Disclaimer: There will be spoilers both for the book series and the television series.
Looking in retrospect at my readership of the Song of Ice and Fire series, I can say for certain that people have no room to talk about Daenerys\’ gender being deviled in the final season, or that the television show exhibits some form of patriarchal agenda. Please understand, that George R. R. Martin has described himself as a feminist. As such, it would make sense that the overwhelming majority of male characters are greedy, violent, lustful pigs. If I continue to see this play out in the two final books, then I am not looking forward to their publication any time soon.
I came not to simp for the Khaleesi, rather I am here to sail on a galley with the Onion Knight at the helm.
This brings me to Ser Davos Seaworth, who I consider the only decent male character throughout the series. He is self-made, does not bend to anyone\’s will, and is willing to humble himself whenever it is necessary. And for those reasons, I would like to see him be provided a more expanded role in the two final books. Since Martin is writing as we speak–for a decade now–there is no guarantee that this suggestion would be picked up.
Self-Made
Ser Davos was born in poverty in King\’s Landing and could find no other way to gain crowns or power other than as a smuggler. During the War of the Five Kings, he helped smuggle onions to Stannis Baratheon, who was under siege. Due to these heroic efforts, he was granted the title of Ser and given the surname Seaworth.
Nobody\’s Will
Unlike Tyrion Lannister who bent to the will of Shae, and Jon Snow to Ygritte, Ser Davos does not allow anyone to mess with his head–not even the ominously exotic Melisandre. When Stannis ordered him to bring one of Robert Baratheon\’s bastards to her to be sacrificed, Ser Davos instead sent him away. He was willing to defy authority to protect the life of a child, even under the penalty of death.
To Humble Himself
As for his humility, you will not find a middle-aged, successful man who did not humble himself or swallow his pride at least one time. The type of power and nobility Ser Davos was given always comes with a hefty price tag. He was willing to accept the title of nobility in exchange for the tips of his fingers as recompense for his years of smuggling.
He was also willing to read and write alongside Stannis\’ young daughter, Shireen. In the pursuit of knowledge, he was willing to adopt a beginner\’s mindset.
What Do I Want To See From Him?
I am hoping that Martin can write Ser Davos to be an incredibly important character in the escalating war in the Seven Kingdoms. If he can no longer serve Stannis, then at least he should have a lot of relevance in the final books. If the books follow the television series, then I hope that Ser Davos can serve Jon Snow.
This leads to one of my favorite scenes in the series, which was when Ser Davos and Jon Snow were in Daenerys\’ court and he extolled Jon Snow. The way he defended Jon Snow in the audience of Daenerys Targaryen was almost like Jon Snow was his own son. He talked about the similarities and differences between both of these monarchs. While Daenerys united the Dothraki and the Unsullied, Jon united the Wildlings and the Night\’s Watch. However, while Daenerys already had a claim to the Iron Throne, Jon never had a claim to begin with because he was illegitimate, and only won his place as Head Commander of the Night\’s Watch and as King of the North through merit.
I can remember watching that for the first time and thinking about how I wished he defended me like that whenever I was in a compromised position.
Even though Daenerys catalogued her own struggles to attain the Iron Throne, Jon Snow made it clear to her that none of those struggles will pay off if she does not help him defeat the Night King. It was only when Davos catalogued Jon\’s achievements and struggles that it helped position him as a king when Jon was quite meek in doing so.
I hope that I can see this in the final two books, because there seems to be a decline in strong, male characters in popular media. Of course, I mean strong in the mental and experiential sense, rather than simply the physical sense.
I know that winter finally came to Game of Thrones speculation, though I am more concerned with the book series which has yet to be completed.
Sources
- Game of Thrones. HBO.
- Targaryen, Aegon. \”George RR Martin on Feminism.\” YouTube. 2019. Liz M. \”George RR Martin NIFFF Masterclass.\” YouTube. 2014.