This is a BRIENNE OF TARTH APPRECIATION POST
I really was gonna write some femslash but then I got lazy and I got an flood of Brienne feels I got to address.
It really sucks that alot of people don’t appreciate Brienne as a character. Let me rephrase that it really sucks that people don’t appreciate Brienne as a female character.
I say this because every single female character in ASOIAF has a great fanbase (of course ASOIAF is filled with badass ladies). Cersei is a strong lioness, Sansa will be queen of something, Arya is a she-wolf, Catelyn is AWESOME, Daenerys is a dragon, etc.
But Brienne is seriously tossed aside as simply a ‘character’, rather than the famed ASOIAF ‘female character’. In most photosets or gif sets of badass ASOIAF, Brienne is omitted. Which is ridic since even minor characters like Ygritte and Osha make into the photosets (Osha and Ygritte are great btw). But Brienne who is a MAJOR character (MAJOR as PoV major) doesn’t???
I do believe Brienne’s lack of fanbase (except for the casual ‘omg brienne rules, yah, let’s talk ABOUT THE OTHER BADASS LADIES, THOUGH’) has to with aesthetics. Brienne is not as attractive as Daenerys Targaryen, or Cersei Lannister or as graceful as Catelyn Stark. This happened as well when people objected to Asha (or Yara) being portrayed by Gemma Whelan (apparently Asha is more ‘badass’ when she’s more ‘attractive’). This need for women to be attractive to be considered “INTERESTING” or “badass” female characters is nothing new.
I am not gonna talk in the misogyny in the ASOIAF fandom because, well, do you have all night?? LOLLLLL. But I really want to talk about the beautiful and awesome Brienne of Tarth and why she should be in every ‘BADASS ASOIAF LADY’ photoset ever.
So yes let’s talk about Brienne of Tarth, let’s talk about her
Brienne of Tarth was born to Selwyn of Tarth and his wife. Brienne’s mother died when she was very young and as well as her other siblings. Her brother presumably drowned when Brienne was not yet born or very young. Selwyn remarried afterwards but his wives did not not produce any heirs. Brienne is currently the sole heir of Tarth, yet she feels does not make her father proud.
Brienne grew up like any other Westerosi noble lady. Like Sansa, she was fond of songs and ballads about maids and knights. However Brienne never felt she could be the maid of her songs. She was big, tall with coarse features. She was early on mocked for her appearance. Because of this, and not because disdain for femininity, Brienne gave up trying to fit into dresses and gowns. Instead she focused on her favorite part of her songs, the knights.
Her strength and bulkiness allowed her to do well in the field of sword practice and fighting. Brienne begin to aspire to be knight, not only because of honor and the romance of it all, but because of her innate aspiration to do good. Brienne always believe in the good in her songs, in the good of the world, in general.
Although she became a skilled ‘knight’, it was not good enough for Tarth. Her father (although supportive and boastful of Brienne’s skills) pushed for her betrothal in hopes of securing Tarth’s heir.
Ronnet Connington was notorious for being one of her potential suitors. Because Brienne was so ‘uncomely’ or ugly, Ronnet offered her a rose and tells her that’s all she’ll ever get from him or any man. This event traumatized a young Brienne because it was the first time she was openly rejected/HUMILIATED by a man, but more so this event set up her interaction with men.
So if you don’t feel for Brienne yet, don’t worry I got time.
Fast forward to a happier time, Renly Baratheon visits Evenfall Hall briefly. Renly was very warm and kind to a young, naive Brienne. He was the first man to not mock her or openly pity her. Renly was also the first man to ever treat Brienne like a lady or a woman. He asked her to a dance, and to this day in the ASOIAF timeline Brienne looks back at it as one of her happiest moments. After these events, Brienne became infatuated with Renly.
Such was her devotion to him that when Renly declared for king, Brienne rushed to his side. She becomes part of his Rainbow Guard and is proud to be finally a true knight and close to the man she loves. But of course, NOTHING NICE ever happens to Brienne. And some fuckers make bets on Brienne’s maidenhead. Brienne thinks at first the men are being nice to her (which is nice for a change), but later realizes and is crushed by their true intentions.
BRIENNE’S LIFE IS NO FUCKING PICNIC. MEN ARE CRUEL. AND THINGS SUCK.
AND THEN SHIT GETS WORSE.
Brienne is supposed to protect Renly one day. Enter Melisandre Shadow Baby. Bye Bye Renly. WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY??
Brienne is CRUSHED INTO TINY PIECES when Renly dies. THEN SHE’S FUCKING ACCUSED OF MURDERING HIM. AND EVERYONE HATES HER.
FFWD Lady Stark takes Brienne under her wing. And gives her a new quest. Brienne is sure she’s gonna keep her word to Lady Stark, she won’t fail her OF COURSE NOT. She will bring her daughters back to her, she won’t fail her like she failed Renly.
red. wedding. fuck. the. world.
FFWD Brienne has to put up with Jaime Lannister and his overall rudeness. After weeks together, she forms an genuine bond with him and he regards highly of her. Such is Jaime’s regards for Brienne that he gives her FIRST EVER REAL SWORD. SOMETHING SHE’S ALWAYS WANTED IN HER ENTIRE FUCKING LIFE. But Brienne plays it cool and she’s like ‘Ser’ and Jaime’s like ‘Take it and rescue Sansa’.
AND BRIENNE IS LIKE ‘IM GONNA SAVE SANSA CAUSE OF CATELYN STARK. I AM GONNA HONOR CATELYN, I’M GONNA HONOR YOU JAIME, I’MMA RESTORE EVERYONE’S HONOOOOOR!!’
wELL something about Brienne’s arc you should know is that NOTHING NICE EVER HAPPENS TO Brienne.
Shit happens. Lots of shit happens.
Brienne sees so much wreckage following the War of The Five Kings. So much innocence lost. Brienne cries and she realizes those stories/songs were bs. But that fucker does not lose hope in humanity. That fucker tries to save everyone. EVERY SINGLE PERSON. BRIENNE WANTS TO SAVE EVERYONE IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD. But she can’t and that frustrates her.
(IF YOU’RE NOT GETTING BRIENNE FEELS YET YOU SUCK)
FFWD Brienne and her companions Hyle Hunt (fucker who bet on her maidenhead and now wants to bffs) and Pod(rick) Payne are kidnapped by the Brothers w/o banners. Who are led by Catelyn Stark NOW KNOWN AS THE LADY STONEHEART.
And Stoneheart thinks Brienne has betrayed her. And Brienne’s like ‘no way,im gonna rescue Sansa for u. ilu Catelyn u were the mother I never had’. But Stoneheart’s like ‘BULLSHIT’. And Brienne’s like ‘fml’.
SH is gonna kill everyone UNLESS Brienne goes and kills Jaime Lannister. And Brienne, you see the fucker has fallen in love with Jaime Lannister. EVEN THOUGH AGAINST HER BETTER ASS JUDGEMENT, NOPE BRIENNE IS INTO JAIME AND WHAT THE HELL CAN SHE DO. Brienne has a big ass heart and she’s not gonna go around killing the man she loves so she goes:
“I will not make that choice”
So SH gives no fucks and is like ‘kill everyone’. And everyone starts to die and then Brienne sees Pod. Pod so young and full of hopes and knighly dreams like her. Pod who feels protected by Brienne. Pod who trusts Brienne. Like Renly did, like Catelyn did, like Jaime does. FUCKING TRUST IS BRIENNE’S FUCKING TRIGGER.
And Brienne and her OBNOXIOUS HUGE ASS FOREVER GIVING HEART yells out ‘Sword’
Now Brienne is on the motherfucking quest on bringing Jaime back to SH so everyone can die apparently.
BRIENNE HAS TO PICK BETWEEN THE PPL SHE LOVES (Pod, Hyle, etc), THE MAN SHE LOVES, THE WOMAN SHE LOVES and you tell me she has it real easy compared to other ASOIAF women????
How is Brienne not a fucking ‘strong female character’?? HOW THE ACTUAL FUCK IS THIS WOMAN NOT YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER?? How the actual the fuck is not this girl who was mocked because of ugliness, who sacrifices, who HAS THE BIGGEST HEART WESTEROS HAS EVER SEEN not a worthy of fandom love and devotion??
That’s why Brienne’s my favorite ASOIAF female character, if not simply character. She is soooo brave and has such a big heart. She sacrifices for everyone else when the Westerosi world is fucking up.
Sure Brienne is awkward, Brienne is not full of badass remarks or sassy comebacks like other female characters. But she’s real. Her struggles and obstacles are strong or yet even stronger than anyone’s else.
If anyone deserves a happy ending in ASOIAF its Brienne. Please read this and re-consider your position on Brienne of Tarth.
(I stg if i don’t see brienne on every single photoset coming up in S3 I will kill everything.)
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