Theon Greyjoy: Hero, great human being, and my favorite character.

[Tywin]

No, no, he's not. Quite the opposite, but I'm interested to see what people have to see about this character.

I've seen threads on most of the other POV characters, yet Theon seems left out.

Is he absolutely despicable? Redeemable? The most steadfast and heroic character in the series?

 

[Mesanna]

I disliked Theon almost from the start of the first book, and my dislike only grew as I read subsequent books. However, ADWD changed that. I had read in reviews before the book came out that tragedy struck a main character and I rather hoped that maybe Theon would die. But ... what has befallen him now is worse than death. A sword through the heart or a beheading is at least quick and clean. Theon's treatment at the hands of that Bolton ******* is, in its own way, every bit as shocking as Beheddard and the Red Wedding. GRRM - Mr U-Turn - has done it again. Getting me to empathise with Theon is much more of a turnaround than getting me to like Jaime (who I always rather liked even before he became a POV). I want Theon to go back to the Iron Islands with Asha, claim the throne, and then hopefully channel the Iron Islanders' aggressions toward The Others. I only hope his body can bear the strain.

 

[Needle]

I did not like Theon in the beginning, I didn't hate him but he was vain, arrogant, and disrespectful. But then really why wouldn't he be? He was heir to his fathers lordship yet raised by another he had no responsibility, nothing really to humble him.

When the war began he was a trusted friend and even adviser to Robb. Then he was sent home with an important duty, only to have his world flipped upside down by his father and Asha mainly. At this point he went a little crazy, yet his take over of Winterfell was not a bad plan and may have worked with a little help!

What Ramsey has done to him is worse than death. Much of the hate I now hold for Ramsey is because of Theon! I sincerely hope GRRM lets him at least get him! I agree with Messenna that hopefully he with Asha helping him this time can take the Seaside Chair and help the only real family he has, Jon!

 

[Timba]

I did not like Theon in the beginning, I didn't hate him but he was vain, arrogant, and disrespectful. But then really why wouldn't he be? He was heir to his fathers lordship yet raised by another he had no responsibility, nothing really to humble him.

When the war began he was a trusted friend and even adviser to Robb. Then he was sent home with an important duty, only to have his world flipped upside down by his father and Asha mainly. At this point he went a little crazy, yet his take over of Winterfell was not a bad plan and may have worked with a little help!

What Ramsey has done to him is worse than death. Much of the hate I now hold for Ramsey is because of Theon! I sincerely hope GRRM lets him at least get him! I agree with Messenna that hopefully he with Asha helping him this time can take the Seaside Chair and help the only real family he has, Jon!

While he was sent home with an important duty he had set that duty aside before he even got there and began to focus on what he could do for himself. I despise Bolton and detest what he has done to Theon but somehow it seems to me that Theon brought it on himself in many ways.

I too hope he can find some redemption in some way and I suppose he has made a bit of a downpayment on that by getting Jeyne out and away from Bolton.

 

[The Imp]

Theon was never one of my favorites, as I always thought he was somewhat arrogant. I can't blame him one bit for abandoning the Starks when he was sent to his father, and it's even hard to find fault with what he did in taking Winterfell.

Theon was a hostage. The fancier term "ward" could be used to sweeten the image, but he was being held at Winterfell to ensure his father's good behavior. He cut his bonds as soon as he was able, and meant to cliam the place he imagined for himself as Balon's son. Balon didn't quite reject him, but he certainly treated him with contempt. That whole thing about "paying the iron price". When Balon gave the command of the main fleet to Asha, and only gave Theon a few ships to reave the coast, Theon again did what he thought he had to do to elevate himself in his father's eyes. I don't condone what he did at Winterfell, but i understand it.

Having said that, there's no way that Theon deserved the ongoing torture and mutilation that he suffered at the hands of the ******* (he who shall not be named ). I hope he gets some peace and ends up doing something meaningful. Ideally, he could draw and quarter RB> Either on actually, or both

 

[viZion]

I never minded Theon. His chapters through the first three books were always entertaining though because he screwed up so often. You gotta admit he was always an interesting read. And then in ADWD his chapters were BY FAR the most interesting and easily the best in the book. Again, love him or hate him, his chapters are awesome.

 

[Tywin]

Theon's chapters did have quite a bit more sex than the others, I'll give them that. It made them at least a little more exciting to read even though I spent most of the time wishing he'd just act a bit more 'Stark'ish.

 

[assasin]

I completely agree with the imp. Why did rob trust him in the first place. The only worse mistake he made was allowing the freys to host the wedding at the twins.

I guess rob did have some brotherly feeling for him but while rob is good on a battlefield he's a worse player than his father. None of the starks seem to be very good judges of human nature. A decent player wouldnt take the risk of thinking that Lord balon would trust someone who he last saw when he was ten and had been living with an enemy.

And theon had had half of his life to nurture feelings of hatred. Thats said I don't think he reallly hated the starks. He just thought that as a "ward" he should hate them, and convinced himself to that effect. It was exactly the same with those millers boys. He didn';t want to kill them but he convinced himself it was the only option.

I can understand his point of view. But he was a bit arrogant. Lets hope that if he survives he'll be a bit more decent. Though I can't see him being lord of the iron isles [due to the fact that he can't produce any heirs, I doubt he'll be respected more than a half dead saltwife] I d hope he survives.

 

[Tywin]

Why can't he produce any heirs?

I hope in his eventual character redemption (why bring him so low unless to make his redemption that much more heroic at the end?) sees him accept the fact that he always wanted to be a Stark and that he would be better off acting like one. I think there's been sufficient foreshadowing added to support the idea that he will be King of the Iron Islands (or Lord of the Iron Islands if they fall back under the Iron Throne), I just hope to see a Stark-friendly King when he gets there.

 

[Mesanna]

Why can't he produce any heirs?

It's hinted in Dance with Dragons that it wasn't just the skin on Theon's fingers that that Bolton ******* cut off, if you catch my drift ...

If the Greyjoys are to survive, Theon & Asha must present a united front and I think the ground has been laid for that. I think Asha may end up Queen, as I have to question Theon's physical fitness to be King. The Iron Islanders are a tough bunch and won't respect someone perceived as 'weak'. I have my doubts as to whether Theon will survive the series. I agree with the idea of a redemption for him, but I think he'll die/sacrifice himself in order to attain that.

 

[The Imp]

It's hinted in Dance with Dragons that it wasn't just the skin on Theon's fingers that that Bolton ******* cut off, if you catch my drift ...

If the Greyjoys are to survive, Theon & Asha must present a united front and I think the ground has been laid for that. I think Asha may end up Queen, as I have to question Theon's physical fitness to be King. The Iron Islanders are a tough bunch and won't respect someone perceived as 'weak'. I have my doubts as to whether Theon will survive the series. I agree with the idea of a redemption for him, but I think he'll die/sacrifice himself in order to attain that.

Theon dying to save Bran, or more likely, Rickon, would be the ultimate redmptive act for me. Even just leading an action that removes Ramsay from Winterfell, and Ramsay's head from his shoulders would be fine.

 

[Needle]

Why can't he produce any heirs?
.

There is a spot where Theon thinks (not a quote but close) Ramsey had been good to him, he had only taken a few fingers and toes and oh that other thing when he could have taken his head) also when Ramsey tells him to get Jeyne ready their wedding night, Theon starts to freak stuttering that he can't, he doesn't ... till Ramsey tells him to use your tongue fool.

 

[southron sword]

I actually liked Theon before he got his POV chapters. The way he was described as always having a sly smile like he had an inside joke, him kicking the black brothers head. He was a smartass. Then we get his POV and the moment he sees his dad he becomes a whinging little wuss. Call me morbid, but his chapters in adwd were hilarious. Reek, rhymes with meek. Maybe he didn't deserve what he got, BUT.... He did betray Robb, pretended to kill 2 kids (and Jaime only tried to kill 1 and cops a lot of s***).

Theons POV had the exact opposite for me to Jaimes. Jaime I was unsure of, then reading his POV he became a favourite. Theon I liked then just got sick of.

 

[3EyedCrowsEye]

I don't know if he's a great human being or hero, but he is easily a favorite character, and at least for me, he is definitely on my top 10 list of fictional characters I could really really empathize for, especially the whole reek reek thing. Hero? even what he does at the end of DWD I still wouldn't (probably) ever call him a hero or even a great person. Even though he was basically Neds hostage, I still think he got to live a better life in Winterfell than he ever could have in Pyke. And in a way he DID kill Bran and Rickon, because poor Robb died knowing that Theon killed his brothers and so did Cat. He also cause the sack of Winterfell (It probably would have happened anyways but Theon still caused it) Maybe in the next book GRRM will have us change our feelings for Ramsay and actually grow to love him.......nawwwwwww

 

[Tywin]

Ramsay will inspire those around him to kill him eventually. I think I remember some of the other northerners saying something like "We know what Roose is, and we can deal with him, but Ramsay..."

It's inspiring for me to remember that all those other northern lords happen to be guys who fight and kill as a profession. Ramsay may be a scary character to have around, but when you are surrounded by confident and dangerous men... scaring them is often a fatal illness.

 

[TK-421]

The depiction of Theon in the scene created just for the TV series with Roz sums up his character well before his meeting with Bolton's *******: insecure, vain, petty, lost.

I pity him.

 

[NenadBulaja]

I must add something to this thread, Theon is depicted as every other character in the book. Slave to his own character and desires, he struggles to fulfill his dreams of ruling Ironmen, being part of Stark family, and whatnot. Off course it's impossible and he must make some tough choices, unfortunately most of them are wrong.

But in ADwD, my favored chapters were the ones with POV called Reek. It was obvious that Martin put extra effort in those, and they are easily best part of the whole book. For those who read ADwD, it's clear what this has to do with Theon, for those who didn't - WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

 

[Yog-Sothoth]

I felt sorry for Theon since the day he captured Winterfell, a man that would never be a Stark, nor ever a Greyjoy. The Theon & Asha flirt turned me on until she revealed herself as his sister, then I felt a little sick and a little bit more sorry for him lol, though Asha is still my favorite female character.

ADWD, has redeemed him already in my opinion, he allowed Ramsay to flay two innocent children and their mother, as a substitute for the Stark brothers; a dungeon cell for life, or the death penalty would have been the right punishment, but what he went through is sickening. I don't think his capture of Winterfell was a crime, as he was only trying to build a kingdom of his own, and not be anyone's ward, or subject. Robb did the samething and many people also died in his quest.

I just wish Theon never captured the Castle, because that forced Robb to please Lord Walder and head to the Twins, otherwise he would have marched South. I would have loved to have seen Tywin and Robb go at it on the battlefield, the former was feared and a real strategist(notice how everybody suddenly has the heart to return to Westeros to fight Tommen's reign now he's dead? from Selmy to Connington) and the latter a natural commander(If Edmure hadn't mocked up his plans my dream would have been a reality).

I can't deny it though there were many moments in ADWD where I laughed out loud at Theon's behaviour, be it the Reek rhymes, or for example when he and the Abel girls went to get Arya/Jeyne, for a split second Theon pictured Ramsay coming up the stairs and discovering him, causing Theon to want to scream like a little girl lol.

Theon's suffering and broken spirit reminds me of Gollum/Smeagol alot.

 

[TK-421]

Theon has no real place in the world. He lacks confidence in himself and this drove him to be petty, impressionable and willing to seek his place.

The HBO series added a scene between him and Roz, which sums up his character to the letter. I think it's in episode 4 or 5.

 

[Alayne Stone]

Theon is very complicated. Kinda like Gollum and Svidrigailov (who is my favourite creepy/unpredictable character ever).

Also wonderfully written. The kind of role that can win an award for a good actor.