Varys - A Character Study
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- Опубліковано 9 тра 2024
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First rule of Crusader Kings: Make sure your Spymaster is on side.
Thats the secret brother, generation to generation I raise the children to be essential parts of my councilors lol. Always do a diplomacy split so I can assure my family likes one another lol. I be passing down capable, loyal councilors.
Aodh Canmore liked this comment.
“I swear it by my lost manhood” is a wild line
“This is turning into a miniseries”. You say that like it’s a bad thing!
He tells us when he slays Ser Kevan. He’s acting on behalf of Westeros’s citizenry: “For the realm. For the children….” He even stops tittering in speech, for the first time ever in all the years Ser Kevan had known him. He uses a normal-sounding voice inflection, a sign to readers he’s perhaps speaking genuinely
"I swear it by my lost manhood" - I mean, Varys is straight up telling us that his word means nothing cause he swears by literally NOTHING
Ha! Yeah. It’s a ridiculous phrase.
So, Varys as an accelerationist? "Things are going badly and are heading for disaster. Let's speedrun that so we can get to the rebuilding sooner."
I only recently learned of the term accelerationist and I have to admit...it fits my mental state really well. Not the racist, great replacement, white supremacist idiocy though.
@@Matthew10950accelerationism is racist though. It doesn't need anything extra beyond hurting people of color more than white people when the disaster happens. If you try to help bring about a disaster that disproportionately affects black people, that's a racist action.
Like Nero.
I know we lack concrete proof, but if Varys were a Targaryen descendant, what better way to hide the child than with a traveling group of mummers? The child would never be in one place for too long, and anytime he appears in front of people he's disguised in character. There's something kind of genius about hiding the child in plane sight too in my opinion. Great video.
He's not a Targaryen, literally (It's a book after all) no clues, we can make up what we want but nothing in the books points to Varys being a Targaryen, no blonde hair, fat, and smart, definitely not a Targaryen.
@@andrewjohnston9115 you’re insane. Where is this solid concrete proof disproving his Targaryen heritage? I think it’s just as likely either way by that logic
If he were not a Targaryen, why did his 'parts' work for magic? You must have "King's blood" which is Targaryen blood. Shaving his head would hide his Targaryen white hair.
@@Lexxir I would say Blackfire.
@@tonette6592 I think you've misunderstood the kings blood thing. King's blood just makes magic more potent, the same magic can be achieved without it but to a lesser effect. And the Targaryens are not the only kings, we dont really know what qualifies something as king's blood but Drogo seems to have counted, as do the Baratheons (who granted do have Targaryen blood, but not very much at this point)
If Varys is truly a Blackfyre then he is the most intelligent Valyrian to ever exist in Westeros
I think this is the most likely conclusion
Also the only one who cannot think with his cock....
"Coincidence?? I think not!" 😂
Idk about that tbh. What about Maester Aemon, he was pretty smart. Or hell Viserys I, the guy who spent most of his life holding the realm together. Or Septa Margelle and Archmaester Vaegon who realised the great game was stupid and decided to pursue their passions instead.
god i would pay millions to have robert read asoiaf as an audiobook
When someone is mute, people sometimes also assume the person is deaf and that is priceless for a spymaster. People will be more open and speak unguardedly when a little bird is there.
One of the things I like about GRRM writing morally grey characters is that it can be simultaneously true that Varys genuinely wants to look after the smallfolk and that evil schemers who do terrible things always say that as justification. It’s fantastic character writing.
"Power resides where men believe it resides. It's a trick. A shadow on the wall. And, a very small man can cast a very large shadow."
Truer words have never been spoken.
This is some of the worst pop philosophy ever written in my opinion, completely ahistorical - people believed for 99% of human history in the natural necessity of institutions like slavery, kings, lords of some variety - with democratic institutions also appearing to have the same “self evident” “god given” nature when they arise in the record too. Power resides in the imminent structure of society, the stories people tell after may be fanciful, but express a truth.
No one is going to say Aegon was powerful only because men believed him so. He was, as a matter of fact powerful and could command the power of life and death over every man woman and child in Westeros (except Dorne) as a matter of fact. No one is going to say the Maesters are not powerful because they direct and control the flow of knowledge. The priestly classes control the believers of religion (which in the real world was a self evident truth that God or many gods existed for every singly human until the development of modern capitalism). The soldiers control their own arms. But really in all of this, whoever controls the productive base of society and the means by which to sustain life is really the one with the power. In Ancient Rome legions would owe their loyalty to their Generals, not the state because of the way they were paid and the obligations they were owed. Making your own general emperor was a quick way to wealth etc.
In the Middle Ages because of the relative weakness of kings and lords, compared to the universal nature and immense bureaucracy of the Church, the Popes could command much larger armies than kings in Europe could. But this changed once the commercial revolution began and the economic prosperity of towns in Europe emerged, local self governance and the development of free labourers, rather than serfs, that improve technology and wealth of merchant and producer classes that would surpass religious and aristocratic classes over time. At the base of all these actions though, the drive to survive through the accumulation of wealth is at the core - people didn’t just go on crusades because they believed in a priest, but the prospect of looting and booty was the main objective (why they sacked the richest city in the world, which they went to help, when they could instead of the Muslims they went to fight). Roman soldiers didn’t just fight because they believed in their general, they were promised land and a retirement for service. Peasants didn’t just fight because they believed in a lord - they did it because they were required to by their legal status.
Actually Cersei showed Little Finger what power was, and if you try to mess with the IRS or HMRC you'll find out pretty quick what power looks like and it's not a trick.
@@HahaDamn little bro stop trying to pretend you're smarter than the author you're not
@@jordanduffy9233 clown ass
@@jordanduffy9233 it’s not a competition, I disagree with what one character says, you are actually a baby who can’t handle even a discussion, nothing you said had any substance, very intelligent, very smart buddy
When he lost the legions in the teutorburg forest and commited suicide was a charachter flaw. The germanic tribes severed his head and sent it to Rome. This angered Lord Stannis.
I don't get it
@@roscojenkins7451 You don't need it.
@@roscojenkins7451Teutoburg Forest was a battle. Romans fought, and lost, to Germanic tribes in 9 AD. It's a pretty monumental event in the then nascent Roman Empire although what it has to do with Varys is beyond me.
@@michaelbuick6995 yea I knew the gist of it being historical... Completely confused on the connection to the video about a character in a fantasy novella
Varus give me back my legions!
Never thought I'd want to see a Varys prequel spin-off that's GoT mixed with mob/crime drama elements.
I was just thinking the same. Or at least just a chapter of him getting bought out of the brothel and ending with him being taken by the magician
I could totally dig an animated series that just follows Varys all day.
One contradiction I have never seen discussed regarding the little birds:
Why cut out their tongues?
Now, people would obviously say initially "it's so they cannot speak and so can't pass secrets". But as is mentioned by Illyrio, being able to read is a core requirement for Varys', he needs children who can read. But anyone who can read has a means of communication that, while far from widespread, is common enough amongst the nobility that no secret could be kept.
This contradiction strongly implies either Varys is very specifically worried about discovery by someone who cannot read or (more likely in my view), that he is dabbling in something where spoken words specifically grant power or create danger.
Very good point!
to be fair most small folk and even some lords and ladies are illiterate
It might just be to prevent people overhearing them. It's a lot harder to spy on people that pass notes than it is to listen in on a conversation. And children aren't known to be especially good at keeping their mouths shut.
It makes sense if you think they've been taught to communicate through sign language. You need them to be able to read so they can learn written secrets. And then come back and relay them. Without being overheard or to have written proof that could lead back to Varys.
GRRM likes gruesome stuff for its own sake. It is just another example of his usual "taking things to 11", no matter how much sense it makes. The Wall is higher than makes sense for the same reason.,
Familiar vengeance seems to be a good motivation for so many in this world, and make no mistake that he is very personal motivated to seeing Aegon VI in the Throne.
There is a theory by Kevin Pendragon that the sorcerer was Marywn the Mage, who possibly in an attempt to end the threat of the Blackfyre's (If Varys is indeed one) castrated Varys. The voice in the flames is questionable as GRRM told us to take that with a big grain of salt.
Love your videos, Robert. Thanks for feeding the hunger for deep lore.
At any cost! Vareys's thinking is generational. Not for this generation but maybe the next? Or the one after that.
Very much looking forward to the mini series this hopefully will become.
Varys is so fascinating
So happy with this video! Varys always seemed such a mystery.
Crappy ending for him he literally admitted and gave up lol
Let's not lie ourselves, he is Alpharius....
Elite reference
Great video, love how you don't go overboard with speculations.
I truly believe Varys is a possible Blackfyre descendant trying to put a Blackfyre into the throne, calling him a Targaryen, and making sure the people prosper and have a lasting under his rule, which made the contradiction in his current actons all the more. Is he really a cold scheming spider? Is he a Targaryen or a Blackfyre? Does it matter if he has noble blood or not? Are his actions justified if he wins the game? What was Saera to him? Will Faegon be grateful for uncle Varys help? Will he end up as a certain eunuch that schemed to help a Byzantine noble into the throne?
Thank you, Robert. Great video.
Can't wait for this mini-series :p
I've been waiting for this video for SO long. Thank you Robert ❤
I really enjoy your videos, Robert. Your theories are always intriguing and entertaining. Keep up the good work.
You're so wonderful for these videos. Thank you
Your work never ceases to impress...bravo
He's either a Blackfyre & his motive is revenge, or he legit is just doing what he thinks is best for Westeros in the long-term. I don't think there are too many other viable interpretations of his actions.
GRRM has basically confirmed the latter. I personally don't think the Blackfyre theories fit well with his history of being born into slavery: to the extent that anyone like the GC is keeping track of Blackfyres and supporting them, they shouldn't be permitting that sort of thing to happen to them.
@@clownpendotfart Just to play devil's advocate (because I broadly agree with you) his "history of being born into slavery" is not in any reasonable way confirmed. We, the readers, do not directly witness it. Illyrio & Varys could easily be lying about Varys' past. Additionally, he does not have to be a Blackfyre to be a Blackfyre supporter. My own feeling is that the GC believe (f)Aegon to be a Blackfyre but this is just another of Varys's deceptions. I think (f)Aegon is neither Targ nor Blackfyre, Varys & Illyrio are playing everyone in order to put a commoner of the throne.
2:39 I mean this immediately answers the previous question, doesnt it. The troupe sold Varys because they were offered a large sum of money, presumably substantially more than even the best mummer Varys could become would earn them
I love these videos so much. Thank you!!!
Kendrick knew not to mention Varys
😂
I can't wait for the rest of this miniseries, this is really one of the more interesting subplots in ASOIAF.
House Blackfyre, being a great best friend or both while making a great King.
Love your videos brother, keep up the good work 👏
Littlefinger triggered some of the recent wars which left Varys to make the best of the situation. Varys said himself that he didn't entirely know what game Littlefinger was playing at.
Varys is also clearly anti-Rhollorism, and we need to factor that into Varys' decisions. It is possible he betrayed the last Targ when he seemed at risk of converting to the faith of the Red God, and the new King and his heirs were an issue because they were not his trueborn heirs at all, which would make a fervent believer of the Flames next in line to sit on iron.
I don't think this explains all of his motivations, but I believe it explains parts of them.
Varys, a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma...
never been this early in an upload. Hey Robert!
Varys works for Blackfyres. He want Aegon , a blackfyre to be the king. But Dany and the Dragons. He can easily overwhelm Cersei by his plans. But he had no answer to the Dragons and the eminent threat from the north. If his Aegon goes to North and deal with the others the people may accepted him.
According to the mermaid theory, varys is secretly a mermaid who wants to melt the wall to flood the land so his merling empire can claim the land lol
RIP Ian Gelder, aka Kevan Lannister
More on Varys please
Aegon VI is a good lad.
I'm sure Viserys was at first too
I'm not convinced he cuts out their tongues. "If they kept their tongues" could just mean keeping secrets, and I've yet to see more proof than that.
Still think he's intact. Very interested to hear what you have to say about the subject.
Great vid IDG & HoW. Look forward to this Varys series of vids. Varys is quite mysterious for sure , many mysterious aspects about him. And he does seem quite paradoxical on several fronts, including his treatment of his child network. Many "ifs" around Varys for sure but to me i just can't look past the potential Blackfyre connections and what likely is driving Varys on many levels. I suspect Varys is a Blackfyre sympathizer or an actual Blackfyre (via the female line) potentially Serra's brother or cousin , who i certainly suspect is a Blackfyre herself (also of the female line , her look certainly sounds Valyrian). V conveniently shaves his head to conceal i suspect the likely typical Valyrian hair color. And being longtime close friends with Illyrio , who is seemingly fAegon's actual father , makes sense his sights being on Westeros. To fulfill the long-game aims of the Bfs assuming Westerosi rule , via helping his close friend's son (who might be V's kin as well) get the throne. If Varys is an actual Blackfyre would also make sense with his Targ / Valyrian lineage would make his blood extra enticing to that sorcerer.
I don't really buy this "I serve the realm" stuff from V , imo its mainly keep the realm in chaos until his Blackfyre claimant / champion (fAegon) comes of age. Varys helped keep a tyrant on the throne , Aerys II (literally a mad king), when a quality alternative was available (Rhaegar) and part of Robert's apathetic bankrupting regime after that. V just wants the realm declining and / or in chaos , so fAegon looks all the better in comparison. He might view given his upbringing fAegon has the makings of a great king ; but i suspect his service mainly to Serra , Illyrio and the Blackfyre cause overall.
GRRM told Conleth Hill that Varys was a good man, and wrote that Varys is one of his most misunderstood characters. That extratextual evidence suggests that you should take what he says to Kevan seriously. I do think the best way to make sense of it is not to assume he's had the same goal since he first came over to Westeros, but instead to imagine that he became more comfortable intervening the longer he spent in the halls of power.
@@clownpendotfart that exchange to me was mostly about Aegon / fAegon and Varys' overly idealized image of him. As i said in my comment V may view that fAegon has the making of a potentially great king ; but his aim seems to get him on the throne by any means necessary. Including cruelty and allowing and facilitating chaos until that point. Cutting tongues out of so many children , helping keep the Mad King in power and presiding over an apathetic bankrupting king and regime for many years after that. Wasn't so keen or quick to be rid of the monster Joffrey either. Could have saved the realm a lot of pain if he acted differently but he wants the realm as low and as bad a state as possible for fAegon to look all the better imo.
He may think fAegon is this dream king and it will all be worth it with what fAegon's rule could bing. But i still think V is somewhat blinded and tunnel-visioned around that idea and seems to totally put morality and the good of the realm aside until that fAegon as king becomes a reality. Also , i expect fAegon will not nearly live up to the image Varys has of him.
@@AndrewK23777 Young Griff hadn't even been born when Varys first came over. We know from Pycelle that he told Aerys not to open the gates to Tywin, indicating he was actually trying to do his job competently for the king that brought him over. And it's not a spymaster's job to balance Robert's books, nor is there any reason to believe he was behind Littlefinger's selection as Master of Coin (we basically know how that happened).
Varys certainly believes in doing whatever is necessary for his objective, but he also appears to believe that's not actually sacrificing the good of the realm.
@@clownpendotfart as you said earlier and i agree i do think his aspirations have been evolving and changing over the years he's been in Westeros. Obviously before fAegon was born he likely had somewhat different aims. But if he is an actual Blackfyre or even just a Blackfyre sympathizer (to be determined) that could have always influenced his thinking / approach in Westeros. With the Pycelle / sack of KL situation that could also be viewed as part of trying to protect a tyrant / the Mad King and keep him in power ; which helping his king but clearly not for the good of the realm or anyone in it imo. Perhaps seeing the state of the realm and how the power players influence the masses over time has shaped and affected him / his choices & behavior. But his current aims to me seem very fAegon / Blackfyre centric , until proven otherwise. Perhaps its his own somewhat warped view that what he's doing is a long term benefit for the realm but he somewhat facilitated a lot of pain and carnage and doing many morally questionable things in the process thus far.
I do think V is overly idealizing fAegon , i suspect he will not live up to Varys' expectations. Especially because compared to Egg's life experiences and journey fAegon's is a very safe choreographed version. So could be all these morally questionable actions will not fully pay off or prove worth it the way he expects.
@@AndrewK23777 He's explicitly Aegon-centric per the epilogue. But I don't think he's caused that much "carnage" so far. He killed Pycelle & Kevan, and perhaps that will cause more carnage in the future, but there hasn't been a new book in the decade+ since.
One possible general motivation, not really canvassed in this video, is to have a realm free from magic.
Just watched a 4 year old video of yours, refresh youtube and this is up
It would be absolutely crazy if the blackfyre theory is true, to have varys confess in a moment before Daenerys Burns him would be fitting. I just have a good feeling about the books that are coming, I can't wait.
Books are coming? And you've been waiting.
@@clownpendotfart you either are foolish or dumb to believe that the publishers would allow this book series to go unfinished. Whether George is gone or alive it will be done just like Kintaro Miura with berserk or Robert Jordan with The Wheel of time.
The idea of caring for the people of Westeros falls flat when you remember his and Illyrios plans to unleash a horde of Dothraki on the continent led by Viserys.
Bring on the miniseries!
Why the Seven Kingdoms instead of Essos? Essos has never been unified, but instead a collection of city states.
I think there's important information outside the text, from GRRM. Conleth Hill, who plays Varys on Game of Thrones, said that GRRM told him (and also told him not to reveal until the end) that Varys is ultimately a good man. GRRM has also said that his two most misunderstood characters are Melisandre and Varys. In the most recent book, Melisandre became a minor POV, and Varys got to monologue in Kevan's epilogue. Both are ways of showing that the characters believe everything they're doing (however underhanded) is for the greater good.
Varys is a person who is in a position which he can influence the people in power. Unlike his rival schemer Little finger he manipulate the powerful out of benevolence instead of power for himself.
Can you do a video with David LightBringer?
Must've missed the part where he takes his little birds tongues.
Could anyone tell me which book/chapter this is mentioned in
so glad the audio has been sorted out. still a bit peaky here and there, maybe move it down 1 or 2 dbs to -12 or -13. love your content though. just pull down the audio levels lol
in a way, i think Varys is the simplest character, the most steadfast, and predictable. i simply believe the backstory we have till now, and how his motivations come clear from there. it tallies. which is why i'll be gladly surprised to be proved wrong.
Have you heard the theory that he is not a eunuch? His voice got pretty deep in the epilogue
Interesting use of AI. I did respect My Little Thought Tree so much for using all ASOIAF fan art in his one hour long Sansa video. Especially with a platform as big as this one, it’s a great way to showcase the talents within the community. But I get that AI is free and can whip up a (albeit dodgy) version of an image you’re trying to get across
Maybe Maegor(son of Aerion) was his father. Moqorro said that he sees dragons bright and dark. And Aerion is the bright dragon. They never say what happened to Maegor and he could still be alive.
I always thought Varus wants revenge, not to be a victim and to set life the way he feels it should be.
I wonder whether Varys could be a remnant of Maenar, the non canon son of Maelys the Monstrous whom he sacrificed in a fire ritual in futile attempt at bringing back dragons. Maenar was only 4 at the time so maybe Varys is an aged up version of him. Maelys did what he did because Samarro Saan of Lys gave him some ancient scrolls, so we have connection to Lys that other Blackfyres generally lack (I think they are more associated with Tyrosh). Of course we know that with Maelys died the male branch of Blackfyres but it would be ironic if the secret last male member actually had his manhood removed and therefore technically didn't count anyway
I always thought of him as a vengeful sociopath who enjoys manipulation and cruelty. He just sits back and watches the sick symphony he created
The whole Dothraki scheme continues to baffle me. It's said multiple times within the first book that the notion of a Dothraki invasion is nonsense, because they have no navy, they're superstitiously terrified of water, and they're a people on the other side of Essos. So what the hell were Varys and Illyrio anticipating would happen? And how could they have known it would happen by sending Daenerys and Viserys to Drogo?
I don't think they explicitly say in the Arya scene that they're banking on an invasion of Westeros - just that Drogo will move against somewhere. Maybe that somewhere was one of the cities in Essos.
You could, and I would politely suggest should, make a video on literally just that part of the plot. I don't see anyone trying to answer that question, so you'd be breaking fresh ground.
I agree and think we tend to put too much trust in GRRM's valuing of logic. Giving away dragons eggs, which are said to be worth a fortune by Viserys but would be a symbol of legitimacy to any Targaryen, also seems inconsistent once we learn that Illyrio actually supports another pretender.
perhaps the voice Varys heard in the flame was about Daenyrs together with the Dothraki would one day cross the narrow sea. perhaps to conquer the westeros, lay ways to the seven kingdom but will ultimately fail and fall. in other words Varys would only used Danny to weaken the seven kingdoms for Aegon IV to finally be seated on the Iron throne.
The wineseller plot to poison Daenerys was a (successful) attempt to prod Drogo into acting sooner to invade Westeros.
Get her and Viserys out of the way whilst they scheme to put Young Griff on the throne perhaps?
The blackfyre theory still holds a lot of weight in my mind.
If he's a Blackfyre loyalist then sending the two remaining Targaryens to the Dothraki would almost ensure that they never invade
@@winterwulf1995 Varys wants an invasion in the first book. He urges Illyrio to make it happen quicker.
I don't believe GRRM had the fAegon plan in mind when he started. I think the dragons eggs prove it.
Sometime we just have to admit that the Lord Of Lines makes up the stuff as he goes along.
Varys and Illerio did not know about the son of Reygar, right? They do what they can to help Denerys but when the Golden Company lands in Westeros, we for the first time hear them (Varys) even talk about him? Or do I miss something? Must have been a big surprise for them
Varys is most likely a blackfyre , who else would recommend him to Aeris maybe Aeris even knew
The best evidence against Varys supporting the Realm is his involvement in taking down Robert and leading to the War of The Five Kings, the realm suffers and the smallfolk bleed.
It must all be for fAegon
Varys didn't take down Robert... although he was planning on a Dothraki invasion. Varys was trying to delays civil war until that invasion was ready.
It adds up. The birds are his army. Generals put soliders through all sorts. Mutilation of the tongue and treating them well and attaining a form of education is possibly a better life than many very poor children could expect..
Hey i don't say this with malice but just an honest opinion , the ai images are a little distracting since they usually have messed up eyes or blades melted into their hands. I'm here to listen to you so it seems like extra work for a pretty weird to look at picture. Keep up the videos though no matter what you do image wise in the future.
Varys is a (likely illegitimate) scion of House Targaryen and legitimately wants to serve the realm.
I also think the reality of Aegon 6th is very different than what Varys wants in him. There is a critical gap.
Aegon may be a Warrior, but he is not true Knight. His cowardice will be revealed and Varys won't know what to do next if his main piece in the Game is not worth playing the Game.
Littlefinger will undo Varys' plans with help of Bran and Bloodraven. It will get orchestrated without conscious coordination but things will come together for Varys to see his own defeat after such wonderful playing in the Game.
He is also very austere, but Illyrio is whole different fish altogether from what Varys is. Varys is on mission, Illyrio wants to grab power.
I serve the realm
Does anyone know if Varys is really a eunuch?
Did i miss a passage or are we just meant to believe that hes a eunuch because he said so?
The scene where Varys kills Kevan in the books strongly suggests that he isn't really a eunuch. The high voice is apparently fake. He could be Aegon's father.
Hmm. We have all just assumed it, cuz he’s doughy-built & has said so. I noted, as well, he uses a normal voice inflection, apparently for the 1st time any of the main characters can remember
@@TheDeadlyKnight Based on Young Griff's apparent age, he seems to have been born after Varys came over from Essos to be Master of Whispers. Was he going back & forth to father a child in Essos?
@@clownpendotfart Yeah, that part is unlikely. Varys does have a Valyrian-sounding name. & his buddy Illyrio married Serra: a Lyseni w/ a Valyrian background. She’s most likely Aegon’s mother. We can guess she could also be related to Varys, or a Brightflame (cadet Targaryens).
Has your video estimating the length of Winds of Winter disappeared, or am I going crazy?
Varys and Illyrio: platonic life partners
Anyone else thinking a tv show on young varys and illyrios adventures in the free cities up to and including serving the mad king? I think theres alot of creative potential in showing cities like lys and myr. Even roberts rebellion through varys perspective would be interesting to watch
Could the voice in the fire talk about the prince that was promised and the Whites? Could he know the song of ice and fire, and he is ensuring a Targaryen sits the iron throne?
I wonder if anybody cautioned Varys about one aspect of his little birds. Yes, they can't talk if you cut out their tongues, but if they can read and you need them to share what they read, surely, they must be able to write.
I D G !!!!!!!
On this episode of me trying to answer the title of the video with my book knowledge alone… What motivates him is what happened to him as a child with the wizard and his relationship with illirio mopatis, cheese trader. Varys is likely a Targaryen bastard. he knows there is a fake ageon (mummers dragon) and wants to put him in the throne as he was raised to be a just ruler and by doing this he can save the realm
Alas, the reason why Varys has his little Birds' tongues removed is brutally pragmatic. Someone without a tongue has extreme difficulty speaking, so the usual procedures of torture and interrogation are going to fail. No point in doing either if your prisoner isn't capable of telling you what you want to know. Added to that, he chooses very young children who can read and write, or has them taught to, because they still need to be able to communicate, and pass on what they know. And it may well be that if, as and when the little birds get caught, their captors may not consider the possibility that they can read and write, as young as they are.
As to how he rationalises such mutilation, its clear he holds to a maxim that crops up not only in a different franchise, but fictional genre altogether- 'The needs of the many out weighs the needs of the few, or one.' He clearly thinks that the mutilation of a few hundred children is a far lesser cruelty than the deaths of thousands from warfare and starvation that would result from the Seven Kingdoms plunging into civil war and chaos.
Aegon is legit targreyean im convinced
I concur!
I'd believe it if it weren't for the Golden Company.
They have a long history of fighting against the Targaryens.
Why would they support them on the word of a Eunuch and a Cheese merchant
Treating the little birds gently is in response to a comment about them dying & proposing older children more likeky to survive. "Treat them gently" is rejecting that proposal. It seems to be saying "No, I still want them young, still without tongues, just do what you can to keep them alive."
Kind of Dilbert or Disney management, making demands while also creating rules that make it all but impossible to get the job done the way they want.
I have to say i agree about not lying to kevin but he could have many reasons to lie to Illyrio. He may not be on his side after all.
There is a prophecy that a Targaryen must sit on the iron throne for the Night King to be defeated. Suppose that is what Varys heard in the blue flames. He is the same as Melisandre in this regard: willing to do unspeakable things to defeat the Night King, and any Targaryen will do.
There isn't a Night King in the books.
There is a vision in a dream that a great danger is coming from the north and a logical deduction by someone that the realm needs to be united to resist it.
Then there are rambling idiots fantasing a prophecy around it and spreading it to whomever is dumb enough to buy it.
So do we know for sure if Varys is even really a eunuch?
Perhaps he's also privy to the prophecy of the Prince that was Promised, and why he will be necessary to defeat the white walkers?
He did suggest sending deserters from the City Watch to the Wall (Tywin commanded their knees be broken instead), but I don't think there's any indication he's aware of the magical plotline of the books.
@@clownpendotfart it makes a bit of sense if Bloodraven influenced Varys to believe that the realm can only be saved if a Targ descendant is on the throne. That way, Varys is "justified" in doing whatever he must to get either fAegon or Dany on the throne to save the realm and the innocents.
mostly spitballing, but there was a raven present when Varys talked to Kevan...
Isn't there a raven in the window during the Dance epilogue? Do we really not think that was a performance for whoever might be warging ravens that hang out with the Hand of thr King?
or was it Bloodraven watching?
@@its99pm I've always thought this, but IDG seems to think it's "absolutely" untrue???
Why say that to a dying man? I suspect Varys was trying to convince himself more than Kevyn. I am sure Varys believes he is truly working for the good of Westeros. But I am also sure he will fail. Because of the grayscale he has I think Young Griff will be murdered by Old Griff.
there is power in king's blood
In Fire and Blood when Jaehaerys ascends they literally call it the Ascension. There is another Ascension with that Valaryon-Targaryen Bloodline called the Roggare Ascension. These 'Ascensions' are NOT what they seem-they are splits from Targaryen bloodline within their bloodline. There are now Targaryens that are NOT Targaryens in the family-but they still have Valyrian blood.
I think the tongue removal is an act of kindness in a twisted way… it ensures that the kids are never tortured for information if it’s obvious they cannot speak.
Most would assume they can’t read or write either, so they would likely be left alone or just killed swiftly.
But if some twisted dirtbag suspected a kid and wanted info from a kid that could speak… well.. not good.
They live in a violent and dangerous world these are a real possibility for those kids. In his mind, he’s trading a bit of pain now for a life of them being cared for and provided for instead of dying on the streets of hunger and sickness. I don’t like it at all but I kinda get it.
I just thought of something messed up.. lol imagine you’re a starving homeless kid and some guy says you can have food and treats if you work for him, but then he cuts your tongue off. It’s like a monkeys paw wish! You can have all the tasty food you want, but you don’t have a tongue! Haha that’s so messed up! Poor kids probably can’t even taste the food and treats he gives them. Mermaid jerk!
there is contradiction , he is a utilitarian ,a man WAY ahead of his times
Why would anyone not want to work for the undisputed King of Westeros, the latest of the Targaryan line (no one knew he was to be last) ... well thats why Varys went to work for him, and once you're on the inside I suspect it's very hard to leave and the successor/userper wants you to work for him, why not, to misquote "Chaos is a ladder" different person, but the same with a different objective.
You ARE making a video covering the lore surrounding the new LOTR movie about Gollum right? Right?!
Bit offtopic but does anybody know what happend to the 'Robert, Lyanna and all that' playlist/videos ?
I think Varys is a Targaryen that, when he was cut root and stem and thrown into the fire, the images he saw were of the long night and azor ahai. He knows the realm needs peace to be united under a Targaryen to defeat the long night. First Aerys, then Robert (part Targaryen) then Dany then fAegon ……my only doubt is then why not Stannis (being Robert’s blood).
maybe Varys is yet another one influenced by Bloodraven to play a necessary role