The Golden Company, one of my favourite factions in the entire series. Blackfyre loyalists, exiles and bitter and broken men. Founded by one of my favourite characters, Bittersteel
Loose 5 rebellions in a row, failing to do the single thing your entire organization was created to accomplish in the first place. Become known as the best sellswords in the world in the process, because of reasons.
@@QuinnTheGM it's all good, I just briefly thought I heard "Jinglebell" in that moment and my brain was like, "Hold up, what did I miss, when did Aegon Frey join the Golden Company??" hahaha
You know the golden company has a massive advantage compared to other armies outside of tactics and using archers. They are a well equipped, disciplined, and experienced force that is skilled. That gives them a major advantage over middle-evil style armies like those in the seven kingdoms which have a lot of peasants in them and are called together whenever they are needed. Historically the armies in the Middle Ages moved towards mercenary forces as well as better trained, equipped and centralized forces. To put it simply the golden company is a professional army and Westeros has mostly armies of conscripts.
I personally love how the Golden Company breaking their word just once sends every alarm bell ringing for anyone with any political nowse, as well as how Cersei just dismisses it as not worth her attention. One of her many bad decisions Edit: I thought it was Aurane Waters and not Cersei who thought the Golden Company had been hired by Stannis?
When i read the The Lost Lord chapter the scene in the tent with all of the Captains of the Golden Company gave me such a heavy Confederates vibe. This band of Exiled Lords/Knights and Sellswords bonded together through a dream of returning home. Season 5 deserves so much more flak for how it absolutely destroyed the wider potential for World building and setting up the other factions in Westeros. From the Dornish/the Ironborn/House Manderly and Rysewell of the north/The Golden Company and Young Griff. God just thinking about it again gives me another Brain Aneurysm
If those elephants survive to meet a dragon, it may not go well for Aegon. Supposedly an effective tactic against them in real life was to freak them out with fire (specifically, flaming pigs), panicking them and turning them back into their own ranks.
One of my favourite factions! Standing at ten thousand strong, they're nearly half of Robb's numbers in tWot4K, yet unlike the peasant leavies he had, they are experienced professionals. Oh, and they have elephants. They're going to go HAM in ADWD and I'm here for it.
The Agincourt analysis is a good theory and the Reach and the French army have a lot of paralels. The Reach is considered the heart of chilvary in Westeros much like France's knights were considered the flower of European chivalry. It could all come crashing down in Storm's End like it did in Agincourt. Mace Tyrell seems overconfident like the French commanders at Argincourt. However I don't know if the Golden Company have enough bowmen to replicated an Agincourt.
I’m curious with old Jon Con does anyone else get the impression he like low key kinda hated anyone else that was close to Rhaegar in any sense like Arthur like Elia etc almost like he wanted Rhaegars attention all for himself? Great video by the way
I think it was like half: "No one is good enough for Rhaegar" and half jealousy. The sad thing is that he probably gave off 'vibes' because of that. He thinks himself Rhaegar's best, most loyal friend YET Rhaegar did not include him in his personal schemes. For example, there is no indication Jon knew more about the Lyanna thing than an average person. Rhaegar was doing secret plans with Arthur and Oswell. I have a feeling that Jon was blinded by his attraction to Rhaegar to recognise they were not that close.
Here's a question I have on the whole Aegon/Faegon question. Obviously, the participation of The Golden Company to the point of their breaking a contract is a big check in the Faegon box. At the very least, The Golden Company leadership BELIEVES he's a Blackfyre to the point of convincing its members to give up a contract and take up the cause. However, it appears Young Griff legitimately believes he's Rhaegar's son. The same is true for Jon Connington. Illyrio, and presumably Varys, has the "A dragon is dragon." philosophy. So, the question is how can Illyrio and Varys keep the mouths shut of EVERY member of The Golden Company? Someone's bound to say something.
As an ardent (f)Aegon denier, I think the Blackfyre theory has gotten way out of control to the point it has become fanon. While I was a believer in this theory years ago when I first heard it, the more I thought about it, the more I listened to what others thought of it, and finally after rereading the whole series, I cannot believe the theory. Simply put, there is little evidence that actually points to Aegon being a Blackfyre. The theory relies on very loose evidence connecting distant dots together and while that is the basis of most grand theories for this series, it just doesn't work when put under a microscope. Its something I wish more creators actually read into and cared about instead of blindly accepting the one very popular theory. Narratively and Thematically, Aegon being a Blackfyre is simply worse than the alternatives. If Aegon is legitimate and he marries his cousin Arianne then all of the Dornish themes and ideals of progress are advanced. Even beyond the meta textual stuff like narrative and themes, the in text evidence supports Aegon being either legitimate or some nobody. A lot of the (f)Aegon theory relies on the "Mummer's Dragon" and taking that to mean "fake dragon." A cloth dragon on a pole isn't a real dragon no, and there is something to be said about the idea of a bunch of people working together to mimic a dragon, but I do think everyone is massively overthinking it. Varys is a mummer or at least was. Varys reveals at the end of Dance that he is pushing Aegon's claim. Aegon is Varys' dragon aka Aegon is the Mummer's Dragon. There is also what I just mentioned, the simple fact Varys tells a dying Kevan Lannister that its the real Aegon shatters most theories that he is a Blackfyre. Even while rereading the series, Varys hints to Ned that Aegon lived. When he brings up Rhaegar's kids, Varys only ever mentions Rhaenys being killed and the way Varys acts during the scene, its as if Varys saw it happen. Knowing what we do about the Red Keep and its secret tunnels, the idea that Varys planned to save both kids seems very likely. Varys already didn't want Tywin to come into King's Landing.
I could go on and on about the thematic and narrative reasons why Aegon being a Blackfyre would be the worst choice George could make, but I will let you think about that on your own. I didn't want my original comment to get too long since I tend to rant and have to edit myself down a lot when leaving detailed comments. I already think there is a massive lack of people in the community who want to think critically about events in the books. Yes, this stems from me being online way too much, but the discussions about the series are so bad so often. It sucks seeing a Tywin Lannister edit with several 100s of 1000s of likes on tiktok where all the top comments are glazing him, calling him the best player of the game, the smartest character, or being in awe of him. It sucks because the canon of the books is that Tywin is not very smart, is a very poor commander, is a horrible father, set his family up for only ruin, and was a ragin hypocrite that no other great lords respected. Mace Tyrell, a character most fans consider kind of weak and dumb, out smarts Tywin and laughs at how pathetic Tywin is.
@@justdirt Aegon cannot be the real deal. Why would Varys the super cautious spider hint to Ned( a Baratheon ally) that Aegon lived? And he was talking about the girl Rhaenys because Ned was talking about his own girl Sansa. If they suposedly saved Aegon, why not save princess Rhaenys as well? Surely a true Targaryen loyalist would want to save the princess as well. And the switiching of Aegon if it had happened would have been planed beforehand, not an idea that came up during the brutal chaotic sack. And it's a lot easier to find someone with Dornish features than Valyrian features. And a Targaryen princess would have been extremely usefull. And why wouldn't Varys and Illyrio save Viserys and Dany and raised them alongside Aegon if Varys was a Targaryen loyalist? Why leave them to poverty? And why would Varys save and suport the real Aegon when Varys undermined Rhaegar for years and encouraged the Mad King's madness? If he really wanted Aegon to rule why not just suport Rhaegar against his father before the rebellion? And why would the Golden Company fight for the house that they were created to opose? And not only that, they ruined their reputation of never breaking a contract suposedly for the sake of the house that has been their arch nemesis for a century? You are vastly underplaying the evidence of the Blackfyre theory and ommiting most of it while making a case with much weaker evidence. Not saying the Blackfyre theory is the truth but it has a lot more evidence than you gave for yours.
How well is the Golden Company known in Westeros? Because I always wonder, how the better educated lords will react to THE Blackfyre force fighting for a kid, who claims to be a child, whoms death is a widely known and discussed thing
In regards to the elephants, in the real world wasn't there a battle where elephants could have led to the victory of Hannibal over Rome? But the elephants never made it, I think the same thing will happen in the book
Not especially, the three battles Hannibal fought on actual Italian soil he won. it was only once Scipio Africanus raised an army of Romans and tried to take Carthage that Hannibal had to abandon his plan to run around fucking up Rome on their own peninsula. I do think Martin is trying to invoke Hannibal in a way though, specifically in how many of the elephants are going to be lost in the crossing. My guess is the golden company not having elephants isn’t going to be a show only thing as disappointing as that is.
@@QuinnTheGM I think main commanders like Strickland who are descendend from Blackfyre suporter exiles know it. Otherwise they wouldn't agree to fight for a Targaryen.
@QuinnTheGM yeah. But that's not how I read it. It seemed more... somewhat self-deprecatingly kinda downplaying his own genius, as per usual. Dang. I wish I had my books with me. I give you credit for getting me re-engaged with this stuff. It's amazing how there's always a new angle
9/10 Video, I watched it through the Weirwood net-work 14 months ago
Theooooooon theooon I'm the leaf you're not crazy for all the torture you endured, I'm totally the leaf
Any updates on Winds ?
Just a quick reminder that in the show the Golden Company had less kills than Samwell freaking Tarly.
I never realized that and I hate it
tbf Samwell has many kills
At least 2 good ones@@faisalkamal4319
Yeah, but he's Sam THE SLAYER.
Facts. They're never gonna take Westeros, they've failed every time
Chiggen is time travelling Tyrek
Many people are saying
It is known
A horse AND a chicken?! Truly a master shape shifter.
Tyrion's crab fork, the one used to poke Ser Allister, is Lightbringer.
nah Tyrek is a ahorse
My scheduled young griff content. Thank you Quinn.
i just want you to know how much i appreciate your creativity in your video ideas!! it’s so fun and refreshing. thanks quinn!
I want them to become a full fledged army in the miniatures game. They would fit right in. We already have swordmasters, crossbowmen and elephants.
The Golden Company, one of my favourite factions in the entire series. Blackfyre loyalists, exiles and bitter and broken men. Founded by one of my favourite characters, Bittersteel
Loose 5 rebellions in a row, failing to do the single thing your entire organization was created to accomplish in the first place.
Become known as the best sellswords in the world in the process, because of reasons.
Guess they just do better in Essos than Westeros.
@@josephbulkin9222same way America “lost” most conflicts since Korea, they were just doing it to keep them sharp.
Yep boozos take Ls but the fandom sucks em off because muh blackfyres are so cool and edgy
0:45 ... you, uh... you good bro? xD
I had to stop and re watch this part because I thought I was having a stroke haha
lol
Law school will do that to a man
OOPS I'm sorry about that lol I love it when my editing software reverts a clip to before I clipped the audio while exporting
@@QuinnTheGM it's all good, I just briefly thought I heard "Jinglebell" in that moment and my brain was like, "Hold up, what did I miss, when did Aegon Frey join the Golden Company??" hahaha
The tv show Monk managed to have an actual elephant but you're telling me the biggest show of its time, Game of Thrones, couldn't.
Number one: ITS JON CONNINGTON BABY LETS GOO
I wanted those elephants...
7:30 Them invading the Stormlands also makes Cersei's delusions seem more accurate.
Beneath the gold, the bitter steel!
The best motto in the books!
You know the golden company has a massive advantage compared to other armies outside of tactics and using archers. They are a well equipped, disciplined, and experienced force that is skilled. That gives them a major advantage over middle-evil style armies like those in the seven kingdoms which have a lot of peasants in them and are called together whenever they are needed. Historically the armies in the Middle Ages moved towards mercenary forces as well as better trained, equipped and centralized forces. To put it simply the golden company is a professional army and Westeros has mostly armies of conscripts.
Medieval*. Latin for "middle ages", but unrelated to the English word "evil".
@ sorry I just can’t spell
I personally love how the Golden Company breaking their word just once sends every alarm bell ringing for anyone with any political nowse, as well as how Cersei just dismisses it as not worth her attention. One of her many bad decisions
Edit: I thought it was Aurane Waters and not Cersei who thought the Golden Company had been hired by Stannis?
When i read the The Lost Lord chapter the scene in the tent with all of the Captains of the Golden Company gave me such a heavy Confederates vibe. This band of Exiled Lords/Knights and Sellswords bonded together through a dream of returning home.
Season 5 deserves so much more flak for how it absolutely destroyed the wider potential for World building and setting up the other factions in Westeros. From the Dornish/the Ironborn/House Manderly and Rysewell of the north/The Golden Company and Young Griff. God just thinking about it again gives me another Brain Aneurysm
6:02 most beautifull voice crack I have ever heard
I thoroughly enjoy your videos, I only wish you'd put out some long form content!
If those elephants survive to meet a dragon, it may not go well for Aegon. Supposedly an effective tactic against them in real life was to freak them out with fire (specifically, flaming pigs), panicking them and turning them back into their own ranks.
House Strong AND House Cole are both represented in The Golden Company?! 😮
Right?!! That was a pleasant surprise
The Golden Company is obviously the best. They are they are so iconic.
RIP to Ser Aegor Bittersteel
@lukebarroso449 Wise and true as always my friend Great to see you again hope you are doing Fantastic!!!!!!
@aegorbittersteel2154 As always you are too kind Ser! I appreciate the well wishes and I also hope you are doing fantastic!!!
To The King! 🍻
@lukebarroso449 I am thank you and of course I appreciate you as well.
To You and To The King!!!!!!! 🍻
Aye, beneath the gold the bitter steel. Hope your day goes excellent, my friend.
To the King! 🍻
Rot in hell Bittersteel
One of my favourite factions!
Standing at ten thousand strong, they're nearly half of Robb's numbers in tWot4K, yet unlike the peasant leavies he had, they are experienced professionals. Oh, and they have elephants.
They're going to go HAM in ADWD and I'm here for it.
🗣"Underneed the gold the bittersteel"
The Agincourt analysis is a good theory and the Reach and the French army have a lot of paralels. The Reach is considered the heart of chilvary in Westeros much like France's knights were considered the flower of European chivalry. It could all come crashing down in Storm's End like it did in Agincourt. Mace Tyrell seems overconfident like the French commanders at Argincourt.
However I don't know if the Golden Company have enough bowmen to replicated an Agincourt.
now please make a video on whos the best sword swallover in a asoiaf
Awesome!! S'Go!! What up Quinn ...what up everybody... I hope you are all doing well.
Thanks for doing a bid on my favorite group
"Now put your hopes on me, danerys is prince rhaegar sister, but i am prince rheager son, I am the only dragon you need".
Just finished dance for the first time like 10 min ago
I’m curious with old Jon Con does anyone else get the impression he like low key kinda hated anyone else that was close to Rhaegar in any sense like Arthur like Elia etc almost like he wanted Rhaegars attention all for himself?
Great video by the way
I think it was like half: "No one is good enough for Rhaegar" and half jealousy. The sad thing is that he probably gave off 'vibes' because of that. He thinks himself Rhaegar's best, most loyal friend YET Rhaegar did not include him in his personal schemes. For example, there is no indication Jon knew more about the Lyanna thing than an average person. Rhaegar was doing secret plans with Arthur and Oswell. I have a feeling that Jon was blinded by his attraction to Rhaegar to recognise they were not that close.
@@LusiaEyre Just another layer of tragedy for JonCon
@@JoeStarDeus9x8 he seems pretty jealous of Elia and thinks that she was unworthy of him.
I have never heard Agincourt pronounced that way! hilarious
0:47 shout out to Djuigglebluh
"Beneath the gold, the Bittersteel" goes hard af.
But is steel even a thing in Westeros? The always say iron.
don't tell me you have forgotten how many times we have heard "castle-forged steel" ... its one of GRRM favourite phrases ...
Steel is an alloy. Iron a base element. Steel comes from Iron and.. tin if I remember right?
Stannis is Iron, Renly is bronze and Robert is true steel. Another quote said plenty of times.
@@bobjoemac1 OK. I won't tell you that then. Keeps me from feeling dumb and having my whole "there are no stupid questions" worldview shattered.
@@josephbulkin9222 Iron and carbon. Other metals can be added for adding other desired traits as well I'm pretty sure.
THE GOLDEN COMPANY IS THE GREATEST BAND OF CHIVALROUS EXILES!!!!!!!
Tiny bit of bias here, Bittersteel? 😉
@thing_under_the_stairs what? No........ of course not.
Good to see you again hope you are doing well
@ All's well here under my cozy stairs. Hope that you and the Golden Company are on your way from victory to greater victory!
@@thing_under_the_stairs good to hear and thank you my friend
@@aegorbittersteel2154 I wouldn't call them chivalrous. Lady Mary Mertyns was 100% correct about them and Jon Connington when she roasted them.
I still hate how the Golden Company was worfed in the show.
I would join your sellsword company! You have my sword!
Here's a question I have on the whole Aegon/Faegon question. Obviously, the participation of The Golden Company to the point of their breaking a contract is a big check in the Faegon box. At the very least, The Golden Company leadership BELIEVES he's a Blackfyre to the point of convincing its members to give up a contract and take up the cause. However, it appears Young Griff legitimately believes he's Rhaegar's son. The same is true for Jon Connington. Illyrio, and presumably Varys, has the "A dragon is dragon." philosophy.
So, the question is how can Illyrio and Varys keep the mouths shut of EVERY member of The Golden Company? Someone's bound to say something.
I love the book golden company. Very excited for them to get into battle
I already a member of Quinn's sellsword company.
6:16 Quinn I joined years(?) ago. Let me follow you into battle
We ride at dawn
King Daemons line will rise again
My lord I am your man 🫡
Beneath the gold, the algorithm
Number one should be Darkstar ⚫⭐
You know why I’m here… where’s the homie Bittersteel at 🔥
9:00 devistation
9:25 seige
A blackfyre still a Targaryen, in terms of blood?
That's Illyrio's argument!
I mean yh Daemon blackfyre was a targeryean on both sides but he was a bastard cause aegon the unworthy wasn't married to his mum
Are you familiar with the Race For The Iron Throne blog?
I am not
As an ardent (f)Aegon denier, I think the Blackfyre theory has gotten way out of control to the point it has become fanon. While I was a believer in this theory years ago when I first heard it, the more I thought about it, the more I listened to what others thought of it, and finally after rereading the whole series, I cannot believe the theory. Simply put, there is little evidence that actually points to Aegon being a Blackfyre. The theory relies on very loose evidence connecting distant dots together and while that is the basis of most grand theories for this series, it just doesn't work when put under a microscope. Its something I wish more creators actually read into and cared about instead of blindly accepting the one very popular theory.
Narratively and Thematically, Aegon being a Blackfyre is simply worse than the alternatives. If Aegon is legitimate and he marries his cousin Arianne then all of the Dornish themes and ideals of progress are advanced. Even beyond the meta textual stuff like narrative and themes, the in text evidence supports Aegon being either legitimate or some nobody. A lot of the (f)Aegon theory relies on the "Mummer's Dragon" and taking that to mean "fake dragon." A cloth dragon on a pole isn't a real dragon no, and there is something to be said about the idea of a bunch of people working together to mimic a dragon, but I do think everyone is massively overthinking it. Varys is a mummer or at least was. Varys reveals at the end of Dance that he is pushing Aegon's claim. Aegon is Varys' dragon aka Aegon is the Mummer's Dragon.
There is also what I just mentioned, the simple fact Varys tells a dying Kevan Lannister that its the real Aegon shatters most theories that he is a Blackfyre. Even while rereading the series, Varys hints to Ned that Aegon lived. When he brings up Rhaegar's kids, Varys only ever mentions Rhaenys being killed and the way Varys acts during the scene, its as if Varys saw it happen. Knowing what we do about the Red Keep and its secret tunnels, the idea that Varys planned to save both kids seems very likely. Varys already didn't want Tywin to come into King's Landing.
I could go on and on about the thematic and narrative reasons why Aegon being a Blackfyre would be the worst choice George could make, but I will let you think about that on your own. I didn't want my original comment to get too long since I tend to rant and have to edit myself down a lot when leaving detailed comments.
I already think there is a massive lack of people in the community who want to think critically about events in the books. Yes, this stems from me being online way too much, but the discussions about the series are so bad so often. It sucks seeing a Tywin Lannister edit with several 100s of 1000s of likes on tiktok where all the top comments are glazing him, calling him the best player of the game, the smartest character, or being in awe of him. It sucks because the canon of the books is that Tywin is not very smart, is a very poor commander, is a horrible father, set his family up for only ruin, and was a ragin hypocrite that no other great lords respected. Mace Tyrell, a character most fans consider kind of weak and dumb, out smarts Tywin and laughs at how pathetic Tywin is.
I hope this post gains traction. It reads as both fresh and well-thought-out. A dose of cold water.
@@justdirt Aegon cannot be the real deal. Why would Varys the super cautious spider hint to Ned( a Baratheon ally) that Aegon lived? And he was talking about the girl Rhaenys because Ned was talking about his own girl Sansa.
If they suposedly saved Aegon, why not save princess Rhaenys as well? Surely a true Targaryen loyalist would want to save the princess as well. And the switiching of Aegon if it had happened would have been planed beforehand, not an idea that came up during the brutal chaotic sack. And it's a lot easier to find someone with Dornish features than Valyrian features. And a Targaryen princess would have been extremely usefull. And why wouldn't Varys and Illyrio save Viserys and Dany and raised them alongside Aegon if Varys was a Targaryen loyalist? Why leave them to poverty?
And why would Varys save and suport the real Aegon when Varys undermined Rhaegar for years and encouraged the Mad King's madness? If he really wanted Aegon to rule why not just suport Rhaegar against his father before the rebellion?
And why would the Golden Company fight for the house that they were created to opose? And not only that, they ruined their reputation of never breaking a contract suposedly for the sake of the house that has been their arch nemesis for a century?
You are vastly underplaying the evidence of the Blackfyre theory and ommiting most of it while making a case with much weaker evidence. Not saying the Blackfyre theory is the truth but it has a lot more evidence than you gave for yours.
How well is the Golden Company known in Westeros?
Because I always wonder, how the better educated lords will react to THE Blackfyre force fighting for a kid, who claims to be a child, whoms death is a widely known and discussed thing
In regards to the elephants, in the real world wasn't there a battle where elephants could have led to the victory of Hannibal over Rome? But the elephants never made it, I think the same thing will happen in the book
Not especially, the three battles Hannibal fought on actual Italian soil he won. it was only once Scipio Africanus raised an army of Romans and tried to take Carthage that Hannibal had to abandon his plan to run around fucking up Rome on their own peninsula. I do think Martin is trying to invoke Hannibal in a way though, specifically in how many of the elephants are going to be lost in the crossing. My guess is the golden company not having elephants isn’t going to be a show only thing as disappointing as that is.
I would love to join the Game Masters tm
How many videos can you go without mentioning Jon Con?
Long live JonCon, Lord of Griffins Roost!
6 pm it is
Quinn the GM ass thumbnail
BENEATH THE GOLD, THE BITTER STEEL🗣🗣🗣🔥🔥🔥
Do we think fAegon knows he’s a blackfyre?
I think the only ones who know are Varys, Illyrio, and MAYBE Strickland.
@@QuinnTheGM I think main commanders like Strickland who are descendend from Blackfyre suporter exiles know it. Otherwise they wouldn't agree to fight for a Targaryen.
Ygritte and Jon’s fetus baby inhabited ghost on Ygritte’s death so Jon is actually just dead and not skin changed into ghost
It's pronounced "AJincourt" The "t" is sometimes silent.
I enlisted over a yr ago but in true sellsword fashion I deserted and came crawling back (& all I got was this lousy T-shirt)
The golden company is too cool for GOT
Beneath the gold...
Agincourt is pronounced like Agincore not the way you pronounced it lol
AGOT more like ANOT 😦😔
Hail King Aegon Blackfyre, First of His Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men!
Which is hilarious, cause they'll never end up winning Westeros
Objectively a dumb move....??
Why? It worked and i think Tyrion know what he speaks of.
Tyrion specifically thinks to himself that he only suggested it because it’d never work and cause chaos
@QuinnTheGM yeah. But that's not how I read it. It seemed more... somewhat self-deprecatingly kinda downplaying his own genius, as per usual. Dang. I wish I had my books with me. I give you credit for getting me re-engaged with this stuff. It's amazing how there's always a new angle
So good they've failed there main duty for almost 100 years