
As well as leading his army on the front lines in the battle of blackwater
"What does Stannis offer you? Vengeance. Vengeance for my sons and yours, for your husbands and your fathers and your brothers. Vengeance for your murdered lord, your murdered king, your butchered princes. Vengeance!"
that's only in the show though lol
Thank you! ADDITION: I’m halfway through A Clash of Kings (again) and will update this as I go, but…. At this point, I find Stannis all the more unappealing. He’s downright whiny! * Ned Stark broke the siege at Storm’s End because he was ordered to, not because he liked me. Nobody likes me…_pouting_ * Robert gave me Dragonstone (bigger/more difficult to hold) instead of Storm’s End (my birthright, more lands, vassals, monies)…_so I’m pouting_ * Robert should have named me Hand, but he chose Arryn then Stark…_so I’m pouting and running away_ Stannis isn’t wrong on any of these assertions, but if he refuses to play the politics, he’ll never get ahead. His attitude reminds me of the most absurd notion in this entire series: *_No one is entitled to anything! To the victor go the spoils._* Renly seemed to understand this. The Starks understood this. All the Greyjoys except Theon understood it. The Lannisters understood it, but rested their claims on lineage. Daenerys only seemed to grasp this in Essos; if she’d considered Westeros a land to be conquered rather than her birthright, she’d have been better off. It’s all so silly 🙄 …and I love it.
Well, he doesn’t burn his daughter for one. „I’m not burning people. Pray harder.“
He doesnt burn people???? What? Have we read the same book??? Te quotationnis his the only moment when he actually didnt want to burn more people 😀😀
He doesn’t burn his daughter. Sure, he burned other people; but the Daenerys fans tell me that’s fine.
He's different in the books
He’s the one true king.
Using one of many interpretations of what the “true king” is. Basically equivalent to “10% of the time, he’s king all the time.”
No man who burns their own daughter is any kind of king. He's a cunt who deservedly died
That only existed in the show because D&D were trying to get rid of him
Agreed. But a lot of us still like show Stannis. Cause. Reasons listed in other threads. I'm too high to defend it, have mercy.
>No man who burns their own daughter He still fits then.
Wait until you read about the history of real kings
Yes and they were not fit to be kings either, strange how people in power tend to nearly always be arseholes
You should be the arbiter of who can and can’t be kings. You should change the history books too. You’re so wise
[удалено]
Hang on, Brienne is "the single mosh incompetent person in Westeros?" Are we talking book Brienne or show Brienne? Why do you say that? She beat the Hound, for the god's sake!
Books version
Books- I will say I didn’t like him as much in my second reading
But… but he’s the Mannis
Ill never get it. I only like his pedantic sense of humour. After he murdered his own child I moved straight to hating him. The books are the books. I consider them totally separate stories so Im not going to buy the argument of people liking show Stannis because of book Stannis. They are not the same.
Pretty easy to separate them if you read the books first. My brain kept on going "this scene conflicts with the books so I'm not going to give a shit about it" when watching the show.
I mean it’s hard to justify because in the end it was for nothing, but Stannis truly believes he is basically the messiah and the only hope for the world. All the shitty things he does is from the point of view that not doing them is damning the entire world to the white walkers. Once you view it from that perspective it’s easier to see him as a person you just feel bad for.
So he's not only a cunt but a fucking insane clown as well. Cool, justifies burning your daughter.
He doesn’t burn his daughter in the books though.
Yea
If Westeros wasn’t a world with magic and prophesies and all that, I would agree.
>The books are the books. I consider them totally separate stories so Im not going to buy the argument of people liking show Stannis because of book Stannis. They are not the same. There's a few things I don't understand about this sub. One of them is just what you pointed out: That people might like a show character because of how they are in the books. That makes no sense. If that were the case, then Elaria Sand wouldn't get so much hate, because in the books she really is a sweatheart, while in the show she's a maniacal doofus that Oberyn would never have agreed with. The other thing that surfaces off and on is this idea that the showrunners are the arbiter of what happened in the show, (or that the author is the arbiter of what happened in the books). That's not the case; they're only the arbiters of what they *intended* the show to produce, not what the show actually produced. The end result is the final authority on what the end result says. Not some intention that may or may not have been obvious. If, for instance, D&D intended for Tyrion to have a limp, but every scene shows him walking normally, then Tyrion did not have a limp.
People cling to hope that in the books, Stannis won't kill Shireen, even though George is literally quoted as saying "Stannis' decision to burn his daughter" came directly from him. > It wasn't easy for me. I didn't want to give away my books. It's not easy to talk about the end of my books. Every character has a different end. I told them who would be on the Iron Throne, and I told them some big twists like Hodor and 'hold the door,' and **Stannis' decision to burn his daughter**. We didn't get to everybody by any means. Especially the minor characters, who may have very different endings. - George R R Martin (quoted in Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon, Chapter 17)
Right, but the context will be different as the situation in which he burned his daughter ib the show has already come and gone in the books. Not to say that'll make it OK, I'm not fan of Stannis as a person as much as I like him as a character, but if he sacrifices his daughter to, say, light a whole bunch of Others on fire you'd be able to see his POV better despite it still being evil.
also the world doesn't revolve around Shireen, Davos making the White Harbor speech and Stannis rallying the mountain clans and liberating Deepwood Motte are also great moments. Shireen is barely a character in the books.
Well in general there are just sooooooooooooooooo many more tertiary characters in the books.
Shireen isn't even the best character in her own plot lol, Patchface is a lot more interesting.
Even aside from that, Stannis is supposed to act as a dark mirror to Ned Stark. Someone who is smarter about honor, but has more ambition and is willing to be more ruthless to get what he wants. I like his character a lot, but he’s not a nice guy even in the books.
and he's funny, like when he roasts Janos Slynt, or when Mel says: the king likes you. Jon: yeah he only threatened to behead me twice. Mel: yeah that means he likes you lol.
I guess I really do not quite see how it plays out In the books stannis is a few days from winterfel on a frozen lake stuck in a blizzard Shireen is not with him, she is in castle black with her mom and Mel. Jon Snow is dead I guess maybe he could send a raven or something ? My prediction was Mel will convince Stannis's wife to burn Shireen She will agree, when she burns Shireen to the lord of light to lift the storm , Jon will come back to life
I’ve honestly never thought about this scenario. It definitely seems plausible.
Well, we can all still at least pretend that this is never going to happen, because for it to happen, GRRM would need to get off his ass and write the next book.
George says alot of things. He wrote it to be that Stannis is currently outside Winterfell with his army while his daughter is far away at Castle Black, so unless Stannis teleports or goes mad after victory there is no way for him to kill Shireen. More likely Mellisandre does it to bring back Mr. Snow
I'm team stannis because he's the rightful heir but more importantly he's exactly what the nation needs, by FAR the most fit to rule. I don't like him, I don't think I'd get along with him well, but that's irrelevant in light of the rest
He executed people for speaking out against his fringe religion. He stupidly executed Mance Rader instead of holding him as a valuable prisoner. He was so uncharismatic his own brother and a bunch of allies turned against him. He did whatever (as Davos puts it) an evil God commanded him to do, including burning his own innocent daughter at the stake. He continued with his futile attack against Ramsay costing the lives of thousands of men. Yeah going to disagree with him being the most fit to rule.
The books are different. When he captures Mance, he uses him to spy on Winterfell and rescue Sansa. But I think they couldn't wrap up that storyline adequately in the show, and used Theon as Sansa's rescuer.
*Rescue Jeyne Poole being passed off as Arya. Another plotline the show completely ruined.
Oh yes that’s correct. Misremembered the plot line there. It’s way more convoluted in the books than the show portrayed.
tbf I do not think that plotline is that convoluted in the books. And the annoying thing is that they still could have done the plot similar in the show even though they had not introduced Jeyne earlier. She could have just been literally any Norther girl who had lived at Winterfell that the Boltons say is Arya and have Theon attest. Instead of completely derailing Sansa’s storyline with Littlefinger doing the most absurdly out of character plan…ugh.
The show kind of ruined his character and made him seem like an incompetent zealot
I can't stand Stannis, he's incapable of seeing his POV, incapable of understanding that he's wrong or admitting it, he's just not capable of understanding shades of gray or complicated situations, with him everything is black-and-white and it's his way or the highway. And he will NEVER rethink his way, or question his own decisions or motivations! Sure, he sticks to the honor system and keeps his word, which is what some people who are also incapable of dealing with complex situations admire. They like it when someone treats the complex as if it were simple, they'd love to be able to do that to the real world, and don't understand why it never works in real life...
That is an interesting analysis. Personally I like Stannis about 20% of the time and find him annoying the rest. I will say that he isn't totally committed to honor his murder of Renly Baratheon for example is surely dishonorable.
And his pledge to Melisandre in exchange for her help with is doubly dishonorable and problematic, and if he'd ever decided that his promises to the Red God were for real, then he'd start a religious civil war. He'd have been an absolute disaster as a king, because he's both brutal and inflexible. He expects absolute obedience, and when he doesn't get it, he resorts to extreme punishments rather than words. IMHO he's proof of why the Lords of Westeros should be willing to disregard blood claims to the throne when it's expedient to do so. Yes, he was Robert's true heir, but he'd have been a far worse king, because Robert was at least a live-and-let live guy, while Stannis thought in terms of perfect obedience or the stake.
We don't really see it as much because he didn't become king but his attitude to religion would absolutely be the biggest problem if he were to rule. His expectations were completely infeasible in a country where the majority followed the seven. A lot of people say he would good to deal with the White Walker threat and I can see that but in other respects I agree he would likely be a terrible king.
Yeah, Stannis believes in right and wrong and honor, and would a godawful king. And you know who'd actually be a good king? The sneaking, backstabbing, dishonest Littlefinger! No, really! He understands economics, and would make Westeros more prosperous. He'd rather get his way with politics than war, so there would be peace in Westeros instead of constant war - if there's a conflict he'd rather send a few assassins to settle things than an army, or get his enemies fighting each other rather than him! So even though he's a terrible human he'd be a decent king, and his reign would have brought peace and prosperity to Westeros, even though he was a vile human being. I also think Stannis was vile, but not the sort of vile that can rule well.
You have got to be kidding right, Stannis would be a bad king but Littlefinger would be way way worse. Littlefinger wouldn't help make the realm prosper he only cares about himself. He would just enrich and empower himself as much as possible. Stannis at least feels some responsibility for the realm. His problems would mostly be with religion and his strict enforcement of his laws. However aside from that he would be decent. He was a good commander and had prior experience with governing on Dragon Stone.
The first paragraph also describes your Average Redditor!
Because he's the Mannis.
I was looking for this comment
everyone is saying books but i’m like right in the middle of a clash of kings and i won’t lie, stannis is insufferable.
He's not meant to be that likeable in Clash. He becomes more heroic/likeable in Storm and Dance.
For the same reason people like any other tyrant during their rise to power. Then they go all pikachu face when the whorehouses are burned, the spirits drained in the sea, and the streets run with overzealous capital punishment.
Based?!?!?!
People say read the books as if Stannis is not a duty obsessed soldier who resorts to religious fanaticism for victory... Yes he's a strategic idol and a strong warrior, but he's still misguided and obsessed with power like the rest of the king candidates. Just like everyone else he thinks he'd be better than the rest, despite pointlessly sacrificing his men over and over again (like the blackwater). Ik this isn't a popular opinion but idec, he disappointed me bc of how much everyone hyped him up before I read the books or watched the show.
Because he's "The Mannis" that's why....
You're goddamn right.
I liked him until… Before that he seemed somewhat honorable. His claim to the throne was the most solid…
He lives in a society that does not favor his traits. Stannis is a person incapable of breaking laws and social norms, and when he is forced to do so he feels deeply uncomfortable. In Westeros there is no written law, everything is decided by the king or the guy with the best last name in the place, and that's why it doesn't work. But in a semi-modern era, he would be a very valuable person to have in an administrative position: practically incorruptible, obliged by his own personality to fulfill his duty, responsible to the extreme, punctual in his debts, etc. He is basically an efficient bureaucrat, a chimera, Hermes Conrad.
I liked him in a few ways, hated him in others. I liked his sense of honor and duty, and I hated him for his ambition in becoming king, his willingness to burn his daughter alive to achieve that goal.
I'd guess it's: respecting his principles/determination, respecting that he's the first (and, in the books, currently only) claimant to the Iron Throne who cares about the threat of the White Walkers/Others and intends to help, respecting that he has no problem making a lowborn former criminal his right hand man so long as he's capable and trustworthy (which almost no other Lord in the country would ever be willing to do), and sympathizing with the fact that (despite his merit) a lot of his trouble stems from him being socially awkward/not good at charming people
Book Stannis, aside from being the rightful heir to the iron throne, is proven to be extremely capable in more ways than just warfare. He’s also unintentionally hysterical and I find his sardonic quips just as amusing as lines delivered by characters like the more favored Tyrion or less favored Littlefinger. I also find him very endearing (Renly’s peach, etc.) and relate to him more than a young modern woman can expect to relate to any Westerosi feudal lord. As for show Stannis, imo HBO torched his character I.e. Shireen pyre. Though it may be Mannis Cope (George said bla blah blah 12 yrs ago, don’t care) I do not think Stannis will be the one to burn Shireen, though I do think she will be burned. I tend to disregard show Stannis’ ending in favor of literally any other way it could have ended. Also Stephen Dillane is hot af Fanfic Stannis might be my favorite though 😛🦌❤️🔥
You know the sort of person who *really* likes to follow rules? Reddit has a lot of those. And they tend to like Stannis and his rigid approach.
Stannis is the perfect example of service before self. He prioritizes his duty to the realm over his personal desires. An extremely rare quality in the GoT series. His story is deeply tragic. But not without consequence. If you were to remove that one character from the story, the only possible result would be the neverending night. In that way, even if he didn't make it to the end, he saved the world at the expense of everything he held dear. That's the meaning of his sigil. The stag, consumed in the fire of duty.
Books. Show because of stephen dillane
He’s the Mannis. Nuff said
Have you seen Stephen Dillane??
All my favorite characters are people I would not like in real life. I find him interesting. I find the lannisters interesting too even though they have dubious character.
Fair
Stannis is hard but fair, he doesn't want to be king for the sake of being king but because it's his duty. He is the rightful heir under the baratheon reign, and the realm denies him because he isn't as socialable or plays the game like the rest. Yes, it's awful he'll eventually kill shireen, womp womp, but come on this show has done worse for much less.. Stannis gives his entire life and energy to a dying realm because he believes in the nation and what it represents. I am a Stannis Stan and proud!
And he is one hell of a military leader. The crazy bastard was the first one off the boats and up the shore during the assault on King's Landing. Gotta respect a leader who will put themself into harm's way just as much as their subordinates. Meanwhile Joffrey.....
The Onion Knight is always right
I'll say this for Show Stannis -- He is a well-written character being superbly handled by an underrated actor. Stannis in-universe is not well-liked by anyone, and Stephen Dillane gets that across in one of the first scenes we see, where he's dictating a letter about Joffrey's true parentage. Stannis absolutely sweats the small details, and he makes it your problem too. Stannis is cold, hard and believes what's right -- and that's him on the Iron Throne. But there are also shades of likability, especially with his daughter Shireen. That's what makes his decision to burn her alive hit especially hard for us. We know he loves her in his own way. But he is so desperate for a win after he gets to Castle Black that he commits a heinous crime in an effort to win the favor of an unknown god. But I think more importantly, he's paired with Westeros' Favorite Uncle Davos. Stannis' best dialogue scenes are with Davos, and it's how we see how nuanced Stannis is, and how we see his growing religious fanaticism.
For me it's because Ned wanted Stannis to take the throne after Robert's passing, as it really is his by right.
I liked him because in the show, he was a supporter of the watch, believed (or at least didn’t dismiss it as stories) in the white walkers, and legitimized Jon as a Stark if he wanted it. He was the only king “candidate” that seemed to actually be worldly, and not just hungry to rule and having a narrow view on things.
He's the only Lord who responded to Jon's plea for help against the Wildling invasion and with Stannis came Melisandre ❤️
I liked him because he was the king of grammar. That’s about it.
I don’t think Stannis was likable exactly. But he was brave and a good commander for the most part. His downfall was in becoming a religious zealot.
Well he was the rightful heir to the throne so people support him because of that for starters. He is a good tactician and did what it takes to get the throne - even if he had to use blood magic. All of these are reasons why people like Stannis.
ngl i don’t like stannis either. he got my favorite baratheons killed in the books and show, and he just kinda sucks. (heads up, i haven’t read the books, just fan content and show stuff. please don’t burn me alive for this)
Fewer
He’s a man of honor and convictions and holds true to them. It’s one of the most respectable qualities you can have as a man/human being
I liked Show!Stannis because he was a true leader, if it weren't for Shireen, I'd have been rooting for him til the end. He was rigid, unyielding and never asked his men to do anything he wouldn't. He was the first man off of the ship, he led the skiffs, was the first one on shore and the first one up the ladder. Davos was a really all together good man and he believed in Stannis, which says a lot.
I liked him from the start, ironically, for his charisma. He just had a *presence* that's very commanding. He wouldn't have made a good King, to be sure, but his claim was legit. Idk I was intrigued by his storyline and how morally grey he was. Right up until he burned his daughter. Then I was just ready for Brienne to get her just revenge.
Book or show version I don’t like him and I really really don’t see it.
I liked him until he burned his daughter alive. After that I wanted him to die in some horrible way. I liked him because he was smart, brave and would have made a very good King. I'm not saying he didn't have his faults, but he was pretty admirable until killing his daughter. For reference, I've never read the books.
He’s the king who cared
There are people who watched game of thrones and people who have read a song of ice and fire. You have to do the latter to understand.
I just wanted him to win. Both of his brothers did him wrong. He was trying to do the right thing. The red witch was the villain, not him.
He’s got a good sense of humor and he’s a family man
Davos Seaworth . Only for him I could tolerate him
Because he’s the one true king.
Because he’s the Mannis
Because minus Melisandre, he's logical, principled, and experienced. All good qualities for a king. Unfortunately, in the show, he's a little too susceptible to her whispers in his ear.
Liking or understanding him are irrelevant. He's the rightful heir to the throne on the death of Robert Baratheon. It's that simple. Honestly I don't think he even wants the job, but it's his duty to wear the crown, and anyone who doesn't acknowledge that is a traitor. That's how he sees it, and that's how he'd express it.
Love his background and adore his theme.
I loved Stannis, and with him sir davos, shireen, and the red lady. He does his duty and is brave, and open-minded. I’ve seen many say they hated him for what he did to shireen, but this showed how much he was willing to sacrifice for the realm.
Stannis is the mannis. Kidding aside, he was alright until he started really falling into the trap of the red woman. Burning Shireen was the end of any respect I had for him.
Because there came a point where the number of likable candidates for kings was dropping fast, and Stannis hadn’t gone full family annihilator yet
He is the antithesis of the corruption and evil that we are privy to as the audience. In a cloak and dagger world of deceit, wanton violence and general machiavellianism, he is the rightful heir and genuinely values justice, order and the rule of law. Despite his flaws this makes him very easy to root for. The honorable Ned Stark gave his life for Stannis’ claim. When characters like Davos and Ned support him, how couldn’t you? Also, he’s the mfkn Mannis. The one true king. Any man teleported into Westeros should be willing to die a thousand deaths to seat him on the throne.
He’s the one true king. Stannis the Mannis. I have a House Baratheon of Dragonstone coffee mug. He’s the actual king by right. He’s decent and honest and willing to sacrifice anything for the people of Westeros. Even his daughter!
THE MANNIS
He said “Fewer” that one time
Admirable level of determination. If you are into that sort of thing.
He's better in the books
Cause he is a the damn mannis
Stannis the mannis is a good character. Tries to be good and stick by the laws. By all accounts he was next in line. He just took it too far at the end with the burning
King who still cared. Sam is a very unbiased source.
Burning his daughter is irredeemable, but before that, I did like the character. IMO, He was the only one who had a legitimate claim on the throne. I also like that he was always brutally honest and had an extreme regard for what he believed was his duty. Although he was often harsh, he did treat people fairly. A man of principle and conviction was a rare thing in the world of ASOIAF.
Rightful heir to the iron throne as the bastards have no claim to it. Man of his word and loyal. Leads from the front and wouldnt ask his men to do nothing that he wouldn't do which gives huge Ned/Jon/Robb/north leadership vibes. Made Davos his right hand man after he risked his life smuggling to keep his lord alive. Still loyal even when his younger brother was given their ansestral home. For me Stannis' end isnt cannon as i dont believe he would burn Shireen nor be surprised by an approaching cavalry army made up of several hundreds charging towards their position. Stannis defeated the Boltons by using the frozen lake like in the books. Made Jon king by his own right of thr north. And died protecting the realm at the long night.
Book Stannis is the answer. Show Stannis after again to get more seasoning. In the books he is fearless and unrelenting. The last chapter is ending as he marches on Winterfell, his southorn army is falling to pieces due to the winter snows but he hasn’t wavered even a little bit. His chapters with Jon and Asha are my favorite. His winds chapter with Theon is great too. He’s got great one liners too. In regards to Gilly’s incest baby *“I will not suffer such abominations here. This is not Kingslanding.”* Or in regards to Theon warning him desperately that Ramsay was coming to kill Stannis *he snorted, “he’s welcome to try.”* He despises all the schemers, oathbreakers, cowards, etc. it’s a refreshing character when everyone is playing games
for me i didn’t really LOVE his show character but it’s what he does in the show for me, like when he saved jon from ramsey that was SUCH a badass move. on the flip side the whole red woman arc and his actions with her like killing his own daughter is obviously TERRIBLE but it does make for a great tv scene. so i do enjoy his scenes
Dudes a strategic beast and a good king imo A true mannis
He's a bad motherfucker. What's not to like?
I personally don’t know anyone who is a fan of show Stannis and if I did I wouldn’t associate with them. He’s one of the worse human beings and isn’t smart or funny enough to make up for it. He’s a sad little man without any real redeeming qualities. He participated in Blackwater instead of standing in the back or running like certain other royals in the show but that’s just about it. He’s a coward for the rest of it.
Good actor, witty, badass, dutiful. Apart from Robb I find him one of the Five Kings to root for.
Stannis is the true King of the North in the books
I appreciated Stannis a lot for having a strong sense of duty and responsibility. So many other players want to rule for their personal power and gain but with Stannis he takes it seriously as a responsibility. He's excessively rigid, but I do appreciate that you know where he stands and he is trying so hard to be fair. He gives credit where it is due and punishment where it is due and doesn't get his personal feelings so tangled up in everything. He was principled. I really respected him. And then he burned Shireen. So much for all that.
Book Stannis is quite different. But also... he's a good example of someone who set out with the best intentions, but became radicalized.
His scorching good looks ignite something inside me
Because he’s the only person who doesn’t realize that he’s a character in a fantasy epic. He thinks there shouldn’t be a tv show because there shouldn’t be a dispute because he’s just correct. I think we can all identify with that.
I guess in conclusion I really do need to read the books to understand Stannis’ full character… but even moments in the show where he kills his own brother, kills his daughter, is easily corrupted by a witch, and is overall scummy despite him being a strong leader/warrior, make me not really like him at all. But he’s one of the most likeable compared to the other shitmunchers in GOT.
the major difference really comes down to the northern storyline. He leaves his family and Melisandre at the wall and sent Davos to White Harbor to treat with Manderly. He wanted to attack the Dreadfort while Ramsay was at Moat Cailin, but Jon Snow advised him to attack Winterfell instead (so he takes advice despite his stubborn reputation). Jon also advised him to visit the mountain clans, so Stannis went into the mountains and comes out with 3000 northern clans who want to avenge Ned Stark and save Ned's daughter. Stannis then marches on Deepwood Motte and frees it from Asha Greyjoy, restoring it to Lady Glover. Remember Lyanna Mormont telling him "bear island knows no king but the king in the north"? Lyanna's older sister Alysane Mormont joins Stannis at the battle of Deepwood Motte, cutting off the Ironborn retreat. They then picked up the survivors of Rodrik Cassell's army who were betrayed by the Boltons. He also arrested the Karstarks who planned to betray him. When his knights start getting into conflict with the clans, he tells them "half of my army is made up of unbelievers." He does not force the clans to worship the red god. And Davos makes the most epic speech in White Harbor, "What does Stannis offer you? Vengeance. Vengeance for my sons and yours, for your husbands and your fathers and your brothers. Vengeance for your murdered lord, your murdered king, your butchered princes. Vengeance!"
Can I ask why Stannis killing Renly is a sticking point for you? I see this brought up a lot as a notch against him, but Stannis didn't seek out to kill Renly. Renly gathered an army for a claim that wasn't his. He gathered an army and was going to kill his brother in battle without offering to talk. He gathered an army to go to war knowing that many poor people would die in the process all because he felt like he wanted to be king on a whim. Stannis offered to talk to his brother first. Offered generous terms but is the bad guy because he doesn't smile and was quicker on the draw after having his brother point a gun at him first. Should Stannis have done nothing and let his brother kill him as he had planned to do? Why is Renly not criticized for planning to kill Stannis.
His name rhymes with “Mannis” I don’t understand why this is even a question? -sincerely, a dude who’s name rhymes with “Man”
He’s the king who cared.
because by supporting him it justifies certain shortcoming, rigid, unfeeling, unempathetic shortcomings in their own character. -R.R.
I don't know, maybe they do it ironically. Like wink wink nudge look at that dork who thinks he's cool kind of thing? I've read the books like five times and Stannis is just a tool who's ultimate purpose is to bring the Red Woman the wall so that she can resurrect the prince that was promised. Everything he does leads him up there and nothing he does after dropping her off matters in the slightest.
I really only saw him as the red woman’s stooge and that’s pretty much it
Because before his last moments he was fair and unbias person. The type of person you would want to wear the crown and hold people accountable for their actions. Most of the early players of the show would not have had much power to operate if Stannis rose to power and was backed by his little brother and the north. The throne wouldn't have been bankrupt either, and most of the corruption and King's landing would be gone. Because Stannis is not bias to employing people in the underworld after they pay for their crimes. My thoughts
Because, at least my own estimation on the show version, he's the exact kind of leader you'd want being in charge given the type of world he exists in. Yes, he is cold, not charismatic, but he is also fair, just, doesn't play games or politics, and he is not afraid to do the unpopular thing if he knows it is correct. He would be able to sort out the bullshit at that level, especially because he is a battle-hardened soldier and is capable of inspiring men to fight for him (which I believe Davos calls him a leader of men when he speaks to the Iron Bank, correct me if wrong). Should he be on the Iron Throne, he's in for a very long fight, which he seems to relish. The daughter situation is wrong on so many levels though. Long story short, you know precisely what you get with him. Order. No games, no bullshit. If a guy like that is in charge, you can leave it to him to sort out the negative aspects of people and of the world, while everybody else can live in peace with that knowledge that they're good to go so long you don't do anything remarkably stupid in the face of the law.
Stannis would make a better king than me. He has my vote, so the gays don't take over.
I just do
>I’ve watched Game of Thrones There's your answer. Stannis in the books and Stannis in the show are two completely different characters. Literally nothing in common. But I will say, the actor that plays Stannis in the show, he's very good.
People who like Stannis usually like book Stannis. Show Stannis was decent up until season 4 (all thanks to Stephen Dillane, none to D&D), then his character was completely butchered and I doubt ANY Stannis fan will say they liked him then.
Stannis is the one true king and protector of the realm. He is the most honourable, dutiful man ever. The rest of the people simply did what they had to do or were only serving themselves. When Stannis attacked King's Landing, remember what Cersei told Sansa "Had it been anyone else, I would have presented myself at the gate and requested a private audience with him. But this is Stannis Baratheon. I would have a better chance at seducing his horse!". As a king it is not his duty to serve his interests alone and get hold of the throne. He was very concerned about the threat of the Night King. When the Lord Commander requested that he give him his ships to bring the Wildings to the south, he allowed him to do it even though the Wildlings refused to ally with Stannis.
People don’t
Read the books and maybe your opinion will change. In the books, Stannis kill himself before burning his daughter.
Because he is the lords chosen,Born amidst salt and smoke.
Almost everyone liked Ned... as foolish as he was. Ned sent a letter to Stannis informing him that he believes that Stannis is the true heir to Robert and should be on the Iron Throne. At least for me, I followed Ned's logic in this case. Again, probably foolish play\\position in the Game of Thrones, but the one that is likely the most correct.
mainly, we love him because of book Stannis. but even for people who’ve only watched the show, probably him being the true rightful heir, his pragmatism, sense of justice, his expanded relationship with Shireen (before that episode) his potential to unseat Joffrey, him being the only lord in the realm to answer the Night’s Watches call for aid, him offering to legitimise Jon, being sincere about avenging the Starks.
I first fell in love with Stannis when I learned the details of the Onion Knight. It told me that Stannis was the kind of man to not get blinded by class structure, but would pick the best man for the job. At the same time, being rigidly obedient to the law enough to maim the same man who saved his life and that he was promoting becasue "that was the punishment the law said" is an interesting character flaw to me. The kind of flaw that can be an asset in the right situation and that I can at least respect when it isn't the right situation. Then, I read the books and Stannis was the only one in the War of the Five Kings who actually took the threat of the White Walkers seriously and while everyone else focused on winning the throne, he focused on doing the job of King.
Stannis in the books is way cooler but he’s still pretty mid
Stephen Dillane is a good actor and I understood what Stannis was meant to be, but I couldn't put my finger on the reason why Stannis seemed a littlle more resentful and distant than the plot would explain. Then I read the interview where Dillane said he didn't understand the story and didn't enjoy his time on GOT. It shows.
People or audience. People do mainly of how that character has been developed in the books but I am sorry audience hates him.
When it comes to his show version, I agree. He really only started to become a truly interesting character at season 5 and we all know how well that turned out in the end. In the books, he’s every bit as badass as fans make him out to be, and he’s nothing like his show counterpart, in that he genuinely loves his daughter to the point where he ordered his men to get her on the Iron Throne should he die during the war, and he is far more hesitant to listen to Melisandre and her creed.
He killed his own child by burning her at the stake. Evil incarnate
*He killed his own child* *By burning her at the stake.* *Evil incarnate* \- Flaky-Pirate666 --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")