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A Song of Ice & Fire, the book series that Game of Thrones is based on, is largely defined by its POV perspectives, which vary greatly throughout the five published books. George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice & Fire novels are some of the most prolific works in contemporary fantasy, and while he didn’t invent the technique of telling the story from various points of view, he arguably uses it in the most meaningful way. Readers are witness to world-changing events, and the flaws of each chapter’s character perspective are the only lens we have.
Realistically, there are so many amazing characters in A Song of Ice & Fire that picking 10 is nearly impossible. Yet sooner or later in every man’s life, there comes a day when it’s not easy. A day when he must choose. So, with Maester Aemon’s words in mind, I’ve narrowed down the choices to the characters whom I think deliver the most memorable chapters and offer compelling perspectives.
10
Brienne
8 POV Chapters
Brienne of Tarth is an interesting one, as many criticize her chapters for being adjacent to the main plot and for being one of the components of the last two books that “stall” events from moving forward. I would argue that while Brienne’s chapters aren’t very plot-focused, they are possibly the most faithful to the core themes of George R.R. Martin’s books. Brienne is our witness to the horrifying devastation of the War of the Five Kings, with her travels around the Riverlands offering a sophisticated view of the consequences of our other characters’ actions.
9
Sansa
25 POV Chapters
Sansa Stark has one of the most tangible story arcs in ASOIAF, shifting from the daydreaming young girl who wants to be a fairy tale princess to the young woman who craves nothing more than family and home. Her story offers a gut-wrenching depiction of the death of innocence, and the most tragic aspect of her chapters is the transformation of her becoming distrusting and cynical, the exact qualities of the antagonists who ruined her life. What I think is most beautiful about Sansa’s chapters, though, is that she grows in a manner that’s authentic to a teenager.
8
Davos
13 POV Chapters
Davos might be hit or miss based on the reader, but I love this guy. I love Stannis. I even love Melisandre. The series doesn’t really kick off in full until they’re all introduced, and the trio quickly becomes one of the most intriguing paradigms George R.R. Martin has to offer. Not to mention supporting characters like Patchface, Selyse, and others. Davos is our everyday man in the midst of all the madness, and he’s present for powerful moments like the Manderly speech, Melisandre’s shadow creature, and the story of Azor Ahai.
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7
Catelyn
25 POV Chapters
Catelyn Stark is another divisive choice, but I’ll admit I’ve never been able to understand the seething hatred some readers have for her. Sure, what she’s done to Jon is awful, and she makes some frustrating choices, but this is a book series that gets praised for moral ambiguity, and where Jaime Lannister is a fan favorite. I also think attributing all of Robb’s downfalls to her decisions is unfair. Almost every character in these books has an aptitude for poor judgment calls.
To combine a mother’s psychological unraveling with some of the most pivotal moments of these novels is a phenomenal choice.
Aside from just my defense of Catelyn as a person, I actually do think her chapters are unbelievably entertaining. These are the chapters in which we experience Robb growing from a boy to the King in the North, the clash between Stannis and Renly Baratheon, and, of course, the Red Wedding! To combine a mother’s psychological unraveling with some of the most pivotal moments of these novels is a phenomenal choice.
6
Jon
42 POV Chapters
There’s a common critique in contemporary media that the archetypal do-gooder hero isn’t relatable. I read all the time about Jon Snow and how he isn’t “morally gray” enough to be as enjoyable as other characters. Oddly enough, I’ll use some lines from Game of Thrones season 7 to make a case for him. In season 7’s finale, Theon Greyjoy states that he’s envious of Jon’s ability to always make the right choice. Jon assures him that this isn’t the case and that he has numerous regrets of his own.
He is a boy facing unprecedented conflicts regarding bigotry, societal structure, and even existential threats, and he attempts to handle them with what maturity he can muster.
It’s easy to perceive Jon as being flat and boring, but that disregards the intense emotional struggle and personal sacrifice that comes with trying to do the right thing. The suggestion that Jon has too clear of a moral compass is inconsiderate of the fact that each conflict he faces has vastly different moral implications that can’t be easily tracked by a single metric. He is a boy facing unprecedented conflicts regarding bigotry, societal structure, and even existential threats, and he attempts to handle them with what maturity he can muster. It doesn’t get more complex than that.
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5
Arya
34 POV Chapters
Arya Stark’s chapters offer a very similar nuance to what I described regarding Brienne: we’re seeing the world of Westeros ravaged by war, though now through the lens of a grieving child. Arya is one of Martin’s most profound subversions of fantasy heroes, as a young girl driven by a bloodlust for revenge and, in the process, figuratively and literally shedding her identity. Arya Stark has been driven by grief to become no one, and her story continues to be one of the most engaging and poignant throughout all five volumes of A Song of Ice & Fire.
4
Daenerys
31 POV Chapters
Daenerys Targaryen is a mixed bag for me. On the one hand, I’ll admit that I find the Essos plotline to be the least interesting part of the series. On the other, Daenerys has some of the most awe-inspiring chapters in the entire series. Be it the birth of her dragons, her venture into the House of the Undying, or the fighting pit battle in Meereen, Dany’s perspective is the one that shifts ASOIAF from a historical/political web to a majestic fantasy epic.
“As Daenerys Targaryen rose to her feet, her black hissed, pale smoke venting from its mouth and nostrils. The other two pulled away from her breasts and added their voices to the call, translucent wings unfolding and stirring the air, and for the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.”
The sense of mysticism is one of my favorite components of George R.R. Martin’s books. To me, the imagery of Daenerys and her newly born dragons rising from the pyre, or her visions of Prince Rhaegar and the Prince that was Promised prophecy, are the defining attributes of romanticized fantasy that make this series the beautiful masterpiece that it is.
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3
Cersei
12 POV Chapters
Cersei Lannister is so synonymous with the Game of Thrones cultural phenomenon and the stakes of the book series that it’s easy to forget that she’s not featured as a perspective in the first few books. Of all the characters who don’t have POV chapters in those early novels, Cersei’s voice manages to be the loudest, making it feel as if she’s there the whole time with remarkable influence. Thus, when we finally do get her perspective in Feast, it’s fascinating to reveal that what could previously have been perceived as conniving viciousness is actually deep-rooted paranoia and existential fear.
2
Tyrion
49 POV Chapters
Tyrion Lannister is not my favorite character, but when I turn the page and see his name, I can say with relief: “Ah. Old faithful.” Tyrion leads the ASOIAF characters in total POV chapters and still manages to be the most consistently entertaining and engaging. Every piece of Tyrion dialogue, every conversation he has, every thought he considers, is pure Westeros gold. Be it his scenes with Tywin, Cersei, Varys, or whoever else, practically every chapter offers a masterwork in conversational wit and character dynamic exploration that’s entirely unrivaled in the fantasy genre.
1
Jaime
17 POV Chapters
I’ll begin by making two central statements about Jaime Lannister that tie into what makes him the pinnacle of George R.R. Martin’s storytelling capabilities: I do not believe Jaime Lannister is a good person or even an antihero. I will shed a tear when Jaime Lannister dies. The fact that both of those statements can be simultaneously true is a testament to the unbelievable journey he embarks on in A Storm of Swords, Martin’s strongest book that made Game of Thrones what it is.
The typical thought process about Jaime is that he’s hated in the first two books and then becomes likable, but it’s not that simple or linear. The beauty of Jaime’s arc isn’t that Martin is trying to convince us that he’s not a bad guy; it’s the admittance that a person can commit terrible deeds and still have some goodness in their heart (or vice versa). Loving him or hating him isn’t the part that matters. The question itself is what’s important. Jaime’s POV prompts the reader to embark on a challenge of empathy, daring us to ask it.
10/10
- Release Date
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April 17, 2011
- Showrunner
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David Benioff, D.B. Weiss
- Directors
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David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff
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